In the study, Song Jiyun wrapped herself in a date-red Zhang velvet blanket and rolled around on the Arhat bed.
Xiang Zhan, who came in to light the lamp, was startled and hastily set down the ox-horn lamp before rushing over, "Miss, please be careful not to fall off."
Song Jiyun responded with an "Oh," her gaze blankly watching Xiang Zhan busily moving around the study.
Having a boyfriend who liked horse riding and archery... wasn’t too bad.
It was a pity he was so conservative, she had scared him half to death.
Yet, she also felt cherished by his love for her. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
There was a feeling like being cradled in the palm of his hand, him not knowing what to do with his affection for her.
It’s no wonder so many girls like to be in love.
Song Jiyun couldn’t help it and rolled around on the Arhat bed again.
"Miss!" Xiang Zhan called out worriedly, and before she knew it, she was protectively perched by the bed like a mother hen.
Song Jiyun coughed lightly, a bit embarrassed.
Xiang Zhan, face full of curiosity, asked, "Miss, what were you just thinking about? I called you but you didn’t answer, and you kept smiling."
Song Jiyun’s expression stiffened.
Impossible. How could she be so infatuated?
"Really!" Xiang Zhan nodded earnestly, "If you don’t believe me, I can bring you a mirror. There’s still a smile on your lips! And your eyes are sparkling. I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time."
"No need!" Song Jiyun felt a bit uncomfortable, "Young Master Yuan has left."
"Mmm." Xiang Zhan picked up the large welcoming pillow that had fallen to the ground, dusting it off as she spoke, "It was Young Master Shao who came to pick up our young master. It just so happened that Guardian He was on duty. He was hesitating whether or not to step forward to pay respects, but before he decided, our young master’s carriage had rattled off."
After speaking, she placed the large welcoming pillow back on the Arhat bed and muttered under her breath, "How did this welcoming pillow end up on the floor?"
Song Jiyun sat up formally and instructed, "Go and call Zheng Quan over."
But in an instant, she remembered the Tea Cup that she and Yuan Yunzhong had knocked onto the ground in the adjoining room and quickly changed her mind, "Never mind, I’ll go find him myself."
She then briskly left the Academy.
In the summer Capital City, the weather cooled off as soon as the sun set behind the mountains.
The night breeze, mixed with the scent of the Xiang Zhan flowers, hit her face, and she took a deep breath.
Zheng Quan came over quickly, "Owner, you were looking for me."
Song Jiyun couldn’t help but look back at the study.
She was unaware of when Xiang Zhan had called someone over for her.
She smiled, perking up, "Go to Eunuch Qin’s mansion and find out when he leaves the palace. The matter with Cining Palace, we might still need to work through him."
Zheng Quan quickly went on his way.
When Song Jiyun was about to rest, he returned with a message, "I had just left the Qin Mansion when Eunuch Qin returned. He heard you were looking for him, even asked me if it concerned Cining Palace, and said for you to come over at the Mao Hour tomorrow, as he needs to return to the palace by noon."
"Then go to the palanquin hall and pass the word," Song Jiyun said, "Many officials from the six ministries live here, and they need to be at court before the Mao Hour. I’m afraid we’ll all be leaving at the same time. Don’t let traffic jams prevent us from getting there on time."
"Understood!" Zheng Quan went off to make the arrangements.
Song Jiyun prepared her clothes and jewelry for the next day and got up at the Yin Hour.
On the way there, lanterns twinkled, and four-man palanquins reserved for officials above the third rank passed by now and then.
Each time, Song Jiyun’s palanquin had to give way.
Upon arriving at the Qin Mansion, Zheng Quan touched the sweat on his forehead and remarked softly to Song Jiyun, "Jingde Town is still the best. You can walk however you want there."
Song Jiyun sent the servant boy with her to deliver the name card, and she said with a smile, "You’ll get used to it."
It seemed that Yuan Yunzhong was from a Third Rank family. His deceased great-grandfather and his father had both been officials, so surely they had already requested imperial edicts of ennoblement for his grandmother and mother. She wondered if he could also request such an edict for her? That way, she would find it much more convenient to travel.
As she pondered this, a side gate of the Qin Mansion opened, and someone came out from inside.
When Song Jiyun and the man saw each other, both were momentarily stunned, then the man across from her exclaimed in surprise, "Miss Song, is that you? How come you’ve come to the Capital? And to my father’s residence at that?"
It was none other than Immortal Baoguang.
Song Jiyun also felt a bit of joy in her heart.
After all, she had encountered a familiar face in a foreign land.
She happily said, "What are you doing here?"
As she spoke, she suddenly recalled that Immortal Baoguang was Qin Fang’s godson.
"Aren’t you at Dragon Tiger Mountain cultivating on behalf of the Emperor?"
Immortal Baoguang probably felt a bit of "meeting an old friend in a foreign land" towards her, frowned, sighed in distress without any reservation, and said, "How great is the Capital, Even if I’m cultivating on behalf of the Emperor, who would want to leave the Capital? I just took the opportunity to swindle a sum from Prince Ning and came back to the Capital to ask my dad to help me figure something out."
At the mention of "Prince Ning," Song Jiyun also frowned slightly and said, "How did you swindle something from Prince Ning? What did Prince Ning do?"
Immortal Baoguang chuckled proudly, speaking in a low voice, "He was coming to the Capital and sought Wan Shen’s help. Wan Shen turned to Noble Consort Wan, who took the gift but didn’t do the task and even gave Wan Shen a scolding. He had never seen such a spectacle before, all anxious and not knowing what was happening, so he turned to me in a roundabout way. How could I not take advantage of him?"
Song Jiyun was also somewhat stunned.
Noble Consort Wan... to think she would do such a thing.
Yet seeing how this kind of thing seemed routine to Immortal Baoguang, she suppressed the impulse to inquire further about Prince Ning and said, "So how did Lord Qin respond to you? Can you return to the Capital?"
"Of course," Immortal Baoguang said proudly. "My dad is still counting on me to support him in his old age!"
Given his character, Song Jiyun had her doubts.
Immortal Baoguang snorted, "They’re all too cunning. My dad says when it comes to retirement, he has to rely on me."
Song Jiyun thought Eunuch Qin was quite perceptive in judging people and nodded in agreement, "That makes sense."
Seeing that she spoke earnestly, Immortal Baoguang was delighted and said, "You still haven’t told me what brought you to my father’s doorstep. Do you need to ask him for something? I’ll help you inquire later."
Song Jiyun’s mind stirred, thinking that perhaps some matters might be more conveniently addressed through Immortal Baoguang than through Eunuch Qin.
After all, Eunuch Qin was the Emperor’s favorite and surely every move he made was watched by many. Immortal Baoguang was lower-key than Eunuch Qin, did things for money, had a "good reputation," and since Prince Ning could find him, his abilities must also be not bad.
It was he who had been recommended by the Chief Historian of Prince Huai’s Mansion in the first place.
Song Jiyun then recounted the whole situation to him.
However, he got sidetracked and kept asking her, "Are you really with Yuan Yunzhong? Why isn’t he helping you? You shouldn’t marry someone like that. If you really want to marry into the Capital, let me be your matchmaker. I have a good brother whose family is from the Outskirts of the Capital. He even left a brother at home to support their parents. After he took charge in the Palace, he bought his younger brother more than a hundred acres of land in the Capital and is planning on finding a way to make his younger brother support him after he leaves the Palace. Think about it, if you marry his younger brother, your son would eventually inherit his wealth, right?"
As he spoke, his excitement grew, and he whispered to her, "My brother is famously good at making money. If you’re willing to adopt a son for him someday, he would surely give you everything he has."
Song Jiyun was at a loss whether to laugh or to cry, and found an opportunity to interrupt his rambling, saying, "It’s just that I don’t want to rely on Lord Yuan’s help. When two people live together, I can’t depend on him for everything. I also have to stand on my own two feet."
"That’s true!" he said somewhat sheepishly, "Yuan Yunzhong is famously handsome; it’s no wonder you want to marry him."
Song Jiyun didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.
But Immortal Baoguang was not yet deterred and said, "Do you have any suitable young ladies around you? I could also matchmake for my brother’s younger brother. You would get a handsome reward for arranging the marriage. My brother doesn’t want to find palace maids for his younger brother; he thinks the women of the Palace are too used to suffering under their masters and have all grown hard-edged. Women from outside the Palace are better, gentle and virtuous..."
He went on and on until the steward of Qin Mansion came out to interrupt him, "Young Master, didn’t you say you were going to buy that sweet soy milk from Yao Ji for the Old Master? Why are you still here? The Old Master is waiting for Miss Song!"
Immortal Baoguang uttered an "Oh" and told Song Jiyun, "We’ll chat later," before dashing off like a shot.
This interruption caused the steward of Qin Mansion to look at her in a new light, and he warmed up a bit, saying, "So Miss Song knows our young master, too! I forgot that Miss Song came from Jingde Town. Your Mandarin is really good; I can’t hear any accent at all."
Song Jiyun, who had been worried about how to further close the distance with Eunuch Qin, took the opportunity provided by Immortal Baoguang to chat and laugh with the steward on her way to see Eunuch Qin.
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