Ji Su was clever enough to sense that something was wrong, he stepped forward to berate Madam Liang for her impoliteness, "Miss Song is invited by Marquis Yuan here to accompany Miss Yuan. Even though you are Marquis Yuan's auntie, Marquis Yuan is the master here! As a senior, how can you offend a distinguished guest with foul words in your nephew's house?"

Informally dressed as he was, he talked in a sharp voice with no beard, who must be from the imperial palace according to his voice. Although he was a servant, as Madam Tu and Madam Liang were in the wrong, they didn't dare to refute but to apologize to Song Yixiao reluctantly.

Jian Xubai coughed then and said to Yuan Xue'e, "Your brother is looking for you. Go to him now!"

Song Yixiao came here with Yuan Xue'e. Now that Yuan Xue'e was leaving, she wouldn't stay either. Seeing them walking away, Madam Liang patted the desk and stood up, shouting through gritted teeth, "Mother, I cannot take this anymore! I am fine that Duke of Yan shows partiality. However, Song Yixiao lives under the roof of Prince of Hengshan regardless! How dare she disgrace us!"

"She has the princess consort as her patron. Even though she lives under someone else's roof, I'm afraid that even the concubine's daughter of Prince of Hengshan doesn't live better than her." Madam Tu said with a stern face, "Otherwise, how dare she stand up for Yuan Xue'e?"

Madam Liang said in exasperation, "Shame on Wei Mengying! I don't believe that she doesn't want her son to be the heir of the prince after she has her own son! Now that Lu Guanyun hasn't become the heir, she has the time to intervene in our family affair!"

"In my eyes, she intervenes in our family affair just because she wants her son to be the heir!" Madam Tu rolled the jade bracelet and said as if absorbed in thought, "Even if she keeps Prince of Hengshan eternally enthralled, the Dowager Consort is still alive! The two legitimate sons born by Princess Consort Cui are both obedient and aspirant! The Dowager Consort won't agree to pa.s.s over the elders in favor of the younger."

She said gloomily, "Although Yuan Xuepei is disabled, Duke of Yan still goes around for him. Everyone knows how favored Duke of Yan is by the Empress Dowager. The Dowager Consort is senior to His Majesty. Among the imperial clan, only the Empress Dowager can suppress her in a perfectly justifiable way! Wei Mengying and her daughter must have conceived a scheme six years ago. Did you see that just now? Yuan Xue'e just acted upon whatever Song Yixiao said! Obviously, she has allied with them!"

"Yuan Xue'e is so stupid!" Madam Liang broke out into curses, "How can she ally with outsiders instead of her own families? How conscienceless she is!"

She asked with grievance, "Mother, it has been hard for us to oppose Yuan Xuepei as Duke of Yan shows partiality for him. Now that Wei Mengying and her daughter also intervene, what shall we do in the future? Do we really let it go?"

"Duke of Yan has powerful backing so we may irritate the Empress Dowager if we are careless. We cannot take the risk!" Madam Tu's eyes gleamed with coldness, "Yet, Wei Mengying and her daughter have so many things to deal with. How dare they mind other people's business?"

She raised her hand to touch her hair and ordered with a sneer, "The Shangsi Festival is approaching. We are the Prince's relations by marriage anyway! Now we should send some gifts to them. By then you pay them a visit on behalf of me to greet the Dowager Consort and tell her what Miss Song has done! The Dowager Consort is of high birth, who has seen a lot of ups and downs. She may not take action if she learns what Wei Mengying has done in secret. Yet, if she does, she will never let go of that woman!"

Madam Liang rolled her eyeb.a.l.l.s, "How about lending a hand to the Dowager Consort by spreading the words that Miss Song is a s.l.u.tty woman who fawns upon the rich and powerful persons? In this way, if Yuan Xuepei and his sister want to invite her here, you can veto the action with justice! Without the help of Miss Song, Yuan Xue'e is so weak that she will be at our disposal! Even if Yuan Xuepei tries his best to protect her, he cannot stay with her all the time. By then..."

Madam Tu nodded her head, "Let's do it!"

They made a deal themselves. In the princ.i.p.al room, Yuan Xue'e told the ins and outs of the matter tearfully, "I would not badger if what they asked for was other things. The Gold Hairpin Ornamented with Kingfisher Feathers and Pearls was left to you by our mother so that you can send it to your future wife. However, Grandma and Auntie claim to give it to Auntie's maiden niece. How can I allow it?"

The Gold Hairpin Ornamented with Kingfisher Feathers and Pearls was the family heirloom of the eldest line of the Yuan Family. What Madam Tu and Madam Liang did was merely to make Yuan Xuepei betrothed to a Madam Liang's niece. Putting aside that girl's family background and character, Yuan Xuepei would never agree on the marriage arrangement in light of the Liangs' coveting the t.i.tle of Marquis Boling over the past years!

Madam Tu must had known that so they put their hands at Yuan Xue'e and intended to settle the engagement before gaining the consent of Yuan Xuepei. By then, even if Yuan Xuepei insisted on not marrying, he would be blamed for not respecting seniors and forsaking his fiancée.

"I will handle this myself. Don't worry about it." Yuan Xuepei persuaded his sister into stopping crying patiently and then said thank-you to Song Yixiao for accompanying his sister to meet Madam Tu. It was at noon now. After saying a few words with Yuan Xuepei, Song Yixiao went back to the Embroidery Compound with Yuan Xue'e for lunch.

Yuan Xue'e had no appet.i.te for food and drink for several days and didn't start to have congee until yesterday. She even cried twice this morning. After lunch, she felt inevitably tired and asked Song Yixiao, "I want to take a nap. Would you like to join me?"

"I am not sleepy." Song Yixiao shook her head, "Just do as you like."

Yuan Xue'e heard her reply. Then she ordered the servant to serve Song Yixiao well and went upstairs alone.

After she left, Song Yixiao was going to do some reading to kill time but the minute that she opened the book, Jinxun approached her and seemed to feel like saying something.

"Give it to me straight!" Song Yixiao rolled the book and hit her forehead with it, saying with faked anger, "Don't keep me in suspense."

"You are so smart, your ladys.h.i.+p. I thought I have hidden my intention well! However, you have such sharp eyes that you've seen me through!" Jinxun might utter some stupid words sometimes and be scolded by Ms. Zhao for that, but she was open-minded and didn't bear grudges, which kept her much favored.

Now she didn't feel embarra.s.sed to be seen through. She held Song Yixiao's arm and requested grinningly, "Your ladys.h.i.+p, shall we go to appreciate the apricot blossoms in the garden? Yesterday, I heard from Meiping, the maid who served Miss Yuan that the apricot blossoms are blooming in the garden and they look really beautiful!"

Song Yixiao looked around and found no one else. She said in a lower voice, "Let the sleeping dog lie. You have seen the tension in this place with me in this morning. Even though we are in the Embroidery Compound quietly, trouble may come to us unexpectedly! If we go there and meet anyone or anything, this is the Yuan's house, will we be embarra.s.sed or not?"

"How dare I make trouble for you!" Jinxun held her arm tightly and begged her like a spoiled child, "I have asked Meiping before. Madam Tu never goes there to appreciate the apricot flowers. It is said that the flowers were planted by Marquis Yuan's grandfather for his first wife. How can Madam Tu not feel uncomfortable to see the flowers?"

Then she said with grievance, "In current season, the malus hallianas before our own building are blooming beautifully. Yet, we are here with Miss Yuan so I cannot see that. Your ladys.h.i.+p, please take me to appreciate the apricot flowers. It is so dull to stay indoors in such fine weather!"

Song Yixiao couldn't stand her repeated request. Moreover, spring came and the flowers were in bloom now. She could experience the vitality of all things in the room, but it was better to watch the flowers herself.

Therefore, after being requested by Jinxun for a while, she granted the request reluctantly, "We must come back after taking a tour. We are here to help Xue'e relax her mind but not to amuse ourselves!"

Jinxun finally got Yixiao's approval and couldn't help making promise with great joys.

Song Yixiao and her maid returned to the room and got changed. They told the chief maid Meiyan, who was on duty downstairs, about their intention to watch the flowers. Meiyan was very efficient, who not only arranged a maid called Qingruo to lead the way but also asked the kitchen staff to prepare a hamper for them. "There is a pavilion in the forest. If you are thirsty or hungry, you can have a rest. If you need anything, you can send her on an errand. We will try our best to cater for your needs. Or Marquis Yuan and her ladys.h.i.+p will punish us for poor service."

Song Yixiao only intended to take a tour with Jinxun and didn't expect Meiyan to make such a fuss about it. She didn't know whether to cry or to laugh.

Jinxun felt quite happy. She loved playing around. Since Qingruo came along with a hamper, they must eat some pastries before returning, which would take longer than Song Yixiao promised.

"Are you in this with Meiyan?" On the way to the apricot trees, Song Yixiao couldn't help teasing her, "So you can have a chance to loaf around?"

"I will still serve you in the forest, won't I?" Jinxun exclaimed, "If I want to loaf around, why will I ask you to come out? You don't need any service while you are reading, during which I don't need to do anything!"

Laughing and chatting, they arrived at the apricot forest. Unlike the malus halliana forest in Prince of Hengshan's mansion, the apricot forest was situated among the bamboo forest instead of being close to the water.

With the mixture of green bamboos and bright apricot flowers, it was a beautiful spring day, which was so delighting.

Walking into the forest along the flower path, they saw the artificial hills strewn at random among the forest in different shapes. Many of the artificial hills were covered with ficus pumila.

Having wandered around for a while, they caught sight of the overhanging eave through the colorful flowers. It should be the pavilion that Meiyan mentioned.

Song Yixiao saw that Qingruo had sweat on her forehead for holding the hamper all along and then said, "Put the hamper in the pavilion later."

Qingruo hastened to respond positively.

Surprisingly, when they walked further and saw the most of the pavilion, they found two people in there. One was sitting there and the other was standing next to him with a pot, who seemed to be serving the former one. They looked like a master and a servant.

Song Yixiao was slightly surprised to see that and then stopped. She was wondering whether she should leave. Ji Su suddenly came from behind an apricot tree not far away and made a curtsey with a smile, "Miss Song, are you here to appreciate the flowers too?"

"Eunuch Ji?" Song Yixiao found that the coming man was not under Madam Tu or Madam Liang and finally felt relieved, making a curtsey with a smile in return, "Yes, Xue'e is sleeping and I don't want to sleep now, so I bring my maids to take a tour around."

Ji Su asked with concern, "How is Miss Yuan now? As I recall, she didn't look good when she left."

"After all, she hasn't eaten or drunken anything for several days. She is weak indeed these days." Song Yixiao said, "However, after she had congee yesterday, she has become better."

Then Ji Su asked what Yuan Xue'e had eaten for lunch. Obviously, he must try to stall for time by rambling like that. Song Yixiao couldn't help doubting that something was wrong in the pavilion!

As expected, after a while, Jian Xubai asked with a casual air from the pavilion, "Who is coming?"

"Your lords.h.i.+p, it is Miss Song who comes here to appreciate flowers." Ji Su stopped chatting with Song Yixiao and turned around to bow down, answering respectfully, "Miss Song has been with Miss Yuan closely over the past several days. I don't see Miss Yuan here, so I've braced up to stop Miss Song and ask about her condition just in case anything has happened to her."

Jian Xubai replied positively and then asked Song Yixiao to sit in the pavilion.

As he gave the invitation himself, Song Yixiao hesitated for an instant and still agreed on his invitation.

After going into the pavilion, she felt a bit surprised. When she looked through the flowers just now, there were absolutely two persons in the pavilion.

However, now as she glanced around, there was only Jian Xubai in the wide and spectacular pavilion!

He seemed a bit drunk with his black hair a bit loose. As the collar of his crimson round-collar s.h.i.+rt was slightly ripped open, his delicate collarbone was exposed. His moon-like face appeared pale while his lips were as red as blood. With his thick and long eyelashes slightly fluttering and his eyes half-opened, he looked lazy and aloof.

Seeing that Song Yixiao made a curtsey, he didn't say anything but pointed at the nearby stone bench to give Song Yixiao the tip to sit down.

Song Yixiao said thank-you and then sat down with alertness, praying that she didn't run into any important secret, for which she must be eradicated.

While she was perturbed, Jian Xubai asked in an aloof voice, "You've lived in the house of Prince of Hengshan over the past several years. Do you miss your father?"

What did he mean?

Did he try to remind Song Yixiao that if she dared to speak of what she just saw in the pavilion, she would be sent back to the Song Family?

Song Yixiao felt on pins and needles!