After Shen Qianyu finished speaking about this matter, he said no more, only urging Song Lan’an to drink.

But the more he did this, the deeper Song Lan’an’s thoughts ran.

After the two exchanged pleasantries for a while, Shen Qianyu ate and drank his fill, then swaggered out of the Song residence.

Song Fu returned just as they missed each other. Song Lan’an, carrying a trace of wine’s influence, asked, “Do you know what relationship Wan’er has with the Crown Prince?”

Song Fu replied, “There’s a palace attendant named Ji Rong by the Crown Prince’s side. During this period, he’s been the one contacting your son through Wan’er. That eunuch must have mentioned Wan’er before the Crown Prince.”

“Why does Father suddenly ask about this?”

Song Lan’an shook his head. Recalling how Shen Qianyu had repeatedly brought up the matter of not having taken the initiative to choose sides earlier, he increasingly felt the Crown Prince was using Song Wan’s name to warn him.

“Today, have someone transfer Wan’er’s household registration back to the residence. Change the documentation date to half a month ago. Once it’s handled, bring Wan’er back to the residence.”

Song Fu was overjoyed, knowing it must be that the Crown Prince had come to warn his father. To demonstrate loyalty, Father was forcibly claiming he had made the decision to break with the Marquis of Chengyang’s household half a month ago.

“Your son will handle it immediately.”

“Here is my written authorization. Handle it properly.”

“Your son understands.”

Song Lan’an waved his hand. After today, he had thoroughly aligned himself with the Crown Prince.

Thinking of this, Song Lan’an smiled faintly, satisfied in his heart.

Truth and deception intertwined—it appeared he’d been passive all along, but who would know this was the outcome he’d calculated long ago?

In excellent spirits, he even hummed a tune, which was quite rare for him.

The Song residence’s fortunes rose with the Crown Prince like a rising tide, yet Jiang Man nearly died of rage in Yanqing Palace.

Years of scheming had crumbled in an instant. Who could have known that the Eastern Palace Crown Prince, who should have died long ago, was now bouncing around lively and performing on stage?

“The Empress has spent so many years unable to kill that thing—what exactly has she been doing? Not only that, the First Prince died without a sound and she just let it go?”

“Your Ladyship, please be cautious with your words. Your Ladyship, please calm your anger.”

The head eunuch by Jiang Man’s side said, “It’s not that Her Majesty the Empress isn’t pursuing it, but rather that the people she sent out were all intercepted by the Dong Chang.”

“Dong Chang? When did the Crown Prince become connected with the Dong Chang?”

That eunuch leaned close to Jiang Man’s ear. “This servant has some acquaintances from the same hometown in the Dong Chang. I heard the Crown Prince’s relationship with Wan Xiao is unusual—years ago they made their living together under Chief Eunuch Duan’s hand. The two share a life-and-death friendship.”

“These past years the Crown Prince hasn’t died precisely because Wan Xiao first seized control of the Dong Chang and protected him all along.”

“There wasn’t a whisper of this matter before?”

Jiang Man grew even more furious after speaking.

She also knew the Crown Prince had some ability—otherwise he couldn’t have hidden for so long.

Such a person would never easily reveal the foundation of his position.

But she just couldn’t help being angry. Years of preparation had turned into nothing—who could accept that?

Moreover, all of this was built on the pain of fawning over and flattering that weak, incompetent, decrepit fool day after day.

With a crash she overturned the small table, her eyes red with rage.

Shen Qianshu was lying on the bed, fiddling with a square-shaped object. Just as he was playing enthusiastically, Jiang Man snatched it away and casually threw it out.

“Still playing! Do you know what it means to lose one’s ambition to playthings? Indulging in these things all day—how will you contend with the Crown Prince in the future?”

“Your son knows his error.”

Shen Qianshu’s eyes reddened, but he dared not cry. If he cried, Mother Consort would only grow angrier.

“How do you serve your master, constantly giving him these things? Moreover, didn’t I say not to give the Fifth Prince those items Consort Lin sent anymore?”

After speaking, she violently swept all the various small toys on the bed to the floor.

Shen Qianshu’s legs were still firmly bound to a board. He couldn’t move at all and dared not cry aloud, only sitting silently on the bed shedding tears.

The small figure appeared exceptionally frail due to his broken legs. He had suffered no small amount of torment during this period.

Having vented her anger, seeing his pitiful appearance made Jiang Man feel guilty in her heart, but constrained by maternal dignity, she couldn’t bring herself to go comfort him.

Jiang Man took a deep breath and waved her hand for the palace maids to clean everything up.

“Your Ladyship, the Marquis of Chengyang’s household has sent things for the Fifth Prince.”

A palace maid entered from outside. Jiang Man was about to rebuke them not to accept any more playthings Consort Lin sent, but from the corner of her eye she saw little Shen Qianshu’s eyes brighten upon hearing this, and her heart softened.

“Take them for the Fifth Prince to pick through. Don’t let him become addicted to such things.”

Shen Qianshu happily squirmed twice. Jiang Man’s heart tightened, and unable to bear watching any longer, she left directly.

“Your Highness, today you can still only choose two small ones.”

The eunuch placed the box Lin Jiayue had sent beside the bed. Shen Qianshu excitedly played with each item one by one.

After playing for quite a while, he looked up at the eunuch and said, “Fu Xiang, where will you take these things in a bit?”

Fu Xiang glanced around, then leaned close to Shen Qianshu’s ear and said quietly, “Master, rest assured. This humble one has secretly put them all under the big red wardrobe in your sleeping chamber for you. In the future when Master has recovered, you can go there to find these playthings.”

Hearing this, Shen Qianshu became happy. He casually picked up two small, delicate items from among them and winked at Fu Xiang.

These were all ingenious toys that concubine from the Marquis of Chengyang’s household had sent him. He’d never seen anything like them before.

The small ones to pass his time included building blocks and puzzle cubes; the large ones included ice skates, a hang glider, and stilts among other things.

That Consort Lin said he could play with them once his injuries healed, but he was somewhat impatient.

Especially that hang glider—two large wings that were both beautiful and fun. The instructions Consort Lin had hidden in the puzzle box said that once worn, he could soar through the air.

Taking advantage of the palace maids not paying attention to him, Shen Qianshu secretly took out the two puzzle boxes sent today and indeed found another nearly transparent piece of paper inside.

“Unicycle?”

The Fifth Prince hid under the covers, glanced at the few brief words on it explaining how to ride, then smiled and stuffed the rice paper into his mouth.

This was his secret with Consort Lin. Last time when Consort Lin entered the palace, she’d said that in the future she would send him many toys to help relieve his boredom.

Thinking of Consort Lin’s gentle appearance, Shen Qianshu smiled with pursed lips.

Jiang Man didn’t know about the communication between Lin Jiayue and the Fifth Prince. All her energy now was focused on how to pull the Crown Prince down from his horse. Hearing that the Crown Prince had gone to the Song residence today, she gave a cold laugh.

“Go tell the Marquis that before the end of today, no matter what, he must bring Song Wan back to the Marquis of Chengyang’s household. Whether he has to bind her or tie her up, Song Wan absolutely cannot leave the Marquis’s residence by even half a step.”

The palace maid by her side said, “Now it may be very difficult to ally with the Song family again. Your Ladyship, please reconsider.”

“Ha! I need not ally with the Song family.”

Jiang Man lowered her eyes, concealing the hatred within them. “Even if I abandon the Song family first, I won’t let Song Lan’an comfortably pledge allegiance to the Crown Prince.”

“As long as Song Wan and Yi’er’s marriage engagement continues, the Crown Prince will sooner or later become estranged from the Song residence.”

“The human heart most fears suspicion. Once suspicion begins, it falls apart.”

The palace maid nodded and respectfully went to relay Her Ladyship’s oral decree to Jiang Xingjian.

Receiving Jiang Man’s oral decree, Jiang Xingjian let out a long breath.

For some unknown reason, in this instant he actually felt several parts relief—relief that the current situation had reached this point, allowing him to renew his past connection with Song Wan.