The prince didn't even stop drinking it; he downed it in one gulp.

He turned around only after finishing his drink.

What did you just say?

Song Xibai glared at him, suspecting he was doing it on purpose, but she had no evidence.

"It's nothing, Your Highness, use whatever you like! Anyway, everything in this Eastern Palace is yours."

Song Xibai's expression quickly returned to normal, and she casually sat down opposite him.

The prince stroked the teacup, a faint smile in his eyes.

"I'm here because I have something to discuss..."

"Your Highness, there is something I need to ask..."

They both spoke at the same time, and then stopped at the same time.

The Crown Prince paused for a moment, then said, "You go first!"

Song Xibai adjusted her expression and prepared to start from the beginning.

“Your Highness, you should have sent someone to investigate my family’s past. My father had a friend of more than ten years, Physician Qi, who also served in the Imperial Hospital. Our two families have always been on good terms. My father was an only son and had no brothers, so he and Physician Qi became sworn brothers. My siblings and I call Physician Qi our uncle.”

At this point, Song Xibai's face remained expressionless, but her expression changed the next moment.

"Whenever my father gained some insights into medicine, he would discuss them with Physician Qi. My mother had warned him to be wary of outsiders, but my father wouldn't listen. He believed that medical knowledge should be discussed and improved together by everyone. Besides, Physician Qi had been his friend for many years and wouldn't harm him, but..."

The prince understood.

"Your father was framed, and it was that Physician Qi who did it?"

Song Xibai nodded.

“I have no evidence, but the person my father trusted most was Physician Qi. A month before the incident, the head of the academy privately spoke to my father, praising him and implying that the ladies of the harem admired him, so the head of the academy planned to promote my father ahead of schedule.”

“My father was very happy at the time. He drank a lot of wine when he got home. When I asked him what happened, he said he had gone to celebrate with Physician Qi. But a month later, the incident involving Consort Zhaorong happened.”

The Empress Zhaorong was pregnant at the time, but suddenly suffered a difficult childbirth, resulting in the deaths of both mother and child. The imperial physician Song, who had been examining the Empress Zhaorong, became the target of the emperor's wrath and was sentenced to have his property confiscated and be exiled without trial.

In fact, this verdict shows that even the emperor didn't believe it was Song Xibai's father who did it. If it were truly Song Xibai's father who killed the empress and imperial heir, the punishment would not have been as simple as confiscation of property and exile.

But what can anyone do when the emperor is angry?

At least Song Xibai's father was indeed negligent in failing to notice something was wrong in time.

"After the incident at home, I pondered for a long time, but I still couldn't understand who had harmed my father. Until the news came that Physician Qi had been promoted to the position of Imperial Physician."

Song Xibai gave a cold laugh.

"Only now do I understand. The only person who can tamper with prescriptions and alter pulse records is the one my father trusts the most."

The crown prince remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"If that's the case, it will be easier to overturn your father's case than I thought."

The Crown Prince originally thought that Song Xibai's father had offended the Emperor and was therefore disliked by him. If that were the case, it would be difficult to reopen the case.

But if the emperor is only venting his anger and the real culprit is someone else, then it will be much easier to handle.

"Father's temperament has changed quite a bit in recent years, especially in the last two. He's become exceptionally suspicious and overthinking, and he doesn't even trust Consort Shu and others anymore, favoring some newcomers instead. Find an opportunity to have someone mention Physician Qi to Father, and once Father becomes suspicious, have someone expose this matter..."

In that short time, the Crown Prince was startled and came up with a preliminary plan.

Song Xibai was overjoyed and quickly stood up, bowing deeply to the Crown Prince.

"Thank you, Your Highness! I am deeply grateful for your help in saving my father and brothers."

The crown prince said nothing, but pulled her up.

There's no need for such formalities between us.

He was implying something, but Song Xibai, caught up in his excitement, didn't catch it.

She composed herself, sat back down, and then began to recount what had happened yesterday.

"Your Highness should also learn about the Qi family's situation beforehand. The Qi family has three daughters and one son. All three daughters are married to powerful and influential people in the capital, and the only son is also working in the Imperial Hospital."

She paused here, unsure how to continue.

To put it bluntly, Qi Changfeng and I were once engaged? But such things are usually just something the two families talk about verbally, without any tokens or anything. To bring it up in detail seems like taking it too seriously.

Song Xibai's pause made the Crown Prince look at her.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed Song Xibai's hesitation.

What are you hesitating about?

The crown prince was puzzled.

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, his brow furrowed.

"What happened to Physician Qi's son?"

Song Xibai thought of Wei Hong's hesitant look and decided to tell her everything.

"That's right, because the two families are on good terms, my father had verbally agreed to a marriage between him and Physician Qi..."

Song Xibai intended to finish speaking simply, but for some reason, he became hesitant and stammering when he spoke.

The prince's eyes suddenly turned cold.

Yes.

He finally realized the thing he had been overlooking.

Before the Song family's misfortune, Song Xibai was already sixteen or seventeen years old. At that age, especially for a daughter of an official, she should have been married long ago. Even if her parents loved her and wanted her to leave home later, she would have been engaged long ago.

The crown prince felt uneasy.

"What do you want to tell me? That Physician Qi abandoned you after seducing you? And broke off the engagement because of the Song family's troubles?"

Song Xibai shook her head.

"No, Qi Changfeng probably doesn't know about his father. When my father and brother were exiled, he went to see them off and secretly slipped them some silver."

The prince's heart sank.

"So he's a romantic at heart? He never abandoned you? Even after you became the daughter of a disgraced official, he still wanted to marry you? And you even met again later?"

The crown prince suddenly changed the subject.

Song Xibai paused for a moment, then nodded subconsciously.

Crown Prince Huo stood up.

"So, the reason you insist on leaving the palace isn't because you don't want to be trapped in the palace like a caged bird, but because of him? Once you've cured me, you're going to leave the palace and live happily ever after with him? Ha! You don't even care about the hatred between your father and brothers?! Song Xibai, you're really something!"

The Crown Prince pointed at Song Xibai with his index finger, his face turning red with anger.

Song Xibai frowned: "What do you mean by that, Your Highness? When did I ever disregard the hatred between my father and brothers? You should speak reasonably!"

The crown prince wouldn't listen at all. Furious, he flung his sleeves and strode out.

Eunuch Feng approached.

"Your Highness, are you leaving so soon? You haven't even had dinner yet!"

"My affairs? What business is it of yours?"

The prince was furious and spoke in a very aggressive tone. He kicked over a small stool under the eaves and walked forward.

Grandpa Feng was inwardly distressed, but dared not dodge, and could only follow along with his old legs.

Meanwhile, Song Xibai, who was inside the house, was still completely bewildered.

"Why did the Crown Prince suddenly get angry? I left before I even finished speaking. Should I continue speaking next time?"