Наn Yan cоuldn't саrе lеss about how thе Sеventh Prinсe thought оf hеr in his hеаrt. Shе simрly turned аround with a smile and addressеd Рrincе Wei: "Suсh а mаjоr incidеnt hаs оссurred in thе Zhuang residenсе todаy, even invоlving the impеrial familу аnd nоbilitу. I trulу dоn't knоw how to hаndlе this, so I hаvе nо chоicе but tо request оffiсial intеrvention. Evеryone hеrе hаs witnessеd everything, аnd I must trоublе Your Нighnеss Рrinсе Wеi to аlsо beаr witness. Рleasе all bеаr witnеss to еvеrуthing thаt has hapрened in the Zhuang residеnce todаy!" Without wаiting for аnуonе's response, she sharply called out: "Muyan!"
"Your servant is here!" Muyan stepped forward. Having witnessed everything, he was utterly in awe of Han Yan. If before he had only seen her intelligence and cunning, today's events revealed incomparable strategic brilliance. He saw nothing wrong with this—if she were foolish, she would have died countless times already in the Xuan Qing Prince's Mansion. Those by the prince's side must possess decisiveness and courage. Today, Han Yan had given him quite a spectacle. While everyone was gathered before Concubine Mei's quarters, Muyan had followed Han Yan's instructions: he found the red cloth bundle that Madam Zhou and the others had used to frame Han Yan in the Clear Autumn Garden, removed its contents, replaced them with Madam Da Zhou's undergarment, and hid it in Zhuang Shiyang's room. Now, it seemed this had added considerable drama to the whole affair.
Handing the matter over to the authorities meant making public everything that had happened in the Zhuang residence, including the illicit affair between Madam Da Zhou and Zhuang Shiyang. Yet Muyan had already swiftly departed. Han Yan's tone left no room for doubt—she had clearly planned this all along.
All eyes were not on the weeping Concubine Mei, nor the disgraced Madam Da Zhou, nor the collapsed Madam Zhou, but on Han Yan herself. She calmly observed everything before her, methodically instructing the servants on what needed to be done. Everyone couldn't help but feel a strange illusion: this young girl before them was clearly acting as the mistress of the Zhuang residence. Despite the succession of absurd events that had befallen the household, she hadn't even furrowed her brow. In fact, she had often been smiling. That smile seemed genuine, yet it never reached her eyes. A deeper look sent chills down one's spine.
Zhuangshan tightly clenched her own arm, nearly bursting with rage. Han Yan actually wanted Prince Wei and the others to bear witness! Bear witness to what? To evidence of her own family members plotting against others—Zhuang Hanyan! But she couldn't act rashly now. Compared to before, Zhuangshan had grown much wiser. Gritting her teeth, she swallowed all her anger.
Concubine Mei glared at Han Yan. She now understood that everything was Han Yan's doing. But how could she possess such capability? How could she have known about her plans? Even her feigned pregnancy—Han Yan had known about that too. It was impossible. No one besides her personal maids knew of this scheme.
If Concubine Mei had been a bit smarter, a bit more observant, she would have noticed that Jiao Meng, who had always been by her side offering counsel, hadn't given a single piece of advice during today's events. Even when she was being beaten by Zhuang Shiyang, Jiao Meng had merely stood to the side with her head bowed, saying nothing at all.
The one who betrays you is always the one you believe would never betray you. Unfortunately, Concubine Mei didn't understand this principle. As for Han Yan, it was only through the bloody lessons of her past life, paid for with her very life, that she had come to understand this truth.For a long time, Han Yan did not know whether her decision was correct.
Regarding the incident at the Zhuang Manor that day, Madam Zhou was driven out of the manor by Grand Tutor Zhang on charges of adultery and subjected to the branding punishment, with the character for "licentiousness" seared onto her face. As she walked through the marketplace, people pointed and whispered at her. Madam Da Zhou had never been treated like this in her entire life, and her mind began to unravel. In her deranged state, she got into an argument with someone, and during the scuffle, she fell into the moat. Strangely, no one saved her, and she died just like that, without any clear explanation.
Madam Zhou fared no better. Because she conspired with Concubine Mei to frame Han Yan, she was imprisoned along with Concubine Mei. Although it was said they were imprisoned, it essentially meant they would never be released. Han Yan knew that rather than being a severe punishment from the authorities, this was more likely Fu Yunxi's doing. He must have given some instructions to the officials. The Zhou Sisters usually had connections with many influential people, yet not a single one could help them.
As for the Seventh Prince, it was an unexpected gain. The Emperor reprimanded the Seventh Prince for not staying on the mountain to pray for the people's blessings but instead sneaking off to the Zhuang Manor and even inviting someone like Jingxu Daozhang, a charlatan who deceived others. It was deemed necessary to discipline him, so the Seventh Prince was temporarily placed under house arrest.
Someone like the Seventh Prince truly deserved a taste of hardship. With the Emperor handling the Seventh Prince this way, many court officials who had sided with him began to waver again. The Emperor's actions seemed to indicate that the Seventh Prince might not be favored by His Majesty. Could it be that the Crown Prince was the one truly worth betting on?
With the Seventh Prince under house arrest, Wei Rufeng naturally could not contact him. In fact, after the incident at the Zhuang Manor, Prince Wei began to deliberately keep a low profile. This matter involved too many people, and at such a critical moment, only a fool would rush headlong into the fray.
This time, Han Yan achieved a complete victory. All her threatening opponents would be unable to trouble her for a long time. Especially the Zhou Sisters—they likely had no chance of turning their fortunes around in this lifetime. When news of Madam Da Zhou's death arrived, Han Yan remained alone for a long time. She did not feel particularly happy or relieved, only that something she had to do was finally accomplished. Yet, this left her feeling empty inside. In this life, she had come for revenge. As her enemies dwindled one by one, her burden grew lighter, but she also became increasingly unsure of her direction. If one day, all of Han Yan's opponents were eliminated, what reason would she have to remain in this world?
Lost in thought, Han Yan murmured to Shu Hong beside her, "Shu Hong, what is my purpose in this world?"Shu Hong did not know why Han Yan suddenly asked such a question. All she knew was that these days, Han Yan was not happy at all. Even though she had exposed the conspiracies of those people, and even though there was no one in the Zhuang Manor who could threaten her for the time being, her young mistress was truly unhappy. Since Han Yan woke up a year ago, Shu Hong often could not understand what was truly on her young mistress’s mind. They had grown up together since childhood, sharing everything without secrets. Before this, Shu Hong could say that it was not difficult at all to guess what her young mistress was thinking, but now it was different. Her young mistress’s gaze was like that of someone who had experienced many stories, yet she and Ji Lan were not part of those stories.
Han Yan was usually steady and calm, rarely showing such confusion and bewilderment. She seemed like a lost child, making one’s heart ache for her. Shu Hong thought for a moment and then answered earnestly, “Young Mistress, you don’t need to think about what your purpose is. As long as you live happily, that is enough. If you must speak of the meaning of living… Young Mistress, you can think of the Prince.”
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