The three stood in confrontation. Neither Shen Qianyu nor Jiang Xingjian spoke. Song Wan gently moved the hand that the Crown Prince still gripped tightly in his palm and extracted it.

“Greetings to the Marquis of Chengyang.”

She curtsied in salutation, her tone calm and indifferent, without even much inflection. Yet hearing it in Jiang Xingjian’s heart was like thunder on flat ground, catching him completely off guard.

How could this be? How could Song Wan have entered the palace and moreover be mixed up together with the Crown Prince?

“You…”

He had just begun to speak when he saw Song Wan wearing the blue bird hairpin on her head that symbolized the position of Chenghui.

“The Song family sent you into the palace?”

Jiang Xingjian spoke with difficulty. His mind and heart were a complete blank—for a moment he couldn’t think of anything else at all.

These past several days, the entire Chengyang Marquis Estate had been busy with matters surrounding the Fifth Prince’s early death. He had no mind to care about what happened in the outside world. Recalling these past days the court ministers’ half-smiling scrutinizing gazes, or others’ expressions of wanting to speak but stopping themselves, Jiang Xingjian suddenly felt a surge of anger.

Everyone under heaven knew, yet only he remained ignorant.

Jiang Xingjian raised his eyes to stare at Shen Qianyu, his eyes full of cold glints. Thinking about it now, when Jiang Yan held his funeral rites, the Crown Prince had used a false name to come to the estate to offer incense. Whether he recognized Jiang Yan’s true or false identity was difficult to say, but he had set his sights on Song Wan back then—that was the truth!

If he had no feelings for Song Wan, how could he have spoken words telling him to treat his new wife well?

Clenching his fists tightly, Jiang Xingjian ground his teeth in furious resentment. After composing himself for a long while, he finally spat out, “That day at your suburban residence, was it the Crown Prince hidden in the kitchen?”

With these words spoken, both Shen Qianyu and Song Wan’s expressions became somewhat unnatural. Though the two of them had not harbored any other intentions at that time and were completely innocent, worldly matters were such—suspicious circumstances in melon fields and under plum trees could not be explained away, especially to someone like Jiang Xingjian who had already formed his conclusions.

Moreover, in others’ eyes it would only appear as clever sophistry, making things darker with each attempt at explanation.

Song Wan said nothing else and openly admitted it. “It was indeed the Crown Prince without doubt.”

A fishy sweetness surged up in his throat. Jiang Xingjian pressed his lips together tightly, unwilling to speak. After a long while, he swallowed down a mouthful of heart’s blood mixed with bitterness and hatred, sneering coldly at their shamelessness and utter lack of integrity.

“You…”

Shen Qianyu had just begun when Song Wan grasped his hand. Curtsying once more in salute to Jiang Xingjian, Song Wan indicated for Shen Qianyu to leave.

No matter how great his anger, it couldn’t overcome Song Wan’s wishes. Shen Qianyu fell silent for a moment, then glared furiously at Jiang Xingjian before departing with Song Wan in his embrace.

After the two had walked quite far, Shen Qianyu remained sullen and displeased.

“You’ve been wronged.”

Song Wan didn’t understand. “Why does Your Highness suddenly bring this up?”

Shen Qianyu shook his head, yet thought in his heart that he wanted to quickly elevate his Wan’er to the position of Empress.

Seeing his expression hadn’t cleared, Song Wan said gently, “No need to pay attention to others. As long as Your Highness knows what kind of person this consort is, that’s sufficient. Why be hurt and angered by others’ words?”

Lightly patting the back of Shen Qianyu’s hand, the two slowly returned to Laiyi Pavilion.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xingjian stood frozen in place long after the two had departed, still unable to come back to his senses.

“Marquis, Marquis, what are you standing here for? You must quickly go persuade Her Ladyship. Her Ladyship is in a bad way.”

A young eunuch from Yanqing Palace hurried forward to urge him. Jiang Xingjian forcefully suppressed his anger under the pretense of straightening his clothing. Only after a long while did he enter Yanqing Palace.

In the sleeping quarters, Jiang Man was kneeling on the ground, surrounded by over a dozen wine pots and jars. The entire room reeked of alcohol, making Jiang Xingjian even more irritable.

“Your Ladyship, please stop harming your precious body.”

Seizing the wine cup from Jiang Man’s hand, Jiang Xingjian flung it aside.

“Heh heh heh…”

A hoarse, grating sound arose. Jiang Man fixed a pair of fierce eyes on him and shrieked, “What about that wretch’s life! This palace ordered you to chop off that wretch’s head. You dare disobey orders?”

“Jiang Yi, you have such audacity.”

Curving her already shattered and broken fingernails, Jiang Man gathered all her body’s hatred and clawed toward Jiang Xingjian’s eyes.

“Have you gone mad?”

Pushing her away with one hand, Jiang Xingjian’s eyes were bloodshot. “I’m in as much pain as Elder Sister over Qianshu’s early death, but Elder Sister detests herself, regrets not fulfilling a mother’s responsibilities—why must you redirect your resentment at others?”

“The Fifth Prince did indeed die because of items the Lin family sent into the palace, but when it comes down to it, does Qianshu’s death truly have no connection to you?”

“Elder Sister, even if you’ve gone mad, at least leave the Chengyang Marquis Estate a way out.”

Previously with Shen Qianshu alive, the Chengyang Marquis Estate possessed a broad road leading straight to great heights. Now that this heavenly road had been cut short midway, he had to reconsider other routes for the Chengyang Marquis Estate.

Lin Jiayue could not die.

Jiang Xingjian pulled Jiang Man up from the ground and said in a deep voice, “In the past, the Chengyang Marquis Estate paved the way for Qianshu and Elder Sister until all its enterprises showed signs of decline and desolation. Forgive Yi’er’s inadequacy—I cannot continue letting Elder Sister drag down the estate.”

“You must leave Mother and the thousand-plus mouths in the household a way to live.”

Having finished speaking, Jiang Xingjian turned and swept his sleeves as he departed. Jiang Man looked at his retreating figure and began crying hysterically.

Trampling over the sounds of sorrowful weeping, Jiang Xingjian left the imperial palace.

Returning to the Chengyang Marquis Estate, as if possessed by ghosts and spirits, he walked to Longxiang Studio where Song Wan had lived during her widowhood.

Before the Buddhist shrine in Longxiang Studio knelt a person. That person’s back was slender and graceful, her waist straight. Without seeing her face, one could glimpse her devout sincerity.

Jiang Xingjian leaned against the doorway, only feeling the figure before his eyes transform into Song Wan, turning back to give him a faint smile.

“Elder Brother Xingjian.”

Lin Jiayue turned around, her features carrying faint sorrow and compassion between her brows and eyes. Jiang Xingjian’s heart trembled—he only felt that now, she was becoming increasingly unfamiliar.

The young woman moved with light lotus steps, her waist and spine straight, her steps as if measured with precision.

“You’ve returned? Yue’er stewed tonic soup for you earlier. Let me bring it to you.”

Turning to leave Longxiang Studio, Lin Jiayue smiled faintly as she headed toward the small kitchen. Before long, Qianbi and Qinghong helped her carry back soup and dishes.

“Elder Brother Xingjian, you were in the palace so long you must be hungry. Come have some hot soup.”

“Though it’s spring, the night wind is still cool. It’s good to warm your body.”

Jiang Xingjian sat down and took the soup bowl from Lin Jiayue’s hands. However, he had no appetite at all. The inexplicable stuffiness and anger in his chest filled his stomach to bursting, pushing until all his internal organs ached.

Lin Jiayue sat beside him, asking carefully, “Is it not to your taste? If not, I’ll have them exchange it.”

Jiang Xingjian shook his head and dismissed Qianbi and the others.

“Today… when I entered the palace, I encountered Song Wan.”

Lin Jiayue’s round eyes widened slightly. “No wonder you have such an expression.”

“She entered the palace to become the Crown Prince’s Chenghui.”

Only with this statement did Lin Jiayue’s eyes widen fully. That person Song Wan… had actually entered the palace?

“Heh…”

She tilted her head back in delicate laughter, actually laughing until tears came. For someone like Song Wan, so aloof and proud, to also have no choice but to submit herself to the palace as a lowly Chenghui—this wretched world truly left women no way to live.

She laughed and laughed, soft light flowing in her eyes. Fixing a pair of eyes full of seductive charm on him, Lin Jiayue said, “Elder Brother Xingjian, Yue’er has good news to tell you.”

Bringing her face close to his, Lin Jiayue’s tone was honeyed. “Elder Brother Xingjian, Yue’er’s monthly flow didn’t come this month. During the day I had the estate physician take my pulse, and he said Yue’er is with child.”

“Are you happy, Elder Brother Xingjian? Our child has returned to us.”