Han Zhi received the news early the next morning. Although he was the heir apparent of Marquis Jinxiang’s estate, he held no real official position after all. Moreover, his father was stationed in Datong, not Fujian, so receiving news still relied entirely on his cousin, His Highness.

After last night’s great commotion, today’s hunting plans naturally came to a halt. The eunuchs sorted yesterday’s spoils of war batch by batch, marking each with a number. These were all things Emperor Jianzhang had said yesterday would be bestowed as rewards, but the matter was delayed due to the disruption caused by Fujian’s urgent report. Since there would be no hunting today anyway, they might as well sort everything out and distribute it. Who knew if this year’s spring hunt would end prematurely without accomplishing anything.

Han Zhi watched coldly as that group of eunuchs busily moved in and out, then went inside to find his mother.

Young Madam Fan was, as she had been for ten years, picking Buddhist beans. She had started this practice the day Han Zhi was born and had never stopped. Her brow was furrowed, and her perpetually unrelaxed forehead was always shrouded in a cold air. Hearing Han Zhi enter, she didn’t even raise her head. “No hunting today?”

She was clearly asking despite knowing the answer. Elder Madam Fan shared everything with her—what news wouldn’t she tell her? Since he could receive news from Zhou Weiqi, Young Madam Fan had certainly also received news from her elder sister. At this moment, she was merely making conversation where there was none to be had. Han Zhi didn’t expose this and silently nodded. “With such an incident occurring, I’m afraid today will be a quiet day.”

Young Madam Fan fell silent for a while, then suddenly smiled broadly. “That Miss Song Number Six is truly a remarkable person.”

She had never smiled at Han Zhi before, at least not in Han Zhi’s memory. She always maintained a cold, aloof, and otherworldly posture, coldly looking down with a trace of contempt at the children she had birthed herself, including her husband.

Han Zhi actually knew some of the reasons, had known for a very long time. In his early years, his health had been poor—he’d heard he nearly didn’t survive. Elder Madam Fan in the palace had invited countless famous physicians to treat him to no avail. Imperial physicians were replaced wave after wave to no effect, until his father sent him out of the capital.

He had matured very early, piecing together the truth from fragments of conversation between his father and subordinates. Originally, it wasn’t that his health was poor—it was just that Young Madam Fan wanted his health to be poor.

From beginning to end, she had never wanted to marry Han Zhengqing. If not for Elder Madam Fan and Han Zhengqing conspiring together to scheme against her, forcing her to give herself to Han Zhengqing in an inglorious manner, she could originally have had a much better future.

He had once hated her too—after all, she had made his entire childhood float and sink in medicine jars. But later, he couldn’t help but pity her. She lived like a walking corpse and attempted suicide countless times after giving birth to Han Yueheng.

Later, when Han Zhengqing was dispatched to guard Datong, only then did she live like a human being.

But he had still never seen her smile. A beaming smile like today’s was unprecedented. He was stunned for a moment before reacting to what Elder Madam Fan had just said, nodding in agreement. “She’s never been a simple character.”

If she were easy to deal with, she wouldn’t have been able to abduct someone right under his nose. Even to this day, he still hadn’t determined which group of people Song Chuyi had found who could spirit Ma Wangkun away without anyone knowing. He had people strictly guarding the neighboring residence day and night, and at night deliberately sent subordinates who were skilled in martial arts and had served as scouts in the army to investigate. It truly was just an ordinary household…

Thinking of the only bargaining chip he currently held, his brow unconsciously furrowed tighter. Looking at Young Madam Fan, he slowed his pace and lowered his volume. “According to Madam’s meaning, after returning to the capital this time, will it be time?”

Both Elder Madam Fan and Young Madam Fan told him not to provoke Song Chuyi any further during this period. The Eastern Ying envoys had come to seek marriage—anyone with eyes could see which princess was most likely to go for the marriage alliance. If it truly was the Eleventh Princess going for the marriage alliance, needless to say, the most suitable accompanying attendant would be Miss Song Number Six. At this critical juncture, they both told him to set aside his immediate grievances temporarily.

But now, looking at the situation, Emperor Jianzhang would absolutely never again entertain any thoughts of a princess marriage alliance. Naturally, Miss Song Number Six would no longer be a candidate for accompanying attendant. And since she was no longer a candidate for accompanying attendant, all his previous plans could be implemented one by one.

Young Madam Fan looked at him with furrowed brows, once again resuming her cold-as-ice appearance. When she next spoke, her voice was rarely somewhat hoarse. “You need to change this temperament of yours. Why must you be so fixated on a young lady?”

After all these years, Young Madam Fan had never cared what kind of temperament he had developed, what kind of person he was.

Han Zhi vaguely sensed something amiss, his features suddenly taking on a sinister cast. “Does Madam no longer wish for me to seek marriage with Miss Song Number Six?”

Young Madam Fan didn’t answer him directly. The Buddhist beans in her hand were tossed one by one into the winnowing basket, her voice returning to its usual coldness. “Your aunt’s meaning is that this young lady is quite excellent.”

Since she was excellent, she should be used to greater effect. Presumably, this time’s clean and decisive suppression of Prince Duan and Consort Xian had caused Elder Madam Fan and Zhou Weiqi to reassess her usefulness.

With Song Chuyi’s excellent family background and her abilities displayed so clearly before them, they would naturally think further—for instance, using the leverage in his hands to simply send Song Chuyi to Zhou Weiqi.

Han Zhi couldn’t articulate what he felt in his heart. Young Madam Fan had always been far more attentive to Zhou Weiqi than to her own biological children. That she would agree with Elder Madam Fan’s opinion was only natural, even though she clearly knew that if her son didn’t have a capable daughter-in-law who would willingly stand before him as a target, how much criticism he would face in the future because of those dark thoughts that couldn’t see the light of day.

He was very angry, but this anger couldn’t be vented on Young Madam Fan, much less on Zhou Weiqi and Elder Madam Fan. When he was young and nearly dying from illness, it was Elder Madam Fan who vigorously sought imperial physicians to treat him. It was Elder Madam Fan who had his father send him out of the capital to recuperate at an estate far away in Suzhou. The people he used from childhood were all carefully selected by Elder Madam Fan. From a young age, he was taught to regard Zhou Weiqi as a legitimate younger brother to protect. He could no longer say no to them.

For a long time, no one spoke in the room. The chamber was filled with an extremely strong sandalwood scent that made Han Zhi feel somewhat unable to breathe. He stared fixedly at Young Madam Fan before him, hoping she would say a few more words, even if they were useless comforting platitudes. But from beginning to end, Young Madam Fan never spoke again, as if the request she had just made was completely natural and right.

The room habitually spread with an embarrassing and awkward silence, even more suffocating than the sandalwood scent.