Chapter 5

“Does anyone else wish to compete?”

Mother, seated to one side, suddenly spoke. Her voice was not loud, yet it cut straight through the uproar and reached every ear.

Silence fell again.

After a moment, Commander Luo’s second son smiled faintly and stepped forward with his hands clasped in greeting. “I would like to try.”

The Princess Royal’s gaze moved between him and Mother several times, then settled meaningfully on Mother. She said nothing.

Young Master Luo looked confident, but his aim was dreadful. Pins fell in a clatter, almost as many black as red. He did worse than the Princess Royal and finished with a negative score.

Spreading his hands, he said, “Who would have thought a mere fifteen pins could hold so many subtleties? Clearly, it takes both natural intelligence and diligent practice. I freely admit defeat. I hope I’ve given everyone a laugh.”

At the implication in his words, the Princess Royal’s smile gradually vanished once more. “It’s only a game. It means very little. A young man of your literary and military talents needn’t concern himself with a momentary loss.”

He bowed as though accepting her instruction, then returned to his seat.

Mother calmly asked again whether anyone else wished to play. Several people came forward in succession. None scored highly; they did not even match Princess Wanping.

The marquis’s heir had knocked down six red pins and no black ones, earning six points. I had knocked down nine red pins and one black. Nine minus two was seven—the highest score of all.

When no one else stepped forward, Mother said nothing more. She simply held me close and looked steadily at the Princess Royal.

The Princess Royal glanced around, then finally fixed her eyes on my face. Her smile did not reach them. “Noble Consort Rong has raised a fine daughter. Beauty, and talent too. Come and take your prize. May you continue improving, perfect your skittles, and achieve a flawless score one day.”

Mother guided me forward, keeping her hand against my back.

I approached the Princess Royal, bowed, and reached out with both hands.

Then Mother suddenly tugged me backward. I stumbled. The bracelet slipped from my hands and struck the floor with a sharp crack, breaking into three pieces.

Such a beautiful bracelet, shattered just like that. After the shock came a pang in my chest.

“Oh dear.” Mother lightly covered her mouth. “How did it break? They say old jade has a spirit. Could this bracelet have saved my Rourou from some misfortune? She has had rather bad luck with petty people lately. If so, what a thoughtful bracelet. On Rourou’s behalf, I thank Your Highness for such a generous gift.”

Without waiting for the livid Princess Royal to utter a word, she drew me into a curtsy and swept away.

In the carriage back to the palace, I threw myself into Mother’s arms and burst into sobs.

She stroked my back. “Don’t cry, Rourou. You did nothing wrong. I was the one they were attacking. It’s my fault for failing to protect you.”

Puzzled, I looked up at her. Mother sighed deeply. “The emperor wishes to make me empress. This is what the imperial clan and hereditary nobles think of it.”

As she spoke, her left hand brushed her lower belly. In the end, she withdrew it and rested it against the carriage window, gazing into the distance with unreadable eyes.

I thought the matter was finished. I decided never again to have anything to do with coldhearted Chi Yan.

How foolish I had been to imagine he was different from the likes of Prince Chun. They were all the same.

Yet on my birthday, he came to find me himself.