"Oh!" Prince Ning stopped pacing and walked to the curtain.
Song Tao hurriedly bowed low and gave a deep bow to Prince Ning, saying, "I know my cousin’s temperament, I can help you take Song Jiyun as a consort."
Did Song Jiyun not reach her current situation by relying on Yuan Yunzhong?
She wanted to see, once the scandal of Prince Ning starting to fight with Yuan Yunzhong over Song Jiyun spread out, how Song Jiyun would manage to get out of this predicament again.
Song Tao thought bitterly.
Prince Ning burst into loud laughter.
His laughter made Song Tao shiver with fear.
"Let her come in!" said Prince Ning.
Prince Ning’s staff officer responded quietly with a "yes," his expression somewhat complex as he glanced at Song Tao.
Song Tao pretended not to notice.
What could be more important than saving one’s life?
She respectfully said to Prince Ning: "This younger cousin of mine has been unruly since childhood, indifferent to the reputation most girls care about; it means nothing to her. But one thing, which many do not understand, is most important to her—the well-being of her mother and sisters. If you wish to subdue her, you must hold her mother and sisters in your grasp."
Yet her mother and sisters were also Song Jiyun’s bottom line.
And with Prince Ning’s nature, he would not coax Song Jiyun. However, if he were to touch Song Jiyun’s mother and sisters, Song Jiyun would definitely fight with Prince Ning to the death, like a lioness defending her cubs.
Prince Ning thinking of taking Song Jiyun as a consort, what a dream!
And Song Jiyun wanting to marry Yuan Yunzhong, she could only dream on!
Thinking this, Song Tao felt much relief in her chest.
"There’s something you might not yet know," Song Tao said obediently, "The reason my cousin and Yuan Yunzhong could come together was also due to the sudden illness and death of my second uncle. My grandmother intended to match her with a relative from her natal family."
She related in detail the events that had happened in the Song family.
Of course, she was also a victim at that time—if it were not for Song Jiyun eventually taking over the Song Family Kiln Factory, she wouldn’t have been pushed out by her father for having the same talent in porcelain firing and made the manager of the Liangyu Kiln Factory.
Prince Ning really didn’t know about this.
The more he listened, the more interesting he found it, and at the end, he even said with great interest, "According to you, Song Jiyun’s talent in porcelain firing is a rarity not seen in a hundred years?"
"Yes!" Song Tao said through clenched teeth.
Prince Ning had once made a considerable amount of money through the Hong Family’s private kiln. Now that the Hong Family had been confiscated, he had been looking for someone to replace the Hong Family and continue firing porcelain for him. This was why she had been seized by Prince Ning’s men at the South Sky Crossing Wharf and put on the ship initially.
Now that Song Jiyun had produced a kiln with nearly eighty percent of the porcelain pieces succeeded, Prince Ning was sure to be interested in Song Jiyun.
Rather than letting Song Jiyun continue to overshadow her, it would be better to send Song Jiyun to Prince Ning’s harem and let her fight with the Princess Consort and other consorts.
She continued, "You have also seen her porcelain firing skills with your own eyes. The sweet white porcelain that the Song family holds in their hands now is even prettier than Jade Porcelain. If you don’t believe it, you can send someone to inquire in Jingde Town. If I tell a single lie, may I be struck by lightning and meet a terrible end."
She made a vicious oath.
Prince Ning was indeed moved and gestured to her, saying, "Tell me in detail about Yuan Yunzhong and Song Jiyun’s affair."
*
Song Jiyun and Yuan Yunzhong were returning their vows at Hongluo Temple.
Yuan Yunzhong looked at Song Jiyun, who had been dragged out of the city at Yin Hour and was yawning in front of the temple, feeling somewhat annoyed and said, "Had I known it would be like this, I would have told the Bodhisattva that I would come to return the vow alone."
Although Song Jiyun had slept through the journey, the weight on her mind had eased, and her entire body relaxed, feeling sleep was never enough.
"You shouldn’t have promised the Bodhisattva you would come alone," she yawned again, her eyes slightly moist; she quickly wiped them with a handkerchief, saying, "You should have chosen a closer temple or promised to return the vow after seven or fifteen days."
It was all because he had promised to return the vow the very next day.
He looked at her helplessly: "The Bodhisattva of Hongluo Temple is very efficacious!"
Song Jiyun nodded, yawned again, and said, "But I’m afraid this might be even more disrespectful."
Just now, Yuan Yunzhong had promised in the temple that he would ask the Bodhisattva to bless her with a smooth lawsuit against Song Tao, and he would gild the Bodhisattva’s statue in return.
Yuan Yunzhong was caught between laughter and tears and softly said, "Just hang in there a bit longer, you can continue to sleep once we’re in the carriage."
Song Jiyun nodded.
The morning light shone on her drowsy face, soft fuzz clinging to her forehead like the delicacy of a child... and endearing.
Yuan Yunzhong’s chest was flooded with tenderness; seeing that they were surrounded only by their people, he couldn’t help but embrace her in his arms.
"Yun Duo, let’s get married sooner," he whispered in her ear, "and let’s return to Jingde Town earlier."
"Mhm mhm mhm!" Finally, Song Jiyun had someone to lean on, and besides, the embrace was warm and comforting, "Let’s go back after the trial is over."
Yuan Yunzhong nodded in agreement.
Someone coughed lightly.
A flicker of regret crossed Yuan Yunzhong’s eyes.
Yun Duo never had any reservations about him because of their gender, but he shouldn’t be careless.
He should not have held her in public like that.
He slowly released Song Jiyun, looking toward the source of the cough.
Wang Hua’s face was flushed as he lowered his head, periodically glancing at Yuan Yunzhong from the corner of his eye.
Seeing this, he quickly said, "The abbot of Hongluo Temple has come with some of the head monks from the guest-welcoming hall."
Yuan Yunzhong instructed Xiang Ye, "Help the owner to the carriage for a rest; I’ll be right there."
Song Jiyun, wanting to get back to the carriage to catch up on sleep, said a few words to Yuan Yunzhong, and then was escorted onto the carriage by Xiang Ye and the others.
After Yuan Yunzhong exchanged pleasantries with the abbot and made a donation for lamp oil, he returned to the carriage to find Song Jiyun already deep in slumber.
Yuan Yunzhong shook his head with a smile, instructing the coachman, "No need to hurry, take us back to the city slowly."
The coachman acknowledged the instruction, and the thirty or so guards accompanied the three carriages as they rumbled towards Dongzhimen.
By the time they entered the city, it was the late afternoon when the city gates were about to close, and the streets were even busier than at noon.
Song Jiyun suddenly woke up, asking groggily, "Where are we?"
Yuan Yunzhong smiled as he covered her eyes with his hand, whispering, "We just passed Beixin Storage, it’s still early to get home. Go back to sleep; I’ll wake you when we’re there."
Song Jiyun was sleeping comfortably and lazily murmured "mhm," intending to stretch but finding herself lying on Yuan Yunzhong’s thigh.
Startled, she asked, "Are your legs numb?"
"Not numb" was already on the tip of his tongue. Yuan Yunzhong felt a stir in his heart and swallowed the words, instead replying, "It’s fine."
Song Jiyun was about to sit up but was held back by Yuan Yunzhong, who cautioned, "Take it slow; be careful not to get dizzy from getting up too quickly."
"How did I end up on your leg?" Song Jiyun asked, puzzled and moving a bit slower.
Yuan Yunzhong helped her to sit up and said indifferently, "I saw you didn’t look comfortable sleeping, so I let you rest on my leg."
In reality, he thought she looked as peaceful as a sleeping begonia flower and wanted to hold her in his arms, but he was afraid he might not hold back. As a compromise, he let her rest on his thigh.
But this was something he would never tell Song Jiyun.
Song Jiyun was now somewhat familiar with Yuan Yunzhong; the more casually he spoke, the more it seemed something had happened.
Could it be she had leaned over herself?
Song Jiyun harbored suspicions when the carriage came to a stop.
Yuan Yunzhong immediately jumped out of the carriage.
Song Jiyun touched her chin.
Yuan Yunzhong seemed too eager.
"Really, was I sleeping uncomfortably..." She lifted the carriage curtain, and Yuan Yunzhong helped her down from the carriage.
Zhou Zheng, however, ran over from the corner of the alley, panting.
"Owner, young master," he spoke somewhat incoherently, "there’s trouble, the third young miss, no, that is Song Tao, she’s hanged herself."
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