The next morning, 林树敏 (Lín Shùmǐn) woke up like a woman on a mission.
Eyes open. Determined expression. Dramatic inner music.
"Today," she whispered, sitting up with wild bed hair, "love will bloom in the royal garden."
舒嫣 (Shū Yān) was already at her side with a basin of water.
"My lady, please don't say strange things right after waking."
Shumin grinned. "No strange things today. Just matchmaking destiny."
Shu Yan froze mid-washcloth. "…You're serious again, aren't you?"
"Completely. I've reviewed my plan." She grabbed the parchment from under her pillow.
"Step one: create a romantic coincidence between His Majesty and Her Majesty."
"My lady, are you trying to die with creative flair?"
"Shu Yan!" Shumin clapped her hands together dramatically. "Heroes aren't made by staying alive..they're made by creating scenes!"
"Please don't create scenes in front of the Emperor!"
But it was too late. Shumin had already dragged her maid toward the window.
---
The Royal Garden,
Late Morning ---
The palace gardens were bright with peonies and soft sunlight.
Birds sang. Butterflies fluttered.
Perfect setting for romance… or public humiliation.
"Alright," Shumin whispered, crouching behind a large stone lantern.
"According to the novel, the Queen loves to feed the koi around this hour."
Shu Yan peeked out nervously.
"And His Majesty?"
Shumin smiled confidently.
"Will appear nearby, obviously. This is how fate works!"
As if on cue, distant footsteps echoed steady, sharp, unmistakable.
Shu Yan's jaw dropped. "It's really him!"
Shumin's eyes lit up.
"See? My script is flawless."
The Queen, dressed in soft jade silk, entered from the other side, surrounded by two maids. She looked serene, gentle, ethereal.
And behind a screen of willows, 李湛 (Lǐ Zhàn) appeared, hands clasped behind his back, speaking with an attendant.
Shumin nearly bounced.
"The leads have arrived!"
She turned to Shu Yan, whispering like a general.
"Prepare Phase Two."
"…Phase Two?"
"The koi!" Shumin hissed.
"Romantic symbolism ..one koi leaps out, the Queen panics, the King catches it, their hands touch, music swells, hearts connect!"
Shu Yan gaped. "How will you make the koi jump?!"
"With love!" Shumin grabbed a handful of crumbs and threw them into the pond.
A single koi blinked, uninterested.
She scowled. "Fine. Plan B."
She leaned forward and tapped the water with a stick. "C'mon, fish! Do it for the plot!"
Shu Yan yanked her sleeve. "My lady, stop..."
Too late.
Her foot slipped on the wet stone edge.
There was a splash -- loud enough to turn every royal head.
The Emperor's voice came sharp. "Who's there?"
Shumin surfaced, drenched and gasping, clutching the confused koi in her hands.
She blinked up through dripping hair
directly at Li Zhan and Gu Zhaoyao.
The Queen's eyes widened.
The Emperor's expression was unreadable
somewhere between shock and deep, resigned annoyance.
'Not like this, Shumin thought. This is not how I planned my OTP scene!'
She stood up awkwardly, water dripping from her sleeves, koi still in hand.
"Ahaha… surprise inspection of palace hygiene, Your Majesties!"
The Queen's elegant brows arched. "You are… inspecting the pond?"
"Yes!" Shumin coughed, trying to look professional.
"Quality control! Safety first! What if a royal koi drowns?"
Silence. Even the koi looked embarrassed.
Li Zhan stepped closer, voice low. "Concubine Wen."
Shumin froze.
'Oh no. He's using my title. Bad sign.'
"Explain why you are in the Queen's garden," he said evenly.
She smiled weakly. "Fate guided my feet?"
Zhaoyao's tone cooled.
"So fate guided you into my pond?"
Shumin opened her mouth. Nothing intelligent came out.
Then, grasping for anything, she held up the koi.
"At least I caught this one. It symbolizes..uh...unity!"
Li Zhan stared. "Unity?"
"Yes! Look, it's… red and gold. You're red, she's gold. Heaven clearly approves your pairing!"
The silence deepened. Shu Yan covered her face in the background.
Finally, Li Zhan exhaled through his nose and pinched the bridge of it.
"Take her back."
The guards hesitated. The Queen spoke gently, "Your Majesty, perhaps she meant no harm."
"Perhaps," Li Zhan said dryly, "but every time I see her, chaos follows."
Shumin, still holding the koi, muttered, "Well, love stories need a little chaos."
He glanced at her sharply. "What did you say?"
"Nothing! I said koi's gracious!"
---
Back in Her Room
Shumin sat wrapped in a towel, hair dripping, dignity drowned.
Shu Yan dabbed her forehead and whispered,
"What were you thinking?!"
Shumin groaned.
"I was trying to build a romantic bridge. Instead, I built a public disaster."
Shu Yan folded her arms. "You should build a coffin next."
Shumin frowned. "Still… they looked good together, didn't they?"
"My lady.....!"
"I'm serious! He spoke harshly, but he did glance at the Queen before leaving. That's emotional micro-movement! Classic pre-romance sign!"
Shu Yan sighed hopelessly. "You are impossible."
Shumin grinned, eyes shining again. "Impossible? Maybe. But I saw something today. The plot isn't broken..it's just waiting for me to fix it properly."
She grabbed her ink brush again, scribbling notes furiously.
Operation Cupid, Phase Two:
– Avoid ponds.
– Use moonlight next time.
– Possibly fewer koi.
Shu Yan muttered, "Also avoid His Majesty's sight for a month."
"Too late," Shumin said cheerfully. "I think he's already planning to call me again."
And outside, as if fate itself wanted to mock her
a royal messenger's voice rang from beyond the courtyard:
"His Majesty summons Concubine Wen to the study."
Shumin froze mid-smile.
"…Okay. Maybe too much fate."
'His Majesty summons Concubine Wen to the study.'
The words hung in the air like thunder.
林树敏 (Lín Shùmǐn) blinked once, twice, then looked at 舒嫣 (Shū Yān) with a small, terrified smile.
"…Maybe he wants to thank me?"
Shu Yan's face said no, her soul screamed run, but her mouth whispered weakly,
"I'll prepare your robe, my lady."
---
The Emperor's study was quiet ... too quiet.
Incense burned in a golden holder, the smoke curling like a warning.
Li Zhan sat behind his desk, head bent over scrolls. He didn't look up when she entered.
"Your Majesty," Shumin greeted, bowing deeply, voice shaking only a little. "You summoned me."
He said nothing. The silence stretched like a blade.
Then, without looking up, he asked,
"Do you make a habit of falling into sacred ponds?"
She coughed lightly. "Not… habitually."
Finally, he raised his gaze.
"Then perhaps explain why you were found holding my koi."
"Ah! That. Well..uh..team-building activity?"
"Team-building," he repeated flatly.
"Between Your Majesty and the Queen!" she blurted. "I just wanted to… improve royal morale!"
A muscle in his jaw twitched.
"You wished to improve my morale by nearly drowning yourself?"
"Well, it worked, didn't it?"
His eyes narrowed.
"You are either the boldest woman I've met… or the most foolish."
Shumin smiled nervously. "Why not both? Balance is important."
He leaned back, studying her like she was an ancient puzzle missing several critical pieces.
Then, quietly, he said,
"You are dismissed. And stay away from ponds."
She bowed quickly, relief flooding her
until he added,
"If you must create chaos, at least do it where I cannot see it."
Shumin froze mid-step. "Yes, Your Majesty."
'Don't worry...!'
she thought.
'Next time, you'll be too busy being romantic to notice!'
---
Shumin lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
Her hair was still damp from the earlier disaster, and Shu Yan was already asleep exhausted by her mistress's enthusiasm.
But Shumin wasn't done. Not by a long shot.
' Okay, the pond thing was a flop. But romance takes time.'
She rolled onto her side, eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
' If the koi couldn't spark love… maybe dinner will.'
She sat up suddenly.
"Yes! Candlelight, good food, beautiful atmosphere..it's foolproof!"
From the corner, Shu Yan mumbled in her sleep, "No, it's death-proof…"
Shumin ignored her, pulling her parchment close and scribbling furiously.
Operation Cupid, Phase Two: Romantic Dinner Plan
1. Borrow the royal dining hall.
2. Convince kitchen to prepare heartwarming dishes.
3. Add mood lighting.
4. Hide and watch love blossom.
5. Don't get caught (again).
She nodded to herself, proud. "Simple. Elegant. Safe. Probably."
---
The Next Evening
The royal dining hall glowed with candlelight, polished to perfection.
"Shu Yan, faster! They'll arrive any minute!"
"My lady," Shu Yan hissed, setting dishes nervously, "we shouldn't even be here!"
Shumin placed a vase of lotus flowers in the center, humming. "Romance waits for no one, Shu Yan."
"You bribed the kitchen maids! That's treason!"
"It's teamwork," Shumin corrected. "Now light those last candles...
oh...!! and where's the duck?"
Shu Yan nearly dropped the dish. "Duck?"
"Yes! In the novel, their first dinner had roast duck! It's symbolic!"
"Symbolic of what?"
"Love! Or maybe loyalty! Either way, it's poetic."
Before Shu Yan could reply, footsteps echoed outside.
Shumin's eyes widened. "They're coming!"
"Who?!"
"The King and Queen, obviously! I sent anonymous invitations to both!"
"You what?!"
But it was too late. The doors opened.
顾昭瑶 (Gù Zhāoyáo) stepped in first, graceful as moonlight, followed moments later by 李湛 (Lǐ Zhàn), face unreadable.
They both paused, glancing around the decorated room.
Zhaoyao frowned slightly. "Who arranged this?"
Li Zhan's gaze darkened. "That is an excellent question."
Behind the curtains, Shumin grinned nervously. "Success! They came together!"
Shu Yan tugged her sleeve. "They also look ready to commit murder."
The Queen looked toward the table, her expression softening just a little. "It's… beautifully set."
Li Zhan sighed. "Another attempt by the palace to 'please' me, no doubt."
"Or," she said quietly, "someone simply wanted us to sit together for once."
Their eyes met briefly across the table.
The air shifted .. not quite soft, not quite sharp
something in between.
Shumin clasped her hands together behind the curtain, whispering,
"Yes! That's it! Dialogue tension! Chemistry!"
Then the Queen reached for the teapot… and the lid fell off.
The entire pot spilled across the table, soaking her sleeves and dousing the candles.
Darkness. Steam. A splash.
Shumin's jaw dropped. "No! The lighting!"
Li Zhan stood instantly, moving around the table. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Zhaoyao said quickly, but her voice trembled.
He paused and for a second, his expression softened. "Careful," he said, taking her wrist to check the burn.
It was the smallest touch .. barely there but enough to make Shumin's heart swell.
' There it is! The spark! Mission success! '
Then the Queen pulled back gently, smiling with perfect composure.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Li Zhan nodded once, turning away to command the servants to clean the mess
And that's when one of the curtains slipped loose, revealing Shumin's face in the shadows.
Li Zhan froze mid-command. "You."
Shumin blinked. "Surprise inspection?"
The Queen's lips twitched. "Concubine Wen?"
Shumin coughed delicately.
"I was… ensuring the atmosphere."
Li Zhan's tone was dangerously calm.
"You mean this dinner was your idea."
"Well, yes, but it worked!" she said brightly. "Look..you touched her hand! Progress!"
Shu Yan nearly fainted behind her.
The Queen looked between them, amused despite herself.
"Concubine Wen… you have a strange sense of service."
"I call it devotion," Shumin said proudly.
Li Zhan exhaled through his nose, clearly restraining himself. "Out."
"But"
"Now."
Shumin sighed, gathering her skirt dramatically.
"Fine. But admit it...it was romantic."
Li Zhan's silence was answer enough.
---
Back in her room, Shumin sat at her desk, dripping candle wax onto her parchment.
"Phase Two: partial success," she mumbled. "No death, mild romance, minor humiliation. Acceptable ratio."
Shu Yan groaned. "Please end this operation before the Emperor ends you."
Shumin smiled, chin on her hands. "Impossible. I think we're just getting to the good part."
Outside, thunder rumbled faintly.
------
And far away, in his private quarters, Li Zhan poured himself tea, staring absently at the reflection in his cup.
'That woman again…'
He closed his eyes briefly, the faintest trace of a smile ghosting his lips.
' Utter chaos. But somehow…'
He didn't finish the thought.