Ti Le was now the Princess of Wen, and also the Princess of the Southern Kingdom, making her difficult to deal with.
Song Chaoyu understood that Ti Le likely also wished to deal with them.
It was only unfortunate for Prince Wen, caught in the middle. No matter what choice he made, it seemed to be wrong.
However, neither Song Chaoyu nor Princess Ti Le would act rashly at the moment.
Many things had to be carefully planned.
—
The days continued to pass in relative peace.
Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi discussed it and decided that Ti Le should still meet Qian Shan.
After all, Prince Wen had agreed to this. Perhaps if Ti Le met Qian Shan, she could give up.
However, Mu Changxi was still extremely cautious, arranging the meeting with Qian Shan at a manor in the outskirts of the capital.
That manor... was where Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi had lived before.
Speaking of which, Song Chaoyu had not returned to this manor for two years.
Everything in the manor seemed to be the same, but the people she knew had disappeared, replaced by new ones.
After entering the manor, Mu Changxi took Song Chaoyu's hand and explained, "Don't worry, they are all living safely in another place now. My mother only worried that after I returned to the palace, someone might find something amiss, so she replaced everyone here. When the time is right, I will definitely take you to see them. Without them, we would not be who we are today."
Yes, the people in that manor were all so kind and gentle.
That was why Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi had been able to live a peaceful life there for so many years.
Song Chaoyu actually began to look forward to it. However, when she mentioned the Noble Consort, her brow furrowed slightly. "I heard that her health has not been good these past few days. When I said I wanted to enter the palace to see her the other day, I was turned away by the palace maids around her. Have you seen her since you entered the palace these past two days?"
Mentioning this, Mu Changxi also worried and then shook his head slightly. "My mother does not see me either. I was just about to tell you that I am very worried. If possible, after Qian Shan's matter is settled, you should go into the palace again and make sure you see my mother."
The Noble Consort was a person who knew the importance of things. Song Chaoyu feared that something major had happened in the palace.
But the current matter still needed to be resolved. After agreeing with Mu Changxi, she focused entirely on the present.
—
The carriage from Prince Chang's manor was the first to arrive at the manor.
Qian Shan was already waiting in the room where the former嬷嬷 Han and Han Xi had lived.
The room was not large and was still as it was when they left, but it filled Song Chaoyu's heart with boundless emotion in an instant.
When Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi entered the room, Qian Shan bowed his head to them both.
Qian Shan's legs would never be able to stand again in this life.
But his spirit seemed much better than before, and all his injuries had healed, as if he had been reborn. Even his eyes held a tranquility and naturalness he had never possessed before.
Mu Changxi gestured for him not to stand on ceremony and stepped forward, patting Qian Shan's shoulder. "Seeing that you are doing well now, I am relieved. I apologize for making you travel all this way to the capital. But after this matter is resolved, there will be no more similar incidents. The stable life you desire, no one will be able to disturb."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Qian Shan's eyes were full of gratitude.
At the same time, the sound of a carriage stopping could be heard from outside.
It was likely Princess Ti Le arriving.
Song Chaoyu noticed that when Qian Shan heard the sound from outside, his brow actually furrowed.
Qian Shan had always said that there was no such relationship between him and Ti Le.
He had always known that Ti Le liked him, but no matter from what angle, it was impossible for him to develop any feelings for Ti Le.
It seemed even Qian Shan had not expected that he had become an obsession for Ti Le.
Ti Le's carriage stopped at the entrance. Although she was now the Princess of Wen, she had not brought too many people with her.
As she entered, the first thing she saw was Qian Shan, also sitting in a wooden wheelchair. She paused.
Then she said nothing, and without any hesitation, she rushed towards Qian Shan.
At the same time, she couldn't help but cry, "Brother Prince Chang! I knew it was you, I knew that Ox was still alive in this world! That's great! I finally see you! That's great, do you know how much I've missed you?"
However, Ti Le's intimate gesture seemed to make Qian Shan feel a little awkward.
Qian Shan raised his hand, not allowing any physical contact between himself and Ti Le. "You... you shouldn't be like this. I'm very sorry for not revealing my identity to you for so long. But we are special, and I believe you can understand. I just don't know why you insisted on seeing me and causing so much trouble?"
In fact, even Song Chaoyu had to admit that after years of disguise, Qian Shan had truly become very much like Mu Changxi. Even his tone and attitude when speaking to Ti Le at this moment were almost exactly the same as Mu Changxi's usual demeanor.
But she was confident that even without knowing these things, she could distinguish between Qian Shan and Mu Changxi.
She thought that Ti Le also had such confidence in her heart.
Sensing Qian Shan's unfamiliarity, Ti Le raised her head blankly, her eyes filled with bewilderment. "Brother Prince Chang, why are you being so distant with me? Have you forgotten? Back in the Southern Kingdom, I was always on your side! We went through so many things, why are we acting so distant now? Brother Prince Chang..."
"I am not Prince Chang."
Facing such a Ti Le, Qian Shan appeared even calmer. "You can call me Qian Shan. I believe you already know my identity, so please stop calling me Prince Chang."
Song Chaoyu felt that Qian Shan did not lack feelings for Ti Le.
However, that kind of feeling was probably not love, but a friendship forged through shared hardship, or even kinship.
Therefore, facing Ti Le's intimacy, Qian Shan naturally felt unnatural and uncomfortable.
But Ti Le did not feel this way. Instead, her eyes became even more joyful. "Qian Shan, so that's your name? That's a really nice name! Qian Shan, you should have told me your name sooner!"
"Princess!"
Qian Shan finally frowned and interrupted Ti Le's self-indulgent joy. "Originally, I shouldn't have met Your Highness today, nor should I have let Your Highness know who I am. But I know about the matters in the capital and Your Highness's feelings. Now I just want to say one thing to Your Highness: please stop wasting your time on someone like me."
"You... what do you mean?"
Ti Le looked up, staring at Qian Shan in disbelief.