The crown prince originally intended to question her.
But in the current situation, it seemed as if he was the one being questioned by Cheng Simian.
She was clearly of a lower rank, yet there was not a trace of humility or fear in her. Instead, she remained elegant, calm, and composed.
Those cold, bright eyes clearly reflected his expression.
Suddenly, the crown prince felt that Cheng Simian's aura was very familiar.
Right, it was his mother, the queen.
The queen was the mother of the nation, always maintaining an air of composure in the face of both favor and disgrace.
The princess was domineering. She often sowed discord in front of the emperor and showed disrespect to the queen. Every time they met, she would make sarcastic remarks.
However, no matter how much she was insulted, the queen would never lose her grace.
She would fight back with a smile, using a gentle attitude to stab the princess with soft words.
Graceful and noble, these were all qualities that Cheng Simian possessed.
She also had an aloofness and clarity that no other woman in the world could match.
The crown prince suddenly came to his senses. Staring at his own reflection in Cheng Simian's eyes, he thought his face looked hideous and distorted.
The sudden exposure of Liang Yuzhou and Wan Chu had caught him off guard.
Cheng Simian was right. His prejudice against her stemmed from her surname.
He had clearly given his promise, but now he was about to make her kneel and plead guilty.
He seemed like a hypocrite who went back on his word.
The force on Cheng Simian's chin suddenly relaxed.
She looked up, and the crown prince's expression had returned to calm.
The morning light shone gently through the window screen embroidered with gold thread, covering the two of them.
The main hall gradually brightened.
"Go back. I was out of line today," the crown prince said.
Cheng Simian didn't get up in a hurry. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Your servant knows that Your Highness is troubled by something."
The crown prince was stunned for a moment. "Did Wan Chu tell you too?"
"There are no secrets between Wan Chu and me," Cheng Simian said with a smile. "Wan Chu and I appreciate each other. We regret not meeting earlier. She taught me many good ways to manage the inner courtyard and discipline the servants, using both kindness and severity. Thanks to her guidance, I was able to firmly grasp the power of managing the marquis's mansion."
The crown prince vaguely sensed that Cheng Simian seemed to know that he was in love with Wan Chu.
Wan Chu was someone he absolutely trusted, and she was also the softest part of his heart.
Cheng Simian was very smart. She used Wan Chu to dispel his doubts about her.
"Perhaps, your servant can help Your Highness solve your problems," Cheng Simian said.
She knew that she had to completely dispel the crown prince's doubts about her. Otherwise, things like this would happen many more times.
Proving one's innocence was always a difficult thing, requiring both effort and brains.
She didn't want to waste her energy on such things.
Coincidentally, she also wanted to accelerate the downfall of the marquis's mansion. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Your servant has a perfect candidate to present the blood - red rose to the princess," Cheng Simian said.
The crown prince narrowed his eyes and looked at her with great interest.
There was a hint of scrutiny and speculation in his eyes.
"Who is it?"
...
After breakfast, Taoist Qiu was going to the Eastern Palace.
He instructed Liang Yuzhou, "The Qi family is safe for now. Don't go out these few days. Although your eyes are better, you lost a lot of heart - blood. Your body is very weak. Drink some medicinal herbs obediently and recuperate."
From the moment Liang Yuzhou opened his eyes, his gaze had never left Song Wanchu's face.
He replied casually, "With Wanchu accompanying me, I don't want to go anywhere."
Taoist Qiu was completely ignored.
This kid didn't know the meaning of respecting his elders at all.
"The old lady of the duke's mansion asked me to pass on a message to you two. The day before the Spring Welcome Banquet, she is going to the Jingchan Temple to burn incense and fulfill her vow," Taoist Qiu said.
Liang Yuzhou's eyes flickered.
Song Wanchu exchanged a knowing look with him.
The poison of the old duke had been cured, and the crisis of the duke's mansion had been alleviated. The old lady wanted to meet them.
Taoist Qiu always entered the Eastern Palace through the side gate.
His identity was still a secret.
The people in the Eastern Palace all thought that he was just a hermit expert whom the crown prince trusted very much.
When he reached the main hall, the door opened, and Cheng Simian walked out. She ran into Taoist Qiu.
"Greetings, venerable immortal," she said with a gentle smile, curtsying.
Taoist Qiu looked at the graceful and dignified girl in front of him and found her very pleasing to the eye.
However, his smile soon disappeared.
The crown prince was usually very steady. What did he call this girl here for so early in the morning?
Or did Miss Cheng stay in the Eastern Palace last night?
This kid, after being rejected by the girl, wouldn't he resort to force again?
Cheng Simian had no idea what was going on in Taoist Qiu's mind.
She handed a package to Shuyi and walked out calmly.
Suddenly, she stopped. Her eyes seemed to casually sweep over the row of guards at the door.
"You wait here. I have something to say to the crown prince," she said.
Shuyi was confused when she saw her young lady hurry back.
The voices of Taoist Qiu and the crown prince came from the main hall, but they couldn't be heard clearly.
Little Anzi quickly walked down the steps and asked, "Does the young lady have anything else to say?"
Cheng Simian seemed a bit anxious. "I lost a handkerchief. I'm afraid it will cause trouble for the crown prince. Please help me find it, Lord An."
Little Anzi understood immediately and walked a little further away with Cheng Simian.
"The third guard from the left has red mud on his feet," Cheng Simian said.
With just this one sentence, Little Anzi's face changed drastically.
After Cheng Simian left, Little Anzi immediately ran to the crown prince.
When the crown prince heard this, his face darkened, and there was a storm brewing in his eyes.
Taoist Qiu was furious. "You called Miss Cheng here so early in the morning just to question her? You're so muddle - headed! Are you so confident in the people around you? The princess can even plant spies in the Ministry of Justice. Your Eastern Palace is not impregnable!"
The crown prince immediately ordered the guard to be tied up.
"What crime has your subordinate committed?" The guard tried his best to look confused and panicked.
The shoe on his left foot was taken off and thrown on the ground.
The crown prince only glanced at it and flew into a rage.
Little Anzi shouted, "Wang Feng, don't you confess quickly?"
There was no red mud in the Eastern Palace, nor in Yun Shen Alley.
Red soil was very rare in the entire capital.
This kind of red mud was suitable for planting camellias.
The princess was very fond of camellias. The emperor had the red mud transported from the south of the Yangtze River for her from a long distance.
The princess used this red mud to create a camellia garden.
The red mud on Wang Feng's shoe could only mean one thing.
He was the informant!
The crown prince was not afraid of the princess, but at this moment, a cold shiver ran down his spine and spread throughout his body.
A great sense of guilt overwhelmed him.
He had really wronged Cheng Simian!
What made him even more ashamed was that the person he had suspected had used her sharp eyes to help him identify the real informant!
How could he face Cheng Simian in the future?
Wang Feng was thoroughly searched.
Little Anzi found a silver note sewn into his inner garment.
It was a huge amount, 100,000 taels.
Wasn't there a saying?
Where there is a great reward, there is always a brave man.
The crown prince laughed at himself.
The guard he thought was loyal to him had been so easily bought off by money.
Wang Feng was dragged away.
Taoist Qiu looked at the cold sweat on the crown prince's forehead and sneered, "Scared? Are you afraid to face Miss Cheng, or are you too proud to apologize?"