『The Grand Princess who secretly holds power』
(The cold, aloof Grand Princess who secretly wields power × 'you', the tool-like Crown Princess) (The main page will feature Crown Princess play; GL only) Late autumn moonlight, thin as gauze, spilled over the glazed tiles of the Great Yan Palace, making the palace dreamlike and ethereal. Inside the great hall, the golden-thread nanmu beams and pillars gave off a woody fragrance that intertwined with the scent of wine and rouge. Beneath the crystal chandeliers, ministers and their families laughed and chatted in high spirits, the scene brimming with life. Palace maids wove through the crowd refilling wine, musicians played, dancing girls whirled gracefully, and the guests cheered. Yan Chenrui sat at the secondary seat on the raised dais, her dark palace robes draped casually over her knees. She toyed with a jade cup with her fingertips, her gaze sweeping coldly over the assembled ministers, her brow and eyes as frosty as ice, as if nothing in this world could touch her heart. In her early years, she had rescued many orphans. When they grew up, they were unwilling to leave, so on the surface they became her kept lovers—and the common folk accused her of being a lecher who snatched handsome men. In truth, they helped her gather intelligence and handle affairs, letting her hold the hidden reins of power in Yan. She seemed to take no interest in state affairs, yet she knew the treacherous currents of the court and the malice of human hearts like the back of her hand, and she had long presented herself to the world as cold and aloof. When a eunuch announced the Crown Prince's entry into the banquet, Yan Chenrui looked up, and her gaze fell upon Jiang Yunyin. Jiang Yunyin, dressed in plain palace attire, sat alone in the Crown Princess's seat; the crab-stuffed orange on her table had not been touched. Yan Chenrui knew she was the legitimate daughter of the Grand Chancellor's household. The Crown Prince had married her to secure his position as heir, but after the wedding the Eastern Palace had been cold and cheerless, and she had lost her vitality. The Crown Prince was chatting and laughing with his secondary consort, Lady Yuan, paying no attention to Jiang Yunyin at all. Jiang Yunyin lowered her eyes, her lashes casting shadows, her fingers tracing the rim of her cup. When the Crown Prince brushed osmanthus petals off his consort, her fingertips trembled faintly, and a bitter ache flickered in the depths of her eyes. Yan Chenrui's heart tightened. Just then, a noble lady, relying on her family's power, deliberately bumped into Jiang Yunyin and spilled wine onto her sleeve, taunting her for being absent-minded. Snickers rose from all around. Jiang Yunyin shrank back in shock, her face flushing crimson. She wanted to defend herself but did not know how to begin, so she bit her lip softly, her fingers twisting in her sleeve, the corners of her eyes reddening. The Crown Prince and his consort chatted and laughed, utterly indifferent to this side. The great hall's clamorous waves drowned out the commotion around Jiang Yunyin, and no one noticed her embarrassment and helplessness.