It's a pity that the Song family, which had been prominent for generations, had fallen into such a state.
He glanced at the matriarch with disappointment.
"Tomorrow I will submit my petition to retire and return to my hometown, and move away from the capital. In the future, we need not meet again."
The matriarch panicked and wanted to stay longer, but General Shaoguang walked away on his own.
Meanwhile, after the Empress returned to her palace with Emperor Jingyuan, her maternal aunt, Lady Wang, found Jiang Wan.
"Your injuries have healed enough; it's time to return home," Madam Wang reminded her.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking too. I’ll bring it up with Her Majesty the Empress tomorrow.” Jiang Wan pulled her aside and whispered, “Aunt, I asked you to inquire about my mother’s life before she passed away. Is there any news?”
Madam Wang sighed: "Your mother didn't like crowds and didn't associate much with the women in the capital back then. Fortunately, she and your father were a perfect match, and their married life was quite sweet. But later she fell seriously ill and spent a year recuperating at her estate in Yuzhou. When she returned, her temperament was different from before, and her relationship with your father was not as loving as it used to be."
"Later, she insisted that you get engaged to Song Ziyu. Your father disagreed, so she secretly went to the palace to ask for an imperial decree. Because of this, the rift between the two deepened."
Jiang Wan was surprised.
So something must have happened while my mother was recuperating alone that caused her personality to change so drastically.
Investigating this matter will reveal why she was so determined to marry into the Song family.
Jiang Wan nodded and thanked Madam Wang.
Just then, Shi Yin was about to return from Donglai. He liked to travel all over the country, so sending him to Yuzhou to investigate this matter was just right.
"There's one more thing I think you should know."
Wang continued.
“A few days ago, when Ah Huai was on patrol at night, he rescued a drunk man who was sleeping in the open outside the General’s Mansion. His name was Bi Yuan, and he seemed to be Gu Yurong’s cousin.”
"The matriarch of the Yuan family forbade Gu Yurong from seeing her family members. As a result, Bi Yuan was depressed and often secretly waited at the gate of the mansion, hoping to see Gu Yurong one last time."
Jiang Wan raised an eyebrow: "It seems that these two had a deep relationship in the past."
“If there is any affection between them, it must have happened before Gu Yurong married into the Song family. Old matters are hard to investigate, and perhaps only her confidants would know a thing or two,” said Madam Wang.
Gu Yurong's confidant...
As far as Jiang Wan knew, there was only an elderly nanny and a maid named Zi Que.
Both of them were extremely loyal to her, so it wasn't easy to get anything out of them.
It seems she needs an opportunity.
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