If the Crown Prince hadn’t taken notice of her, at worst, she would face scolding and punishment. But if the Crown Prince did take notice, who in the Dong family would dare to go against the Crown Prince’s wishes and punish her? This was why Dong Tingzhi dared to be so bold and reckless.

Just as Old Matriarch Dong had said, she wasn’t so confident as to think her beauty was overwhelming. If speaking of beauty… that cousin from the Bai family, Princess Zhenguo Bai Qingyan, could truly be called stunningly beautiful. Nor did she think the Crown Prince was so foolish as not to see through her deliberate display. What she wanted was simply to give the Crown Prince a signal that the Dong family had a daughter… willing to serve before the Crown Prince.

But she had just emerged from the octagonal pavilion when Nanny Wang brought people to bind her and drag her directly to Old Matriarch Dong. It seemed… Old Matriarch Dong would not allow her to serve the Crown Prince.

She struggled and tried to roar, wanting to argue, wanting to tell Old Matriarch Dong that sending her to the Crown Prince’s side would be beneficial to the Dong family.

But Old Matriarch Dong had no intention whatsoever of having someone remove the cloth from her mouth. Her sharp gaze fixed on Dong Tingzhi kneeling on the ground: “Once, your grandfather said… the capital’s Bai family had very good methods for dealing with concubine-born sons and daughters – from birth, they weren’t allowed to see their birth mothers and were raised by their legitimate mothers! It was my womanly compassion, my inability to bear it, that allowed your maternal aunt to raise you into such a character.”

Upon hearing that this would implicate her maternal aunt, Dong Tingzhi immediately widened her eyes and kowtowed to Old Matriarch Dong, begging for mercy.

Dong Tingzhi knew that her maternal aunt had used schemes to enter the Dong household, borrowing Third Uncle’s connections and being forcibly sent to her father by Third Uncle. So she and her mother were not favored in the Dong household, and her maternal aunt lived very difficultly. Her repeated scheming was also to make her maternal aunt’s life a little better.

“From childhood to now, you have done many wrong things. Grandmother, considering your youth, taught and punished you leniently. Now… I don’t want to waste more words teaching you. From today forward… You and your maternal aunt, one will go to the family temple for spiritual cultivation, the other to a nunnery to live out her remaining days.” Old Matriarch Dong didn’t want to look at Dong Tingzhi anymore, closing her eyes and waving her hand wrapped with prayer beads. “Nanny Wang, take her away! Have someone prepare a carriage… send her to the family temple immediately, without error.”

Dong Tingzhi shook her head, crying out for her grandmother’s mercy, but the cloth was firmly stuffed in her mouth. Dong Tingzhi could only make whimpering sounds, tears streaming down her face, filled with terror.

Nanny Wang acknowledged the order and was about to instruct the maid beside her to have someone harness the carriage when a female servant hurriedly lifted the curtain and entered. Bowing nervously behind the screen, she said: “Old Matriarch, the eunuch beside His Highness the Crown Prince says the Crown Prince has something to bestow upon our household’s Miss Tingzhi, requesting the young miss to come out and receive the reward.”

Old Matriarch Dong’s hand gripping the prayer beads suddenly tightened, her piercing gaze looking toward the area outside the screen.

His Highness the Crown Prince had spoken – surely Old Matriarch Dong wouldn’t dare defy the Crown Prince’s wishes and send her to the family temple?!

Dong Tingzhi, who was being held down, kneeling on the ground, felt wild joy in her heart. Success! This matter had succeeded!

Her tearful eyes turned to look at Old Matriarch Dong sitting high above on the soft couch, and the triumphant elation of a petty person’s success replaced her earlier terror.

Dong Tingzhi struggled forcefully to shake off the rough servants holding her down, straightened her spine, and looked at Old Matriarch Dong. If not for the cloth blocking her mouth, she would surely laugh three times.

This round, she had won! As long as she could become the Crown Prince’s favored consort, even this old hag, Old Matriarch Dong, would have to bow before her!

Not to mention if the Crown Prince inherited the throne in the future, then she and this lofty grandmother would have reversed positions. This grandmother would have to properly bend her spine when seeing her, lower her noble head, and listen to her teachings.

Dong Tingzhi turned her head to glare at Nanny Wang, making muffled noises, indicating for Nanny Wang to quickly untie her.

“Old Matriarch?” Nanny Wang was also somewhat panicked, raising her eyes to look at Old Matriarch Dong whose face had turned iron-blue.

“Greetings to Princess Zhenguo!”

Before Old Matriarch Dong could speak, they heard Quan Yu paying respects to Bai Qingyan outside.

Old Matriarch Dong’s expression shifted as she turned to look out the window lattice.

Bai Qingyan nodded to Quan Yu, her gaze falling on the jade pendant in Quan Yu’s hands, smiling: “This is what His Highness the Crown Prince is bestowing upon my cousin?”

“Indeed!” Quan Yu’s face was full of smiles.

“A reward from the Crown Prince – grandmother and cousin should naturally change clothes and come to receive it properly. But with the Crown Prince at the Dong residence, others might not serve him adequately, and it wouldn’t be good to have Eunuch Quan Yu wait here and delay attending to the Crown Prince. If Eunuch Quan Yu trusts me, how about I deliver it to my cousin instead?” Bai Qingyan said with a smile.

Quan Yu thought for a moment and hurriedly handed the jade pendant to Bai Qingyan with both hands: “Then I’ll trouble Princess Zhenguo.”

After all, the Crown Prince hadn’t specifically said that Miss Dong Tingzhi must personally receive it. Princess Zhenguo was being considerate, worried others might not serve the Crown Prince well, and since she had already spoken… how could Quan Yu refuse?

Bai Qingyan accepted the jade pendant, lowering her eyes to caress it, then walked to escort Quan Yu out of the courtyard, casually asking: “Is His Highness the Crown Prince bestowing this upon my cousin because the accommodations were arranged properly?”

Quan Yu glanced sideways at the maids who weren’t following closely, then lowered his voice to tell Bai Qingyan: “Miss Dong Tingzhi was playing qin today in a place near His Highness’s residence to commemorate her brother. His Highness the Crown Prince pitied Miss Dong Tingzhi’s deep sibling affection, which is why he bestowed this reward.”

Bai Qingyan nodded, and after escorting Quan Yu out of the courtyard gate, said: “Eunuch, take care…”

Quan Yu bowed solemnly to Bai Qingyan and left with his people.

Bai Qingyan clutched the jade pendant in her hand, gazing at the bluestone path lined with bronze crane lamps on both sides. The breeze was clear, the moon bright, and the tree shadows swayed.

She turned her head and instructed: “Go ask Uncle to come to Grandmother’s place!”

Bai Qingyan stepped into Old Matriarch Dong’s main room, glanced at Dong Tingzhi, who was firmly bound with cloth stuffed in her mouth and held down by rough servants, then passed through the bead curtain, went around the screen, and walked toward the inner chamber.

Dong Tingzhi’s throat moved. She didn’t know why, but Bai Qingyan’s emotionless glance made her heart turn cold.

“Grandmother.” Bai Qingyan bowed to Old Matriarch Dong.

Old Matriarch Dong showed a weary expression and extended her hand to Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan grasped Old Matriarch Dong’s hand and sat down beside her.

“Even you have been disturbed…” Old Matriarch Dong sighed slightly. She had originally wanted to handle this matter quietly without troubling Bai Qingyan further.

From the time the Bai family’s troubles began, this granddaughter of hers had walked on thin ice, exhausting herself with careful planning. Old Matriarch Dong truly didn’t want to burden Bai Qingyan with such trivial matters.

“I had originally wanted to leave Tingzhi a way to live, sending her to the family temple for spiritual cultivation. If the Crown Prince asked… I would say it was for this old woman’s prayers. But now the Crown Prince has sent someone to deliver a jade pendant. If we forcibly send Tingzhi away now, arousing the Crown Prince’s displeasure would be a small matter – what I fear is that the Crown Prince might become wary of the Dong family.” Old Matriarch Dong bit her gums, gripping the prayer beads in her hand tightly.

Dong Tingzhi outside the screen trembled. Originally wanted to leave her a way to live? Then what about now?

Surely, with the Crown Prince personally asking for her, Old Matriarch Dong wouldn’t dare take her life?