Chapter 117 External Troubles and Internal Strife

Song Yiqiu's gaze fell on the private seal, and she nodded, signaling Qingzhu to step forward and inspect it.

However, she noticed that Ying'er did not leave immediately after handing over the items; her eyes darted around, and she stammered.

Song Yiqiu glanced at Bai Mei, who understood and immediately went to the window and carefully closed it.

Ying'er finally breathed a sigh of relief and moved closer to take credit:

"Do you know how much effort I put into getting this? Luckily, the mistress wasn't too wary of Haochu... You must keep this safe! Once the mistress discovers the private seal is missing, she'll probably turn the entire Song mansion upside down!"

Song Yiqiu nodded again, reached out her hand, and touched the cold private seal with her fingertips.

A memory suddenly flooded my mind:

When I was seven years old, my grandmother was copying military texts under the lamp when she smiled and handed me a sweet osmanthus cake.

When she got tired of playing, she nestled in her grandmother's arms, her little hands curiously twirling her grandmother's loose hair, her gaze drawn to the green seal on the desk.

"Grandma, what is this?"

She asked in her childish voice.

Grandmother put down her pen, smiled kindly, picked up the seal, and gently placed it in her little hand:

"Qiu'er, this is something that many people in the world yearn for. But from now on, it will be yours."

Memories fade.

Song Yiqiu composed herself, handed the private seal to Qingzhu, and instructed her to keep it safe.

Seeing that Ying'er was still lingering and wouldn't leave, she spoke calmly:

"Is there anything else?"

Ying'er looked conflicted, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

"I'm telling you all this, helping you get the private seal, not for your sake! It's entirely because... because you took me to the Jade Pavilion last time, and I got that rare box of perfume powder, which made me look good in front of the sisters... Will you take me there again in the future?"

Her eyes were filled with anticipation.

Song Yiqiu immediately understood; it seemed that the vanity and satisfaction that the box of Soul-Capturing Incense brought to Ying'er far exceeded her expectations.

A smile appeared on her face:

"Of course. You are someone my third brother cares about. You might become my sister-in-law in the future. We are family, so we should naturally visit each other more often."

Hearing the words "sister-in-law" made Ying'er overjoyed, and her face lit up with a smile.

As if she had made up her mind, she leaned forward again:

"There's something I'll only tell you. What you do is up to fate."

She looked around warily.

Even if you get the private seal, you might not necessarily inherit the title!

Song Yiqiu raised an eyebrow slightly, signaling her to continue.

“A few days ago, I overheard the mistress calling Haochu and several other young masters, including the second young lady, into the study for a private talk. They were discussing the matter of inheriting the title!”

Ying'er looked at her with schadenfreude.

"They plan to switch the prince at the succession ceremony. They'll let one of the young masters inherit the title, or even let Song Sangyu inherit it directly. They... they also said they want to eliminate you completely."

After speaking, Ying'er stared intently at Song Yiqiu's face, only to find that the other party's expression was calm and unchanging, as if she had heard something insignificant. Ying'er couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.

"You...aren't you angry? They're all the lady's children, this is too much favoritism! Let's not even talk about the young masters, but that Song Sangyu, who knows whose blood she's flowing through? And she thinks she can get her hands on the title of Marquis of Yongjia?"

Song Yiqiu deliberately lowered her eyes, pretending to be completely indifferent:

"This title originally belonged to the Song family. It doesn't matter who inherits it. I only want this private seal because I care about my grandmother and want to keep it as a memento."

Seeing her so unmotivated, Ying'er felt a sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton. Frustrated and disappointed, she stomped her foot and muttered a curse under her breath:

"What a piece of trash!"

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer, wrapped his cloak tighter, and slipped out like a thief.

Song Sanchun slowly emerged from behind the screen, her face a mixture of emotions, and hesitantly spoke:

"You... really think that way?"

Song Yiqiu looked up and interrupted her directly:

"Sister Sanchun, the deal you just proposed is invalid."

Song Sanchun's face turned ashen instantly, and her heart sank to the bottom.

She guessed that Song Yiqiu might not help easily, but she didn't expect her to refuse so decisively.

However, Song Yiqiu's next words stunned her.

"I don't need you to tell me any information in exchange," Song Yiqiu said frankly, looking at her.

“I also bear responsibility for what happened to Sister Ruoling. Even if you hadn’t come, I couldn’t have just stood by and watched her be pushed into a pit of fire and marry a scumbag like Shen Yanjun.”

She stood up, walked to Song Sanchun, and said firmly:

"Sister Sanchun, please go back. I have already made a plan for this matter and will do my best to handle it."

Song Sanchun never expected that Song Yiqiu would agree to help so readily, without even requiring her to pay any price.

A wave of bittersweet emotion welled up inside her, her eyes reddened slightly, and she took a deep breath before speaking:

"On the day the Yongjia Marquis's mansion was attacked by bandits... before my grandmother passed away, I... I saw the mistress and went to my grandmother's room."

Before Song Yiqiu could ask further, she quickly revealed this crucial information, then bowed respectfully to Song Yiqiu.

"Thank you, Yiqiu. I hope this news... will be helpful in your investigation of Grandmother's affairs."

"Also, if it's about Ruoling, please feel free to ask if there's anything I can do to help."

After saying that, she didn't linger any longer and turned to leave hastily as if fleeing a disaster.

As soon as Song Sanchun left, Bai Mei and Qing Zhu, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately surrounded her:

“Miss! Listen to what Ying’er is saying, how can this be? You have suffered for seven years on the frontier, endured seven years of hardship, and earned your merits and reputation amidst the clash of swords. This title is rightfully yours, how can you just hand it over to someone else?”

Green bamboo:

"Yes, Miss! And judging from what Ying'er said, Madam and the others don't just want the title, they... they want your life! The succession ceremony is a mixed bag; if they take advantage of the situation, the consequences will be unimaginable. You can't be soft-hearted, and you can't be indifferent!"

Song Yiqiu was still pondering what Song Sanchun had just said: her mother had seen her grandmother before her death, and then the Yongjia Marquis's mansion was attacked by bandits. It was too much of a coincidence.

Could it be that besides external threats, there were also internal troubles behind my grandmother's death?

She glanced at the two arguing maids, smiled slightly, picked up the now-cold calming tea, and took a sip.

"rest assured."

"This title can only be mine."

"Because of other people..."

She put down her teacup and glanced thoughtfully in the direction of her brothers' courtyard.

“They will all lose their eligibility one by one before the succession ceremony.”