"Thank you, Lady Qiu."
As the crowd dispersed, Song Shihuan expressed her gratitude to Mrs. Qiu.
Mrs. Qiu seemed to regain her composure only then. The short blade in her hand fell to the ground with a crisp clang, causing her legs to weaken.
She had just dared to point a knife at herself.
"Is the Junzhu unharmed?" Mrs. Qiu gasped for breath. "It is I who should thank you, Junzhu, for giving me this chance to regain my senses."
To personally expose Cui Qian—this was something she had dreamed of doing.
"I remember every girl in those twelve portraits vividly, not a single detail forgotten."
A quarter of an hour later, as Mrs. Qiu recounted the details of each portrait, Song Shihuan listened with a trembling heart.
The clarity of her memories made Song Shihuan hesitant to imagine what Mrs. Qiu must have endured.
Now, Mrs. Qiu carried herself like a noble lady from a scholarly family, recounting everything she could remember to Song Shihuan.
"I know the Junzhu is innocent. It is I who dragged you into this." A flicker of sorrow crossed Mrs. Qiu's face. Had her child survived, they would have been around the same age as the Junzhu.
"I bear no resentment toward you, Madam."
One matter was separate from another.
Without Mrs. Qiu, the demon Cui Qian would still be hiding among them.
Hearing Song Shihuan's words, Mrs. Qiu could no longer hold back her tears.
"At the time of our wedding, I thought I had found a worthy husband." Speaking of the past, a shadow fell over Mrs. Qiu's eyes. "But everything changed within three months."
"Long ago, a diviner prophesied that if the Cui family bore a daughter, it would disrupt the family's spiritual harmony. Thus, for six generations, the Cui line had only one male heir. Three months after the wedding, all I heard was when I would bear a son to continue the family line." Mrs. Qiu laughed bitterly. "When I finally conceived... Cui Qian forced me to drink an abortifacient because the physician predicted a girl."
As if years of pent-up emotions had found an outlet, Mrs. Qiu couldn’t stop speaking.
"That potion not only killed my child but also ruined my health. I could never conceive again."
Coming back to her senses, Mrs. Qiu wiped her tears and glanced at the silent Song Shihuan. "Forgive me, Junzhu, for speaking of such matters in your presence... how improper."
The Junzhu was only a child of ten.
"This world is harsh on women. Men are fickle, and women should not be mere clinging vines."
Song Shihuan spoke each word deliberately, leaving Mrs. Qiu frozen in place, deep in thought.
......
The Crown Prince's awakening was nothing short of a miracle for his faction.
Even some previously hesitant courtiers now rushed to join, fervently extolling the Crown Prince's virtue and righteousness.
Over half the court became embroiled in this grand battle of public opinion, and the target of their collective attack was a mere ten-year-old child.
The crowd outside the Qin Prince's Mansion grew larger by the day, stirred by those with ulterior motives, leaving the mansion isolated and vulnerable.
It was at this moment that Song Xiyan, Song Xiling, and Song Xiyao arrived at the Qin Prince's Mansion with feigned concern.
"Make way, make way! The three Junzhus have arrived!"
Half an incense stick later, the three descended from their carriage.
"Why have the Junzhus come?"
"I wonder what their purpose is?"
Amid the murmurs, Song Xiyan sniffled, putting on a sorrowful act. "Please, everyone, do not linger here under the sun and wind, risking your health. As for Ah Huan... we will persuade her to cooperate with the Dali Temple's investigation."
Her words were nothing short of using Song Shihuan as a stepping stone to elevate herself.
The crowd immediately sang praises for the three.
Song Xiling and Song Xiyao instinctively lifted their chins. This was how it should be—they were the Junzhus raised in the palace, showered with love and privilege.
How could they compare to some wild girl raised outside?
But just as the three reached the mansion's gates, Liuxi blocked their path with a polite smile.
"We are here to see Ah Huan," Song Xiyan frowned.
Liuxi's expression remained unchanged. "The Second Junzhu may enter. The Third and Fourth Junzhus, however, must return."
"Why can't we go in?"
Song Xiling's voice rose sharply at the blatant discrimination.
"Replying to the Third Junzhu—before His Highness departed, he decreed that henceforth, the Qin Prince's Mansion would sever ties with the Prince Chu's and Prince Qi's Mansions unless absolutely necessary."
"What?!" Song Xiling's nails dug into her palms beneath her sleeves. "Does Uncle mean to cut familial ties?"
"Both Princes were present at the time. If the Junzhus wish to know more, they may inquire upon returning to their mansions."
Humiliated before the crowd, Song Xiling and Song Xiyao were dismissed by a mere servant.
"We are family. Must things come to this?"
Song Xiyan feigned sorrow, but before she could finish, Baoxia emerged from the mansion.
"Our Junzhu says she will not see the Second Junzhu either."
Now, none of them could enter.
The three left in a huff, noses wrinkled in anger.
Public opinion against Song Shihuan grew even harsher.
But when these words reached Song Shihuan, she merely smiled.
The louder they clamored now, the higher they would lift her when the truth came to light.
......
Meanwhile, in Luan County.
"Your Highness, you must rest. Even iron cannot endure this strain." Shen Qingping watched as Song Yu, eyes bloodshot from exhaustion, refused to relent.
Song Yu shook his head.
"Every second we save in finding that girl is a second sooner Ah Huan is vindicated." His entire being radiated exhaustion.
"How goes the search?"
Seeing his determination, Shen Qingping dropped the subject. "We've combed through Luan County's registered residents—no one recognizes the portrait. Your Highness, could Mrs. Qiu have misremembered?"
Song Yu fell silent.
If Mrs. Qiu was mistaken, this journey would be for nothing.
"Search again." He wiped his face. "The first round focused on the elderly, hoping to find the girl's grandmother. But she may have passed. Let's change our approach."
"Change our approach?"
Song Yu had become the backbone of their efforts.
"By age, the girl would now be around Ah Huan's age. This time, start with those ten and older. If she has siblings, we may find a lead."
"Understood."
Shen Qingping relayed the orders, and the search shifted to target older children.
Another day and night passed.
Song Yu stood before a dilapidated courtyard. He had lost count of how many such fences he had pushed open, yet no clues surfaced.
"Young man, do you recognize the person in this portrait?"
The next moment, the hoe on the boy's shoulder clattered to the ground.
"Who are you? Why do you have my sister's portrait? Do you know where she is?"
In an instant, Song Yu's eyes blazed with hope.
