Chapter 313: Chapter 314 - Princess Yushan’s Marriage

Gu Shao didn’t believe Song Yixiao, and Song Yixiao actually didn’t believe him, either, even though Song Yixiao and Gu Tongxu talked happily with each other that day and even gave her an invitation sent by Grand Princess Jinguo two days ago when they were happiest.

The invitation was about Nie Wuying’s birthday.

Nie Wuying’s origin was compromising, and she didn’t like to be high-profile and even a little self-abased. Therefore, her birthday was only celebrated by her family in previous years.

This year, it was different. She had been engaged to Prince of Su. Even if Prince of Su might not be resident in the imperial capital, she still needed to manage her connections. Therefore, Grand Princess Jinguo personally asked for a lively and grand birthday celebration for her youngest daughter.

Given that Nie Wuying had only a few friends, Grand Princess Jinguo gave some invitations that still needed to be filled to her daughters-in-law after they made the invitations. She wanted them to introduce some people to Nie Wuying who could be turned to in future.

Song Yixiao told Gu Tongxu about the story and then realized, “The invitation is probably another reason why Prime Minister Gu let his granddaughter come?”

Grand Princess Jinguo wanted Nie Wuying to know more people at the birthday banquet. Gu Tongxu needed to know more people, too, didn’t she?

After all, Gu Tongxu grew up in Jiangnan and came to the imperial capital for the first time. She was unfamiliar with the place and the people. Qiu Zhiyin, who was about to marry her, was not famous or powerful. His biological father Liu Zhenxi had been killed, and his adopted father Qiu Shuxia failed in the fight for the title of heir to the throne. He was already lucky enough for not being implicated by that. How could he have other unreasonable expectations?

However, there was resentment between Qiu Shuxia and Qiu Zhiyin and Jian Xubai and Song Yixiao who were becoming more and more influential. Obviously, it would be very difficult for Gu Tongxu to get a foot in the circle of nobles in the imperial capital.

However, if she was introduced by Song Yixiao and attended the birthday banquet of County Lady Jinghui before she married Qiu Zhiyin, it would undoubtedly be a good start.

“Prime Minister Gu is really smart!” After Song Yixiao figured out these things, she couldn’t help but slightly raised the corners of her mouth, “However, the problem is not that whether I’m willing to let go of Qiu Zhiyin, but that whether Qiu Zhiyin is willing to give up revenge for his biological father. If Prime Minister Gu only made efforts to stop me from pursuing that matter, it’s useless!”

After seeing Gu Tongxu off that day, she saw that it was still early and was about to tell someone to inform Grand Princess Jinguo that she had given an invitation to the young lady of the Gu Family. When she just called Jinxun, a maid in the front yard suddenly reported that Nie Wuying was here!

“What’s the matter?” Song Yixiao thought that Nie Wuying wanted to move about after being sedentary, so she came to see her. Because they were close and it was inconvenient for her with such a big belly, she didn’t go to the gate to greet her but only told Jinxun to lead her in.

After a moment, Nie Wuying was led in by Jinxun, but she frowned deeply and looked worried.

Song Yixiao immediately swallowed the words that she was going to say to tease her and said in surprise, “Wuying, did Jinxun offend you?”

“Yixiao, how’s that possible?” Nie Wuying smiled when she heard this, said with annoyance, and looked less worried, “We all know that Jinxun is your favorite maid. She’s the most careful and considerate about her work. How can she offend me?”

She sighed and said, “I just have some worries. Princess Yushan came to our mansion to visit Mother earlier!”

After hearing this, Song Yixiao cast a glance at the servants around. When they all withdrew, she asked, “Why did she come to Mother?”

Although she asked like that, she could roughly guess the reason.

Sure enough, Nie Wuying said, “Princess Yushan heard that Master Shaoge will leave the imperial capital and take office in Beijiang, so she was worried. She pleaded with the Empress Dowager and His Majesty, but they both turned her down. After thinking about it, she went out of the palace with an excuse and came to my mother for help.”

If it was just such a thing, she wouldn’t be so worried that she came to Song Yixiao. The reason why she came here was, “I didn’t know what Princess Yushan said to Mother. After she left, Mother looked extremely pale. I’ve never seen Mother look like that before. I called her several times, but she didn’t respond! Then Aunt Jiayue pulled her sleeve and brought her back down to earth!”

So she was very worried, “I asked her about what happened for a while, but she refused to tell me. She just said she was tired and asked me to retreat. I was really uneasy. You and Miss Jiang are good friends. Could you ask her to tell Princess Yushan not to upset Mother like that anymore? After all, Mother is her aunt.”

“She really upset Mother like that? How’s Mother now?” Song Yixiao was slightly surprised and hurriedly asked, “Should I go and see her?”

Nie Wuying shook her head and said, “The imperial physician checked Mother’s pulse yesterday and said she was okay. Although she looked sad just now, I think she will be okay. But Princess Yushan upset her after all!”

Song Yixiao thought that Jiang Muting couldn’t help with this. Princess Yushan made Emperor Xianjia faint in anger for Su Shaoge. At the time, the Empress Dowager, the empress, and the Virtuous Consort took turns talking to her and tried to change her mind. If she was persuaded, she wouldn’t have gone to her aunt!

Those people were of high status and were Princess Yushan’s seniors, but they still couldn’t make her change her mind. Although Jiang Muting was close to Princess Yushan, she was just her cousin. How could she make her change her mind?

However, Nie Wuying came to ask for help in person and Grand Princess Jinguo was always good to her. Song Yixiao couldn’t just refuse to help, so she pondered for a moment and said, “I’ll give Muting an invitation and ask her to come for a chat.”

Nie Wuying quickly thanked her and asked how she was doing recently with a concerned look. They chatted for a while. Nie Wuying was still worried about Grand Princess Jinguo. Although it was late and Song Yixiao asked her to stay for dinner, she still refused and left.

Not long after she left, Jane Xubai came back from work.

Song Yixiao told him that she received two visitors today. Jian Xubai was not interested in Gu Tongxu’s visit, but was surprised by what Nie Wuying said, “How could Yushan do that? Mother never takes an interest in the affairs in the court, let alone the affairs of the Su Family at present. The Virtuous Consort should have stopped her!”

“It’s said that Princess Yushan went out of the palace with an excuse. I’m afraid that the Virtuous Consort didn’t know she was going to find Mother.” Song Yixiao reminded, “When Princess Yushan injured Yiyou before, the Virtuous Consort apologized and even pleaded with Mother for her. If she knew what Princess Yushan was going to do, how could she let her out of the palace?”

The Virtuous Consort was really unlucky. In order to fight for the title of heir to the throne, her son whom she raised up with efforts joined Grand Princess Daiguo’s camp, disregarding her nurturing grace, and even abandoned her niece cruelly. Her only daughter was also a troublemaker. As one of the four consorts, the Virtuous Consort was implicated and disgraced by her two children.

“She’s spoiled.” Jian Xubai pondered and said, “When Miss Jiang comes tomorrow, ask her to tell Yushan that if Su Zhiyong leaves the imperial capital, he might have a chance to get a position in the court again, but if he stays, his future will be unpredictable. If it weren’t for Aunt’s sake, Uncle wouldn’t have given him such a chance to stay away from trouble! If Yushan really likes Su Zhiyong, she’d better be smarter! Don’t just do whatever she wants at will and get others into trouble!”

Before Song Yixiao could answer, he said, “Forget it, since she had made the scene in front of Grandmother and Uncle, they might have told her that. She probably didn’t listen to them. Now that you have sent an invitation to Miss Jiang, let Miss Jiang have a try! It doesn’t matter if she can’t persuade Yushan. Although Uncle is a loving father, he won’t let Yushan go too far in this matter. It won’t be so easy for her to come out of the palace with an excuse and disturb Mother anymore.”

Song Yixiao nodded and said, “Then I’ll talk to Muting like this tomorrow.”

At this point, the servant who went to the Jiang Family to deliver the message came back and said that Jiang Muting had promised to come the next day.

The next day, Song Yixiao got up early and told the servants to prepare for Jiang Muting’s favorite tea and cakes, but she waited for a long without seeing Jiang Muting come. At noon, a maid from the Jiang Family came and apologized to her, “Something suddenly happened in our mansion. Our young lady can’t come today. She will come tomorrow and apologize to you in person. Please forgive her!”

Song Yixiao was close to Jiang Muting. She didn’t mind that Song Yixiao broke the appointment this time, but she was very confused, “What happened in your mansion?”

The maid only said, “I don’t know.”

Seeing this, Song Yixiao didn’t make any detailed inquiry, just said that she didn’t mind and then sent her away.

After the maid left, she asked Jinxun to make some inquires and see if she could get some news about what had happened in the Jiang Family in the front yard. Jinxun came back and reported, “I only got the news that early this morning, someone from the palace went to the Jiang Family. It seemed to be the Virtuous Consort’s servant. But that servant left soon after he entered the Jiang Family’s mansion. No one knew what he said to the Jiang Family.”

Song Yixiao thought that it must have something to do with what Princess Yushan did yesterday, but she didn’t know what the Virtuous Consort was going to do.

Fortunately, Jiang Muting didn’t break the appointment again the next day. She arrived at the mansion of Duke of Yan when Jian Xubai left for work. After she saw Song Yixiao, she naturally apologized first, “I promised to come yesterday, but when I got ready and was about to go out, something came up!”

That maid of the Jiang Family refused to disclose any information about what happened yesterday, so Song Yixiao only asked with solicitude, “Has it been solved? If not, you can take care of it first. I’m not in a hurry to talk to you.”

“No, and I can’t solve it,” Jiang Muting didn’t mean to hide it and hinted that she wanted these servants to withdraw. After these servants all left, she said frankly, “My aunt is going to betroth Yushan to my third brother. My mother was anxious when she heard the news, but my father asked for an exile because of me before and is not in the imperial capital, and no one in our family could make the decision. Then the situation in my family was a little chaotic, so I didn’t come yesterday.”

“Your third brother?” Song Yixiao suddenly remembered that at the Shangsi Festival last year, when Jiang Muting and Wei Yinlian both wanted to introduce their brothers to her, Wei Yinlian told her that Jiang Muting’s third brother “already has several women”. It did not mean that Master Jiang was not a decent person. After all, that was the current tendency in their society.

People like Jian Xubai, Lu Guanlun, and Yuan Xuepei, who had no romance before marriage, were very rare.

Moreover, Jiang Muting refuted that “they will be sent away before her brother gets married”. According to the current public view, families who obeyed rules should do such a thing.

The problem was that Jiang Muting knew that Princess Yushan never forgot Su Shaoge. The Jiang Family didn’t know that?

Song Yixiao couldn’t help being speechless when she thought of that, “Why did the Virtuous Consort make such an arrangement?”

Although the thing that Virtuous Consort Jiang selected the prince consort for Princess Yushan on Cuihua Mountain didn’t go smoothly, she couldn’t do such a thing to entrap her nephew, right?

Jiang Muting said helplessly, “My aunt has no other choices. You know Yushan’s temperament. If she marries other people, how can they control her? At that time, she might make huge scenes. My aunt thought that the Jiang Family was Yushan’s maternal grandparents’ family. My parents watched Yushan grow up. Yushan also respects them, so they could keep Yushan under control.”

After all, Princess Yushan had told her that she wanted to snatch the man she liked from others like Princess Changxing. If she did that after she got married like Grand Princess Jinguo, wouldn’t she disgrace the royal family?

Su Shaoge’s fiancee, the youngest daughter of Prince of Yi, was the cousin of Princess Yushan!

Even Grand Prince Jinguo, who was famous for being in different romances with men had never thought about having a romance with Earl Fuyang!

Moreover, Princess Yushan and the crown prince were not siblings. Even if the crown prince loved her, he wouldn’t spoil her as much as Emperor Xianjia and Grand Princess Jinguo did in future. Even if he would, he couldn’t control the court effectively as Emperor Xianjia did. If Princess Yushan really got involved in a big scandal, the crown prince couldn’t protect her even if he wanted to.

Therefore, Virtuous Consort Jiang could only turn to her parents’ family and wanted them to help her restrain his daughter.

However, although Song Yixiao understood that Virtuous Consort Jiang did that for her daughter’s good, she didn’t think it was a good idea, “But being a niece is not the same as being a daughter-in-law. Besides, after Princess Yushan marries into the Jiang Family, she and her husband will live in the mansion that is built for them and won’t live with her husband’s family.”

Since they didn’t live together, could Jiang Yin and his wife go to the princess’s mansion to discipline Prince Yushan frequently?

Jiang Muting’s third brother was only the cousin of Princess Yushan. Even if Princess Yushan respected her elders, he was not an elder to her. Besides, Song Yixiao doubted whether Princess Yushan really respected her elders. After all, the Empress Dowager, the emperor, the Virtuous Consort, and Grand Princess Jinguo were also her elders, weren’t they?

“Right.” Jiang muting sighed, “Last night, our family discussed it until midnight, and then decided to write to my father and let my father make the final decision.”

Speaking of this, she remembered something, “Miss Gu arrived in the imperial capital two days ago. She seemed to have visited you?”

“Yes.” Song Yixiao nodded, “What’s the matter?”

“She lives in the Song Family’s mansion now.” Jiang Muting said in a strange tone, “It’s said that Elder Lady Pang was grateful to Prime Minister Gu’s care for Lord Song, and thought that the Gu Family had no other female relative in the imperial capital, so she invited her to stay in their mansion.”