Upon returning to the General’s Manor, Cheng Shu was animated with excitement as he recounted what had happened on the dragon boat.

“Grandmother, Aunt, you didn’t see it—the Crown Prince was talking with Princess Yuliu, then suddenly started taking off his clothes—”

Lin Shi exclaimed: “Really?”

“Would I make this up?”

Lin Shi nodded repeatedly: “Right, right, right, you can’t speak carelessly. Shu’er, quickly continue.”

“Just like this—pulling and tugging—” Cheng Shu gestured. “Before anyone could react, the Crown Prince was completely naked!”

Lin Shi gasped: “Not even his undergarments remained?”

Cheng Shu nodded: “That’s right, not even a strip of cloth remained.”

“What a sight that must have been—” Lin Shi’s tone carried no small amount of regret.

The Old Madam looked at her granddaughter listening with a smile, then at her daughter with gleaming eyes, and silently twitched the corners of her mouth.

“After the Crown Prince stripped naked, he took off running—”

Lin Shi interrupted Cheng Shu’s words in shock: “He threw himself onto the Peacock Princess?”

Lin Hao finally couldn’t help but interject: “Mother, she’s called Lingque.”

“Oh.” Lin Shi didn’t care at all that she’d gotten Princess Yuliu’s name wrong. “Shu’er, continue.”

Cheng Shu’s expression was somewhat strange: “Beyond everyone’s expectations, after the Crown Prince finished stripping, he ran toward the edge of the boat, then jumped into the lake.”

This time even the Old Madam was shocked: “Drinking too much wouldn’t lead to this, would it?”

She’d only heard of people who got drunk making a big fuss, wailing loudly, smashing things, hitting people—in any case, never truly causing themselves loss. The Crown Prince’s behavior was truly rare.

“Who knows?” Cheng Shu felt his eyes burn just recalling that scene. He’d already washed his hands seven or eight times.

“And then?” Lin Shi asked impatiently.

“Then I jumped in the lake and pulled the Crown Prince out. Fortunately he didn’t drown.”

Lin Shi patted Cheng Shu’s arm: “Shu’er, you worked hard. Imperial family members are truly absurd. Stay far away from them in the future.”

Cheng Shu agreed wholeheartedly: “Absolutely.”

The Old Madam coughed once: “Don’t generalize from one example. Shu’er, go back and take a hot bath to dispel the chill. Don’t treat it lightly just because the weather is warm.”

Cheng Shu agreed and turned to leave.

Lin Hao stood up: “Grandmother, Mother, I’ll also take my leave.”

When only mother and daughter remained in the room, the Old Madam sighed: “The imperial family is truly unpredictable, fortune and misfortune difficult to anticipate.”

Running naked and jumping into the lake in front of all the officials, nobles, and foreign royalty—the Crown Prince’s position as heir apparent would be difficult to preserve. That left only Prince Wei as an option.

The Old Madam could already foresee that before long, some people would mock the General’s Manor for lacking good fortune.

Lin Shi hadn’t thought this far and simply nodded in agreement.

Lin Hao caught up with Cheng Shu: “Elder brother, what happened to the Crown Prince afterward?”

Cheng Shu was somewhat uncertain: “He woke up, I suppose. When everyone dispersed, the Crown Prince was still on the dragon boat.”

“Did the Heir also return home?”

Cheng Shu laughed: “So you’re worried about Prince Jing’s Heir. He also went back. Don’t worry, like everyone else, he just watched and didn’t do anything.”

Lin Hao fell silent.

Elder brother’s meaning was that A’Shuo not running naked like the Crown Prince deserved praise?

“Elder brother, quickly go bathe and change clothes.”

Parting from Cheng Shu, Lin Hao headed straight for the garden.

Since A’Shuo had returned, he was very likely waiting for her in the garden at this moment.

Lin Hao’s guess was correct. She had just peeked her head over the wall when she saw Qi Shuo holding a book in one hand, his clear gaze looking over.

Before Qi Shuo could extend his hand, she nimbly jumped down.

“I guessed you’d be here.” Lin Hao tilted her head back slightly, smiling at the young man who was more than half a head taller than her.

The two went to sit behind the flower trellis.

“What was His Majesty’s reaction?” Unlike her quiet demeanor before her grandmother and the others, what Lin Hao cared most about was Emperor Tai’an’s intentions.

If Emperor Tai’an deposed the Crown Prince, only then would the mountain that had weighed on her heart since her rebirth be truly removed.

That was a sword of Damocles hanging overhead, a shadow that couldn’t be dispelled.

“Of the two imperial physicians on the dragon boat today, one surnamed Ma has been serving in the Imperial Medical Bureau since the time of the Grand Ancestor and has considerable diagnostic experience with symptoms of excessive five-colored powder consumption. When His Majesty left, his expression showed nothing, but he should know the Crown Prince consumed five-colored powder. The Crown Prince made a spectacle of himself in public and violated His Majesty’s taboo. To preserve his position as heir apparent, unless Prince Wei has an incident, it’s impossible.”

Lin Hao pressed her palms together: “Heaven protect Prince Wei’s peace and prosperity.”

Qi Shuo was amused by her reaction, the corners of his lips curving.

“A’Shuo, the Crown Prince’s episode today… it wasn’t a coincidence, was it?”

Qi Shuo’s tone was very calm: “Just returning courtesy for courtesy.”

Five-colored powder accumulated in the body day by day, the damage to the body growing deeper and deeper, so the dosage consumed had to gradually increase. If one suddenly consumed an excessive amount, it would break the precarious balance, causing loss of control over words and actions.

It’s just that no one expected the Crown Prince’s loss of control to be so shocking and unprecedented.

“Want to try some?” Having finished with the inauspicious topic of the Crown Prince, Qi Shuo held up a string of small zongzi before Lin Hao.

According to Dragon Boat Festival custom, the Emperor would bestow zongzi, calamus wine, feather fans, pearls and jade ornaments, and other items upon officials and nobles.

“The General’s Manor also has some.” Though Lin Hao said this, she still reached out and took a zongzi bound with crimson silk thread, peeled it open, and ate it with relish.

Thus Qi Shuo learned that A’Hao liked to eat honey bean and red date zongzi.

After finishing the zongzi, Lin Hao took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands: “I’ll head back first. Contact me if there’s news.”

“That—” Qi Shuo tactfully reminded her. “For the Dragon Boat Festival, shouldn’t one wear a Five Poisons pouch?”

Lin Hao looked at him in surprise: “Of course. Aren’t you wearing one?”

Qi Shuo lowered his head to glance at the pouch at his waist and fell into silence.

Every day, his clothing and accessories from head to toe were prepared as complete sets by servants. He only needed to cooperate in putting them on properly. Naturally, for the Dragon Boat Festival, he had changed to a Five Poisons pouch.

Lin Hao fished out a centipede made of strung pearls and jade from her personal pouch, her smile carrying a hint of showing off: “Exquisite, right? My elder sister made it with her own hands.”

Qi Shuo: “…” If this were second brother, he would have hit him.

“Exquisite. No one at the Prince’s manor made one.” Hitting was impossible, and he truly wanted the gift.

Lin Hao fished out a small scorpion from her pouch: “This one I made myself. It’s for you.”

Qi Shuo reached out to accept it, treasuring the small scorpion made of strung pearls and jade: “This one is even more exquisite.”

“I’m leaving.” Lin Hao carried the small zongzi Qi Shuo had given her and nimbly climbed over the wall.

Not long after, Changning came over: “Heir, should we perhaps place a ladder at the base of the wall from now on, to save the Princess Consort from spraining her ankle?”

Qi Shuo glanced at him: “Meddlesome.”

Changning’s flattery had landed on the horse’s leg. His gaze drifted as he changed to praise: “Oh my, this little scorpion is truly adorable.”

Qi Shuo tucked the little scorpion into his pouch and strode away.

Changning: “…” The betrothed Heir was no longer the Heir of before—so difficult to please!

At this moment in the palace, a deathly atmosphere pervaded.

Emperor Tai’an refused Noble Consort Zhuang who had come to console him at the door and summoned Jinlin Guard Commander Cheng Maoming into the palace.

“Liu Chuan, Cheng Maoming, I command you two to cooperate in investigating this case. Find out in complete detail how the Crown Prince obtained the five-colored powder. Remember, for now don’t spread word of this matter.”

He had issued an edict banning five-colored powder, yet the Crown Prince secretly consumed it—it was truly too humiliating for him.