The Crown Prince knew that his frail body could never bear the heavy responsibility of ruling, which was why he had delayed ascending the throne.

Even if he had the intention to abdicate, none of his younger brothers were particularly reassuring choices.

No matter who took the position, he had concerns.

Now, he finally understood why his father had never officially appointed a crown prince and had instead left this difficult decision to him.

His father had been certain that once Beichen Yuan returned, he would stabilize the situation and choose the most suitable candidate for the throne.

That was why he had made him, a sickly prince, the Crown Prince—to temporarily maintain stability.

As long as the throne remained unoccupied, the other princes would remain restless and eager to seize the opportunity.

Ye Minghui was worried that something might go wrong during the Spring Banquet, or that it might not even take place at all.

Ye Lingxue, however, didn’t concern herself with such matters.

She had only one goal—to make Beichen Yuan fall in love with her.

By the time Shen Qingwan and her group returned, the food had already gone cold.

Ye Minghui had the kitchen reheat the dishes, and only then did they finally sit down to eat together.

After the meal, Shen Qingwan left on urgent business.

She assigned Rong Yunshuang and Rong Yunfei to protect Ye Minglan while she went to find Lu Wenzhao.

She had originally thought she would need to search around the capital to locate Lu Wenzhao. But to her surprise, he was a well-known figure in the city.

Even before arriving in the capital, she had already heard plenty about him. With a little inquiry, she quickly understood everything.

No wonder Lu Wenzhao had rushed to take his parents and child away yet showed no eagerness to bring her along.

It turned out he had a new love and had long since cast aside his countryside wife.

As a rising star in the imperial court, Lu Wenzhao had married Su Ruoyun, the second daughter of the Prime Minister’s residence, and his career had soared ever since.

They even had a two-year-old son, Lu Tianyang.

Their loving marriage was well known throughout the capital, and everyone praised the Prime Minister for securing such a good son-in-law.

Shen Qingwan had no interest in such a heartless man. However, he was still her husband in name, and their divorce papers had yet to be signed.

Yet he already had a two-year-old child? This was beyond outrageous!

Dressed plainly, Shen Qingwan didn’t wear anything extravagant, but her natural beauty still shone through. She walked straight up to the Lu residence and knocked on the door.

A servant answered, saw a young woman before him, and immediately asked, “Who are you? What business do you have here?”

“I am Lu Wenzhao’s wife, Shen Qingwan. Tell him to come out and see me,” she declared, pushing past the servant and forcing the door open.

The servant was caught off guard and fell to the ground with a thud. He pointed at her angrily and shouted, “How dare you! Do you think you can address our General so casually? And you dare impersonate our madam? You must have a death wish!”

Shen Qingwan had no patience for an argument and stormed inside, heading straight for the inner courtyard.

The frightened servant hurriedly ran off to call for reinforcements.

As she entered the courtyard, she heard the heart-wrenching cries of a young boy.

The child’s cries were so pitiful that she quickened her pace, following the sound.

In the back courtyard, Lu Wenzhao stood with a displeased expression, scolding a little boy. “It’s just a toy. I’ll buy you another one later. Your younger brother likes this one, so you should let him have it.”

The little boy, Xiao Chen, wailed bitterly as he watched his younger brother snatch away his beloved Sun Wukong figurine. “No! That was a gift from my mother! Give it back! Give it back!” he sobbed, reaching out to grab the toy.

But Lu Tianyang, having been spoiled since birth, had no intention of giving up anything he had claimed as his own.

Seeing his older brother trying to snatch it back, he furiously threw the figurine to the ground, breaking it.

“Hmph! If I can’t have it, neither can you!” The two-year-old’s temper was already apparent.

Seeing his most treasured toy shattered, Xiao Chen’s eyes turned red with rage.

He lunged at Lu Tianyang in a fit of fury.

But before he could reach him, Su Ruoyun kicked him in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Though Su Ruoyun wasn’t particularly strong, Xiao Chen was just a six or seven-year-old child. He clutched his chest in pain, unable to catch his breath, his cries turning into weak, shuddering sobs.

“Mother… I want my mother! I want my sister! I hate Father! I hate all of you!” Xiao Chen sobbed.

It was the first time he had ever said the word “hate.”

He didn’t fully understand its meaning, but he knew one thing—he despised his father, this woman, and that so-called younger brother.

Lu Wenzhao hadn’t expected Xiao Chen to be so rebellious.

Not only had he tried to hit his younger brother, but now he was speaking such disgraceful words. Furious, he raised his hand and slapped Xiao Chen across the face.

The little boy, still unsteady from Su Ruoyun’s kick, was sent sprawling to the ground once more. His delicate face instantly swelled, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Dazed and disoriented, Xiao Chen’s ears rang with voices.

In his haze, he thought he heard his mother’s voice.

He struggled to lift his head, and through his blurred vision, he saw a familiar figure rushing toward him.

“…Mother?”

Shen Qingwan had just stepped through the corridor when she saw Lu Wenzhao slap Xiao Chen to the ground.

Her eyes blazed with fury, and in an instant, she charged forward.

Without hesitation, she kicked Lu Wenzhao in the chest with full force.

He was sent flying three or four meters before landing hard, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Su Ruoyun, shocked by the sudden attack, was momentarily frozen in fear.

But Shen Qingwan wasn’t done. She stomped on Lu Wenzhao’s chest and delivered several vicious kicks to his ribs.

“Even a tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs, yet you raise your hand against your own son? Lu Wenzhao, you’re worse than a beast! If you didn’t want these children, why did you secretly take them away in the first place? You call yourself a man?” she spat.

With that, she lifted her foot and crushed a vital part of Lu Wenzhao’s lower body, rendering him useless as a man.

“Guards! Someone stop this madwoman!” Su Ruoyun shrieked in terror.

A group of guards quickly rushed in.

But Shen Qingwan didn’t even glance at them.

She walked over, scooped Xiao Chen into her arms, and then fixed Su Ruoyun with a cold, piercing stare. “Where is my daughter?” she demanded.

Su Ruoyun trembled under Shen Qingwan’s terrifying gaze. “Your daughter? Why would she be here? Who are you?” she stammered.

She still didn’t realize who Shen Qingwan was.

Lu Wenzhao, writhing in pain on the ground, could barely speak.

Shen Qingwan sneered. “Didn’t Lu Wenzhao tell you? I am his wife. You may have given him a child, but by law, you are nothing more than a concubine. I am his officially recognized wife, and Xiao Yu and Xiao Chen are my children. If you dare to mistreat my children, you’d best be ready to pay the price. Now, tell me—where is my daughter?”

Su Ruoyun turned pale with fury. “Impossible! I am his rightful wife! You’re nothing but a peasant woman! Even if you stayed in this household, you would only be a lowly concubine. Those two children belong to his deceased wife and have nothing to do with you!”