At the time, Old Master Song had thought Song Chuyi was merely trying to comfort him. She was just a young girl, thrust into the spotlight by rumors of camities and bloodshed, yet she remained calm enough to share his burdens. Even with his steely heart, he couldn’t help but feel softened.

  Later, he told Old Lady Song, “Why not move up the wedding date for our second son? It’s only a remarriage to a second wife, and since the bride has been decided and the dowry is already prepared, we might as well expedite things. Let’s settle the matter and send the two children to Jinchong for a while.”

  It would allow them to escape the rumors and schemes in the capital. Others might be harmless, but the Chen family, upon hearing Master Yuanhui’s ominous remarks, would no doubt see Song Chuyi as a thorn in their side, eager to get rid of her as soon as possible.

  Old Lady Song pondered briefly and agreed. She had already been considering raising this idea with Old Master Song. The pns for Jinchong had long been set, but now it seemed they were already a bit deyed. It would be better to pick a good day and quickly finalize Song Yi’s wedding. Once the new year began, Song Chuyi and Song Yan could head to Jinzhong without dey.

  Resolute, she decided to instruct the First Lady that very afternoon to send a message to the matchmaker the next day, urging them to speed things up.

  However, before they could even reach the other household to inquire, Lady Cui and Madam Yu arrived with heavy hearts.

  Cui Yingshu came to pay her respects to Old Lady Song and immediately went to the front study to see Old Master Song. As soon as she entered, she reported gravely, “The pace has summoned all the imperial physicians to the Eastern Pace. The Crown Prince is gravely ill, and the Prince of Commandery has also fallen ill from exhaustion while attending to him.”

  Old Master Song paused mid-writing. It hadn’t been his duty yesterday; it should have been Grand Secretary Chen sleeping in the West Garden's duty room...

  The Crown Prince’s health had always been fragile. Since childhood, he had relied on medicine as much as food. However, after years of meticulous care and with the Heir Apparent’s return, coupled with the elixirs sent annually from Mount Longhu, his condition had improved significantly. For the past year or two, there had been no reports of him frequently summoning imperial physicians.

  Yet now, such a rge commotion had arisen. Old Master Song couldn’t help but recall the st time the Crown Prince was poisoned—back then, all the imperial physicians and attendants had been gathered at the Eastern Pace as well. But this time, even the Prince of Commandery had fallen ill alongside him...

  He cast a sharp gnce at Cui Yingshu, his expression grave and his beard trembling slightly. After a moment, he spped the table and commanded, “Quick, summon Mr. Cheng and Mr. Dan!”

  Song Jue swiftly brought the two advisors, and Old Master Song immediately questioned Mr. Cheng, “Has anyone come seeking an audience today?”

  Under normal circumstances, with such a major incident occurring in the Eastern Pace, there was no way his contacts in court would remain entirely silent.

  Ever since Old Master Song resolved to tread the path of a loyal official, he had taken great care to maintain a strictly impartial image. Apart from hosting occasional banquets, the family never entertained officials privately.

  Still, a few close associates existed—friends of the eldest Song, Song Jue, and younger colleagues with whom Song Jue socialized during his prime.

  Hearing the situation described by Old Master Song and Cui Yingshu, Mr. Cheng shook his head. “This news likely hasn’t spread beyond the pace yet. Anyone who knows and dares to leak it to you will probably wait until tomorrow.”

  Old Master Song’s frown deepened as he turned back to Cui Yingshu. “Is the information reliable? Do you know why the Crown Prince is gravely ill?”

  Cui Yingshu hesitated, gncing at Old Master Song before finally sighing. “That’s precisely why I came to ask Little Yi.”

  Mr. Cheng and Mr. Dan exchanged a look, their expressions thoughtful. They knew well that Sixth Miss Song was nearly as highly regarded by Old Master Song as Song Jue himself. In truth, Sixth Miss Song was remarkably intelligent.

  But why would Cui Yingshu, a Vice Minister and Keeper of the Imperial Seal, come to seek out Sixth Miss Song for information about a pace matter? Wouldn’t it make more sense to send Princess Duanhui into the pace to investigate?

  Even Old Master Song raised his brows in confusion.

  However, Song Jue quickly made the connection. He recalled Song Chuyi previously urging him to abandon his investigation into Han Zhi, saying Han Zhi would still prove useful even if he didn’t go to the northwest. A thought struck him—could Han Zhi be involved? Otherwise, why would the Prince of Commandery also fall ill?

  Despite his surprise, Old Master Song swiftly regained his composure and ordered someone to fetch Song Chuyi.

  Meanwhile, First Lady Cui was quietly speaking to Old Lady Song in another room. “The Crown Prince has fallen ill again, and this time it’s serious... Two days ago, when I accompanied the Empress to visit him, his complexion was dreadful, and he seemed to have lost all his vitality...”

  Old Lady Song, already uneasy about matters concerning the Eastern Pace, nearly lost her breath at the news. She patted her chest to steady herself, her brows knitted tightly in confusion. “The Crown Prince only recently accompanied His Majesty to Qingxu Temple to burn offerings and prayers. He seemed fine then—thin, but still energetic. And with imperial physicians constantly by his side, how could he suddenly fall gravely ill without warning?”

  “Even the Prince of Commandery is ill,” First Lady Cui sighed, her unease palpable. “The Empress is beside herself with worry, bming the attendants for negligence and finding fault even with the Crown Princess and Consort Fan. I overheard rumors... that the Marchioness of Jinxiang entered the pace to give thanks, and shortly after, both the Crown Prince and the Prince of Commandery fell ill...”

  These “rumors” weren’t baseless whispers but rather grievances Princess Rongcheng had accidentally let slip. Princess Rongcheng had never liked Consort Fan and was much closer to her legitimate cousin, the Crown Princess Lu. With the Crown Prince’s illness now being linked to Consort Fan, her disdain for the Fan family only deepened, slipping out in her speech.

  Old Lady Song’s heart skipped a beat as she recalled her earlier conversations with Song Chuyi about the rivalry between the Fan sisters. Gradually, her mood calmed.

  Just days ago, they had discussed watching the Fan sisters compete against one another from the sidelines. Now it seemed the Marchioness of Jinxiang couldn’t restrain herself any longer. But what leverage did she hold over Consort Fan that caused such an incident, one involving both the Crown Prince and the Prince of Commandery?

  Old Lady Song didn’t want to know. The more one knew about such matters, the more dangerous they became.

  A shiver ran through her as she patted First Lady Cui’s hand, her voice filled with caution. “In the end, this has nothing to do with us. Let’s not involve ourselves in this matter, lest we repeat the mistakes of the st poisoning incident. Remember, the more you speak, the more likely you are to err. After all, this is ultimately a matter for the Eastern Pace to resolve...”