Rumors are a scentless poison—
left unchecked, they seep through every corner of the palace, unnoticed until it's far too late.
Just days after Su Mengyu entered the palace, murmurs began to spread among eunuchs and handmaids.
What began as whispers turned to hushed gossip.
What began as suspicion turned into ambiguous accusations.
"The Fourth Princess… visits the foreign Crown Prince far too often, doesn't she?"
"Even if they're not betrothed, such closeness is improper. Surely it will damage her reputation…"
Xianlan sat sipping tea among the attendants of Hualan Pavilion, her expression serene and unmoved.
She didn't need an investigation to know—these rumors hadn't started on their own.
⸻
"What will you do?"
Feng Yuhan asked bluntly during a visit to her pavilion.
"I've never feared rumors…"
Xianlan set down her teacup, eyes calm.
"But I won't let someone use gossip as a blade and walk away untouched."
⸻
Under the bright silver moon, Xianlan hosted a "small tea gathering,"
inviting women from both the outer and inner palace under the pretense of learning Southern Yan's tea rituals.
The guest list included noble daughters, court ladies, and—of course—Su Mengyu, who accepted the invitation immediately.
That faint smile on Su Mengyu's lips that morning had been ice-cold.
As if she knew Xianlan was struggling.
But the phoenix wasn't struggling—
she was spreading her wings.
⸻
Inside the Moonlit Pavilion, adorned with mirrors and soft lanterns,
Xianlan sat at the center, her face calm and beautiful.
Before her lay a tea set from Southern Yan, delicately arranged and scented faintly with wild plum blossoms.
Once all were seated, Xianlan smiled gently and spoke in a clear, graceful tone:
"Today is not about teaching anything—but I'd like to share a tale from Southern Yan."
"There was once a woman who secretly loved the Crown Prince.
Unable to declare it openly, she brewed fragrant tea to cloud his memory—so that he would remember only her…"
The guests paused, intrigued.
Xianlan rose, picked up a freshly brewed cup, and offered it directly to Su Mengyu.
"Please, Lady Su—have a taste. I blended this recipe myself.
It's similar to 'Plum Blossom Tears,' isn't it? Like the kind used in your residence."
Su Mengyu's eyes flickered for the briefest second.
She lifted the cup, sipped with a forced smile, then set it down gracefully.
"It's fragrant indeed. Just… a bit different than usual."
Xianlan smiled and took a sip of her own.
Then turned to the guests and said politely:
"I received this recipe from a handmaid, who told me of a story—
that a woman in Southern Yan once disguised herself as the Crown Prince's fiancée, using a special tea scent to gain access to the men's quarters."
"She was punished with three days of kneeling—for slandering another."
A faint ripple of laughter passed through the listeners.
But Su Mengyu's heart chilled—deeply and undeniably.
⸻
By the next day, a new rumor had begun to bloom:
"They say… the scent of tea in the Crown Prince's chambers last month matched a blend from Lady Su's estate."
"So perhaps… the one who spread the rumors wasn't the princess after all?"
⸻
In her private quarters, Su Mengyu clenched her jaw.
She knew.
Xianlan hadn't just counterattacked—
she had done it on Su Mengyu's own battlefield… and won with a smile.
⸻
That night, Feng Yuhan stepped into the temporary palace library,
where he found Xianlan quietly arranging books.
"Aren't you angry?"
"Angry?" Xianlan raised an eyebrow.
"Those who dare play tricks without evidence must accept the consequences."
"I merely… accelerated the effects."
Feng Yuhan paused for a moment.
Then said slowly:
"Then remember this—in the game you're building…"
"I will not be anyone's pawn. Not even yours."
Xianlan gave a faint smile and turned to meet his eyes.
"And you…"
"Are you the pawn, or the player?"