Wen Congbai won the lawsuit. Shen Yuhe tightly linked arms with him and walked out of the Supreme Court of Justice.
That evening, both the Wen family and the Shen family held a grand banquet. Firecrackers roared, and everyone felt greatly relieved.
At the banquet, Grand Tutor Wen and Shen Mu unanimously agreed to choose an auspicious day to hold the wedding for Wen Congbai and Shen Yuhe.
Liang Yuzhou told Song Wanchu the details of the trial.
When he mentioned the woman who had turned the case around, he felt a huge sense of confusion for the first time.
"Someone helped us and the Crown Prince without our knowledge."
Others might not be able to guess.
But Wanchu guessed right away.
"It's Mianmian. She came to visit that day and specifically asked about Young Master Wen's case. She also said that winning this lawsuit was very important for the Crown Prince."
Only then did Liang Yuzhou realize that he had underestimated Cheng Simian.
This woman was full of hidden strengths, with a firm mind and clear goals.
She observed silently and secretly. And at the most critical moment of the case, with just one move, she had achieved a stunning reversal.
Song Wanchu sighed, "Mianmian knows exactly what she wants. Born into the corrupt and sinful Marquis Wu De's Mansion, she has remained pure. She had the determination to let the entire marquis's mansion fall, and she must also have the means to break free from the mire and gain a new life."
Liang Yuzhou admired such a woman.
But he didn't want to be the only one who did.
Such a wonderful girl was exactly the most suitable candidate for the Crown Princess who could fight side by side with the Crown Prince, wasn't she?
The day after Wen Congbai regained his freedom, he took Shen Yuhe to pay a visit to the Crown Prince.
Their wedding date had been set, just three months later.
The Crown Prince presented his wedding gift.
He was in a good mood.
At the court session that morning, Shi Jinglu presented Dong Xianzhi's testimony to the emperor. He also casually mentioned that he had been threatened by Cheng Yong and that his nephew, Shi Minglang, had almost lost his life.
The emperor's face had turned extremely ugly.
Recently, there had been an endless stream of officials impeaching Grand Tutor Wen in the court. They said that he was unfit to be a teacher because he had failed to educate his son well and that his official position and title should be stripped.
If the emperor couldn't see what was going on by now, he would be a fatuous king.
He sent Li Luxiang, the chief eunuch, to invite the princess royal in person.
Li Luxiang came back empty - handed. The princess royal said that she was ill and couldn't get out of bed. She was afraid of passing the illness to the emperor.
She wasn't really ill. She was just avoiding the emperor out of guilt.
Although the emperor didn't say or do anything, he had already developed a grudge against the princess royal in his heart.
He owed his elder sister a debt of gratitude, so he had turned a blind eye to her debauchery and tyranny.
Even when she had embezzled military funds, causing the defeat of the front - line troops, the emperor had tolerated it.
However, he would never allow a woman to interfere in state affairs and secretly stir up trouble in the court.
The Crown Prince was his most satisfactory heir. If anyone was a threat to him, even his own elder sister who had once helped him, he would never show any mercy!
The Crown Prince's ears suddenly became much quieter.
The next day, the emperor demoted or exiled those officials who had impeached Grand Tutor Wen.
Cheng Yong was also doomed. He was dismissed from his official position as the fourth - rank assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
Although the position of assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue wasn't very high - ranking, it held real power. Once he lost it, he was left with only the empty title of Marquis Wu De.
Everyone in the capital knew that he only had his noble birth and had inherited the title from his ancestors. Without his ancestors' heroic battles, he would be nothing.
Cheng Yong was stunned. He had fought for the princess royal, lost a son, and now had been dismissed. The reputation of the Cheng family in the capital had become even more notorious.
Wen Congbai had only suffered a little physical injury, but he had almost ruined the family's honor.
Both the princess royal and Cheng Yong hated Dong Xianzhi, who had suddenly appeared, and the person behind her.
They wanted to kill Dong Xianzhi to vent their anger, but she had disappeared without a trace in the capital.
Cheng Simian came to Yunshen Alley again and asked Song Wanchu for help.
"Dong Xianzhi used to be my mother's maid. My mother had been in a daze for several years and didn't care about much. Cheng Jingxuan saw that Dong Xianzhi was good - looking and forcibly took her.
Dong Xianzhi came to her senses and voluntarily asked to be Cheng Jingxuan's concubine. She was gentle and sweet, bewitching Cheng Jingxuan. In five years, she had gotten a lot of good things from Cheng Jingxuan and saved up a fortune for herself.
She had been planning to run away at any time. The child was an accident. As a mother, she wanted to live a good life with her child. So when I approached her, I didn't have to persuade her much. She agreed to testify in court on the condition that I would ensure her prosperity for the rest of her life."
Song Wanchu understood that with Cheng Simian's ability, she couldn't guarantee Dong Xianzhi's safety.
She had come to the right person.
Liang Yuzhou acted quickly. Almost overnight, Dong Xianzhi disappeared from the capital.
Cheng Simian's secret help had benefited the Crown Prince the most.
More than half of the princess royal's party had been eliminated.
The princess royal was severely damaged. In the past, she had often gone to the palace, claiming that she wanted to maintain a good relationship with the emperor. But now, she only dared to pretend to be ill and didn't dare to see the emperor.
Song Wanchu joked with Cheng Simian, "A lifetime of prosperity is no small amount, Mianmian. Aren't you going to ask the Crown Prince to reimburse you?"
Cheng Simian didn't go to the Crown Prince first, but the Crown Prince came to her.
On her way back from Yunshen Alley, when she passed by Qingyazhai, the Crown Prince's carriage was coming towards her.
Cheng Simian got out of her carriage and bowed to the five - clawed golden dragon on the carriage curtain.
"Do you still remember the taste of the dim sum in Qingyazhai after being away from home for eight years?"
He didn't show his face. He talked to Cheng Simian through the curtain.
It was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry. It sounded like an extremely ordinary greeting.
Cheng Simian's expression remained calm. Her red lips slightly moved. "I miss it very much. If the Crown Prince would do me the honor, I'd like to invite Your Highness for a cup of tea."
A cold wind blew, lifting a corner of the curtain. His gentle eyes met her cold phoenix - like eyes.
In a quiet private room in Qingyazhai.
The two sat opposite each other, separated by a screen. Shuyi stood with the two female officials.
She was nervous and anxious. The Crown Prince's attitude was unclear. He seemed to be hostile to the young lady. Her heart was in her throat.
The two female officials looked serious, exuding a strong sense of oppression, which made her even more uncomfortable.
Bai Zhi and Luo Cen carefully sized up Cheng Simian.
They were amazed but also felt sorry.
Why did she have to have the surname Cheng?
Cheng Simian looked calm. With her slender hands, she presented a cup of hot tea.
The Crown Prince's eyes casually glanced at her fair fingers.
Her fingers weren't as delicate as those of ordinary noble ladies. There were calluses on her joints.
She was excellent at painting and calligraphy. Presumably, she practiced hard every day, which was why her fingers were like this.
The fragrance of the tea lingered. Cheng Simian was in a peaceful mood. Since the Crown Prince didn't ask, she didn't say much. Her breathing was steady.
The Crown Prince's eyes were full of suspicion and scrutiny.
"What do you want?"
She had gone to great lengths to help Wen Congbai win the lawsuit and bring down the princess royal.
But she didn't claim credit, nor did she flatter. She didn't even show the slightest hint.
If Liang Yuzhou hadn't "accidentally" let it slip in front of him, he wouldn't have guessed that it was Cheng Simian who had made Dong Xianzhi testify in court.
Her thoughts were really hard to fathom.
Cheng Simian raised her eyes. Her eyes were very beautiful, clear like a mountain stream, with a faint chill.
"I don't want anything. The Crown Prince's goal is my ultimate goal."