After being reborn, the aloof prime minister was once again forced by a tyrant.

Before the Flower Festival even arrives, the capital city is already a bit warmer. Colorful silk ribbons adorn the locust branches along Zhuque Street, and vendors selling lanterns, kites, and sugar figurines line the street. Young women throughout the city have made new clothes, all waiting to burn incense at the Flower Goddess Temple in the east of the city on the fifteenth of the second lunar month, praying for a beautiful full moon and blooming flowers.

The palace was also busy. The Ministry of Rites had been preparing for the palace banquet since the beginning of the month, and colorful pavilions were erected along the Taiye Pond, stretching from the foot of the artificial hill to the end of the waterside pavilion. Gao An led the eunuchs in checking the congratulatory gifts, his feet barely touching the ground, not even having time to drink a cup of hot tea.

On the fifteenth of February, the weather was perfect.

As dusk settled, a faint glow lingered on the horizon. Hundreds of lotus lanterns floated on Taiye Pond, their candlelight shattering the moon's reflection and creating a silvery sheen. The sounds of string and wind instruments drifted from the waterside pavilion, mingling with laughter and the soft clinking of cups, landing on the branches of the crabapple trees in full bloom throughout the garden.

The moment Xie Qinglan stepped into the Imperial Garden, the clamor of the entire gathering abruptly ceased.

He wore a form-fitting crimson brocade robe, with a fine silver trim around the collar that accentuated his snow-white complexion. A jade pendant hung at his waist, and a crabapple blossom, folded by Xiao Jingyuan himself that afternoon, was tucked behind his ear.

He walked through the flower-lined path, his robes brushing against the fallen petals, his steps leisurely.

Xiao Jingyuan rose from his seat, his fingers clenching and unclenching in his sleeves. He had seen Xie Qinglan in this crimson robe a few days ago, but seeing her again now in the lamplight and moonlight, he was still mesmerized.

Vermilion is an extremely vibrant color, but on him it is anything but vulgar. Instead, it is tempered by his overall aloofness into a perfectly appropriate air of nobility—like a frosty blade sheathed in a vermilion brocade sheath, dazzlingly beautiful and chillingly cold.

Xie Qinglan took her seat to the lower right of the main seat. It was a seat that Xiao Jingyuan had specially reserved, closer than even the seats reserved for imperial relatives and envoys. According to tradition, this was originally the seat of the empress or a favored concubine.

The officials exchanged knowing glances, and no one dared to say a word—the officials who had impeached Prime Minister Xie some time ago had already had their homes confiscated and were exiled.

The Consort Xian, Consort Jiang, and Consort Wang, seated at the women's table, kept their eyes downcast, not daring to even lift their heads. The old story of Consort Ning being banished to the Cold Palace for offending Prime Minister Xie was already a sword hanging over the heads of everyone in the harem. Even the princess from Nanyue who came for a political marriage had ended up like this; how could these concubines, who were already out of favor, dare to harbor even the slightest improper thoughts?

Xie Qinglan raised his wine cup towards Xiao Jingyuan and said, "Your subject is late."

"It's not too late." Xiao Jingyuan snapped out of his reverie, a smile playing on his lips. He took a sip of wine, but his gaze remained fixed on Xie Qinglan.

Gao An sighed inwardly and turned to urge the palace maids to serve the dishes—if they weren't served soon, His Majesty might see right through Lord Xie.

Halfway through the palace banquet, the flower-wearing ceremony was performed. Palace maids carried platters full of fresh flowers, moving among the guests, each taking one to adorn their clothes or hair.

Xiao Jingyuan suddenly stood up and took the most beautiful crabapple branch from the tray. The branch was neatly trimmed, and the cut end was carefully wrapped with bright yellow silk—he had instructed Gao An to prepare it early in the morning so that the branch wouldn't prick Xie Qinglan.

He walked up to Xie Qinglan, bent down slightly, and gently inserted the flower into his clothes without touching the flower stem with his fingertips.

"According to the Flower Festival rules, flowers must be worn in one's hair." His voice was very low, his ears were flushed, but his hand holding the flower was as steady as a rock. "This branch is in the best bloom."

Xie Qinglan lowered his eyes and saw the broken piece wrapped in bright yellow silk pressed against his crimson brocade robe. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he raised his hand to gently straighten the slightly crooked flower branch. He looked up and met Xiao Jingyuan's stunned gaze, a very faint smile curving his lips: "That's fine now."

Xiao Jingyuan's heart clenched, and he forgot to breathe. The only thing left in the world was the faint smile on his lips.

Xie Qinglan smiled at him.

He turned and strode back to the main seat, picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, then used his wide sleeve to tightly cover his burning ears.

The guests remained focused on their own thoughts, none daring to glance at the head of the table.

Gao An leaned closer and whispered, "Your Majesty, Prince Qi, Prince Rui, and the Eldest Princess have arrived."

Xiao Jingyuan nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on Xie Qinglan.

The Northern Shuo imperial family originally had seventeen princes, but after the struggle for the throne among the ten princes, only these three remained. The rest either died at Xiao Jingyuan's hands or were erased from the imperial genealogy, leaving no trace of their deaths. These three survived for their own reasons.

Prince Qi, Xiao Jingheng, voluntarily relinquished his military power, becoming a leisurely prince who only received a stipend. After Xiao Jingyuan ascended the throne, he spent his days composing poetry and painting, ignoring state affairs. He was too docile, so docile that Xiao Jingyuan couldn't find any fault with him. But everyone knew that those who could live decently in the murky waters of Beishuo were far from being as simple as they appeared.

Prince Rui, Xiao Jingchen, joined Xiao Jingyuan at the age of fourteen, carrying a sword taller than himself, vowing to die before his fourth brother. He followed Xiao Jingyuan from the northern border into the capital, bearing over a dozen scars, yet harboring not a trace of disloyalty. Now, he is the only one in the court who dares to slam his fist on the table and argue with Xiao Jingyuan.

Princess Xiao Zhaoyue, not a prince, escaped the bloody struggle for the throne. Her birth mother was a noblewoman from the Western Rong, and she was raised in the western border region from a young age, her temperament as fierce as a wild horse in the Gobi Desert. She married three times and was widowed three times. Rumors in the capital said she was a jinx to her husbands, but she instead kept a household of retainers and lived a carefree life.

The first to enter was Prince Qi, Xiao Jingheng. Dressed in a pale blue robe, he carried a bamboo-ribbed folding fan, his steps light and deliberate. The fan depicted a solitary fisherman on a cold river, its ink strokes serene and tranquil. He bowed respectfully, his voice gentle: "Your Majesty, I am late. Please forgive me."

"No need for formalities, please sit down." Xiao Jingyuan raised his hand.

Xiao Jingheng sat down at the clan seat, gently waving his folding fan. His gaze inadvertently swept over Xie Qinglan, and he raised his cup with a smile, saying, "I have long admired Prime Minister Xie's reputation. Meeting you today, I can see that it is indeed well-deserved."

Xie Qinglan raised his glass in return, tapping the rim lightly with his fingertips. Having spent ten years navigating the Nanyue court, he was accustomed to those who hid daggers behind smiles. The gentle warmth in Xiao Jingheng's eyes was a facade; the restraint and ambition beneath couldn't fool those who shared his path.

"Your Highness flatters me." He downed his drink in one gulp, his tone calm and even.

Following closely behind was Prince Rui, Xiao Jingchen. He arrived a step late, having teased Gao An's budgie at the garden gate. He plopped down and gulped down a large mouthful of wine, then tugged at Xiao Jingheng's sleeve, complaining, "Fifth Brother, why did you leave in such a hurry? I called you twice and you didn't answer. I'm dying of thirst!"

Xiao Jingheng frowned and straightened his disheveled sleeve: "At the palace banquet, mind your manners."

"What's with the attitude?" Xiao Jingchen waved his hand dismissively, his gaze suddenly fixed on Xie Qinglan. He nudged Xiao Jingheng with his elbow, his voice low but carrying far, "Fifth Brother, is that Prime Minister Xie? No wonder the Emperor hid him in Tingxue Pavilion and wouldn't let him leave—I would have hidden him too if I were him."

These words reached Xie Qinglan's ears precisely. His fingertips paused slightly, his face remained calm, but a faint blush crept onto the tips of his ears.

The last to enter was Princess Xiao Zhaoyue.

The air fell silent the moment she appeared. Not because of her status, but because of her eyes—exactly like Xiao Jingyuan's, etched with an inherent aggressiveness.

She was dressed in a crimson-purple brocade palace gown, with a large peony of the size of a bowl tucked behind her ear. Behind her, a maid carried two pots of withered, yellowing winter orchids. She gave Xiao Jingyuan a perfunctory bow and then walked straight to Xie Qinglan.

"You are Xie Qinglan?" Without waiting for an answer, she pointed to the Cymbidium goeringii behind her. "I brought several pots of Cymbidium goeringii from Nanyue, but they all died after half a month. Flowers from Nanyue don't live long in Beishuo—they can't adapt to the soil and water, they're too delicate."

Xie Qinglan looked at the two potted plants. The leaves were curled and wilted, the flower buds were dry and fallen off, and the soil in the pots was cracked into hard clumps—it was clearly not a case of the plants not adapting to the soil, but rather that they had been overwatered and drowned.

"Your Highness is mistaken," he said calmly. "The winter orchid may look delicate, but its roots run deep. As long as you understand its temperament, it is not difficult to cultivate."

"Some people raise their pets extremely well, but the princess died because they weren't willing to put in the effort."

Xiao Zhaoyue paused for a moment, then burst into loud laughter, so loud that the peony in her hair trembled. She wiped away the tears that came out of her laughter, and her gaze towards Xie Qinglan changed from scrutiny to undisguised admiration, with a hint of deep regret that Xie Qinglan couldn't understand.

She turned back to her seat, paused as she passed Xie Qinglan, and slightly bent down to block Xiao Jingyuan's view. In a voice only the two of them could hear, she said, "Prime Minister Xie, if His Majesty treats you badly, you might as well come with me. I have two merchant caravans and a hundred fine horses. I can send you back to Nanyue within ten days."

After saying that, she winked and walked away gracefully.

Xie Qinglan held his wine cup in silence. He had originally thought the Eldest Princess would be a formidable opponent, but he hadn't expected her to be just like Xiao Jingyuan.

At the head of the table, Xiao Jingyuan's knuckles were white, and the white jade wine cup in his hand was clenched so tightly that it creaked.

In her past life, Xiao Zhaoyue had often acted as an intermediary. At that time, Xie Qinglan was imprisoned in the deep palace. She somehow got the news and stormed into the imperial study, slamming her hand on the imperial desk and shouting, "What kind of nonsense is this, keeping someone locked up in the palace? Either release her, or send her to my residence, and I will raise her for you."

Xiao Jingyuan was so angry that he was about to smash the Duan inkstone in her face. Later, she came several more times, each time bringing some odds and ends from Nanyue—winter orchids, new tea, and osmanthus cakes, saying they were to ease Xie Qinglan's homesickness. Xiao Jingyuan wanted to throw them away every time, but seeing Xie Qinglan glance at them a few more times, he could only grit his teeth and endure it.

At this moment, Xiao Zhaoyue was standing beside Xie Qinglan and had been talking for quite a while—longer than the time he had spent putting flowers in Xie Qinglan's hair.

He couldn't hear what the two were saying, but he saw Xie Qinglan tilt her head slightly to listen, her lips moved, and Xiao Zhaoyue laughed loudly.

The bitterness in his heart was like dry tinder ignited by a spark, bursting into flames that spread far and wide.

Xie Qinglan noticed the gaze that seemed to pierce him, and turned his head slightly to meet Xiao Jingyuan's eyes, which were churning with turbulent emotions.

It's obvious this person is jealous again.

He didn't flinch, but merely curved his lips into a slight smile and silently gestured two words in Xiao Jingyuan's direction.

Vinegar packet.

Xiao Jingyuan was startled. He stared blankly at Xie Qinglan, but the man had already turned away, his face still as cold and expressionless as ever, as if those two words were just a hallucination.

He couldn't sit still any longer, so he got up and strode over.

"What did she say to you?"

"It's nothing." Xie Qinglan took a sip of wine, his tone indifferent. "The Princess just asked me for some advice on cultivating orchids."

"Do I need to whisper in her ear to ask for her advice on cultivating orchids?" Xiao Jingyuan's voice was extremely low, laced with barely suppressed anger. "Did she try to persuade you to move to her residence again, saying that Tingxuexuan was too cramped for you?"

Xie Qinglan was somewhat surprised. "Since Your Majesty has already guessed, why ask me?"

"Why is she never going to stop?!"

Xiao Jingyuan gritted his teeth. This person always tried to poach his men. He tried in his past life, and he's trying again in this one.

Xie Qinglan looked up, seeing the possessiveness and grievance surging in his eyes. She lightly twirled her fingertip on the rim of her cup, her voice soft and gentle, yet each word struck Xiao Jingyuan's heart:

"Your Majesty, why are you in such a hurry? I am already Your Majesty's person."

Xiao Jingyuan froze, all his anger instantly vanishing.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time; a blush spread from his ears all the way down his neck.

He stared intently into Xie Qinglan's eyes, making sure there was no joking in them, before clenching his fist and muttering a low "hmm." He turned and returned to his seat, taking two steps and then glancing back every now and then, his back taut with tension.

The pear blossom wine served at the banquet was smooth and sweet, with a refreshing pear aroma, and not at all harsh. Xie Qinglan treated it as a light fruit wine for civil officials and drank it cup after cup.

He leaned back in his chair, listening to the music and laughter, his fingers tapping lightly on his knees to the rhythm, and unknowingly drank five or six cups.

Xiao Jingyuan was surrounded by several senior officials offering him toasts. After finally managing to get rid of them, he turned around and Xie Qinglan was nowhere to be seen.

He followed the path along Taiye Pond and saw the man leaning against a pavilion pillar, gazing intently at the lotus lanterns in the pond. The night breeze ruffled his crimson robes, and the crabapple blossoms at his temples trembled gently in the moonlight.

Xiao Jingyuan was about to walk over when he saw a figure in blue arrive at the pavilion first. He paused and retreated into the shadows around the corner of the flower path.

Hearing footsteps, Xie Qinglan turned her head and asked, "Is His Highness Prince Qi also out for some fresh air?"