Chapter 84 Asking for Her Help
Thinking of her promise to Ruan Tianxin, Song Yiqiu rested her chin on one hand and gently tapped the table with the other:
"This Ying'er is quite composed. She actually managed to get Third Brother to go out? It seems Song Sangyu has spent a lot of money to appease her in order to facilitate this marriage."
Qingzhu nodded:
"That's right! I heard that after the people from Longsha Pavilion finished measuring the masters' clothes, Liu Ye, who was by the Second Miss's side, specially led them to measure three new outfits for Miss Ying'er, specifying that she wanted to use the best Yanmiao gauze. It must have cost quite a bit."
Upon hearing this, Song Yiqiu chuckled knowingly.
"Tell me, if Ying'er knew that she was wearing this new dress to see her beloved being betrothed, would she still be in the mood to dress up?"
Bai Mei laughed:
"Needless to say? It'll be chaos, with everyone jumping around and wanting to tear all those new clothes to shreds!"
Qingzhu's eyes lit up:
"Miss, do you already have an idea?"
Song Yiqiu nodded slightly, about to speak, when suddenly Bai Mei rang out with an extremely loud "Pah! Pah! Pah!"
She had just picked up a piece of pastry from the table and taken a bite when she spat it out before she could even swallow it. Her exaggerated action startled Song Yiqiu and Qingzhu.
Qingzhu wondered:
"What's wrong, Sister Bai Mei? Don't you like these pastries? It's strange, Miss doesn't usually like these dry snacks, why did the kitchen send them over today?"
Bai Mei frowned, spat out a hard object from her mouth, and said speechlessly:
"What the hell is this? Were the people in the kitchen asleep? Why are they putting this in the pastries? Next time, are they going to wrap the kitchen knife in too?"
She held the thing in her hand, as if to throw it away.
It was a small roll tightly wrapped in oiled paper.
Qingzhu took a closer look:
"This looks...like a strip of cloth?"
"Whatever it is, it must have been some careless cook..."
Before Bai Mei could finish speaking, Song Yiqiu interrupted her.
"Wait, Bai Mei." Song Yiqiu quickly took the small scroll from Bai Mei's hand.
Carefully unwrapping the oil paper, inside was a small strip of plain cloth with a line of delicate handwriting written on it:
"The autumn hunt may be a trap; be careful not to behave improperly in front of the palace."
Qingzhu glanced at it curiously, seemingly lost in thought:
"This handwriting... is neat and tidy, it seems like I've seen it somewhere before."
Bai Mei disagreed:
"Aren't all the characters pretty much the same? It's probably just someone's prank!"
Song Yiqiu did not answer, but quickly connected the information that Qingzhu had just reported in her mind, and roughly came up with an idea.
"It's not a prank."
She spoke slowly, "This fabric is the coarse cloth used in the Hibiscus Garden."
"Someone risked their life to warn me."
She repeated those four words in a low voice, "After thinking for so long, this is the only trick you came up with? Disrespectful behavior in front of the emperor... Heh, that's quite a good charge."
Bai Mei reacted instantly and angrily said:
"Young Miss, are you saying that the Second Miss and the others want to frame you during the autumn hunt and pin a charge of disrespect before the emperor on you?"
Song Yiqiu stood up and walked to the window. The lights in the Lianqing Pavilion were already off.
"Disrespectful behavior before the emperor? You think you can bring me down with this...?"
...
The next day, in the back garden of the Song family mansion, the sun shone brightly.
Song Yiqiu had already arranged for Qingzhu to make arrangements for a steward in the inner courtyard, and deliberately arranged for Ying'er to deliver snacks to the Third Young Master Song Haochu at this time.
Reluctantly carrying the exquisite pastry box, Ying'er walked along the corridor leading to the courtyard, muttering curses under her breath:
"I've had the worst luck imaginable! A bunch of snobbish bastards! I'm carrying the Song family's golden grandson, I'm the future third young mistress!"
"These murderers actually dare to assign me such menial work that only lowly people would do. When I come to power, I'll make sure I sell you all into the lowest-class mines to do hard labor! I'll show you who the real masters are!"
She had just reached the moon archway outside the Third Young Master's courtyard, full of resentment, when she suddenly caught a glimpse of two people walking towards her from the other end of the corridor.
It was the mistress, Madam Song, and her trusted nanny, Granny Wang.
Ying'er instinctively dodged behind the archway pillar and held her breath.
Granny Wang's fawning voice came:
"Madam, the list of attendees for the autumn hunt has been finalized, and the Third Young Master's name is prominently featured. This old servant has also heard that Miss Ruan Jiawen of the Ruan family will also be accompanying her father and brothers on this trip."
Song Shenshi's tone carried a satisfied smile:
"Yes, I like Jiawen more and more the more I look at her. Her family background is a good match for our Song family, she is outstanding in appearance, and she seems to have a gentle and generous temperament. It would be wonderful if we could become relatives through marriage."
"This autumn hunt is a beautiful time, perfect for Haochu and Jiawen to spend more time together and develop their relationship. Once they return from the hunt, I will discuss it with the master and formally arrange the marriage. Then, Jiawen will be the rightful third young mistress of our Song family."
Upon hearing this, Granny Wang tentatively spoke:
"Then... Madam, what should we do about Miss Ying'er?"
Madam Song snorted coldly, her tone full of disgust:
"Her? A piece of trash from a filthy place, relying on her looks and the baby in her belly, dares to be compared to a lady from a respectable family like Jiawen?"
"Once Jiawen marries into the family and becomes the legitimate third young mistress, whether she stays in the room as a plaything or is sold off under some pretext is entirely up to the legal wife."
"Haochu is currently bewitched by her seductive tricks. Once he has a dignified and virtuous wife like Jiawen by his side, he will naturally know what is more important."
"If she knows what's good for her and behaves herself, maybe she'll still get a job. But if she doesn't and still wants to cause trouble... Hmph, how much trouble do you need to get rid of a concubine?"
These words sent a chill down Ying'er's spine as she hid behind the archway. The food box in her hand almost slipped from her grasp, but she held on tightly, her eyes filled with venom.
So that's why... so that's why in Madam's eyes, I'm not even worth a trinket!
Once Ruan Jiawen enters the household, her current life, sustained by her child and his affection, will vanish instantly. Forget being a concubine, she probably won't even qualify as a maidservant; she'll truly be reduced to a state worse than a watchdog!
She was distraught, feeling that her future was bleak, and stumbled into the main courtyard.
Song Yiqiu frowned, looking at Ying'er's pale face in the courtyard, knowing that she had already heard about it, and deliberately spoke:
"What's wrong, Sister Ying'er? You look so pale. Are you feeling unwell? I heard that Third Brother is going to participate in the Autumn Hunt with Miss Ruan. The scenery along the way must be beautiful. Sister, are you... not happy for Third Brother?"
These words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back. Instead of her usual retorts, she suddenly slid to her knees, clutching Song Yiqiu's skirt tightly, and cried out in despair:
"Young Miss, please, for the sake of the help I gave you before, please help me! Madam... Madam wants Ruan Jiawen to be the third young mistress! Once she marries into the family, I'm really finished, they'll kill me!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
