"Rumors outside may not be accurate. It's true that the King of Qin and his concubine have had a long-standing relationship, but that relationship can't overcome everything. Otherwise, he wouldn't have married the princess and had her bear his child."
If he really liked the concubine that much, wouldn't it be better not to marry the principal wife at all? Or, he could be ruthless, marry the principal wife but not give her any favor. Without children, she would have no confidence, and no one would say anything if he wanted to pamper the concubine however he wanted.
But the Princess Consort of Qin not only gave birth to a child, but also the eldest son of the legitimate wife.
Her daughter is a year older than the concubine's son!
Song Xibai sighed.
"For most men, love is a trivial matter. No matter how much the King of Qin liked his concubine, it couldn't overcome the ancestral laws and his pride."
Dingxiang said with a smile, "The Crown Prince is different! His feelings for you are incomparable to those of someone like the King of Qin."
Song Xibai did not respond.
But she thought to herself, what if it hadn't been her who treated the Crown Prince?
If she were just an ordinary concubine, the Crown Prince's attitude towards her would probably be no different from that of others.
Or, if after curing the crown prince, the first person to get pregnant is someone else instead of herself, how much affection will the crown prince have for her then?
She couldn't think about this kind of thing too much; if she did, she would feel suffocated and her heart would race.
Song Xibai realized that she might be experiencing some symptoms of prenatal depression.
How could she not panic when there was no news of the Crown Prince for so long?
But in front of others, she had to appear calm and confident that the Crown Prince was alright and would return safely. As time went on, her anxiety grew more and more intense.
With my belly getting bigger and bigger, I haven't been able to eat or sleep well these past few days, and the weather is hot too. I've been feeling down like never before.
Song Xibai took a breath and kept telling herself that there were still two months left. As long as she could hold on for two more months, she would be able to deliver the goods.
A few days later, various rumors about the Crown Prince began to circulate in the capital.
Some people confidently claimed to have seen the Crown Prince in Lingnan, while others said that the Crown Prince had actually died long ago. Still others said that the Crown Prince's disappearance was actually due to a secret investigation.
The latter version was more widely circulated, and many people believed it. Some even speculated that the disaster relief funds had been embezzled and that the crown prince had been harmed by those corrupt officials.
They described it so realistically, as if they had seen it with their own eyes.
When the news reached the manor, Song Xibai almost believed it.
"The officials in the court have gone to great lengths for the sake of the Crown Prince!"
Song Xibai shook his head and sighed.
She originally thought that rumors were just rumors and not true.
To her utter surprise, the next day Commander Yue excitedly told her that they had discovered a secret code left by the secret guards near Changde Prefecture.
"really?"
Song Xibai stood up abruptly, not even noticing that she had knocked over a teacup on the table.
Commander Yue nodded repeatedly.
"My men have verified that he was indeed one of the bodyguards who went out with His Highness."
"That's wonderful!"
"Amitabha! May Buddha protect us!"
Ding Xiang, Wei Hong, and others were overjoyed.
"After waiting for so long, there's finally good news!"
Song Xibai could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
She slowly sat back in her chair, watching Wei Hongfu tidy up the table, and after a moment of contemplation, she asked again.
"Besides that, is there any other news? Have you seen anyone?"
"I didn't know," Commander Yue shook his head. "I rushed here to report as soon as I received the news."
Song Xibai frowned slightly.
Dingxiang, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but speak up.
"Since His Highness is alright, why didn't you send a message back? You made everyone worry for nothing."
Song Xibai's eyes flickered.
"I'm afraid there wasn't a chance before, or the message was intercepted when it was sent back."
"Then why does it work again now?"
“Changde Prefecture…Changde Prefecture…Could it be that there are people from the Crown Prince’s faction in Changde Prefecture?” Song Xibai suddenly looked up. “Go and investigate the officials in Changde Prefecture. Be careful not to let anyone find out. Also, tell your men not to get too excited, lest they reveal their presence to the enemy.”
"After all, our enemy is no ordinary person, but that person."
She held up one finger and pointed upwards.
The joy on Commander Yue's and the others' faces quickly faded, and everyone nodded solemnly.
The fact that the guards could leave a coded message indicates that their lives are temporarily safe, but the danger has not been eliminated. Otherwise, they could have simply shown themselves without needing a coded message.
What secrets lie hidden in Changde Prefecture?
Song Xibai was puzzled.
Every move Zhuangzi made was under the watchful eyes of those people, and at such times, there was very little Song Xibai could do.
She suppressed the urge to head south to find him, and outwardly continued to feign concern.
Good news kept coming back.
The officials who accompanied the group returned to the capital. Apart from the guards who were injured, most of them were still alive, including Feng Jia.
If we were to ask who the Crown Prince trusts most in the entire Eastern Palace, it would undoubtedly be Eunuch Feng.
Therefore, as soon as Feng Jia returned to the capital, he was summoned by the emperor and placed under strict surveillance and interrogation, making it impossible for outsiders to contact him.
Commander Yue was extremely anxious.
That night, however, an unexpected person visited the manor.
Song Xibai was fast asleep when Wei Hong suddenly woke her up, and then she heard her say something.
"My lord, Commander Yue sent word that a high-ranking official requests an audience."
"Sir? Who would come so late?"
Moreover, he was asking to see himself?
Song Xibai didn't remain puzzled for long.
She quickly changed her clothes, not even bothering to style her hair, only managing to hurriedly tie it up on top of her head before taking Wei Hong to the front yard.
The front yard has been renovated, and a person wearing a cloak stands outside the side hall near the gate.
As soon as Song Xibai appeared, the man immediately bowed and stepped forward to pay his respects.
"This humble official, Fang Qing, Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, pays his respects to Lady Liangdi."
"Please rise, Lord Fang."
Song Xibai offered a helping hand and turned to Commander Yue, who was standing to the side.
"How can we let Lord Fang wait outside? Please invite him in. Oh, and have someone brew a pot of the finest Biluochun tea."
Mr. Fang waved his hand.
"No need for trouble. I came secretly and will only convey the message to Consort Liangdi. I will leave immediately after speaking to avoid being discovered."
He paused here, gathered his thoughts, and continued.
"Before returning to the capital, Eunuch Feng knew he would be closely watched and that it would be difficult for him to contact the Empress. So he asked me to tell the Empress that there was a traitor among the entourage, and that His Highness the Crown Prince fell into the water and went missing due to the sneak attack. On our way back to the capital, Eunuch Feng was assassinated three times, all for the same thing."
"What is that?"
"Your Highness's Crown Prince Seal!"
Song Xibai was startled.
Lord Fang spoke rapidly and continued, "But they were all wrong. His Highness's seal is not in Eunuch Feng's hands, but in mine."
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