Fan Liangdi was, after all, a secondary consort—moreover, the Crown Prince’s favored consort as everyone knew. The Crown Prince had people perform Buddhist rites for her for several days, and his entire person had grown haggard. The Prince Consort restrained himself again and again, but when he returned home, he still couldn’t help mentioning it to Princess Rongcheng. “She’s merely a secondary consort—I’ve never heard of making such a fuss over one.”

This was clearly going against the Empress and the Crown Princess. Even in front of her own husband and the Prince and Princess of Zhennan, Princess Rongcheng couldn’t help but sigh. “There’s nothing to be done with him. Mother Empress has both lectured and scolded him, yet he’s still carrying on like this—what can be done?”

Prince Zhennan stroked his beard and looked toward Princess Rongcheng. “Has Your Highness asked Her Majesty? How did she suddenly develop the resolve to eliminate Fan Liangdi?”

The thought of eliminating Fan Liangdi had existed long ago. Even Prince Zhennan himself felt this scourge shouldn’t be kept any longer. If Fan Liangdi remained, the Eastern Palace would sooner or later be ruined by this woman who knew no bounds and was full of ambition. But previously, the Empress had never been able to make up her mind. How had she suddenly come around and done it so cleanly and efficiently—in just a few days, the person was gone?

Princess Rongcheng had naturally asked. Such a major matter—she wasn’t foolish. Of course she knew there was a reason behind it. As soon as the incident occurred, she had entered the palace to question Empress Lu. Now, hearing Prince Zhennan ask, she explained the reason. “Her reach extended further and further. How long has it been since Weizhao’s incident? The stench of blood at the execution ground hasn’t even dissipated, yet she’d already forgotten the pain once her wounds healed. Thinking she had the Crown Prince’s protection, she became even more audacious and actually dared to send people to intercept and kill Chen Mingyu, to retrieve the betrothal card she’d sent out and the seal that could mobilize that sum of silver from the Chen family. Such vicious thoughts—but setting all that aside, she shouldn’t have instigated Dongping to do this. A perfectly good child has been corrupted by her seduction.”

What brotherhood? Heaven knows how many vicious ideas the elder Lady Fan had instilled in Zhou Weiqi over all these years. No wonder these two brothers had never been close. Though Empress Lu couldn’t very well blame her grandson, naturally her disgust toward Fan Liangdi deepened another layer. Keeping such an ambitious woman around, there would be a second, third, or even fourth assassination attempt against Zhou Weizhao—it would be endless.

The Princess of Zhennan couldn’t help but gasp, glancing at her two sons with furrowed brows, then at her husband, before shaking her head with a bitter smile. “She’s truly mad. This is a hen crowing at dawn.”

If this matter were discovered by someone with ulterior motives and spread, it would be the best reason to attack the Crown Prince and the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince too had gone mad to quarrel with the Empress and Crown Princess to such a degree over this kind of woman.

Prince Zhennan nodded, unable to say what he felt about the Crown Prince in his heart. For the first time, he actually felt the Crown Prince’s weak constitution had its advantages—with a weak body, he couldn’t live that long. He closed his eyes and exchanged a knowing glance with his eldest son—they would wait and see. If not for anyone else, then for the Crown Prince’s grandson.

The Song family was likewise gathered together discussing this matter. Old Madam Song had just returned from the palace and shook her head. “The Crown Prince is truly muddled.”

This was in their own home, among their closest family members—they could say whatever they wished. Old Madam Song didn’t mince words. “Such a person—she’s dead, so she’s dead. Yet he actually went to the Empress’s palace and made a scene—the commotion wasn’t small either. I heard His Majesty personally inquired into it. Isn’t he afraid His Majesty will uncover something that will come back to bite him? For the sake of a woman, acting neither human nor ghost—what kind of propriety is this?”

Song Chuyi was to marry Zhou Weizhao, and having such an unreasonable, difficult-to-serve father-in-law above her truly worried Old Madam Song. She looked at Song Chuyi, feeling somewhat fortunate. “Fortunately, Xiaoyi didn’t personally get involved. Otherwise, with the Crown Prince’s muddled state, he would probably be the first to oppose this marriage and deal with Xiaoyi.”

Song Chuyi vaguely felt something was strange. The Crown Prince’s favor toward Fan Liangdi always struck her as both incredible and unreasonable—he had been Crown Prince for so many years. Though his health was poor and he was constrained, not having been given many actual responsibilities, he had still secured this position firmly. Since ancient times, the relationship between imperial authority and the Crown Prince had been somewhat delicate. Actually, the Crown Prince’s former manner was ideal—extremely benevolent and tolerant, not excessively interfering in government affairs, showing no desire for imperial power, and displaying filial piety toward the Emperor and fraternal affection toward his brothers. There was nothing to criticize. It was precisely by relying on these qualities—seemingly unremarkable but actually hitting the mark perfectly with the Emperor’s heart—that he had established his foothold. Since he possessed such cunning, how could he favor a concubine to the point of destroying his wife to this degree?

Never mind anything else—the Lu clan was not only the maternal family of the Empress and Crown Princess but also his own maternal family. He could have completely brought the Lu family under his control, yet he hadn’t done so. Someone who maintained such neutrality and kept himself so spotlessly clean—could such a person truly be one whose judgment was clouded by lust?

She shared this doubt with Song Chengru, frowowing as she pondered. “Your granddaughter truly cannot understand it.”

Song Chengru had long contemplated this point as well. He looked at his granddaughter and sighed. “Your grandfather has also always felt that His Highness the Crown Prince’s reputation for magnanimity and benevolence over these years was achieved because someone stood in front taking the arrows for him.”

One sentence cut straight to the heart of the matter. Song Chuyi couldn’t help but feel somewhat chilled.

If it was truly as she and her grandfather suspected, then the Crown Prince was absolutely not simply favoring Fan Liangdi and indulging her in every way—that somewhat muddled Crown Prince was perhaps the shrewdest of all.

But if he was so shrewd, there was no reason he wouldn’t know what Fan Liangdi was doing. And knowing what Fan Liangdi was doing yet not stopping her, and even repeatedly reaching out to pull Fan Liangdi along…

Song Chuyi felt it was terrifying the more she thought about it—if it was truly so, His Highness the Crown Prince simply didn’t take Zhou Weizhao to heart at all. This son was truly dispensable to him.

Song Jue’s expression became quite unpleasant for a moment. Previously, he had worried that Zhou Weizhao wasn’t favored and feared Song Chuyi would suffer grievances after marrying into that family. But now he was afraid Song Chuyi would lose her life after marrying in—this conjecture was truly too chilling.

On the contrary, Old Master Song was more open-minded. He glanced at Song Chuyi and said softly, “When soldiers come, we’ll block them; when water comes, we’ll cover it with earth. Matters have already reached this point—whether it’s true or not, we’ll know sooner or later.”

Song Chuyi becoming the Crown Prince’s consort was now basically set in stone. At this point, there was no path of retreat. Since Song Chuyi had already boarded the Crown Prince’s ship, the Song family would not flee at the critical moment.

Old Madam Song’s gaze was heavy. She pulled Song Chuyi into her embrace and nodded. “What your grandfather says is right—we’ll take it one step at a time. No matter what, the Earl of Changning’s manor is your backing.”