"When did the Prince take the household registration book?" the Princess of Cheng asked.
"Three days ago."
"And what about the people from the Song family? Have they been here?"
"This..."
Seeing the icy coldness in the Princess's eyes, Wu Huai hesitated only briefly before speaking truthfully, "Before noon, Minister Song came by once to request the registration book of the eldest daughter of the Song family. When he heard that it had already been taken by the Prince, his expression was extremely grim. I watched as Minister Song's carriage headed toward the Prince's residence after he left."
The Princess of Cheng's gaze grew even colder. Why would Song Hong come to retrieve Song Shulan's registration book if there wasn't something suspicious?
So, there was indeed an issue with Song Shulan's identity!
Countless thoughts rushed through her mind, and once she'd pieced together the answer she wanted, the Princess of Cheng grew strangely calm. She took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and wore an apologetic expression.
"I apologize for today’s offense. I was merely concerned that my late sister’s child was being mistreated. I hope Lord Wu will forgive my rudeness."
Startled, Wu Huai quickly stepped back, waving his hands. "Please, Your Highness, don't punish me with such formalities. I'm just relieved you won’t hold me accountable for hiding the truth earlier."
The Princess of Cheng responded with a warm smile, "After all, this is a private matter of the Song family. Lord Wu’s discretion is commendable. It’s understandable that you wouldn’t publicize it. I didn't expect that my husband had already been here. Perhaps I was too hasty. Once he knows I’ve been bothering you, he might even scold me for making a fuss over nothing. Your tight-lipped discretion is well-regarded."
Wu Huai, being a seasoned official, immediately caught her meaning. "Your Highness, rest assured, today I have not seen you."
The Princess of Cheng exchanged a glance with Nanny Jiang, who quickly stepped forward and handed a few taels of silver to the shocked bailiff.
"Young man, it seems we startled you earlier in our rush. This is a little gift from the Princess—just some tea money."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly..." The bailiff hastily declined.
The Princess of Cheng chuckled, "Since it's given in front of Lord Wu, it doesn’t count as bribery—just a token for tea. You need not worry."
With her having said that, what else could Wu Huai add?
"Since it’s a gift from Her Highness, you’d better accept it."
The young bailiff hesitated for a moment before finally accepting the silver.
The Princess of Cheng acted as if she had only come for a casual inquiry. Smiling, she said, "Thank you for your time, Lord Wu. I’ll let you get back to work."
With Nanny Jiang supporting her, the Princess of Cheng departed. Wu Huai instructed the same young bailiff to personally escort them out. This time, he stood at the entrance and watched until the three figures vanished around the corridor. Only then did he slap his own face in frustration, cursing under his breath, "Why can't I keep my mouth shut?"
"Lord," came a startled voice from beside him—Tao Qing, the Deputy of Jingzhao, had been watching in confusion. "Why are you so worked up? The Princess seemed fine when she left..."
"What do you know!" Wu Huai snapped, cursing out loud in his fury as he paced back and forth, his face ashen.
"Do you have any idea who Song Tangning is, or how fiercely protective the Princess of Cheng is? She once slapped her own son at a banquet without a second thought. Do you think she’ll tolerate the Prince helping an illegitimate daughter of the Song family?"
Was that calm? That was barely contained rage!
Though she had smiled so gently earlier, Wu Huai could sense impending disaster.
The Princess of Cheng was never one to hold back in conflicts. She’d publicly humiliated people at banquets before, not sparing even her own son from a verbal lashing. Today, if she had truly caused a scene, it would have been easier to deal with. But the fact that she remained calm, smiling as if nothing was wrong—that was what truly sent shivers down his spine.
"We should send someone to inform the Prince immediately," Tao Qing suggested.
"Are you out of your mind?" Wu Huai snapped. "Do you want to die?"
Having already revealed Song Shulan’s original registration place, he had offended both the Song family and the Prince. If he went to inform the Prince now, he would also be offending the Princess.
After pacing a bit more, Wu Huai gritted his teeth and made a decision. "Doesn't the government office have a system for issuing replacement registration books? Go make a new one for the illegitimate daughter of the Song family, and send someone to deliver it to Miss Song at Jiyun Alley."
Tao Qing looked at him in confusion. "Will giving it to her even help?"
"What do you know!" Wu Huai barked. "There’s something fishy about that illegitimate daughter's background."
There had been rumors that the girl had come from Anzhou, and the Princess had just asked the same question. If she were just an ordinary illegitimate daughter pretending to be a legitimate one, why would the Song family lie about her origins and deceive both the Song family and the Princess of Cheng? Unless... this girl’s very identity was fake.
"If the Song family is truly hiding something about her origins, or if she isn’t even of the Song family’s second branch bloodline..."
Tao Qing’s face turned pale.
"Are the Song family insane?!"
Wu Huai didn’t know whether the Song family had gone mad or not, but he did know one thing: he needed to find an ally.
"That registration book isn’t for Miss Song —it’s for Supervisor Xiao. Today, he broke the old matriarch’s hand for that girl and made a public spectacle of the Song family. Knowing his temperament, once he’s set against someone, he won’t stop until they’re thoroughly ruined."
Wu Huai didn’t care about Song Tangning. He cared about Xiao Yan.
He had already offended the Song family, and who knew what was happening on the Prince's side? It was better to secure an "ally" now, to shield himself from any future troubles. As the humble magistrate of Jingzhao, he couldn’t afford to get caught in a bigger storm.
Seeing Tao Qing still frozen in shock, Wu Huai snapped, "What are you waiting for? Go!"
Half an hour later, in the Tang Manor at Jiyun Alley...
Song Tangning stood behind a bamboo-and-ink screen, listening in shock as the messenger from the Jingzhao office spoke softly. The news was staggering.
"My master says that the eldest daughter of the Song family is from Yanghua, though there are rumors outside claiming she’s from Anzhou. Such rumors are alarming, especially since they concern the bloodline of the Song family. My master thought it best not to hide this, so he asked me to deliver the registration book to you."
Tangning's lips parted slightly in shock. These words were almost identical to what Xiao Yan had just told her.
She couldn't help but glance at the man sitting across from her. He lounged lazily, tapping the table absentmindedly, showing no sign of speaking.
Swallowing hard, Tangning steadied herself and spoke, "This document is indeed of use to me. Please thank Lord Wu on my behalf."
"No need to thank me. My master is a man who despises evil and cannot tolerate lies. When he learned of the Song family’s deceit, he was disgusted. He once said that Minister Song’s actions disgrace the reputation of a noble family. If this helps you, my master will be very pleased."
The messenger repeated Wu Huai’s instructions carefully: speak less, watch less, and listen less.
He bowed respectfully. "Now that the document has been delivered, I must return to report to my master."
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You can read ahead to chapterr 70 here
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