Song Yixiao was not familiar with Princess Yushan, so after seeing the scene, she did nothing but to sigh about Su Shaoge's charm.

The feast started from the noon and ended by the night. After getting out of the imperial palace, Song Yixiao leaned against Jian Xubai's shoulder when she stepped into the carriage, “let my head rest on your shoulder!”

The nine-floral hairpins and ninth-rank diyi of a first-rank t.i.tled lady were beautiful and elegant indeed, but they were very heavy for Song Yixiao. It had been 6 hours since Song Yixiao wore those things in the early morning, which had already reached her tolerant extremity. Now that she was in the carriage and finally got relaxed. Instantly, the fatigue just overwhelmed her like a flood.

Without even hearing clearly her husband's reply, she fell asleep very soon.

When she woke up, it was nearly noon the next day. Jinxun, who woke her up, kept urging her while dressing her up, “Miss Nie is waiting in the drawing room for you. It is you who ask her to come today. Now you shouldn't stay in bed anymore!”

Song Yixiao was shocked to hear that, “Why didn't you wake me up earlier?”

“His Highness told us not to, saying that you were too tired yesterday.” Jinxun said with a strangely bashful look, “If it were not for Miss Nie, I wouldn't dare to disturb you!”

“What's in your mind?” Song Yixiao noticed her countenance and hit her, “He meant that I was too tired from attending the feast yesterday!”

Jinxun answered with a grin, “I didn't deny that!”

After the conversation, they both acted faster. Having cleaned up herself, Song Yixiao only drank a bowl of rose syrup and rushed towards the drawing room hurriedly without eating breakfast, “Wuying, I'm so sorry. I got up late today!”

In a hurry Nie Wuying said, “Never mind. I came here too early for lack of careful consideration.”

They finally put an end to that after exchanging some pleasantries. Then Song Yixiao just cut to the chase, “I must see how much you have learnt about dancing before I teach you.”

The dancing place was prepared after Nie Wuying came to ask Song Yixiao to teach her dancing for the first time. They just went directly into the room.

However, the test result was far from satisfactory. Nie Wuying had no knowledge of dancing at all, which was within Song Yixiao's expectation. The problem was that Nie Wuying turned out to have no talent for dancing during the learning process. For a simple move, Song Yixiao had to show her a dozen times and adjust her movements again and again.

“She is definitely not dancer material!” Song Yixiao had to sigh to herself instead of complaining, “Fortunately, she doesn't need to live on dancing, or I must implicitly suggest her learning other things!”

Even so, after the dancing cla.s.s was over this day, Song Yixiao still complimented her. “It is quite late for you to learn dancing at your age, but luckily, you are smart enough to pick it up!”

However, even though Nie Wuying was innocent, she was not silly. She asked dubiously, “But you kept adjusting my posture?”

“That's what a dancing tutor does to a new beginner!” Song Yixiao replied calmly, “I did far worse than you when I began to learn dancing. You can ask Jinxun!”

Jinxun was surprised to be mentioned by Song Yixiao. Glimpsing her wink, Jinxun had to tell a lie, “Miss Nie does learn faster than Her Highness did!”

Nie Wuying finally gave a smile and said with delighted eyes, “I will practice after I go back. Please rest a.s.sured. I will never let you down!”

“Good girl!” Song Yixiao reached out her hand to clean the fur of her fox-fur robe, saying with a smile, “But you shouldn't get yourself too tired, or I will feel worried!”

Amidst talking and laughing, Song Yixiao saw her off and then returned to her room. She slumped into the bed and shouted at her maids, “Ma.s.sage my shoulders and legs. I'm working out!”

After attending the feast, she was so worn out. Although she got up late today, she hasn't fully recovered anyway. Then in order to teach Nie Wuying, she had to offer demonstration herself, adjust her movements and give detailed instruction… Having been through so much in one day, she was tired to death now!

Jinxun and Qiaoqin advanced to serve her and said grinningly, “Your Highness, your acting was so real just now. Miss Nie is no dancer material at all!”

“What do you know?” Song Yixiao scolded them smilingly, “She is still a child. To deal with a child, praising is more useful than beating. Moreover, can I beat her?”

Then she ordered them not to spread a word. “Otherwise, if she takes it seriously, she will not come to learn from me anymore. Once it is known by my mother-in-law, I cannot stand the consequence! Moreover, she is almost 13 years old. How can she always stay in the Grand Princess's mansion? This is a matter of her future life!”

Jinxun and Qiaoqin both knew that Nie Wuying was easily bashful so they promised to keep it a secret.

Suddenly, Yuedeng knocked on the door and came in to report, “His Highness sent words back that he would have dinner at the He Family's mansion and not come back home for supper,” She added, “According to His Highness, he will arrive home late so you don't have to wait for him.”

Song Yixiao thought of something after a while, “The He Family's mansion? You mean Mr. He Wenqiong, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War?”

“Your Highness, yes, you are right.”

As she recalled, Jian Xubai said that He Wenqiong was the most likely person to take over the position of the minister of the Ministry of War from Linghu Deyin. The key was that He Wenqiong was from the East Palace, who allied with the Crown Prince like Jian Xubai.

Jian Xubai went to the He Family's mansion for dinner tonight. Probably, they would mainly discuss about how to occupy the whole Ministry of War for the Crown Prince with a concerted effort in the guise of having dinner together.

This was serious business. Song Yixiao was finally relieved and nodded her head slightly, “I am noted. Then ask the chefs to cut down two dishes…”

Speaking this, she thought of Wei Chan and hurriedly asked her maids, “How is Chan today?”

“This afternoon, the Wei Family sent a carriage to pick up Miss Wei,” Jinxun said, “Miss Wei came to Keshao Hall to say goodbye to you. Yet, you were teaching Miss Nie at that time. Miss Wei learnt that and insisted on not disturbing you. Hence, she only gave a few kowtows outside the Keshao Hall and left.”

Song Yixiao was very surprised and also disgruntled to hear that, “How could you let her not disturb me? After all, she lived here for quite a long time. I didn't even get to see her off when she left. Was it appropriate?”

Jinxun sensed her anger and said with fear, “According to Miss Wei, she went back home to break off her engagement, so it would be better not to arouse any attention. As such, she didn't want you to see her off.”

Song Yixiao felt relieved then.

As expected, Jian Xubai didn't come back until around 9 p.m. this evening. Song Yixiao left a lamp on for him and went to sleep first.

The next day, she woke up at dawn and found that Jian Xubai had left. She figured that he must have gone to court before dawn.

Song Yixiao got up alone and cleaned up. Before Nie Wuying arrived, she dealt with the ch.o.r.es over the past few days. When Nie Wuying came, they had a little chat and then continued the dancing cla.s.s.

By the evening, Nie Wuying left happily after being praised. Then Yuedeng came to report, saying that Jian Xubai had to go to the He Family's mansion again today and asked Song Yixiao not to wait for him.

He was busy working until December.

He kept getting up early and leave home before dawn, and didn't come back home until the midnight, except that he went into the imperial palace to send his congratulations on the Wanshou Festival dated on the 15th day of the 11th lunar month. Song Yixiao was the dancing tutor of Nie Wuying. It took her a lot of strength and energy to teach dancing. Especially as Nie Wuying was not talented, she had to spend more energy. Hence, she didn't dare to stay up late, making her unable to meet with him over the recent time.

The 15th day of the 12th lunar month was Nie Wuying's birthday. Song Yixiao let her take two days off in advance, “It'll be your birthday soon and you don't need to practice these days. You may as well go back and keep your mother company. I'll offer my congratulations on your birthday!”

Nie Wuying wouldn't come to Duke of Yan's mansion for three days. Song Yixiao took the opportunity to take care of all her work and rested for half a day. On Nie Wuying's birthday, she could finally go out in high spirits.

“Auntie, look at my pearl hair ornament. Is it pretty?” When she just entered the back hall of Jinguo Grand Princess's mansion, she b.u.mped into a little girl. The girl said to her grinningly, “Look at this one. It's a peony!”

Song Yixiao lowered her head and saw Dou Anyi. With a smile, she pointed at the flower of the pearl hair ornament, “Yes, absolutely! However, it is not as pretty as Anyi!”

Dou Anyi heard the flattery and ran back to Madam Bai happily, “Auntie says it is pretty too!”

Madam Bai answered affectionately, “That's because your auntie is very kind!”

Then she explained to Song Yixiao, “I brought her to buy hairpins and she selected this one. I told her that it was too big and not suitable for a girl at her age. She just didn't listen to me and kept badgering me to buy it. Thus, I had to buy it for her and she even insisted on wearing it at once! This morning, I worked with several maids for a long time to make the hair ornament pinned onto her hair reluctantly!”

Song Yixiao tried not to laugh and said, “But the pearl hair ornament does look pretty.”

Dou Anyi was seven years old this year, whose hair was long enough to reach the waist. However, her head was too small. The pearl hair ornament decorated with peony was exquisite and gorgeous, whose diameter was about 10 centimeters. Worn on her head, it was more or less as big as a crown. If it were not fixed by many hairpins, it would fall off the hair as she got up!

No wonder Madam Bai didn't want to buy it for her daughter.

Now she said helplessly, “No matter how pretty it is, it is not suitable for her. Luckily, she is still a young girl. However funny she is dressed up, others will only laugh it off. If she grows older, I will be worried by her taste then!”

“It is because she is too young that she doesn't consider comprehensively.” Song Yixiao looked around the back hall and found that apart from Madam Bai together with her two children, only Nie Wuying was sitting there. Commandery Princess Qingjiang and Princess Changxing hadn't arrived yet. Neither did Jinguo Grand Princess. “When she grows older, she will know how to dress herself up!”

Madam Bai said, “Indeed.” Having noticed Song Yixiao's eyes, she added, “My husband is tied up with work today, so he has no other choice but to ask me to apologize for Wuying.”

Nie Wuying, who was quiet all the time, said in a low voice, “It's no big deal. I suggested not holding the birthday feast before but Mother proposed taking the opportunity to have a good time together as we hadn't got together for long.”

Song Yixiao also said with embarra.s.sment, “Wuying, I'm sorry that Xubai can't make it today either!”

By far, it had been more than one month since Linghu Deyin submitted the application for mourning for his mother. All his family had carried the hea.r.s.e back to the hometown. And He Wenqiong, who was the most likely to take over his position, was still Left Vice Minister now. Moreover, it was said that Prince of Zhao would partic.i.p.ate in the court work after this spring and Daiguo Grand Princess also wanted to earn the same opportunity for Prince of Wei. The current court situation was rather tense!

As the Crown Prince's legitimate cousin and trusted subordinate, Jian Xubai was totally overwhelmed now. He really had no time to come so he could only ask his wife to give the present and express his apology on behalf of him.

However, Song Yixiao didn't expect Earl Shouchun to be absent from the event today. Now that two brothers were absent, it would inevitably be an insult on Nie Wuying. Besides, Song Yixiao was the second one to talk of her husband's absence. Although Nie Wuying said she wouldn't mind, Song Yixiao still felt quite sorry.

After a while, Commandery Princess Qingjiang and Princess Changxing arrived too. It was normal that Zhuo Ping'an didn't come, but surprisingly, Jian Yiyou also asked his wife to say sorry on behalf of him. “Yiyou is busy with his work and cannot get away from it. Please do forgive him!”

Nie Wuying puckered her lips, “It's fine.”

Despite that, the three half-brothers were all absent tacitly and only sent their gifts. Obviously, it gave this little girl such a serious blow that she immediately got up and said, “I have some errands to run now!”

When she turned around, the tears in her eyes were evident.

“What's wrong with these three guys?” Commandery Princess Qingjiang slightly frowned. After Nie Wuying left, she said unhappily, “No matter how busy they are, don't they need to eat? Why can't they eat here? The court can still work well without them. We only have one sister. How can they not come to her birthday dinner? Can't they just arrive when the dinner begins and make a toast to Wuying face to face?”