The queen's eyes flickered slightly as she quickly glanced at Song Wanchu.
Wanchu had come to the palace today to express her gratitude. The crown prince must surely know about this.
Could it be that he had come for Wanchu?
But Wanchu had already become a princess of the county. It was too late for him to say or do anything now.
Song Wanchu, however, remained quite calm.
The queen summoned the crown prince in without showing any emotion.
"Your son pays respects to the queen mother," the crown prince said.
Song Wanchu stood up and curtsied to the crown prince. "May the crown prince be in good health."
The crown prince looked up at her, a smile playing on his lips.
"Sister Wanchu."
Song Wanchu nodded calmly, but the queen was a bit taken aback.
The way the crown prince had called her "Sister Wanchu" was so natural.
It was as if he had already accepted that the woman he loved had become his sister.
The queen recalled the elegant and dignified Miss Cheng at the Spring Welcome Banquet.
The crown prince's eyes had lingered on her face for a long time.
Could it be...
The queen smiled. "You're busy with government affairs. There's no need for you to come every day. Everything is fine here in my palace. Your sister has also become much more obedient than before."
"The queen mother is so considerate of your son. Your son is grateful. But today there's a happy event that I'd like to tell the queen mother first. I'd like the queen mother to give me some advice so that I can ask the emperor for his permission."
Hearing about the happy event, the queen's face lit up with a smile. She quickly asked, "You rarely come to my palace to announce good news. What on earth is it that requires asking for the emperor's permission?"
A smile spread across the crown prince's handsome face. His eyebrows and eyes relaxed, making him look even more heroic than usual.
Song Wanchu vaguely guessed what it was.
"Your son has already chosen a candidate for the crown princess."
The queen was overjoyed. She stood up and walked up to the crown prince, excitedly grabbing his hand.
Afraid that she was dreaming, she scrutinized the crown prince for a while.
The crown prince met her gaze, his eyes calm and sincere.
She was sure that he truly wanted to get married and not for any other purpose.
The crown prince's marriage had always been a heavy burden on the queen's mind.
She knew her son's character very well. He was stubborn, strong-willed, patient, and able to endure.
But the woman he loved was the apple of another man's eye.
Moreover, Liang Yuzhou was not a pushover. When he got crazy, even Lu Ningzhen, who was at the height of her power, had to give way.
In the previous confrontations with Liang Yuzhou, the crown prince had not gained the upper hand.
The crown prince was also a loyal person and would not easily fall in love with someone else.
The queen was really afraid that the crown prince would get trapped and never be able to get out.
How could an emperor who played with power be indulged in love?
When the crown prince went to the south of the Yangtze River for inspection, the queen was worried day and night. She was afraid that he would get Song Wanchu and trigger a bloody struggle with Liang Yuzhou.
She was also afraid that he would not be able to get Song Wanchu and would be trapped in love for the rest of his life.
Unexpectedly, there was a turn for the better.
"Which noble lady is it?" the queen asked eagerly.
"Miss Cheng Simian, the eldest legitimate daughter of Cheng Yong."
Song Wanchu frowned slightly for a moment.
The crown prince wanted to marry Mianmian, and Mianmian actually agreed?
She loved freedom so much and even said that after taking revenge, she would be a neighbor of hers in the south of the Yangtze River.
Why would she agree to be the crown princess?
Did she make a deal with the crown prince?
Or did the crown prince simply use his power to keep her?
The smile on the queen's face froze for a moment and then turned into worry.
Sure enough, it was the Miss Cheng!
She had a good impression of the extremely beautiful and scholarly Miss Cheng at the Spring Welcome Banquet, but her identity...
The queen hesitated and glanced at Song Wanchu.
There were some things that were not very appropriate to say in front of Wanchu.
Song Wanchu was very observant. She bowed to the queen and took her leave. "Your majesty and the queen's kindness, this subject will never forget. But I still have to go back to see the old lady. So I'll take my leave first."
The queen quickly ordered the head maid to escort her out.
The crown prince winked at Song Wanchu and said meaningfully, "Sister Wanchu has been conferred the title of princess of the county. Mianmian is also very happy and must be eager to see you to celebrate."
Song Wanchu understood what he meant.
The crown prince wanted her to find out Mianmian's true thoughts.
After Song Wanchu left, the queen sat back on the couch and rubbed her temples.
"Hong'er, do you really like Miss Cheng, or do you want to use her special identity to ease the panic of the noble families?"
The partisans of Lu Ningzhen had been purged, and the noble families were in a panic, afraid of being found out to have the slightest connection with Lu Ningzhen.
They were even more afraid that the crown prince would take the opportunity to eliminate all the forces that were unfavorable to him.
Was the crown prince's move because he was afraid of losing his reputation of being a virtuous man?
Hearing this, the light in the crown prince's eyes dimmed a bit. He smiled softly and said, "Mianmian also thought so."
The queen could hear the bitterness and helplessness in his tone.
Had he really fallen in love with a girl he had known for only a short time?
Was it a natural attraction or a calculated seduction that could capture Hong'er's heart in such a short time?
The queen was worried.
The crown prince observed her expression and said gently, "Your son understands all of the queen mother's concerns. Mianmian is by no means the kind of woman who uses her beauty to seduce men and has ulterior motives. She is purer and clearer than anyone else."
Mianmian was a person of noble character.
To imagine her as a vulgar person who sought fame and fortune by showing off her beauty was an insult to her personality.
The queen trusted the crown prince's judgment.
"But she has the surname Cheng. Cheng Yong is a minion of Lu Ningzhen and has committed many heinous crimes. I'm afraid the glory of the Marquis of Wude's Mansion won't be preserved. If you marry her and give her the noble status of the crown princess, without the support of her natal family, it will be difficult for her to gain a foothold in the harem in the future when she becomes the queen."
"So what if she has no natal family? Your son will be her greatest backing."
The queen shook her head with a smile. "Hong'er, you've always been mature and steady. Why are you being so naive now? The marriage between the emperor and the empress is different from ordinary marriages. The harem is related to the court. If you let a powerless queen take charge of the six palaces, even if you give her the confidence, how will you balance the forces behind those concubines in the future?"
The crown prince raised his chin, and the light returned to his eyes.
"Your son doesn't want the six palaces. Having Mianmian is enough!"
The queen was shocked. The Buddhist beads in her hand fell to the ground with a clear sound.
...
Under the guidance of the head maid, Song Wanchu walked out of the Yukun Palace all the way.
Liang Yuzhou helped her into the carriage.
"Do you know? Mianmian is going to be the crown princess!"
Liang Yuzhou was not surprised at all.
He curled his lips slightly, his tone tinged with a bit of mockery. "The crown prince wants to fall in love with Miss Cheng, but Miss Cheng probably regards the crown prince as her superior. Her willingness to be the crown princess is definitely not because of love."
Song Wanchu was already quite familiar with Cheng Simian.
"I always feel that Mianmian has already seen through life and love. With her character, she probably won't fall in love with any man, just like Mr. Mingxi."
Liang Yuzhou sighed leisurely. "Then it depends on whether the crown prince has the ability to make her fall in love."
When they returned to the Duke's Mansion, Song Wanchu was just about to send a message to Mianmian when Nanzhi came over with a visiting card.
"Miss, Miss Cheng wants to come to the Duke's Mansion to congratulate you on being conferred the title of princess of the county."
Song Wanchu opened the visiting card and took a look.
"There's no need to wait until tomorrow. Go and pick Mianmian up now."
It was rare for the crown prince to ask her for a favor. She had to help.
In the evening, a table of wine and dishes was prepared in the Shuiyun Residence.
Song Wanchu and Cheng Simian chatted and ate like sisters.
"Mianmian, why did you agree to be the crown princess?"
Cheng Simian smiled calmly. "I used the crown prince's hand to take revenge. I regarded him as a knife. For such a great kindness, I have to help him accomplish a major event to repay it."
Song Wanchu understood Cheng Simian's thoughts.
She picked up a chopstick of tender bean sprouts and said casually, "Then have you never thought that the crown prince keeps you because he really likes you?"
Cheng Simian rarely burst into laughter.
"How is that possible, Wanchu? The crown prince has always liked you, hasn't he?"