The Song family mansion was newly built. They purchased a villa belonging to a merchant who was moving out of the capital. People in the capital also had to choose who to sell their houses to. Since Song Tianhe came from a merchant family, naturally no aristocratic family would sell the villa to him, not even a collateral branch.
Therefore, it takes half an hour to get from the Yongwang Mansion to the Song Mansion, and one has to walk very fast. Feipeng came on horseback, so he was naturally faster, but even though he was anxious, he couldn't let Zhao Shu ride over.
Upon arriving at the Song residence, they saw Lin Dongxue leaning against the doorframe, waiting there. When he saw Zhao Shu, his eyes lit up and his face turned red.
Fei Peng was anxious and didn't notice anything unusual about him, but Zhao Shu glanced at him and knew that this person was the young master of the Luoyang Chamber of Commerce.
"This humble servant greets the Princess." He bowed from afar to the church, his face no longer just red, but his neck was also red.
When Chu Chun and the others saw that his face was flushed, they were immediately displeased, but they were also secretly pleased that their princess was beautiful.
Zhao Shu nodded slightly and followed Fei Peng to the pavilion where Song Tianhe and Huo Baichuan were. When she arrived at the pavilion, she saw Huo Baichuan and Song Tianhe sitting opposite each other, one sipping tea and the other brewing it. Both of them fell silent when they heard her coming.
Huo Baichuan glanced at Zhao Shu and said, "Our eldest princess has arrived. Your disciple is quite clever." He then praised Fei Peng, who looked puzzled.
Song Tianhe said gently, "Princess, please sit." He did not rise to greet her, but calmly took a cup to make tea and instructed Fei Peng to leave.
After Fei Peng left, Zhao Shu also asked Chu Chun and the others to stand further away, and the three of them sat around the stone table in the pavilion.
"Fei Peng said that you came to the Song residence to cause trouble. What is the matter?" Zhao Shu asked, and then thanked Song Tianhe for the tea.
Huo Baichuan chuckled twice, stood up, and put the dry grass in his hand on his belt. "For your sake, I won't make things difficult for him. But Princess, you have to take responsibility for what happened today. Alright, what are you doing here, a young lady? Aren't you coming back with me?"
He always felt that it was perfectly fine for Zhao Shu to stay at home and be a proper young lady, unlike her elder sister who had to worry about so many things before even getting married.
Moreover, since there were no women in the Song household, it would damage her reputation if others found out, so she hurriedly wanted Zhao Shu to leave.
"And you, if you dare to treat my elder sister badly, I'll make you suffer a terrible death." Before leaving, he leaned close to Song Tianhe and sneered as he threatened.
Zhao Shu was puzzled, but she grasped the most crucial point: "What does this have to do with Aunt?"
"I wish to marry Miss Huo," Song Tianhe said frankly.
Zhao Shu was taken aback. "I disagree," she blurted out. She had always treated Huo Danlan as her mother. When they were in Guanzhou, she had thought of bringing her father and Huo Danlan together. But Huo Danlan had changed after meeting Song Tianhe. Although it was not obvious that she liked Song Tianhe, she refused to come to the palace alone and would not see Prince Yong.
The Great Yong is different from modern times. If you sincerely want to see someone, there are always many rules and regulations that will stand in your way.
Huo Baichuan smiled, finding Zhao Shu much more pleasing to the eye than before.
Song Tianhe chuckled, “Princess, don’t be in a hurry. Ask Miss Huo for her opinion first before you come to argue with me. Even if you don’t agree, Miss Huo will not become your stepmother. Mr. Huo just argued with me on behalf of his teacher.”
"I'm much relieved now that you're so cunning," Huo Baichuan said with a smile instead of anger.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Shu understood and turned to Huo Baichuan, saying, "Mr. Xiao already has Jiu Niang, why does Lord Huo still want to join in the fun? How can you face your aunt?"
Seeing that the conflict had turned against Huo Baichuan, Song Tianhe stood up with a smile and said, "Princess, please return. The Song residence cannot entertain you."
Huo Baichuan ignored Zhao Shu and walked out, clearly indicating that his decision would not be changed because of Zhao Shu.
Zhao Shu glanced at Song Tianhe and said, "I said I disagree, so I'm going to find my aunt now."
In this matter, the initiative was in the hands of Huo Danlan; none of the men had the power to make the decision.
He hurriedly left the Song residence and instructed Xiao Guozi to drive quickly to the Huo residence. However, Huo Baichuan leisurely walked behind, and after a few steps, he went in another direction. Today was his day off, and he needed to find someone to have a couple of drinks with.
The troublesome matter was left to Zhao Shu to handle. If she could be persuaded, great; if not, then she could only be left to her own devices. After all, she was his elder sister, and with his backing, whoever married her would have to treat her well and pamper her. Otherwise... Humph.
Zhao Shu arrived at the Huo residence and followed the maid to find Huo Danlan. At that moment, Huo Danlan was feeding the koi below on the waterside pavilion. Upon seeing Zhao Shu, she immediately put down the fish food in her hand and personally invited Zhao Shu over.
"What is Aunt doing?" Zhao Shu had organized countless thoughts along the way, but in the end, it all boiled down to "What is Aunt doing?" The rest of the words were stuck in her throat. It would be more appropriate for Prince Yong to say this in person.
Huo Danlan, unaware that she had gone to the Song residence, said affectionately, "I have nothing to do all day, so I come out to look at the flowers and plants. These koi are growing so well that I am happy, so I often come to tease them."
After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Shu gritted her teeth and asked, "Auntie previously said that she wanted to establish her own female household. Does she still have that intention now?"
She recalled Huo Baichuan's words, smiled and shook her head, "Auntie was confused for a moment, I didn't expect you to take it to heart."
“Of course I will keep it in mind, Ah Jun treats her aunt like a mother.” She said sincerely, her eyes fixed on Huo Danlan.
However, Huo Danlan happily touched her face, "Auntie knows, Auntie also treats A-Jun as her own daughter."
“If that’s the case, why don’t you come to the Prince Yong’s residence and become the Princess Yong? My father will definitely treat you very well, and A-Jun will be very filial.” Her nose tingled and her eyes welled up with tears.
Huo Danlan hugged her tightly, saying with heartache, "Even if you don't become the Princess Consort of Yong, Auntie will still love you the most, A-Jun. Don't be afraid, A-Jun. In Auntie's heart, A-Jun is the best."
Zhao Shu felt a pang of guilt upon hearing the rejection. She sniffed, unsure of what to say. She was not good with words and had no idea how to persuade Huo Danlan. She and Huo Danlan were very similar in temperament; once they made up their minds, they would not easily change them, nor were they people who valued fame and fortune.
If Huo Danlan were fifteen or sixteen, it might still be possible, but she was no longer at the age of dreaming. Although she had not experienced many romantic relationships, her heart was already as hard as iron and could not be easily moved.
Even if there had been a slight stirring in his heart, it had long since vanished from Li Zhi's subconscious.
Back at Prince Yong's residence, Zhao Shu was listless and remained unhappy for several days. Xiao Zhu reported for a while, and seeing that Zhao Shu did not speak, he raised his voice slightly and said, "Princess, this servant has already had someone add Liu Changshi's name to the memorial."
Zhao Shunai nodded lightly, and Xiao Zhuzi continued, "Eighty percent of Madam Wei's dowry shops have been swallowed up by Yipinju. Madam Wei is furious and wants to find a wife for General Wei. She has chosen Lin Xiuxue, the eldest granddaughter of Grand Secretary Lin."
"Who did you say?" Zhao Shuli glanced at him, and Xiao Zhuzi quickly lowered his head and reported again, "Lin Xiuxue, the eldest granddaughter of Lin University student."
"Bang!" Zhao Shu slammed her hand on the table, her anger rising. "She can forget about it!"
This couple from their past lives—the husband had designs on Sun Yun, and the wife had designs on Wei Tingsi—what a scheme! As long as Zhao Shu is alive, these two will never be able to harm her!
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