Chapter 56 Whether he is dead or alive has nothing to do with her!
In the past, Song Lingyi would have found such a person boring, but after experiencing so much, she realized that such a frank and elegant person is rare in the world.
"I don't mean to think you're abrupt, I mean..." She thought for a moment, unable to come up with the right words, "I think you're cute."
After blurting it out, Song Lingyi realized how socially unacceptable this statement was.
If she complimented a handsome young man who was eight feet tall as "cute," he would probably think she was crazy.
But the other party just smiled, without any embarrassment of being offended.
"Thank you for the compliment, Miss."
"No...you're welcome."
Song Lingyi sighed inwardly, this Erlang of the Pei family is indeed a decent man. No wonder so many people admire him. He simply possesses the perfect qualities of a contemporary top star.
"cousin?!"
A cry of surprise came from the corridor.
The two looked in the direction of the sound and saw that many people had suddenly appeared on the corridor. They were all young girls, looking towards the pavilion with hostility in their eyes.
Of course, Song Lingyi knew clearly that the hostility was not directed at Pei Zhao, but at her.
Anyone would have to be alert if there was a woman next to them.
"Mr. Pei, excuse me." Song Lingyi consciously distanced herself and walked towards the corridor. Ignoring the girls' gazes, she pulled Lu Yu away.
Shocked, Lu Yu quickly pulled Song Lingyi aside to ask her about the matter. There was no anger in her eyes, only a thirst for gossip. "Cousin, didn't you say before that you didn't know Pei Jia Erlang? How come you were alone with him in the pavilion, and you seemed to be chatting happily?"
Song Lingyi smiled awkwardly and said, "We just happened to meet. My uncle was originally here, but he had to leave midway, so we just chatted for a while."
Lu Yu clearly didn't believe it and smiled meaningfully: "I saw it all. You two were laughing so happily. How could this be just a casual chat?"
Why is this girl's head full of gossip? Song Lingyi curled her lips and changed the subject: "Let's not talk about this. Why did you come to see me?"
"I want to introduce you to a friend." Lu Yu raised her lips and smiled, pointing at the girl in red clothes coming towards them, "Look, here she is."
Song Lingyi looked in the direction she pointed. The girl in red clothes walked lightly and had a heroic look on her face. She was not as thin as the ordinary ladies from wealthy families, but had a well-proportioned and agile beauty.
"Wenxuan!" Lu Yu waved enthusiastically and quietly introduced her to Song Lingyi, "Her name is Huo Wenxuan. She just returned to the capital with the Empress two days ago."
Worried that Song Lingyi, having just arrived, wouldn't know the 'Huo family', she added: "The Huo family guards the northern border and has made great military achievements. Empress Shen is Wenxuan's aunt. In recent years, the Empress has been praying for the people at Baohua Temple, and she has always been with her."
"Aunt?" Song Lingyi glanced at the girl in red clothes and asked, "Then why is the Empress's surname Shen and hers Huo?"
"Well……"
Lu Yu blinked, wondering where to begin her explanation when she heard Huo Wenxuan say calmly, "My aunt took my grandmother's surname."
The Shen family was also a military family. Many years ago, the Huns invaded the border, and the late emperor ordered a crusade. The Shen family was filled with loyal and valiant men, with only one female member of the younger generation remaining. That year, Empress Shen was born, and she was given the surname Shen, ensuring that the Shen family would have an heir and prevent the family from withering away.
"Yes, yes, yes." Lu Yu nodded and took Huo Wenxuan's hand in hers, her gesture intimate. "Wenxuan, this is my cousin. She's pretty, isn't she?"
Song Lingyi didn't expect the girl to have such good ears. She asked casually, but she heard it. She smiled awkwardly and said, "Miss Huo, how are you?"
Huo Wenxuan nodded in agreement.
"I've always heard Ayu mention you, and now that I see you, you're truly worthy of her reputation."
"I was just saying that I wanted to take you to meet my cousin, but you disappeared the moment I turned around. Where did you go?" Lu Yu pouted.
Speaking of this, Huo Wenxuan became angry, her brows and eyes showing a bit of resentment: "I heard that the Chu family was in the East Courtyard, so I went to take a look."
"Chu Ruiheng?" Lu Yu's smile deepened. "It's been almost three years since you two got married. This is the first time we've met, right? How is it?"
"What's going on?"
Lu Yu tutted softly, her eyes hinting that she was asking despite knowing the answer. "Of course it's the appearance. Are you satisfied?"
"He's too gentle, just a weak scholar. He can't compare to my cousin at all."
Hearing Huo Wenxuan mention "cousin", Song Lingyi suddenly realized that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was her cousin. As a relative, she should know about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's efforts to suppress bandits.
But the two women were chatting happily, and Song Lingyi had no chance to get a word in. Even if she did, it would have been too abrupt to ask about the bandit suppression.
After thinking for a long time, she still couldn't ask.
Perhaps she was worried about something, as she looked absent-minded. Huo Wenxuan noticed this and asked, "Sister Song, is there something wrong?"
Song Lingyi hesitated for a moment, but still asked.
"Miss Huo, I heard about how His Royal Highness the Crown Prince led an army to suppress bandits some time ago. He was so majestic! But I don't know where these bandits in Jiuhua Mountain came from. How could they be worthy of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince leading an army in person?" The girl pretended to admire him.
Huo Wenxuan had also heard about the bandit suppression campaign, but her aunt didn't allow her to ask any more questions, so she only told them what she knew.
"The bandits in Jiuhua Mountain have been entrenched in the area for a long time, causing trouble for the village and committing numerous crimes. The people have reported the incident many times, but the government has not sent troops to suppress them. It just so happens that the Zhenfu Division is investigating a case, and the suspects may be in the mountain stronghold. My cousin is leading the army to suppress the bandits in order to investigate the case."
I see.
Song Lingyi's eyelashes drooped slightly, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
The bandit leader had just arrived in Kyoto, so the bandits that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince eliminated were definitely not them.
etc!
Why care about these?
She probably won't see Shen Wuhui again in the future. Whether he is dead or alive has nothing to do with her!
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is wise and powerful. It will be difficult for Shen Wuhui to expand his business. If he is sensible, he should return to Hutouzhai as soon as possible to avoid being caught in one fell swoop.
While she was daydreaming, a big face suddenly appeared in front of her, scaring Song Lingyi so much that her body trembled.
“What…what are you doing?”
These brother and sister are both better at scaring people than the other.
Lu Yu narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, saying, "What are you thinking about, cousin? You're so lost in thought."
"Nothing." Song Lingyi shrugged and said casually, "The banquet is about to start, let's go back to the side hall."
There was a flurry of drinking and chatting in the front yard.
As the three women entered the side hall, they clearly sensed something was amiss in the atmosphere. If the gazes directed at Song Lingyi before had been filled with curiosity and scrutiny, now they were filled with more anger and contempt.
Fortunately, Song Lingyi was not a shy person and sat down calmly.
The banquet began, and maids filed in, carrying cheese and other dishes. With Lu Yu's presence, the atmosphere was less solemn than before, but not much better either.
Song Lingyi originally thought that by eating quietly, she could avoid being picked on by the other noble ladies, but facts proved that she was overthinking it.
For example, the round-faced girl in pink sitting opposite couldn't help herself and asked with a frown, "Sister Song, didn't you just come to Kyoto? How do you know Pei Erlang?"
This question was asked very subtly, as if Song Lingyi was a scheming woman who was trying to curry favor with the powerful.
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