After she knelt down, other people of the Sikong Family who kept silent also knelt down. They all said, “Please administer justice for Yiluo!”

How could people of the Wei Family do nothing at this time?

They also knelt down to ask for punishment. At this time, Side Concubine Cui chuckled and said slowly, “Your Highness, can I talk about my thoughts about it?”

The Crown Prince was annoyed at present and always spoiled her. So after hearing her words, he said casually, “What do you want to say?”

“In fact, it's caused by me!” Although Side Concubine Cui said that, she didn't look guilty on her face but her tone was a little proud, “If I hadn't been pregnant recently, Her Highness the Crown Princess wouldn't have held a feast for me to congratulate and Miss Wei wouldn't have persuaded Miss Sikong to drink. So Miss Sikong would be fine now and the Sikong Family wouldn't need to lose their daughter.”

Song Yixiao used her handkerchief to press on the corner of her eyes and said nothing. But she thought, “I was confused why Cui Jianlian came here today. Now I know she wants to trap the Crown Princess.”

Side Concubine Cui blamed herself because she was pregnant at the wrong time. But her fetus was the offspring of the royal family. Who dared to blame it came at the wrong time?

So she wanted to remind them that it was the Crown Princess's fault actually!

After all, there was no precedent to follow about the feast yesterday. The Crown Princess held it because she wanted to show that she treasured Side Concubine Cui. After such a bad thing happened, how couldn't they blame the Crown Princess's superfluous behavior?

As expected, the Crown Prince frowned suddenly after hearing that. Although he didn't scold the Crown Princess in public, he obviously had agreed with Side Concubine Cui's words.

The Crown Princess also responded quickly, “Don't talk nonsense! The fetus in your belly is our royal family's n.o.ble offspring. How can you say it came at the wrong time? You are a mother. If your kid knows it, how sad your kid will be? This is your first kid! Besides, it's not only your kid, but also the Crown Prince's kid!”

Then she said, “The feast yesterday was held for you. But I'm here. How can I let you take responsibility of it?”

Her words reminded the Crown Prince two things. Firstly, your beloved concubine who was also your cousin was not qualified to be a mother. Secondly, the feast held yesterday was for her. How could she blame me at present without appreciation? Was it reasonable?

She also warned Side Concubine Cui. You were only a side concubine and weren't qualified to be responsible because I was the Crown Prince!

“I'm not good enough to accept your kindness!” Side Concubine Cui narrowed her eyes after hearing that with a faint smile. She said, “I'm really unlucky. The feast should have been happy. But Miss Sikong pa.s.sed away soon, and Miss Wei is also in an awkward situation. What makes me more upset is that…”

Song Yixiao put down her handkerchief and looked calm.

Sure enough, Side Concubine Cui mentioned Song Yixiao, “Madam Song, I heard that you had become intimate with Miss Wei at the first meeting and the Crown Princess always cares about you. Today you are invited to come to describe the process. You must be so sad in your heart, right?”

“Madam Song always contacted with my daughter after the birthday party of Dowager Consort of Hengshan this year.” Unexpectedly, before Song Yixiao said, Madam Zhu flashed her eyes and said first, “Madam Song, please restrain your grief after my daughter pa.s.sed away!”

Then she thanked to Side Concubine Cui, “If you don't remind me, I will forget that Yiluo isn't only my daughter, but also Madam Song's friend! We all feel sad due to her death.”

Side Concubine Cui was speechless. She just wanted Madam Zhu to doubt that Song Yixiao showed partiality for the Crown Princess and her younger sister.

Song Yixiao stood up and curtsied to Madam Zhu, “Thanks for your attention! Yiluo is really close to me and she is like my sister. But she is also your beloved daughter! Hope you care about yourself and don't let Yiluo worry about you after she pa.s.sed away!”

Madam Zhu wasn't stupid at all!

Before coming to the Eastern Palace, people of the Sikong Family had asked Sikong Yiluo's maid about the truth. Besides, although the Sikong Family had something on Wei Yinlian, it was still hard to punish her. How could the Sikong Family create difficulties to Song Yixiao who was the daughter-in-law of the Grand Princess?

Side Concubine Cui wanted to make use of the Sikong Family. But she'd better be clear whether they were willing to be used by her!

“Plonk!” Jian Xubai put the empty tea bowl on the table casually at this time and said flatly, “Your Highness…”

“I know. You just told me that your third uncle was not fine recently. You and your wife have made an appointment to visit him at noon.” The Crown Prince instantly nodded his head and looked at people of the Sikong Family and the Wei Family kindly, “Do you have anything else to ask Madam Song? If you don't ask her, I will let them go to visit the elder.”

The two families had a look at each other and all shook their heads. Song Yixiao had already described it clearly. It was meaningless to let her stay here.

Then the couple stood up and left together. But Yuguo stayed here because she had to report to the Empress Dowager. So she couldn't go before there was a result.

Jian Xubai was too familiar with the Crown Prince to stand on ceremony. So he didn't ask servants to send them off.

Song Yixiao and Jian Xubai didn't talk with each other on the way. After getting out of the gate, Song Yixiao thought of the girl who called herself “the second daughter of the Sikong Family”. She looked around and didn't find that girl. Seeing the eunuch talking with Jian Xubai familiarly, Song Yixiao asked, “Doesn't the young lady who wanted to come in belong to the Sikong Family?”

The eunuch smiled, “Did you also hear her words? She is definitely the second young lady of the Sikong Family. But before I reported, the servants of Great Grand Princess Zhenyang had let her back.”

“It is a big trouble. Even Grandmother will be annoyed to deal with it.” Jian Xubai always rode a horse to court. But to talk conveniently, he went on the carriage with Song Yixiao. After they left the Eastern Palace for a moment, he said, “You have a good relations.h.i.+p with both two families and it's not proper to support one of them. You'd better not interfere in it.”

Song Yixiao had a look at him and said, “I went to the Sikong's mansion once and didn't see that girl. So I asked about her.”

Seeing Jian Xubai keeping silent, she pondered for a while and then asked, “Is Uncle Limiao fine?”

“It's just an excuse to leave because I didn't want to stay with them.” Jian Xubai said casually, “Well, what did you say with Grandmother today?”

“Just after we said polite formula, the palace maid reported that Yiluo had pa.s.sed away.” Song Yixiao looked dark, “How can I be in a good mood to talk about other things?”

Then she said, “I went to Mother's mansion and told her that we wanted to let servants in the kitchen leave. But Mother said that she needed them because she bought some real estates. She asked us to send her some extra servants. So we didn't need to send these servants to serve grandfather in hometown.”

“Mother wants them?” Jian Xubai was angry rather than happy after hearing that, “They really haven't given up and even persuade Mother!”

But he returned to be normal soon and only sneered by curling his red lips. He closed his eyes and said, “Since Mother has decided, you just let the Chief House Steward do it. He is clear what kind of people Mother wants!”

Song Yixiao thought about his words and was shocked secretly, “Do you mean that Mother doesn't use these servants to serve herself?”

“These servants all belong to Grandfather when he was powerful.” Jian Xubai opened his eyes without any emotion in his eyes. He said, “Mother isn't interested in political affairs. How can she want them?”

“Will she give these people to Jian Yiyou?” Jian Pingyu's trusted subordinates must be introduced by Jinguo Grand Princess to Jian Yiyou because they didn't give them to Jian Xubai. Song Yixiao was confused, “Why do they live in the duke's mansion for so many years? When I suggested sending them to serve Grandfather in the hometown last time, Mother also agreed with me and even asked people to negotiate with Grandfather for us!”

A satire flashed in Jian Xubai's long eyes. He said, “They live in the imperial capital for decades to pay attention to the political affairs and to contact with the old friends of Grandfather. After Mother sends them to Jian Yiyou, they will be useful immediately. They are in the duke's mansion because it's not easy to arrange hundreds of people. When I was sent to the palace to grow up, Grandfather asked them to manage the mansion for me. Then they could live there.”

“I see!” Song Yixiao finally realized, “They give t.i.tle of n.o.bility to you and give subordinates to Jian Yiyou, right?”

Was it a distribution about the political resource?

But Jian Xubai just wanted to let them leave and didn't want to give them to Jian Yiyou. He just said that they really hadn't given up. Did it mean that these subordinates didn't belong to Jian Yiyou at the beginning?

“Anyway, many people should leave this time.” Jian Xubai didn't want to explain more and just said, “You brought some servants when you get married. If they are proper, you can let them get the empty positions.”

Song Yixiao understood his meaning that she could decide the domestic affairs and didn't need to care about other things.

In fact, she had no way to care about other things because the servants she brought here were not excellent enough. So she didn't feel uncomfortable about his words.

She just thought secretly in her heart, “It's no wonder that Chief House Steward and Second House Steward listen to me so easily. Even Jian Xubai felt them so sly. How can they be obedient to me? They didn't want to go so that they created difficulties to me. Now they are eager to go back to serve their own master. So they won't waste time to argue with me any more!”

The servants in the kitchen intentionally ignored her yesterday, in order to let Song Yixiao tell it to Jinguo Grand Princess. So the Grand Princess could ask Song Yixiao to give them to her!

At present, these people might have gone to Grand Princess's mansion and prepared to serve in Princess Changxing's mansion after Jian Yiyou married Princess Changxing!

The carriage arrived at Jian Limiao's home. But when they got out and knocked the door, the servant said that although Jian Limiao asked for sick leave, he went out for something unexpectedly happened and would come back later.

“Let's wait a moment.” Jian Xubai told his wife after he knew that his uncle would come back soon, “If you're bored, you can go upstairs to have a look. I remember that there are many collections upstairs.”

Song Yixiao wasn't in a good mood to see them because of Sikong Yiluo's death. But Jian Xubai said that again. Obviously, he wanted to send her away with an excuse. So she had to stand up and said, “Let me have a look.”

The house steward hurried to ask a maid to guide her.

After going upstairs, Song Yixiao opened the door and saw collections inside in shock. The place was small but had many wonderful collections. Each of them was ancient and had a long history.

“Even the collections in this room are priceless.” Song Yixiao looked up at an ancient painting of the previous dynasty on the wall and sighed with feeling secretly, “I only know the place Uncle Limiao lives is not large. But I didn't expect that this place was so luxurious!”

The maid who guided her to come here saw that she stared at the painting all the time. The maid thought Song Yixiao was interested in it. So she introduced, “This is Elder Lady's dowry. Other paintings aren't hung out because of the limited s.p.a.ce. They are put in the boxes over there. Shall I go to unlock the boxes for you if you like them?”

“Don't do that!” Song Yixiao hurried to say, “These paintings on the wall have already widened my vision!”

The maid puckered in a faint smile and was about to say something. Then she heard that some people were talking outside. “Is master back?” The maid asked.

Although Song Yixiao didn't know why Jian Xubai sent her away with an excuse, she should go downstairs to pay respects after the elder was back. But the maid was not sure about it. So Song Yixiao went to the balcony to have a look. She saw that Jian Limiao in green long gown talked with two people and entered into the yard.

Before she stopped seeing, that two people had found her sensitively and suddenly looked toward her!

There were dozens of steps between them but Song Yixiao could feel their cold eyes clearly. Song Yixiao stepped back unconsciously and palpitated with fear!

“You are also here?” Fortunately, Jian Limiao also found her and seemed to scold these two people in a low voice. He asked them to turn around and then nodded slightly to his nephew's wife. He called her loudly, “The cook makes a new style of pastry. Would you like to stay here and have a taste together with Xubai?”