“You… is what you’re saying true?” Upon hearing these words, Mother Jiang’s vision suddenly went black. She could no longer stand and fell straight backward. Lin Jiayue desperately held onto her, but because of her own physical inconvenience, she was also pulled down to the ground.

She utterly detested Mother Jiang’s habit of feigning fainting whenever trouble arose. In her urgency, Lin Jiayue shouted loudly, “Stop fainting! Do you want Consort Jiang and the marquis to all die at Su River before you’re satisfied?”

“What time is it now? You need to pull yourself together and accomplish something.”

Lin Jiayue angrily pulled the woman up. Mother Jiang cried, “I must enter the palace. I must enter the palace to question His Majesty why he treats Yi’er like this! Our Chengyang Marquis Estate for a hundred years…”

Slap! Lin Jiayue struck Mother Jiang hard across the face.

“Are you awake now? Enter the palace? You think you’d still have a life to come out after entering the palace now?”

Growing angrier as she spoke, Lin Jiayue reached out and slapped her hard twice more.

“The Emperor clearly intends to use the marquis estate to vent the Nanqing princess’s anger. By delivering yourself to his doorstep now, do you think not enough people have died yet?”

Mother Jiang seemed to be slapped awake. The consciousness in her eyes slowly returned. “You’re right. I cannot enter the palace. Then what can I do?”

“You submit a calling card. I need to see Song Wan.”

“What use is seeing her?”

Lin Jiayue gritted her teeth. “The Song family is useful. Song Fu is useful. Song Lan’an is useful.”

“Song Wan is in the Eastern Palace. If the Crown Prince dies, the Song family’s future will turn to ashes. They will certainly find a way to send troops to rescue the Crown Prince. With troops sent and reinforcements provided, the marquis will have one more hope of survival.”

“We cannot delay any longer. I must see Song Wan now.”

Mother Jiang nodded. “I’ll submit the card right away.”

She hurriedly walked out. After taking just two steps, she asked, “Why don’t we go directly to Song Lan’an?”

“The Crown Prince isn’t the only one who can inherit the throne. If we go directly to Song Lan’an and he conceals this matter, what will you do then?”

“Stop wasting words. Hurry and write it. Song Wan will have a way to make the Song estate contribute.”

Mother Jiang slapped herself hard across the face, forcing herself to calm down. When she picked up the brush, however, she said, “I cannot see Song Wan directly. I cannot enter the palace.”

Her eyes reddened, and even her lips and tongue grew somewhat stiff.

“If what you say is true, there must be people watching the marquis estate. But you’re different—you’re just a concubine. I’ll help you write a card to Imperial Concubine Lu.”

“The Lu family has some roundabout connection with our estate. I’ll write a card for you in my capacity as a great-aunt, saying I’m having you enter the palace to deliver some items to her. Once you enter the palace, have the Lu family daughter introduce you to Song Wan.”

“That child is simple-minded and won’t suspect anything.”

Mother Jiang quickly wrote a few strokes, then instructed the estate to prepare some food and fabric and urgently send someone into the palace. The two of them waited in the estate for a long time without receiving any news.

Lin Jiayue said hoarsely, “Could the palace already be under martial law, not allowing anyone to enter or exit?”

“It won’t be.”

Mother Jiang gripped her handkerchief tightly. “Sudden martial law in the palace would instead arouse others’ suspicions. Right now, His Majesty will certainly strive to maintain the surface status quo and won’t make any moves that would alert the enemy.”

The two waited for a long while before word came from the palace that Imperial Concubine Lu was allowing Lin Jiayue to enter and meet her.

Lin Jiayue stood up and was about to leave when Mother Jiang said, “Wipe the tears from your face. Smile more when meeting people. Speak sweetly so no one notices anything.”

Lin Jiayue nodded. Just as she was about to leave, Mother Jiang suddenly choked up. “Whether Yi’er can return safely depends on you. You must earnestly plead with Song Wan. If she harbors resentment toward me, after Yi’er returns in the future, I will personally enter the palace to apologize to her.”

“Even if I have to crawl there or kneel there, anything will do.”

“She will rescue the marquis. I trust her. She will.”

After Lin Jiayue finished speaking, she strode out.

Lu Youjun was still puzzling over what this suddenly appearing great-aunt business was all about when she saw Lin Jiayue, heavily pregnant, being led in from outside the courtyard by a eunuch.

“With such a heavy belly, having you deliver things to me is truly taxing.”

Smiling as she welcomed Lin Jiayue inside, Lu Youjun sat in a chair and spoke no more. Lin Jiayue had no time for small talk with her and got straight to the point. “To be honest with Imperial Concubine Lu, I entered the palace today because I wish to seek an audience with Song Chenghui.”

“Song Chenghui?”

Lin Jiayue nodded. “The two of us have some prior connection. Our family’s second master has a younger sister, and Song Chenghui once promised to help with the young lady’s marriage prospects. Now that the young ladies have reached the appropriate age, I’ve looked at several households and was thinking of asking her to help assess them.”

“So that’s what this is about.”

Lu Youjun was simple-minded, and knowing the relationship between Song Wan and the Chengyang Marquis Estate, she didn’t think much of it upon hearing this and turned to have Ying Hong go to Laiyi Pavilion to inquire.

During the wait, Lin Jiayue smiled until her face grew stiff before Song Wan finally arrived at a leisurely pace.

“Song Chenghui.”

Song Wan’s face showed a warm smile. “How did you come today?”

Perhaps because this pregnancy was stable, Lin Jiayue had become considerably more plump than the last time they’d met, no longer appearing sickly and frail as before. The two hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and upon meeting again, Song Wan actually felt a bit of the joy of encountering an old friend.

Seeing Song Wan, Lin Jiayue quickly stood up and grabbed her wrist, squeezing hard.

Her grip was very forceful. Song Wan could see that though Lin Jiayue appeared to be smiling, her eyes actually held tears, full of pleading.

She furrowed her brow slightly, then smiled. “Youjun’s courtyard has a small pavilion. Shall we sit there? The view is expansive there, and getting some fresh air will also be more comfortable for you.”

An expansive view meant no one could eavesdrop. Lin Jiayue quickly nodded and pulled her out.

“Today I’ve borrowed Imperial Concubine Lu’s precious grounds to meet an old friend. I wonder if I could trouble Youjun to help prepare some small refreshments for us?”

“What trouble is that? I have plenty of food here.”

Lu Youjun smiled broadly. “You two go chat first. I’ll be right back.”

Song Wan smiled faintly and pulled Lin Jiayue out of the courtyard.

When they reached the courtyard, Song Wan had Heng Zhi fetch cushions and a cloak for Lin Jiayue. After sending everyone away, she finally said softly, “Has something happened to you?”

Lin Jiayue shook her head. “Not to me—to the Crown Prince and Jiang Xingjian.”

Relaying to Song Wan what she had told Mother Jiang, Lin Jiayue continued, “The letter also said that Qin Zhan is already dead and Prince Ning has ascended the throne…”

“What should we do now? So much time has already passed. Are they still alive?”

Upon hearing this, Song Wan felt as if someone had poured cold water over her from head to toe, the chill spreading from the bottom of her heart to her fingertips.

She gripped her skirt and took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. After a moment, Song Wan said in a heavy voice, “There should be no problem. At least right now Prince Ning doesn’t know the Su River situation, which means the forces in Qin Rao’s hands are being held back.”

She knew Jiang Xingjian had a private army. From the looks of it now, this private army must be holding back Qin Rao.

Song Wan said, “This matter needs to be made known to all under heaven as quickly as possible.”

The two had reddened eyes but knew now was not the time to cry, so they both forcibly held back their tears.

“Only if everyone knows will His Majesty be forced by court pressure to send troops for reinforcement.”

“If we don’t force him into a desperate situation, he certainly won’t make any moves. Instead, he’ll use everything at his disposal to erase all traces of this matter, seeking to have the historical records write fabricated achievements.”

“Jiayue…”

Song Wan’s gaze was resolute. “I need your help.”