A few days later, at the Ping Prince's Mansion.
Nearly all the servants in the mansion had been sold off outside the capital, leaving the vast estate eerily quiet. Only one personal attendant was retained for each member of the household.
As for the rest of the mansion's affairs, they were now managed by six elderly matrons.
An unusual silence had settled over the Ping Prince's Mansion. Even Song Xiyan, who had previously vented her frustrations on Song Yanchao every few days, had grown subdued. It seemed everyone had been thoroughly frightened.
"Concubine, regarding the eldest imperial grandson's legs... I must beg your pardon for my limited medical skills."
The mansion physician was drenched in sweat, his inner robes clinging to his skin. At this point, he could only pray that his ancestors would intervene and convince Lady Chang to dismiss him. No matter who took up the role of physician in the Ping Prince's Mansion, none dared speak a word of complaint.
"No matter. Just prescribe some remedies to soothe his temper."
Hearing Lady Chang's words, the physician closed his eyes in despair.
Please, just fire me!
"If he can't cure me, then he should die!" A furious roar erupted from inside the room. "I am the imperial eldest grandson—I cannot become a cripple!"
To be crippled meant... he would forever lose his chance at the throne.
"Ending up with ruined legs is your own doing!"
Lady Chang stormed into the room, standing tall before Song Yanzheng for the first time. "If you couldn't control your temper in the Zichen Hall, then you’d better keep it bottled up here in the Ping Prince's Mansion."
Perhaps stunned by this unfamiliar side of his mother, Song Yanzheng fell momentarily speechless.
"Song Yanzheng, the Ping Prince's Mansion is now sealed. The matrons here answer only to me."
A bitter smile curled on Lady Chang's lips. Once, she had begged Song Yanzheng to be her pillar of support. Now, the tables had turned—thanks to Prince Qin and Ah Huan.
"If you can repent quietly in this mansion, so be it. But if you still refuse to see reason, I will personally send you to hell."
"You dare kill me? If I die, you won’t survive either!" Song Yanzheng swallowed hard, never having imagined his mother could be so ruthless.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it—to kneel before Ah Huan and beg for forgiveness."
"Why should I apologize to Song Shihuan?!"
But no matter how loudly Song Yanzheng raged, Lady Chang had already turned away without a backward glance.
......
Qin Prince's Mansion.
"Your Highness, the Ping Prince's Mansion has sent an invitation. They request your presence tomorrow for a discussion."
Liuxi walked with a slight limp, still sore from the twenty lashes he’d endured. He wouldn’t forget the two cowardly coroners who’d caused this.
"Lady Chang wants to see me?"
Song Yu instinctively glanced at Song Shihuan beside him. "Ah Huan, whether I go or not is entirely up to you."
Let’s be honest—if Ah Huan says no, I’ll burn this invitation right now.
"Why would I stop Father from going?" Song Shihuan looked up with a smile. "Do as you wish."
And so, after barely half an incense stick’s worth of hesitation, Song Yu accepted.
Something about Lady Chang struck him as odd—as if she’d suddenly gained wisdom after the fall of the Chang family. He wanted to see for himself.
"Then I’ll go and see what tricks the Ping Prince's Mansion still has up its sleeve!"
......
The next day.
Shen Qingping arrived at the Qin Prince's Mansion after court but found no sign of Song Yu.
"His Highness went to the Ping Prince's Mansion to see Lady Chang?"
Shen Qingping’s eyes widened in shock. Wasn’t the mansion sealed?
Did I misremember?
Song Shihuan nodded. "Lady Chang invited him. Father wanted to see what schemes she’s plotting."
Shen Qingping pursed his lips. "What does the princess think of Lady Chang now?"
"We have no connection."
"From the moment she abandoned me, we became strangers."
Song Shihuan’s reply was crisp and final.
Between her and Lady Chang lay the hatred of a lifetime—grudges she would neither forget nor forgive.
Shen Qingping exhaled in relief. "The princess is right. There’s not a single decent person in the Ping Prince's Mansion."
"With the Shen family exterminated to the ninth degree, the court’s power balance has shifted again." Shen Qingping straightened, his tone turning serious. "The Zhou and Chen families require our particular attention."
"The Chen family is an ancient lineage, but their numbers dwindled over generations, and the Shen family suppressed them relentlessly. Now they’ve adopted a few heirs and are making a comeback."
"The Zhou family is newly prominent. Zhou Kun, their patriarch, serves as the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. My spies have seen him meeting with Prince Qi’s people."
A sharp glint flashed in Song Shihuan’s eyes at Shen Qingping’s words.
"It seems Prince Qi remains restless."
"Your Highness underestimates the allure of the throne." Shen Qingping chuckled. "Even those without royal blood dream of rebellion, let alone a prince like Qi."
"But none of this is worth fearing."
As if struck by a thought, Shen Qingping winked at Song Shihuan.
"If His Highness sails smoothly through the imperial exams, by this time next year, he’ll be residing in the Eastern Palace."
"That would be ideal."
Song Shihuan smiled in agreement.
......
At the same time, in the Ping Prince's Mansion.
Song Yu and Lady Chang sat facing each other, two untouched cups of tea on the table between them.
"I’m surprised Your Highness accepted my invitation."
Lady Chang spoke first. Given the mansion’s sealed status, Song Yu could have easily used it as an excuse to refuse.
"Where Ah Huan is concerned, I’d rather kill by mistake than spare a threat."
Song Yu’s words carried a hidden edge. The Buddhist prayer beads in Lady Chang’s fingers stilled momentarily.
"Your Highness, why did you break Song Yanzheng’s legs?"
She voiced the question that had kept her awake night after night.
In her dream, it had been Song Yanzheng who gave the order to cripple Ah Huan.
Now, his own legs were ruined.
"Because I felt like it."
Song Yu smirked, every bit the unruly prince.
"Do you believe in reincarnation, Your Highness?" Lady Chang’s eyes reddened. Days spent chanting sutras in the prayer hall had brought her a measure of clarity.
"Reincarnation?"
"Memories of a past life, delivered as dreams to warn the living."
Song Yu’s expression darkened at her words.
"So those vivid dreams... they were real events from a past life?" His eyes turned bloodshot. "You’ve had them too?"
Suddenly, Song Yu’s hand shot out, gripping Lady Chang’s throat. Her face flushed crimson instantly.
"What did you dream? Was it about Ah Huan?"
Only when Lady Chang managed a frantic nod did Song Yu release her, though his entire body thrummed with fury.
She’s saying those weren’t dreams!
"The workings of heaven... cannot be revealed." Lady Chang coughed. "But I believe we shared the same dream..."
Thud—
She dropped to her knees before Song Yu.
"Your Highness, I beg you—this lifetime, treat Ah Huan well. Even if you take a principal wife in the future, never neglect her. She... suffered terribly in that dream."
With that, Lady Chang began kowtowing frantically, not stopping even when her forehead split and bled.
Veins bulged at Song Yu’s temples as he turned on his heel and strode out of Li Garden without a backward glance.
Behind him, Lady Chang’s anguished cry tore through the air:
"Heavens above! I pray Ah Huan never has such dreams."
"Let her grow up carefree."
"Let her become the happiest maiden in all of Great Qi."
