Consort Pang intertwined her slender fingers, admiring her beautiful crimson nails, and casually asked, “Third Princess has always been in the palace, so why make a fuss when she returns from court?”

The palace attendant, sweating profusely and breathless, replied, “Oh my, Your Highness, it’s not the Third Princess. It’s the Third Prince, the one ranked third.”

Currently, the Empress had three princesses and two princes, but the one ranked third was not a princess but a prince. This princes usually stayed away from the palace, so for those new palace attendants, the Third Highness is the Third Princess. But once that one comes back, the status of the Third Princess will have to retreat.

Consort Pang trembled all over, nearly slipping off the soft couch. The palace attendant acted quickly, supporting him to prevent further embarrassment.

Regaining composure on the couch, Consort Pang’s voice trembled, “Wasn’t that monster supposed to be dead long ago? Why is he returning now?!”

The palace attendant hurriedly covered Consort Pang’s mouth, “My lord, please be careful with your words.”

After ensuring there were no eavesdroppers, the palace attendant lowered his voice and said, “My lord, remember, there won’t be another Emperor in this palace. As long as you hold the Empress’s favor, you hold the power. His father, Consort Lian, was the Empress’s favorite in her lifetime and even more revered after death. Don’t forget the fate of those who show no mercy to favored ones.”

Consort Pang crushed a peony in his hand from the vase, angrily declaring, “He’s dead, yet his offspring still dares to challenge me. If I speak up, will the Empress strip me of my title as Consort?”

The palace attendant sighed, “The Empress’s heart is unpredictable. Even the Pang family cannot afford her wrath, let alone someone like you who relies on her favor. The living can never win against the dead. There’s no need for you to contend with the dead, lest you incur the Empress’s displeasure and become the subject of ridicule.”

Consort Pang’s chest heaved, and he closed his eyes before saying, “I’ll try my best.”

The news of the Third Prince’s return to the palace quickly spread throughout the various halls, eliciting joy, sorrow, or indifference from different quarters.

The interests in the upper echelons were interwoven and interconnected. With such a change in the palace, those with ties to the royal family or vested interests were quickly informed.

At this time, Shen Meng was still at the Hanlin Academy, so naturally, the news didn’t reach her as quickly as it did her mother, who served as a Ministry of Rites official.

Three or four days later, when Shen Meng was having dinner at home, Shen, the Ministry of Rites official, brought up the matter at the dinner table: “I heard that the Third Prince has returned to the palace, and everyone is trying to send him gifts. The day after tomorrow, Minister Ma’s wife is hosting a flower-viewing party, and it’s said that the Third Prince has been invited. Since you’re acquainted with him, why don’t you get an invitation and bring Liang Jue along? It’s good to build connections with people, and if nothing else, you should at least send a gift to show your goodwill.”

This kind of thing was usually handled by the male head of the household, so Shen Li agreed without much thought.

It wasn’t until he had eaten a few bites of food that he realized and asked his wife, “Wasn’t the Third Princess always in the palace? Why suddenly send gifts? And didn’t she marry a legitimate husband long ago? Could it be that she’s going to take a concubine? But our Xiang’er has long been interested in someone else, and Xiang’er’s temperament doesn’t seem like someone who could enter the royal family.”

The rapid-fire questions left Shen, the Ministry of Rites official, stunned for a moment, and Shen Xiang, teary-eyed, joined in, “Mother, I don’t want to marry the Third Princess as a concubine. I like Sister Gao.”

“What nonsense are you talking about!” Shen, the Ministry of Rites official, scolded Shen Li. “When I said the Third Prince, I meant the one who was lost and then found years ago, and has been kept outside for his safety all these years. Now that he’s grown up and passed through the predicted calamities, of course, he’s coming back. He’s a male! How could he marry Xiang’er?”

After rebuking her husband, she then tapped Shen Xiang’s forehead lightly. “You’re also troublesome, always following your father in making a fuss.”

The family sat together, and the atmosphere was particularly harmonious. Compared to them, Shen Meng and Liang Jue seemed like guests.

However, Liang Jue didn’t mind. Shen Li wasn’t Shen Meng’s biological father, so even if he favored Shen Meng, she wouldn’t feel unbalanced.

If Shen, the Ministry of Rites official, couldn’t give Shen Meng enough care, Liang Jue would give her double. He was willing to give her a lot as long as she was happy.

With this in mind, Liang Jue’s gaze never left Shen Meng during the meal. He noticed that when Mother Shen mentioned the Third Prince, Shen Meng’s hand trembled slightly, causing her to drop the food she was picking up with her chopsticks into her bowl. Although she quickly lowered her head to hide her expression, Liang Jue still noticed her discomfort.

When Shen Li and Shen Xiang were talking, he whispered to her, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Meng shook her head. “Nothing, I accidentally ate a chili just now, and it startled me.”

Liang Jue glanced at the dish she had just picked up, spicy boiled fish with vibrant red chili peppers floating in it. It would indeed be unbearable if one accidentally bit into a chili.

Shen Meng’s subsequent reactions were normal, so he believed her excuse. After all, the Third Prince had been living outside the palace all this time and couldn’t possibly have any connection with Shen Meng.

Seeing that both of them were out of sorts, Shen, the Ministry of Rites official, finished speaking to Shen Li and Shen Xiang, then reminded Shen Meng, “Meng, you’re getting older and have your own opinions. I can’t control you anymore. But if the Shen family doesn’t fare well, it won’t be good for you either. Think about it on your own. Work things out with your husband. It’ll also be beneficial for your career path.”

Shen, the Ministry of Rites official, held a lower position in the court compared to the Liang family. As an elder, she couldn’t directly confront Liang Jue, so she could only reprimand her own daughter. After all, Shen Meng was her flesh and blood, as a mother, whatever she said was justified.

Shen Meng hesitated for a moment before reluctantly agreeing, essentially taking responsibility for Liang Jue’s affairs.

Once back in her own courtyard, Shen Meng felt somewhat troubled. Although the major events in this life were unchanged from the previous one, there were significant differences in minor matters due to her changes.

For instance, when the Third Prince, Xue Ning, returned this time, in the previous life, Shen, the Ministry of Rites official, hadn’t asked her husband to visit Minister Ma’s house.

Recalling, back then, there had been quite a disturbance in the house due to Liang Jue handling the accounts, and it wasn’t feasible to let outsiders witness any embarrassing situations. Of course, the household had seemingly sent a gift, but there had been no further communication, and she hadn’t paid it much mind.

Seeing her expression, Liang Jue couldn’t resist asking, “Do you feel anything is amiss with the Third Prince?”

Shen Meng didn’t directly respond, instead asking him, “Are you familiar with the Third Prince’s situation?”

After a moment of thought, Liang Jue replied, “I know a bit about the affairs in the palace. This Third Prince, Xue Ning, had some accidents in his youth, leading to him being stranded outside the palace. The former Duke Lian fell ill due to this, and he was reportedly found and suffered a lot. Her Majesty consulted a Master for his destiny, saying the Third Prince had two calamities in his fate. Staying in the palace could endanger his life, so he has been kept outside.”

He paused before adding, “Mother said Her Majesty greatly favors the Third Prince. In recent years, Her Majesty has made several trips south, reportedly for this prince.”

Shen Meng said “Hmm” and continued, “By accompanying you this time, Father, although not my biological father, is still sensible. He won’t let you lose face outside at this time. If he treats you poorly, just ignore it. It’s not that I don’t want you to argue with him, but as an elder, he holds the upper hand. Even if you win, there’s no benefit.”

Liang Jue nodded in agreement, saying, “You can rest assured, I know how to handle it.”

“One last thing,” Shen Meng moistened her somewhat chapped lips and advised Liang Jue, “Regarding the Third Prince, you don’t need to flatter him deliberately. I heard he’s not easy to get along with. If possible, keep your distance from him. There’s no need to compromise yourself and still not gain any favor.”

Liang Jue glanced at her strangely, feeling like his wife might know something significant. Nevertheless, Shen Meng’s request was almost impossible to refuse, so he agreed.

Shen Meng breathed a sigh of relief. Liang Jue was always steady in his actions, so he should be able to handle the tasks. Besides, the events from the previous life hadn’t unfolded yet, so she shouldn’t overthink.

Despite thinking this way, two days later, while she was in the Hanlin Academy, she couldn’t help but feel a bit absent-minded. By this time, Liang Jue should have already arrived at Minister Ma’s house with Shen Li. Nothing had happened in this life yet, and those two hadn’t even met.

Theformer husband and the subsequent legitimate husband should have no issues, right?