Passing by the bustling streets, Song Jinyu still felt a bit listless. Leaning against the soft cushion, she sipped a cup of green tea. Her mind was in a complete mess.
"Princess Consort, this servant... seems to have seen Young Master Lin," Niaoniao lifted the curtain and reported to Song Jinyu in a hurry.
"Let me take a look!" By the time the carriage stopped, Song Jinyu only saw a back view. "It does look very much like Lin Yijun..."
And the direction he left in was actually the back door of the Prince of Zhongzhou's Mansion.
This was strange. Was Lin Yijun in the capital to find Ming Ruyi? Then again, what could they possibly have in common?
Lin Yijun was a talented person, but because of the case involving the Lin family, he had no chance of becoming an official in the court. So what was he doing here? Her delicate eyebrows knitted slightly. "Qingfeng, go and inform the prince."
The carriage set off again. In a corner, a person stared blankly, clenching their fists a bit tighter.
"The Princess Consort of Yu Prince is here!" Rong Shuang'er stepped forward quickly. "Your prince actually let you out?" Hearing this teasing, Song Jinyu felt a bit embarrassed.
On normal days, she rarely went out.
On one hand, Zhongli Mingye didn't like it. On the other hand, after seeing the prosperity of the capital for so long, she didn't find it very novel anymore.
"Not many people have come today..."
The Rong Duke's Mansion was no longer what it used to be, so naturally fewer noble ladies came. "Only you and the princess are here today," Rong Shuang'er didn't mind. Although the Duke of Rong was concerned about the future of the Rong family, for her, it was already not easy for the Rong family to maintain its wealth and status until now.
"The three of us are just fine. If there were more people, I'd have to worry about them."
He Yi frowned slightly. "These noble ladies in the capital are so snobbish!"
She had just sent someone to bring in the birthday gift. Looking at how deserted Rong Shuang'er's birthday banquet was, she asked, "Where are your married sisters?"
Rong Shuang'er was both amused and annoyed. "Maybe they're afraid of getting bad luck. Now that the Rong Duke's Mansion is in decline..."
Song Jinyu saw that her expression was calm, not like someone who would care about this. She called Mincui and presented the gift. "This treasure was originally intended as a dowry for you, but... I thought that if this year passed, the style might go out of fashion."
"Not at all!"
Rong Shuang'er had a complicated look on her face. The Princess Consort of Yu Prince was her friend, but also the beloved of that person.
Pulling her hand, Song Jinyu gradually understood why she liked Rong Shuang'er, even though she was the niece of the queen. It turned out that they had similar temperaments.
"Miss, a gift has also been sent from the Prime Minister Ling's Mansion," a maid ran over quickly. "Moreover, the illegitimate daughter of the Ling family has been sent to congratulate the young lady on her birthday."
He Yi was a bit dissatisfied. "What's going on? The Prime Minister Ling's Mansion can just send the gift. Why did they send the illegitimate daughter?"
"It doesn't matter. All guests are welcome," Rong Shuang'er stood up to greet the new guest.
He Yi pulled Song Jinyu to stroll in the garden, not expecting to startle another guest who was resting there.
"This humble general pays respects to the Princess Consort of Yu Prince and Princess He Yi."
The man's words were extremely respectful, and his temperament was like that of a gentle scholar. Hidden in the shadow of the trees, Song Jinyu couldn't see the general's appearance clearly.
After she told him to rise, she lifted her foot and left. But the general followed the backs of the two women, lost in thought.
"Is she the Princess Consort of Yu Prince?"
The faint scent of roses had just faded away, but the figure of the beauty had fallen into his heart. Her beautiful eyes were full of tenderness and charm, unforgettable. Her face was as white as jade, and her complexion was like the morning glow.
No wonder Rong Shuang'er said she was a rare beauty in the capital. Although she was already married, her eyebrows still looked as elegant and refined as a young girl's.
Even the fragrant flowers in the garden seemed to pale in comparison.
He casually picked a blooming peony and crushed it. The bright red flower juice flowed out from between his fingers.
"Shuang'er, who is that general in the garden?"
Rong Shuang'er smiled. "He's my cousin, Ji Yeliu, the son of the governor of Suzhou City... He has been training in the army all along. His father sent him to the capital to look for an official post." Rong Shuang'er said unhurriedly, "It's a pity. Although he looks like a scholar, his ambition is to join the army."
Then, she said mysteriously, "Do you know? My cousin is the most famous young master in Suzhou City. Whenever he goes out, many young ladies from noble families follow him."
He Yi's eyes lit up. "Is he really that famous?" Rubbing her hands, Song Jinyu gave her a disdainful look. "Be careful that Cheng Song comes back to scold you!"
"Humph! I just want to take a look at a handsome man. I don't believe you don't want to." Rong Shuang'er's words made her itch with curiosity. Could there really be someone more handsome than her prince in the world?
When the illegitimate daughter from the Prime Minister Ling's Mansion came in and bowed, her almond-shaped eyes stared intently at Song Jinyu. "The Princess Consort is really beautiful. No wonder the Prince of Yu dotes on you so much."
These words were a bit impolite. Song Jinyu just gave a faint smile and didn't say anything more.
He Yi couldn't stand it. "If you have nothing else to say, just sit down."
Ling Yuxuan, the illegitimate daughter of the Prime Minister Ling's Mansion, sat down gently and then said, "My elder sister is still ill, and she often misses the prince and the princess consort."
"..." Rong Shuang'er quickly stood up to pour tea for her. "Miss Ling, quickly taste this pre-Qingming tea. The wealth of the Duke's Mansion is hard to match for ordinary families. This tea is extremely good." As she said, she looked at Song Jinyu.
She was the same age as the Princess Consort of Yu Prince, but because of Ling Yufei, she hadn't gotten married yet.
He Yi looked at her coldly. "This princess never knew that Miss Ling had so much to say. I heard that Ling Yufei, as the legitimate daughter, was willing to be a concubine in the prince's mansion. I wonder if you're also willing to be a concubine... Or is this the family upbringing of your Prime Minister's Mansion, that both legitimate and illegitimate daughters are willing to be concubines for others?" Before Ling Yuxuan could reply, He Yi's words became even more sharp, which really impressed Song Jinyu.
"Oh! I almost forgot. This is probably the rule of the Prime Minister Ling's Mansion."
Seeing that Ling Yuxuan was about to cry, Song Jinyu gently nudged He Yi. "Today is Shuang'er's birthday. Just bear with it for now."
Rong Shuang'er was also very angry. But out of respect for the Prime Minister's Mansion, she couldn't drive Ling Yuxuan out. Just as the atmosphere took a turn for the worse, they heard someone passing by on the veranda outside.
The maid blushed and opened the curtain.
Ji Yeliu walked in with a smile. "Shuang'er, is it time to start the banquet?" He was dressed in white, with a blue jade pendant around his waist, looking extremely elegant. After he bowed, he looked up. Song Jinyu suddenly felt as if Yan Fei had come back. She stared at him in a daze.
His extremely beautiful and aloof appearance was exactly the same as Yan Fei's. Under his sword-shaped eyebrows, his bright black eyes shone with a warm smile. There was a casual maturity on the young man's face.
He Yi was the first to come to her senses, but she found that Song Jinyu was still in a daze.
She gently touched her, but it had no effect.
"Surely not! Even if Ji Yeliu is very handsome, he can't compare to the Fourth Brother!"
On the other side, Ling Yuxuan was no better. She was also completely infatuated. She rarely went out, and every time she was just a follower of Ling Yufei.
Now that she saw such a handsome young master, she naturally behaved even more embarrassedly. She hadn't been betrothed yet, and now she was at an age when her heart was easily touched.
Rong Shuang'er quickly invited Ji Yeliu to the male seat beside them.
Ji Yeliu smiled slightly. He also noticed that the peerless princess consort seemed a bit different. But then he thought, the look in her eyes was both at him and not at him.
The look in Ling Yuxuan's eyes was all too familiar to Ji Yeliu. But the look in the princess consort's eyes when she looked at him was different.