However, the General's Mansion has not yet been divided. As the mistress of the General's Mansion, Nan Hongqiu has the responsibility of sending Song Wanning to the palace. There is really no better way at the moment.

Song Wanning knew what was going on and didn't expect Nan Hongqiu to help her.

The three of them rode in a carriage until they reached the palace gate. After getting off, Song Jing looked at Song Wanning with a heavy gaze and sighed, "Good child, Daddy will take care of everything."

Song Wanning smiled slightly and replied to Song Jing, "Don't worry, father. Just get on the carriage and rest early. I will be back soon."

Although Song Jing was worried about Song Wanning, he really had no other options. "Hurry up and go to the palace. The sooner you go, the sooner you will be back."

Song Wanning responded and finally entered the palace gate with Nan Hongqiu. The young eunuch who came from Dehua Palace to greet Song Wanning stood at the palace gate and spoke politely, "You two must be the eldest daughter and mistress of the general's mansion. Follow me and walk a little further to Dehua Palace."

Song Wanning nodded gently and followed the young eunuch through the magnificent palace. She wore a smoky, moonlit dress embroidered with hibiscus flowers, covered by a white velvet robe. Her hair was styled in a bun, adorned with pink and white pearls and jadeite. She retained a girlish charm while also appearing dignified.

The royal family is majestic, so naturally, the attire when entering the palace cannot be the same as before.

Nan Hongqiu walked beside Song Wanning and asked her in a fake tone, "Wanning has never been to the palace before. Are you feeling nervous now?"

Song Wanning smiled faintly and responded softly, "It's okay, aunt."

Seeing her like this, Nan Hongqiu felt that she was putting on a good show, but she still forced a smile and said, "Wan Ning, don't be nervous. If you walk outside now and don't see the noble person inside, it will be scary when you see him later."

Song Wanning responded lightly, but did not say anything else. She followed the young eunuch into Dehua Palace.

The palace where Concubine Xian currently resides is Dehua Palace. Because she was favored, her daughter, Princess Xiangyu, was also pampered from childhood. She developed a personality that wanted everything she wanted.

It’s a pity that this rule was changed by Yin Yichen.

Yin Yichen was unwilling to marry, but the emperor loved and respected him. Even if he didn't want to marry, he only gave him ten slaps on the hand as a punishment. This made Princess Xiangyu always think about him.

Now Concubine Xian and Princess Xiangyu were both sitting on the chairs in the palace, looking down at Song Wanning and Nan Hongqiu.

Nan Hongqiu was now standing in front, leading Song Wanning to pay her respects to Consort Xian and Princess Xiangyu. "Nan, the wife of the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture, the General's Mansion, has brought her niece to the palace to meet Consort Xian and Princess Xiangyu."

The virtuous concubine sitting above looked at Song Wanning, sighed meaningfully, and chuckled, "I thought so, she turned out to be such a beautiful girl. I guess the Prime Minister also has trouble resisting beautiful women."

Song Wanning didn't say anything. The virtuous concubine summoned her only because the rumors outside the palace had spread to the palace, and there was no evidence now.

Princess Xiangyu, who was sitting next to Concubine Xian, became increasingly jealous of Song Wanning's beauty. She snorted coldly and said, "I heard that the girl from the general's mansion was married once. How dare she comb this girl's hair?"

Song Wanning was not angry when she heard Princess Xiangyu humiliating her like this. She just replied calmly, "Princess, you don't know. I'm already divorced. According to the example in the court, if I'm divorced, I'm a young girl. In the past, divorced women in the capital, over 30 years old with children, would wear their hair in a bun. I should follow suit."

"What a clever girl you are." Concubine Xian narrowed her eyes, sighed, and then looked at Song Wanning and said, "Miss Ning, now there are rumors in and outside the capital that the Prime Minister wants to marry you. Is this true? Do you know the Prime Minister?"

Song Wanning lowered her head and spoke calmly, "I dare not lie. Back when I was still in the Marquis of Zhongping's mansion, I was busy with the divorce process. Coincidentally, the Prime Minister came to visit and met me. The Prime Minister was righteous and caring about the country. He spoke a few words on my behalf, and that was how I was able to get out of this difficult situation. But we haven't had any further disputes since then. I really don't understand where these rumors came from."

Xian Fei sat on top and asked slowly, "Really?"

Nan Hongqiu, who was beside Song Wanning, couldn't let her be so proud. She pretended to be surprised and said, "Wanning, deceiving the emperor is a capital crime. I heard a while ago that you went to Putuo Temple and met with the Prime Minister. Could this be false? How could you lie to the imperial concubine and the princess?"

Song Wanning saw Nan Hongqiu's disguise and felt amused. However, she noticed that Princess Xiangyu, who was sitting above, was already angry. "What? How could such a thing happen?"

Song Wanning looked at Nan Hongqiu and said directly, "Aunt, everything must be based on evidence. Rumors like this are spreading about the Prime Minister and me, and the Putuo Mountain incident is nothing more than a rumor. Please don't believe the rumors, or it would be difficult for Wanning to respond in front of the Imperial Concubine and the Princess, as they might misunderstand."

Nan Hongqiu saw that Song Wanning was not falling for it, so she didn't know what to say. She just pulled the corner of her mouth awkwardly, "Is... is that so?"

The virtuous concubine looked at Song Wanning and asked slowly, "So, you and the Prime Minister are not engaged? And you have no intention of getting married?"

"I have only met the Prime Minister once. I don't know where the rumor originated, but he has certainly never expressed his intention to marry me in the General's Mansion." Song Wanning lowered her head, but remained neither humble nor arrogant. "I am now remarried, and the Prime Minister is so handsome and charming that I dare not even dream of marrying him."

Princess Xiangyu snorted softly and glanced at Song Wanning, "It's fine as long as you know it in your heart."

"What you mean by this is..." Concubine Xian smiled faintly, "You will never have anything to do with the Prime Minister? And you won't marry him?"

Song Wanning responded softly, refusing to be tricked. "Your servant dares not lie. The Prime Minister is a rare talent. What girl in the capital doesn't dream of marrying him one day and living in his mansion? Even if your servant is willing, she is worlds apart from the Prime Minister, and there is really no other way."

Princess Xiangyu sat aside and rolled her eyes at Song Wanning, "You'd better not even think about it."

The virtuous concubine, with her usual arrogance, only chuckled and said, "How about this? As long as you can promise that you will have no further ties with the Prime Minister in the future and that you will not marry him, I will let you leave the palace and return home immediately, and even reward you with gold and silver."

The virtuous concubine said this to eliminate her own worries. If Song Wanning agreed but failed to do it in the future, it would be a serious crime of deceiving the emperor.

Nan Hongqiu, who was beside Song Wanning, was secretly happy, waiting to see her good show. If she didn't respond now, she didn't know what the imperial concubine would do. Such power would be difficult to resist.

Before Song Wanning could reply, the eunuch's voice could be heard from outside the palace, "The Emperor has arrived—"