The Prince of Commandery felt a bit guilty towards Han Zhi and Han Yueheng. Although the rewards from Consort Fan were indeed generous, he couldn't shake off the image of his mother's dark, chilling smile and the strange, mocking look on her face whenever she spoke of his aunt. He had always believed that his mother and aunt had a close retionship—as a child, he felt that his uncle and aunt treated him exceptionally well, as if they'd do anything for him, even bring down the stars without sparing a thought for the moon. His uncle had even devoted himself to securing his power in the northwest for years, taking on countless risks.

  But recently, his mother's actions had upended all his previous beliefs. He couldn't help but wonder if there were hidden truths or secrets he didn't know about, leaving a heavy weight on his heart that made him feel increasingly uneasy.

  As expected, Han Zhi brought up the matter of Han Yueheng first, with a hint of confusion in his expression. "Is there really no way to change Yueheng's fate as a secondary wife? She's been weeping endlessly at home, saying that her aunt summoned her and spoke with her through the night even before the imperial edict was issued, reassuring her to accept this role..."

  If Consort Fan had known in advance about Han Yueheng becoming a secondary wife, why hadn't she informed Lady Fan or himself? Why hadn't she tried to find a way out for Han Yueheng and instead privately persuaded her, a young girl with no power or influence?

  The Prince of Commandery's brow furrowed; he hadn't known about this. He had thought his mother was simply unwilling to lend a hand, but he hadn't anticipated that she had orchestrated the entire matter. Even someone as mature as he was couldn't help but feel embarrassed, his face flushed red. After thinking hard, he finally managed to come up with a poor excuse to defend Consort Fan: "Mother likely received news that Master Zhang was entering the pace to perform ceremonies for Grandfather. Knowing that as the Ninth Princess's study companion, our cousin would be chosen as a secondary wife, Mother may have wanted to prepare her in advance..."

  Han Zhi didn't press further; the more one probed, the more painful the answers could be. He knew he could find out the truth on his own. After a brief silence, he brought up Jia Yingxin and Xu Liang. "Your Highness has had frequent interactions with these two. It's possible that some kind of token or document might have fallen into their hands, and now, to save themselves, they could say anything..."

  This was exactly what concerned the Prince of Commandery. With Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin now entangled in a monumental scandal, the ones overseeing the investigation were none other than Lai Chenglong and Ye Jingkuan, Emperor Jianzhang's incorruptible confidants. The prince was at a loss, unable to intervene. If Jia Yingxin and Xu Liang exposed him in order to save their own lives, things would get truly troublesome.

  He sighed deeply, hesitating for a long while before confessing to Han Zhi, "The two of them have shops in the capital that give me a 30% share of the annual profits. There's no way they wouldn't have records of this... It's been keeping me up at night."

  Han Zhi couldn't help but be armed. For the first time, he wanted to scold his princely cousin—profits from the northwest businesses, the sea and salt transport in Yangzhou that Consort Fan and the Prince of Commandery both wanted to tap into, the countless funds accumuted from smuggling warhorses with Yang Xuan over the years, and not to mention the silks, medicinal ingredients, and bribes they'd received from border generals. Plus, the wealth they'd gathered through Grand Secretary Chen via the Tatar chieftain.

  And yet, they still felt it was insufficient, setting their sights on the southern trade routes traditionally controlled by Prince Duan and Prince Gong. While they had removed Prince Duan, with the Song family's help, and were free from fear of his revenge, Prince Gong still eyed them with hostility. If he learned of this, he would certainly use it to his advantage.

  Han Zhi quickly ran through every bit of intelligence Song Chuning had given him, reviewing every detail meticulously. There was nothing linking Jia Yingxin and Xu Liang's downfall to this incident. By all logic, if something this major were happening, Song Chuning would have informed him. She'd even id out a timeline of significant events by year... But now, many things were veering off course, evolving unpredictably.

  The Jinyiwei had already conducted thorough searches of Xu Liang's and Jia Yingxin's homes. Any evidence was likely now in the hands of Ye Jingkuan and Lai Chenglong. Neither of them would be easy to deal with—Lai Chenglong, Emperor Jianzhang's confidant with a unique background, was known to have no particur vices. Han Zhi had even tried using Jia Yingxin and Xu Liang to sway the Jinyiwei Commander, but it was all in vain. And Ye Jingkuan, as the husband of Emperor Jianzhang's most beloved daughter, was unflinchingly loyal to the Emperor.

  Yet, no matter how difficult they were, he had to find a way to handle them. Han Zhi turned to the Prince of Commandery, "So, what's Your Highness's pn now?"

  The Prince expined that he had already reached out to Grand Secretary Chen. He had helped Lord Chen st time, and now Lord Chen couldn't just stand by idly and watch. After sharing this with Han Zhi, he hesitated for a moment and added, "I'm also considering trying to get some information from Lord Lai."

  Han Zhi thought about Lai Chenglong's rise to power—a man who had stepped over the corpses of Chen Xiang, Jia Yingxin, and Xu Liang to become Jinyiwei Commander. Such a person likely wouldn't be content to remain anyone's puppet, not even Emperor Jianzhang's. With such a strong desire for power, cultivating a retionship with him might not be effective.

  After pondering for a while, he suggested that the Prince of Commandery first visit Princess Rongcheng. "While she and the Heir Apparent usually side with each other, Your Highness is also their nephew. Just as the Empress cannot wholly choose between you and the Heir Apparent, the Princess and her husband face a simir situation. It may be worth attempting to appeal to them."

  After a brief pause, he added, "As for Lai Chenglong, I'll think of something."

  The Prince of Commandery immediately felt a weight lifted from his heart. Han Zhi was always reliable and cautious. Even if Lai Chenglong refused to accommodate him, Han Zhi would surely find an alternative solution. With renewed confidence, he nodded without hesitation. "In that case, I'll pay a visit to Aunt and Uncle tomorrow."

  Even if Ye Jingkuan and Princess Rongcheng weren't willing to consider him as their nephew, they would surely think of the Crown Prince's reputation. Having a son who was close to the Jinyiwei Commander would certainly impact the Crown Prince's standing in Emperor Jianzhang's eyes. They would weigh their options carefully.