Du Chenghui stopped crying, wiped the tears from his face with a handkerchief, and cautiously glanced at Song Xibai.

"Xi Liangdi, I... I didn't want to do this either, but... but this is the Empress Dowager's order, I dare not disobey!"

Du Chenghui's voice was thick with sobs.

Song Xibai showed a slight surprise.

"The Empress Dowager? The Empress Dowager sent you to frame me? Don't be ridiculous!"

The Empress Dowager, though not the Emperor's biological mother, was his adoptive mother and the true leader of the harem. Would she really come after a mere concubine like her?

Even if the Empress Dowager disliked her, she had plenty of overt methods of discipline. For example, she could easily find an excuse to make her kneel or copy scriptures, assign two maids to teach her manners, or even just use the word "filial piety" to expel any woman from the palace and send her to a royal temple to "pray for blessings".

In her previous life, Song Xibai had read many novels. As a woman in the imperial harem, her ultimate goal was to become the Empress Dowager.

Would a big boss of that caliber use such low-level methods?

If that's true, then the Empress Dowager is truly senile.

Song Xibai's expression was too obvious, and Du Chenghui hurriedly tried to explain.

“It’s true, it was said by Granny Fu, who serves the Empress Dowager! Granny Fu is an old servant of the Empress Dowager. She used to be in charge of the rules for the young palace maids. I was in charge of Granny Fu for the first few years after I entered the palace.”

Song Xibai raised an eyebrow.

Given Du Chenghui's timid nature, he's probably terrified of that Granny Fu.

Granny Fu said it was on the Empress Dowager's orders, and Du Chenghui dared not question it.

Song Xibai composed herself and looked at her: "Granny Fu is from the Empress Dowager's palace. How can she interfere in the affairs of the Eastern Palace? Haven't you thought about that? You are now the Crown Prince's person. No matter what Granny Fu was like in the past, she can't order you around."

Du Chenghui was startled, and looked up at Song Xibai through his blurry, tearful eyes, vaguely feeling that she was reminding him of something.

"You've been in the palace longer than I have; you should know the Empress Dowager better. Think about it carefully, would she really issue such an order?"

Song Xibai's reminders gradually got Du Chenghui's mind working.

Her face was deathly pale, and she gripped the blanket tightly with both hands.

"You mean, Granny Fu falsely conveyed the Empress Dowager's decree? But why would she do that?"

“Someone must have made a condition that she couldn’t refuse. What else could it be?” Song Xibai shifted her position, having a rough idea of ​​what was going on. “When the Crown Prince returns later, he will definitely come to ask you about it. If you want to keep your life, don’t hide anything and tell the Crown Prince the truth.”

Du Chenghui shrugged and responded softly.

Song Xibai turned and called a maid to come in and take care of her, then went to Wei Hong's room.

Wei Hong has already taken her medicine and is in good spirits now, her face is flushed, and she looks very cheerful.

Upon seeing Song Xibai enter, Wei Hong hurriedly tried to get up and bow, but Song Xibai grabbed her hand and pressed her back down.

"Thanks to you for today's events."

Wei Hong said apologetically, "It's my duty, this is what I should do. By the way, mistress, what did you find out from Du Chenghui?"

After saying a few words, Song Xibai concluded: "It's probably related to the Zhu family. We don't need to get involved in this matter; the Crown Prince is in charge!"

When she mentioned the Crown Prince, her tone was casual, yet without any hint of shyness or intimacy. If outsiders had overheard this, they would probably have found it strange.

But in front of Wei Hong, Song Xibai didn't hide anything.

Wei Hong may seem carefree, but she is actually quite meticulous. Song Xibai thinks she probably already guessed it.

Since that's the case, there's no need to hide it. It'll save us from guessing each other and causing unnecessary trouble.

As expected, Wei Hong showed no surprise at all; instead, she nodded in agreement.

"Among the people around Your Highness, Eunuch Feng is meticulous and intelligent, possessing a photographic memory; he is Your Highness's most trusted advisor. Besides Eunuch Feng, there is also Eunuch Liu, who is particularly skilled in torture and interrogation. Your Highness can rest assured!"

Song Xibai exclaimed inwardly, "Good heavens!"

That old eunuch Feng Jia always had a smiling face when he met anyone, and you would never guess that he actually had such an amazing ability as "photographic memory".

As expected, there are quite a few talented and extraordinary people around the Crown Prince!

Song Xibai clicked her tongue twice, but didn't press the matter further. Instead, she started talking about other things.

But before long, the familiar voice of a palace attendant could be heard outside.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

When Song Xibai returned to the East Side Hall, she saw the Crown Prince sitting at the head of the table, his face so somber it could drip water.

"Your Highness, have you seen Du Chenghui?"

Song Xibai stepped across the threshold with a smile.

The prince's gloomy expression immediately relaxed when he saw her.

"I've heard about it all. Are you alright?"

Song Xibai raised an eyebrow and snorted lightly: "Your Highness underestimates me too much. Do you think I can't see through such a simple scheme? Besides, Wei Hong was there! She prevented them from succeeding."

The Crown Prince had heard about the incident from his subordinates. He was discussing the matter with his officials when he suddenly couldn't sit still any longer. He quickly gave a few instructions and rushed back.

Although the palace servants said Song Xibai was alright, he was still worried until he saw it with his own eyes.

Now, seeing Song Xibai standing safely in front of him, he finally felt relieved.

"It's good that you're alright. As for that little palace maid, I've already ordered Liu Ji to interrogate her. As for Du Chenghui..."

As the crown prince spoke, he glanced coldly at the bedroom.

Song Xibai followed his gaze and looked in that direction.

"Du Chenghui is merely a bit timid. Having suffered this punishment, she will likely not repeat the offense. After all, she was bestowed upon you by the Emperor, so it's not appropriate to punish her too severely. I think Your Highness should grant her a favor and let her off this time!"

The crown prince was not pleased at all upon hearing her words, and his lips curled into a smirk.

"She harmed you, and you still plead for her? If you repay evil with kindness, how will you repay kindness?"

Song Xibai chuckled.

“Your Highness, I also have my own selfish motives. Du Chenghui’s offense this time is not serious. Why not show him some favor and win him over? Otherwise, your backyard will be full of other people’s spies. Wouldn’t it be better to have one or two loyal ones?”

She spoke as if she were planning for the Crown Prince's benefit, and her words were quite eloquent.

As a result, the crown prince's face darkened even more.

"Why should I need to win over a mere palace maid?!"

The prince slammed his hand on the table, making a loud bang.

She has quite a temper...

Song Xibai muttered to herself, but still wore a smile on her face.

"I misspoke. It was for my sake. I wanted to win over Du Chenghui."

Song Xibai wasn't lying.

Du Chenghui was a bit timid, but her willingness to jump into the water earlier showed that she did have some fierceness. However, this fierceness came and went quickly; after being rescued, she was left only with fear and apprehension.

What Song Xibai values ​​more is her network of connections.

Du Chenghui entered the palace at a young age and has been there for over a decade. She started as a lowly palace maid, then became a cleaning maid, and later was assigned to various palaces, eventually serving in the Qianqing Palace. She caught the emperor's eye and was chosen as a reward for the crown prince. Despite her young age, she has experienced a great deal.

Having spent over a decade in the palace, one must have cultivated a considerable network of connections.

Even if she is timid and cowardly, this network of connections can still be useful.

And this is something that Song Xibai is currently lacking.