"What to do?" Nie Wuying was worried about her sister, while in the Like Garden, Princess Nan Zhen was tearfully clinging to the sleeve of the eldest princess of Dai Guo, sobbing uncontrollably. "Since I was expelled from the palace, Empress Xian has always been lukewarm towards me. This time she couldn't bear it and scolded her niece in front of everyone, how can she still help Prince Wei?"

  The princess of Dai Guo scowled and said in a bad temper: "If you had been so sensible from the start, wouldn't everything have been fine?!"

  "I didn't know the Jiangs were in that pavilion!" The Nan Ziang princess muttered in frustration, "If I had known, I wouldn't have gone in - it's all because of that Song woman! If Mother hadn't kindly helped her make amends with Nie sister and sent me to accompany Wei Wang to build a relationship with them, who would be willing to go out on such a cold winter day? And the result is that she just sat there and let Yuan Xuepei pull Jiang Muqian's strings, but what's even more infuriating is that she personally came out to humiliate me!"

  She thought and got more annoyed, "Not even thinking about how Jiang Muxiang's maid treated her at the Shangsi banquet? This will actually put aside the proper relatives and not help, but instead turn to outsiders! No wonder others' maids look down on her, they treat her as a slave, and she still rushes to serve them like a cow or horse! Simply a worthless person! Ah Xū's older brother is really blind, choosing such a thing as his legitimate wife!"

  The princess sneered, "What do you understand? Do you think that the Song and Yuan families helped Jiang Muqin just because of personal relationships or to stand up for justice? They were simply taking advantage of your foolishness to win people's hearts - originally, the virtuous concubine and the Jiang family had a grudge against us due to the marriage of Prince Wei! If they knew that you repeatedly bullied their precious daughter, how could they not hate you? And in stark contrast to your brutality is the protection given by Song and Yuan to Jiang Muqin!"

  She coldly said, "You say, next time will Xian Fei and the Jiang family's heart not lean towards the Crown Prince?!"

  That's what they say, but seeing her daughter crying nonstop, Princess Dai Guo couldn't bear it and sighed, "Fortunately, this matter can still be remedied!"

  Nan Zang's lord heard this and hastily wiped his face with a handkerchief, saying: "How can we make up for it?"

  "Are you scolding Yuan Xuepei for helping Jiang Muxiu, or are you interested in her?" The eyes of the Princess Dai Guo flashed with a cold light. "Whether this matter is true or false, let's make it true!"

  A smile floated on her lips, "Xian Fei and the Jiang family have opinions about us mother and daughter, no wonder they are resentful for Jiang Muqin! Since that's the case, if they knew, the Crown Prince's side is trying to matchmake Jiang Muqin with Yuan Xuepei..."

  The lord of Nan Zhai said with a start: "It would be strange if they didn't hate the dead crown prince!"

  Who would be willing to give their good daughter to a cripple?

  Hereditary marquis is also useless!

  Besides, the Chiang family is not short of wealth and nobility. Even if we only talk about power, Yuan Xuepei, who was crippled by a single bullet, is still inferior to the Chiang family!

  "By then, whether it's the Jiang family or Xian Fei, although they won't support the King of Wei because of this, they also won't go to rely on the Crown Prince!" Princess Dai Guo said with a calm smile. "And you should continue to coax Xian Fei and Yu Shan Gong Zhu well, maybe there's still hope to quietly win them over. After all, didn't Xian Fei raise the King of Wei like her own son? As for Jiang Mu Qian, she has long been your defeated opponent, is it interesting to keep bullying her?"

  The mistress of Nan Zong said with a spoiled tone: "My daughter was confused for a moment, it won't happen again in the future——but, Mother, have you forgotten? There is still Zhao Wang who has his eyes on the throne! He is the eldest son of the empress, what if the Jiang family betrays us and sides with Zhao Wang?"

  "How can you not be smart?" Princess Dai Guo Chang said helplessly, "Now that the East Palace is empty, it's fine if you're on guard against Prince Zhao. But now that your imperial uncle has personally raised a stable crown prince, what's the benefit of us going to scheme against Prince Zhao? Isn't that helping the crown prince?"

  "After all, after the great emperor's passing, only the crown prince can directly ascend to the throne without going through court discussions or nominations! The eldest son doesn't have this privilege!"

  "I'm also afraid that after the Crown Prince falls, the Zhao royal family's power will be too great and difficult to control." The Princess of Nanzheng was made to blush by her mother's words, feeling extremely embarrassed, and muttered, "After all, he is not only the eldest son, but also from the Qingzhou Su family line, with a long history, although our dynasty can no longer compare to the Western Han, it is still a renowned aristocratic family known throughout the land!"

  The princess sneered, "Does the Su family still need us to worry about? Others don't mention it, but those few people behind Ah Xū remember! If not for your imperial uncle's struggle for the throne, the Su family would have made great efforts, and the empress would also have accompanied your imperial uncle through thick and thin. Alas, Ah Xū suffered a loss, how could Su Nian be the Duke of Ji State now?!"

  He sneered, "Although your imperial uncle took into account the old relationship and overruled the opposition to let him off lightly - but this old man is now actually just relying on your imperial uncle to get by. Your imperial uncle was confident that he could keep an eye on him when he was alive and didn't mind showing mercy! Once something happens to your imperial uncle, he will definitely be sent on his way immediately, for fear that the new ruler is young and cannot control this kind of old minister who has served two dynasties, held military power, and is not at peace, brewing great disaster!"

  Nan Zong Jun had nothing to say, and could only change the subject: "Let Yuan Xuepei and Jiang Muxiu make a false move, but in the end, they only avenged those with the surname Yuan and Jiang. What about the Song family, shouldn't they be taken care of?"

  "A mere junior, I'll have Ruo Mei bring her over to the banquet later and I'll confront her directly!" said Dai Guo Taigong, "However, she is your aunt's daughter-in-law and Ah Xu's wife after all. We can't be too excessive, not only will Ruo Mei not stand idly by, but when we return to the Imperial Capital, your aunt might hold a grudge against you for such a small matter. And if Ah Xu goes to your imperial grandmother to tattle - your imperial grandmother is already biased towards the Crown Prince and will surely seize the opportunity to make a big deal out of it!"

  The lord of Nanzhang County felt resentful and asked tentatively, "What is considered excessive? For example... Wu Laihe?"

  Youlaihe is a medicinal herb from the grasslands of the previous dynasty, with a reputation equal to that of White Jade and Golden Ginseng. Its nature is extremely cold, and if women take it in small quantities, it will lead to difficulty in childbearing, with very little hope of rescue - it is said that Empress Su, the first wife of Emperor Yongping of Western Yon, was poisoned by it when she was young, which made her difficult to conceive despite being favored by the emperor.

  The power of the Qingzhou Su family at its peak, combined with the influence of the Western Yong imperial family, only gave birth to two daughters and one son. The son was several years younger than the eldest daughter, and after being favored for a generation, he almost ended up childless.

  This is the only known example of a woman who has survived the Dark Calculus of the Crane - the problem is, the cure was lost in the war.

  Song Yixiao was also considered a noblewoman, but she couldn't compare to Empress Su at that time. The Princess of Nanxiang was certain that if she succeeded in her plan, this detestable Song woman would never have any children even if she kept Jian Yuxiang locked up in the house all day!

  In that case, how could Empress Dowager and Princess of Jin State possibly not add people to the Yan State Duke's mansion?

  "She wasn't born into a noble family to begin with, and she can't even bear children! Even if she relies on the cunning tricks she learned from her mother to temporarily capture her husband's heart, there will come a day when she loses her charm!" The princess of Nanzheng thought to herself with growing delight. "At that time, I won't even need to intervene, and many people will be plotting against her downfall due to the wealth and nobility of the Yan State Duke's manor! And yet she dares to help the Jiang family oppose me? Ha!"

  She gazed at Princess Tai Guo with pleading eyes, afraid that her mother would reject her outright.

  "Then you'd better not show any signs of nervousness, Song Shi is much smarter than you! If she finds out, you'll have to wait for your aunt to settle the score with you! Your aunt once gets really angry, even the emperor will give in to her, and I may not be able to protect you at that time!" Princess Dai Guo Chang thought for a moment, but couldn't bear to disappoint her daughter, so she reminded her, "Her ancestors were glorious and didn't let Su Shi down, although they have declined severely now, they still have some foundation! It's said that the most used by Yu Lai He is precisely those few families of her ancestors!"

  "What's the use of having a foundation if she wasn't raised by the Song family?" The Nanzheng princess reacted quickly, speaking eloquently, "Moreover, her father doesn't care about her life or death, how can he possibly teach her any knowledge? I bet she has never even heard of the three words 'Worrying Crane'!"

  The princess didn't say anything else, just waved her hand to let her go and make arrangements - but the mother and daughter hadn't expected that in the quiet moonlit courtyard, Qingjiang Princess was advising Song Yixiao to be careful: "Sister-in-law, you haven't been married for long, so you probably don't understand the temper of your aunt, the princess. Although she usually spares us because of her regard for our mother, and is kind to us, when it comes to protecting her own interests, even in front of our mother, she often doesn't give in!"

  Song Yi Xiao suddenly remembered that when she first met the Empress Dowager, the Princess of Nan Zhen complained in front of everyone about the pair of Xia Guang Yu Yue rings given to her by Empress Su, and was scolded by the Grand Duchess of Jin. Didn't the Grand Duchess of Dai immediately start arguing with her sister?

  "Of course, if Mother were here, Aunt would scold you at most, and you could just bear with it, bow your head, and apologize. But now that Mother is not here, we are all juniors. Once Aunt gets angry, she might hit you a few times, and I may not be able to stop her entirely!"

  Recalling what Jian Xuwu had said, "The empress dowager rushed over and pinched the imperial concubine's earlobe, giving her a good scolding", Song Yi couldn't help but change color!

  This guy even dares to slap the face of the crown prince's mother, and beating his niece-in-law is simply justified!

  "She hastily said: 'Then I'll go back to the capital now? But if I leave, can you take care of everything inside and out by yourself, big sister?'"

  Nie Wu Yan, who was walking back, immediately showed concern for his sister-in-law and hastily said: "I can help Big Sis!"

  "It's getting late, and it's still the cold winter month. How can I possibly let you go back now? Besides, if you return to the Imperial City now, the city gates are already closed. You can't possibly spend a night outside and then enter the city tomorrow, right?" The Qingjiang County Master shook her head at Nie Wu Xian and said, "This matter still needs the help of Fifth Sister!"

  "Big sister, what should I do?"

  "Previously, we all said that you were a bit unwell, now it's just right to continue with this reason - saying that after you returned, you suddenly caught a cold, and I'm worried that the Stepping Moon Pavilion is too close to the Like-Paradise Garden, so I'll let you move to a place a little further away! The Fourth Master and Mistress will still take care of you as before. So, neither of you two can enjoy Aunt's culinary skills for now!"

  It's natural to avoid attending the banquet at Ruyi Garden tonight.

  Then, "Hurry up and pack your things, leave from the back door, take a shortcut to Yao Hua Yuan to stay overnight! Other places are no longer in time for cleaning - if it weren't for Jiang Muqian, Fourth Brother and Sister would not have offended Wei Wangfu today. I think even if there is no extra room on the side of Yao Hua Yuan, they will not be able to refuse you!"

  "After tonight, I will arrange for a carriage to send you back to the capital tomorrow morning! By then, even if your aunt wants to find you, it will be too late!"

  Back in the Imperial Capital, with the support of the Jin State's Long Princess, the Dai State's Long Princess won't have a chance to make a move!

  And so, this crisis was smoothly passed!

  Song Yixiao and Nie Wuyan exchanged a glance, both thinking that their previous plans were not as thorough as Qingjiang Junzhu's words. Song Yixiao sighed: "Fifth sister, I've dragged you into the water today!"

  "I also think that Wei Wangfei is too much!" Nie Wuyan's face turned red upon hearing this, and she pursed her lips to say - After Qingjiang Junzhu saw her go out for a trip and come back, her attitude changed greatly. Not only did she not throw a tantrum or speak coldly, but she also took the initiative to think for herself and Song Yixiao, secretly letting out a sigh of relief, thinking that after all, they were family. Previously, no matter how much she had thrown a tantrum, as soon as she heard that her sister-in-law was in trouble, she immediately became sensible!

  She watched as Nai Wu Xian left with a sigh, then turned her head to see Song Yi Xiao still sitting there without moving, and asked in surprise: "Is there something else?"

  "Elder sister, I can use taking care of Fifth Sister as an excuse to avoid going to the Jade Flower Pavilion, but what about the Yuan siblings?" Song Yi smiled wryly and said, "After all, they are also husband's acquaintances, if Auntie punishes them too severely..."

  "This trouble I won't help with!" This time, bringing up her husband's name wouldn't work either. Qingjiang Junzhu said straightforwardly, "Yuan Xuepei came here to soak in the hot springs. Just casually arrange for them siblings to stay somewhere else. If Aunt really wants to stir up trouble, she only needs to send someone to keep an eye on the area around the hot springs. How can they avoid it? Unless they're like you, leaving without soaking in the hot springs. But Yuan Xuepei's current situation is that without the hot springs to alleviate his injuries, he can't even sleep at night, how can he leave?"

  "Enough of this idle chatter! If we don't leave now, the people at Ruyi Garden will be sending someone to invite us soon - and if you're discovered then, you won't have a chance to escape! I'm the one who dragged you here, and if you suffer any injustice, how can I explain it to Ah Xū?"