He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

Ji Chengyun's face flushed red instantly.

He came here to demand an explanation.

Just half an hour earlier, on his way back to the house after practicing his shooting, he overheard several cleaning women gossiping under the eaves.

"Hey, have you heard? The Jiang family girl that the Dowager Princess brought back has moved into Jinse Courtyard!"

"How could I not have heard of that! That was our late princess's courtyard; no one has lived there for over a decade!"

A sharp voice deliberately lowered its volume, yet it revealed an undisguised schadenfreude.

"Let me tell you, I heard that the Dowager Princess has taken a liking to that Miss Jiang and wants her to be our young master's wife!"

"My God! Really?"

"Of course it is! Letting Miss Jiang stay at Jinse Courtyard is to let her get familiar with the place first, so that it will be easier for her to manage the household affairs after she becomes the Crown Prince's consort!"

"Tsk tsk, what a clever trick! I wonder what kind of seductive skills she used to have the Dowager Empress completely bewitched!"

"That's right! The Prince hasn't even spoken about our young master's marriage yet, so the Dowager Consort's actions are against the rules!"

"Forget about rules and regulations, he's now a favorite of the Dowager Princess! I think the political landscape of the Prince Xin's mansion is about to change!"

Every single word of that nonsense reached Ji Chengyun's ears.

He was furious!

Marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers.

Although his mother has passed away, his father is still alive! How could his grandmother bypass his father and force a woman into his life?

Besides, he knew absolutely nothing about this woman named Jiang Bingning!

It must be just like what those servants said, she's a vixen!

She deceived her grandmother, and now that she's in the mansion, she's going to deceive herself too!

He was furious and kicked open the courtyard gate, wanting to expose her true colors to her face!

But now...

Looking at the scene before him, Ji Chengyun felt a burning pain on his face.

The damp charcoal billowing with black smoke, the cold dishes glistening with white oil.

And there was that faded old dress she was wearing.

Is this the "vixen" who bewitched my grandmother?

Is this the "favorite" who is about to become the Crown Prince's wife?

If this is the kind of life the future princess consort of the Prince's mansion is living, what will become of the Prince's mansion's reputation if word gets out!

He couldn't utter a single one of his sharp and sarcastic questions.

He understood what Jiang Bingning was saying at the end.

What does it mean to "not cause trouble for the Prince's Mansion"?

She was telling herself that she was a guest invited by her grandmother, but now she was being treated so badly by the servants!

Is this a slap in the face of Jiang Bingning, or in the face of the Prince Xin's mansion?

Is this slight to her, an outsider, or to the former residence of Ji Chengyun's deceased mother?!

Ji Chengyun clenched his fists tightly, forcibly suppressing his anger.

He turned his head, his tone stiff and carrying a hint of awkwardness typical of a young man.

"Don't try to be clever."

"I can see right through what you're thinking."

Jiang Bingning lowered her eyes and remained silent.

Ji Chengyun felt even more annoyed.

"Starting tomorrow, I will have Changfu come over."

He paused, seemingly considering his words.

"Let him come to Jinse Courtyard to assist with the affairs of the courtyard."

"With him around, those lackeys will at least dare not be so blatant anymore!"

Chang Fu.

Jiang Bingning's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.

She knew this person; he was Ji Chengyun's old servant, who had been in the Prince's mansion since Ji Chengyun's mother was still alive. By all accounts, he was more senior than Zhao Da Niang, who served Lin Shi.

Ji Chengyun did not say "mistreated you", but rather "mistreated Jinse Courtyard".

In his mind, the actions of these servants were a disgrace to the courtyard that his mother loved most when she was alive.

This is something he absolutely cannot tolerate.

Jiang Bingning understood, but her face remained calm and expressionless.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Ji Chengyun calmed down a bit. He hummed in agreement, ignored Jiang Bingning, and strode into the study inside.

He walked familiarly to the bookshelf, his gaze sweeping over the books before finally settling on a copy of the Book of Songs with slightly frayed edges.

He reached out and took the book down.

Jiang Bingning followed quietly behind him, taking in everything.

She turned around, picked up the lukewarm teapot on the table, poured a cup, and gently offered it to Ji Chengyun.

Ji Chengyun was staring blankly at a small portrait of a princess in the study when he subconsciously took the teacup and took a sip.

"puff--!"

He frowned deeply as soon as he took a bite, and almost vomited.

This isn't tea at all.

It's so bland and tasteless that calling it dishwater is an understatement.

He wanted to lash out, but when he saw Jiang Bingning's clear, bright eyes, he forced back his anger once again.

He is not an arrogant or unreasonable person.

He simply couldn't bring himself to get angry at a "guest" whose situation was even worse than that of a servant.

Ji Chengyun put down his teacup, his voice softening slightly without him even realizing it.

"I know that you are now living in this courtyard, and it is not proper for me to barge in like this."

His gaze was somewhat unfocused as he looked at the portrait.

"But this is where my deceased mother lived."

"Over the past ten years, I have grown accustomed to sitting here alone."

He paused, seemingly a little uncomfortable, and quickly glanced at Jiang Bingning.

"You...don't mind it."

As if to cover up his embarrassment, he added another sentence.

"Hmm... Tomorrow, I'll have Changfu prepare some good tea and bring it over."

A barely perceptible smile curved the corners of Jiang Bingning's lips, disappearing in an instant.

Her answer remained indifferent.

"This is the Crown Prince's home. He can come and go as he pleases, so there's no reason not to let him."

"If Bingning is getting in the way of the young master, Bingning can leave first."

Her words were neither humble nor arrogant, giving Ji Chengyun a way out while also making her own stance clear.

Upon hearing this, Ji Chengyun sighed softly.

He always hated having anyone around him when he was missing his deceased mother.

But for some reason, after these few brief conflicts, he found that the woman in front of him wasn't so bad after all.

His gaze fell on Jiang Bingning's face, and seeing her staring curiously at the Book of Songs in his hand, a complex bitter smile appeared on Ji Chengyun's face.

He shook the book in his hand.

"This is the book my mother used to relieve her depression before she passed away."

His voice lowered.

"She often said, 'Poetry expresses one's aspirations, and songs perpetuate one's words.' That's why she always reads this book."

Ji Chengyun stretched out his fingers and gently stroked the pages of the book, his eyes so tender they seemed to drip with affection.

"I later discovered that there were many handwritten notes tucked inside the book."

He opened the book and found it contained many sheets of paper of different sizes, with neat handwriting that conveyed a sense of weakness and exhaustion.

"Some of them are prescriptions for conditioning the body, but I don't understand them."

"Some are daily notes."

Ji Chengyun's voice was even lower, with a hint of sob in it.

"Those notes are a record of my mother's last days in this world."

"So, I often come here to take a look."

"It's as if she's still here."