Han Yan shrugged: “Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”

The Crown Prince thought for a moment, finally deciding: “Fine, this prince… will tell you.”

It turned out that during today’s Spring Festival, at the base of the high tower, the Seventh Prince wanted to mingle with the common people and had dressed in commoner’s clothes to blend in. The Crown Prince, being young at heart, wasn’t satisfied with just watching from the high tower, but the Emperor refused to let him disguise himself and join the crowd.

While feeling dejected, the Seventh Prince suggested they could sneak down secretly, as long as the Emperor didn’t find out. The Crown Prince then used the excuse of going to the washroom, planning to change clothes and watch the festivities.

Unexpectedly, just as he reached the tower’s base before he could even put on the commoner’s linen coat, the crowd began to stir. He was pushed around, losing his bearings, when suddenly several nearby commoners drew daggers.

Fortunately, his guard protected him at the cost of his life, but the crowd pushed them further and further from the high tower. Unknown assailants were shooting arrows from above, forcing them to flee to this forest where the guard finally died, leading to their encounter with Han Yan and her group.

Han Yan lowered her eyes. The Seventh Prince, again was the Seventh Prince. If today’s drama was orchestrated for the Crown Prince’s sake, such an elaborate scheme made sense. For that position, what did sacrificing a few common people matter? However… the Seventh Prince’s boldness seemed excessive. Was he so impatient?

The Crown Prince looked at her: “This prince… suspects someone planned this chaos.”

Quite clever for a child, Han Yan smiled: “Who do you suspect?”

The Crown Prince hesitated, turned away, and bit his lip in silence.

Han Yan spoke softly: “You suspect the Seventh Prince, don’t you?”

Speaking that name so carelessly shocked the Crown Prince, and he stared at her. Han Yan gave a cold smile: “If something had happened to you today, he was down in the crowd while you were in the high tower. No one would connect him to this. Only he knew you would mix with the crowd. If the Seventh Prince didn’t speak up, everyone would assume you disappeared from within the tower.”

Seeing the Crown Prince’s alarmed expression, Han Yan found it somewhat amusing: “No need to be so tense. These facts are simply too obvious. What do you plan to do about today’s events?”

The Crown Prince started, then said angrily: “This prince will report truthfully to Father Emperor, making him see through his wolf-like ambitions.”

Han Yan sighed, shaking her head. Between the Seventh Prince and this young Crown Prince, she naturally preferred the Crown Prince. Not just because she had a grudge against the Seventh Prince, but more importantly, because a ruler must have a benevolent heart. The Seventh Prince was too ruthless in his dealings – if someone like him became ruler, it would be a disaster for the nation. However, in an emperor’s heart, there was always suspicion toward each of his sons. The Crown Prince’s words might sound like false accusations to the Emperor, which would play into the Seventh Prince’s hands.

Seeing Han Yan shake her head, the Crown Prince asked: “Do you think something’s wrong?” Unconsciously, he had grown accustomed to consulting Han Yan, perhaps because this irritating woman possessed something special that made people trust her involuntarily.

Han Yan initially didn’t want to tell him – it was better to stay out of royal family matters. But looking at the Crown Prince’s blood-stained young face, she somehow recalled her previous life. Being happy and ignorant of life’s hardships might be easier, but at death, one would understand how much regret that brought. The Crown Prince resembled her previous life in many ways, so why not give him some guidance?

“Your Highness is clever, but must remember: in this world, speaking all truths doesn’t guarantee others will believe them. The most brilliant approach is,” she looked deeply at the boy before her, as if looking across distant years at her naive self, “to say nothing, and just let people see what you want them to see.”

The Crown Prince nodded, somewhat understanding. For a moment, he felt this woman before him was deeply sorrowful, as if recalling some distant memory. This feeling was instantly broken by Han Yan’s question: “Why did you say earlier that I wasn’t dead yet?”

The Crown Prince looked up, meeting Han Yan’s knowing and clever gaze. Her voice was light and pleasant: “Don’t tell me you misspoke.”

Turning his head away uncomfortably, the Crown Prince said quietly: “Yesterday, when the women from Minister Zhang’s household visited the Empress Dowager, this prince heard that woman say she had prepared a special gift for the Princess Consort of Xuan Qing, and that… Zhuang Han Ming was your weakness…” He didn’t continue, but Han Yan understood completely.

Was this related to the Zhou family? Could the Zhou sisters have decided to teach her a lesson? Han Yan frowned. She had previously suspected that Ying Zi was sent by Elder Lady Zhou, as Ying Zi’s identity was mysteriously connected to Zhuang Han Ming’s brothel incident in her previous life. Now it seemed Ying Zi was indeed Elder Lady Zhou’s person. Today, though unclear what role Ying Zi played, she had successfully drawn Han Yan in. If not for the hidden plum blossom dagger and her desperate leap onto the carriage, she and Zhuang Han Ming would likely be dead by now. The Zhou sisters wanting to kill her was expected, but the Crown Prince’s attempted assassination seemed more than coincidental. This suggested only one possibility.

The Zhou sisters were being used as pawns. They thought they were only targeting Han Yan and Zhuang Han Ming, but someone had turned it into an opportunity to kill the Crown Prince as well. If investigated later, only the Zhou sisters would be blamed. Whether this “someone” was the Seventh Prince or the Empress Dowager remained unknown.

It was truly killing two birds with one arrow, though Han Yan hadn’t expected to be drawn into the Crown Prince’s affair. If those people were targeting the Crown Prince, their current situation was even more dangerous. If they were willing to kill the Crown Prince, she and Zhuang Han Ming wouldn’t escape either. However… Han Yan vaguely remembered those knife-wielding men had strange tattoos on their arms, seemingly a Western custom. Her heart jumped – could it be the Xi Rong?

Han Yan couldn’t fully understand all the connections yet. The Crown Prince looked at her, then at the unconscious Zhuang Han Ming, speaking in an odd tone: “You’re very good to him.”

Their first meeting had also been about protecting this brother. The Crown Prince felt something strange. In the royal family, emotions were thin – he couldn’t imagine such deep sibling affection. However, it was the first time someone dared to confront and threaten him, and from then on, Han Yan was listed as one of the Crown Prince’s “most disliked people.”

Later, hearing this disliked woman would become the Princess Consort of Xuan Qing, he was even more incredulous. Fu Yun Xi was the person he respected most, even more than the Emperor in his heart.

In the young Crown Prince’s mind, Fu Yun Xi was handsome, talented, and unmatched in both literary and martial arts – naturally, he should marry the finest woman in the land. Yet he chose a fifth-rank official’s daughter, one who was bold, unruly, and as cunning as a fox. He couldn’t help but ask Fu Yun Xi why he would choose such a woman.