Just as they reached the palace gates, they saw many high-ranking nobles arriving one after another.
Not long after, a small sedan appeared ahead, carried respectfully by several attendants. The woman walking beside it looked familiar—she seemed to be one of the attendants who had been with Princess Zhaohua that night.
Soon, the maid approached Quan Heng. “Miss Quan, our Princess feared you would be tired, so she specially sent me to escort you. Please ride in the sedan.”
At those words, everyone around turned to look. Quan Heng instantly became the center of attention.
Still, since Princess Zhaohua thought so highly of her, she naturally wouldn’t refuse.
She nodded politely and got onto the sedan, going ahead alone.
Seeing her leave, Quan Xiang, standing nearby, was furious, grinding her molars.
“Third Sister, look! That bumpkin Quan Heng—what right does she have to be favored by Princess Zhaohua? She’s not worthy!”
Quan Meng, born from the less prominent second branch, had always tried to keep the peace between Quan Xiang and Quan Rui before Quan Heng returned to the manor.
Now that Quan Heng was back, she had even less desire to get involved.
So, she gave an awkward smile and didn’t respond.
Meanwhile, Quan Rui was lost in her own thoughts and hadn’t even noticed that Quan Heng had been escorted away. She kept trying to catch a chance to exchange secret glances with Jiang Suifeng.
Seeing the others ignore her, Quan Xiang was furious, her finger trembling with anger. “You all—you’re going to drive me crazy!”
Back in the sedan, Quan Heng quickly arrived at the imperial garden.
The garden was already crowded. As soon as Princess Zhaohua saw her, she eagerly took her by the arm and led her to her seat.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, someone else came over to greet Princess Zhaohua. Seeing that she was chatting enthusiastically with others, Quan Heng did not disturb them and instead looked around, beginning to observe her surroundings.
Today’s flower-viewing banquet was indeed a grand affair. Besides Princess Zhaohua, the Second Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Princess were all present.
Listening to the whispers around her, Quan Heng gradually came to understand the relationships among these royal siblings.
The Second Prince, Wen Qian, was the son of the Noble Consort. A few years ago, he injured his leg, and since then, had trouble walking. At the moment, he sat alone in his seat, expression gloomy, with no one daring to approach him.
Seated next to him was the Third Prince, son of the current Empress. He was gifted from a young age, with a pleasant personality, and was now chatting and laughing with those around him, easily evoking goodwill from others.
Not far away was the Fourth Princess, titled Princess Mingde, the full-blooded younger sister of the Third Prince, also born of the Empress. Her appearance was not particularly stunning—merely delicate and neat—but being the legitimate daughter of the central palace, she held immense status. A circle of people surrounded her, all eagerly flattering her.
Somehow, while everyone else had arrived, the Crown Prince was conspicuously absent.
When Princess Zhaohua finished exchanging pleasantries and noticed Quan Heng looking absent-minded, she bumped her shoulder lightly. “What’s wrong?”
Quan Heng forced a smile and voiced her doubt. “Princess, I see the Second and Third Princes are both here—why hasn’t the Crown Prince come?”
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the smile on Princess Zhaohua’s face froze.
Then she sighed. “You just returned to the capital, so it’s natural you wouldn’t know. Crown Prince Brother… he’s a bit reclusive. Not just you—even us, his siblings, rarely see him.”
Princess Zhaohua frowned. “As far back as I can remember, I’ve probably seen him no more than five times. And every time he appeared, he wore a mask—we could never see his face clearly.”
Quan Heng was surprised. “He’s that withdrawn? How strange.”
At those words, Princess Zhaohua quickly made a “shh” gesture. “Enough, don’t speak of the Crown Prince anymore. The banquet is about to begin.”
Even she was somewhat fearful to speak of him so freely in the palace.
That man… was far from normal. Better not to mention it—she didn’t want to frighten Heng’er.
Just then, musicians and dancers began to enter, and the imperial garden quickly filled with lively excitement.
But Quan Heng remained uneasy, unable to enjoy the festivities.
In her dream, she remembered that the Crown Prince did not wear a mask. Yet the dream was strange—aside from Ah Zheng’s face, she couldn’t clearly see anyone else’s. The more she tried to recall, the more her head throbbed.
In that moment, she felt the banquet had become unbearably loud, buzzing in her head. The air felt stifling—she could hardly breathe.
She told Princess Zhaohua she needed some fresh air and left with Ziyun.
As she wandered the imperial garden, breathing the outdoor air, she gradually felt better.
Earlier, Ziyun had noticed her mistress’s furrowed brow and worried look, not daring to speak. Now, seeing her features finally relax, she dared to speak up.
“Miss, the banquet is so lively today—why did you come out?”
Quan Heng sighed. “It is lively, but today, I just want some peace and quiet.”
After hearing what Princess Zhaohua said, the unease in her heart had only grown.
That strange dream hung over her like a sword, always threatening to fall and shatter her into pieces.
Just then, Ziyun pricked up her ears—there seemed to be some commotion ahead. She tugged on Quan Heng’s sleeve to alert her.
Quan Heng came back to her senses and looked ahead. When she saw the scene clearly, her eyes widened.
Ahead, a man and woman were locked in a passionate kiss, tangled up against a tree. The woman’s outer robe was disheveled, nearly falling off.
And that man—was Jiang Suifeng.
The woman, too, wore fine garments and jeweled hairpins—clearly of noble background.
Quan Heng narrowed her eyes and studied the woman’s face—it seemed very familiar.
At several recent banquets, she’d seen her—always standing beside Quan Rui, appearing to be very close to her.
Finally, she recalled who she was.
Not only was she a close confidante of Quan Rui, she was also the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Personnel, named Chen Qinghuan.
By all logic, with such a background, she shouldn’t be interested in someone like Jiang Suifeng. And yet here she was, lost in passion with him, oblivious to the world. If no one interrupted them now, things would certainly go too far.
Ziyun’s heart pounded as she muttered, “This cousin is really shameless! He seduced Miss Quan Rui and now he’s after another!”
Quan Heng snorted coldly. “With his background, coming to the capital was clearly a chance to latch onto noblewomen. One isn’t enough—so he casts a wide net. I was right—he’s not someone worth trusting.”
Just then, some eunuchs and palace maids passed by on a nearby path, chatting about the banquet.
As they approached the garden and saw Quan Heng, they greeted her. “Greetings, Miss Quan.”
Quan Heng politely nodded. The group passed by and soon disappeared.
Ziyun glanced back—sure enough, the pair who had been tangled up were gone.
They must have slipped away while Quan Heng was speaking with the servants.
Quan Heng walked over to the tree where they had been and noticed they’d left something behind.
In their haste, Jiang Suifeng had dropped a jade pendant, and the woman had lost an earring.
She picked them up and handed them to Ziyun. “Keep these safe. One day, they’ll be useful.”
Ziyun accepted them solemnly. “Yes, I’ll take good care of them.”
With that matter over, Quan Heng no longer felt like strolling and decided to return to the banquet.
But she’d never been to the palace before—and even though she’d dreamt of it, the paths in the dream were long forgotten. Soon, she found herself lost and ended up by a small pond.
Fortunately, there were still people nearby. She approached to ask for directions.
As she got closer, she overheard a young maid sigh, “What nice weather today! It’s perfect for some sunshine.”
Another maid chimed in, “Exactly! Even the Sixth Prince wanted to come out and play.”
Suddenly, they realized something was wrong—the Sixth Prince had disappeared!
Finally, one of the maids spotted him and shouted, “There he is—by the pond!”
Hearing this, Quan Heng looked too—and saw a five- or six-year-old child squatting by the edge of the pond, reaching hard for a small flower on the water’s surface. He was about to fall in!
What shocked her even more was how much this Sixth Prince resembled Ah Zheng—like a miniature version of him!
And then, the boy lost his balance and fell in. He flailed in the water.
Though spring had arrived, it was still chilly. The child wore thick clothing, which became heavy and dragged him down.
Having never experienced this before, the terrified boy burst into tears.
The more he cried, the more cold water filled his nose and mouth—he began choking badly.
Everyone around panicked, but none of the eunuchs or maids could swim.
“What do we do?! Call for help! Get someone who can swim!”
“Yes, quickly! Call someone!”
The scene turned to chaos, and Quan Heng grew increasingly anxious.
That child looked too much like Ah Zheng.
If he died here today, she would carry the guilt forever.
Resolving herself, Quan Heng gritted her teeth and jumped into the water.
It all happened so fast that by the time Ziyun realized it, her mistress was already in the pond. She screamed in panic.
“Miss! Come back! Don’t scare me!”
