Still seething with anger, she had planned to go out and find Rong Shuang'er today to inquire about Ji Yeliu. She wanted to see if there was any blood relation between Ji Yeliu and Yan Fei.
After all, there were hardly any people in this world who looked exactly alike.
If there were, they might be twins?
However... she was directly placed under house arrest by Zhongli Mingye!
"Your Highness, this servant advises you not to meddle in this matter. Just let Qingfeng bring you the news," Mi Cui and Niaoniao pleaded earnestly. They were afraid that, accidentally, the prince's jealousy would flare up.
"This servant will go. After all..." Niaoniao was more eager to get the news. She lowered her head dejectedly. Song Jinyu also felt inexplicably sad. "Go then!"
On this day, Song Jinyu was on tenterhooks. She waited for Zhongli Mingye to return from outside. She even sought out Qingfeng, but still had no idea about Zhongli Mingye's whereabouts.
"Has something happened?"
Niaoniao returned from outside with an unnatural look on her face. "Princess Consort, somehow, there have been a lot of malicious rumors in the taverns."
"Speak!"
"They say that you are promiscuous. You're not content with monopolizing the favor of Prince Yu and have fallen for a talented scholar from Suzhou."
"They also say that the talented scholar from Suzhou fell in love at first sight with the daughter of the Prime Minister Ling's mansion, but was separated from her by the Princess Consort of Prince Yu."
"..."
Her delicate face gradually turned as cold as frost. Although she had been distracted because Ji Yeliu looked so much like Yan Fei, she couldn't be said to have fallen for him.
No wonder, no wonder Zhongli Mingye was so angry.
She yearned more and more for his return. But until late at night when she fell asleep, Zhongli Mingye still hadn't come back.
"The daughter of Prime Minister Ling's mansion is really..." Ming Ruyi heard about this and immediately mocked Zhongli Mingye.
Unfortunately, the latter simply ignored the rumor. "Perhaps Prime Minister Ling's mansion can't be content with just raising a sickly daughter," he narrowed his phoenix eyes as his fingertips traced the rim of the wine cup.
He cast a cold glance at Ming Ruyi. "Your Royal Highness need not concern yourself with this matter!"
Good for you, Prime Minister Ling.
If he hadn't condoned it, how could a mere concubine's daughter have dared to slander the Princess Consort of a first - rank prince of the current dynasty?
Before long, the rumor that the concubine's daughter of the Ling family had been defiled by a street beggar spread like wildfire throughout the city.
Moreover, the rumor was so vivid that it almost ruined the reputations of all the Ling family women one by one.
Although Prime Minister Ling still held a high position, his inner household was in turmoil. Some imperial censors submitted memorials to the court. For a while, the reputations of the Ling family and the unmarried daughters of the concubines were severely damaged.
Many people saw Ling Yuxuan being carried back to Prime Minister Ling's mansion.
Prime Minister Ling's face was as gloomy as thunder. If he still didn't know who was behind this, he might as well resign from his position as prime minister!
Since returning from the banquet at the Duke's mansion, Ling Yuxuan had mentioned Ji Yeliu. Although the position of the prefect of Suzhou City was not very high, Ji Yeliu was a handsome and talented man.
Prime Minister Ling had originally acquiesced to this marriage and had someone convey the intention to the Duke's mansion.
Prime Minister Ling went to inquire at the Duke's mansion and learned that Ji Yeliu had directly rejected the marriage.
Ling Yuxuan harbored resentment and slandered the Princess Consort of Prince Yu. Just as the matter was beginning to become clear, the rumor about the Princess Consort of Prince Yu spread in the streets.
"How foolish!" Ling Yuxuan had always been a follower of Ling Yufei. Her methods were all learned from her legitimate daughter.
Prime Minister Ling had just placed Ling Yuxuan under house arrest, but unexpectedly, she had run out and been defiled by a beggar!
The rumors spread throughout the city, and the Ling family couldn't bear it.
Unable to withstand the blow, Ling Yuxuan chose to commit suicide to preserve her innocence. The next day, when Prime Minister Ling went to court, memorials impeaching him flew at him like snowflakes.
First, his legitimate daughter had been willing to be a concubine, which was despised by others. Then, his concubine's daughter had made a fool of herself.
The emperor even thought that the family style of the Ling family was improper.
The marriage between He Yi and the young master of Prime Minister Ling's mansion, which had been mentioned before, was no longer on the agenda.
The matter came to an end. Song Jinyu, who hadn't seen Zhongli Mingye for several days, now truly understood what it meant to look forward eagerly.
She propped her chin and looked out of the window.
The apricot blossoms had long since fallen, and the green apricots were slowly growing. A sparrow wanted to peck at them, but she scared it away with a chess piece.
She picked up a pastry and read a storybook at the same time.
Suddenly, a pair of hands took the book away.
Humph, she was too lazy to care about him. Song Jinyu angrily tried to retrieve the book, but due to her shorter stature, she had no chance of winning.
She could only sit there sulkily in silence.
"Shouldn't it be this king who is angry?"
He sat down and looked down at her. "You've ignored this king for several days. What are you doing now?" But he still couldn't harden his heart.
"It's nothing. I've just been busy for a few days," he played with a lock of her hair. "Is it camellia perfume today?"
"Rose would be better..."
She reached out to take the book back. "I'll use whatever I like!"
His eyes darkened as they fell on her chest. "Hmm... this part has gotten bigger."
"Where are you looking?"
She glared at him fiercely and hugged herself tighter. "This is all this king's credit," he said teasingly as he looked at the pouting little woman.
He sniffed the fragrance on her body. "Ji Yeliu has a twin brother who was lost before." This short sentence was like a thunderbolt exploding in Song Jinyu's ear!
She looked at Zhongli Mingye seriously. "So Yan Fei is the child of the Ji family?" Her junior brother Yan Fei had always said that he was an orphan.
But now, she had finally found out his origin. Unfortunately, Yan Fei was in that other world and could never come back.
He hugged her and said in a deep voice, "Ji Yeliu already knows about this. He said..."
"When he has time, he will go to the Song mansion to bring back Yan Fei's memorial tablet to the Ji family."
She suddenly raised her head. "Then... you... did you go to see him?" He glared at her fiercely. "If this king didn't go, should this king watch you go?" He would never let Song Jinyu have any contact with Ji Yeliu!
"..."
It turned out that he had always understood her. Song Jinyu hugged him tightly and couldn't say a word. Suddenly, she remembered the rumors. "Mingye, have you heard?"
"What's the matter?"
"Just, they say outside that I..." She blushed with embarrassment and lowered her head.
"They say that the concubine's daughter of the Ling family was defiled by a beggar?"
"Ah?"
Song Jinyu looked up blankly and met his gaze. It turned out that the house arrest was to protect her.
She raised her head and boldly kissed him on the face. Her bright eyes were filled with mist as she looked at him shyly. "From now on, you're not allowed to ignore me!"
He gently pinched the red mark on her lips. Zhongli Mingye chuckled. "Then you must never see Ji Yeliu again!"
"This king has plenty of ways to make him disappear and never appear again."
"Okay!"
She had no intention of seeing him again. After all, every time she saw him, her heart would ache.
She nodded and leaned against his chest. She hadn't slept well for several days. Now that he was back, Song Jinyu waved her hand. "You go and be busy... I'll sleep a while longer." She yawned gently.
Sleep a while longer?
He was still there, looking at her half - smiling. "Okay, sleep a while."
"No, this... hey... you," Song Jinyu realized what was going on too late, but he coaxed her. "This king will measure. If the size has increased, I'll ask the weaving workshop to make new clothes."