Pei Xi sat down, drank some tea, and then happily left, clutching the saddle.
Only Jiang Wan and Pei Xuan remained in the pavilion.
The garden was covered in snow, so thick you could hear a pin drop.
"strangeness."
Jiang Wan gazed at Pei Xi's retreating figure and sighed.
"Born of the same mother, Consort Yun could give birth to such a pure-hearted person, but she could also give birth to someone like Pei Feng, who would give up his beloved woman for a political marriage for the sake of power."
Pei Xuan poked at the charcoal fire, his dark pupils appearing exceptionally deep in the firelight.
He suddenly spoke up: "The year Song Tingyue was sent to marry a foreign ruler was the year I was made crown prince."
Jiang Wan slowly raised her eyes.
Perhaps this is why Pei Feng made such a drastic decision.
Pei Feng was Emperor Jingyuan's eldest son and should have received more favor and attention, but that year, it was Pei Xuan who was named crown prince.
This spurred him to a point of extreme desire for power, and in an effort to win over the Donglai tribe, he sacrificed Song Tingyue, the woman he loved.
Under his combined pressure and persuasion, Song Tingyue agreed to a marriage alliance as a link between him and Donglai.
But she hated his heartlessness.
It was Pei Jin, who accompanied and protected her during her painful moments, who began to move her.
So over the years, while Song Tingyue outwardly dealt with Pei Feng, she had secretly formed an alliance with Pei Jin.
Jiang Wan said in a low voice, "No wonder Song Tingyue wants to abort the fetus in her womb."
Judging from Pei Feng's grief after losing her child, the child she was carrying was not the offspring of the King of Donglai, but rather Pei Feng's own.
Therefore, she never intended to have this child in the first place.
She got pregnant only to deceive Pei Feng and make him believe that she still had feelings for him.
The fact that the woman he had wronged in the past was willing to bear his child must have filled Pei Feng with overwhelming emotion and guilt.
So on the day Song Tingyue miscarried, he went mad and wanted to kill someone.
The two have been meeting privately frequently recently, which must mean they are deeply in love.
“Song Tingyue’s ability to manipulate people is truly remarkable.” Jiang Wan smiled slightly. “Now, Pei Feng must feel guilty towards her because of the marriage alliance, and he would love to do whatever she wants.”
Little did he know that what Song Tingyue wanted was for him to be utterly disgraced.
"Compared to Pei Feng, Pei Jin has been hiding in the harem for many years, and is more cunning and difficult to deal with."
Pei Xuan glanced at Jiang Wan with a long look in his eyes.
"Pei Jin chose Song Tingyue, his goal must be the Song family's military power."
Jiang Wan couldn't help but smile.
"No need for Your Highness to remind me, I will definitely keep my promise to bring the Song family army under your command."
"When Song Yu becomes the heir of the General's Mansion, you will see my sincerity."
Jiang Wan returned to the General's Mansion to prepare for the New Year's Eve banquet.
Within two days, news arrived that Emperor Jingyuan's men had followed the clues and found Ji Jiu, intending to punish him for disrupting the court.
In order to protect him, the gang paid a large sum of money to the imperial court.
Ji Jiu was punished according to gang rules, placed in solitary confinement, and forbidden from seeing outsiders.
It seems that for some time now, he won't be able to work for the Gu family anymore.
Meanwhile, at Xingzhi Courtyard, Song Yu attended the Earl's banquet. He was proficient in pitch-pot, ice skating, and other games, and he never stole the limelight, which earned him the favor of many nobles.
He won the emperor's favor over the snow disaster, and Emperor Jingyuan mentioned the matter to his ministers, praising him as a role model for future generations.
Nowadays, when people mention the young master of the General's Mansion, they only think of Song Yu, and they all look at him with high regard.
They also heard the news from the Green Bamboo Hall.
In previous years, when the household purchased New Year's goods and made new clothes and shoes on New Year's Eve, Gu Yurong and her son were always the first to choose.
This year is different.
Zhou personally delivered the items to Song Yu and even had lunch with him, her face beaming with smiles, as if afraid that Song Yu wouldn't see her kindness and goodwill.
Even the matriarch of the elders sent someone to deliver pastries she had made herself, an honor Song Lin had never received before.
Song Yu never skimped on these superficial gestures.
He politely accompanied Zhou Shi during the meal, and as soon as he left, he threw away the pastries and sent the rest of the valuables to Xingzhi Courtyard.
Jiang Wan touched the silks, satins, ornaments, and objects in front of her; they were all of the highest quality.
It's clear how much the matriarch and Madam Zhou wanted to repair their relationship with Song Yu.
Cai Die said, "I passed by Madam Gu's courtyard today, and it was so deserted. There were no red ribbons hanging, and there was no festive atmosphere at all. It was really quite sad."
Jiang Wan pursed her lips, her gaze slightly cold.
In her previous life, on New Year's Eve, while the General's Mansion was busily preparing for the New Year, she was locked in the woodshed in the backyard, freezing cold and starving, with only scraps of food and not even a piece of charcoal.
Compared to her, Gu Yurong and her son's current situation is not so bad.
Having been given a second chance at life, everything should be different.
"You came from Aru's place, is there any news from her?" Jiang Wan asked.
Cai Die nodded: "Aunt Ru said that Madam Gu is busy pulling strings for the Gu family, just waiting for the imperial court to issue an edict to restore the imperial merchants. General Song was a little dissatisfied, but out of consideration for their past relationship, he let her be."
Biluo pouted angrily.
"No wonder, Zhou didn't want Madam Gu to attend the New Year's Eve banquet, but Madam Gu insisted on going. She even bought her own clothes for the banquet. It turns out she still wants to be a royal merchant again."
Cai Die, unaware of the inside story, was somewhat worried: "If the Gu family really becomes imperial merchants, Madam Gu will definitely become smug again! It's just that the military supplies case has been investigated for a long time, and there is still no result."
"The Ministry of War handled the case swiftly and decisively. It wasn't that there were no results, but rather that the case wasn't reported."
Jiang Wan said slowly.
"During the holidays, unless it is a major or important case, we can only report to His Majesty after the court session begins on the eighth day of the new year."
As far as she knew, the Vice Minister of War had already investigated the Gu family's illegal activities and even prepared a memorial to the throne.
When the imperial merchant was lost, Song Ziyu acted as guarantor for the Gu family, and the Gu family only received a light sentence.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com