The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 162 - Falling into the Well

By the time Han Zhi received the news, it was already the next morning. Although he was the heir of the Marquis of Jinxiang's household, he held no official position. Moreover, his father was stationed in Datong, not Fujian, so all his information relied on his cousin, His Highness Zhou Weiqi.

With the disturbance that erupted last night, today's hunting plans were naturally canceled. The attendants sorted the previous day's spoils into batches and labeled them accordingly—these were the items Emperor Jianzhang had mentioned he would bestow as rewards. However, due to the urgent report from Fujian, the distribution had been delayed. Since there would be no hunting today, they decided to organize everything and distribute it right away. It was uncertain if this year's spring hunt would end prematurely without further incident.

Han Zhi watched coldly as the attendants busied themselves going in and out, then turned to go find his mother inside.

Lady Fan was engaged in her daily routine, meticulously counting Buddhist prayer beads—a practice she had continued every day since Han Zhi's birth, never ceasing. Her brows knitted tightly, as though perpetually shadowed by a chill, and when she heard Han Zhi enter, she didn't even look up. "No hunting today?"

She was clearly asking the obvious. Lady Fan and her sister, Consort Fan, shared a close bond—what news would she not know? If he could hear it from Zhou Weiqi, Lady Fan surely heard it from her sister. She was only making conversation at this point. Han Zhi didn't expose her intentions and simply nodded quietly, "With what happened, we'll likely have a day of calm."

After a moment of silence, Lady Fan smiled unexpectedly. "That Sixth Miss Song truly is remarkable."

She had never smiled at Han Zhi, at least as far as he could recall. She always held herself in an aloof, ethereal manner, gazing down with a cool, disdainful detachment at her own children, including her husband.

Han Zhi actually understood some of the reasons behind it; he had known for a long time. In his early years, his health was fragile, and he'd nearly not survived. Numerous renowned doctors had been summoned but none brought any improvement. Even the imperial physicians came and went without effect until his father sent him out of the capital.

He was very mature for his age, piecing together the truth from fragments of conversations between his father and their subordinates. In reality, he hadn't been weak in health; it was simply that Lady Fan had wanted him to appear frail.

From the start, she had never intended to marry Han Zhengqing. Had it not been for Consort Fan and Han Zhengqing conspiring against her, forcing her into an unseemly union with Han Zhengqing, she could have had a far better future.

There was a time when he resented her—after all, she had made his childhood a series of ups and downs, spent in a perpetual haze of medicinal concoctions. But over time, he couldn't help but pity her. She lived like a ghost, attempting to end her life numerous times after giving birth to Han Yueheng.

It wasn't until Han Zhengqing was sent to guard Datong that she began to live somewhat like a person again.

Yet he had never seen her smile, and such a radiant smile as today was completely unprecedented. He was momentarily taken aback before realizing what Consort Fan had just said, and he nodded in agreement. "She's never been an easy person to deal with."

If she were easy to handle, she wouldn't have managed to abduct someone right under his nose. Even now, he still hadn't figured out which group Song Chuyi had aligned with, as they managed to whisk Ma Wangkun away without anyone noticing. He had kept a tight watch on the neighboring residence, even assigning skilled former military scouts to inspect it at night, yet it genuinely seemed to be just an ordinary household...

Thinking about the one card he still held, his brows furrowed slightly as he turned to Lady Fan and spoke in a softer tone, "Is it time to proceed after returning to the capital, in your opinion?"

Both Lady Fan and Consort Fan had told him not to provoke Song Chuyi for the time being. The Japanese envoys had come to seek a marriage alliance, and everyone could clearly see which princess was most likely to be chosen. If the Eleventh Princess were indeed to be sent as a bride, then naturally, Sixth Miss Song would be the most fitting choice to accompany her. At this critical juncture, they urged him to set aside his grievances for the moment.

However, judging by the current situation, it was clear Emperor Jianzhang would no longer consider marrying off a princess, meaning Sixth Miss Song would not be chosen as an attendant either. And without that role, all the plans he had formulated could now be implemented one by one.

Lady Fan shot him a stern look, her brows tightening, returning to her usual icy demeanor. Her voice was unexpectedly raspy as she spoke, "You need to change that temperament of yours. Why waste so much energy clashing with a girl?"

All these years, Lady Fan had never shown any concern over his character or who he was becoming.

Han Zhi sensed something off, a shadow of gloom clouding his expression. "Are you unwilling for me to marry Sixth Miss Song?"

Lady Fan didn't answer directly, instead dropping each prayer bead into a basket with her usual cold indifference. "Your aunt thinks she's quite a remarkable young lady..."

Since she was so remarkable, she ought to be put to greater use. The swift suppression of Prince Duan and Noble Consort Xian must have prompted Consort Fan and Zhou Weiqi to reevaluate her potential.

With her influential family background and capabilities displayed so clearly before them, they naturally had bigger plans for her—perhaps even to offer her to Zhou Weiqi, taking advantage of the leverage he held over her.

Han Zhi found himself unable to articulate his feelings. Lady Fan had always been more attentive to Zhou Weiqi than to her own children, so her agreement with Consort Fan's opinion was only natural. Even though she knew that if he lacked a capable wife willing to shield him, he would face much criticism and slander for his hidden, unsavory intentions.

He was furious, but he couldn't vent his anger on Lady Fan, nor on Zhou Weiqi or Consort Fan. When he was a child, it was Consort Fan who had repeatedly summoned imperial physicians to treat him. She was the one who convinced his father to send him to the estate in Suzhou to recuperate, and all those serving him since childhood had been handpicked by her. He had been taught from a young age to see Zhou Weiqi as a true younger brother to protect, and he couldn't refuse her anything.

The silence in the room dragged on, thick with the overpowering scent of sandalwood, making it difficult for Han Zhi to breathe. He stared at Lady Fan before him, hoping she might say something more, even a few useless words of consolation. But from beginning to end, she said nothing further, as if her requests were perfectly natural and indisputable.

The silence in the room became awkward and stifling, more suffocating than the incense itself.