After a while, Concubine Lian calmed down, took the handkerchief handed to her by Song Chengze, wiped her eyes and said, "Let her try?"

Song Chengze nodded. "Just now, Mother also said that Meng Qi's performance was beyond our expectations. Perhaps what we initially thought was a shock was actually a surprise."

Concubine Lian then smiled. "If that's the case, then God has mercy on my son. Your father hasn't been feeling well since the beginning of autumn last year. He gets so bad his headaches make him want to bang his head against the wall. This is not good news. We're not strong enough to handle it alone yet. Fortunately, I have some skills that can ease the emperor's pain. But this isn't a long-term solution. The emperor's health is only a matter of time."

Song Chengze was stunned. "Mom, have you figured out anything?"

When Concubine Lian was serving as a female official beside the Imperial Concubine Xiang, she learned some basic knowledge of medicine from the doctors. She was also willing to study medical books diligently, so she knew a little about taking pulses, massage, and acupuncture.

Only when it came to the Emperor, she never dared to use needles. She simply referred to the acupuncture points in the medical books to relieve the Emperor's pain. In fact, these techniques were also very familiar to the imperial physicians. The reason they weren't as effective as Concubine Lian's was simply because Concubine Lian was more attentive. Whenever she went to visit, she always wore a sachet of calming odor. The combination of these two factors naturally resulted in better results.

Concubine Lian nodded. "The day before yesterday, the Emperor got angry because of a memorial from Lord Qin in the south. I went there that afternoon and took his pulse during a massage. He wasn't feeling well. Since the Emperor takes proper supplements on a daily basis, if it were an ordinary family, I'm afraid it would take at least a year or two to recover."

Song Chengze was stunned. "In my opinion, my father can still..."

Concubine Lian thought for a moment and said, "I'm a latecomer, how can I be so accurate? According to what's written in medical books, I'm afraid it's only been in the past two years."

Song Chengze remained silent. If it really was two years, he should speed up his plans. Furthermore, if he could find out about Emperor Jing'an's health, his brothers would naturally have the means to find out. Therefore, everyone would speed up their pace.

"Then let's give it a try. My son has a feeling that Prince Duan isn't just going after the Crown Prince this time. I'm afraid he's putting me first. I can't be so passive. Since all the signs indicate that the situation in Hanyuan is related to Prince Duan, I have to investigate."

Concubine Lian sighed, "It's really hard to find out about Hanyuan. There are too many people watching during the day, and it's hard to see clearly at night. This is really the worst option. As I said before, you must make it clear to Meng. If she shows any hesitation or is forced, don't let her take any risks."

"It's not really a test of danger. After all, if it's really something arranged by Prince Duan, I'm afraid it hasn't been completed yet. It's definitely a little scary. That place is okay during the day, but at night..." Song Chengze stood up, "I'm afraid Zhong Da will have to be used."

Concubine Lian nodded. "I was just about to tell you to give the hairpin to Meng. If she agrees, you have to choose someone to accompany her."

Song Chengze turned around and said, "She usually has someone named Yuan Dong by her side, and there's also Wang Chenghai. If there's nothing wrong with Zhang Decheng's investigation, I'll send them in later."

Concubine Lian stood up, picked up the cloak from the shelf and put it on Song Chengze. "Tell Meng that no matter whether this has the expected effect or not, we owe her. If she agrees, it will be easier for us to handle any problems in the future. It will be easier for her to pass on the message than for us to use those secret connections."

Song Chengze watched Concubine Lian's bare hands moving up and down as she fastened the straps of his cloak, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. "Yes, son, I know how to talk to her. You don't have to worry too much about the affairs of the mansion. Her behavior these past few days may seem absurd and unreasonable, but there are actually clues. The only thing I blame myself for is not paying enough attention to Brother Mo, and raising him to be cautious."

Concubine Lian patted Song Chengze, "Who would have thought that Xiao Lin had two different faces? Brother Mo was young at that time, and you couldn't bring him with you. Moreover, the prince seemed empty in their eyes in the past few years. How could they let you feel at ease? If you don't manage it, how can they get a stable life? Fortunately, it's not too late now. Wait until it's warm and go to the outer courtyard. Old Lu will take care of you, and you can rest assured."

Concubine Lian continued, "I think the two brothers should get closer to Madam Meng. Once this busy period is over, you can try to find out what Madam Meng is saying. If she's willing, it would be a good idea to move Ran to her courtyard to educate him for a while."

Concubine Lian was thinking that Meng Qi had only been married for a little over a month, so she would definitely have a child of her own. However, she didn't know whether it was a boy or a girl yet. Even if she gave birth to a son, he wouldn't be as good as her two legitimate sons. For a stepmother, maintaining a good relationship with these two legitimate sons was indeed very important.

Song Chengze understood his mother's intentions but couldn't bring himself to say them. After all, they had already made such an agreement, and Meng Qi disdained to cultivate any feelings with him or their children. But he couldn't say more. Such words would be too shocking, and he hadn't really made a final decision yet.

"I understand, don't worry."

Song Chengze strode out of the gate of Qionghua Palace, and then Aunt Mo and her men threw the snacks and food he had sent into the courtyard. Soon, the palace spread with the news that Prince Rui had apologized to Concubine Lian on behalf of the princess, but this had angered Concubine Lian, who even threatened to teach Concubine Rui a lesson herself.