Chapter 117 Going Back on One's Promises

Lady Xin Guo then noticed that her son had been wearing a stern face.

She smiled and said, "You mean this matter? Lady Song has already sincerely apologized to us and admitted that she used our arrival to put pressure on Marquis Anping."

Xie Xuanxiao raised his long eyebrows slightly, then let out a cold sneer.

"Heh, so you chose to be honest because you knew we already guessed it, right?"

Lady Xin Guo shook her head and chuckled.

Her son has been good at everything since he was little, except that he's too straightforward.

How could a teenager of that age understand that things in this world are never simply black and white?

"To be honest, before coming to the Marquis of Anping's residence, I only thought that I would politely present a thank-you gift and then let the matter drop."

There was no intention to ally with the Marquis of Anping's household, given their reputation...

She stopped there, then quickly changed the subject.

"But after meeting Lady Song today, I changed my mind."

Xie Xuanxiao frowned slightly.

Why?

Lady Xinguo thought carefully about her conversation with Song Yi and smiled.

"It's probably because Ms. Song is a simple, kind, and honest person. Although she seems a bit weak, she says she is trying to change herself because she wants to protect her daughter."

"The Marquis of Anping's heir is still imprisoned in the Censorate. The Marquis's wife is in poor health and can't support the family. In the past, the Marquis's mansion was managed by the second young mistress."

The situation of Madam Song and her daughter in the Marquis's mansion must not be easy. Madam Song frankly admitted that she didn't want her daughter to suffer the same fate she had, so she was trying hard to learn how to manage the household.

Lady Xinguo continued, "Although she used us to put pressure on Marquis Anping today, in the end she only used our name and suffered no loss to us."

Xie Xuanxiao: "Just because of this, you think she's someone you can befriend?"

Lady Xin Guo nodded.

"It is already very difficult for a person to be honest about their ambitions and to sincerely apologize afterward."

"By the way, when she talked about her daughter, her face was full of happy smiles, and that tenderness and love came from the bottom of her heart."

Of course, a mother's love for her child is instinctive, but most people can't wholeheartedly trust their child and rush to harvest crops just because the child cries a little.

Lady Xin asked herself honestly, and realized that she could never have done it.

Xie Xuanxiao had already heard from the Duke of Xin that Song Yi had decided to harvest the grain ahead of schedule because of her child's crying.

At the time, I was full of doubts about this, but now, thinking back to Li Nanke whom I just met, a sense of unease arises in my heart.

That little girl seemed quite cunning; she didn't seem like the type to cry and make a fuss easily.

“I don’t think things are as simple as my mother says. I met with Song’s daughter today.”

Despite his young age, he's sharp-tongued and cunning, and doesn't seem like the type to cry or make a fuss.

Lady Xinguo's smile faded slightly.

"Do you think there's more to this than meets the eye?"

Xie Xuanxiao nodded.

"Mother, don't rush to associate with the Marquis of Anping's residence. Let your son investigate further in secret."

The Marquis of Anping's residence.

After Xie Xuanxiao left, Li Nanke patted his chest and muttered to himself, "What bad luck!"

How did Xie Xuanxiao manage to hear her mutterings?

Given Xie Xuanxiao's cautious and upright nature, he would certainly be wary of her, just like in the dream.

Fortunately, she had informed her mother beforehand and told the Lady of Xinguo the whole truth.

She waited there for a while, and finally Zisu came looking for her.

"The young master's wife is talking with the marquis and the second young mistress in the front hall. Let's go over there too."

lobby.

When Li Nanke entered, he heard Marquis Anping carefully questioning Song Yi, the wife of the Duke of Xin, the young mistress of the Wang family, and the Princess of Lanyang about their conversation.

Song Yijian said a few words, only what she could say.

"I just said a few words of thanks, thanking them for sending someone to notify them to collect the grain in advance before the rainstorm, and then exchanged a few polite words."

Marquis Anping was very disappointed.

"Didn't they say anything else? Like, would they invite us over? Or if someone is hosting a flower viewing party and would like us to come?"

Song Yi thought for a moment and nodded.

"Young Madam Wang mentioned that she would be hosting a banquet at home another day and would send someone to deliver an invitation to our house."

Marquis Anping's eyes brightened slightly.

Is this really true?

Of the three families, the Wang family of the Right Prime Minister's residence is the most powerful!

Sun, who was standing to the side, was dissatisfied because Song Yi had taken back the power to manage the household.

He said in a sarcastic tone, "What kind of families are these three that came today? They are either first-rank dukes, important officials in the court, or royal families."

My sister-in-law only offered a suggestion, but they came with such a grand gesture and presented a thank-you gift, making their attitude clear: they've simply given the gift and let the matter drop. It seems they don't intend to develop a close relationship with our family.”

"Putting everything else aside, in a few days each household will probably be holding a flower-viewing banquet. If they sincerely invite you, you can make a promise now or send an invitation to their door."

If they didn't say so, then it was just a polite remark; don't take it seriously, sister-in-law.

"Those three ladies were so kind to you. Sister-in-law, really, why didn't you seize the opportunity to build a relationship with them?"

Song Yi's expression was indifferent.

"Before I arrived, my second sister-in-law had been entertaining the three ladies for so long; had she managed to establish a good relationship with them?"

"I......"

Sun's face turned as red as an eggplant, but she couldn't find the right words to refute him.

Her eyes darted around, and she covered her face and wept, saying, "I can't compare to my sister-in-law. Now that she's made money, she's got confidence."

"I just don't know if the Ministry of Revenue finds out our family is reselling overpriced grain; will our whole family still be able to keep our heads?"

Marquis Anping's expression changed slightly.

Seeing his expression, Sun seized the opportunity to bring up the old matter again.

“My family said that the Ministry of Revenue is simultaneously procuring grain from other regions and cracking down on shops in the capital that hoard grain and sell it at high prices. They said that our family might be investigated in a couple of days.”

Father-in-law, you can't make a mistake at this time! The money my sister-in-law has earned is too hot to handle!

A dark glint flashed in Marquis Anping's eyes, and the anger he had felt from being pressured by Song Yi surged up again.

I thought I could use Song Yi to climb up the social ladder to the Xie, Wang, and Wei families, but who knew she would be so useless!

They even came to our door, but we still couldn't establish a relationship!

“What Madam Sun said makes sense. We can’t let Madam Song ruin the whole family. You should hand over the management of the household. I still want to divorce my wife on behalf of my son.”

Song Yi's face turned pale instantly.

Unexpectedly, we've come full circle and are back to where we started.

“Father-in-law, you have already promised me and even signed a written agreement as proof. How can you go back on your word?”

Marquis Anping snorted coldly and said righteously, "I am doing this for the sake of the entire Marquis's mansion. Don't say I'm going back on my word."

I made a promise to the Sun family's steward first, and it was only because you forced me to have no other choice that I signed a written agreement with you. If we are truly talking about keeping one's word, then you should first fulfill my promise to the Sun family.

Besides, you haven't managed to get close to the Xie, Wang, or Wei families, so what's the point of keeping you around? Are you just here to cause trouble for the Marquis's mansion?

Upon hearing this, Sun looked extremely pleased with herself.

She's determined to reclaim her control of the household today!

Song Yi's face turned pale with anger.

Li Nanke, who was standing to the side, was so angry at Anping Hou's change of heart that he turned into a little dumpling. He took a few deep breaths and suddenly remembered something.

"Since Grandfather has said he would keep his promise, then..."