At this very moment, within the dungeons of Prince Ning's manor.
Qian Shan had been tortured beyond recognition, but to allow others to clearly see his appearance, his face had been spared any injury.
Prince Ning and Minister Qiu sat by a wooden table in the dungeon, upon which rested a pot of freshly brewed Longjing tea from the pre-Qingming harvest.
The delicate aroma of the fine tea was utterly out of place in the damp and foul-smelling environment of the dungeon.
Qian Shan was on the verge of losing consciousness, his battered body broken and scarred.
He had just undergone torture, his already broken leg folded backward at a peculiar angle.
Prince Ning's men, as if discarding refuse, tossed Qian Shan's limp body before Prince Ning, then frowned and shook their heads. "Your Highness, it's no use. This man is incredibly stubborn. After so many days of questioning, he still refuses to say anything. We haven't even managed to find out his name, what should we do?"
"Hmph!"
Prince Ning snorted coldly, picked up the teapot, and poured the scalding tea viciously over Qian Shan. "Where did Mu Changxi find someone with such a tough mouth! Minister Qiu, he refuses to talk. I fear that even if we brought him before my father, he wouldn't admit to impersonating Prince Chang. What should we do?"
Minister Qiu glanced at the agitated Prince Ning, appearing much calmer. "Your Highness, do not panic. Don't we still have Hai Sha and that child in our hands? When the time comes, we just need to bring that child before your Emperor. With a blood test, they will have to admit it even if they deny it. They cannot escape!"
Minister Qiu frowned, looking at Qian Shan, who lay on the ground unmoving even after being doused with scalding tea. He waved to someone beside him. "Don't let him die. Go and summon Young Master Sai Jue. He has a good relationship with this person, and he'll surely find a way to save him."
Upon hearing Sai Jue's name, Prince Ning also frowned. "I think his relationship with that fake Prince Chang is so good, won't there be trouble?"
"No!"
Minister Qiu waved his hand, confident in his understanding of Sai Jue. "Despite his personality, he is actually a timid person. He would absolutely not dare to betray us. Bringing him along this time is also to avoid arousing suspicion from others and to test that Princess Chang. However, I think that Princess Chang is quite unusual! We must be cautious of her in the future."
With that, the two of them stood up.
As they walked out of the dungeon, Sai Jue happened to arrive.
Minister Qiu stepped forward and patted Sai Jue's shoulder. "Sai Jue, go and take a good look at that fake Prince Chang. Don't let him die, and advise him not to struggle anymore. Continuing like this will do him no good, do you understand?"
Sai Jue nodded, sighing. "If you didn't want him to die, you shouldn't have treated him so harshly. I've brought a doctor. You all should leave, and let me speak with him alone. Time is drawing nearer, and it's not a solution for him to keep resisting like this!"
They did not suspect Sai Jue, and naturally, they did not suspect the "doctor" standing behind Sai Jue, who had been keeping his head bowed.
—
When Sai Jue delivered the heavily injured Qian Shan to Prince Ning's manor, even Song Chaoyu was startled by Qian Shan's appearance.
If it weren't for someone like her, who was with Mu Changxi every day, one might not have been able to distinguish Qian Shan from Mu Changxi!
When Qian Shan reached Song Chaoyu, he was conscious but on the verge of death.
"Qian Shan?"
Song Chaoyu stepped forward and personally welcomed Qian Shan into the manor. "Don't worry, you are safe now. The doctor is waiting for you inside, and Granny Han is also here. You can rest assured and stay here. No one will harm you again."
Hearing Song Chaoyu's voice, Qian Shan saw Song Chaoyu for the first time.
Seeing the genuine concern in Song Chaoyu's eyes, he curved his lips. "Greetings... Princess Consort."
In fact, Qian Shan himself had not expected Mu Changxi to choose this method to save him.
Song Chaoyu shook her head. "Don't be so polite. You've helped us for so many years, and we will never let you be harmed again. All you need to do is live, live in peace, and live well, understand?"
Qian Shan closed his eyes, seeming to feel his entire body relax.
Mu Changxi had once told him that nothing in this world was insurmountable.
Therefore, Mu Changxi's pain would pass, and so would his.
What lay ahead was always light and hope, wasn't it?
He closed his eyes, feeling an unprecedented warmth.
—
As the wedding day of Prince Wen and Princess Ti Le drew closer, the entire capital seemed to bustle with activity.
According to outside reports, Prince Chang still showed no signs of waking up.
Song Chaoyu's belly grew larger with each passing day, though her condition appeared much better than Song Yanjiao's.
Within Prince Ning's manor, Song Yanjiao was confined to a small courtyard, and everything in the manor was now managed by Wu Lingru.
Sometimes, when Song Yanjiao was brought out, she appeared increasingly gaunt.
And though her belly was round, and everyone said she was carrying a girl, she insisted it was destined to be a boy.
Even Mu Hansu seemed to have his doubts, waiting for the day of her delivery to see the truth!
Days passed one by one. Who knew that as the capital grew hotter, a message arrived from the palace, requesting Song Chaoyu to bring Prince Chang to the palace.
The message came from the chief eunuch by the Emperor's side, stating that they were to enter the palace discreetly.
Song Chaoyu's heart tightened, guessing that Prince Ning and Minister Qiu had likely begun to "cause trouble."
But on the surface, she still put on an expression of confusion. "May I ask what the matter is that calls us to the palace at this hour?"
The eunuch shook his head. "Princess Consort, just bring the Prince to the palace discreetly. You need not worry about anything else."
Song Chaoyu could only nod. "Alright, I will prepare immediately and then bring the Prince to the palace."
To outsiders, Mu Changxi had not yet awakened.
Song Chaoyu entered the study. Qian Shan had been recuperating for the past few days. Although his body was not yet recovered, he was much more awake.
His legs were completely crippled, but he seemed not to care.
Hearing the sound of Song Chaoyu entering, he dared to open his eyes, his face full of worry. "Your Highness, is it about the Prince?"
Song Chaoyu nodded. "Have Xiao Rui Zi help you change your clothes. We are going to the palace. Afterward, you don't need to do anything. Just lie there quietly, and don't open your eyes no matter what happens. The Prince's condition is also alright. Sai Jue visited a couple of days ago and said he only suffered some flesh wounds. Success or failure hinges on today; none of us can back down."