"Princess!"
"Aunt." Nanny Jiang noticed the princess had rubbed her face so much it was nearly raw and quickly reached out to stop her. Tang Ning, standing nearby, was also anxious. "Hua Wu, go get some water."
Hua Wu hurriedly brought water into the room, and the Princess of Cheng washed her face again and again. By the time the pale rouge covering her face had been wiped clean and her stomach could no longer bring anything up, she was so weak that Nanny Jiang had to help her sit back on the couch. After a long moment, she murmured, "Isn't it ridiculous?"
Nanny Jiang's eyes were red. "Princess…"
"I never knew Xie Tianyu was so good at putting on a show."
The Princess of Cheng's throat felt blocked. Though she smiled, her eyes were filled with tears.
She had been married to Xie Tianyu for nearly twenty years and had never doubted him—his deep affection, his loyalty, his endless care and indulgence. But now, it all seemed like a joke.
She had thought their bond as husband and wife surpassed everything. But he had played her for a fool.
How could he say those lies so convincingly without batting an eye, even acting so well that she, his closest companion, couldn’t tell truth from fiction?
If she hadn’t gone to the Jingzhao Prefecture that day, if she hadn’t already suspected something off about Song Shulan’s identity, how could she have ever doubted this man who always seemed so sincere and considerate? It turned out he had been lying to her from the start.
Nanny Jiang hesitated, glanced at Tang Ning, and said softly, "Perhaps the prince only wanted to avoid too much conflict between you and the Song family..."
"Too much conflict?" The Princess of Cheng's eyes reddened. "They wanted to kill Tang Ning. They wanted to ruin my sister’s reputation. They shoved an unknown girl into the second house to disgrace my sister’s children!"
"He knew how close I was to my sister, knew that Tang Ning was my sister’s everything, yet he still chose to side with the Song family. He protected that illegitimate girl of unclear origin and used these ridiculous lies to deceive me!"
She swung her arm, knocking everything off the couch.
"What did the Song family promise him that made him willing to twist right and wrong? What does he think of our years of marriage?"
Nanny Jiang saw the Princess of Cheng trembling in rage and didn’t dare to defend Prince Cheng any longer.
The princess’s chest heaved with anger. Thinking of how, just moments before, Prince Cheng had been whispering sweet words to her, the nausea she had suppressed began to rise again.
Tang Ning watched the pale and teary-eyed princess, unsure of how to comfort her.
If she hadn't known that her aunt would soon "pass away" unexpectedly, and if she hadn't witnessed Prince Cheng fall in love with someone else so quickly after her aunt’s death—showing no less affection for the new woman than he had for her aunt—she might have offered some words of comfort.
Though Prince Cheng hadn’t truly cared for her and had never protected her, his feelings for the Princess of Cheng over the years weren’t entirely false.
But knowing what she knew now, she had no desire to speak on his behalf.
Tang Ning said softly, "Aunt, are we still holding the spring banquet?"
"Hold it? Why not?!"
The Princess of Cheng wiped away her tears, her eyes cold. "The Song family wants to trick you into returning to their mansion? Xie Tianyu wants to cover for them? They want to use you to restore the Song family’s reputation, to clear their name? Well, I’d like to see how they fare once everyone knows the truth about them."
She turned to Tang Ning and said, "There are a few days left until the third day of the third month. The people from Suyun Town should be able to return in time. Even if they can’t, the records from Jingzhao Prefecture will be enough to throw the Song family and Xie Tianyu into disarray. The story of the Li family’s daughter is a fraud, and that letter is certainly problematic. However, your father’s jade pendant…"
Tang Ning replied, "That was my father’s keepsake. After my parents passed, many of their personal belongings were kept in my room. A few days ago, Song Jinxiu and Song Shulan sneaked into my courtyard."
"Shameless!"
The Princess of Cheng was enraged by this news.
Nanny Jiang’s face darkened as well. "To think that Song family’s eldest son is known as a gentleman of the Yutai Hall. How could he commit such disgraceful acts?"
"Yutai gentleman? He’s nothing but a hypocrite."
The Princess of Cheng frowned deeply. "Nanny, go hurry Gu Helian. Tell him to speed things up. We need solid evidence against the Song family, only then will Tang Ning be able to cut ties with them once and for all."
Nanny Jiang quickly agreed. Tang Ning, however, was taken aback. "Gu Helian?"
The Princess of Cheng turned back. "You’ve probably never heard of him. Gu Helian is your maternal grandfather’s adopted son. Your mother did him a great kindness. But after certain things happened, he left the capital."
Tang Ning frowned slightly. No, she had heard that name before.
In her previous life, after her aunt’s death, the Song family had suddenly turned hostile. However, back then, Song Jinxiu and the others hadn’t been so cold toward her.
When Xie Yin occasionally visited, he had mentioned Gu Helian, full of anger, cursing him as a mad dog, saying that Gu constantly opposed Prince Cheng’s household and stirred up chaos like a maniac.
So Gu Helian was connected to the Rong family?
Tang Ning asked curiously, "Grandfather’s adopted son? Why didn’t my mother ever mention him?"
The Princess of Cheng’s expression stiffened. She lowered her gaze slightly. "He left the capital many years ago and later returned to his biological family. He hasn’t been back to the capital since."
"I see."
Tang Ning didn’t notice the fleeting strange look on the princess’s face. She simply assumed Gu Helian was an old acquaintance of the Rong family and didn’t think much of it. She said to the princess, "You don’t need to worry, Aunt. Even if this ‘Uncle Gu’ doesn’t make it back in time, my brother still has enough evidence to destroy the Song family."
The Princess of Cheng was startled when she heard her call him "Uncle Gu." "You’re calling him uncle?"
Tang Ning was confused. "Isn’t he my grandfather’s adopted son?"
The princess’s eyes showed a hint of complexity, and after a moment, she sighed softly, "Yes, you’re right. You should indeed call him uncle."
Nanny Jiang stood to the side, her mouth opening slightly as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately, she only sighed softly in her heart as she looked at the princess with her long lashes lowered.
Uncle... Lord Gu probably never wanted to be called this.
…
After deciding to host the Spring Banquet, Princess Cheng became quite busy. Invitations were sent out to all the major households in the capital, including the Lu family.
When the Fourth Prince’s consort went to the palace to pay respects to the Empress, she mentioned Princess Cheng's plans to host the banquet.
Empress Lu, who was trimming flower branches at the time, paused with her small scissors. Her appearance wasn’t exactly stunning, but her features were dignified, and she carried the grace of someone who had held a high position for many years.
Hearing about the banquet at this time, she halted her work momentarily. "A banquet now?"
The Fourth Prince’s consort lowered her voice. "I heard that even the Song family received an invitation."
The Empress thought for a moment before a smile spread across her face. "So, Tangning has decided to give in."
"I thought so too," replied the consort. "She’s just a young girl. Even with Princess Cheng and that eunuch Xiao Yan backing her, how could she truly sever ties with the Song family? And let’s not forget she’s still thinking about a match with our Lu family. If this conflict drags on, not only will she lose credibility, but she’ll also jeopardize the marriage alliance with our family."
The consort pursed her lips. "To be honest, she’s been acting far too headstrong this time."
The Empress responded calmly, "She nearly lost her life. Who wouldn’t be headstrong after that? Besides, do you think Princess Cheng is someone easy to deal with?"
Back in the day, the Rong family had two famous daughters. The eldest, Rong Zhen, was renowned for her talent, wisdom, and grace. The younger, Rong Yue, while just as talented, was equally famous for her fiery temper.
Even if Tangning didn’t want to pursue the matter, Rong Yue certainly wouldn’t let the Song family off the hook, especially now with that meddling eunuch, Xiao Yan.
"It’s just unfortunate that Song Jinxiu wasn’t careful. Normally so composed, yet he got himself into a mess at Mount Qingshan, leaving an opening for others."
The Fourth Prince’s consort added, "It's a shame. He had a promising future and could have been useful to His Highness."
The Empress clipped a stray branch from the flower pot before placing the scissors on a tray held by a nearby servant. As she wiped her hands with a silk handkerchief, her voice remained soft.
"It's only a temporary setback. As long as Tangning reconciles with the Song family, the Mount Qingshan incident will blow over eventually."
"Song Jinxi is no fool. If he can convince Tangning to clear his name and dispel the rumors, and with a few words from my brother in court, it won’t be hard for him to regain his position."
Placing the handkerchief back down, the Empress continued, "Letting Tangning cause this stir isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ve always worried that if Song Hong inherited the title and Song Jinxiu remained too proud, the Song family wouldn’t fully align with the Lu family and support Tan'er*. But after this ordeal, they have no other choice."
Once Tangning marries into the Lu family, the Song family, Princess Cheng’s household, and all the connections *Rong Taifu left behind will naturally fall into Tan’er’s hands, not to mention all the rare assets others could only dream of possessing.
And then there’s Xiao Yan...
Lately, Xiao Yan has been relentless against the Lu family, causing all sorts of trouble for my brother and the others. Several of the Lu family's businesses and networks have been thrown into chaos.
The Empress’s eyes grew cold. "Have Sanlang* attend the Spring Banquet as well. Let him sweet-talk Tangning."
Tangning has long adored Lu Zhinian. If we can get her to turn against Xiao Yan, my brother and the others will finally have an excuse to deal with that mad dog.
====
*Tan’er is the fourth prince and the Empress son
* Rong Taifu is Song Tangning’s late maternal grandfather and Princess Cheng’s father, a powerful imperial tutor
*Sanlang here is referring to Song Tangning’s fiance Lu Zhinian. He is the Third Young Master of the Lu Family. San means Three.
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