Madam Du took another reassuring pill and breathed a sigh of relief as she looked toward Old Madam Song, tears brimming in her eyes.

She was truly frightened. With Prince Gong running away like this, even though Elder Du had already secretly reported those in the court connected to Prince Gong, Emperor Jianzhang had no reason to let him off so easily.

If Prince Gong hadn’t pulled this stunt, after Elder Du had gotten his wish and latched onto the Grand Prince, with a few more years of maneuvering, he could have carved out another path forward. But Prince Gong just had to leave no way out for others.

She was nearly beside herself with anger. Even now, thinking about it, her heart still felt as if pierced by needles, pounding violently. Her face somewhat pale, she covered her chest as she looked at Song Chuyi. “Since Prince Gong dared to leave, he must have made thorough preparations. Though we can’t help much, we still wish to share His Highness’s worries.”

She fixed her gaze on Song Chuyi as if trying to stare a flower into existence.

Elder Du naturally couldn’t tell Emperor Jianzhang about Prince Gong’s connections with Han Zhengqing—Emperor Jianzhang hated nothing more in his life than factionalism and treason. Han Zhengqing’s smuggling of war horses and providing conveniences to the Fan family everywhere was essentially no different from treason. Not to mention he had also pledged himself to Prince Gong. If this matter was exposed, the Crown Prince’s side would have more problems, but Elder Du himself couldn’t escape involvement either—he had known such information before without reporting it, clearly harboring treasonous intentions himself.

Already in a precarious position, reporting small fry now could still be counted as atoning for crimes through merit. But exposing Han Zhengqing’s matter—that would be a sin even the Great Luo Buddha couldn’t forgive.

So they could only seek another path. Who wanted Prince Gong dead the most right now?

Having Cui Shaoting investigate these matters couldn’t be accomplished overnight. Now that someone was delivering information to their doorstep, this was naturally a sure-profit transaction. Her beautiful eyes sparkled like glass as she gently nodded toward Madam Du.

Madam Du drew a letter from her sleeve and handed it over. “This contains people of Prince Gong’s that my old master has known about over these years.”

Song Chuyi personally received the letter and shook it open to look. A smile appeared on her face.

It seemed Elder Du hadn’t been an Elder for all these years for nothing. His skill at reading the wind and trimming his sails was extremely strong—knowing what to do at what time, this person had it crystal clear.

She calmly put away this list of names and gently nodded toward Madam Du. “Madam Du’s meaning, I understand. This letter, I will certainly deliver into His Highness’s hands.”

Madam Du felt as if a weight had been lifted. This was all she could do. Stiffening her face as she looked at the ground for a long while, she finally hesitated several times before opening her mouth to Song Chuyi. “Please ask His Highness…”

Song Chuyi’s gaze fixed tightly on her. She suddenly couldn’t continue. After sitting a while longer, she rose to take her leave.

After the First Madam saw the guest off, Old Madam Song looked toward Song Chuyi. “This old fox finally has his day too.”

Elder Du had always been extremely good at hiding and enduring. If Prince Gong hadn’t so desperately dug this pit for him, his determination to stick close to the Song family and the Grand Prince by any means necessary still wouldn’t have changed.

Seeing Song Chuyi lost in thought, Old Madam Song asked her again, “Since Prince Gong has pulled this move now, the methods originally planned to deal with the Du family won’t work anymore. What do you say about the Du family’s marriage proposal…”

Originally the plan was to first use the marriage with Du Fangxi to rope in the Du family, then use the Du family to deal with Prince Gong. But now the Du family was clearly no longer useful, so could this marriage also be called off?

Song Chuyi shook her head. “These two matters don’t conflict. Don’t worry, Grandmother, I have my measure.”

Since she said she had her measure, Old Madam Song stopped asking.

A little later, when word came from the front courtyard that Song Chengru had returned to the residence, she went to the study in the front courtyard.

Song Chengru knew there would be gains today but hadn’t expected the gains to be so great. With this delivery, Old Du had practically sent Prince Gong’s life—although there were only these few routes to Xibei, just as Song Chuyi had arranged for Song Yan back then, if one changed the timing a bit and took some side roads along the way, a person could truly disappear like a fish entering the sea without a trace.

But with this list and the distribution map of Prince Gong’s properties throughout Xibei, matters would be much simpler.

He pondered for a moment before making his decision. “You give it to His Highness.”

After pausing, he added, “I’ll write another letter to Shaoting, just to be safe.”

If they could intercept and kill Prince Gong halfway and completely eliminate this hidden danger, that would naturally be good. If not, should Prince Gong try to go to Xibei, with Cui Shaoting’s multiple checkpoints, he would still have only a dead end.

Having settled this, Song Chuyi was silent for a moment before asking her grandfather, “What path do you think Elder Du will choose?”

Privately using female relatives to deliver information to Zhou Weizhao, doing this favor—was he still hoping to continue currying favor through this gesture, or had he already seen things clearly?

Song Chengru habitually raised his hand to pat his granddaughter’s head. Getting halfway there, he saw the gold hairpin in her hair and had to give up, instead stroking his own beard. “Old Du is a clever person.”

Emperor Jianzhang had clearly intended to leave Prince Gong a way to live before. As Prince Gong’s teacher, Elder Du, as long as he stopped being an accomplice to the tyrant, keeping him around still had some use—at least it could ensure Prince Gong could live decently, couldn’t it?

But now that Prince Gong was going to die, Elder Du immediately appeared deeply guilty.

Though Elder Du liked playing with power schemes, he wasn’t someone so immersed in them that he couldn’t extricate himself. He should know that sending this favor was only enough to buy his family’s lives.

Song Chuyi changed clothes and headed to Chongyin Workshop. Zhou Weizhao received the letter and raised his eyebrows. “I’ll immediately arrange personnel to handle it.”

On the Taiyuan side, openly there was the Prince of Zhennan, secretly there was the Cui family. As long as Prince Gong dared return to Taiyuan, it would be certain death.

And if he truly fled to Xibei, with this list, tracking his whereabouts would be much simpler.

Song Chuyi nodded, then heard Zhou Weizhao continue, “The Imperial Servant Bureau has already begun arranging Yongán Palace…”

Yongán Palace was their wedding palace. Song Chuyi’s ears inevitably reddened—only half a month remained until their wedding.

Zhou Weizhao was already laughing. Looking at her like this, his heart melted completely. His beautiful eyes seemed to have scattered starlight falling in them. “To think there’s still half a month left—I’m really waiting until my hair turns white.”

Song Chuyi’s ears grew even redder. Though this body housed an old soul, in her past and present lives combined, she had never been cherished by anyone like this. Shen Qingrang had never said such face-flushing, heart-racing sweet words to her.

She was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping up with fluttering eyes looking at Zhou Weizhao. She blinked, completely at a loss for how to respond.