When she was young, her greatest fear was the nursemaid Zhang by Lady Fan's side. Back then, she treated Lady Fan like a younger sister, and her mother doted on Lady Fan. Nanny Zhang, as the nursemaid, was fiercely protective. Anytime she accidentally damaged one of her "sister's" belongings or dirtied her dress, Nanny Zhang would always scold her first.

  The lessons were always the same: "The eldest miss is the older sister; like the ancient Kong Rong offering the pear, she should yield to her younger sister," or "The eldest miss knows more, so how can she lead her sister into trouble?" or "The second miss is innocent and pure; the eldest miss should be more understanding."

  She couldn't quite remember when Nanny Zhang stopped saying these things. It seemed... it was around the time she learned that the beloved "little flower" being pampered and protected wasn't her mother's child.

  Consort Fan's mouth curled into a mocking smile, her sharp, phoenix eyes gncing at the frowning Prince of Commandery. She turned to instruct Nanny Fang, "Write a letter and send it to the courier station. I want to ask my mother exactly who this 'important guest' is."

  Indeed, when you push a dog into a corner, it will sh out. She enjoyed watching as that trapped dog showed its fangs, only to have its teeth knocked out once more.

  After giving her instructions, she watched as Nanny Fang left, then turned to Zhou Weiqi. "I hear you're pnning to go to the Marquis of Jinxiang's estate?"

  It seemed as though her mother was always aware of his every move, questioning even the smallest matters. He hadn't minded before, but tely, Zhou Weiqi felt suffocated by her need for control—his mother's desire to control others was overwhelming. He lowered his head and nodded.

  "Don't go." Consort Fan spoke dismissively, "If you have time, it would be better spent managing your retionships with the Jinyiwei. With Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin both dead, you can't afford to offend Lai Chenglong. This isn't a matter worth your personal attention."

  Mishandling this could easily lead to resentment from Han Zhengqing. Yet his mother brushed it off so lightly, as if it weren't important at all. Zhou Weiqi felt a wave of irritation rise within him. He didn't know what would truly qualify as a "serious matter" in his mother's eyes.

  Annoyance bubbled up, wave after wave. He had come to inquire about the identity of the nursemaid whom Lady Fan had gone out of her way to protect amidst her grief for Han Zhi. Yet Consort Fan clearly knew the woman's identity and was still being evasive. He felt impatience creeping in.

  Despite his irritation, Zhou Weiqi managed to keep his composure. He restrained himself, nodded, and stood to take his leave.

  But Consort Fan suddenly stopped him. "Did you hear about Third Lady Chen's unpleasant visit to the Marquis of Changning's estate?"

  Zhou Weiqi paused, hesitating. "Does this matter concern you?" He had thought that his mother's only focus tely was on bringing ruin to the Marquis of Jinxiang's estate and hadn't expected her to concern herself with other matters.

  "The Marquis of Changning's estate guards its daughters far too tightly," Consort Fan replied, idly picking up a red bean cake with her long, delicate fingers, now free of the coldness and sharpness from earlier. "This isn't good news. I've noticed they're becoming quite close with the Ye family."

  Zhou Weiqi shared her concern. The Marquis of Changning had distanced themselves from them since the Yangzhou scandal. No matter how they tried to improve retions, the Marquis's family remained indifferent. And after Han Zhi's scheming, their trust had likely worsened—though it had truly been Han Zhi's idea to target Song Yan, and they had made efforts to mend the situation afterward. But the Song family was shrewd, and Song Chengru, in particur, was a slippery old fox who wouldn't make any decisions lightly.

  After some thought, Zhou Weiqi rexed his frown. "Are you concerned they might try to marry this adopted girl into the Ye family, strengthening their ties?"

  "I'm more concerned they've already started considering it." Consort Fan gestured for Lianqiao to wipe her hands. "The Song family doesn't have many daughters. They guard their treasure, Song Chuyi, so closely that making any pns involving her would be quite challenging. The best option is to approach through other avenues. With Third Lady Chen's recent actions, the Song family will naturally be concerned about their adopted daughter's marriage. As for Miss Xiang, her status is somewhat ambiguous. She's unlikely to be accepted as a main wife in a prestigious family, yet the Song family wouldn't want to see her married off to someone unworthy. This situation creates an opportunity."

  The intricacies of the inner court's strategies were too complex for Zhou Weiqi. He sat back down to listen as Consort Fan continued.

  "The Marquis of Changning's family must be worrying about her future now. In a few days, on the major holiday for the Bodhisattva, I expect they'll take Miss Xiang out to introduce her to the noble dies in the capital."

  Consort Fan paused briefly before continuing, "I've already spoken to Lady Wei, asking her to keep an eye out. Also, tell Wei Yansheng to be observant that day and not just stand around like a fool."

  Wei Yansheng was the legitimate son of General Wei and also Zhou Weiqi's study companion. Thinking over the situation, Zhou Weiqi saw the potential benefits—if the Wei family could indeed form a marriage alliance with the Song family, the Song family would be less likely to disregard Xiang Mingzi's future. Moreover, it was said that Miss Xiang and Sixth Miss Song had always had a good retionship.

  Thanks to Old Lady Xiang's recent drama, some reputable families in the capital might hesitate to form connections with the Marquis of Changning's estate, even if they wanted to. The Wei family's social standing was solid, and their reputation unblemished. If they were serious about pursuing this match, they might indeed have a chance.

  Moreover, if Miss Xiang takes a liking to Wei Yansheng, then things would be even simpler to arrange.

  Seeing that his mother wasn't solely focused on internal family conflicts, Zhou Weiqi's previous dissatisfaction with Consort Fan eased without him realizing it. He looked at her calmly and suggested, "It would be best if I still go visit Aunt tomorrow to get a sense of her stance. Otherwise, if Uncle returns and finds our account doesn't match what Aunt says..."

  Consort Fan's expression turned dark instantly. She struggled to suppress her irritation, frowning and waving her hand impatiently. "You should spend more time learning about the Jinyiwei commander's preferences and interacting with Minister Li. Their families are about to be connected by marriage; winning over the Li family means winning over the commander. As for your aunt, I will personally go and speak with her."