Chapter 73 Sending her intelligence
Song Yiqiu reached out and gently flicked her nose:
"Isn't this exactly what we want? To make him willingly jump in."
Ruan Tianxin blinked, her curiosity deepening:
"After going to such great lengths and going through all this trouble, it couldn't really be just to help your second brother incur a mountain of debt, could it?"
Instead of answering directly, Song Yiqiu asked a seemingly random question:
"Have you decided? What's your favorite flavor of pastry?"
Ruan Tianxin paused for a moment, thought seriously for a second, then looked up and smiled sweetly:
Chestnut cake.
That was the first pastry Song Yiqiu ever gave her.
She then said seriously:
"To be honest, Sister Yiqiu, Tianxin also has something she'd like to ask you for help with."
Song Yiqiu nodded:
"Please speak freely, sister. There's no need for formalities between us. Why don't we go inside and chat while we eat?"
Ruan Tianxin shook her head and looked at the sky:
"No, it's getting late. If I stay any longer, it will be difficult to explain to the household. I'll just stand here and talk. It's still about the matter from the last family banquet. The marriage alliance between Sister Jiawen and several of the brothers in the household."
"Although I can barely hold onto most of the property left by my mother within the manor, if Sister Jiawen gets married smoothly, my stepmother will have no more scruples and will probably immediately set her sights on those properties as her dowry..."
Song Yiqiu:
"You want me to find a way to prevent this marriage from happening?"
Ruan Tianxin lowered her head, her voice hesitant:
“Sister Yiqiu, people say it’s better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage… Am I being too mean by this?”
Seeing her like this, Song Yiqiu reached out and gently patted her head, comforting her:
"Don't worry. Their marriage was never going to happen anyway."
Looking at Song Yiqiu's confident demeanor, Ruan Tianxin couldn't help but become curious:
"Does Sister Yiqiu have a solution now?"
Song Yiqiu smiled mysteriously, "You'll find out when the time comes."
Seeing Song Yiqiu's confident and composed demeanor, Ruan Tianxin felt somewhat relieved.
Since Sister Yiqiu has said so, she must already have a plan in mind. All I need to do is wait patiently.
After seeing Ruan Tianxin off, Song Yiqiu turned around and saw Bai Mei and Qing Zhu enjoying the exquisite pastries on the table. She couldn't help but chuckle.
Bai Mei's mouth was stuffed full, and she praised indistinctly:
"Miss, putting aside everything else, the pastries made at Nanfeng Pavilion are simply divine compared to those in our mansion!"
Qingzhu nodded like a chick pecking at rice, looking completely satisfied.
"Wow, it tastes even better than Zhentian Pavilion's. It's sweet but not cloying, and it melts in your mouth."
The two said they came to see handsome men, but when they saw the delicious food, they forgot everything else.
Bai Mei swallowed her food, then remembered her important matter:
"By the way, Miss, how much of what Miss Ruan said just now was true? She usually acts like a little white rabbit, so it's really hard to tell which words are true and which are false."
Green bamboo also seemed to be deep in thought:
"I really can't see through it. But what's strange is that now that Madam Ruan Liu has taken control of the household affairs, wouldn't it be easier for her to seize Miss Tianxin's property? Why go through all this trouble, using the dowry as a pretext?"
Song Yiqiu picked up her teacup and gently blew away the foam on the surface:
"According to the Household and Marriage Law, if a person dies and his or her family is extinct, all his or her servants, female guests, slaves, shops, houses, and property shall be sold by his or her close relatives. The proceeds shall be used for funeral expenses and meritorious deeds, and the remaining property shall be given to his or her daughters."
"Those without daughters shall be admitted according to their closest relatives. Those without relatives shall be inspected by the officials. If the deceased was alive and had a will disposing of his estate, and the evidence is clear, this law shall not apply."
Bai Mei was thinking about her mouth when the pastry in her mouth fell onto the table with a thud.
"Miss...is this some kind of anime/manga phrase? No, what does it mean?"
She smiled and explained further:
“When Ruan Tianxin’s biological mother passed away, she was already old enough to remember things, and her mother must have had a notarized will that clearly left most of the assets to her.”
“Even if Nguyen Liu were to take charge of the household, she could not openly violate the law and the deceased’s clear will to arbitrarily seize the property inherited by her eldest daughter.”
"Only by using the reasonable pretext of preparing dowry for Ruan Jiawen can we gradually and legitimately transfer those businesses to the other side and silence the public."
Bai Mei suddenly realized what was happening and said angrily:
"That Ruan Liu is truly vicious! She wants to seize the family property but doesn't want to be criticized, so she takes advantage of everyone and doesn't even treat the daughter left by the first wife properly!"
Qingzhu sighed:
"Aren't these kinds of cases of exploiting those who have no descendants commonplace in these secluded mansions?"
Song Yiqiu put down her teacup and stood up:
"Are you finished eating? If you are, we still need to hurry back to the mansion to watch the show."
Bai Mei's eyes lit up:
"Is there more to the show?"
Song Yiqiu clapped her hands and smiled:
"Let's go, or we'll miss the show."
The three of them, master and servants, had just gotten up and taken two steps when a mocking male voice came from behind them:
"I recognized the figure when I saw him in the private room upstairs. I never expected it to be General Song."
He approached slowly, his tone playful.
"What? Isn't the drama in the Song mansion lively enough? You actually have the leisure to come to such a place of pleasure?"
Bai Mei instantly became alert, her hand already resting on the soft sword coiled at her waist.
Qingzhu nervously looked around, searching for a possible escape route or help.
Song Yiqiu slowly turned around, gently pressed down Bai Mei's ready hand, and gave a half-smile as she met the newcomer:
"Is Your Highness following me? How come I keep running into you wherever I go?"
Crown Prince Xiao Yongjing wore a pure white brocade robe with dark patterns today, his hair tied up with a jade crown. He was less gloomy and imposing than usual, and instead had a gentle and refined air, like a gentleman of unparalleled elegance.
Of course, this is on the premise that we ignore the deep calculation in his eyes.
He didn't answer directly, but instead picked up the wine glass on the table, took an elegant sip, and his gaze swept meaningfully over the spot where Ruan Tianxin had just been sitting:
"If I hadn't come, how could I have witnessed General Song's masterful performance of luring his fodder into a trap?"
He had clearly witnessed the entire bidding process.
Song Yiqiu was speechless and simply rolled her eyes at him:
"Your Highness, you really have a lot of free time."
Xiao Yongjing was not annoyed at all; instead, he deliberately took a few steps closer, his breath warm against Song Yiqiu's ear.
"If I hadn't come, General Song would probably have missed a crucial piece of intelligence today."
Song Yiqiu originally intended to ignore him and turn around and leave, but hearing his tone and seeing the indifferent expression on his face, she stopped in her tracks.
She pulled over a chair, sat down directly, and stared straight at him:
"explain."
Xiao Yongjing curled his lips into a smile, swirling the wine glass in his hand, keeping everyone in suspense:
"But...why should I tell you?"
Song Yiqiu's patience ran out, and she got up as if to leave.
The Crown Prince then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"It's about... Vice Minister Wang of the Ministry of War."
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