Binding Spring Love

The Empress bestowed mooncakes and fruits, but most people had no interest in tasting them, as they were still immersed in Consort Yun's witty remarks earlier.

Song Yuning was not one to enjoy sharp words, so her veiled criticism of Consort Jiang and the Marquis of Chengyang's household today must have been a sign of her intense anger.

Song Wanhui couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile as she recalled her aunt's earlier enthusiastic and unconventional approach.

Thinking of how Jiang Xingjian had spent many days mingling with the chickens, ducks, and geese of the Bureau of Animal Husbandry, and how he had gone to great lengths to only enter the Divine Pivot Camp, she wanted to sigh at the unpredictability of life.

Originally, he only wanted to return to the capital peacefully, relying on the old Marquis's military achievements on the border and his connections with Consort Jiang in the palace, and he could have obtained a prestigious and substantive post. Now, after all this, he has tarnished the Marquis's family's century-old reputation and dragged down the reputations of Consort Jiang and the Fifth Prince, and only now he's asking for a position in the Divine Pivot Camp. I wonder what he's really after.

Song Wan smiled faintly, a hint of mockery in her eyes.

Old Madam Jiang was a woman of great insight, but unfortunately, Jiang's mother was never good at scheming. Jiang's mother was straightforward and honest, with very little guile in her heart. Ever since the old Marquis left the Marquis's mansion with Jiang Xingjian, she had always been protected under the old madam's wings and had never experienced any hardship.

Before she married into the Marquis's mansion, there were two people in the mansion who sheltered her from the wind and rain, so she did not reveal her shortcomings.

Song Wan looked up at Jiang Man, whose face was a mask of both joy and anger, and sighed inwardly.

Jiang Man's personality is seven or eight parts similar to her mother's, but she is more ruthless and cunning. If Jiang Man had grown up under the care of Old Madam Jiang, she would have been a hundred times more difficult to deal with.

Song Wan picked up a piece of mooncake bestowed upon her by the Empress and slowly put it into her mouth.

One reason was that her aunt's words today were to vent her anger, and the other was to inform the Fifth Prince, who was visiting today, that with a mother like Jiang Man, his talents were probably limited.

This is also why the Empress watched the play for a long time without saying anything to stop it.

Setting down her jade chopsticks, Song Wan scanned the guests at the banquet, secretly pondering the various factions and their underlying power structures.

The empress sat on her high seat, taking in everyone's every move.

"Your Majesty the Empress..." A white-faced eunuch with a pointed chin approached the Empress, "It's time."

The Empress nodded, her eyes calm and still: "Go and find out if he's dead or alive, if he's truly paralyzed, or if he's been playing tricks on me all these years. Also, investigate the rouge shop that Consort Yun mentioned; if there's nothing wrong, she wouldn't keep bringing it up."

The eunuch nodded in agreement and respectfully withdrew, then quickly ran towards the East Palace.

The Eastern Palace was desolate and quiet, remaining lifeless for eight years. But the recent awakening of the Crown Prince was like a boulder thrown into a lake, instantly creating a huge splash.

With a sullen face, Shen Qianyu relit the clay teapot stove, which had already cooled down.

Boiling water is produced, and wisps of steam rise up.

Hearing some strange noises outside, he turned over and lay back down on the golden couch.

"Master Xun...Master Xun."

"Where is the Crown Prince?"

The palace maid trembled with fear, never imagining that the chief eunuch from the Empress's side would suddenly appear in the Eastern Palace. Her knees buckled, and she knelt on the ground, saying, "The Crown Prince... the Crown Prince is still paralyzed, in his bedchamber."

Xun You strode into the Crown Prince's bedroom, but stopped abruptly as soon as he entered.

The entire Eastern Palace was filled with a foul stench, so strong that Xun You had to cover his mouth and nose with a handkerchief.

"Grandpa...Grandpa."

A hunched-over eunuch walked out of the palace. Xun You glanced at him from top to bottom but ignored him.

He hurried to the Crown Prince's bedside, looking at the person on the bed with a furrowed brow and no words.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince?"

After calling out twice without receiving a reply, Xun You snorted coldly and reached out to remove the bright yellow quilt covering the Crown Prince. However, just as his hand was about to touch the Crown Prince, he pulled it back.

"Why does this room smell so bad?"

The young eunuch stared blankly, "Stinky? This servant doesn't know."

"Hmph, one becomes desensitized to the stench of abalone after being in a fish market for so long; the sage was right."

Xun You pointed to the bright yellow quilt: "Lift it."

The young eunuch pulled up the quilt, straight up to the prince's knees.

"Pull them all apart."

"The Crown Prince has been paralyzed for many years, and he eats, drinks, and relieves himself here every day, so he has not been able to wear..."

"It's done, it's done."

Xun You covered his nose and looked down at the Crown Prince's exposed legs.

His legs were covered in scars from his feet to his knees, and there were half a palm's width of iron shackle marks on both ankles. These marks were deep in his flesh, probably caused by being chained to one place for many years when he was a hostage.

Of the other wounds, he could only see some whip marks and branding marks; the rest were too old and worn to be identified.

Xun Xu carefully examined the Crown Prince's face, then suddenly asked, "Since Lord Yin's passing, has the Crown Prince ever woken up again?"

"He woke up once, but these past few days he's been unresponsive again, just like before."

Upon hearing this, Xun You's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He curled his five fingers and instantly reached out to grab the crown prince's knees, but withdrew his hand just before touching the crown prince's flesh.

He's always been very clean, it's just... too dirty, I can't bring myself to do it.

After scanning the Crown Prince's bedroom, Xun You saw a clay teapot boiling on the table, walked over, picked it up, and poured it little by little onto the Crown Prince's legs.

Soon the man's skin was scalded red, and several blisters slowly appeared on it. Xun You stared intently at the Crown Prince, only to see that the man was as unresponsive as if he were dead, and his legs did not even twitch.

Putting down the clay pot in his hand, Xun You said, "Take good care of the Crown Prince, and we'll reward you if you do."

After saying that, he covered his mouth and nose and quickly retreated.

Seeing that the person had left, the young eunuch hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Master, are you alright?"

Shen Qianyu sneered: "Nothing."

He had experienced tortures like being sawed, cut in half, or boiled in a cauldron before, so what was a few scalds with boiling water to him?

After getting off the bed, Shen Qianyu squatted down to the edge of the bed and reached in to pull out a small bottle of sesame oil, which he then poured onto his lap.

"Master, this servant has medicine here."

Using a bamboo skewer to pry open the blisters on his leg, Shen Qianyu said, "The Eastern Palace is not safe these days. Don't bring these things into the palace, lest we alert the enemy."

After roughly treating his wounds, he found a set of eunuch clothes, hunched over, and walked out of the East Palace's sleeping quarters, while the young eunuch from before took off his clothes and lay down on the couch.

"Ji Rong, stop right there."

Shen Qianyu stopped, head bowed. The young palace maid asked, "Did Eunuch Xun come just now to see if the Crown Prince was dead?"

"This Eastern Palace is becoming unsettling. I'm going to ask Aunt Qi to let me move to a different courtyard. Would you like to come with me?"

"Thank you, but no need."

Ignoring the palace maid's cursing and stomping, Shen Qianyu bowed and left.

Duan Yiting's sudden death was unexpected. He had thought he had a year and a half to plan carefully, but now he was in trouble.

Without Duan Yiting's position as the head of the palace, leaving the palace would no longer be such a simple matter for him.

Shen Qianyu sat in the shadows in the corner, chewing on a blade of grass and clicking his tongue.

Duan Yiting's vast fortune was all in his hands, and Wan Xiao of the Eastern Depot was also his confidant. Although he had seduced several illegitimate sons of noble families outside the palace, he had almost no one who could truly support him in the court.

Shen Qianyu frowned as he spat out the grass stem.

Having money and a few eunuchs as subordinates is not enough to secure the position of crown prince.

This is really... a bit troublesome.