The cannon fodder heiress trembled with fear after being recognized as a member of her family.

The main hall of Fangruo Palace.

Consort Xu sat at the head of the table, listening quietly.

Wang Changzai knelt below, weeping and pleading.

Hearing Emperor Chuyuan and the Fifth Prince vying for it... Consort Xu glanced at the person kneeling on the ground, her expression indescribable.

In private, the emperor was surprisingly dissolute.

With a pursed lip, at this moment, any remaining affection that Consort Xu had vanished.

She has sons and daughters, and a noble status; what is there for her to compete with these people for?

"Go and rest! If the Emperor punishes you, I will stand up for you."

Wang Changzai kowtowed three times, and the bump on his head bulged out even more.

"Granny Xu, have someone send her some medicine for her injuries. This face can't be scarred."

Consort Xu gave a cold smile.

She already knew what Consort Rui was planning.

She wanted to ruin the Fifth Prince's face and, incidentally, deal with Wang Changzai, the treacherous wet nurse. Later, she pushed Wang Changzai into her palace.

Consort Xu couldn't help but applaud this idea that killed three birds with one stone.

No wonder Consort Rui stood out among that batch of imperial concubines; she was exceptionally cunning.

"Your Majesty, something seems amiss with Consort Wang here!"

Granny Xu was somewhat worried.

This Consort Wang was clearly not a docile person, especially considering how badly she had suffered in her husband's family, yet she still managed to take her unborn child away from her husband's family and enter the palace alone to become a wet nurse.

This decisiveness is something most women can't match.

“It’s good that she’s ambitious! No matter whose side she’s on, she’ll fight for me to survive.”

Consort Xu was initially worried that after Liu Min entered the palace, she would lose favor with the emperor.

Unexpectedly, Consort Rui granted her wish.

A woman of considerable charm is far superior to a skinny girl.

Her disadvantage lies in her size.

Her face was the most beautiful in the palace, but her body was as thin as a stick, tall and frail.

"Keep an eye on things with Cun'er. If he finds him, bring him back immediately. The place he's staying now is called Changye Town. If I remember correctly, this is where Grand Secretary Han's ancestral home is. Hopefully, he won't run into any more members of the Han family."

Consort Xu was full of fighting spirit; she wanted to see who this Consort Wang really was on her side.

Consort Wang's child was captured and used as leverage against her; could the person behind this be the Empress?

Consort Xu was also somewhat unsure at this moment.

Empress Yang is currently overseeing the selection of concubines, so she shouldn't be taking this step.

Unlike the impending turmoil in the palace, the Third Prince's place was extremely quiet.

He sneezed twice in a row and lost all interest in enjoying the scenery in the teahouse.

Not far from Changye Town, there are rolling mountains, lush and verdant.

It's warmer here than in Beijing, and the leaves are still green, firmly attached to the trees.

If we are going to enter the Pinglian Mountains, we need to make good preparations.

The Third Prince, having no interest in listening to the storyteller in the middle of the hall, asked his attendant beside him, "Have mosquito repellents and other medicines been prepared?"

"Ready! Your Highness, how about we send those guards sent by the Second Prince back to Changyong County? They're short-handed right now, and we shouldn't keep them here for too long!"

Xu Zhen said quietly.

With these people around, it's inconvenient to do anything.

If we find a miraculous medicine, Your Highness shouldn't leave it unshared with them.

Xu Zhen was a member of a collateral branch of the Xu family and had also received guidance from Xu Tianyun.

He is skilled in martial arts; otherwise, the Xu family would not have sent him to protect the Third Prince.

"Let them leave tomorrow! Let's rest here for a bit, make sure we have everything we need, especially your magic bag. Make sure we have enough food, drink and supplies. We'll head into the mountains the day after tomorrow; we're sure to find some good medicinal herbs."

The third prince was full of confidence.

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhen hurriedly went back to dismiss the people sent by the Second Prince.

These people were ostensibly there to protect him, but in reality, they were there to monitor him. He had long disliked them.

The second prince came from an unremarkable background, and his behavior was also petty and uncouth.

If it weren't for the Third Prince's help, the Second Prince wouldn't have been able to reap so many benefits.

Not to mention in the capital, even when they came to Changyong County, it was the Xu family who stepped in to help the Second Prince sort out various matters.

In the end, the second prince took all the credit, while His Highness got nothing.

It's just a demon, yet it dares to challenge their prince.

Xu Zhen was lost in thought on his way back and didn't notice the two tall horses coming towards him.

Sitting on the horse were Luo Jingqian and Han Cuiyin.

The two did not use any other means for this trip, but honestly used horses for transportation.

They also made a trip to Hanjiacun Village along the way.

Yan Dali did indeed come here in disguise.

He stayed at the home of someone who had a falling out with the Han family for two nights, and then came to Changye Town.

They didn't find out anything else.

"We'll stay at an inn in town tonight, and tomorrow we'll ask around to see if anyone has seen my uncle. The day after tomorrow we'll head into the mountains."

Han Cuiyin didn't notice the way Luo Jingqian addressed her; she simply nodded in agreement.

"Let's rest for today! Prepare some warm clothes, as it gets very cold at night in the Pinglian Mountains, especially in the central area."

Han Cuiyin had never been to the central area; this was merely her deduction.

"Alright, you all go to the inn to rest first. I'll go get these things and inquire about my uncle's whereabouts while I'm at it."

Luo Jingqian parted ways with Han Cuiyin at the entrance of the largest inn in Changye Town.

Both of them covered their faces, especially Luo Jingqian, who covered his face even more thoroughly than Han Cuiyin.

As soon as they entered the town, they attracted a lot of attention.

There was no malice in those gazes, only curiosity.

Changye Town is laid out in a grid pattern with a small population.

There were quite a few vendors coming and going.

It was autumn, and the mountains near the Pinglian Mountains were producing a lot of produce, attracting many merchants to come and buy the goods.

A group of people arrived at noon today, also on tall horses, in a luxurious carriage.

The two men who arrived again in the evening exuded an impressive aura.

These two groups of people were extremely distinguished, unlike ordinary merchants who came to buy mountain goods; they looked more like young masters from noble families on an outing.

Han Cuiyin ignored the scrutinizing gazes of those around her, but the gaze from above displeased her.

She looked up and her eyes met the man's.

Ah, it's someone I know.

"The Third Prince has also come to Changye Town. Could it be that he is not with Han Yueshi?"

There was no trace of Han Yueshi and her group in Hanjiacun.

Have they broken up?

That's really rare.

If they were to be reborn, their marriage would probably not continue.

Han Yueshi is no longer the person she was in her previous life.

This person has become entangled with Lianyao, and things will not end well for him.

In his previous life, the Third Prince was only preoccupied with love and cultivation. If he had governed the country properly, the country would not have fallen into ruin, and the fortune of the Great Ye Dynasty would not have been cut off.

Moreover, Emperor Chu Yuan was in good health and did not appear to have died suddenly.

Han Cuiyin handed the horse to the waiter at Changye Inn and stopped worrying about why the Third Prince had appeared.

"Two upper rooms."

"Unfortunately, the main rooms are all booked, but there's a courtyard available. It'll cost three taels of silver a night." The innkeeper had a sharp eye and had seen many merchants before; he couldn't afford to be negligent towards this person.

"Alright." Han Cuiyin tossed down the loose silver coins and then inquired about the news from the shopkeeper, "Did Yan Dali return to town last month?"