The Crown Princess didn't believe in Madam Huang's report but as Lu Yicheng was highly favored by the Crown Prince and Madam Huang was her relative, she didn't want to disgrace Madam Huang without any evidence.

After seeing Madam Huang off, the Crown Princess thought for a while before she reported to the Empress Dowager, "It happens that Dowager Consort of Hengshan can't meet any guest today. Madam Huang thinks that since Miss Song is going to set off from the Song Family, the Dowager Consort must show her att.i.tude on her own so that everyone will be convinced. Therefore, it is better to tell the Dowager Consort face to face!"

After all, "Prince of Hengshan has raised Miss Song for several years. If she tells such a matter to Miss Song's birth mother, Princess Consort Wei instead of Dowager Consort or Prince of Hengshan first, it will be disrespect for them. If Prince of Hengshan harbors grudge against Miss Song and Wei Mengying as a result, it will be rather pitiful, which is also the last thing Grandma and you want to see!"

She didn't mention the tales that Madam Huang carried at all. How could the wife of the crown prince be that silly to believe what others told her and harbor grudge easily?

Empress Su heard that and then slightly raised her head, "It seems that I was too thoughtless that day. I have forgotten the relations.h.i.+p between Madam Huang, Madam Lu and Princess Consort Wei. It must be an inevitably awkward occasion if they meet each other. Dowager Consort of Hengshan is a considerate woman. Since Madam Huang and her daughter didn't mention her in the visiting card, of course the Dowager Consort would stay away."

The Crown Princess hurriedly said, "Mother, don't say that. It's my fault. I thought since Madam Huang was granted to pay a visit to the prince's mansion with her daughter, they must be able to meet the Dowager Consort! I didn't realize that I was wrong until Madam Huang came to report to me!"

Then she was about to apologize.

"It's not a big deal. Why are you so harsh on yourself?" Empress Su was not the birth mother of the Crown Prince so she was always lenient to him and his wife. Under the current circ.u.mstance, she hastened to ask the servants to drag the Crown Princess up, saying, "Dowager Consort of Hengshan is a reasonable senior. With an advance notice, she would agree for sure. Today Madam Huang and her daughter didn't go there at the right time. You may as well ask someone else to pay another visit some other day."

"Next month will be the birthday of the Dowager Consort. We will send people over to congratulate on her birthday." The Crown Princess prepared an excuse and of course had a solution, so she said, "I'm afraid that you may have to do me a favor by then!"

The Eastern Palace would send people to deliver birthday wishes in Prince of Hengshan's mansion, but with the people of the Empress Dowager and Empress being there, Dowager Consort of Hengshan would not have time to talk to the people from the Eastern Palace.

Moreover, the Empress Dowager kept a watchful eye on the matter. The Empress proposed the idea before. Because the Crown Princess was on the spot and Lu Yicheng was related to Song Yixiao, the matter was handed over to her. Now that the Crown Princess failed, despite the fact that the empress didn't mind it, she still decided to return the chance of winning the praise of the Empress Dowager to the Empress.

After all, she didn't have to make her legitimate mother-in-law harbor grudge against her for such a trivial matter.

As expected, Empress Su didn't refuse her goodwill and then said simply, "By then I will ask Fangyu to go there!"

Fangyu was the empress's reliable first maid.

The matter was settled in this way.

Pitifully, Song Yixiao had no idea of this at all!

It had been almost one month since she returned from the feast of the Shangsi Festival. Despite the okra yellow jade pendant in her hand, no one came to propose the marriage. No matter how calm she was, she couldn't help doubting whether something went wrong!

"If Jian Xubai changed his mind or his seniors object to the marriage, shouldn't he take back the jade pendant?" Song Yixiao was ruminating with a frown while working on the embroidery for the dowager consort's birthday gift, "Is it because he is too rich that he doesn't care about a jade pendant?"

Was it even a compensation for breaking the engagement?

Song Yixiao gave a bitter smile and felt that her life was so miserable!

When she came back to life that year, she intended to gain a foothold in the Song Family with what she had foreknown. However, she was made to live under the roof of Prince of Hengshan!

She learned the lesson from the previous life and made up her mind to create a bright future for her loyal servants. Nonetheless, Zhiqin became disabled and disfigured for saving her a few days later!

Afterwards, she struggled to live to the age when she was old enough to get married and hoped to marry someone reliable. Then her birth mother threatened her for the prospect of her half-brother while Jian Xubai insisted on marrying her. In the end, she was finally ready to take risk and marry Jian Xubai.

Now no word came from Jian Xubai!

What a tough life she lived!

Song Yixiao felt increasingly depressed. Looking at the almost-finished embroidery, she stabbed the needle to it and then covered her face in despair, "What shall I do in future?"

Unexpectedly, very soon someone walked in and pulled her sleeve grinningly, "Yixiao, look at the flowers I just picked. Are they beautiful?"

"Now the flower season of the malus halliana has pa.s.sed. Where did you pick them?" Song Yixiao turned around to have a look only to find that the seventh young lady invited by Qiaoqin from the Wei Family, aka, her cousin, Wei Chan, was standing behind her with a banquet of malus halliana in her hands.

Wei Chan was the youngest legitimate daughter of the first master of the Wei Family, who was one year younger than Song Yixiao. She looked a bit like Wei Mengying, who was sort of a pretty woman. Of course she was no match for Song Yixiao. Even Wei Mengying, more than 30 years old now, was more charming than the 13-year-old niece.

However, Wei Chan was an outgoing and fun-loving girl with a good sense of propriety, who would not act rashly like Jinxun.

Song Yixiao took a liking to this cousin. Although she was speculating about why this cousin stayed here, she tried to show her respect and compliment on the flowers in front of her, "What lovely flowers! Did you climb onto the ladder and pick them? As I recall, when I went out yesterday, I could only see some remaining flowers from the height of the door."

"With a ladder?" Wei Chan sat on the embroidery chair next to Song Yixiao and tried to keep her flowers away from the birthday gift. Then she said delightedly, "It would be too troublesome! Someone volunteered to climb onto the tree and pick for me!"

Song Yixiao narrowed her eyes, "Who?"

"I guess that he is the fifth young master in the prince's mansion?" Wei Chan tilted her head and explained, "I am aware that a distinction should be made between males and females. I only asked the maid to deliver my message and I didn't approach him myself. Yixiao, don't misunderstand me. He insisted on picking the flowers for me and I was forced to agree."

"How would I misunderstand you?" Song Yixiao thought that Lu Zimiao was the concubine's son of plain quality, who was given little attention in the prince's mansion. Wei Mengying didn't even take him seriously. She wouldn't want to set Wei Chan up with him, would she?

Maybe Wei Mengying would think that the Wei Family was not influential and that it would be good enough for Wei Chan to be the legitimate wife of a concubine's son of a prince. However, given the situation of Lu Zimiao, if Wei Mengying married her niece to him, what else could he say other than expressing grat.i.tude? Did she make Wei Chan live in the prince's mansion for some time?

"Does it have nothing to do with Lu Zimiao? He just ran into Wei Chan by coincidence?"

Given that Lu Zimiao hara.s.sed Jinxun before, Song Yixiao guessed whether Lu Zimiao felt regretful and wanted to apologize by picking flowers for Wei Chan. Yet, considering what he had done before, didn't he fear that Song Yixiao might think he was targeting at Wei Chan mistakenly? Or was he really trying to court Wei Chan?

Song Yixiao was pondering and said with a calm face, "But if you encounter similar thing next time, just leave directly. If he feels offended, my mother will be there for you!"

Wei Chan responded smilingly and then found a vase to put the flowers in happily. Song Yixiao observed her behaviors and facial expressions. This girl looked simple and naive, who didn't seem to be pretending. Song Yixiao couldn't help feeling more confused, "What is she doing here on earth?"

She looked down to see the needle in her hand and gave a bitter smile, "Why do I worry about so much? I have got a lot on my mind now!"

She shook her head and went on embroidering.

However, to her surprise, what she was worried about took a favorable turn. Yuan Xue'e invited her to her home for a gathering in the guise of her cousin's birthday.

In light of the relations.h.i.+p between Yuan Xuepei and Jian Xubai, some news could be acquired in the Marquis's mansion anyhow.

Song Yixiao felt relieved. Yet, before she gave a smile, she heard that Wei Mengying refused the invitation on behalf of her.

"Mother, why don't you allow me to visit Xue'e?" She asked her mother in confusion, "I have almost finished the embroidery throughout the past days' effort. I think it is a great chance for me to get some fresh air!"

Although the Dowager Consort didn't allow her to go to the marquis's mansion anymore, Wei Mengying didn't consent on it! Now even the Dowager Consort didn't say anything about it. Why did her mother object to it first?

"I know that you are close to Yuan Xue'e, but her brother is still young and unmarried. Her family lacks someone to oversee the household affairs. And it is time for you to get married too. If you go there frequently, criticism will be incurred inevitably!" Wei Mengying put down the tea bowl with an amicable countenance, "Moreover, you didn't feel like going there before. From where I stand, your brother's prospect is important but you are my treasure too! It is improper to make you sacrifice for him all the time!"

No kidding! Yixiao would probably serve the crown prince in the future. How could she not pay attention to Yixiao's reputation?

Looking at her birth mother, Song Yixiao didn't know what to say then.

She doubted that her mother had known about the jade pendant given by Jian Xubai, but now she didn't need to then. It was well known that Jian Xubai often went to Marquis Boling's mansion. If Wei Mengying was aware of the truth, she would never stop Song Yixiao from going.

"But the elder lady of the Yuan Family is at home!" Song Yixiao felt so helpless and argued, "Besides, this time it is Xue'e's cousin who is going to have a birthday party. Mother, you also know that Xue'e doesn't get along with her uncle's family. Generally, she will walk through her cousin's birthday party only. Why does she want to bring someone else? Now that she invites me to the party, I'm afraid that she has encountered any problem. Over the past years, Xue'e has kept me company. Now she is asking me for a favor. Is it too inappropriate for me to turn down her request?"

"Well..." Wei Mengying stayed silent. She also found that her daughter made a good point. Importantly, Yuan Xue'e was simple-minded, but her brother was capable and also made friends with a well-favored duke. If Yixiao incurred any resentment for refusing the invitation, it did more harm than good.

Especially Yuan Xue'e had a justifiable excuse to invite Song Yixiao this time.

So she thought for a while and then nodded her head, "But you should go early and come back early. Be careful!"

Song Yixiao of course agreed on that.

She prepared a birthday gift. When the day came, she went to Marquis Boling's mansion by carriage and held the belief that Yuan Xue'e must have been in a predicament and thus wrote a letter to ask Song Yixiao to help her out. Unexpectedly, when she arrived at the mansion, she was conducted by Yuan Xue'e to the feast location in the wing room. Then she was brought out of the feast without even hearing clearly the name of Yuan Xue'e's cousin!

"My brother tells me that he will make my uncle's family to move out of the mansion. Actually, the family property was divided up before my father pa.s.sed away and they moved out at that time." Noticing Song Yixiao's confusion, Yuan Xue'e explained, "But after my brother was captured in Wuhuan, they came back in the guise of comforting my grandma and have lived until now. We have shown enough respect for them to allow my cousin to set a feast in the wing hall. What else can they expect us to do?"

Hearing her out, Song Yixiao was finally at ease and couldn't help sighing, "Since His Excellency returned home, you have become even more outgoing! Now you talk more merrily than before."

As she recalled, when she first came to Marquis Boling's mansion, she saw that Yuan Xue'e appeared so weak in front of her grandma and auntie. Otherwise, she wouldn't follow Yuan Xue'e to meet Madam Tu out of worry.

"What are you envious of?" Yuan Xue'e smiled at her and put on a teasing look, "I only have the backing of my brother. The one who's got you covered is really impressive."

Song Yixiao found that her words sounded quite strange. Her countenance was slightly changed. "I don't understand what you are talking about..."

The moment that she raised her head, she caught sight of Jian Xubai, who was standing under the apricot tree by the roadside with his hands behind his back. She couldn't help stopping talking.

The flower season of the malus halliana in Prince of Hengshan's mansion had pa.s.sed. Likewise, the apricot flowers in Marquis Boling's mansion also withered. Very few blooming flowers were shaking in the wind and the trees were full of green leaves.

He was wearing a light green spring suit with the collar and sleeves decorated with dark green bamboo embroidery, who seemed to merge himself into the increasingly luxuriant trees and gra.s.s. However, as he raised his chin, his eyes looked so bright and beautiful as if there were apricot flowers blooming here and there, which appeared as rosy as clouds and as rich as mountains and seas.

"It is said that you have been working on the embroidery day and night so as to send it to Dowager Consort of Hengshan as a birthday gift?" Jian Xubai said in an insouciant and yet soft voice, "I don't even have an embroidered purse?"