Nanny Fang respectfully withdrew and stood in the corridor, letting the cold wind blow on her for quite a while before sighing. Turning around, she didn’t first send someone to find Nanny Qi, but instead went to Prince Dongping’s study.
Prince Dongping was speaking with his advisor and chief clerk. She waited about half an hour before the prince finally had time. She quickly straightened her appearance, entered the room, and first performed a courtesy to Prince Dongping and greeted him. Only then did she carefully convey Elder Fan Shi’s instructions.
Zhou Weiqi didn’t speak for a moment. He increasingly felt that his mother’s sudden change of attitude was inexplicable and unreasonable. He indeed resented Han Zhi for ruining things, resented that Han Zhi was no longer like before—always putting him first and thinking of him. But speaking of it, the root of all this truly lay with his mother. If mother hadn’t insisted on sending Han Yueheng to the marriage alliance for some unknown reason, if she hadn’t suddenly changed her attitude toward the Han family, things wouldn’t have come to this point.
He remembered what Han Zhi had said at the time. After a moment of silence, he used those exact words to question Nanny Fang: “Was the matter of Cousin Yueheng going to the marriage alliance really orchestrated entirely by mother? And that nanny who was sent to teach propriety to Yueheng—was she also sent by mother?”
Nanny Fang sighed and nodded, frowning with some disapproval: “Back then we also advised Her Highness that no matter what, using Miss Yueheng to forge connections anywhere in the capital would work—at least it would be better than going to that godforsaken place Dongying. But Her Highness just wouldn’t listen, and she didn’t even write home to ask the family’s opinion… Doing it this way truly made things too difficult for the Heir Apparent and the Marquis’s wife…”
Elder Fan Shi had never treated people as people. She had been willful from youth right up to now. It was only because her fate was good—the Crown Prince favored only her regardless of anything, the Fan clan supported her from behind, and Prince Dongping himself was ambitious—that she had her current comfortable life. Otherwise, where would she be today?
Zhou Weiqi placed both hands on his knees. After a long while, he asked Nanny Fang softly: “Does Nanny know why mother would do such things?”
Speaking of it, these were all matters from their youth.
How much hatred could there be between young girls? It was just a flower hairpin, a kite, or perhaps father and mother made an extra set of clothes for Little Fan Shi today, or forgot to buy Little Fan Shi an identical guqin for Elder Fan Shi tomorrow.
It was all resentment accumulated from these trivial matters—chicken feathers and garlic skins not worth mentioning. It would have been better if before coming to the capital, Madam Fan had kept her mouth shut tighter and not let Elder Fan Shi know that the innocent, carefree, and favored younger sister was actually not born of the same mother, that her birth mother was merely a concubine.
Nanny Fang couldn’t help but sigh again, vaguely glossing over it: “In any case, it was because of youthful ignorance. What’s urgent now is that we can’t let Her Highness continue like this. If this goes on, even if the Marquis Jinxiang is loyal, I’m afraid he won’t be able to endure it…”
Elder Fan Shi had gone mad. A stable, reliable source of support firmly in hand—she insisted on desperately making trouble, desperately pushing people away. She had that air of determination, convinced that Han Zhengqing wouldn’t mind. But Nanny Fang knew too well the principle that human hearts easily change. Returning to the earlier point: blood is thicker than water after all—they were his flesh and blood children. Breaking the bone still leaves the sinew connected. No matter what, could Han Zhengqing really watch Elder Fan Shi torment his own children and feel at ease? Yet Elder Fan Shi obstinately couldn’t see clearly.
When things reach an extreme, they reverse course. Zhou Weiqi naturally understood this principle. He also felt his mother’s series of actions could truly be called insane. After thinking carefully, he sighed and asked her: “What did mother tell you to do?”
Nanny Fang told him about Elder Fan Shi’s instruction to find Nanny Qi, full of worry: “If Her Highness truly keeps pressing the Marquis’s wife relentlessly, I’m afraid even a cornered rabbit will bite. Even if the Marquis’s wife has no capability or manpower, if she makes a scene on the day Miss Yueheng accompanies the bride as an attendant… that would be quite a spectacle.”
Zhou Weiqi’s gaze grew deeper. He nodded at her: “You’ve done well. With someone like you at mother’s side, I can feel at ease. Go back and tell mother that on the Marquis Jinxiang Estate’s side, aunt has panicked and lost her composure, crying herself to death. You need not mention anything else. From now on, if mother makes any other moves, come inform me beforehand.”
He couldn’t let Elder Fan Shi continue making trouble like this. Sooner or later she would destroy herself and the Eastern Palace as well!
Only then did Nanny Fang feel relieved. She sighed: “Since Your Highness says so, this old servant can rest easy. Her Highness won’t listen to what others say. Continuing like this is no solution. Even the Crown Prince believes her relationship with the Marquis’s wife is very good. If she continues like this—this old servant dares to speak one more word—I’m afraid we still need to inform the Yingyang side. Only the Madam there can persuade her somewhat.”
Zhou Weiqi quietly nodded to show he understood. After Nanny Fang left, he threw a crystal plate in helpless frustration. He remembered that mother wasn’t like this before. She had such a sense of the bigger picture, knew so well how to win over helpful allies. Not only did she have father wrapped around her finger, even the Empress—who was the Crown Prince’s aunt—couldn’t find fault with her.
But now mother seemed to have become a madwoman, muddled all day long, only knowing how to lose her temper, unable to distinguish priorities, living to destroy such an excellent chess piece as Han Zhi.
Nanny Fang was right. No matter how close an uncle by marriage is, he’s still just an uncle by marriage. Could he really disregard his own flesh and blood children for their sake? With Elder Fan Shi being so ruthless in her persecution, where did she get such confidence?!
He collected his emotions and called Qian Ying in, instructing him to make a trip to the Marquis Jinxiang Estate: “Tell them I’ll personally visit tomorrow as well. Tell aunt and cousin not to be too heartbroken. Now that cousin has ended up like this, mother and I also feel pained.”
Qian Ying kept his hands lowered and respectfully agreed. After Zhou Weiqi had finished all his instructions, he dutifully reminded the prince: “Your Highness should also write a letter first to tell the Marquis about what’s happened recently. Such a major incident cannot go without an explanation. The Marquis’s wife will probably also send a letter.”
And Little Fan Shi, who had already been pushed by Elder Fan Shi until she had no path left, would certainly have nothing good to say in her letter. Zhou Weiqi rubbed his temples in immense frustration: “This is clearly presenting me with a huge problem! Even if uncle were a reincarnated sage, I’m afraid he couldn’t remain indifferent. No matter how I try to explain such a matter, it will seem too feeble.”
Qian Ying looked at Zhou Weiqi without hesitation: “That Imperial Concubine Liangdi would do such things is probably because she feels that with the Marquis at his post with two concubine-born sons at his side, he won’t value the Heir Apparent too heavily. But the Heir Apparent was legitimate-born after all—he would inherit the title in the future. Under heaven, what father could truly watch his child die yet bear no grudge against the culprit? In this subordinate’s humble opinion, we absolutely cannot let the Marquis know this matter is connected to us.”