Chapter 110 Creating Public Opinion

Private seal?

Song Yiqiu was genuinely surprised; Ying'er really did know something.

"Private seal? How did you know that?"

Bai Mei immediately nudged Song Yiqiu and whispered:

“Miss, yes, not long after the old lady passed away, the private seal could not be found. It is said that it was lost in the chaos.”

Qingzhu also frowned and reminded him:

“Young Miss, the Marquis’s mansion was indeed in chaos back then, and the private seal has been missing for a long time. Why is it in the hands of the mistress? Be careful, there might be a trap.”

Seeing that they didn't believe her, Ying'er quickly stated:

"You don't need to worry that I'm lying to you, because I know that I have nothing left to offer you in exchange."

"My only request is to prevent Ruan Jiawen from entering the Song family. For you, this matter will bring down Ruan Jiawen and may also allow you to regain the private seal. It's all beneficial and without any harm."

Song Yiqiu stared into her eyes, trying to discern the truth from falsehood:

"You said it yourself, the item is in my mother's hands, so how could you possibly get it?"

Ying'er smiled smugly:

“Even if you don’t believe me, you should believe your third brother, Song Haochu. He’s completely infatuated with me right now. If I wanted the stars and the moon, he would find a way to get them for me. Picking a lock or stealing a seal is no big deal for him.”

Song Yiqiu remained silent for a moment, quickly weighed the pros and cons, and readily agreed:

"Okay, I promise you."

Just then, a young maidservant, her face unknown, walked over timidly with her head down and bowed to the group.

"This servant greets the young lady and Miss Ying'er."

Cui Rui was already angry, and seeing this, she took her anger out on him, saying:

"Aren't you blind? Can't you see the ladies are discussing important matters? Get out of my way!"

The young maidservant trembled with fright and hurriedly presented the visiting card in her hand to Song Yiqiu:

"Please forgive me, Miss! It was the second young lady of the Ruan family who sent the invitation, saying that she would like to invite you to the Jade Pavilion to select the newly arrived perfume powder."

"Miss Ruan repeatedly instructed me that it was urgent and that I must deliver it to Miss Ruan immediately. I dare not disturb you ladies, so I'll go right away..."

He then turned to leave.

Song Yiqiu stepped in to defuse the situation:

"It's alright, hand it over."

The maidservant quickly handed over the visiting card and then hurriedly retreated.

Song Yiqiu opened the visiting card, her eyes quickly scanning the handwriting on it. She chuckled softly, and a complete plan instantly took shape in her mind.

She closed the visiting card, looked at Ying'er who looked anxious, and suddenly changed the subject:

"Speaking of which, I just received a notice that Feizhi Pavilion has received a new batch of extremely rare spices today. I heard that all the prominent young ladies of the capital will be going to join in the fun and compete to select them."

She glanced meaningfully at Ying'er.

"My eldest brother committed a minor offense and was punished by our father by being forced to kneel in the ancestral hall, which effectively excluded him from the Ruan family's marriage proposals. What if my third brother were to encounter something at Feizhi Pavilion right now..."

"Let everyone see how deeply in love you two are... Do you think, even if the Ruan family wants to curry favor, they would still be willing to marry their eldest daughter to a family where the future son-in-law favors his concubine over his wife? Even if the Ruan family insists on the marriage, would the proud and arrogant Ruan Jiawen agree on his own?"

Ying'er understood instantly.

This was to force her to put on a show in public, completely binding Song Haochu to her fate. Once public opinion was stirred up, the Ruan family, for the sake of their reputation, would never allow their daughter to suffer this injustice.

Overjoyed, she immediately bowed, becoming humble and submissive.

“Young Miss is very insightful and far-sighted. Ying’er understands. Everything is up to Young Miss to arrange.”

Song Yiqiu went along with it, waving the visiting card in her hand:

"Perfect timing. Miss Ruan has invited me to the Jade Pavilion, and I can take you with me. You... should prepare in advance. After all, your sweetheart might very well be there with another beauty."

Upon hearing that Song Haochu might be with Ruan Jiawen, Ying'er's face turned bright red with anger, and her chest heaved violently.

Bai Mei added at the opportune moment:

"Oh, no wonder the Second Miss dressed up so carefully and left the manor early this morning. It turns out she made an appointment with the Third Young Master and the Eldest Miss Ruan to go on a trip together to cultivate their relationship!"

Ying'er took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the jealousy in her heart, and bowed to Song Yiqiu:

"Don't worry, Miss, Ying'er... knows her place and will definitely not let you down!"

...

The group arrived at Feizhi Pavilion by carriage, where the pavilion was still as ornately decorated and extremely luxurious as ever.

As soon as she reached the door, she saw a servant craning his neck and looking around. Upon seeing Song Yiqiu, he trotted over to greet her, smiling ingratiatingly.

"Miss Song! You've finally arrived! My young lady has been waiting inside for quite some time and specifically instructed me to come and greet you here. Please come this way."

The servant bowed and led Song Yiqiu and her party through a quieter side door instead of the main entrance.

Passing through a corridor adorned with flowers and birds, we arrived at the inner hall.

Behind the counter, Ruan Tianxin was sitting idly in a master chair, swinging her legs, while Zhang Heze, with his upright posture, stood next to her.

Song Yiqiu first glanced at Ruan Tianxin, then turned her head to Ying'er beside her, who was looking around, and said indifferently:

"Please wait here for a moment while I have a few words with an old friend. I'll be back shortly."

Although Ying'er was eager to see Song Haochu immediately, she dared not say anything when she saw this situation.

In addition, being pregnant makes one prone to fatigue, so she sat down reluctantly on a soft chair and restlessly looked around.

As soon as Ruan Tianxin saw Song Yiqiu, she jumped off her chair and excitedly grabbed her hand, but her eyes were fixed on Ying'er, looking her up and down.

"Sister Yiqiu! You've finally arrived! I've been keeping a close eye on my shop as you instructed. As soon as I discovered that Third Brother and Ruan Jiawen had entered Feizhi Pavilion, I immediately wrote to you. It was an urgent letter, just in case it was delayed and would interfere with your business."

She shook Song Yiqiu's arm as if she wanted to claim credit.

Song Yiqiu chuckled softly and affectionately tapped the tip of her nose:

"I know you're clever."

She turned to Qingzhu and gestured.

"Bring the things here."

Qingzhu understood and brought over a beautifully packaged food box.

Song Yiqiu pushed the food box in front of Ruan Tianxin.

Ruan Tianxin curiously took it and eagerly opened it. Inside were several uniquely shaped pastries neatly arranged:

"Are they limited edition pastries from Zhentian Pavilion, or just my favorites? Sister Yiqiu, you understand me best."

Bai Mei, watching excitedly from the side, whispered:

"Young Miss, you even prepared this in advance? Then... was Miss Ying'er's arrival today also part of your plan?"

Mentioning Ying'er, Ruan Tianxin withdrew her scrutinizing gaze and leaned closer to Song Yiqiu to gossip:

"Sister Yiqiu, is that the one sitting over there the one your third brother keeps outside? Tsk tsk, her belly is so big, looks like she's about to give birth, right? My sister is really... broad-minded, how can she tolerate this?"

Song Yiqiu whispered in her ear:

"We might be able to bear it for now, but later... that might not be the case."