Although Jian Xubai had only returned to imperial capital at the beginning of this year, he has already heard a lot about Ji Mingfei's “war record” of teasing married women. After all, Ji Mingfei's most outstanding “war record” was the capture of Jian Xubai's mother, Jinguo Grand Princess…

How could Jian Xubai not guard against such a guy who regarded ethics and morality as nothing?

That night, Jian Xubai and Ji Su discussed the countermeasures for several hours in the study, and did not return to his room until midnight. Unexpectedly, Song Yixiao had not gone to sleep yet. She was napping against the perfumed stove and was awake clearly when she realized that he came in. She stood up, “Why do you come back so late?”

“There are a few important official duties.” He was so pleased to see this scene and went up to hold her in arms, kissing her. Then he scolded her gently, “Why did you wait for me until so late? Go to sleep first next time.”

In fact, the reason why Song Yixiao waited for him was to confirm whether Cui Jianlian had joined forces with the Liu Family and the Jin Family. But she was very sleepy and did not have the strength to mention that. She just said, “We will go into the palace to congratulate Her Majesty the Empress Dowager tomorrow. Go to sleep quickly!”

Jian Xubai didn't know the inside story. He recalled that on the way back to the backyard, there was no any light in such a big mansion except for a few lanterns in the hallway. When he entered the Moon Gate in wind and snow, he only found that the bedroom was illuminated.

The yellow light glowed on the glazed window. Big snowflakes were flying in the whole yard. It looked like golden feathers flowing under such light, which was so heavenly.

At that moment, both the sound of northern wind and snow falling seemed to pause.

When he pushed through the door, he saw his wife leaned against the perfumed stove, being half asleep and half awake. She lifted her half flushed cheeks and spoke sleepily, looking half-wakened, which made his heart melt.

He tried to hide this, but finally failed, with a big smile on his face. He reached out his hand and rubbed her bun after bathing, and said, “OK!”

Song Yixiao did not know anything about this sweetness in her husband's heart. When she got up the next morning and faced the tender Jian Xubai, she asked curiously, “Did you get the matter of Cousin Xis.h.i.+ done?”

Linghu Deyin had already asked for bereavement leave and it was certain that He Wenqiong would get promoted. The position given to Xu Xis.h.i.+ should have been vacated, right? How else could Jian Xubai be so happy?

Luckily, Jian Xubai didn't know what she was thinking either, and thought his wife was concerned about himself. He smiled, “Don't worry, there won't be any trouble.”

He gave her a scoop of egg custard, “It is digestible. Eat more!”

“It seems to be going very well.” Song Yixiao looked at his delight face and pondered, “If I see Yiren later, I will give her some information about this to make her happy.”

The couple had a dialogue of deaf. They spruced themselves up happily and went to the mansion of Jinguo Grand Princess by carriage.

The Shengshou Festival was a big ceremony, so everyone was wearing formal attire today. Men's clothes were according to their official ranks and women all wore hair ornaments and ceremonial dresses. Among which, Jinguo Grand Princess, Commandery Princess Qingjiang, Princess Changxing and Song Yixiao all wore nine hair ornaments. Even Earl Shouchun's wife wore seven hair ornaments. There were totally forty-three air ornaments in this house, which made the elegant house glorious. People even couldn't open their eyes.

In such an ill.u.s.trious and n.o.ble place, Nie Wuying, wearing an ordinary set of new dresses, without hair ornaments or ceremonial dress, appeared out of place.

Looking at the way she looked at Jinguo Grand Princess frequently, it showed that she did not want to enter the palace at all.

“Wuying, follow Yixiao today.” How could Jinguo Grand Princess not know about her young daughter's embarra.s.sment? But she was almost half a hundred years old, and her daughter had not yet been married. Although she loved her so much, how many more years she could protect her? It seemed that she loved her by letting her stay in the mansion. In fact, her daughter was deceiving herself, and she was doing her a disservice!

So, she pretended not to see her embarra.s.sment, and just told Song Yixiao, “This kid rarely goes out in normal times. Give her advice when she doesn't understand!”

When Song Yixiao was about to answer, Princess Changxing interrupted, “Mother, why do you let Wuying to follow Yixiao? Yixiao hardly went to the palace before. Since she doesn't know the way, how can she take good care of Wuying? Why don't you let Wuying follow me?”

“Your words were ridiculous. We entered the palace today not to visit the palaces but to congratulate grandmother. What's the point of recognizing the way?” Song Yixiao was still pondering over what to say when Jian Xubai raised his eyebrows, and said before her, “In the eyes of Princess Changxing, the Shengshou Festival is just for fun?”

Princess Changxing, “…”

It was originally a fight between sisters-in-law. What was the point of you, a brother-in-law, interrupting us?

“Xubai, don't be rude!” Jian Yiyou put down the tea cup when seeing this and said coldly, “You know that your sister-in-law has a quick tongue. She is just afraid that Yixiao hasn't been attended a big ceremony, and would be too busy to take care of herself. How could she take good care of Wuying? Changxing was actually kind to offer to help. Even Yixiao didn't say anything. What do you care?”

Did you think you were the only one who cared about one's wife?

Jian Xubai glanced at his brother and snorted, “Without having attended a ceremony, she would be too busy to take care of herself? You've never been married before, but you're doing your job well as a husband for the first time. Does that mean only you can do things well in the beginning and no one else can do it as well as you? Your view is so narrow!”

“Nonsense! Is that the att.i.tude of talking to your elder brother?”

“You just bring up the ident.i.ty of an elder brother to intimidate me when you are in the wrong. Even though you find the nerve to speak out, I just feel shameful for you!”

“You're just messing around!”

“In my view, you're getting less and less self-aware!”

“b.a.s.t.a.r.d! You are so disrespectful!”

“If you do know respect well, you'd better keep Princess Changxing under control first. If she keeps on not taking Grandmother's birthday seriously, sooner or later she'll be impeached for ungratefulness. Do you understand?”

“What you married is good….”

Jinguo Grand Princess and others gaped at the two brothers' increasingly fierce argument. Seeing that Jian Yiyou was about to say something rude, Jinguo Grand Princess finally realized it was getting more and more serious. She slapped the long table, shouting, “Shut up!”

Jian Yiyou and Jian Xubai looked at each other with cold eyes. Then got up reluctantly to apologize, “I've lost my manners. Please punish me!”

“Do you two have any disciplines?” Jinguo Grand Princess had always pampered her children. Even though she was very angry this time, she did not say how to punish them in the end after a few slaps on the table. She just said, “Wuying, follow your eldest sister later. Yiyou and Xubai, if you still do not care about kindred feelings, do not come to me again in the future! I can't manage you brothers, so I can only beg for you out of sight, and out of mind!”

The two brothers kneeled down when hearing this, “It's my fault. I won't dare to be like this again!”

“You'd better remember that!” Jinguo Grand Princess gave them a fierce glare. Her gaze also swept over Princess Changxing and Song Yixiao, said angrily, “None of you are free from worry!”

Song Yixiao knew that the latter sentence was expressing dissatisfaction with herself and Princess Changxing, and was quite aggrieved in her heart, “It was obviously Changxing who stirred up trouble. What does it have to do with me? I didn't even say a word!”

…Well, Jinguo Grand Princess selectively forgot what Yixiao said like a spoiled child the other day, “You can't let the third sister-in-law bully me.”

Jinguo Grand Princess intended that they had a talk before going into the palace to congratulate the Empress Dowager, but what happened just now destroyed her good mood. After warning the surrounding subordinates not to spread the words, she got up, “Let's go!”

Everyone followed along immediately, surrounding Jinguo Grand Princess like stars surrounding the moon. They walked out the door–during which, Song Yixiao glanced occasionally at her father-in-law, Jian Likuang, who had been silent since the beginning, had been found to glance at Jian Xubai very coldly.

She frowned and reached out secretly to pull on Jian Xubai's sleeve, signaling him to pay attention.

Just one glancing at his father, Jian Xubai withdrew his eyes and squeezed her hand with smile. His expression was calm and sure.

The crowd went into the palace. When these women arrived at the Qingxi Hall, concubines of the harem had all been there. The Crown Princess and Side Concubine Cui from the Eastern Palace had also sat at the right-hand seats.

Jinguo Grand Princess and her next generations came in. Empress Dowager accepted their prostration with smile. After some small talk with Jinguo Grand Princess, Her eyes fell on Song Yixiao, “good girl, I heard that you were in shock some days ago. Do you feel better now?”

Without waiting for Song Yixiao's answer, she beckoned, “Come over here and let me have a look!”

Song Yixiao looked at her mother-in-law inquiringly and saw that Jinguo Grand Princess nodded her head slightly. Then she walked near the Empress Dowager and sit down. The Empress Dowager held her hands affectionately and asked many questions, giving her a thorough care.

Naturally, the others had to show their concerns when seeing the Empress Dowager was so enthusiastic. Concubines of the harem all followed her, and were eager to be the first to give concerns.

For a moment, Song Yixiao became the center of the crowd.

She dealt with these concerns liberally on one hand, and caught a glimpse of Princess Changxing's hateful gaze on the other hand, who was on the verge of laughter. “Just now, she failed to make a splash in front of Mother-in-law; and now she doesn't even have a chance to steal the limelight in front of the Empress Dowager. It's not a matter of displeasure anymore, but a loss of her, Princess Changxing's face!”

After all, Princess Changxing was just married the day before yesterday, and it was not time to visit her parents yet! When she came to her grandmother, the Empress Dowager should have given her extra concerns that would make her look good.

However, It was unknown that whether the Empress Dowager was negligent or didn't care. She didn't even notice her!

How could Princess Changxing not be angry with Song Yixiao?

But her tragedy was not over. The crowed talked and laughed with the Empress Dowager before it was time to eat. Then they followed the Empress Dowager and sat in front of tables. It turned out that the seat, dishes, servants and so on, were nothing special arranged for her!

According to the default rules at this period, the Empress Dowager and Emperor Xianjia would share their dishes with those close to them as a sign of favor.

Princess Changxing did get such favor. But it was after several other people, and even together with Song Yixiao. Song Yixiao saw clearly that this honorable princess almost broke a pair of chopsticks after saying thanks and sitting down!

“This imperial family is really strange.” She was confused although felt funny, “Their daughter had just been married for two days. Why do they do like this? It may also let empress feel ashamed!”

When she was guessing randomly, a person suddenly came behind her and whispered, “Yixiao, can you accompany me to change my clothes? I don't know the way. And my elder sister was occupied by several people. So, she asked me to come to you!”

Song Yixiao looked back, and she saw that it was Nie Wuying. She put down her chopsticks immediately, “Of course!”