"Does Miss Song like it?" Prince Yu, Zhongli Mingye, was personally tending to a jade plum tree, pruning the extra branches.
"According to General Song, Miss Song only kept a pair of jade grasshoppers. She gave away the rest," Qingfeng reported carefully, observing Zhongli Mingye's expression.
"Pa, pa!" Zhongli Mingye clapped the dirt off his hands.
"However, Your Highness," Qingfeng was a bit puzzled.
"The jade grasshoppers are your most cherished items. Why did you give them away?"
"Does she like those jade grasshoppers?"
"Yes!"
"That's good!"
Prince Yu was very satisfied. He had expected that Jinyu would give away the other things, but he was glad that the jade grasshoppers had won her favor.
"Tell the steward to prepare a Mid - Autumn banquet. I'm going to invite the whole family of Prefect Song!"
At the prefect's mansion, Niaoniao had made all the preparations. Jinyu was just waiting for the Mid - Autumn family banquet to end so that she could return to Tianmen Mountain with Yan Fei.
The cause of her mother's death was very similar to that of the Miao poison. Since the conspiracy of the Yanqiu people had failed, the clues had been interrupted. But Jinyu had learned from Ouyang Jinsè before that her mother had once lived in the Miao region. So she had to thoroughly investigate the Jinshui Palace after returning to the mountain.
It was rare for the whole family of the prefect's mansion to get together in a year, so they should have a good celebration. But unexpectedly, this had become a luxury.
The second mistress came.
With cuts and bruises all over her face and head, she wailed and sobbed in front of the prefect's mansion, attracting many onlookers.
People were pointing and whispering, but the second mistress seemed not to care about the shame at all. The guards at the gate had no choice but to report to the masters in the mansion.
In this situation, the Song family could not just stand by and let the second mistress make a scene at the door. If this was spread by those with ulterior motives, the whole Song family would lose face!
"Elder brother! You are in a high - ranking position. You must stand up for your sister - in - law!" The second mistress looked like a wronged woman.
Xiang Shi and Song Jinyu were busy preparing the Mid - Autumn banquet in the backyard. As the eldest son of the eldest branch, Song Chuyu had to ask the maids to help up the second mistress who was kneeling on the ground.
"Auntie, what are you doing?" As soon as Song Chuyu opened his mouth, it seemed to open the floodgates of the second mistress's tears.
"Chuge'er, you don't know!" The second mistress wailed, pinching the handkerchief with her fat and plump hands, crying and talking at the same time.
"Your second uncle is not a good man!"
"He got a prostitute in Liuhua Hutong pregnant. And he wants to, wants to—"
The second mistress wiped her tears and secretly glanced at Song Qinzhou sitting on the upper seat. Finding that he didn't show any obvious attitude, she had to continue, "Take her as a concubine! I, I, don't want to live anymore! I!"
The second mistress was out of breath from crying. She pretended to bang her head against the pillar, but no one stopped her. So she just slumped on the ground and continued to wail.
"Brother has only got a daughter, Wangqiu, over the years. It's only natural for him to take a concubine and have a son now," Song Qinzhou said indifferently.
"Auntie, this is a great happy event!" Song Chuyu didn't care about the second mistress's feigned emotion at all.
"There will be a young master in your mansion. Uncle will have an heir. You won't feel lonely either, right?" Song Chuyu was extremely sharp - tongued.
"You, you, fine!" The second mistress didn't expect that her act of crying today would not only have no effect but also be ridiculed by them.
She couldn't help but feel even more resentful in her heart!
"Elder brother, Wangqiu is your own niece. Now she is living a worse and worse life in the He family. You must stand up for her!" Thinking of Wangqiu, her only hope, the second mistress couldn't help but shed tears.
Song Wangqiu had returned to her natal family a few days ago. Not only was she shabbily dressed, but she was also very thin. During the days when they were separated, the mother and daughter had suffered a lot of humiliation and could only cry in each other's arms.
It turned out that the mistress of the He family hated them for deceiving He Shuda. Not only did they prevent He Shuda from getting the help of the prefect's mansion, but they also offended Prefect Song. So she had always disliked Song Wangqiu. Although He Shuda was lustful, he pitied her for being pregnant.
But the servants, maids, and women in the mansion were good at observing the master's attitude. Since the new mistress was out of favor, she deserved to be bullied by the servants.
Her food, clothing, and daily necessities were all deducted. Poorly, as the legitimate wife, she was not as decent as He Shuda's concubine.
Although Song Qinzhou looked down on the second branch, they were after all from the same father. So he had to promise the second mistress to give the He family a warning so that Song Wangqiu could live a better life. As for the matter of the second - branch master taking a concubine, he firmly refused to interfere.
"Father is really soft - hearted."
Jinyu and Xiang Shi looked at each other and saw helplessness in each other's eyes.
"Sir, Prince Yu has sent an invitation," Steward Song stepped into the room quickly, interrupting the second mistress's sobs.
"Chuyu, Prince Yu has invited our whole family to his mansion for a banquet tonight."
"In that case, quickly prepare the gifts!" Song Chuyu had been on very good terms with Prince Yu these days and often visited him.
Song Jinyu was stunned when she heard this. Why should they spend the Mid - Autumn Festival in the prince's mansion?
"You've received so many rewards from him. You should at least go and thank him in person," Xiang Shi joked with her.
Jinyu stuck out her tongue and reluctantly changed her clothes.
When the second mistress heard that they were going to the banquet in Prince Yu's mansion, she was even more jealous and resentful. Now that she had lost all hope, she had to give up her thoughts.
She just hoped that her daughter would be promising and give birth to a son soon.
Jinyu invited Yan Fei to go with her, but he didn't want to. So Xiang Shi had to order someone to prepare a feast for Yan Fei.
Song Jinyu promised Yan Fei that she would come back early to spend the Mid - Autumn Festival with him. The young girl said goodbye to Yan Fei with a charming smile, while the coldness in Yan Fei's eyes gradually deepened. He asked for another pot of "Warm Spring". Let him get drunk this night.