The day dawned.
Yet Song Xiyan was in a pitiful state—her previously uninjured right hand was now wrapped in layers of gauze, swollen like a lump of fermented dough.
"Your Highness, are you... still going to the girls' school today?"
Song Xiyan sniffled at the question. "Yes."
She needed to stay close to Song Shihuan to steal her good fortune.
Before leaving, Song Xiyan made sure Liu'er brought along a pouch of bitter almonds. If Song Shihuan only ate a few a day because she disliked the bitterness, then she would eat more—surely the effects would be better!
At the girls' school, Song Shihuan caught sight of Song Xiyan from the corner of her eye and deliberately raised her voice. "Mingzhu, this method really works. This is how I grew taller."
Half an hour later, Gu Mingzhu kept glancing nervously at Song Xiyan, who sat at the neighboring desk.
The princess had said the second princess would ask her first, but why wasn't she saying anything?
Just as Gu Mingzhu grew anxious enough to consider running to Class A to inform Song Shihuan, Song Xiyan slowly handed her an exquisite hairpin.
"This hairpin suits you perfectly. I’d like you to have it."
Gu Mingzhu stared blankly at the hairpin, swallowing hard. Was this what books called... a bribe?
Sure enough, the next moment, Song Xiyan spoke again, as if casually. "Earlier, I heard Eldest Sister mention a way to grow taller?"
At this, Gu Mingzhu nodded eagerly.
Yes, yes!
She had been waiting for this question all along.
"The princess said she jumps for a quarter of an hour every day in her manor’s garden," Gu Mingzhu whispered, glancing around. "She says if you immerse yourself in nature, nature will reward you generously."
Song Xiyan’s eyes flickered.
Jumping?
Song Shihuan’s height had already caught up to hers.
At the Eastern Palace, Song Yanzheng had spent an entire day lying in bed after a fierce argument with the crown prince’s concubine before finally recovering.
"Prince Qin’s methods are too ruthless. Your Highness has suffered," murmured You En, the attendant helping Song Yanzheng up.
"Let’s take a walk in the garden," Song Yanzheng said, hoping to ease his frustration.
But as he reached the garden entrance, he saw a group of servants bowing their heads—and Song Xiyan hopping around like a duck.
A vein bulged on Song Yanzheng’s forehead.
"Song Xiyan!"
The sudden shout startled Song Xiyan, causing her to lose balance and twist her left ankle. She collapsed in pain, tears springing to her eyes.
Liu'er rushed to summon the imperial physician.
Ignoring her injury, Song Yanzheng snapped, "What are you doing, jumping around like this? You look nothing like a royal princess!"
And in front of so many servants...
Utterly humiliating.
Tearful and unwilling to admit she was copying Song Shihuan, Song Xiyan sobbed, "Elder Brother, I just wanted to grow taller!"
"You’ve lost your mind. Never jump in the Eastern Palace again!"
Song Yanzheng stormed off, leaving Song Yanchao and Song Yanming, who arrived shortly after, equally bewildered.
"Xiyan, what’s wrong?"
Seeing their concern, Song Xiyan burst into louder sobs, unable to explain.
No wonder she was the wild child raised outside the palace—her actions were disgraceful, and now she’d hurt herself.
Her crying grew more frantic until, suddenly, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Thus, Song Yanzheng, who had barely settled into his chair, was dragged back to Song Xiyan’s courtyard by You En.
If not for her title as an Eastern Palace princess, he wouldn’t have bothered.
Even Shen Hua'er arrived.
The imperial physician took Song Xiyan’s pulse, his beard twitching in shock. "This... this shouldn’t be..."
"Physician, why did Xiyan faint?" Shen Hua'er pressed, newly wedded and desperate to avoid scandal.
"Her pulse suggests excessive consumption of bitter almonds," the physician admitted hesitantly, though he found it unbelievable.
A ten-year-old princess eating bitter almonds?
"What is the meaning of this?" Song Yanzheng turned to Liu'er. "As her attendant, explain why she ate bitter almonds!"
"It was... the princess’s own choice," Liu'er said, kneeling.
"Xiyan loves sweets. She’d never eat something bitter!" Song Yanchao kicked Liu'er squarely in the chest.
"Your Highness, if the princess refused, how could I force her?" Liu'er lay sprawled on the ground. "If you doubt me, ask her when she wakes."
Convinced by her certainty, Song Yanchao hesitated.
"Enough. Physician, treat her well."
Song Yanzheng’s patience was spent. Once assured Song Xiyan would recover, he left without another word.
The others followed.
......
When news reached the Qin Prince's Mansion, Song Yu laughed until his thighs turned red.
"I think everyone in the Eastern Palace has... something wrong here," he said, tapping his temple before suddenly turning to Shen Qingping. "I wasn’t like this before, was I?"
He’d been a bit of a rogue, but never this foolish.
Shen Qingping hesitated.
That brief pause was enough for Song Yu to pounce. "Shen Qingping! You secretly think I’m an idiot!"
Seeing the brewing storm, Song Shihuan quietly edged toward the door—best not to get caught in the crossfire.
Just then, Liuxi’s resigned voice rang out:
"Your Highness, someone from the Eastern Palace is here."
His face was full of resentment. Couldn’t the Eastern Palace leave them in peace? He hated delivering bad news when the prince and princess were in high spirits.
At this rate, the prince would scowl every time he saw him.
Inside, Song Yu didn’t hesitate. "Turn them away."
Liuxi’s expression brightened instantly as he faced the matron waiting in Li Garden.
"His Highness refuses to see you."
The matron wrung her handkerchief anxiously. "Could you ask again? The concubine is ill and wishes to see the princess."
After another incense stick’s time, Liuxi returned with the same icy reply:
"Refused."
The matron’s eyes filled with despair. How could she return to the Eastern Palace and face her mistress’s hopeful gaze?
Her lady’s fate was truly bitter.
