To outsiders, she appeared to be an omnipotent favored consort who could summon wind and rain and had the Crown Prince utterly bewitched. But only she herself knew that the Crown Prince’s fondness for her and his regard for her were all superficial. The fundamental reason was nothing more than that Crown Princess Lu truly wasn’t a suitable puppet, and the Crown Prince needed someone to bear infamy for him, allowing him to continue being the kind, benevolent Crown Prince who only knew how to be bullied in the eyes of the world.

The elder Madam Fan had always known clearly where her value lay, and had always been very careful to maintain this image of a favored consort who was spoiled to the point of not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth, arrogant and domineering.

She prostrated herself on the ground in terror, utterly different from her usually lofty and proud imperial consort persona. Trembling with fear, she clutched at the Crown Prince’s clothing, almost somewhat incoherent: “Those were all from when I was young and ignorant… Your Highness knows me… how would I dare… how would I dare…”

So what she had told Prince Dongping—that she had already sent people back to her hometown to have Madam Fan prepare an identical golden hairpin—was also false. The more she did such things, the more likely she would provoke the moody Crown Prince before her. She didn’t have that kind of courage, and she had this self-awareness.

The Crown Prince laughed once. The laughter was very light, yet it struck the elder Madam Fan’s heart like a thunderclap, startling her until her face turned deathly pale and her entire body trembled.

In extreme panic, she kowtowed repeatedly. Tears hung on her long lashes, about to fall yet not falling: “Your Highness! You are supremely intelligent. You should understand me. How would I dare do things to wrong you? Those were all matters from childhood…”

The Crown Prince extended a hand to lift her chin. The hot breath he exhaled sprayed onto the elder Madam Fan’s delicate, exquisite face. His two eyes stared tightly at her without relaxing for even a moment: “But what your younger sister said also has merit. If you truly didn’t have such thoughts, why did you have to utterly destroy your younger sister? Keeping your younger sister and letting the Marquis of Jinxiang’s household present the same harmonious appearance as ordinary noble households—wouldn’t that be good?”

What the Crown Prince detested most was having well-ordered matters disrupted. Things had been fine—clearly everyone in the Marquis of Jinxiang’s household was at his disposal. Han Zhi was a useful chess piece, and so was Han Zhengqing.

But the elder Madam Fan had to do foolish things because of selfish desires, making such a commotion that now he was in a difficult position, not knowing how to account to the Emperor.

“So you had such thoughts all along…” The Crown Prince coldly admired that crystal-clear teardrop hanging on her lashes, reached out to wipe it away for her, then immediately laughed once more: “Your methods are quite ruthless indeed. Against your own younger sister, you could still bring yourself to act. Were you so worried Han Zhengqing couldn’t find a wife that you specially had your sister—a maiden of only fourteen who hadn’t yet had her coming-of-age ceremony—serve as his replacement wife? I knew from the start you were clever, but I never imagined your thoughts were also this vicious.”

The elder Madam Fan felt so terrible she almost wanted to retch, but she still kept her head raised, not daring to relax in the slightest. Her lowered hand clutched tightly at her own dress. Finally, tears fell like broken pearls.

“Since it’s already done, why not let people live their days properly? Why must you torment them?” The Crown Prince seemed somewhat puzzled. He released the elder Madam Fan’s chin and, looking at the vivid finger marks there, shook his head lightly: “How you schemed against her, I don’t care about. Why you had to drive a wedge between their marital affections and mother-son affections—I also have no interest in asking further. You’re right. I understand your courage. You wouldn’t dare do excessive things.”

The elder Madam Fan’s heart suddenly leapt to her throat. She wanted to cry but didn’t dare. She lowered her head and hunched her shoulders, presenting an entirely pitiful appearance.

“You’ve always been someone who understands propriety very well. Why did you specifically do such foolish things this time to embarrass me?” The Crown Prince seemed full of melancholy. He stood up and turned away, his back to Fan Liangdi, gazing distantly at the ice flowers on the glass window: “Things having reached this point, I’ve already been ill for so long—I must give Father Emperor and the people of the realm an explanation. A marquis’s madam has died. We can’t really let her have died for nothing, can we? Why don’t you, Liangdi, teach me—what should I do?”

This was precisely the reason Fan Liangdi had been extremely terrified from the start. She feared nothing except this Crown Prince who had lifted her to the heavens. She bit her lips, trying her utmost to calm herself down, and said softly: “It’s that good-for-nothing nephew in this concubine’s household who is truly worthless. He ran illegal gambling dens and loaned money at usurious rates, causing the deaths of innocent people, stirring up popular resentment… Master He acted on behalf of heaven to eliminate this traitor righteously. But this concubine’s younger sister doesn’t understand the bigger picture… She insisted that her son’s death was due to Your Highness and myself refusing to save him. So she ran to the Eastern Palace and, taking the opportunity of her daughter’s marriage, bitterly scolded Your Highness, making you faint from anger…”

It truly did sound like a reasonable explanation. Although Emperor Jianzhang might not know how much he would believe, at least on the surface it was enough to fool people. It seemed these past few days the elder Madam Fan hadn’t been idle either. The Crown Prince sat back in his seat at leisure, looking down at her from above: “Speak—what else have you done?”

The elder Madam Fan breathed a sigh of relief: “I’ve already written home to discuss with Father and Mother. If others ask, this will be the story. Also, I’ve already instructed Mother to tell elder brother that in Fujian he must not act rashly… The seal has also been sent to the northwest. The Marquis will understand Your Highness’s meaning.”

Emperor Jianzhang had been quite dissatisfied with the Crown Prince these past few years, feeling he didn’t quite match his previous honest and kind image, that he struck too harshly against his younger brothers. In the Yangzhou corruption case, he had nearly completely uprooted the people of Prince Duan and Prince Gong. Later, he even used Zhang Yuan’s testimony to condemn Prince Duan to death. Emperor Jianzhang had always been someone who cherished the past.

The Crown Prince still remembered how back then, Emperor Jianzhang had hesitated to speak before him, finally sighing and telling him: “You should know, even ten fingers have different lengths. I may not be able to treat them all equally, but I want to preserve every single one.”

Thinking of this, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but laugh derisively. Wanting to preserve them all—how could it be that easy?

His health was poor. These younger brothers of his all circled around him like hungry wolves, afraid he wouldn’t die, constantly waiting for him to breathe his last.

For him to preserve these fingers that were all trying to bend him—this finger—it was truly too difficult.

What the elder Madam Fan had done could indeed reduce his pressure somewhat. At least Emperor Jianzhang would only think the heir of the Marquis of Jinxiang’s household was truly audacious and reckless, and wouldn’t implicate him.

So he had been ill for just the right amount of time, had fainted for just the right duration. Fortunately, the elder Madam Fan wasn’t too stupid—she still knew to make amends. At this time, when Emperor Jianzhang’s eyes were on the Eastern Palace, they truly shouldn’t do anything. All previous plans had to slow their progress.