The Crown Prince actually still had a conscience. A trace of mocking smile appeared on Crown Princess Lu’s face, which still looked as young and handsome as a woman of twenty. She waited until Imperial Physician Hu and Imperial Physician Yan outside had finished with the needles and the Crown Prince had quieted down before turning to go out.

Prince Dongping was already kneeling before the Crown Prince with a deathly pale face. Upon seeing her, he kowtowed three times to her on the spot.

This was the first time he had kowtowed to the Crown Princess, his legitimate mother. Previously it hadn’t been necessary and there had been no need, but this time, he didn’t feel the slightest humiliation. He only felt it was as it should be.

His mother had done such filthy things. He only felt that all his former confidence and pride were a joke, felt that his entire body was disgustingly filthy, and because he had angered the Crown Prince into such illness, before Crown Princess Lu who had been forced by his mother to the point of having almost no way to survive, he truly couldn’t raise his head.

These three kowtows left Crown Princess Lu dumbfounded. She recalled what Song Chuyi had said before about Prince Dongping proactively warning Zhou Weizhao, and remembered that Prince Dongping had refused Han Zhengqing and helped Cui Yingshu capture Han Cheng and Jiang Tianping. Her gaze was somewhat complex. After a moment she said softly: “Rise. The floor is cold.”

Prince Dongping did not rise. Lowering his head to look at the floor tiles that had been wiped clean and bright, then looking again at the Crown Prince lying on the bed barely able to breathe, he said in a low voice: “It was I who angered Father into this state.”

Crown Princess Lu reached out to stop him: “His body was already weak to begin with. What does it have to do with you?”

The Crown Prince had been angered into illness by himself, or rather, had been angered into illness by Consort Fan and Han Zhengqing. But no matter which it was, this belated understanding had come too late. Crown Princess Lu had no time to comfort the Crown Prince’s heart that had been beaten dizzy and filled with melancholy unease. She waited until everyone had dispersed completely, then first told the Crown Prince about the victory report sent back from Xibei yesterday: “A great victory at Suzhou. General Cui Shaoting of Cui has severed Suzhou and seized it in his hands, blocking Yecha at Qingzhou Prefecture. You need not be anxious. Soon you will see what kind of fate befalls your enemy.” Crown Princess Lu smiled softly at this point: “So you should still live properly. If you die now, you’ll be fulfilling Han Zhengqing’s wishes. He wishes every moment for your death. If you die—”

The Crown Prince was so furious that the blood vessels on his neck protruded. His two eyes on his gaunt face bulged especially large, looking both pitiful and angry. Yet Crown Princess Lu acted as if she hadn’t seen: “Moreover, if you die, I cannot guarantee what will happen to Dongping afterward.”

Prince Dongping heard this as if he hadn’t heard, drooping his shoulders without saying a word.

The Crown Prince’s gaze fell on Prince Dongping, complex and obscure. After quite a while, the fist hanging at his side slowly relaxed somewhat.

Crown Princess Lu glanced at him and stood up with a smile: “You’re right to do this. Right now Mother Empress’s illness is growing worse and worse. She became this way all thanks to you and Prince Gong. The two of you stabbed countless knives into her heart. Since you have such deep feelings for Dongping, please also share some of those feelings with Mother Empress. Don’t make her worry about you anymore. She cannot worry much longer. If she worries more, she won’t be able to live.”

Song Chuyi pressed her lips together and glanced at the Crown Prince who had turned his head aside. Just as she was about to leave together with Crown Princess Lu, she was called out to by Prince Dongping.

Crown Princess Lu stopped her steps in some surprise and looked toward Prince Dongping, her expression not looking very pleased.

Prince Dongping himself seemed not to notice. Without looking at Song Chuyi or Crown Princess Lu, he lowered his eyes: “There’s an important matter I wish to remind sister-in-law about.”

When he said the words “remind,” Crown Princess Lu looked at him thoughtfully, then looked at Song Chuyi. Seeing Song Chuyi nod, she also nodded and went out first.

Sanbao had long since led everyone to withdraw completely. In the hall remained only the Crown Prince, Prince Dongping, and Song Chuyi with her attendants.

Prince Dongping extended his hand in an inviting gesture, inviting Song Chuyi to sit in the flower hall behind the screen. Without a single word of idle talk or pleasantries, he first told Song Chuyi everything he had previously said to Zhou Weizhao, then raised his head to look at her: “Sixth Miss has a rare opportunity. Could it be you also don’t know what backup plans he arranged?”

He looked somewhat anxious: “It’s not that I’m seeing enemies everywhere, but they were even able to act against Imperial Grandmother’s place, let alone Father’s place here. Although Father refused to take medicine which led to the deterioration of his condition, I always fear there are other reasons.”

Han Zhi had told him about Song Chuyi’s origins. He stared at Song Chuyi with considerable puzzlement: “Didn’t they say you know the past and future?”

Song Chuyi felt somewhat like giving a bitter smile: “Many things are different from my dreams. I don’t know everything. Otherwise, Prince Gong wouldn’t have been able to escape the capital either.”

Prince Dongping’s shoulders slowly slumped. After thinking for a moment he sighed again: “How about I point out a path for sister-in-law?”

He said this somewhat cautiously—after all, their positions were opposed. Although he had already taken the initiative to show goodwill long ago, with Song Chuyi’s scheming mind, she might not necessarily believe him.

Earlier, Zhou Weiqi had already gone to find Zhou Weizhao to warn him once, but besides saying to act against those around the Tianshi, he hadn’t said anything else. Now telling her he would point out a path meant it must not be what he had previously told Zhou Weizhao.

Song Chuyi’s thoughts stirred. Smiling, she nodded: “I’m all ears.”

Prince Dongping seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and said no more, just stating: “I mentioned to the Crown Prince before, telling him to beware of there being a traitor among those close to the Tianshi.” He took a deep breath and continued: “Later when I thought about it more… besides Qingbai, perhaps—”

Song Chuyi’s head had already jerked up sharply. Looking at Zhou Weiqi, her heart suddenly jumped.

“Perhaps there’s more than just Qingbai around him.” Zhou Weiqi put down the tea lid in his hand onto the teacup with a bang, staring at the teacup and said: “If I say these words to him, I fear he’ll think I have ulterior motives. But keeping it bottled up inside, I fear it will ruin matters. So I ask sister-in-law to listen tentatively. If you think it makes sense, follow the thread and investigate. If you think I’m being oversensitive, just act as if I never mentioned it.”

After saying this, without waiting for Song Chuyi’s reply, he dipped his finger in tea and wrote the character “Lu” on the tabletop. Seeing Song Chuyi’s eyes reveal shock as she looked at him, he immediately reached out and wiped the character completely clean: “This is only my speculation. Back then, my mother and Han Zhengqing both wanted to kill him, tried many times, and many times came very close to succeeding. This wasn’t just due to luck. With Prince Consort Ye Jingkuan by his side and so many Daoist soldiers from Longhu Mountain—”

He stopped his words pointedly: “I’m only speculating. My mother even kept these matters from me, only telling me there was someone by the Crown Prince’s side. It’s only these past few days that the more I thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed, that I’m speaking out of turn.”