At the He Mansion, Song Wangqiu, who had just suffered a miscarriage, was crawling on the ground, dragging her weak body. Several concubines of He Shuda were sitting nearby, legs crossed, playing cards.
"Madam, care to join us?"
Concubine Chuntao raised her willow-leaf eyebrows and looked at Song Wangqiu, the former mistress of the household, with contempt.
"No, no..."
At this moment, Song Wangqiu didn't even have the strength to fight back.
Concubine Lianyi was cracking melon seeds and spat the shells right on Song Wangqiu's face. "Madam is looking down on us like this!"
"Back then," Chuntao squatted down and lifted Song Wangqiu's chin with her hand.
"You thought you were so high and mighty, stepping on our faces."
"What do you have? You're just the daughter of a fallen family, swaggering around with the title of the eldest daughter of Magistrate Song."
These words were like knives stabbing into Song Wangqiu's heart.
She resented her mother for not being ruthless enough, and resented herself for being so careless that someone had harmed her unborn child.
Lianyi laughed. "In our young master's eyes, you're just a cheap good."
"Shut up! You vixens!"
Second Miss He Shuyi rushed in. The four concubines quickly bowed and greeted her, not daring to breathe loudly.
"What's going on? Since when can concubines in our He Mansion point fingers?"
The four women were confused as to why the second miss would speak up for this out-of-favor madam.
They had no choice but to apologize and leave.
He Shuyi told the maids to help Song Wangqiu onto the bed. "Take good care of the young mistress."
"Now the He Mansion is not what it used to be. We mustn't let the He family's reputation fall."
"I won't tolerate such filthy things under my nose." Song Wangqiu was very grateful to this younger sister-in-law.
She didn't know why He Shuyi was protecting her like this.
Actually, it all started with the message brought by Concubine He at the end of last year.
It turned out that Concubine He thought she had convinced the emperor, so she spread the news. The entire He family was overjoyed, thinking that their daughter was going to be the side concubine of the prince's mansion.
Even He Shuyi thought she was superior. The reason she was speaking up for the young mistress now was just that she didn't want her natal family to hold her back. She hadn't married into the prince's mansion yet. If the news got out, who knew how the prince's mansion would look down on her.
Song Wangqiu was a case in point. Once her natal family declined and lost the support of the magistrate's mansion, she was nothing. Before leaving, He Shuyi gave Song Wangqiu a contemptuous look.
This sister-in-law was so short-sighted.
In a blink of an eye, the warm spring of March had arrived. The willow branches had sprouted new buds, and the weather was getting warmer. Mrs. Xiang of the Embroidery Workshop made spring clothes for the masters and servants in the Song Mansion.
She specially made several sets of seasonal spring clothes for Song Jinyu according to the latest styles from the capital. She also personally combed Jinyu's hair, pulling up the wispy bangs on her forehead.
"Tsk, what a beauty!" Mrs. Xiang said, looking at her with admiration.
"You look so much better with your bangs pulled up." Song Jinyu looked at herself in the mirror and was indeed a bit reluctant to look away.
However, she had never been interested in makeup.
"It's so troublesome!"
Mrs. Xiang gave her a sideways look. "Humph..."
Mrs. Xiang told Niaoniao that from now on, she must comb Jinyu's hair like this.
Then she noticed that there weren't many beautiful hairpins and hair ornaments on Jinyu's dressing table, only some simple hairpins. She couldn't help but laugh. "Yu'er, why are you so unparticular?"
"I, as your sister-in-law, didn't think things through."
After saying that, she arranged for someone to buy some jewelry for Song Jinyu.
Not long after, Steward Song came. It turned out that someone from Prince Yu's Mansion had sent gifts again.
They specifically said it was to calm the eldest miss's nerves.
Song Jinyu was confused. What did I need to be calmed for? Is he back?
Maybe he's going to marry a side concubine.
Mrs. Xiang smiled faintly. "Just as I was about to buy some things for my sister, someone rushed to send them."
"Sister-in-law, please send them back..." Song Jinyu felt uncomfortable.
"I don't want them."
Mrs. Xiang had no choice but to decline on her behalf. Song Jinyu specifically told Mrs. Xiang not to reveal that she had returned home.
For some inexplicable reason, she just didn't want to see that person.
In Prince Yu's Mansion, Xing Jian looked at the returned box. He didn't dare to look at his master's expression. Mincui was busy preparing for the arrival of the imperial entourage.
Xing Jian had no choice but to tell the truth. Zhongli Mingye asked, "Hasn't she come back yet?"
"I haven't heard any news that the eldest miss has returned."
Zhongli Mingye couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Forget it, forget it... After the imperial entourage leaves, I'll go to Tianmen Mountain to see her.
A few days later,
The imperial entourage was about to arrive. All the officials in Liuzhou City came to greet them. When the imperial entourage reached the temporary palace, Prince Yu Zhongli Mingye had already made all the arrangements.
The emperor had brought the queen, Concubine He, Concubine Jia, the crown prince, the crown princess, Princess Heyi and other members of the royal family on this trip. Shen Yingyun had also begged the crown princess to let her follow the imperial entourage to Liuzhou City.
Therefore, security was of the utmost importance. Zhongli Mingye assigned the defense of the temporary palace to Song Chuyu.
Song Chuyu led the Liuzhou garrison to station at the temporary palace and ordered that no martial artists be allowed to enter Liuzhou City.
After all the commotion, the whole of Liuzhou City was in a hustle and bustle.
"Ugh, it's really a hassle!"
Today, Song Jinyu had specially inspected several manors and also visited the shops.
Her father and elder brother had gone to attend to the arrival of the imperial entourage. By dinner time, they still hadn't returned home. Song Jinyu had no choice but to have dinner with her sister-in-law.
When she got back to her room, she was so tired that she collapsed on the bed and couldn't get up. Niaoniao was massaging her legs, and soon she fell asleep.
At the He Mansion, it was brightly lit. "Hurry! Hurry!"
Master He was personally directing. This time, he was determined to revitalize the He family. Concubine He was coming home to visit her family. This was the first great joy; what he didn't say explicitly was that there was a possibility that the emperor would personally bestow a marriage to Prince Yu this time.
Wealth and honor were within reach! Master He was very proud. The humiliation brought by his eldest son was about to be washed away.
During the few days when the imperial entourage was in Liuzhou, the emperor first inspected the city defense of Liuzhou and specifically asked about Magistrate Song's achievements. Although Liuzhou was a border city, Magistrate Song had worked diligently, making Liuzhou a very prosperous city. Every family was well-off and prosperous. These were real achievements that the emperor had seen with his own eyes.
Song Chuyu had been in the military camp for many years. He had captured the Yanqiu rebels and protected Liuzhou City. The emperor was very pleased and immediately rewarded the Song father and son handsomely.
All of this had been gradually revealed to the emperor by Zhongli Mingye.