Song Yuning truly couldn’t bear to watch the Crown Prince’s oblivious manner. He acted sluggishly in all things, while Wan’er was someone who rigidly adhered to propriety and tradition. Without someone to add fuel to the fire, who knew when these two would ever manage to exchange even a single word? If they truly proceeded according to their own temperaments, she feared that even after she was holding her grandchildren, these two still wouldn’t have gotten together.

Pulling Song Wan over, Song Yuning said, “You should also help your aunt take a good look today at which young lady would be suitable for Qianbai.”

For the unmarried young ladies of the capital, attending a palace banquet was the only opportunity they had to openly show their faces. However, Emperor Wenhui had always feared causing trouble in past years and rarely held such gatherings.

“You don’t know this, but over these past ten or twenty years, marriage arrangements among aristocratic families have become considerably more difficult.”

Song Wan gently patted Song Yuning’s hand, signaling her to be more cautious with her words.

“You, with your temperament, would be suited to finding someone more lively in the future, otherwise both of you would be bored to death.”

“Aunt is teasing Wan’er.”

Song Wan smiled, her moist eyes curving into crescent moons, making Song Yuning impossibly delighted with her.

“Today you should smile more just like this, so those green boys will know which young lady in the capital is the most beautiful.”

Teased until her cheeks flushed with color, Song Wan grasped Song Yuning’s hand in silent plea for mercy.

The aunt and niece chatted in the hall for quite a while before leaving Changxin Palace to attend the banquet in the Imperial Garden.

Song Wan had arrived early and had been directly received by Changping to see Noble Consort Yun, naturally taking a different route from Madam Song, Song Yao, Song Nian and the others. Now Madam Song sat with her daughters behind the family members of first-rank officials, watching as Song Wan sat in the front row. However, Song Wan’s temperament was reserved—though her position drew attention, throughout the entire palace banquet she never once glanced around. Naturally she also didn’t know that Shen Qianyu, seated at the Emperor’s left, could no longer remain seated, his gaze wandering throughout the palace banquet.

Watching from below, Wan Xiao couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

His master, from the moment of entering—when all the officials knelt in greeting—had been full of hope that particular person would lift her head to look at him even once. Who could have known that the legitimate daughter of the Song family was so rule-abiding, never once overstepping propriety from beginning to end?

Thinking of this, he turned to look at the three young ladies beside Madam Song.

One had a bashful expression and occasionally stole glances at his master, one was composed and reserved and never lifted her head, and there was another of tender years currently examining the dishes before her with lowered head.

His gaze lingered on Song Nian’s face for a moment, and Wan Xiao turned his head, secretly thinking that only this young lady possessed some semblance of noble daughter bearing.

The one whose thoughts were restless wasn’t just Shen Qianyu. Jiang Xingjian, looking at Song Wan with her graceful countenance and occasional gentle smiles, also felt bitterness filling his heart.

The Marquis of Chengyang’s residence without Song Wan was, to him, no different from a cold and unbearable prison.

Halfway through the palace banquet, Emperor Wenhui’s spirits soared greatly and he generously rewarded several noble daughters of outstanding talent. Song Yao was among them.

Receiving Emperor Wenhui’s reward from a palace maid’s hands, she couldn’t help but glance toward Shen Qianyu.

Shen Qianyu listlessly toyed with jade chopsticks, his thoughts having long since flown off to who knows where.

Only Wan Xiao knew that if his master still possessed even a thread of rationality, he would have long ago been staring fixedly at Song Wan.

Throughout one palace banquet, everyone harbored their own thoughts.

Finally enduring until Emperor Wenhui’s departure, Shen Qianyu was the first to leave.

“Wan’er, your aunt is also tired. Will you accompany your aunt back to Changxin Palace to rest? In the evening, your aunt will have Changping escort you out of the palace, how about that?”

Song Wan nodded, having Heng Zhi inform Madam Song before supporting Song Yuning as they departed.

“Mother Consort, you can play with Shu’er…”

“Don’t disturb Mother Consort.”

Jiang Man pushed Shen Qianshu away. Though he could now walk on the ground, he still wasn’t as agile as before—if he walked too hastily, he would inevitably stumble and fall.

Now, being pushed by Jiang Man like this, he immediately fell to the ground.

“You…”

“Xi Zhang, take good care of the Fifth Prince.”

Dropping these few words coldly, Jiang Man also quickly departed.

While the civil and military officials were still in the palace, she still had important matters that needed doing. Now that the Crown Prince’s position was becoming increasingly stable, if she didn’t act now, she feared there would be no opportunity in the future.

Hastily exchanging a meaningful glance with a distant palace maid, Jiang Man quickly disappeared from the Imperial Garden.

Xi Zhang came forward to lift up the Fifth Prince and sent him back to Yanqing Palace.

Yanqing Palace today was completely unlike the other palaces in their festive atmosphere. The entire Yanqing Palace was eerily quiet, with people having been deployed elsewhere unknown.

After Shen Qianshu was sent back to his own sleeping chamber, he couldn’t help but cry before Fu Xiang.

“Master, don’t cry. This servant will keep you company.”

Fu Xiang wasn’t very old—when he was first castrated, he had been about the same age as Shen Qianshu.

He was honest and loyal by nature. Because Jiang Man disliked those with complicated minds, all the eunuchs around Shen Qianshu were honest folk like Fu Xiang.

Searching through the red cabinet, he found a box full of curious objects that Lin Jiayue had sent, and he secretly presented the items before Shen Qianshu.

“Master, choose one you fancy, and this servant will play with you.”

“I want Mother Consort to keep me company.”

“Her Ladyship is busy with affairs. Tomorrow—tomorrow Her Ladyship will certainly keep young master company.”

Shen Qianshu looked at Fu Xiang, pouted, and shed a tear.

Fu Xiang anxiously spun in circles, and seeing the unicycle under the bed, couldn’t help but drag it out to try. He fell down and got up, got up and fell again, repeating this cycle to amuse Shen Qianshu.

“Hehehe… it’s fun.”

After all, he had a child’s nature. In just a short while, Shen Qianshu’s attention had been diverted, and he stood on tiptoe to get down from the bed and play together with Fu Xiang.

“Let’s go put the boats in the pond. I’ve wanted to float these wooden boats for so long, but I couldn’t get out before.”

“Fifth Prince, we can’t go out right now. Tomorrow…”

Seeing that the moment he said “tomorrow,” Shen Qianshu’s mouth curved downward on the verge of tears, Fu Xiang hastily said, “There are night guards outside. We can’t get past them.”

“No matter. I know the way.”

Carrying two exquisitely crafted three-story wooden boats, Shen Qianshu pulled Fu Xiang along and secretly slipped through beneath the courtyard walls to the lotus pond within Yanqing Palace.

“They really can float.”

The two crouched under the small stone bridge, covering their mouths as they laughed merrily.

“Your Highness, it’s time to return.”

Fu Xiang felt afraid and after playing for only half an incense stick’s time, was already anxious to return to the sleeping chamber.

Shen Qianshu nodded. He also knew he shouldn’t be greedy for play, so he bent over to retrieve the wooden boats from the pond, preparing to leave.

But he was small with short arms—how could he reach? The moment he leaned forward and exerted force, he fell into the pond with a splash.

“Your Highness!”

Fu Xiang broke out in a cold sweat. Without a thought, he jumped into the pond as well.

A child of five or six falling into a pond—before he could even thrash about much, he quickly lost all movement. Fu Xiang rushed to Shen Qianshu’s side, desperately trying to pull him back to shore.

But he too was young without much strength, and after struggling in the water for a while, he also lost his energy.

Left with no choice, Fu Xiang could only give up and swim to shore by himself.

The moonlight was pure and clear. Fu Xiang could only see on the water’s surface, glittering with silver scales, a small figure floating up.

“Fifth Prince…”

Fu Xiang cried as he gritted his teeth, thought for a moment, then jumped back into the pond water again.

When the palace maids of Yanqing Palace discovered the Fifth Prince wasn’t in his sleeping chamber, every one of them was frightened out of their wits. Several people didn’t dare make a commotion, all preparing to find him first before reporting this matter to Jiang Man.

And Jiang Man knew nothing of this. At this moment she was watching for the right opportunity, preparing to strike Shen Qianyu a devastating blow.

Only by pulling the Crown Prince from his horse could her child return to the pinnacle of power.