After bidding farewell to the Eighth Prince, Hongshi and his servant rode in a carriage back to the mansion. Hongshi remained silent the entire way, staring blankly out the window with a heavy heart.

He began to recall, bit by bit, the scene of losing Irgen. Even after many days, it was still vivid in his mind, and he felt as if his heart had been hollowed out.

Hongshi felt guilty towards Lady Irgen and her son, which is why he didn't look at the young prince after her death, fearing he would collapse.

At that time, Hongshi only wanted to escape. He finally found a place where he could numb his heart and met a confidante. Hongshi immediately fell for her. That confidante was Xiang Ning.

Seeing Hongshi's distressed expression, the servant sitting on the other side of the carriage couldn't help but comfort him, "Your Highness, please don't be too upset..."

Hongshi gave a wry smile, as if suddenly realizing something, and said, "Back then, I was like a man possessed, showering her with money. Later, when she found out I had run out of money, she immediately changed her attitude, but I never suspected her intentions at all..."

The servant said, "If what Eighth Prince said is true, and Xiang Ning is someone sent by the Empress, why not keep a firm grip on the Prince instead of going to such lengths to frame and provoke him?"

Hongshi turned around and said, "I'll get tired of a courtesan sooner or later. My mother is so smart; she understands that this woman can't control me. Her goal is to make me realize that only by relying on her can I gain power and a foothold. Xiangning is just following my mother's instructions to lure me into her next plan..."

The servant, puzzled, asked curiously, "The next plan? Did the prince mean falling into the water?"

Hongshi's eyes dimmed. Although unwilling to face it, he had finally seen the truth. He said painfully, "I also thought I fell into the water accidentally, but now that I think about it carefully, I've never seen either the person who pushed me or the person who rescued me. What a coincidence! And it just so happens that someone in the manor saw it all. This series of coincidences can only mean that this was all meticulously planned..."

The servant was startled, then suddenly remembered something and looked at Hongshi, saying, "I suddenly remembered something. The day the Prince fell into the water and was rescued and brought back to the manor, it was I who went to inform the Princess. Normally, the Princess wouldn't know that the Prince had fallen into the water, but that day I saw that the Princess had prepared towels and clean clothes in advance, as if waiting for me to inform her... It happened so suddenly, I didn't think anything was strange at first, but now that the Prince has said this, it seems a bit of a coincidence..."

Hongshi was taken aback, but then felt relieved and muttered bitterly, "I never thought that I, a man of my stature, would be so easily manipulated by a woman. This incident almost made me change my opinion of Shuzhen. I never imagined that she had already conspired with the Empress Dowager to control me..."

As Hongshi thought about these things, he felt as if there was a venomous snake slowly flicking its tongue at his back, preparing to bite him.

Hongshi's anger was like a slumbering beast that needed to be licked and shed blood to be quelled.

The carriage swayed and rattled all the way to Hongshi's residence. But Hongshi had an urge not to go back. Because once he returned, he would have to face that woman again.

But no matter how much Hongshi didn't want to face it, he had to return to the manor. Because he was born into the royal family, such struggles and intrigues had never ceased.