Seeds of Malice.

"That wretch! She spent the night with His Highness again?"

The sharp edge of Ning Xue's voice echoed through the Celestial Pavilion, laced with fury that trembled in her bones. A porcelain teacup slipped from her hand, shattering at her feet, fragments skittering across the polished floor like her frayed restraint.

Mei Hua, her loyal maid, knelt quickly to gather the pieces. "Your Highness, please calm down."

"Calm?" Ning Xue whipped around, her long sleeves swirling in indignation. "He stayed with her again. Two nights in a row."

Mei Hua lowered her gaze. "Yesterday… the man we sent couldn't carry out the plan. His Majesty didn't leave her chambers even once."

Ning Xue's hands clenched at her sides. "He never stayed like this before. Not even when he first took me in."

Though no confirmation had come of whether he had touched Zhen Liya, Ning Xue didn't need one. She could feel it…sense the shift in His Highness's gaze, the subtle glances of the palace servants, the quiet change in routine. Something had happened. And that girl…

She paced furiously across her chamber.

"That girl has bewitched him," she spat. "She wears innocence like a veil, but she's calculating beneath. I can see it."

Mei Hua hesitated before speaking. "Today… the Empress Dowager's banquet. All the Crown Prince's women will be attending."

Ning Xue stilled.

"It's meant to welcome Zhen Liya officially," Mei Hua continued, "and to confirm whether she has been intimate with His Highness."

Ning Xue's expression twisted. "That's the only value she has to the Empress Dowager..her ability to bear heirs."

She crossed to her mirror, staring at her own reflection…perfect, composed, yet burning.

"I'll make sure Liya is humiliated today," she said coldly. "I'll ensure she loses favor before she can ever rise."

Mei Hua's voice was cautious. "Your Highness believes His Majesty still hasn't touched her?"

"I know he hasn't," Ning Xue replied quickly, almost too quickly. "He's too cautious. Too cold. He wouldn't give himself so easily."

Still… doubt gnawed at her. Her fingers brushed her lower lip.

"No matter. Even if he has," she went on, voice laced with venom, "tonight, it ends."

Mei Hua looked up. "You mean to go through with it?"

"Yes," Ning Xue snapped. "Unfailingly. If he's there..good. Let him witness her disgrace with his own eyes."

She turned sharply, the hem of her robes whispering across the floor.

"She will be caught with another man. Let her try to explain that to the Empress Dowager. To the court. Let her drown in the shame of it."

"She's a problem," Mei Hua whispered. "A thorn."

"And I'll cut it off at the root," Ning Xue said, her voice like silk drawn over a blade.

There was a long pause. The only sound was the wind brushing against the paper doors.

Ning Xue stepped toward the window, gazing out at the soft glow of the distant pavilions. "In the past, I made sure none of the concubines could ever bear him children. I did what had to be done."

Mei Hua stayed silent.

"They drank the teas I gave them. Ate what I sent. One after the other, their wombs were ruined."

"None ever gave him heirs."

"And neither will she," Ning Xue whispered, her voice low and sharp. "Not while I breathe."

She turned back from the window, the moonlight casting a glow across her porcelain skin. Her lips curled into a smile..beautiful, poised, and cruel.

"Prepare everything. The man must enter her chambers tonight. No more failures."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"I want witnesses. Someone to find them in the act. Servants. Guards. Anyone. I want it to spread like wildfire."

Mei Hua bowed. "It will be done."

Ning Xue walked to her wardrobe, fingering a deep violet robe embroidered with phoenixes. She picked it slowly, her eyes glinting.

"I'll attend the banquet as a loyal wife," she said with a smile. "Gracious. Elegant. Let them think I am generous and unbothered."

She turned to her maid.

"And then I will strike."

The scent of jasmine incense curled through the banquet hall like a whispered threat.

Zhen Liya was the last to arrive.

Her steps were light, deliberate, the faint rustle of her robes barely audible above the gentle lilt of court musicians playing in the far corner of the Empress Dowager's receiving hall. Sunlight streamed across the jade-tiled floor, catching on the delicate gold embroidery of her pale blue hanfu. She bowed her head…not out of fear, but calculation.

They were all already seated: the consorts, the concubines, and at the center of that poised circle..Lady Ning Xue.

Positioned just two cushions from the Empress Dowager herself, Ning Xue's smile was polite, tight, but her eyes sharpened the moment they landed on Liya. She didn't need to meet them to feel their bitterness…burning, assessing, silently measuring.

Liya adjusted her sleeves and knelt gracefully.

"Zhen Liya greets Her Imperial Majesty," she said softly, voice light as silk. "May your reign be long and glorious, and your days untouched by illness or unrest."

The air held its breath.

Then, the Empress Dowager spoke…calm, slightly intrigued. "You may rise. You're quite a delicate-looking child."

Liya lifted her gaze just enough, meeting the Empress's eyes with soft humility.

"I am honored Your Majesty would receive me."

From the corner of her vision, she saw Ning Xue shift. Just a flicker of movement, a single crack in the composure. It was enough.

Liya moved to take her seat at the far end, as dictated by protocol. Her back remained straight, her posture flawless. She spoke only when directly addressed, laughed gently at the right moments, poured tea for the concubine beside her, complimented the embroidery on a passing maid's sleeve..nothing too bold, just enough to paint her presence as graceful, gentle, and harmless.

The Empress Dowager's eyes never truly left her.

In her past life, the woman had barely noticed her..except to punish her based on the poisonous whispers Ning Xue seeded. She'd laughed when Liya was scolded, turned away when she was humiliated, and looked on coldly when punishments were dealt.

But today… today she observed.

The buzz of conversation swirled around them like wasps. Liya kept her expression composed, her words soft and warm, until the Empress herself opened the door she had been waiting for.

"How have you found the Eastern Wing, Lady Zhen?" the Empress Dowager asked. "I trust His Highness has been… accommodating?"

All eyes turned.

A breath. Another.

Liya lowered her lashes delicately. "Yes, Your Majesty. His Highness has treated me with great honor." A pause, calculated and shy. "Last night… he remained in my quarters."

Gasps fluttered through the hall like startled birds.

Ning Xue stiffened.

"Oh?" The Empress Dowager arched a brow. Her gaze dropped..landing directly on the faint line of red just beneath Liya's collar. Hickeys, carefully obscured but not fully hidden.

Liya moved her hand to adjust the collar…too late.

The Empress's lips curved ever so slightly. "Quite the devoted husband."

Liya bowed her head again. "I am undeserving, Your Majesty."

"You seem a gentle girl. Humble. I see now why His Highness might take notice."

There it was. That shift in the room's atmosphere. Subtle but palpable. The balance, tilting.

Even the concubines whispered differently now. No longer cold, but curious. Measuring.

But none of it mattered more than the tightening around Ning Xue's eyes.

She picked up her teacup. Set it down. Picked it up again.

"It's strange," she said, voice sweet as syrup. "Some women bloom too fast. Too eager to share how quickly they've earned affection. It's… unbecoming."

The Empress Dowager did not smile.

"Is that directed at someone, Consort Ning?"

Ning Xue's fingers froze. "Heavens, no, Your Majesty."

A hollow chuckle rippled from the Empress Dowager's lips..sharp as porcelain breaking.

Liya responded with a soft, almost childlike smile. "Sister Ning Xue was kind enough to send soup this morning. It was very thoughtful."

A visible flinch.

Perfect. Polite. Innocent.

Heavy with implication.

Mei Hua leaned toward her mistress, whispering into Ning Xue's ear. Whatever she said made her twitch, the corner of her eye jerking. Her fingers slipped beneath her sleeve. She scratched. And scratched again.

The smile on her lips faltered for the first time all morning.

Ning Xue's wrist twitched. She scratched

Once. Then again. Her forearm reddened.

Mei Hua noticed. "Your Highness?"

Ning Xue's expression tightened. She adjusted her sleeve, trying to hide the inflammation, but it spread further up her wrist. Her discomfort grew visible.

The Empress Dowager noticed. "What is the matter with you now?"

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. My wrist... it's burning. I think I may have been poisoned." Her voice trembled..just enough for everyone to hear.

Gasps spread through the room.

Zhen Liya blinked, expression unreadable, gaze lowered. Her hands remained neatly folded.

The Empress narrowed her eyes. "Poisoned?"

Ning Xue gave a delicate cough, then with a sigh, said, "The only unusual thing I consumed this morning was the soup Consort Zhen had kindly sent."

All eyes turned to Liya.

Liya lifted her head slightly. Her voice soft. "It was just a simple return gesture, Sister. You had sent me soup first, and I merely wished to reciprocate."

"How thoughtful of you," Ning Xue said coldly.

Tension rippled through the air.

Then..without warning..Ning Xue stepped forward and slapped Liya across the face.

The sound echoed across the silent hall.

Liya swayed slightly but caught herself, her hand not rising to her cheek. She stared down at the floor, lips pressed together.

"Enough!" The Empress Dowager shot to her feet. "You dare strike another consort? In my presence?"

"Your Majesty, I beg forgiveness," Ning Xue said, bowing swiftly. "I lost control. But this is a serious matter..someone may be trying to harm me."

The Empress turned cold eyes on her. "Summon the royal physician…now. We will settle this properly."

A maid darted off.

Liya remained silent, the perfect picture of wronged dignity.

Moments passed. Then the physician arrived, bowed deeply, and was ushered over to Ning Xue. He examined the red rash crawling up her wrist.

"Your Majesty," he said calmly after a moment, "this appears to be a common allergic reaction, not poison."

"From what?" the Empress snapped.

"I would like a list of ingredients used in the soup served at this banquet," he said. "Not the one sent earlier."

Liya glanced toward Ning Xue now…just subtly.

Mei Hua froze.

"No need," said the Empress. "My palace's dishes are documented precisely. Fetch the list."

A servant returned swiftly with the records.

The physician reviewed them, eyes scanning line by line.

"Here it is," he said. "Peach blossom extract. A very mild flavoring agent…but one the Princess Consort is recorded as being allergic to in past medical reports. It was likely included in today's soup as garnish."

Silence fell.

Then the Empress's eyes narrowed on Ning Xue. "So what you're saying is... you falsely implied that another consort tried to poison you with soup that you consumed hours ago…with no reaction…when the allergy began only now, after eating my banquet soup?"

Ning Xue's lips trembled. "I… misunderstood."

"Did you also misunderstand when you slapped Consort Zhen before confirming anything?"

"No, Your Majesty. I was… angry."

"Apologize."

Ning Xue turned, humiliated. "Consort Zhen… forgive me."

Liya raised her eyes at last…glistening, doe-soft, gracious.

"I know it must have been frightening, Big Sister," she said gently. "It's only natural to worry. I hold no grudge."

The Empress watched her, expression unreadable. Then turned to Ning Xue.

"You are confined to the Celestial Pavilion for two weeks. No guests. No letters. Reflect."

She didn't wait for a reply.

"Dismissed."

The Empress swept from the room. Ning Xue turned on her heel, face hot, and stormed out.

Liya followed several moments later, the soft click of her slippers lost among the murmurs.

Behind her fan, she smiled.

Now..with Ning Xue temporarily out of the way…the real game could begin.