Ye Jingchuan had been following Song Jue around busily back and forth. Song Jue endured it at first, but later couldn’t bear it anymore and glared at him: “What are you doing going in and out, just following me around? Don’t you have anything else to do?”

Song Yan was kneeling pitifully in the room with a dejected appearance. Hearing the two of them speak, he looked over at them.

Even until now he was still confused and hadn’t figured out why what was supposed to be accompanying him to retrieve his belongings had turned into an elaborate scheme. Listening to sister’s and eldest brother’s conversation, they’d clearly calculated long ago to use this matter to drive a wedge between Han Zhi and Prince of Dongping, making Prince of Dongping and the Eastern Palace abandon Han Zhi as a chess piece and fall into the trap they’d dug long ago.

But though he didn’t understand these deeper calculations, he knew he’d committed a great mistake. If not for Song Chuyi’s vigilance, and if Old Master Song and Old Madam Song hadn’t communicated with the Ye family to contact Magistrate He, had he been alone, he would have long since been devoured by Han Zhi without even bones remaining.

Instead of answering, Ye Jingchuan asked a question in return, pointing at Song Yan: “Why are you making him kneel as punishment? Don’t you know what kind of person Han Zhi is? He’s as shrewd as a fox, exceptionally cunning. Even I’ve been deceived by him before. What does A’Yan, just a child, understand?!”

No wonder he wasn’t even going to see An’an, following him in and out so anxiously as if something urgent had happened—it turned out to be for Song Yan’s sake. Song Jue understood his intentions and asked somewhat puzzled: “Regardless of whether he understands or not, he still violated family law and did wrong. When there’s wrongdoing, there should be punishment.”

As he spoke, he looked toward Song Yan who had raised his head, adding word by word very seriously and solemnly: “No matter what your motives and reasons were, ultimately you violated the family’s rules, nearly harmed yourself and your sister, and nearly brought shame upon our family.”

Ye Jingchuan grew somewhat anxious. If one put it that way, then for that Tongzhou incident, he too should apologize with death—after all, though Prince Duan had schemed it, if not for his willfulness and arrogance, those Tatar cavalry wouldn’t have been able to run all the way to Tongzhou.

He still wanted to plead on Song Yan’s behalf again, when he suddenly heard Song Yan’s clear voice respond with an affirmative.

Song Yan knelt properly and meticulously, his back ramrod straight.

Song Jue nodded. Knowing to accept the lesson, there was still hope for him. Just then Qing Ying came over to ask him and Ye Jingchuan to come over. He turned back to instruct Song Yan: “Don’t get up before the time is finished.”

Song Chuyi discussed with them the matter of returning to the city: “Tomorrow Magistrate He should be leading people to raid and search Han Zhi’s villa. We should also set off back early to avoid arousing suspicion.”

Grand Madam Fan’s expression suddenly became sharp. Even when she wasn’t smiling she had a somewhat harsh air, and now with her willow-leaf eyebrows raised, she looked particularly severe. She involuntarily raised her voice and asked Zhou Weiqi, who sat with lowered eyes: “What did you say?!”

Han Zhi would actually do such a foolish thing! She’d treated him well for so many years! Yet now he turned around to bite her. As expected, he was a good-for-nothing bred by that little woman Minor Madam Fan who couldn’t be brought to any respectable stage—equally impossible to tame.

While Prince of Dongping flipped through the account books found at Xu Liang’s that Elder Chen’s people had sent over, he quickly glanced up at his mother: “Speaking of which, it was mother who was too harsh with them first, which provoked cousin’s resentment.”

After treating them well for so many years, to suddenly change face—anyone would have difficulty accepting such an enormous transformation in a short time. Especially someone like Han Zhi whose mind was delicate and gloomy, who had previously regarded Grand Madam Fan as a mother—to suddenly be manipulated by Grand Madam Fan would naturally make him feel even more hurt and aggrieved.

Never mind the Han family feeling it was sudden—even Prince of Dongping, her own son, didn’t know why his mother seemed to have suddenly become a different person, her heart as hard as stone when dealing with Minor Madam Fan and Han Yue Heng, insisting Han Yue Heng must go to the Eastern Seas as an accompanying consort no matter what.

If not for Grand Madam Fan being so willful, concealing this matter from him while facilitating it, then going to Minor Madam Fan’s to flaunt her power, Han Zhi wouldn’t have developed such great dissatisfaction.

Prince of Dongping looked at Grand Madam Fan’s face, examining it very carefully and attentively, wanting to see some clue from her face. Otherwise, why would she suddenly turn against her own people for no reason? This was equivalent to severing her own arm.

How could mother do such a foolish thing before? For so many years she’d gotten along well with Minor Madam Fan, at least maintaining peace on the surface, and treated Han Zhi and Han Yue Heng as her own children. How did she suddenly change her temperament?

Grand Madam Fan was infuriated by his staring. She laughed coldly and looked back at him with raised eyebrows: “What? Afraid that from now on the money from Xibei will be cut off?”

Yes, other things aside, he was precisely afraid that this incident with Han Zhi and Han Yue Heng would truly result in completely falling out with the Marquis of Jinxiang’s household. One must know that everything in Xibei relied entirely on uncle’s management, adding who knows how much income to them every year.

To plan great undertakings, which aspect didn’t require silver? Uncle was both the Governor-General guarding Datong and controlled that route exiting the pass in Xibei—his position was extremely crucial. If uncle knew that mother had schemed to have Han Yue Heng accompany as consort to the Eastern Seas and now was leaving Han Zhi to die without rescue, how could he possibly remain as devoted to them as before in the future? After all, Han Zhi and Han Yue Heng were his own flesh and blood children.

Prince of Dongping wanted to complain but couldn’t speak against his mother, so he hung his head without saying a word.

Grand Madam Fan’s well-maintained delicate jade hand adjusted the phoenix hairpin that had tilted on her head, wearing a smile tinged with confidence: “No need to worry. No matter how I treat the Han family people, it won’t affect Xibei.”

Prince of Dongping raised his eyebrows in some surprise. He didn’t know where his mother’s confidence came from. She was now treating aunt harshly, scheming against cousin, abandoning cousin, yet she could confidently swear that Xibei would have no problems no matter what. Where did her confidence come from?

In a daze, he seemed to think of something, but as soon as this thought arose, he felt his heart in his chest suddenly convulse sharply.

He must be mad. He pulled at the corner of his mouth with self-mockery and laughed. How could this be possible? How could he think such things about his own mother? He shook his head, striving to drive all those thoughts from his mind.

Grand Madam Fan had already brought up Han Zhi again: “This time he’s also seeking his own death. Of all people he could provoke, he had to provoke the Song family. And he schemed against the Song family’s precious treasure who passed the child scholar examination at just ten years old. No matter how the Song family handles this matter, you must not interfere.”

Of course he couldn’t interfere. Now that Zhou Weizhao’s teacher had come to the capital and Emperor Jianzhang had clearly grown much closer to Zhou Weizhao again, at this time he naturally couldn’t be touched by even a speck of dirty water.