After Master Qingfeng finished speaking and saw Song Yan frown, he casually tossed the journal in his hand onto the desk and reminded him, “Moreover, think about it—if you were the Crown Prince, with your loathing for the Lu family already at its peak, yet the Lu family members had avoided the trap he set, and the son carrying Lu family blood, whom he had never liked, was about to form a strong alliance with the Song and Cui families—would he be panicking inside? Would he be willing to accept it?”
Song Yan caught the deeper meaning in Master Qingfeng’s words and couldn’t help but ask in return, “Master, are you saying that he truly is so heartless that he even detests his only legitimate son, and moreover… moreover doesn’t want the legitimate son to surpass the secondary son?”
Master Qingfeng bent his head, not knowing what he was writing. After a moment, he let out a laugh, his words laden with meaning. “Otherwise, why do you think His Highness the Grand Prince was forced up Longhu Mountain back then, and stayed there for a full seven or eight years before coming down?” He looked at Song Yan, frowned, put down the book and brush in his hands, and clasped his hands together on the desk. “Or let me put it more plainly, and speculate about the Crown Prince’s malice even more exaggeratedly. Why do you think the news of the Grand Prince’s descent from Longhu Mountain and return to the capital was leaked, forcing the Grand Prince to detour through Shandong to safely return to the capital? Why did the incidents at Yangquan and Jinzhong happen? Fan Liangdi was the Crown Prince’s bedfellow. In the past, everyone always said the Crown Prince was magnanimous, which allowed Fan Liangdi to be arrogant and domineering. But as the saying goes, it takes two hands to clap. These past days, you’ve observed with a cold eye—is the Crown Prince really that kind of truly simple, unthinking person? Yet Fan Liangdi still managed to manipulate Old Master Chen at Huangjue Temple and cause all these incidents. In this, is the Crown Prince’s responsibility really only indulgence? I’m afraid not.”
Song Yan was so shocked by this speculation full of malice that goosebumps rose all over his body. Just thinking about Master Qingfeng’s words made his whole body feel cold and his head break out in sweat. Previously, he had only worried that the Grand Prince wasn’t favored by the Crown Prince, but now, if Master Qingfeng’s speculation was truly accurate, the Crown Prince’s feelings weren’t as simple as not liking this son—if the news of the Grand Prince’s descent from Longhu Mountain was truly leaked by him to Prince Duan, then the Crown Prince clearly wanted Zhou Weizhao dead.
He was so startled by the word “dead” that he stood up from his seat, feeling somewhat bewildered for a moment. No matter how irresponsible Song Yi was or how unlike a father, he had never harbored thoughts of wanting him or Song Chuyi to die. How could there be such a father in this world? Thinking this, he voiced it aloud. “After all, His Highness the Grand Prince is his biological son, and his eldest son at that!”
“So what?” Master Qingfeng scoffed, looking at Song Yan with deep meaning. “Although you’re intelligent, you’re still young and don’t know that when men get into dead ends and become suspicious, they’re far more terrifying than women. That incident between Crown Princess Lu and Prince Gong back then, combined with the Crown Prince’s obsessive nature, already predetermined that these two could never get along. It’s just between us privately, so I won’t observe so many taboos. I’ll tell you the truth—I’m afraid that in the Crown Prince’s heart, he’s never considered His Highness the Grand Prince as his own son. How much he detests Prince Gong is how much he detests Crown Princess Lu, who nearly ended up with Prince Gong, and by extension, His Highness the Grand Prince can’t win his favor either.”
But previously, no one had intended to marry the Lu family young lady to him—he was the one who sought this marriage himself. After obtaining it, he then resented that she had previously had a childhood sweetheart. What kind of logic was this? Song Yan sat back down, his face dark as water. “If that’s the case, then the Xiangfan matter is also connected to our family. With the Crown Prince’s obsessive nature, I’m afraid he’ll hate my sister even more?”
Master Qingfeng nodded. “A teachable student.” When he had received Cui Shaoting’s letter before, hearing that the person had already become a disciple under Tang Mingzhao, he had immediately thought to keep his distance—that inflexible brain, constantly spouting sage’s words—who would have the patience to associate with such a rigid person? But after Song Yan had played that hand of sowing discord and using the enemy’s own tactics against them to trap Old Master Chen in Jinling, he realized that Song Yan hadn’t become a fool from studying under Tang Mingzhao. Since he wasn’t a fool, he was willing to mentor and teach him.
“Some people have no way to deal with my sister, so naturally they’ll think of attacking me instead. But if it’s the Crown Prince… he doesn’t need to play these games to strike at my sister.” Song Yan’s expression grew even darker. “The vassal princes are entering the capital. If the Fan family matter erupts now, it will only become ammunition for Prince Gong to attack the Crown Prince. Her Majesty the Empress definitely won’t allow such a thing to happen. Since they can’t do anything to the Crown Prince and the Fan family for the time being, given the Crown Prince’s character, he certainly won’t just sit quietly and do nothing.”
Master Qingfeng nodded in agreement. “So your sister still needs to be careful lately. This is also why I told you to request people from your uncle. Look, at times like this, whether or not your sister has any problems, you must ensure that you yourself are safe, right?”
Song Yan’s brow furrowed into a character for “river.” He pursed his lips and looked at Master Qingfeng for a while, then turned to go find Song Chuyi at Guanju Courtyard. When he arrived, Luyi was just carrying in a jade-carved camellia ornament. Seeing him, she happily called out “Fourth Young Master” and brought the ornament toward him, smiling. “This was sent by His Highness the Grand Prince through Qing Zhuo. Take a look—isn’t it beautiful?”
Song Yan stopped to look for a while before nodding. Whether or not the Grand Prince was favored by the Crown Prince wasn’t that important—what mattered was that Zhou Weizhao was good enough to Song Chuyi, and Song Chuyi liked him too.
He entered with Luyi. After Song Chuyi had pulled him aside and inquired about his well-being, he asked her, “Sister, anyone with a brain knows that the Chen family affair in Xiangfan must have our family’s hand behind it. Prince Dongping has no other options. Given how much favor he enjoys with the Crown Prince, he’ll definitely go seek the Crown Prince’s help. When this matter reaches the Crown Prince’s attention, the Crown Prince already doesn’t like His Highness the Grand Prince. With this incident, I’m afraid this time he’ll also come to detest our family for helping the Grand Prince and forming a marriage alliance with him.”
He considered for a moment, unable to help but remind her, “I’m afraid His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t want this marriage to succeed.”
Song Chuyi’s lips curved into a smile. From the assassination attempts on Zhou Weizhao at Yangquan and Tianshui Town, yet the Crown Prince remaining completely unmoved after learning of Fan Liangdi’s actions, she had known that the Crown Prince didn’t value Zhou Weizhao as much as Zhou Weiqi. Observing this period, she had figured it out—it wasn’t just that he didn’t value him as much as Zhou Weiqi; the Crown Prince simply didn’t consider Zhou Weizhao his son at all. Therefore, when Song Yan said this now, she knew what Song Yan was about to say next. “The vassal princes are about to enter the capital, including Prince Gong, whom he’s most obsessed with. Unless he’s gone mad, at this time he won’t dare cause any incidents. After the New Year when the vassal princes return to their fiefs, we’ll see then.”