At 5:45 a.m., moss climbed the carved window lattices of Tinglan Courtyard. Jiang Rou stared at her reflection in the bronze mirror, her fingertips repeatedly stroking the pearl pendants at her temples. Hidden inside the sachet she had given Jiang Wan yesterday was a love poem she had written herself, and while the ink was still wet, she had deliberately sprayed it with rosemary—the scent the Crown Prince loved most.
"Miss," Biyue whispered, leaning in, "Zhao San in the outer courtyard has seen to it. He said at 9:45 a.m. today, he will 'accidentally encounter' the Eldest Miss's carriage at the corner of West City."
Jiang Rou curled her lips and retrieved a red-gold Gold Step-Shaker, pinning it into her hair. "The Crown Prince's aide said that as long as Jiang Wan's carriage loses control and charges into the alley, 'concerned citizens' will witness her struggling with a strange man." She turned to look at the blue stone path outside the window. "By then, even if she had a hundred mouths, she wouldn't be able to explain it."
Chapter 28