Xiaoyu glanced at Shulan lightly and whispered, "Don’t blabber outside!"
Shulan closed her mouth in embarrassment, feeling wronged: "I have no complaints, but I don’t want madam to be wronged. If the young master knew, he would be heartbroken."
Xin He laughed: "Do you really think I care about the attitudes of these snobs? Whether they treat me well or not, I find them disgusting. Their faces are full of self-interest. I would rather avoid their so-called kindness and enjoy some peace."
As Xin He spoke, she looked up at Song Yalin, who was surrounded by a group of rich young ladies, and shook her head: "If I were in the position of Madam Song and Miss Song, I would be extremely annoyed."
Shulan looked in that direction: "That’s true."
Xin He said to Shulan: "In the future, you must be more cautious and not argue over trivial matters, especially when speaking without taking precautions. After all, troubles start from the mouth, especially on someone else’s territory, where you should be more careful of eavesdroppers."
Shulan nodded her head, well-advised: "This servant understands."
Ji Xinhe sighed lightly: "As for that fabricated identity, it has no use for our current situation, and is even burdensome. Do you think the Emperor really wants to bestow the title of Prince Pingyang? This is merely a delaying tactic. In the Emperor’s eyes, Mu Houchu has long been a thorn in his throat, neither moving up nor down. Once the opportunity arises, he will definitely dispose of him quickly.
Now that we are acting low-key in Yu State, all the movement there goes unnoticed in the capital. The Emperor is none the wiser, and this is the reason for today’s superficial tranquility. If the Emperor knew of our actions, do you think he could sit still?"
Even with such a low-key approach, the apparent tranquility is just a facade, as the dark undercurrents never cease to stir. For example, the poisoning incident involving the young master of the Song Family ultimately pointed to Mu Houchu, didn’t it?"
Upon hearing this, Shulan was covered in cold sweat. Before, she had never thought that the situation of madam and young master would be so dangerous. In her heart, she regretted impulsively speaking out of anger.
Shulan hastily knelt on the ground: "This servant knows her mistake and will never speak recklessly again."
Xin He helped her up: "Let this be the only exception."
"Yes."
Xiaoyu then said: "Why not let madam leave first? Staying here is pointless."
Xin He shook her head: "There is no hurry. I originally came to keep Madam Song company. How could I leave after settling my own affairs? I have to stay a while longer."
She then paused before continuing: "Moreover, the matter is not yet settled."
Xiaoyu was puzzled: "Didn’t madam come here to teach Yi Ling a lesson today?"
Ji Xinhe lifted her lips: "For a mere Yi Ling, I wouldn’t bother making a special trip. Most importantly, I need to see if I can find any leads from the Sun Family to thoroughly investigate the Song Family."
"Between the Sun and Song families, there is only the marriage relationship between the two families. The third branch of the Song family has always been an unremarkable existence. Afraid this lead will be of little use."
"Whether it’s useful or not, one won’t know without trying. It’s difficult to dig out anything from the Song family’s tight defenses, but one must try to look for hope. Moreover, don’t underestimate the third branch of the Song family. Although they don’t have much presence outside, they might stir up a lot of trouble within the Song family." Xin He laughed.
"Where does madam think she should start? With Miss Song the Fifth?"
Xin He shook her head: "She is too brainless and doesn’t have much of a position in the Song family. No."
"Then..."
Xin He said: "Song San’s wife, maybe? The mother-daughter relationship between Song San’s wife and Madam Sun means there must be many servants brought over from the Sun family as dowry. Even her confidants might have come from the Sun family. Given Madam Sun’s eagerness to win over the Song family, it’s highly likely that Song San’s wife’s confidants frequently come back and report the goings-on of the Song family."
"Madam makes a good point." Xiaoyu nodded, her eyes brightening. "This servant knows what to do now."
----
Yi Ling was led to a quiet courtyard, and her suspicions were confirmed.
It seemed that the person who had summoned her was indeed the fifth young lady of the Song family, Song Ya Lan.
Apart from her seeking refuge, which of the Song family’s daughters wasn’t currently being pampered and surrounded by admirers?
Song Ya Lan sat at the head, looking condescendingly at the bowing Yi Ling: "You must be Aunt Yun?"
Yi Ling nodded respectfully: "Yes."
Though she was technically older than Song Ya Lan, she was just a concubine, barely a step above a servant, so it was only proper for her to bow.
Song Ya Lan looked at Yi Ling’s attractive face, her eyes filling with jealousy and hatred: "Birds of a feather flock together! No wonder you and Mu’s wife are such lowly seductresses!"
Yi Ling was startled, looking up in confusion, unsure of what Song Ya Lan meant by "birds of a feather."
Song Ya Lan glared at her: "Do you know that so-called wife of Mu?"
Yi Ling finally understood that the other seductress Song Ya Lan referred to was Ji Xinhe.
She didn’t know Ji Xinhe’s true identity, but a woman capable of creating such a vast business couldn’t possibly be someone else’s concubine, could she?
Yi Ling’s momentary confusion flashed across her eyes, but she quickly lowered her gaze and responded: "Yes."
Song Ya Lan sneered: "I heard you came from a brothel, and she’s acquainted with someone like you, so she must be no good either."
"I..." Yi Ling hesitated, remembering Ji Xinhe’s warning earlier and not daring to mention that Ji Xinhe was the real owner of Hua Man Lou. She hesitated before saying, "I have had only a brief encounter with Madam Mu, and our relationship is not deep."
"Not deep? If it’s not deep, why were you so scared of her like a rabbit? And why did you let her slap you? Don’t think that because I show you some face that I am weak. You’d better speak the truth!" Song Ya Lan said angrily.
Yi Ling shivered with fear and hastily agreed: "Yes, yes, yes."
However, her mind was racing. She knew almost nothing about Ji Xinhe. What could she say? The only thing she knew was that she owned Hua Man Lou, but she didn’t dare to divulge this information. What she wanted to know now was where Song Ya Lan’s animosity toward Ji Xinhe came from, so she could devise a counter-measure.
As she was anxiously contemplating her strategy, a little maid rushed in, looking worried: "Miss Fifth, Madam Song the Second is storming this way with her people!"
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