After thinking for a moment, Yinshuang stared at Bai Jinxiu’s belly and added, “One person eats! Two people benefit! Young master eats!”

Cuibi was amused by Yinshuang and looked at Bai Jinxiu, saying, “What Yinshuang says isn’t wrong. Second Miss, one person eating benefits two people—Yinshuang really can’t substitute for Second Miss!”

Bai Jinxiu was also amused by Yinshuang and gently stroked her abdomen: “Alright, Yinshuang makes sense. I’ll eat.”

On this hot summer day, after Bai Jinxiu finished the bowl of chicken soup noodles, she was covered in sweat from the heat. Cuibi sat beside Bai Jinxiu, gently fanning her with a fan.

Yinshuang hurriedly brought in a bowl of plum soup for Bai Jinxiu.

Bai Jinxiu had just finished two bowls of plum soup when someone below came to report that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had gone to Prince Liang’s mansion to visit Prince Liang.

“The Crown Prince and Crown Princess’s carriage stopped at the front gate of Prince Liang’s mansion, and they happened to encounter the woman crying and pleading at Prince Liang’s mansion gates. I heard that the woman’s husband was beaten to death for beating the Dengwen Drum, and her two sons haven’t been found either. That woman was heartbroken and certain her children were in Prince Liang’s mansion. She kowtowed to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, begging them to save her children—she even bled from kowtowing!”

Bai Jinxiu gripped the edge of the small table tightly and urgently asked: “What happened next?”

“This subordinate came back first to report to Second Miss—there’s no result yet! When there’s news, someone will return to report to Second Miss!”

“Understood! You may go! Keep a close watch on Prince Liang’s mansion and report any news immediately!”

As soon as Bai Jinxiu finished speaking, she heard Cuiyu calling for Qin Lang from outside the courtyard: “Young Master has returned!”

“Where’s Jinxiu?” Qin Lang handed the black lacquered food box he was carrying to Cuibi. “Inside are pastries from Shengshi Pavilion.”

Hearing this, Cuiyu smiled brightly: “Early this morning, Madam said she wanted to eat Shengshi Pavilion’s Biyun cakes. Who would have thought Young Master remembered it!”

Qin Lang smiled and lifted his robe’s hem as he walked toward the main room.

Bai Jinxiu saw the hidden guard kneeling on one knee before her and signaled for him to leave first. The hidden guard leaped out through the back window. Bai Jinxiu supported herself on Cuibi’s hand, stood up, and walked a few steps out to greet him. Seeing Qin Lang enter through the Xiangfei bamboo curtain held open by the maid, she smiled: “You’re back!”

Qin Lang quickly stepped forward and supported Bai Jinxiu, his large hand gently stroking her belly: “You’re heavy with child—why did you come out to greet me? Did the baby trouble you today?”

“Just a few steps—am I really that delicate?” Bai Jinxiu smiled and looked down at her prominently protruding abdomen. “The baby’s been quite well-behaved and hasn’t troubled me.”

Seeing Qin Lang supporting Bai Jinxiu as they walked around the screen toward the inner room, Cuibi and Cuiyu quickly held back Yinshuang, who was about to follow them inside.

“Ah! Come out quickly! Be careful, or Second Miss will complain about you to Young Miss again!” Cuibi laughingly pulled Yinshuang outside. “Come, follow, sister! Sister will give you candy!”

Outside Prince Liang’s mansion.

The woman’s desperate and tragic crying made the Crown Princess’s heart ache. She looked at the Crown Prince: “Your Highness…”

Because this woman was making such a scene outside Prince Liang’s mansion, quite a few common people had gathered to watch.

The Crown Prince said, “Today, before His Majesty, Prince Liang already said he knew nothing! Moreover… the Wang family of Nine Curves Alley has already committed suicide in prison out of guilt. This matter truly has nothing to do with Prince Liang! Prince Liang is my brother, and I deeply believe my brother is a kind-hearted person who would never do such unconscionable acts! I cannot bear to see you in such distress, nor can I bear my brother’s wrongful accusation… Today I will take you into Prince Liang’s mansion to have a look, which will also prove Prince Liang’s innocence!”

Hearing the Crown Prince speak thus, the common people all praised the Crown Prince’s benevolence.

The deputy commander of the Patrol Battalion guarding Prince Liang’s mansion felt somewhat uneasy. His Majesty’s decree was that no one should enter or exit, but the Crown Prince… was saying he wanted to bring this woman inside. Should they allow passage or not?

“Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness!” The woman hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude.

The deputy commander of the Patrol Battalion gripped the sword at his waist, stepped forward toward the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and bowed deeply: “Your Highness, Your Highness Crown Princess, His Majesty has decreed… no one is permitted to enter or exit.”

The Crown Prince was slightly stunned, then smiled: “Prince Liang suffered grievances and shock today. The Crown Princess and I are merely coming to see Prince Liang. As for this woman… having lost her husband while searching for her son, she’s already pitiful enough. Letting her go in to look would help her give up hope!”

The deputy commander looked troubled: “Your Highness… please don’t make things difficult for this humble person. Perhaps Your Highness could enter the palace to request permission? If His Majesty consents, this humble person will naturally allow passage!”

The Crown Prince was made to laugh by the deputy commander’s response: “If I enter the palace to request permission now, I’m afraid the palace gates will be locked before I even exit!”

“Your Highness, this humble person is merely following orders!”

“So you’re going to block even me, the Crown Prince?” The Crown Prince gritted his teeth, his brows filled with anger, pointing at the woman whose face was full of panic, not knowing what to do if she couldn’t enter Prince Liang’s mansion. “Officially speaking, I am the Crown Prince! This is my subject! I cannot watch her sacrifice her husband at Wude Gate searching for her son, only to kneel to death at Prince Liang’s mansion gates! Privately… I am Prince Liang’s elder brother and cannot watch Prince Liang suffer injustice!”

“Now, the entire Wang family has died in prison. How many people outside are discussing and saying this was Prince Liang’s doing—killing to escape guilt, murdering the entire Wang family! If you block the way here today… You’re confirming Prince Liang’s crimes! Can you bear the responsibility for letting Prince Liang carry this infamy?!” The Crown Prince’s voice rose progressively, righteously declaring: “I won’t make things difficult for you. Today, if you let me pass, I will enter! If you don’t let me pass, I will still enter! Unless you dare draw your sword before me and kill me, the Crown Prince, at Prince Liang’s mansion gates!”

As soon as the Crown Prince finished speaking, the Crown Prince’s mansion guards all stepped forward and drew their swords. How could the Patrol Battalion dare draw swords against the Crown Prince? They could only retreat.

The Crown Prince’s face was cold as he helped the woman up and stepped forward. With each step the Crown Prince took, the Patrol Battalion retreated one step, forced to retreat continuously. They could only watch as the Crown Prince, protected by his guards, brought the woman into Prince Liang’s mansion.

The deputy commander of the Patrol Battalion gritted his teeth, turned, and instructed his subordinate: “Enter the palace to report to His Majesty that the Crown Prince has forced his way into Prince Liang’s mansion!”

The Crown Prince’s breach of Prince Liang’s mansion didn’t matter much, but this breach… revealed the alchemy furnaces in Prince Liang’s mansion that hadn’t been disposed of in time.

Prince Liang presumably felt the Emperor would protect him. After returning to his mansion, he continued doing whatever he pleased, continuing to work with the Celestial Master on elixirs. By the time he received news that the Crown Prince had forced his way into Prince Liang’s mansion, it was too late to stop anything.

Later, though the woman didn’t find her sons, the Crown Prince and his guards rescued some young children from Prince Liang’s mansion who had been bled and were half-dead.

Because the Crown Prince had argued with the Patrol Battalion at Prince Liang’s mansion gates for a while, even more common people had gathered to watch, all waiting for the woman to come out. No one expected this would confirm the matter of Prince Liang using children to refine elixirs.

When the Emperor received the news, he was already powerless to turn the tide.