Yan Fei hadn't contacted Ouyang Jinsè for a long time. Since the assassination attempt on Song Jǐnyú in the Golden Water Palace failed, the relationship among the three of them had cracked.
Now that he saw someone from the Golden Water Palace again, he sighed. The news the other side brought made him even more speechless. Was Ouyang Jinsè crazy?
What was the point of the news that Prince Yù was taking a side concubine other than making the little junior sister sad? Yan Fei didn't understand, but he still dutifully told Miao Yúnshēn about it.
"Is it true?"
Hearing this news, Miao Yúnshēn burst into laughter. Just as he had thought, the affection of the royal prince was as thin as paper. It was just a pity for his little disciple. She would surely be sad for a while.
After thinking for a while, Yan Fei said, "Master, disciple is afraid that the little junior sister will be sad. Please don't tell her this news."
"You... silly boy!"
Looking at Yan Fei in disappointment, Miao Yúnshēn really felt sorry for him.
Yan Fei knelt down. "Please, master, grant my request."
"Fine!"
Well, Song Jǐnyú would know about it sooner or later. But no matter when, with her proud nature, she would never tolerate such a thing.
It really saved a lot of trouble. Now, he just needed to let her go down the mountain to visit her family. Miao Yúnshēn stroked his beard, his eyes glinting. Yan Fei thought his master had agreed to his request and then withdrew.
"A fox fell in love with a scholar."
"Then, it tried its best to transform into a young girl's appearance and even stole silver to help him go to the capital for the imperial examination." Song Jǐnyú was half - lying on the imperial concubine's couch, indulged in the storybook.
Niǎoniǎo was fascinated listening beside her. "Miss, this fox is so infatuated."
"Infatuated?"
"This story is so clichéd! The fox falls in love with a human and has to make sacrifices. But after all the sacrifices, will the human fall in love with her? It's just the imagination of a down - and - out scholar!"
Niǎoniǎo chuckled. "You always judge while being so engrossed in reading."
Closing the book, Song Jǐnyú jumped up, grabbed Niǎoniǎo's ear and said, "Niǎoniǎo, I'm telling you, don't be deceived by a man's sweet words."
"As the saying goes, it's easy to draw the tiger's skin but hard to draw its bones; it's easy to draw a man's face but hard to draw his heart."
She opened the storybook again and turned to the last page. "But I like the ending. After the fox woke up, it took back everything, returned to the forest and became a fox fairy."
What if the human fell in love with the fox first? Would the fox still be willing to take back its heart and return to the forest?
Thinking of Zhonglí Míngyè, Song Jǐnyú's heart was in a mess. She was a fox. Was Zhonglí Míngyè also a fox?
Two foxes?
As she thought about it, she couldn't help laughing. It had been a long time since they last met. She wondered how he was. What was he doing when she was away?
Suddenly, a hand reached in front of her. "So beautiful..." Looking up, she saw that Yan Fei had come over at some point.
Picking up the little rabbit doll in his hand, Song Jǐnyú loved it so much.
"Elder brother, did you buy this from down the mountain?"
Seeing that she liked it, Yan Fei said, "Master asked me to do something. I just passed by a stall. The old woman there made these rabbit dolls so vividly. I thought you would like them."
"Um... I like it so much!" Song Jǐnyú smiled sweetly at Yan Fei.
After Zhonglí Míngyè received the report from Xing Jiàn, he learned that although Róng Qīng'ér had checked into the inn, she had spread the news that the side concubine of Prince Yù had come to Liǔzhōu City.
"Sure enough, she can't be underestimated." The person chosen by the queen was not simple.
She definitely wouldn't be willing to stay in the inn all the time. She would either go back home or be scheming something secretly. "There are many illegitimate sons and daughters in the Róng State Duke's Mansion. She could stand out. She must be very scheming." Zhonglí Míngyè didn't like scheming women at all.
Qīng Fēng and Xing Jiàn exchanged a look. Miss Song's scheming level was much higher than Miss Róng's, but Zhonglí Míngyè regarded her as innocent and interesting.
Really... Your Highness, don't be so partial!
Zhonglí Míngyè seemed to remember something. "You arrange people to watch Róng Qīng'ér well. Don't let her appear in front of the Song Mansion casually."
"If Jǐnyú comes back, inform this prince immediately. Don't let Róng Qīng'ér hurt her!"
After thinking for a long time, he thought it was not okay! She was on Tianmen Mountain. Had she gotten the news by now? Would she be angry?
Was she so heartless that she wouldn't be angry with this prince? Did she care? Looking at the worried face of Prince Yù, Qīng Fēng helplessly withdrew with Xing Jiàn.
"Our prince is so wise and resourceful, but in front of Miss Song, he is just so..."
Childish!
Hearing what her master said, Song Jǐnyú couldn't believe it. "Your sister - in - law is about to give birth. The family is very busy. Why don't you go back first."
"Things on the mountain won't change for a while."
Although she was a little puzzled, Song Jǐnyú still obediently listened to her master's words and prepared to leave Tianmen Mountain early the next morning. "Master, disciple wants to take Yan Fei home with me."
"What for?"
Miao Yúnshēn didn't understand her meaning and just thought she needed protection. Who would have thought that after Song Jǐnyú whispered a few words in his ear, his expression changed slightly. It turned out that she wanted Yan Fei to be included in the Song family genealogy. He sighed and said, "This matter still has to ask Yan Fei."
Who knew that Yan Fei had already gone down the mountain on that day to do something. Song Jǐnyú had no choice but to take Niǎoniǎo and Chéng Sōng back to Liǔzhōu City alone.
After she left, Miao Yúnshēn stood in the main hall, his gaze far - reaching, and no one knew what he was thinking.
"How many days have we been in Liǔzhōu?" Róng Qīng'ér was sitting woodenly in the inn, looking out of the window dejectedly.
The maid was a little worried and replied, "Miss, it's the sixth day..."
For a whole six days, she hadn't even seen Prince Yù. All the people and things brought by the Róng State Duke's Mansion were in the inn. Now she was in a dilemma.
Go back to the capital? She would become a laughingstock. Staying in Liǔzhōu City, she didn't get the attention of Prince Yù.
But Prince Yù didn't resist the queen's imperial edict because he said he would wait until the princess got married. But that princess... According to the queen, she was the legitimate daughter of the Song Prefect. But she went to the Song Prefect's Mansion yesterday and was refused entry.
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. Since there was no breakthrough with Prince Yù, she might as well do something about the future princess. Anyway, she couldn't stay in the inn forever.