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Lady Chang found herself growing increasingly suspicious of Lady Tao.

"Let’s go have a look," she said.

With a response, Huai Xiang followed Lady Chang towards the direction of Hehuan Hall.

From afar, she saw Lady Tao entering the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber instead of Hehuan Hall. A hint of doubt flickered in Lady Chang’s eyes. Xiao Jinyan had been away from the palace for nearly two months. What could Lady Tao be doing in the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber?

Just as Lady Chang, carrying her doubts, stepped into the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber, she saw the little Princess in the garden, sitting on a rock and eating something. Every time she saw Shen Chuwei’s twins, a boy and a girl, envy would rise, unstoppable, within her.

She stroked her own stomach. When would she be able to have her own child and thus turn her fate around?

With Xiao Jinyan not in the palace, she didn’t even have the opportunity to try for a child.

Looking again at the little Princess on the rock, her envy made her overlook Susu’s cuteness and tenderness. Instead, she felt a disgust similar to her feelings for Shen Chuwei, wishing the girl would just disappear.

That way, the Emperor and Empress’s gaze wouldn’t always be on them.

Envy is a flood beast, a once rooted thought in the mind that begins to sprout and grow.

Clenching the handkerchief in her hand tightly, Lady Chang walked towards the little Princess and squat down in front of her. Looking at the Princess who was focused on her food, she asked, "Little Princess, where is the Crown Princess?"

Susu took a bite of her purple sweet potato pastry and looked up with her big, watery eyes at Lady Chang who was in front of her. Because she was unfamiliar with Lady Chang, she only gave her a quick glance and continued eating her pastry, paying her no further attention.

Exasperated, Lady Chang clenched her teeth. The child was already so small and yet knew how to snub others?

The little Princess ignored her, and she did not continue to ask. This was the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber, and no matter how much she despised them, she couldn’t take any action here.

Lady Chang straightened up, ready to walk further inside when she heard the little Princess let out a sound, "Hooo hooo."

At that moment, a snow-white figure rushed their way. Focusing her eyes, she realized it was a white tiger.

The white tiger was robust, letting out an angry roar that made her eardrums buzz.

Lady Chang, frightened, turned pale and stumbled backwards, falling to the ground. She gaped at the advancing white tiger, wondering where on Earth this tiger had come from?

Shen Chuwei, upon hearing the low growl of the white tiger, came out of the house.

From a distance, she saw Lady Chang in the courtyard and frowned.

It was rare for Lady Chang to visit Hehuan Hall even once a year, let alone come to the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber, especially when Xiao Jinyan was not at the palace.

Since her arrival, Shen Chuwei had never liked Lady Chang.

Turning her head, Shen Chuwei glanced towards the Study Room and suddenly thought that Lady Tao had just arrived, followed immediately by Lady Chang. Could it be that she had followed Lady Tao here?

By now, Lady Chang was so scared that she had gone weak. Entering was impossible, so she left the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber in a sorry state with Huai Xiang’s support.

Once outside the Bedchamber, Lady Chang looked back, feeling that something was amiss.

Also, how could there be a tiger in the East Palace? Who was keeping this tiger?

After watching Lady Chang leave, Shen Chuwei withdrew her gaze and returned to the entrance of the Study Room where she saw Lady Tao standing in front of the desk watching Song Qing write. It was a warm scene.

Lady Tao still came every day, always ensuring her presence was noted before Song Qing, yet there hadn’t been any progress...

Recently, the Empress had been accompanying the Empress Dowager on her Buddhist rituals, but now with some spare time, she planned to visit her beloved grandchildren in the East Palace.

Before she could even leave Fengyi Palace, she saw the Emperor approaching hastily, as if troubled by urgent matters.

She stepped forward and curtsied, "Your Majesty."

The Emperor walked briskly toward her and took the Empress’s hand, heading inside the Hall, "Empress, I have something to tell you."

The relationship between the Emperor and Empress had softened considerably, but the Emperor knew that the Empress still harbored unresolved issues in her heart.

And the words he had spoken that night had not been heard by the Empress.

Perhaps it was because he was the ruler of a country, too proud to speak his heart out, so he couldn’t voice it when the Empress was awake.

It was rare for the usually composed Emperor to show such a state of unrest, giving the Empress a bad premonition.

"What’s the matter?" she asked.

Once the Emperor had taken the Empress inside and dismissed the Palace Maid and Eunuch, leaving just the two of them, he finally spoke, "The Crown Prince is missing."

Although the Empress did not share a particularly good relationship with her eldest son and there had been grievances between them since childhood, he was still the child she had carried for ten months and raised until his younger brother was born.

If not for the elder pushing his younger brother, causing his near death, there wouldn’t have been such a rift between mother and son.

"How could the Crown Prince go missing?" she exclaimed.

"We’ve received news from the frontline that the Crown Prince has been continuously victorious on the battlefield.

However, during the most recent battle, Xueyue Country somehow brought in a formidable master and the Crown Prince was defeated, resulting in his fall off a cliff. He has yet to be found."

The Emperor had appointed Xiao Jinyan as the Crown Prince because of his remarkable abilities, the strongest among all the princes. His sudden disappearance and unknown fate were not just a cause of heartbreak as his father but also a profound loss of talent.

The Empress said anxiously, "Then send more people to look for him, Crown Princess, Taotao, and Susu are all waiting for his triumphant return."

"I have already ordered them to find the Crown Prince at all costs; alive, we must see him; dead, we must find his body.

The Imperial Astronomers have calculated his life expectancy, and he is not fated for a short life," the Emperor said on behalf of the Imperial Astronomers, firmly believing in his son’s survival.

"Let’s not tell the Crown Princess about this for now, how heartbroken would she be if she knew the Crown Prince fell off the cliff?" The Empress herself was so distraught she could hardly bear it, let alone the Crown Princess.

The Emperor took the Empress into his arms and soothed her by caressing her back, "I know, I have already told those who know to keep their mouths shut. The Empress should not worry too much either, Yanyan is the Crown Prince, the future Emperor, and he will surely turn danger into safety."

Perhaps the Emperor’s reassurance had an effect, as the Empress suddenly felt a bit more at ease, nodding, "Your concubine understands, the Crown Prince will surely be fine."

The Emperor said meaningfully, "Yanyan has always been diligent these years and has not let me down, this time will be no different."

The Empress said softly, "Your concubine was just thinking about visiting Susu, whom I haven’t seen in a few days, and I miss her very much."

"I too have not seen Susu for a few days, and I wonder if she has begun to talk more."

Since the Crown Prince had led the troops on a campaign, the Emperor had become busy, arriving at Fengyi Palace later and later in the night, sometimes not until well after midnight, having no choice but to rest in Yangxin Hall.

He too missed Susu dearly, longing to hear Susu call him grandfather—every time he heard her asking ’grandfather, hold the baby,’ his heart would melt.

After the Emperor left, the Empress went to the East Palace, her resplendent procession always highly conspicuous wherever it went.

Lady Chang was on her way to Fengyi Palace, but before she could leave the East Palace, she saw the Empress’s procession. The Empress only had one destination in the East Palace, and that was Hehuan Hall.

Last time she could not enter because of the white tiger, but with the Empress here now, it was different. She could follow the Empress in and take the opportunity to see what shameful secrets Crown Princess Taotao and Shen Chuwei were hiding.

Lady Chang approached with a smile, bowing, "Aunt."

The Empress looked at Lady Chang with a cool tone, "Where are you off to?"

Lady Chang said gently, "Lanlan originally planned to visit you, Aunt, but unexpectedly met you here. Are you going to see the young princess?"

The Empress replied, "I haven’t seen Susu for a few days, of course I’m going to visit her."

Lady Chang stepped forward, a smile across her face, "Then let Lanlan accompany you. I wanted to visit last time but couldn’t get in."

The Empress frowned, "What business do you have there?"

"The Crown Princess gave birth to two children. With His Highness away on the campaign, she at least has two children to keep her company. As for Lanlan, I’m all alone, and life has been too dull.

I thought I could brighten it by seeing the young princess," Lady Chang said, her tone growing aggrieved as she spoke.

When the Empress heard this, she thought about her niece being alone in the palace for three or four years, a plight no woman could easily endure. Seeing others with children naturally made her long for her own.

She was a woman herself and could understand the hardships women face.

However the Crown Prince’s heart was set on Shen Chuwei, and for Lanlan to continue staying in the palace would likely be a waste of time. It would be better for her to gracefully leave the palace as Concubine Xu did and remarry someone else.

"Then let’s go together."

Lady Chang’s face lit up with a pleased smile, "Yes, Aunt."

The Empress and Lady Chang proceeded to Hehuan Hall with the grand procession.

At the moment, Crown Princess Taotao was standing before Song Qing, watching him write seriously and teaching her how to produce excellent calligraphy.

This was all taught during her spare time.

Her gaze, however, remained fixated on Song Qing’s profile, staring blankly until Song Qing looked up and caught her gaze, to which she still did not react.

Song Qing noticed Crown Princess Taotao gazing at his face and cleared his throat, "Crown Princess Taotao?"

"Huh?" Crown Princess Taotao started, flustered, her hands shook inadvertently causing an ink stick to fall to the ground, splashing ink onto the hems of their garments.

"I didn’t do it on purpose."

Both bent down almost simultaneously to pick up the ink stick on the ground. Seeing each other kneeling, Song Qing instinctively turned away, but still inevitably collided with her.

As their soft lips brushed, the tender touch was as startling as an electric shock, and both were stunned.

Outside, the Empress’s grand procession was passing by the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber.

Lady Chang glanced at the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber, recalling that Huai Xiang had been watching it closely these days.

She knew Crown Princess Taotao had been visiting there daily and remarked, "Aunt, the Crown Princess is probably not in Hehuan Hall right now, but in the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber instead. "

The Empress, considering Lady Chang’s words reasonable—since Taotao and Lord Chu were likely studying in the study room of the Crown Prince’s Bedchamber, which was specially prepared for Taotao and even larger than Xiao Jinyan’s study—commanded someone to go inside.

Upon entering, the Empress headed straight for the study room.

Lady Chang felt a surge of triumph in her heart. With no eunuchs announcing the Empress’s arrival, it was the perfect chance to catch Shen Chuwei and Crown Princess Taotao engaging in their scandalous activities.