Chapter 7: Midnight Incident, Schemes Arising in the Heart

Having only reclined on the bed for a moment, Li Yanchang was awakened by the noisy sounds outside. The candlelight in the room flickered, casting a hazy reflection upon the various objects.

Baoping pushed the door open and entered. Seeing that she had already put on her clothes and gotten out of bed, she hurried forward. "Consort of the Heir, someone from the Palace just arrived and has invited the Heir back to the Palace again."

Li Yanchang was secretly startled. He had been released; even if they were being mindful of the auspicious wedding day, why would they invite him back? Could something have gone wrong with the second master of the Fan family? "Where is Prince Jin? Did he go to the Palace as well?"

Baoping looked worried. "He went along with him. But we don't know exactly what happened."

Li Yanchang's brows furrowed slightly. Having just arrived, she did not know much about Yuwen Ye's situation. He clearly appeared to be a wealthy young master who only knew of poetry and romance, yet she could not see through to his inner nature. Otherwise, with Tong's temperament, how could she have allowed him to serve as the Heir so peacefully for so many years?

In her limited understanding, she always felt as though a veil of gauze covered this Heir, making him impossible to fathom. "Baoping, let's go to the Jingwu Courtyard. The Princess Consort must have been startled awake by now as well."

Baoping did not dare to delay. She busily attended to the Consort of the Heir to ensure she was dressed properly, even taking care to drape a fur coat over her shoulders.

As she stepped out of the room, a gust of cold air rushed up. Li Yanchang couldn't help but shiver; she reached out to tug at the hem of her clothes, tucking her neck into the thick coat.

The manor was already brightly lit with lanterns. The large red lanterns made the atmosphere seem even more festive, yet swaying in the cold wind, they looked like paper dolls being led by a hand, having lost their sense of direction.

Li Yanchang couldn't help but sigh in her heart. Was she not the same right now? Like these swaying lanterns, being blown by the wind and struggling, yet ultimately unable to escape that single thread.

Now that she was the Consort of the Heir of the Prince Jin Mansion, she feared she would never again escape the gates of this manor in this lifetime; even in death, she would die within these high walls and grand courtyards.

Death? Her heart trembled again. For someone who had been reborn, death was not terrifying; what was terrifying was dying without knowing why, only to be saddled with various accusations.

The owner of this body must have died with eyes wide open in resentment. Perhaps that was why her soul was drawn here to continue living in her stead. Since that was the case, she would have to live well.

And in this grand manor, what she needed to rely on to survive was not Prince Jin nor the Princess Consort, but the Heir himself, Yuwen Ye, who had long been bound to her for this lifetime.

She understood a profound truth: in this era where men were held in high esteem and women were lowly, no matter how many schemes and conspiracies existed within this courtyard, and no matter how much one fought for favor or acted coquettishly, what a woman needed to rely on was still a man. Only by capturing a man's heart and living within it could a woman establish a firm footing.

And capturing a man's heart did not rely on fighting or snatching, but rather on an exchange of hearts; only by offering one's true heart could one obtain another's.

However, was Yuwen Ye a worthy man for her to offer her true heart to? He already hated her to the bone. Was that hate?

Li Yanchang suddenly recalled a saying: the deeper the love, the more intense the hate.

The lights ahead grew brighter. Li Yanchang hurriedly cleared her messy thoughts. For now, only by ensuring Yuwen Ye was safe and sound could she consider future matters; otherwise, she feared the road ahead would be even more difficult.

"Sister-in-law, you've come as well?" Lady Wan walked over from another path, supported by a maid. Under the dim light, her face was filled with worry. "How is Mother?"

Li Yanchang also wore a worried expression. "Let's go in quickly to check on Mother; we mustn't let her get worked up and harm her health."

Lady Wan stepped up to walk side-by-side with Li Yanchang. "Don't worry too much, Sister-in-law. The County Prince has already gone out to gather news. No matter what, the Emperor will consider the reputation of our Prince's mansion. Brother will surely return before dawn."

Li Yanchang gave an affirmative hum, her face showing apology. "I've caused everyone to worry."

Lady Wan was slightly stunned. This was the first time she had heard such sincere words from Li Yanchang, so she whispered, "Sister-in-law, you really are somewhat different from before."

Li Yanchang smiled faintly, a hint of bitterness in it, as if letting out a sigh. "People always change."

Lady Wan froze, thinking of how cautious Lady Wan had been since marrying into the Prince Jin Mansion. Had she not also been changing day by day? Prince Yinghe was a concubine's son; his temperament was weak yet somewhat extreme, often leading him to do unexpected things.

How could she not know the Princess Consort's heart? For these years, they had been caught between the Princess Consort and the Heir, like breathing in a narrow crack; life had not been easy.

This time, they were not kept outside; Jinzhi personally drew back the curtain to invite them in.

Lady Tong was sitting on the kang, her head lowered slightly, her expression grim. Seeing the two of them enter, she actually began to grit her teeth in anger. "Truly infuriating! On such a joyous day, such a thing happens. They have completely disgraced the reputation of the Prince Jin Mansion."

After finishing those few sentences, she actually broke into a fit of coughing.

Standing beside her, Jinzhi hurried forward, placing one hand on Lady Tong's back to pat her gently while anxiously advising, "Princess Consort, please prioritize your own health. Everything can be handled by the Prince; your body is what matters most."

Lady Wan also stepped forward quickly, bringing up the tea from the table and handing it over, advising in a low voice, "Mother, this matter is quite coincidental. No one knew that the second master of the Fan family was so frail. It's also not Third Brother's usual temperament; it's as if everything happened all at once. Please calm your anger."

Lady Tong finally managed to stop coughing, but her face was flushed red from anger. She slapped the table and said harshly, "He is nothing more than a minor lord from a branch of the Fan family, yet he insists on making a scene in the Palace. Marquis Weiyuan has truly lost his wits."

She added at the end, "And to think it's such a minor lord, an orphan and a widow—it makes it look as if we are bullying him, and it's even causing your sister to be criticized in the manor."

Li Yanchang was somewhat surprised that Lady Tong was so unable to restrain herself that she even cursed Marquis Weiyuan. Her heart stirred slightly, so she took a step forward, frowning as she said, "Mother, the people from the Marquis Weiyuan Mansion are already convinced that our Prince Jin Mansion caused this, and they likely won't let it go. Since that is the case, it is no longer good for us to hide. Why don't I go to the Marquis Weiyuan Mansion? Firstly, I can check on the situation of that second master, and secondly, I can gauge what the Marquis Weiyuan Mansion actually intends."

Lady Tong raised her narrow eyebrows, a flash of doubt crossing them as she glanced at Li Yanchang. "You, at a time like this?"

Li Yanchang nodded, her expression calm. "As the Consort of the Heir and Qing Shuang's sister-in-law, by logic, I am also that second master's sister-in-law. Since Mother is unwell, I will go in her stead to check on this second master; it can be seen as a gesture of goodwill from our Prince Jin Mansion. This matter was stirred up by the Heir and Third Brother; it is only reasonable for me to go and apologize."

Lady Tong's heart stirred. These words were perfectly logical; no one could find fault with them. Being proactive was always better than being reactive. However, she was quite suspicious of Li Yanchang. Did she really have such magnanimity? To personally go and apologize? If it backfired, wouldn't it just become another troublesome matter?

Lady Tong's thoughts spun rapidly. However, if it truly went wrong, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing; this would be the Consort of the Heir personally tarnishing the Heir's reputation, and she wouldn't be to blame.

Li Yanchang guessed her thoughts roughly and said slowly, "Mother, I am, after all, a junior, and I can withstand any words. But I am also the Consort of the Heir; the people of the Marquis Weiyuan Mansion should also know their place."

Lady Tong thought for a moment before saying, "Jinzhi, find a few reliable old maids to accompany the Consort of the Heir to the Marquis Weiyuan Mansion. If anything goes wrong, watch your lives."

Jinzhi responded and went to find people.

Lady Tong gave a few more instructions regarding important matters and the general situation of the Marquis Weiyuan Mansion. Lady Wan suggested going along, but was turned down by Lady Tong.