Song Tangning understood what Princess Cheng meant, and it made her feel even more suffocated.
She didn't know much about the past, and most of what she knew about the Ruthless Crown Prince came from the mouths of others.
When her grandfather was still alive, he would always fall silent whenever the Ruthless Crown Prince was mentioned, staring southwards beyond the city walls in deep contemplation. Back then, she was too young to understand and would often ask about it. Occasionally, when her grandfather spoke of the Ruthless Crown Prince, his eyes would redden, and tears would flow. After that, she never dared to ask again.
Her past life was entirely entangled in the back courtyard, revolving around the Lu family and the Song family. After her grandfather passed, she only heard a few more mentions of the Ruthless Crown Prince from outsiders.
Everyone said he was cruel and tyrannical. Even Song Jinxiu and the others often mentioned that it was fortunate he had been executed, which made her believe that he truly was a terrible person. But now, after hearing Princess Cheng’s words and thinking about how fiercely the world condemned Xiao Yan, she vaguely realized that the events revealed to the public back then might not have been the whole truth.
But what did it matter if it wasn't the truth? The events of those years were long buried, and no one would stand up for him, nor did anyone dare to.
Princess Cheng saw her sitting at the bedside with her head lowered and said, "I told you all this so you’d understand: power struggles in the court are never about right or wrong. You shouldn’t let the words of others make you doubt those around you. I know you’re worried about Xiao Yan, but he’s not the Ruthless Crown Prince, and he might not walk the same path either."
"If you’re really worried that he’ll end up in a miserable situation, then advise him not to act too ruthlessly. Encourage him to forge good ties with others; that way, he may earn some blessings for the future."
Hearing this, a thought vaguely surfaced in Song Tangning’s mind, but before she could dwell on it, Princess Cheng gently patted her head.
"Alright, if you don’t eat this snow fungus soup soon, it’ll get cold. Hurry up and eat."
Song Tangning mumbled an "oh" and scooped up a large spoonful, bringing it to her mouth.
Seeing her cheeks puff up as if she had regained some energy, Princess Cheng said, "I heard from your Aunt Jun that the Song family has already been transferred from the Justice Department to the Imperial Prison. The matter concerning Song Hong and Xu Zhen is nearly settled. Most of the details of the prisoner exchange back then have also been uncovered. This time, it seems the Song family won’t be able to escape."
"Old Madam Song nearly died after falling ill in prison, and the rest of the Song family isn’t faring any better. However, your third aunt-in-law of the Song family acted decisively and severed ties with Song Qin early on."
"Severed ties?" Song Tangning was surprised.
Princess Cheng nodded. "It caused quite a stir, but because of the earlier commotion between you and the Lu family, it didn’t make too big of a splash."
After the Song family’s estate was confiscated and they were imprisoned for treason, the third wife of the Song family, who had returned to her maternal home, naturally couldn’t escape either. When the Black Armor Guards went to arrest her, she had already reported Song Qin to the local government, accusing him of improper conduct, aiding his brother in treason, deceiving the emperor, and attempting to implicate her entire family.
Madam Song had no desire to continue her marriage with him and sought to sever their relationship entirely. Such a case was unprecedented, so the Black Armor Guards took Madam Song and her child back to the capital, along with the document requesting the severance, and handed it over to Xiao Yan.
"Everyone expected Xiao Yan to be ruthless and destroy them, but to everyone’s surprise, after reading the document, he didn’t make things difficult for her. Instead, he passed the case to the Capital Prefecture. The next day, the Prefecture ruled that Song Qin had acted improperly and that his relatives were involved in treason, granting the severance. As a result, the Song family’s case did not implicate Madam Song or her clan."
Song Tangning had been so preoccupied with the Lu family’s matters that she hadn’t paid attention to the Song family. Now, hearing this, she murmured, "And Song Jinnan and the others?"
"They are the Song family’s offspring; they won’t be able to avoid punishment."
Song Tangning was silent. "Third Aunt was willing to give them up?"
Princess Cheng sighed lightly, "It’s not about willingness. If she hadn’t acted, she would have ended up in prison herself."
Song Hong was involved in treason, and whether he lived or died, he would be exiled. The fate of the other members of the Song family depended on the emperor’s decision. Madam Song was not alone; if she hadn’t severed ties, her entire family, including her sisters and unmarried daughters, would have been implicated.
In these times, family reputation was paramount. For noble families, the rise and fall of one affected them all. If a daughter in the family was convicted of a crime, it would cause trouble for the rest, making it difficult for them to marry well in the future. Even those already married would be affected.
Song Tangning hated Song Qin, but she didn’t harbor much resentment toward the rest of the third branch. In her past life, they hadn’t harmed her directly; at most, they’d criticized her for being unattractive. They hadn’t cared for her or protected her, but they hadn’t actively hurt her either.
She had no desire to destroy Madam Song, so she let the matter go, sighing, "Aunt, if I ever get into trouble, don’t come to save me. Just look after yourself and live well."
"Bang!"
Princess Cheng raised her hand and lightly smacked her on the head. "What nonsense are you spouting? Eat your snow fungus soup!"
Song Tangning immediately clutched her head and sullenly muttered, "Oh," before burying herself in her food.
...
The night sky was like a spread of thick ink, the bright moon hidden behind the clouds, exuding a mysterious air.
After following Lu Chongyuan to Jiyun Alley earlier that day, Lu Zhinian had fainted and been carried back to the mansion, where he quickly developed a high fever. The imperial physicians came and went, the courtyard bustling with activity, and it wasn’t until the fever broke that he finally lay unconscious, still not waking.
The other members of the Lu family, worn out from the ordeal, gradually returned to their rooms to rest. Even Song Mo leaned wearily against the door, dozing off.
Inside the room, darkness lingered as Lu Zhinian lay on the bed in the inner chamber, his tightly closed eyes trembling.
"Brother Lu, I’m in so much pain..."
"Brother Lu, save me..."
A piercing scream echoed from nearby, and it seemed that Lu Zhinian had fallen into a nightmare. He saw "him" standing in the courtyard, staring at the closed door of Shian Court with a tense expression.
Blood was being carried out basin after basin, and the increasingly piercing screams inside made everyone's skin crawl. "He" merely seemed irritated, his expression full of distaste as he tightly furrowed his brow.
"How did this happen? Wasn't she sent to Lingyun Temple? How did she end up falling into a snow pit and get into this state?" Xie Yin's voice trembled as he spoke.
"How would I know?" "He" responded coldly, his face equally grim. "Why didn’t any of you leave someone to keep an eye on her that day?"
Xie Yin and Song Jinxiu both turned to look at each other.
"I thought you left someone…"
"I thought you did."
In unison, they all realized that no one had left anyone to watch over her. For the past three days, "he" had assumed Song Tangning had already returned to the Song family, while Song Jinxiu and the others thought she was still sulking at Lingyun Temple. Yet, no one noticed that she had fallen into a snow pit, lying there for three full days before being found by a passing hunter.
Song Jinxiu's face turned deathly pale. "It’s my fault. I shouldn't have argued with her. She was just being stubborn. I should have brought her back..."
"What's the use of saying that now? Look at her—what are we going to do?" Xie Yin was trembling in fear beside him.
"Brother Lu, Tangning won’t forgive me. Grandmother and the others won’t forgive me either..." Song Shulan’s body trembled as she cried, clinging to "his" sleeve in terror.
Lu Zhinian could only focus on the blood-filled basin. He desperately wanted to see Song Tangning, who was screaming "Brother Lu" inside, to kick away the crying Song Shulan who was clinging to him. Tangning would be furious if she saw this.
But in the dream, "he" helped Song Shulan up instead, gently supporting her waist with care and tenderness. "It’s not your fault. It was her own recklessness that led to this. Don’t worry, your brother and I will protect you."
Song Shulan leaned into his embrace, gazing up at him with tearful eyes.
"Brother Lu..."
"Don’t call me that!!"
Lu Zhinian suddenly jolted awake from his bed with a startled roar, anger and fear surging through him, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 200 here
Too late LZ, you should have had this realization earlier 😌
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