After Song Xilou consumed the Lotus Seed, she didn't notice any immediate changes—only that each time she bathed, a layer of dark impurities seemed to seep from her skin. After several such occurrences, she found her skin had become considerably smoother and more supple.
She had always been naturally fairer and more delicate than most, but now she was truly extraordinary—her skin felt like the finest silk to the touch, flawless from head to toe. Song Xilou was quite pleased with this development; she understood all too well the value of a beautiful complexion for a woman.
She had no family background to speak of. If she wished to enter Yinzhen's household, she needed more than just a place in his heart—she needed her own assets to offer.
Speaking of Yinzhen, not only had he not been angered by the Zhao Wenxuan incident last time, but he had sent over a steady stream of gifts—jewelry and trinkets, calligraphy and paintings for appreciation, and the finest silks, everything one could imagine.
Song Xilou didn't care what game he was playing. She selected several bolts of plain-colored fabric and instructed the servants to have Han-style dresses made from them.
Nanny Wu tried to persuade her: "Miss, I've noticed those noble ladies all wear Manchu qipao. They look absolutely stunning in those platform shoes. Why don't we have a couple made as well?"
Song Xilou shook her head and continued instructing the embroideress: "Make the sleeves narrower on both sides, and embroider magnolias on the plain-colored ones." The embroideress nodded, then measured her waist with her hands: "The waist could be taken in a bit more."
Song Xilou nodded and watched the embroideress leave before turning back to hook her arm through Nanny Wu's and coax her: "Nanny, think about it—if everyone else is wearing qipao, I'll stand out precisely because I'm wearing Han dress."
Nanny Wu thought it over and realized there was sense to it, so she went along with her wishes.
The truth was that Song Xilou found qipao ugly—too loose and shapeless around the waist. Besides, hadn't Yinzhen seen enough of those in his household? If she wanted to capture his heart, she needed to be different from everyone else, inside and out.
Otherwise, if all the women were on equal footing, why would a man's heart stay with you?
Seeing that the weather was fine, Song Xilou took out the flower seeds Xiao Quanzi had bought and scattered them casually across the courtyard. With a few drops of the milky-white liquid from her Palm Space, they all sprouted within days.
Nanny Wu was always complaining that the vegetables delivered weren't fresh enough, so Song Xilou thought it over and had a plot of land opened up in the corner of the courtyard. She planted seasonal vegetables there, and watered with Space Water, they grew beautifully.
Her only dissatisfaction was that Yinzhen still hadn't come.
Gifts flowed in like water, but he seemed to be avoiding her.
"If you won't come to me, then I'll have to find my own way to you." Calculating the time, Niohuru Lianxin wouldn't be entering the household much longer. In fact, the two of them had met briefly before she entered.
Closing her eyes, that innocent, smiling face still floated before Song Xilou's mind: "Sister, do you know? That day I was rowing my boat on Li River, pink lotus blossoms surrounding the two of us—I clearly saw the admiration in the master's eyes."
The two had crossed paths once before the selection, and this was the capital Niohuru Lianxin would later use to show off from time to time. That chance encounter had also left a faint impression on Yinzhen's heart.
What others didn't know was that beneath his cold, ascetic exterior, the Fourth Master had always favored women who appeared innocent and naive on the surface but carried a hint of seductiveness beneath.
Niohuru Lianxin played the innocent well enough, but she wasn't alluring enough.
Song Xilou propped her chin on one hand, her large eyes narrowing into slits as she let out a soft "Heh, heh." Niohuru Lianxin's words still echoed in her ears: "Sister, actually, after the master's boat collided with mine that day, I jumped in on purpose."
The Li River was especially lively that day. Young women had all come out to release lanterns, and the entire river surface was as bright as day.
This wasn't actually any festival—it was just that a few years ago, the Crown Prince had encountered a woman here, been struck by her otherworldly beauty, and petitioned the Emperor to take her into his household.
That woman was still in the Crown Prince's residence and was said to be greatly favored. Some of the young ladies awaiting selection began to harbor hopes, wishing for the same good fortune as that woman.
Of course, it wasn't only the prospective consorts who came. Young ladies who normally stayed home embroidering were also allowed out for some fresh air that day—though most of them were hoping to use the opportunity to cross the threshold into the imperial family.
The princes rarely made appearances—their chances of showing up were pitifully slim. Those who came in greater numbers were the sons of high officials, or scholars who spent their days holed up in their studies.
Having read all their lives that "within books lie golden houses and jade-like beauties," this was their chance to see for themselves.
Song Xilou held up a rabbit lantern, and in her Han dress, she stood out among the crowd. But she wore a veil over her face, and since the men couldn't see her features, they lost interest.
Dongya followed behind her, eating as she walked. She had no interest whatsoever in all these men and women. Xiao Quanzi, however, worried about the crowd—if some careless person bumped into Miss Song, and the master blamed him, he wouldn't be able to bear the consequences.
He had seen it that day—the master had held the young lady in his arms, cherishing her dearly.
"Miss, shall we get on a boat?" Xiao Quanzi scratched his head. The shore was too crowded; only on the water would it be better.
This was exactly what Song Xilou wanted, though on the surface she pretended to hesitate, glancing back at the shore with reluctance before speaking: "Very well, there really are too many people on the shore."
Xiao Quanzi let out a huge sigh of relief: "Thank you for your understanding, Master. This servant will go rent a boat right away."
The slightly better pleasure boats all had people on them by now, and the rest were private vessels. Xiao Quanzi searched for a long time before finally finding a decent one. Song Xilou was quite pleased and boarded it happily.
The Niohuru family also had boats. Song Xilou circled the Li River twice before finally spotting the Niohuru family's boat. Several women sat on it, but Song Xilou spotted her at a single glance—Niohuru Lianxin.
In a pinkish-white qipao, wearing a lotus flower hair ornament, she sat there demurely, looking as innocent as a little fairy.
No one knew better than her how vicious and ruthless Niohuru Lianxin was beneath that facade. Song Xilou clenched her hands tightly, remembering how in her previous life she had been deceived by Niohuru, toyed with, and after conceiving Yinzhen's child, had her belly cut open and the child ripped out. And even then, she wasn't allowed to die peacefully—her life was strung along as she was burned alive by raging fire.
Niohuru Lianxin, I'm back. I've crawled out of hell to demand your life in repayment. You'd best—take it slowly.
Song Xilou relaxed her fingers, afraid of leaving marks on her palms. She turned her head to hide the hatred in her eyes and said with a smile: "Boatman, move a little closer to that spot. The lights there are truly beautiful."
Indeed, the position occupied by the Niohuru family's boat was where the lights were most beautiful—bright as day, where everything could be seen clearly.
The boatman carefully paddled, slowly drawing near. Song Xilou pretended to admire the lanterns while secretly observing. She knew that the two boats would collide, and then, under the flickering lights, Niohuru Lianxin would pretend to lose her footing and jump into the water.
Today, she had come to stop this from happening, but she still needed to observe the exact situation herself.
There were many boats on the shore, and Song Xilou's group stopping here didn't arouse much suspicion. Niohuru Lianxin, who had been sitting by the boat's edge, glanced over a few times, but upon seeing it was a woman, she looked away.
Yet her gaze kept drifting toward the rear, and the handkerchief in her hand was clenched tightly.
Song Xilou had served as her maid for six years and knew her expressions and mannerisms inside out. This was clearly anxiety. Seeing her like this, Song Xilou felt somewhat puzzled—had she known all along that the Fourth Prince would pass by here?
Her guess was correct. As the third boat passed, Niohuru's hands visibly relaxed, and her body leaned even closer to the boat's edge.
A crisp voice called out: "Row forward."
The Niohuru family's large boat slowly moved toward Song Xilou's direction. Song Xilou was just about to speak when Xiao Quanzi said: "Master, let's head back as well. It's getting dark, and there's nothing much to see anymore."
He was afraid something might happen—his life would be on the line here.
Song Xilou found Xiao Quanzi particularly agreeable today. Just as she was worrying about how Yinzhen might suspect her if she stayed, this Xiao Quanzi was practically handing her a ladder when she needed one.
"Let's go. The lanterns really aren't much to look at anymore." What she was watching wasn't the lanterns at all—it was the drama. She just wondered whether the show Niohuru had directed today would still play out.
Song Xilou's boat had originally been ahead of the Niohuru family's, so when both approached the shore, Song Xilou's naturally arrived first. The Niohuru family's boatman even paused to yield.
Niohuru Lianxin's face flushed red with anger when she saw the boat ahead moving. When her own boat remained still, she called out: "Don't wait. Keep rowing."
She had just seen the Fourth Prince's boat—how could she let someone else ruin her plan?
"Miss, there's another boat coming ahead. If we rush forward like this, we're bound to collide," the boatman advised kindly, but one glare from Niohuru silenced him immediately.
Both boats were approaching the shore, with the one behind rowing faster and quickly catching up to the one ahead. Song Xilou looked back with a mocking curl to her lips. So impatient already—her skill at restraint had truly deteriorated.
It seemed the boat ahead was the Fourth Prince's. Song Xilou wondered how Niohuru Lianxin had come to know that. She leaned against the cabin edge, a smile spread across her face.
The three boats slowly drew closer. No matter how anxious Niohuru Lianxin was, she couldn't row herself—she could only clench her sleeves tightly, stamp her feet in frustration, and watch as the boat ahead slowly approached the Fourth Prince's vessel.
"Whose boat is that ahead? Have they no eyes?"
She didn't know whose boat it was, but she watched as the Fourth Prince's boat was about to pass by hers. If that happened, today's efforts would be wasted.
After a moment's thought, a plan flashed through her eyes. She went to the boatman and whispered a few words.
Returning to the boat's edge, she said softly: "Even if it doesn't go as planned, we still need to make a commotion that draws attention."
Up ahead, Song Xilou's boat was about to brush past the Fourth Prince's vessel when suddenly a surge of impact struck the right side of her boat. Song Xilou, leaning against the cabin edge to watch the spectacle, was caught off guard as wave after wave of force hit before the first had even subsided.
With no warning whatsoever, and the cabin windows being low, she had nothing to grip as she leaned on them—and so she tumbled straight into the river.
Seeing her fall, Niohuru Lianxin froze for a moment, then gritted her teeth as she looked at the Fourth Prince's boat ahead, and jumped in after her.
"Splash."
Another sound of someone hitting the water. The onlookers on shore laughed: "This year's Li River sure is lively."