“With me?” Rong Rong found it hard to believe. “What does this have to do with me?”

The Crown Prince realized he had said too much and quickly cleared his throat. “I misspoke. It’s not related to you; it’s about Yuanbao’s mother.”

Rong Rong froze, her body suddenly stiffening.

Someone as clever as Liu Zhen wouldn’t accidentally say something wrong, would he?

No, he wasn’t the type to misspeak.

Recalling how he held her last night and called out Jing Rong’s name, her heart started to race.

Had he discovered something?

Had he guessed that she was Jing Rong?

Impossible, impossible.

The idea of borrowing a body to come back to life was too absurd.

Liu Zhen had been a diligent student of the classics since childhood; he wouldn’t believe in such superstitions. He wouldn’t think like that.

Could it be that he truly loved Jing Rong so much that he saw her as a complete substitute for Jing Rong and said everything he wanted to say to her?

That made sense, but if that were the case, wouldn’t that mean he loved Jing Rong to the point of madness?

That seemed even more unlikely.

He had admitted to liking her, but someone like him, with the world in his heart, wouldn’t be so obsessed with a mere person like her.

Rong Rong blushed, trying to dismiss her wild thoughts and redirect her mind to the proper path. “Could they be related to Yuanbao’s mother’s death?”

The Crown Prince nodded silently.

Rong Rong was startled but felt it was unlikely.

At that time, Mei Ningxiang was just a head seamstress in the Imperial Garment Bureau—a mere palace maid—how could she have had the ability to harm anyone in the Eastern Palace?

Having been a palace maid herself, Rong Rong knew that if she were in Mei Ningxiang’s position, she wouldn’t even know who the important people in the Eastern Palace were, let alone have the capability to harm them.

As for Yu Jingming, he certainly had the means, but Rong Rong believed that if Yu Jingming wanted to kill her, he would simply break her neck rather than sending her some poisoned bird’s nest.

Bringing up the past, Rong Rong suddenly gathered the courage to ask, “Yuanbao’s mother, I mean the Noble Consort, was she killed by a traitor?”

Seeing her cautious expression, the Crown Prince’s gaze grew complicated, and he nodded with difficulty.

“Then… could you tell me what happened?” Rong Rong asked, lowering her gaze. “I heard that the Noble Consort died when Yuanbao was born. Was it due to childbirth?”

The Crown Prince’s voice became deep, his eyes growing darker. “It wasn’t childbirth. Jing Rong was over seven months pregnant at the time, but because of my carelessness, she mistakenly ate some poisoned bird’s nest.

The people attending to her managed to help her expel some of the poison, but it was too potent. By the time the imperial physician arrived, it was too late to save her.”

Listening to the Crown Prince talk about the past, Rong Rong felt momentarily dazed.

Her mood was unexpectedly calm, as if she were an outsider, listening to someone else’s story.

“And Yuanbao, how did he survive?”

Her own story had turned over in her mind hundreds of times, no longer sparking her curiosity.

Now, the only thing she wanted to know was everything about Yuanbao.

“The imperial physician said she was beyond saving. At that time, she still had a faint breath, so they used a labor-inducing medicine. After Yuanbao was born, she just…” Even though the Crown Prince was as cold as iron, he couldn’t continue speaking at this point.

The labor-inducing medicine given by the imperial physician was as fierce as a tiger or wolf.

Even though Jing Rong was already unconscious from the poison, her whole body convulsed and was covered in cold sweat.

That scene had appeared in the Crown Prince’s dreams for a long time.

Even now, when he spoke of it, it still felt vivid and shocking.

The woman who had brought him so much joy and happiness had left so tragically.

Compared to the Crown Prince’s emotions, Rong Rong was much more indifferent.

She had experienced both life and death. As long as Yuanbao was safe and grew up well, she had no more regrets or hatred.

Even if she hadn’t borrowed another body to live, she could have gone calmly.

“You haven’t mentioned what Yu Jingming and Mei Ningxiang have to do with this.” Rong Rong didn’t dwell on past memories but urged the Crown Prince to continue.

Meeting her clear, bright eyes, the Crown Prince’s hatred and guilt were all washed away by the starlight in her eyes, and he regained his composure.

“Mei Ningxiang has nothing to do with this matter.”

Hearing the Crown Prince say this, Rong Rong breathed a sigh of relief.

She and Mei Ningxiang had known each other and she only hoped that the relationship between them was a good fate, not a bad one.

“Did you arrest her?”

The Crown Prince nodded.

“Since it has nothing to do with her, can you release her?”

“You do love to play the good person.”

Being spoken to like this, Rong Rong quickly turned her head away and said in a low voice, “It’s not that I want to be a do-gooder. There’s a cause for every grievance and a debtor for every debt. Since it has nothing to do with her, holding her makes no sense.”

“She could be said to be innocent, but she could also be said to deserve it. For the past three years, Yu Jingming was able to stay hidden in the capital thanks to her cover.”

“Did she know that Yu Jingming was the murderer?”

“She didn’t know, but she also knew.”

Rong Rong was confused, “What do you mean?”

“I had people interrogate Mei Ningxiang several times. She indeed knew nothing about Yu Jingming’s past. However, with a man like Yu Jingming, who was mysterious, with an unknown identity and exceptional martial arts skills, but stayed indoors all day, would you dare keep him in your home for three years?”

Indeed.

She hadn’t interacted much with Yu Jingming, but even after meeting him a few times, she could tell he wasn’t a simple man.

For Mei Ningxiang to dare keep him around, naturally, she had to bear the risks.

“Is Yu Jingming really the murderer of the concubine?”

The Crown Prince shook his head, “He refuses to confess. I checked repeatedly and even threatened him with Mei Ningxiang’s life, but he didn’t change his statement.”

True, Jing Rong and Yu Jingming had no enmity, so Yu Jingming had no reason to kill her.

“Could it be that you wrongly accused him?”

“He’s not being wronged.” A cold light flashed in the Crown Prince’s eyes. “If it weren’t for his exceptional lightness skill that lured away the people I had placed around Jing Rong, she wouldn’t have died.”

The people he arranged—was it Feicui?

So, that day when she couldn’t find Feicui, it was because Yu Jingming had led her away.

“Do you want to go see Mei Ningxiang?” the Crown Prince asked.

Rong Rong was slightly surprised; she hadn’t expected him to say that.

She indeed couldn’t bear to see Mei Ningxiang die and had been thinking of persuading the Crown Prince to spare her.

However, she hadn’t considered going to see Mei Ningxiang herself.

After all, they had parted on bad terms before; seeing her again might be awkward.

Since the Crown Prince suggested it, it meant that there was still a chance to save Mei Ningxiang’s life.

Mei Ningxiang had nothing to do with Jing Rong, and any revenge shouldn’t be directed at her.

A living person—awkwardness was a small price to pay.

“Where are they being held?”

“They were previously kept at the estate you visited last time.”

Rong Rong was startled, and after a pause, she became furious. “Yu Jingming was the one who tried to assassinate you and Yuanbao?”

“Yes.”

“That beast!” Rong Rong was both anxious and angry.

She couldn’t believe that Yu Jingming was the one who attempted to kill Yuanbao.

She remembered Xie Yuanchu telling her that the assassin’s every strike had been aimed at Yuanbao, which was why Liu Zhen had been so severely injured.

Such a vile person—how could she have pleaded for his case? She should—she should have had Liu Zhen execute Yu Jingming immediately.

No, he should be drawn and quartered, cut into a thousand pieces!

Seeing her face turn pale with anger, the Crown Prince knew she was furious because Yu Jingming had harmed Yuanbao.

His heart softened, and he couldn’t help but take her hand, speaking gently, “That time, I captured Mei Ningxiang to force him to reveal himself. It was part of my plan to lure the snake out of its hole. I just didn’t expect him to be so bold as to attempt an assassination in broad daylight on the streets of the capital.”

“Even if there was a reason, he shouldn’t have tried to kill Yuanbao!” Yuanbao was so young, and with swords and knives, who knew if he could have been injured?

The Crown Prince nodded. “That’s why I punished him severely. I had him locked in a water dungeon and kept him alive only to find out who was behind all this.”

Hearing the Crown Prince mention the mastermind, Rong Rong was slightly taken aback.

Earlier, the Crown Prince had said that Yu Jingming wasn’t the one who killed Jing Rong.

So who was the real culprit behind it all?

The Crown Prince seemed to notice her confusion. “Don’t worry, I’ve been investigating this matter all along. You’ll see their downfall with your own eyes.”

“Yes,” Rong Rong’s mind was a mess.

She had no idea who was responsible for her predicament.

She was about to say something when she noticed something different in the Crown Prince’s eyes.

In a fluster, she lowered her gaze and said, “They caused Yuanbao to grow up without a mother; they deserve to be punished.”

The Crown Prince reached out and brushed his hand across her cheek. “I’ve long thought of releasing Mei Ningxiang. She’s the one who refuses to leave. If she left you a plea for help, it means she still wants to live. Go see her; maybe she can help get more information out of Yu Jingming.”

He needed evidence—solid, undeniable proof.

“In that case, I’ll go see Mei Ningxiang right away.”