Jian Xubai didn’t look happy when he was back.
As his wife walked forward, he only glanced at her. After taking off his coat, he even deliberately avoided Song Yixiao’s stretched-out hands and passed it to Ji Su behind him.
Ji Su instantly shuddered and almost dropped the coat on the ground. Did the couple fall out only after spending a few days together? It was still in the first lunar month.
He was thinking in great trepidation about how to mediate between the couple. Unexpectedly, Song Yixiao turned around and smiled at him, saying with an amicable face, “You must be tired after serving Xubai for the whole day. Now just let the maids take it from here and you can leave and have a rest!”
Ji Su has no other choice but to leave, laden with anxiety.
When he left, Song Yixiao gestured the maids to leave too, poured a bowl of hot tea and offered it to Jian Xubai, saying respectfully, “I’m here for my husband’s punishment!
“According to the imperial rules, only the concubines above the officially third-rank are considered as consorts, who can live in the main room, manage a palace and raise the imperial descendants!” Yuan Xuepei heaved a sigh, “Hypothetically, Princess Feinuan is only promoted by two grades and remains as a side fourth-rank talented lady. Even if she gives birth to a baby for His Majesty, she can only be promoted to a side third-rank concubine due to pregnancy and labor. It happens that she won’t be eligible to raise her own child!”Although it hadn’t been a month since Feinuan miscarried last time, she was adored by the emperor now and she was much healthier than the ladies of the Great Rui. If there was no accident, she would get pregnant again soon.“Moreover, there is no leading consort in the Palace of Lanqiu she resides at,” Jian Xubai said, “Therefore, my auntie can adopt her child if any!”If there was any leading consort in the Palace of
Just a few days before the imperial feast of the Lantern Festival, Song Yixiao consummated the marriage with her husband. Thus, of course she couldn’t be pregnant now.She didn’t know that Yuan Xuepei was speculating about her idea up her sleeve. Even if she did, she couldn’t tell him!Over the past years, she and Yuan Xue’e had been real friends but their friendship was not so deep that she could forget what Zhiqin had suffered. Now Song Yixiao was blowing her stack, “I’m fine that You Qingchun and her child have been taken away but how can they take away Ms. Zhao too? Are you all dead? I got up before noon. Why did you tell me now?”Of course, she was furious!She took no action against You Qingchun before surely to slacken Cui Jianlian’s vigilance. Now that she had confessed the whole plan to her mother-in-law, how could she not talk with You Qingchun?Song Yixiao could ignore her but she cared about her foster nurs
“What about Lu Kou’er?” Jian Xubai looked into her eyes for a while, asking, “What has she done to you?”As Song Yixiao appeared confused, he reminded her, “You claimed in the imperial palace that Cui Jianlian asked you to make room for Lu Kou’er, so did Lu Kou’er also hurt you before?”“Not like that,” Song Yixiao finally took a tumble and then ruminated for a while, saying, “At that time, I only wanted to disrupt Cui Jianlian’s plan with a reasonable excuse, for which I had to mention her. Besides, I hoped to take the opportunity to cast in a bone between Dowager Consort of Hengshan and Cui Jianlian.”Speaking of that, she stayed silent for a moment and then said, “There is one more reason. Before the Spring Festival, Yiren paid me a visit and revealed in secret that when I feigned illness, Lu Kou’er tried to get close to you under the guise of visiting me for several times. I don’t want to take revenge on her, but neither do I feel like taki
When Song Yixiao woke up the next day, it was already in the morning and her husband was gone.She summoned Jinxun inside for service. While serving her to wash up carefully, Jinxun reported in a soft voice, “His Highness has gone to the Empress Dowager’s palace. Before leaving, His Highness asked me to tell you not to go anywhere but wait at the mansion for his information.”Song Yixiao had learnt that it was Jian Xubai who asked Jinxun to stop her. Now Jinxun’s face was clearly swollen despite being covered with make-up. After all, this maid had served Song Yixiao since she was a child. Hence, Song Yixiao felt pitiful for her and said softly, “Go and see a doctor later. A girl’s face is very important and don’t leave any scar on it!”“I am not that delicate.” Jinxun was reckless and yet not vengeful. Now that she knew that her mistress was not mad with her, she instantly said with her face wreathed in smiles, “Moreover, you didn’t slap harshl
Song Yixiao entered Qingxi Hall uneasily.The uneasy feeling got increasingly apparent when she found that Jian Xubai was not present.Unexpectedly, after Song Yixiao made a curtsey, the Empress Dowager didn’t look angry and instead, waved her hand amicably, saying, “Good girl, come and sit next to me.”“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Song Yixiao, not sure of the Empress Dowager’s intention, curtsied respectfully and sat on the embroidered chair near the Empress Dowager. She only sat on the one third of the seat, which demonstrated her reverence and respect.The Empress Dowager saw her bearing clearly and said smilingly, “No need to be so nervous! I won’t eat you anyway!”Yuguo, standing aside, said with a smile, “Duke Jian begged you in your arms for a while just now. Even if you really eat people, you won’t eat Lady of Yan! Otherwise, if His Highness can’t find Lady of Yan after going back to the mansion and come to you f
Song Yixiao returned home and found that Jian Xubai and Ms. Zhao were not back yet. Neither did any message come about them.She was very disappointed to hear that.Having struggled to look through the list for her mother-in-law’s birthday in a few days, Song Yixiao was about to ask Jinxun whether she had seen a doctor when a maid came forward and reported, “Your Highness, Madam Cheng asks to meet you!”“Madam Cheng?” Song Yixiao didn’t think of who she was and Qiaoqin gave her a reminder, “Is that the mother of Side Concubine Cui, Madam Cheng?”She took a tumble and couldn’t help frowning, “She came alone? But why does she want to meet me?”The maid answered respectfully, “Your Highness, Madam Cheng takes a 20-something woman who looks like her daughter-in-law, but I have never met the Cui Family before, so I’m not sure about it.”“Madam Cheng says nothing but to ask to meet Your Highness.” She added.
Jian Xubai looked at his wife’s disappointed look and felt sorry, saying gently, “Now this matter is in the limelight. Grandmother’s asking them to leave at once is for their own good. When this comes to an end in a few years and no one cares about this, we can let them come back. Even if they are not allowed to step into the imperial capital as the Crown Prince required and they just stay in the environs, it will be rather convenient for you to pay them a visit.”“As long as they live well, I’ll be relieved!” However, Song Yixiao just shook her head and sighed, “Regardless of her virtue, You Qingchun is still the birth daughter of Ms. Zhao. If I hadn’t meant to conspire against Cui Jianlian, I could have given her an opportunity to draw in her horse at the edge of a cliff. After all, regarding this matter, I feel so sorry for Ms. Zhao! Back then, she and her husband risked their lives to help me out. This time, for Zhiqin, I saw their daughter fall into a helpless situ
“Madam Huang passed away?” The couple were startled to hear the news, asking in one voice, “How did that happen? Wasn’t she okay at the imperial feast of the Lantern Festival?”Song Yixiao greeted her at that time!It had only been a few days since then!“It is said that she died of an acute disease,” the maid said cowardly, “As it happened too hastily, the messenger came and left in a hurry, telling that he had to send the message to other relatives too. Hence, we didn’t invite him into the mansion.”Song Yixiao called Madam Huang as Grandma and the latter was kind to her, but they actually had no communication in private and their amicable relationship on the surface was only a show to the public.Therefore, when Song Yixiao heard of the death of this nominal grandmother, she was astonished and yet not grieved. Then she came to her sense quickly, sent away the maid and then started to discuss about the condolence wit