Song Wan only felt a thought flash through her mind but disappear just as quickly, leaving her no time to contemplate it carefully.

“Do you have something you wish to ask this… eunuch?”

Seeing Song Wan’s eyes reveal doubt, Shen Qianyu spoke indifferently, interrupting her contemplation.

Song Wan nodded. “I wonder when Eunuch entered the Crown Prince’s service?”

Was she worried he had no voice before the Crown Prince, such that she would waste her efforts dealing with him?

To think this person was so meticulous in thought and watertight in her actions.

After thinking it over, Shen Qianyu said, “Eight years.”

Eight years—meaning he had been by the Crown Prince’s side since the Prince had just returned to the capital. Such a person must be highly valued by the Eastern Palace.

Song Wan felt relieved, no longer afraid of working in vain.

However, she still had a question. Though she didn’t know whether this person would answer her, after pondering for a moment she still spoke: “I wonder if Eunuch could conveniently inform me—why did the Crown Prince move against the First Prince during the Lantern Festival?”

Hearing this, Shen Qianyu suddenly laughed.

This woman was truly exceptionally intelligent.

“Is Miss Song asking whether the Crown Prince only gained the means to deal with the First Prince after eight years back in the capital, or are you asking why he had the capability yet only moved when the First Prince was already ruined?”

The former asked about his current strength, the latter was asking whether he possessed the character and bearing worth Song Fu pledging allegiance to.

Looking at Song Wan, Shen Qianyu seemed to somewhat understand why Jiang Yan had always held this sister-in-law at the tip of his heart.

This woman truly had extraordinary qualities—she wasn’t merely someone with a beautiful face as he had originally thought.

Thinking of Jiang Yan, Shen Qianyu frowned, feeling regret once more.

Seeing him ask so directly, Song Wan felt rather embarrassed and blushed.

Within the inner quarters, verbal sparring was mostly roundabout and subtle, preferring to beat around the bush ten times over. By rights, palace people should be even more so, but she didn’t know why this person before her didn’t resemble the eunuchs she had commonly encountered.

Song Wan was puzzled, so she also learned from Shen Qianyu’s manner and asked directly.

Sure enough, Shen Qianyu’s face showed a clear expression. Song Wan understood this person liked straightforward dealings.

“I came from the Dong Chang.”

Having pretended to be a eunuch for so many years, Shen Qianyu told this lie with practiced ease.

“No wonder Eunuch differs somewhat from the inner court servants in the palace.”

Song Wan had only heard of the Dong Chang’s evil reputation but had never seen the Dong Chang’s lackeys, so naturally she didn’t know how the Dong Chang differed from palace inner servants. Hearing him say this, she felt it was rather reasonable.

“I wonder if Eunuch could answer on his behalf?”

Shen Qianyu said, “I suppose I can.”

“The Crown Prince moved against the First Prince during the Lantern Festival not because there were no opportunities before, but because before the First Prince was abandoned by His Majesty, he was the hottest candidate for succession.”

“At that time, the Third and Fifth Princes were still young. If the First Prince suddenly died violently, the court would certainly give rise to internal troubles.”

With Nanqing outside and troubles arising within—unfavorable to country and family—Shen Qianyu disdained to do such a thing. Later, when it was exposed that the First Prince had moral failings and was confined by His Majesty for a long time, he couldn’t find an opportunity and thus dragged it out until now.

“It was merely a personal grudge. In the Crown Prince’s heart, the peaceful lives of the common people and the state’s foundation come first—how could he lose the greater for the lesser?”

No matter how much he disliked Shen Qianchi and Emperor Wenhui, he wouldn’t provoke a court civil war for his own private interests. This bit of masculine integrity he still possessed.

Picking up a piece of sugar confection and tossing it into his mouth, Shen Qianyu crunched away eating it.

Song Wan’s eyes widened, slightly shocked.

“Am I not allowed to eat it?”

She dumbly shook her head. “Of course you may eat it.”

She had just never seen someone so… so uninhibited.

Turning her gaze away from Shen Qianyu, Song Wan said, “The Crown Prince possesses great benevolence, great wisdom, great righteousness, and great courage—truly the court’s blessing.”

“Oh?”

Hearing these words, Shen Qianyu became interested.

This was Song Wan’s sincere statement, but it also carried several parts intent to pledge allegiance. After contemplating for a moment she said, “The Crown Prince suffered from partiality since childhood, was never treated fairly, and moreover served as hostage in Nanqing for many years, necessarily enduring much inhuman torment. Yet the Crown Prince’s actions show no sinister damage, and his character still contains brightness.”

“Having personally tasted the world’s evils yet still maintaining goodwill and understanding the common people’s suffering, having long experienced darkness yet not losing his pure heart—this shows the Crown Prince’s nature is supremely good.”

“Never experiencing hardship or betrayal while remaining uniformly kind might only be called naïveté, but like the Crown Prince who has seen so much of human hearts’ malice yet can still place others’ survival before his own…”

Song Wan smiled faintly. “I think the Crown Prince’s benevolent heart can truly be called great goodness.”

“Moreover, in the Lantern Festival matter he struck cleanly and decisively, never losing his great righteousness due to hatred or prolonging the torment of those he despised. This shows his character is magnanimous—neither weak nor lacking in spirit.”

“If our dynasty’s realm falls into the Crown Prince’s hands, there will certainly be peaceful seas and clear rivers, eternal peace for ten thousand generations.”

Hearing this, Shen Qianyu first showed a dazed expression, then laughed heartily. “In the art of flattery and fawning, Miss Song is quite skilled indeed.”

Song Wan was angered by his words, her face flushing.

Although she had indeed picked some favorable words to say wanting to pledge allegiance, there was also eighty percent sincerity in those words. But this inner servant before her somehow actually mocked her instead.

Song Wan pressed her lips together slightly, somewhat angry.

Seeing this, Shen Qianyu realized she was actually sincere and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

In this entire world, having one person understand his suffering and speak a fair word for him—he felt it was enough. Those days and nights in Nanqing unable to sleep due to pain and humiliation seemed to slowly fade. The anger and resentment in his heart from being unable to change his circumstances, unable to break free from the shackles of identity and responsibility, also gradually calmed because of Song Wan’s few words.

Shen Qianyu smiled faintly. “Today, what Miss Song has said, I will convey to the Eastern Palace’s Crown Prince.”

“However, from what I know, Lord Song seems to favor the Fifth Prince more. If the Song family harbors thoughts of hedging their bets, you might want to consider whether you’ll capsize into the ditch later.”

Song Wan clutched her handkerchief, momentarily speechless.

Shen Qianyu knew she couldn’t control Song Lan’an, so he didn’t press her.

Being able to gain Song Fu’s support was already beyond today’s expected harvest. Compared to Song Lan’an, he actually valued Song Yuning who was in the rear palace more highly.

Shen Qianyu knew that if he wanted to secure his position as Crown Prince, Song Yuning’s status would be indispensable in helping him.

“These words I will convey intact to my elder brother.”

Shen Qianyu nodded, no longer pursuing Song family matters in detail.

The two fell silent for a time. Just as Song Wan was about to leave, Shen Qianyu suddenly said, “I heard… your elder brother mentioned you’ve read many books?”

“I’ve read a few.”

Shen Qianyu said, “The Crown Prince went to Nanqing as a hostage since childhood. No one taught him how to conduct himself and advance or retreat, nor those matters of ritual, music, archery, charioteering, writing, and mathematics. But if he wishes to maneuver among the aristocratic families, he must know how to interact with them. The Crown Prince doesn’t understand those things about the capital’s aristocratic families’ social obligations. If you have time, you could teach him the skills of self-cultivation and governing people.”

If one spoke of what most troubled Shen Qianyu since returning to the capital, it was dealing with those aristocratic great families.

He had no strategists by his side and didn’t dare easily expose his identity. Thus, over all these years, relying only on himself and the Dong Chang’s power, he had merely befriended several officials of insignificant rank and庶sons of great families.

He had spent plenty of silver, yet hadn’t managed to make friends with a single useful person.

Shen Qianyu never understood why he could never integrate into those aristocratic families’ legitimate sons’ circles.

However, just as this matter was raised, Song Wan understood Shen Qianyu’s meaning.

After thinking it over, Song Wan said, “Those who have been distinguished for three generations understand clothing, those distinguished for five generations understand food and drink. In families where wealth and nobility have been passed down, their every movement—walking, sitting, standing—every gesture and advance or retreat has its rules. How to dress, how to eat, when to say what words, when one should stay silent and cannot speak—all are matters of learning.”

“Not understanding, or breaching etiquette in one place, naturally one can never again integrate among these aristocratic families’ sons.”

“The Crown Prince, not having been nurtured in this since childhood, certainly finds it very difficult to communicate with them.”