It snowed in Revenet, in the Guorun Palace, anyway. Shiyao smiled as she stood out on the back terrace of Kingfisher Residence, never having experienced real snowfall before. Ranhara, while it got cold in winter time, never really got cold enough for proper snow.

Ina had insisted that she begin wearing the fur lined jackets, and to her surprise they actually did a good job of keeping her toasty warm - it was her feet that were problem. She no longer wore boots like she did in Ranhara and she noticed that her toes got very cold indeed while outside which meant casting spells on herself to keep warm.

"Your Highness!" Yixing's voice, uncharacteristically alarmed, made her spin on her heels immediately.

Her bodyguard planted one hand on the marble table as he bent over, completely out of breath and barely clasping his hands together in greeting.

"What's wrong?" she asked, "Ina, fetch him some water!"

She motioned for him to sit down at the table, which he did with some hesitation and scolding from Shiyao. The princess frowned as she watched him, hands planted firmly on his knees, his eyes focused downwards instead of on her, chest still heaving from the speed at which he had to escape the situation he had found himself in not twenty minutes prior. Ina brought black tea with milk and sugar bowls so they could refresh themselves.

"The person who spread the rumours, Your Highness, I found them as per your request." he admitted and Shiyao dropped her teaspoon in surprise.

"You did?"

"Yes." he nodded, shoulders still rising and falling as he drank some tea to try and calm himself. "As you requested, I went to some nearby towns, disguised myself as a commoner and began grumbling about you, forgive me Your Highness-"

"No need. You did what you had to do." she assured him. "What happened then?"

"Well, eventually some young men in a bar approached me, we talked for a while about the Royal family - the things I said! I'd be hanged for treason, Your Highness!" he shook his head, his breath finally coming back to him. "But, they eventually let me in on a job they were doing for a man who was paying them a handsome sum each. They warned it was risky but that it paid off if you didn't get caught."

"Hanging the posters?"

"Yes, and spreading the gossip around. They told me where to go and when. When I turned up, there was a man dressed in common garb like me, but the way he spoke made it clear that he was from the Palace. His ring gave it away."

"His ring?"

"Male stewards are made to wear them. He has a lowly position, it definitely wasn't his own idea - he'd be sentenced to death for it! Moreover, he didn't recognise me and it didn't make any sense that a steward would have the first clue about you or your history, Your Highness, nor care. I knew he was being paid off by someone higher up to carry it out. I found out where he was staying and knocked him out, then went through his things. That's where I found the correspondence."

"Did you bring it back?"

"I did, Your Highness." he nodded, placing a notebook on the table and sliding it over to her. "I thought it best I come to you first."

"You were right to do so." she replied, flipping the notebook open and scanning over the letters that were received.

The person giving instructions, they were absolutely adamant that the Crown Prince not find out about any of it. In later letters, the desperation was tangible, noting that the Crown Prince had launched an investigation and to begin immediately misdirecting the entire operation so that none of them would get caught. The promise of double the pay meant it couldn't be a Civil Servant, and given how much this person seemed to care about the Crown Prince, it didn't take much to put two and two together.

Yixing's heart sank as he watched Princess Shiyao's expression fall with the realisation of who the mastermind behind the entire smear campaign against her was.

"May I inquire as to the reason why Her Highness has paid a visit to me today?"

"I think you know why." Shiyao said, rudely taking the top spot at the table and forcing the master of the house to sit in a lower position.

The cautious way in which he moved around her, the way that he couldn't look at her properly, how hesitant he was to speak... it all gave him away. The look of horror on his face when she slapped down the letters only confirmed it.

"Now now!" she snatched the papers away the second his hand reached out for them, handing them to Yixing. "Sit up straight and let's have a chat about this, why don't we?"

"Y-Your Highness, I-"

"You what? Can explain? You think I want to hear whatever bullshit excuse you have to justify trying to drive me out of the Palace?" she snapped, startling him. "I don't know what on earth I've done to offend you so damn badly, Tang Zixuan, but as the Crown Prince's closest friend and advisor, I didn't think you'd honestly be stupid enough to come up with this flimsy plan that led directly back to you. I had no idea you felt this way about me, but I guess I better watch my back more closely now that I know you're after me."

"I'm not- Your Highness, please-"

"You can dislike me, I don't care." she said, leaning forward, her voice lowering, "But I am very much favoured by the Crown Prince. You know he was personally offended by this attack against me and by how my life has already become a living hell in this place - I can't go anywhere without people talking about me even though they've all stopped talking to me, my servants are being refused service when they go to collect household supplies, they're getting into altercations with others who now think they're shameful for being part of my residence - this isn't just about me, do you understand what a nightmare you've created for everyone around me?"

Zixuan kept his eyes lowered, his fingers scrunching into the fabric of his robes as he supposed it didn't actually cross his mind that innocent people would get dragged into it. His mouth had dried up, though, and he couldn't get any words out at all.

"Did you think for a second that such vile gossip would only go as far as me?" she laughed. "I might be from Ranhara, but even I'm not that fucking naive. That steward you set up to carry this out might face the death penalty for what he did - but if he squeals and names you, what then?"

Shiyao leaned back in her seat as Zixuan suddenly met her gaze.

"What exactly do you think the Crown Prince will do to you for ostracising me, attacking my character and questioning his judgement in who he would like to have by his side? This is an attack on him, too, you understand? So, for spreading rumours and writing up those orders and the script for the bulletins... What is the punishment for that for someone of Tang Zixuan's position, Yixing?"

"Removal of the tongue and hands, Your Highness."

"Oh, that's quite nasty." she grimaced.

“What more do you have to say?” Zixuan sighed in defeat. "Do you want me to beg on my knees?"

"What's the point if you don't mean it?" she replied. "No. I'm going to give you a chance, because I know that you care deeply about the Crown Prince, as do I, and as much as I want justice brought to you for what you did, I don't want the Crown Prince to know that it was his best friend who betrayed him."

"T-thank you, Your Highness. I won't forget your generosity."

"In exchange," she continued, ignoring his thanks, "I'm going to need a name."

"A name?"

"The name of the culprit." she smiled, a slight rush of satisfaction running through her as she watched him falter. "If it's not you, then it must be someone else. So tell me, who was it?”

"Your Highness, I-I-I can't name anyone."

"Oh, now the righteousness comes out?" her lip curled as she leaned on her hand, watching him intensely as though trying to make him melt under her gaze. "How disappointing. In that case, I'll pick someone for you."