Chapter 56 Heart-stopping

"......"

Xiao Yu was shocked and hurriedly interrupted her: "What nonsense are you talking about?" How can you say such things? She subconsciously looked at Song Luoning, and while urgently taking Song Luoning's hand, she explained: "Wife, it's not like that, let me explain to you slowly."

“His Majesty did indeed bestow me upon the young master.” Yuan Niang looked at her with a wronged expression.

Xiao Yu stared back at her with wide eyes in disbelief.

Heh~

Xiao Yu finally realized that this pitiful woman in front of him was a scheming woman. Originally, he was grateful for her reminder in the palace and thought she was a pitiful woman, so he was willing to help her. But she actually wanted to drive a wedge between him and the young lady. No wonder his mother beat him. It seems that some people really can't be tolerated.

However, she still wanted to repay the kindness; she didn't want to owe anyone anything.

"My lady, why don't we have the steward take her away and settle her in?" Xiao Yu squeezed Song Luo Ning's hand.

Song Luoning didn't object. The steward glanced at Song Yanyu again. Seeing that the masters had no objections, he stepped forward and gestured for them to enter. Yuan Niang tried to take Xiao Yu's hand, but she dodged to the side.

“Young Master…” Yuan Niang looked at her with teary eyes and aggrieved expression.

Xiao Yu: "..."

Everyone in the room stared at her, feeling utterly speechless. What did this woman have to do with them? Especially that look on her mother's face—didn't she know her own identity? Why was she getting involved?

"My lord, you should go yourself," Song Luoning said calmly, withdrawing her hand.

grass

Xiao Yu felt like swearing. She was absolutely certain that the young lady was really angry. She hadn't thought about it at all before, but now that she thought about it carefully, from the moment the young lady saw Yuan Niang, she seemed to be considerate to her, but in fact, she always revealed a sense of distance.

no.

Without a second thought, Xiao Yu, driven by a strong survival instinct, raised her voice and coldly said, "Why should I worry about such a small matter? Can't you let the steward handle it?" With that, taking advantage of Song Luo Ning's momentary daze, she grabbed her hand and walked towards the main seat without even glancing at Yuan Niang.

She couldn't help but complain, "How can this maid be so incompetent? She doesn't even know to pour a cup of tea when her master comes?"

Green Bamboo: "......"

That heartless son-in-law actually turned the tables on her! He must still be holding a grudge against her for talking back to her new lover.

That's really going too far.

Xiao Yu cleared his throat, glared at Cui Zhu, personally poured Song Luo Ning a cup of tea, handed it to her, and said in a soft voice, "My lady, you must be thirsty after talking for so long. Here, have some tea to soothe your throat."

Cui Zhu resisted the urge to roll her eyes, thinking to herself, "You think you can get the young lady to forgive you with just a cup of tea?"

Song Luoning lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the teacup. She paused for a moment, then took it and sipped it.

Seeing this, the steward smiled with relief. His young master had really thought of Miss Song. He gestured to Yuan Niang again. Even though she was unwilling, Yuan Niang knew that everyone was on Miss Song's side. If she continued to argue, she would only suffer in the end. Besides, Young Master Xiao would not side with her at all. She gritted her teeth, glanced resentfully in Xiao Yu's direction, and reluctantly followed the steward out of the hall.

Seeing her leave, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief and started asking Xiao Yu about her time in the palace, as if what had just happened was just a trivial little episode.

The atmosphere immediately became lively.

Just then, Song Yanqi arrived from afar, saying, "Big brother, you've finally come." Song Yanyu happily went to greet him, and Song Yanqi patted him on the shoulder.

Everyone stood up to greet them.

Song Yanqi smiled and nodded. According to seniority, Jiang Wanrou was his elder, so he did not sit in the main seat, but sat down at the lower end. A maid came in to serve tea.

"Tell me what exactly happened?" he asked Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu didn't hide anything and recounted everything that had happened since entering the palace. When she mentioned Yuan Niang, she secretly glanced at the young lady out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that she was not acting strangely, she felt more worried than relieved.

Sensing her gaze, Song Luoning lowered her eyes, her expression complex. Her fingers, gripping the teacup, tightened slightly, her fingertips turning white, revealing her unease.

Having been in officialdom for many years, Song Yanqi remained silent for a moment, then gently tapped the tea with the lid, brushing aside the tea stems floating on the surface. After a long pause, he said, "Let's leave this matter as it is for now. Things that need to be settled should still be settled. Send someone to keep an eye on the dancers. If there are no problems, that's best. If there are, we can take precautions in advance. The Emperor may have simply wanted to see you today. After all, the royal family has dwindled in number, and apart from you, the other branches of the royal family have not survived much due to the rebellion of the vassal kings."

Xiao Yu nodded, but she didn't believe him. After all, it was true that the male lead wanted to kill her, and besides, the male lead today...

A chilling detail flashed through her mind: when she left the palace, she originally intended to leave on her own, but if she remembered correctly, it was the male lead who asked her to leave with Yuan Niang.

Could it be that the male protagonist doesn't intend to let her go, but rather plans to accuse her of having an affair with a dancer when they reach the palace gates, and then use her as a pawn to kill her?!

Unexpectedly, they encountered Consort Liu on the way and were taken into her palace by chance, thus escaping a disaster.

That makes sense.

After thinking it through, Xiao Yu felt a wave of fear. She almost didn't get to see the young lady again. It was now completely certain that the male lead wouldn't let her go. The reason was simple: the male lead was wary of the original owner's status as a direct descendant of the founding emperor.

Right now, all she can rely on is the Prime Minister's residence, but they seem to care about her affairs extraordinarily, to an almost unreasonable degree. This makes her think of the things her adoptive mother asked her to inquire about.

Perhaps the mother's concerns are not unfounded.

What exactly did Song Yanqi say to the young lady that day? Did the Prime Minister's Mansion really not know that the male lead wanted to kill her? Not entirely. Why would they hide it from her and attribute the male lead's attempt to kill her to a grudge between the Prime Minister's Mansion and Prince Chang?

Can the Prime Minister's residence really be relied upon?

Xiao Yu was confused.

Seeing that Xiao Yu was still a little confused, Song Yanqi didn't mind and chatted with Jiang Wanrou about everyday things. With Song Yanqi around, Chen Yu and the little girl, who were usually very noisy, were much quieter, only saying a few words when Song Yanqi asked them questions.

It was lunchtime soon, and Song Yanqi got up to say goodbye. Jiang Wanrou tried to persuade him to stay, but the two Song brothers declined, saying they had official business to attend to.

Jiang Wanrou didn't want to keep him any longer, so she personally escorted him out of the mansion.

Lunch was still served in the side hall. The servants set out the food, and Cuizhu stood behind Song Luoning to serve the dishes. Xiao Yu had something on her mind, so this time she didn't compete with Cuizhu to do it. Song Luoning glanced at her, pursed her lips, and didn't say anything.

There was a moment of silence.

Xiao Yu glanced up and inadvertently saw Liang Chengqiu put a piece of food on Chen Yu's plate, and was startled.