Yang Shi lowered her head, not knowing whether she was truly talking to herself or speaking for Empress Dowager Lu to hear. “So your daughter-in-law is truly quite apprehensive. I’m really afraid of offending Earl Changning’s manor and Miss Song the Sixth. After all, Yin’ge will have to remain in the capital in the future.” As she spoke, her eyes reddened. “When His Highness left the capital this time, Yin’ge, not understanding, asked me why so many people came to see us off when we returned from the fief, but when Father Prince left this time, he was alone. I didn’t even know how to answer him.”

“Only Madam Du came by once, and that was to draw a clear boundary, as if afraid of being implicated. But of course… After all, I heard Madam Du has already agreed to serve as the honored guest to escort the bride for Earl Changning’s manor.”

With each sentence she spoke, Empress Dowager Lu’s complexion grew worse. In the end, her face simply turned pale, and she pressed her lips together without saying a word.

How could Old Master Du, that old fox who had lived to such cunning, not understand the hints she had given him back then that Prince Gong was already fine? Yet he deliberately revealed that Crown Princess Lu might be persuaded to help…

Could it truly be that Crown Princess Lu and Song Chuyi were luring Prince Gong into a trap, conspiring with Old Master Du to trick Prince Gong into writing that letter in his own hand, then taking it before Emperor Jianzhang to accuse Prince Gong, deliberately crushing him to death?

The more Empress Dowager Lu thought about it, the more possible it seemed—if the Du family wasn’t sitting on the fence and grabbing grass from both sides, she wouldn’t believe it. Otherwise, why would Madam Du immediately want to draw a clear boundary with Prince Gong’s manor as soon as she heard her hints? Wasn’t it because they were eager to cling to the Eastern Palace? In truth, they had long had this intention and had been preparing for it all along, hadn’t they?

When Yang Shi emerged from Qingning Palace, she held her son’s hand and unhurriedly went to the Eastern Palace to request an audience with Crown Princess Lu. However, Crown Princess Lu had no time to see her. Yang Shi didn’t mind, smiled bashfully, and still took her leave with her son.

Chief Administrator Ling felt somewhat restless. Before Prince Gong left, he had specifically instructed him to help the Princess Consort make some decisions. But who knew the Princess Consort would enter the palace without saying anything? Prince Gong had just gotten into trouble—if she went to the palace and said even slightly wrong words, she might make the situation even worse.

He anxiously waited for the Princess Consort to return, then quickly had someone send word inside. Before long, he heard that Yang Shi had summoned him to the flower hall. Upon reaching the flower hall, sure enough, he saw Yang Shi having tea with Zhou Weiyin. He hurried to pay his respects first, then asked her, “Your Highness, this is…”

Yang Shi knew what he was worried about. Unhurriedly, she recounted what she had said before Empress Dowager Lu. Seeing Chief Administrator Ling’s eyes widen, she said, “Don’t worry. His Highness instructed me not to do anything. I merely went in to keep Mother Empress company and chat, reminding her of some things she had overlooked.”

Without any obvious action, she had pointed the spearhead toward the Song family and Song Chuyi. Empress Dowager Lu was certainly wary of Zhou Weizhao, but not necessarily of Song Chuyi. Chief Administrator Ling stroked his chin. “Your Highness need not go to such great efforts… At present, Her Majesty the Empress probably has the will but lacks the power.” After such an incident, Empress Dowager Lu, as a mother, was probably seen as a great failure in Emperor Jianzhang’s eyes. Moreover, with Zhou Weizhao currently so favored and the Song family marriage personally designated by Emperor Jianzhang, even if the Empress was dissatisfied, what could she do now?

“I understand Chief Administrator’s meaning.” Yang Shi made no attempt to hide it. “But with things having come to this point, should we really stretch out our necks for the blade? Sit aside and wait for death?”

Chief Administrator Ling frowned. His thinking was the same as Prince Gong’s—things were far from reaching the point of being unable to survive. On the contrary, continuing to make trouble like this might actually lead to no good end. Emperor Jianzhang was currently being lenient only because he didn’t have many sons. Once they provoked him too far, he might not truly refrain from delivering a death blow to Prince Gong.

“Even if we don’t plan to wait passively for death, seeking out Her Majesty the Empress is not a wise approach.” Chief Administrator Ling shook his head, appearing quite disappointed. “Her Majesty the Empress’s usefulness is now greatly diminished.”

Whether in terms of influence over the Eastern Palace, restraint of the Grand Prince, or even control over Crown Princess Lu, nothing could compare to before.

Yang Shi actually smiled. She nodded along with Chief Administrator Ling’s words. “Yes, I know all this too.” Then, before Chief Administrator Ling could react, she set down her teacup, picked up another cup to feed to Zhou Weiyin, her voice cold as if it were fruit soaked in well water, icy and emotionless. “But being useless is one thing. Disgusting people is another matter entirely.”

She simply didn’t want to see these people have too easy a time. “Chief Administrator, think about it. If Her Majesty the Empress truly believes that Miss Song the Sixth is the one with the deepest schemes, the mastermind behind the scenes who caused things to spiral out of control, what do you think she’ll think?”

What she thought didn’t matter. What mattered was that Song Chuyi’s position as Grand Princess Consort wouldn’t necessarily be so smooth—Empress Dowager Lu might not be able to do other things anymore, but surely she could manage to plant a few people to create trouble for Song Chuyi?

And once those young ladies from good families, whose backgrounds were no less distinguished than Song Chuyi’s, entered the palace, these people would naturally have to plan for their own families. Would they get along harmoniously with Song Chuyi?

The cold smile at Yang Shi’s lips deepened. “I’m also planning to make a trip to Madam Cui’s place.”

Yang Shi’s ancestral home was in Taiyuan. The Yang clan in Taiyuan was also considered an established family with deep roots and flourishing branches. Being in the same Jin region, she had some friendship with the young ladies of the Cui family.

Chief Administrator Ling’s frown deepened even further. “Your Highness, the Prince Consort is Miss Song the Sixth’s own maternal uncle.” The more he thought about it, the more wrong things seemed. He anxiously tried to dissuade her. “Although Princess Duanhui once had thoughts of betrothing her eldest daughter to His Highness the Grand Prince, the matter is now settled. Miss Cui, as the legitimate eldest daughter of the Cui family, has no lack of prospects. The Prince Consort even less likely to create friction with the Song family over this. I know you want to avenge this arrow for His Highness, but now is truly not the time.”

Right now, staying quiet and proper, doing nothing and responding to all changes with constancy was the best approach.

Yang Shi seemed to have listened, yet also seemed not to have listened. Chief Administrator Ling had no choice but to make his words even more emphatic. “Before His Highness left, he instructed you to do nothing and wait for his return for everything.”

He had thought the Princess Consort of Prince Gong had considerable ability, but it turned out her ability was entirely limited to matters involving men. Without Prince Gong, her vision was inevitably too narrow. What good would it do now to provoke discord between the Cui family and Song family? The Song family and Cui family were now a community of shared interests—if one side suffered damage, the other wouldn’t fare well either. How would they fall out over the affairs of two young ladies?

Even after withdrawing, Chief Administrator Ling felt no peace of mind. Yang Shi was not someone easily persuaded. Though she agreed readily on the surface, no one could guarantee she would truly do as she said.