The Crown Prince had thought that with Old Matriarch Dong, Madam Dong née Cui, and Young Madam Dong née Xiao Cui all fallen ill, they would surely be unable to arrange his accommodations. However, when Dong Qingyue led him into an elegantly arranged and tranquil courtyard, he was quite satisfied. The careful attention to detail in the arrangements was evident.

After Dong Qingyue and his party left, the Crown Prince held a box of fish food and stood before a large water urn floating with lotus lanterns, feeding the fish with a smile: “Water urn, golden carp, lotus lanterns… Master Dong doesn’t seem like someone with such refined taste and leisure…”

On the rippling surface of the water urn, the Crown Prince’s smiling reflection wavered. Wind rustled through the ancient tree branches, bringing with it waves of extremely mournful and ethereal qin music.

The Crown Prince raised his head and listened carefully.

Quan Yu, standing nearby, hurriedly said: “Your Highness, this slave sent people to inquire. It’s said that because Old Matriarch Dong, Madam Dong, and Young Madam Dong are all bedridden and cannot rise, Your Highness’s accommodations were carefully arranged by two concubine-born daughters in Master Dong’s household…”

“Shh!” The Crown Prince made a hushing gesture to Quan Yu, who had not finished speaking, casually handed him the fish food, and followed the qin music out of the courtyard.

Quan Yu held the fish food and beckoned to the guards standing in the corridor. The group followed at a respectful distance behind the Crown Prince.

The Qin music grew closer and closer. The Crown Prince stopped at the lakeside.

In the octagonal pavilion in the middle of the lake, white gauze curtains swayed and candles flickered. Under that golden lamplight, a slender woman in plain white clothing was playing the qin with tears in her eyes. The Qin music contained countless indescribable sorrows that moved listeners to tears and melancholy.

A maid carrying a black lacquered tray was about to deliver hot tea to the lake pavilion when she saw the Crown Prince’s party standing by the lake. Startled, she nearly dropped the teapot in her hands and knelt trembling: “This servant deserves death! This servant did not know Your Highness, the Crown Prince, was here. Please forgive this servant!”

The Crown Prince gazed intently at the woman playing qin in the pavilion and asked: “Who is the one playing qin in the pavilion?”

“Your… Your Highness, the Crown Prince, it is our family’s young miss! Our young miss misses her elder brother, so she found this secluded place to play the qin,” the maid replied.

“What is your young miss called?” the Crown Prince asked again.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, our young miss… is called Dong Tingzhi.”

The Crown Prince nodded and took another deep look at the woman in the pavilion before turning to leave.

The maid became even more frightened, keeping her head lowered as she knelt, not daring to make a sound. Only after the Crown Prince’s party had walked far away did she dare to raise her head, her legs so weak she could barely stand. She didn’t know if her young miss’s scheme would succeed. If it didn’t… she feared that when the old matriarch learned of today’s events, she would no longer tolerate their young miss!

The Crown Prince’s features were full of smiles. Without turning his head, he paused in his steps, thought briefly, then raised his hand and beckoned to Quan Yu, who was carefully following behind.

Quan Yu quickly took small steps forward: “Your Highness, your command!”

“What did you just say? My courtyard… was arranged by two concubine-born daughters of the Dong household? Master Dong… has concubine-born daughters?” the Crown Prince asked.

“Yes, Your Highness. I heard that because a concubine-born daughter from the Dong family’s ancestors once used despicable means to harm Old Matriarch Dong, when the old Duke Dong was alive, he established rules… Concubine-born daughters in the Dong family have extremely low status. When concubine-born sons and daughters are born, no celebrations are held! Concubine-born sons are one thing… but concubine-born daughters spend their years never leaving the inner quarters, so outsiders don’t even know the Dong family has concubine-born daughters!” Quan Yu explained.

With this explanation, the Crown Prince recalled Minister of Justice Dong Qingping. If not for being in the capital, others probably wouldn’t know Dong Qingping had concubine-born daughters either.

The Crown Prince had previously been troubled that Dong Qingyue had no daughters and could only rely on Bai Qingyan. He hadn’t expected that upon arriving at the Dong residence, one would be delivered to his door.

A concubine-born daughter had arranged his accommodations, so naturally she would know that if she played qin in that octagonal lake pavilion, he would be able to hear it…

The Crown Prince smiled slightly. Even if concubine-born daughters weren’t valued in the Dong family, she was still Dong Qingyue’s daughter after all, and would be somewhat useful. He removed the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Quan Yu: “Go… give this to that Dong family concubine-born daughter.”

Quan Yu was startled, then accepted the jade pendant and nodded in acknowledgment.

—

Bai Qingyan had just finished bathing, and Chun Tao was carefully changing the medicine on Bai Qingyan’s ear when they heard Nanny Wang leading a group of strong women, directly escorting someone into Old Matriarch Dong’s main room.

Chun Tao also heard the commotion. After carefully finishing changing Bai Qingyan’s medicine, she picked up the water basin to go outside and asked: “First Miss, should I go ask Nanny Wang if she needs any help?”

Bai Qingyan used her fingers to comb through her long hair at the yellow rosewood dressing table, speaking unhurriedly: “If grandmother needed help, she would certainly have Nanny Wang come call us. Since grandmother hasn’t informed us, we shouldn’t inquire casually. This isn’t the Bai residence, and grandmother knows what she’s doing.”

“Yes!” Chun Tao wasn’t trying to pry into the Dong family’s private affairs, but was kindly offering to help, especially since Old Matriarch Dong had already fallen ill from grief over the death of her legitimate eldest grandson, Dong Changlan.

In Old Matriarch Dong’s main room.

Old Matriarch Dong sat under the flickering light of a glazed lamp, coldly watching the terrified Dong Tingzhi, whose mouth was gagged. She fingered the sandalwood prayer beads on her wrist, her expression cold and clear: “I remember that year when grandmother was choosing between you and Tingyun to keep by her side and raise, you schemed to anger Tingyun and had her push you into the lake. What did grandmother tell you then?”

Dong Tingzhi’s mouth was gagged, so she could only whimper continuously. She wanted to crawl forward on her knees to beg for mercy, but was held firmly in place by the strong women, unable to move.

“Grandmother once told you that although your grandfather established strict rules for concubine-born daughters, you are still our family’s blood after all. So all these years, grandmother never deliberately kept you confined to the back courtyard, forbidding you to go out!” Old Matriarch Dong fingered her prayer beads. “Grandmother also made it clear to your maternal aunts and all of you that no matter what… we would arrange good marriages for you in the future. We wouldn’t seek great wealth and honor, but would ensure good character and upright family traditions, letting you become legitimate wives! We would never use concubine-born daughters’ lifelong happiness to pave the way for our Dong family’s future, degrading you for life.”

Dong Tingzhi nodded through her tears.

“You are clever, but this intelligence should be used on the right path.” Old Matriarch Dong’s expression was solemn. “Your qin playing in the octagonal pavilion today to attract the Crown Prince there wasn’t because you thought your beauty was captivating enough to make the Crown Prince fall in love at first sight, but because you wanted the Crown Prince to know… that Dong Qingyue’s daughter harbors feelings for the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince wants to win over your father, he could keep you by his side to serve him. Isn’t that right?”

Dong Tingzhi kept her head lowered, crying. With her mouth gagged, she couldn’t defend herself.

She admitted that Old Matriarch Dong was completely correct. She was unwilling to settle for being an ordinary family’s legitimate wife. If she could catch the Crown Prince’s eye, as long as she gained favor and the Crown Prince ascended the throne… she would reach heaven in a single step.

Currently relying on the Dong family to climb up to the Crown Prince, if she gained favor in the future, wouldn’t she repay the Dong family? Couldn’t she become the Dong family’s support?

After much consideration, she felt this was an opportunity worth taking.