"Your Highness, isn't this too absurd?" Qin Yu felt it was outrageous; they didn't believe in ghosts or gods.

"I visited the village where the princess lived. She was adopted by a local sorceress. Although the sorceress was somewhat famous, she never married because of her status. She found the princess and raised her, hoping that she would take care of her in her old age."

Because of this, the princess was bullied by the other children in the village when she was young. As for the claim that the princess could see ghosts, that was also said by the sorceress herself. Some villagers said the princess could see evil spirits and often talked to thin air; others said the sorceress was just saying that for business. No one knows whether it's true or not.

"Where is the sorceress?"

"The Song family was afraid that people would find out that the princess was raised by the sorceress, so they gave the sorceress a large sum of money and sent her away. I am still looking for her."

Xie Liwei pondered for a moment, then said, "There's no need to look anymore."

Given Grand Tutor Song's decisive nature, the person has probably already drunk the Meng Po soup and been reincarnated.

He rubbed his temples and looked at the documents again, but there wasn't a single useful piece of information.

It couldn't be that Song Yaozhu saw her older sister's spirit at night, and that her older sister instigated her to seek revenge, could it?

That's ridiculous!

"Are there any suspicious people in the village?"

"No, I've investigated everyone in the village. They're all locals, and I know them inside and out. Even that sorceress is someone whose skills have been passed down through generations."

Xie Liwei tapped her fingers lightly on the table, unable to understand why she was so similar to her older sister if no one had taught her.

He really didn't believe in ghosts and gods.

Only Song Yaozhu can solve this mystery for herself.

"Go tell the princess that I will sleep in her courtyard tonight."

Qin Yu exclaimed "Ah!" and then immediately responded with wide eyes, running out.

Oh dear, their prince, who is known for his aloofness towards women, is finally going to stay overnight in the backyard. Does that mean the little prince will be born soon?

Meanwhile, inside the palace, Yuwen Wuji went through the motions and returned to the Qiankun Hall to handle affairs.

As he opened the folded document, all he could see in his mind was Song Yaozhu's tear-streaked face.

Her stunning beauty and gentle, unyielding nature perfectly matched the image of Xie Wanqing he had imagined.

He had loved Xie Wanqing. She was beautiful and learned. However, she was too strong-willed, and he always felt suffocated and dominated by her.

In this world, which man who achieves great things can tolerate being overshadowed by a woman?

That's why he finally made up his mind to deal with Xie Wanqing.

With her death, those unpleasant memories faded, leaving only the beautiful images of their love. Yuwen Wuji couldn't help but reminisce about the past.

Song Yaozhu's appearance gave him a feeling of a dream come true. She resembled Xie Wanqing in appearance, yet she was so fragile that she could only depend on a man for survival. She was like a parasitic flower, delicate and pitiful. It was precisely her appearance, unable to live without him, that was most captivating.

She wasn't like Xie Wanqing, who seemed perfectly capable of living well without anyone.

What a pity! Why didn't I know about her existence sooner? It just benefited Xie Liwei for nothing.

Yuwen Wuji sighed, and Li Wei brought over the calming tea at just the right moment.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has sent someone to ask if you will attend the luncheon."

The Emperor took the tea and drank a sip. "I won't go. Tell the Consort to treat him well and pick a good one for the Third Prince as well."

"yes."

Li Wei replied to Eunuch Gao, and sighed inwardly.

What kind of mess is this? If you ask me, I'd just kill Song Yaozhu and be done with it!

The Imperial Concubine was not in a good mood after receiving the message, but with so many ladies present, she had no choice but to put on a brave face.

"Your Majesty, please have some ginseng tea," Mo Yu said with concern.

With no one around, the Imperial Concubine's face showed exhaustion and annoyance. "Mo Yu, did you see the Emperor's expression when he saw Song San today?!"

Mo Yu's face stiffened; she had naturally noticed.

The Emperor looked at her with such tenderness, as if he were looking at his beloved.

"Your Highness, that's Miss Song the Third, the Princess Consort of Xiaoyao!"

The Imperial Concubine closed her eyes and sighed deeply, relieved that Song San was already married. Otherwise, who knows how much turmoil this woman would have caused if she had entered the palace.

“That Miss Song seems simple-minded, but I think she’s quite clever. If she were really as well-educated and reasonable as the rumors say, she wouldn’t have let her older sister, who just returned home, marry in her place.”

"Hmph, I didn't even consider her a threat."

During the luncheon, the Imperial Concubine bestowed upon Song Wenyue a special dish, an honor no one else received, which made many young ladies envious.

Song Wenyue was secretly delighted, thinking that the Imperial Concubine must have high hopes for her.

After leaving the palace and boarding the carriage, Madam Song held Song Wenyue's hand and said earnestly, "Yue'er, tell your mother, do you want to marry the Third Prince?"

Hearing the solemn tone of Madam Song, Song Wenyue couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"You know, your grandfather doesn't want us to get involved in factional strife. Even with the Prince of Xiaoyao, who held no official position, your grandfather chose to sacrifice your sister, with whom he had no affection. If you want to marry the Third Prince now, then all your grandfather's good intentions will have been in vain!"

Song Wenyue was filled with shame. She knew her grandfather's good intentions, but she was unwilling to accept it!

“Mother, how can a family like ours escape this fate! If Grandfather really didn’t want to compete, why did he become the Grand Tutor to the Prince? Wouldn’t it have been easier to avoid trouble by resigning?”

Madam Song was speechless when asked the question.

“Mother, you know our family situation best. Grandfather and Father’s salaries are just a drop in the bucket, and this huge family is entirely supported by Mother’s dowry. Our family is just a pretty shell; without real power, we have no voice, and without a voice, we have no money or prestige!”

Look how grand it was when my third sister returned home! We, the whole family, had to bow to her! Does Mother really want her daughter to have to be so humble and deferential to her third sister every time she sees her in the future?

Song Wenyue sobbed softly, her voice filled with grievance.

“They are all your children, don’t you feel sorry for your daughter? All your daughter wants is to marry someone like her third sister so that she can help out the family in the future.”

Madam Song felt heartbroken after hearing her words and quickly hugged her, coaxing, "My dear daughter, it's all because your father is useless. Otherwise, you wouldn't have to worry about this family!"

"Mother, you can understand your daughter, right?"

“Your mother knows you; you’ve always been filial and obedient. It’s just that your grandfather…” She sighed, “I’ll go ask him about it later!”

Song Wenyue was overjoyed. As long as Madam Song agreed, there would be no problem with Song Chengzhang.

"By the way, Mother, my sister was wronged by my brother-in-law today. Shall we go to the Prince's mansion to see her tomorrow?"

After some thought, Madam Song decided that if she wanted to facilitate the relationship between Song Wenyue and the Third Prince, she could ask Song Yaozhu for help. She was now a princess and could send invitations to the palace.

"Okay, we'll go see your sister tomorrow."