Luo Sheng accepted the dagger and handed it to Hong Dou, who had hurried over, then asked Wei Han calmly: “Does the Prince have any other business?”

Wei Han looked at the young lady’s indifferent expression and tugged at his lips: “No other business.”

Whether there was other business or not—didn’t Miss Luo know?

However, this truly wasn’t the proper setting to discuss matters. He would have to speak of it later.

“Then we’ll take our leave first.” Luo Sheng curtsied slightly, then turned to Grand Marshal Luo: “Father, let’s go.”

Grand Marshal Luo couldn’t wait to nod and hurriedly led his three daughters away.

Wei Han remained where he was, his eyes obscure.

Wei Qiang, who had kept himself apart from the affair throughout, walked over and called out: “Royal Uncle.”

Wei Han glanced at Wei Qiang and asked while walking outward: “Does the Crown Prince have business?”

Wei Qiang spoke in a casual tone: “I didn’t expect Royal Uncle to have an acquaintance with Miss Luo.”

He had observed coldly and felt that Prince Kaiyang regarded Miss Luo as extraordinary.

Could it be that having his sash pulled by Miss Luo had actually stirred up feelings?

Wei Han looked deeply at Wei Qiang, his tone cool: “The Crown Prince should not concern himself with his elders’ affairs.”

Wei Qiang was immediately choked speechless, yet unable to refute.

He was indeed quite a bit older than Prince Kaiyang, but no matter how much older, he still had to address him as uncle. If word spread that a nephew was prying into an elder’s romantic affairs, it truly wouldn’t look proper.

But he was merely probing—was it necessary to pull rank as an elder?

In Wei Han’s presence, Wei Qiang couldn’t show his irritation. Only after that scarlet figure entered the gates of Prince Kaiyang’s manor did his face darken.

Being Crown Prince was truly stifling.

“Your Highness, are you returning to the palace?” Wei Feng walked to Wei Qiang’s side, asking with regret in his voice.

Wei Qiang withdrew his gaze to look at Wei Feng.

Though legally they were now cousins, the blood tie of being born from the same mother couldn’t be changed. Especially as Wei Feng grew up, the two increasingly resembled each other in both build and features.

Toward this younger brother, Wei Qiang’s attitude was relatively mild. He nodded slightly: “Yes, it’s time to return.”

Wei Feng gathered his courage and said quietly: “Your Highness, Mother Consort… truly misses you. Today is her birthday, and such unpleasant events occurred. Can’t you stay a while longer?”

Wei Qiang waited expressionlessly for Wei Feng to finish, then coldly uttered two words: “I cannot.”

Before outsiders, he still needed to disguise his cold attitude toward Prince and Princess Consort Pingnan, but before Wei Feng there was no such need.

Twelve years ago, he had broken with his birth parents.

At that time, Wei Feng was still a child who hadn’t been drawn into it, which was why this bit of brotherly affection remained.

But Wei Feng completely failed to understand Wei Qiang’s attitude.

“Your Highness, regarding that incident twelve years ago… you also participated…”

The one who achieved merit was clearly eldest brother—why did he resent their parents afterward?

He had seen Mother Consort secretly weeping many times.

Thinking of this, some dissatisfaction welled up in Wei Feng’s heart.

Wei Qiang seemed to have a sore spot touched, frost suddenly covering his face: “I don’t want to hear anyone mention what happened twelve years ago. Wei Feng, remember this.”

In bringing down the Manor of the Prince of Zhennan, yes, he had participated. But he had never intended to take Luo’er’s life.

That day, he and Luo’er had already married. He hadn’t intended for Luo’er to be buried alongside the Manor of the Prince of Zhennan.

Yet that arrow flying from the shadows took Luo’er’s life.

Luo’er died right before his eyes, still wearing her wedding dress.

Whenever he thought of that scene from twelve years ago, the hatred in Wei Qiang’s heart churned like stormy seas, stirring his internal organs with agony.

Seeing Wei Qiang angry, Wei Feng suppressed his dissatisfaction and said sullenly: “Understood.”

Wasn’t it just still blaming Father Prince and Mother Consort over Princess Qingyang?

He still had impressions of Princess Qingyang—she was a noble, generous, and capable elder sister who made especially delicious candies that made little sister drool.

He actually liked eating them too, but at that time he was already eight years old, so naturally couldn’t circle around Princess Qingyang like little sister did over a piece of candy.

Later, Princess Qingyang died, and eldest brother didn’t speak to Father Prince and Mother Consort for a long time.

At first he didn’t understand, but as he grew older, he came to comprehend.

Eldest brother had feelings for Princess Qingyang and was angry at Father Prince and Mother Consort over her death.

Though he felt regret over Princess Qingyang’s death, he didn’t understand eldest brother’s attitude.

No matter how angry, one couldn’t stay angry for over ten years.

Father Prince was right—if Princess Qingyang hadn’t died, what would eldest brother have done?

With a wife whose maternal family had committed treason, how could eldest brother compete for the position of Crown Prince?

Eldest brother had stood out among Imperial Uncle’s many nephews to become Crown Prince and married a daughter from a prestigious family as Crown Princess. What was there to be dissatisfied about?

If it were him—Wei Feng pressed his thin lips into a cold arc.

He would be grateful to Father Prince and Mother Consort before it was too late. How could he resent them?

Compared to empire and power, what did a beauty matter? And with empire and power, what kind of beauty couldn’t one have?

Wei Feng suppressed the dissatisfaction rising from deep within and watched Wei Qiang depart.

When Wei Qiang returned to the Eastern Palace, a beautifully dressed palace lady came forward to greet him.

“The Crown Prince has returned.”

Wei Qiang’s face no longer showed anger, having resumed his usual gentle and calm appearance.

He nodded slightly and asked: “Is Wan’er better?”

“She’s better. She asked for meat porridge to drink and is sleeping now.” The palace lady smiled.

“That’s good. Go keep Wan’er company. She’ll look for her mother when she wakes.”

“Yes.”

Long after Wei Qiang left, the palace lady summoned a trusted aide and asked: “Where did the Crown Prince go?”

The trusted aide carefully replied: “Reporting to the Crown Princess, the Crown Prince went to Consort Yu’s quarters.”

The Crown Princess revealed a cold smile of realization.

She knew the Crown Prince had gone there again.

Merely a woman nearing thirty with a scarred face, yet she had captured the Crown Prince’s heart for so many years.

She had quietly investigated Consort Yu’s origins.

Reportedly, she had originally been an attendant maid in Princess Qingyang’s dowry—the third daughter of the Prince of Zhennan. When news of Princess Qingyang’s incident reached the Manor of Prince Pingnan, she and another maid both struck their heads against pillars.

That maid died on the spot, while Consort Yu was pulled back by someone who reacted in time, thus preserving her life. Only a scar remained on her forehead, usually concealed by thick bangs.

To verify the intelligence gathered, she had once ordered Consort Yu to lift her bangs for inspection. Indeed, a faint scar marred her smooth forehead.

The usually gentle Crown Prince had flown into a great rage upon hearing of it. Since then, she no longer concerned herself with that woman of lowly birth.

With her status, she didn’t need to regard a consort of maid origin as a rival, much less create distance with the Crown Prince over a mere consort.

After all, what the Crown Prince cared about wasn’t some minor consort—he clearly cared about Princess Qingyang, who had been dead for many years.

Against a dead person, she had even less recourse to compete.

Still, thinking that a mere consort had received the Crown Prince’s special regard for so many years left her somewhat resentful.

After venting her frustration, the Crown Princess didn’t dwell on it much and lifted her feet to go to her daughter’s room.

Wei Qiang walked quickly toward a side palace hall, his mood inexplicably urgent.

“Consort, the Crown Prince has arrived,” a palace maid said to a slender woman with thick dark hair in the room.