Mother Song saw that Xie Zhixue’s words did not seem insincere, and she grew anxious.
Little did anyone know, Mother Song had not actually been sent by the Crown Prince. It was Zhang Youqing who had taken it upon himself to send her to Xie Zhixue’s side. The Crown Prince had indeed been worried about Ping'an needing care and intended to send a nursemaid, but, being busy with daily affairs, he had no time to attend to such trifles and had left the matter to Zhang Youqing. Zhang Youqing could see that the Crown Prince felt differently about Xie Zhixue, but because the Crown Prince was unskilled at expressing his feelings, he had caused Xie Zhixue to misunderstand him and even harbor resentment. This could not go on; his master had finally set his heart on a woman, and it would only be right for it to blossom into a relationship. Moreover, Xie Zhixue was someone the Crown Prince himself had petitioned the Emperor to marry; if the misunderstanding were cleared and the two were happily wed, Zhang Youqing would effectively become their matchmaker.
Thus, Zhang Youqing had taken the initiative to send Mother Song, the most loyal servant who had looked after the Crown Prince since he was a child and understood his mind best. However, as Mother Song was advanced in age and lacked the stamina to serve the Crown Prince directly, sending her to look after Ping'an was a suitable arrangement.
Chapter 32