When news of Huangjue Temple’s movements reached the Eastern Palace, Consort Fan Liangdi was holding a jade-colored glazed bowl, serving the Crown Prince his medicine. Upon hearing this, she first closed her eyes briefly and laughed softly: “That group of monks at Huangjue Temple certainly knows how to read the winds and trim their sails.”

If they didn’t have even this much ability, when Prince Duan had his troubles back then, they wouldn’t have remained standing tall. The Crown Prince opened his mouth to receive the candied fruit Elder Fan handed him and held it in his mouth. Only after the bitter taste had completely dissipated did he ask her: “Didn’t you meet that young lady the day before yesterday? What did you think?” The Crown Prince had heard more than once from others that Song Chuyi was clever. Being clever was to be expected—if she weren’t clever, it would be a waste of Heaven’s deep favor toward her.

Rebirth, living life over again, overturning everything and starting from the beginning, where everything still had the possibility of changing—such an opportunity, even his father who sat high above on the dragon throne must desperately want it, right? Indeed, who wouldn’t want it? Even he himself, thinking about being able to walk through life again from the beginning, seeking benefit and avoiding harm, getting everything he wanted into his hands—it made his blood boil with excitement.

Elder Fan took an orange from the jade plate, used a knife to break it open and peel it, then held it before the Crown Prince. With a half-smile, she praised: “Clever, truly clever. When the Empress Dowager wanted to probe on behalf of the Crown Prince’s heir, that young lady managed to avoid it without batting an eye, not letting the Empress Dowager catch even a single truthful word. Comparatively speaking, the young lady from the Chen family is much more ordinary.”

Elder Fan had indeed come to like this young lady somewhat. Exceptionally clever yet knowing how to conceal her sharp edges—if they hadn’t all known her background in advance, no one could have seen that this beautiful young lady before them could possess such deep scheming and such formidable methods. Someone like this, if she married the Crown Prince’s heir, would be equivalent to giving the Crown Princess and the heir an enormous advantage. In her heart, she had immediately pushed the Chen family girl to the back of her mind. She glanced at the Crown Prince tentatively, then asked him with some apparent hesitation: “Your Highness, the Empress Dowager seems to truly intend to betroth her to His Highness the Crown Prince’s heir…”

That old fox Song Chengru had already detected his ambitions, which was why he chose to wait and watch, wanting to disembark from the Eastern Palace ship. If Song Chuyi were to marry Zhou Weizhao at that time, with one big fox and one small fox circling around them every day, they could easily discover what was amiss…

The Crown Prince’s gaze turned somewhat cold. The Western route was currently his capital—no one could touch it, no matter who they were. Whoever touched it would die first. He turned his head to glance at Elder Fan, who was still lowering her head and carefully peeling oranges for him, and suddenly asked: “Has Han Zhengqing replied?”

Having lost his legitimate son for no good reason, he should at least show some attitude. It was said that Second Master Han had already sent seven or eight letters to Datong consecutively. The Eastern Palace had also sent word, the Marquis of Jinxiang’s residence had been burned in a fire, and news of the court’s condolences should have reached Datong as well. Yet it seemed Han Zhengqing had been slow to respond.

Elder Fan’s injured movements paused. She raised her head to first carefully study the Crown Prince’s expression before considering her answer: “No reply yet. We sent people to the Han family to inquire, and learned that Han Zhengqing hasn’t sent any news back to the Han clan either. Perhaps the military situation in the Northwest is urgent… and he’s been delayed by some matter.”

Han Zhengqing actually wasn’t a heartless person. Compared to Han Zhi, he could simply be considered a person of much sentiment and loyalty. Whether toward the entire Han clan or toward the family of his deceased first wife who had died shortly after marriage, he had always taken good care of them.

Thinking of this, the Crown Prince couldn’t help feeling somewhat uncomfortable. He remembered that Han Zhengqing’s first wife before Junior Consort Fan seemed to have died suddenly not long after Elder Fan entered the capital. Her manner of death was said to be quite tragic—she had fallen from a startled horse and been trampled to death by it.

Connecting this with the timing of when Junior Consort Fan later married Han Zhengqing, the Crown Prince always felt there was some unclear, inexplicable connection.

Once certain matters got started, it was very difficult to stop oneself from continuing to probe deeper. The more he thought about it, the more many details didn’t stand up to scrutiny—Junior Consort Fan had said she was schemed against by Elder Fan, which was how she ended up giving herself to Han Zhengqing. The Crown Prince vaguely believed this somewhat.

He understood human vices all too well. When a man truly fell for a certain woman, in those first few years he was indeed very easily led by the nose by that woman.

To say that when Han Zhengqing was just a hotheaded young man, he was willing to follow Elder Fan’s arrangements to harm his first wife to death and humiliate Junior Consort Fan to bind her to his side—the Crown Prince believed it.

He looked at Elder Fan thoughtfully, his heart sinking bit by bit, the look in his eyes growing even colder.

After all these years, did Elder Fan still take pleasure in tormenting Junior Consort Fan truly just because, as she claimed, as the legitimate eldest daughter she had always had to yield to a concubine-born daughter and was unwilling to accept it? Or was it because Han Zhengqing was gradually becoming attached to Junior Consort Fan and she felt unbalanced?

He shook his head, his facial expression becoming natural again.

Given the current situation, these matters weren’t the most urgent. Elder Fan indeed didn’t have the guts to betray him. As for those sordid affairs from her past, there would be plenty of time to settle accounts slowly later—no need to rush at this moment.

“If he has news, tell me immediately.” After a long silence, he gave Elder Fan another bland instruction: “Also, now that Yuanhui is dead, that group of monks at Huangjue Temple won’t sit and await destruction. Yuanhui’s influence is all in Yuankong’s hands now. Have Qi’er make several more trips to Huangjue Temple.”

They had already reached an understanding with Yuanhui before; Yuankong should also know Yuanhui’s plans. That group of people, despite being monks, shouldn’t be underestimated—just the impoverished examination candidates they’d helped over the years were countless, not to mention the connections Yuanhui had accumulated in Fujian before. Having these things in hand was an enormous advantage, and naturally deserved much attention.

A Cui Shaoting had already appeared in the Northwest to stir things up; the Fujian side couldn’t still be controlled by Guo Huaiying. Unfortunately, although the Yangzhou corruption case had completely replaced Prince Duan and Prince Gong’s people, the Eastern Palace hadn’t gained any advantage from it. Thinking of this matter, he thought of Chief Minister Chang, and thinking of Chief Minister Chang, he inevitably thought of Zhou Weizhao and Emperor Jianzhang.

Zhou Weizhao was his own biological son, yet at the critical moment, he actually wagged his tail toward Emperor Jianzhang. If he hadn’t gone to remind Chief Minister Chang, Chief Minister Chang wouldn’t have controlled the appointment of officials in Yangzhou so strictly… He hadn’t even grasped power yet, but already wasn’t of one mind with him, as if he didn’t understand at all that everyone in the Eastern Palace wore the same pants. The Crown Prince laughed coldly. So be it. The imperial family had no father-son relationships, only ruler and subject anyway. Moreover, he had never particularly liked this son born to Crown Princess Lu.