Chapter 165 - Visit the Maiden Family on the Second Day of the First Lunar Month

Wei Mengying answered her daughter with certainty, “The Prince even showed me the memorial to the throne regarding the heir entitlement. How can it not be true?”

Again she added, “He will submit it after the court is open again.”

“Then what about you and Guanyun?” Wei Mengying didn’t have to lie about this, but Song Yixiao still smelt a rat. In her eyes, her mother was not easy to deal with!

She pondered and ventured a question, “May I ask whether His Highness has made any arrangement?”

“Guanyun can only rely on himself and see whether he can pass the imperial exam!” Wei Mengying glanced at her and said, “As for me, don’t you always think that Lu Guanlun is a kind and honest man? I am his stepmother. Isn’t it reasonable that I hope him to take care of me when I am old?”

Song Yixiao hastened to reply, “That’s not what I mean. I do feel that Lu Guanlun is kind and honest, but you are my birth mother! I just feel that the news came out of the blue!”

“That’s because you don’t know me well!” Wei Mengying sneered and said slowly, “You were too young back then, so you must forget how I left the Song Family. After I married to your father, I fought against Madam Pang for numerous times until seven or eight years ago. As to the reason, I suppose that you should be able to think of it?”

Of course Song Yixiao could!

It was seven years ago that Wei Mengying and Song Yuan divorced!

“Why are you staring at me like that? I do want to model after your mother-in-law, but sadly, I am not that lucky as her!” Seeing her daughter’s astonished eyes, Wei Mengying snorted, “Moreover, there are only a few statuses higher than a princess consort. I know myself well!”

Rolling the bracelet on her wrist, she said with a casual air, “When there is a silver lining, I must go for it at all costs! However, if there is no hope at all, I will not dawdle and hesitate! Otherwise, I wouldn’t be the one managing the household affairs of Prince of Hengshan’s mansion and you might not be able to marry Jian Xubai!”

For the moment, Song Yixiao didn’t know how to reply to her and stayed silent for a while. Then Wei Mengying added, “His Highness promises that Lu Guanlun’s legitimate wife must have acquired my approval. I sincerely hope that Yuan Xue’e can be my daughter-in-law. If you really regard me as your mother, just stay out of this!”

She hedged, “I have given up expecting you to help me!”

Hearing out the clear depression of her voice, Song Yixiao felt a bit sorry and struggled for a while, saying in a low voice, “I only hope the best for you and Xue’e.”

Wei Mengying sneered and only ordered her maids without responding to her, “It’s about time. Let’s go to Lu Zimu’s yard to pick up my children!”

After a while, Lu Guanyun and his sisters were taken back and all saw Song Yixiao. The two younger sisters were too young, who could only be coddled for a while and then brought back to their rooms by the foster nurses.

Yet, Lu Guanyun was surprised and delighted, who kept asking his half-sister a lot of questions constantly. In the end, he also asked, “May I go to your home in a few days? It’s so boring to stay at home. No one plays with me either!”

Song Yixiao wanted to agree on his request but Wei Mengying took a glance at him and said, “You have been five years old since the Spring Festival. Even if you are still ignorant now, you should concentrate on study! Now you are looked after by your father, but what should you do when you grow up?”

Seeing her brother’s frustrated look, Song Yixiao felt bad about him and tried to speak for him, “Mother, it is the first lunar month. Supposedly, his study won’t be much delayed if he stays in my place for a day or two.”

“Girls’ prospects are to marry properly!” Wei Mengying glanced at her mockingly and said casually, “On the contrary, boys’ wealth and honor must be gained with efforts if they cannot inherit from their predecessors! If you spoil him and he is too absorbed in playing to study, are you going to raise him in the future? Have you ever asked your husband whether he agrees or not?”

Song Yixiao was struck dumb, who could only turn away and feign ignorance in face of her brother’s expectant eyes.

Under the circumstance, the lunch that she was invited to by Wei Mengying was full of embarrassment.

After leaving the prince’s mansion, Song Yixiao and Jian Xubai still had to go to the Song Family’s mansion act perfunctorily and muddle through the New Year’s call. Luckily, Madam Lu had a cold two days ago, so she couldn’t meet them.

It was said that Song Yuan must look after his wife so he couldn’t get away.

They stood outside the door on the ground of not disturbing Elder Lady Pang. In the end, Zhang Cuiniang brought Song Yibao out and asked her to give them a kowtow. Song Yibao took the presents and lucky money, and in return Zhang Cuiniang gave Song Yixiao and Jian Xubai the lucky money prepared by Elder Lady Pang, Song Yuan and his wife. As to the actual source of the lucky money, Song Yixiao was pretty sure that it must be prepared by Madam Lu alone. After having a little chat with Song Yibao, Song Yixiao asked her to go inside on the ground that it was windy outside, which indicated that the New Year’s call was over then.

When they arrived back at Duke of Yan’s mansion, it was not fully dark. They had a bath separately to eliminate their fatigue and then asked the servants to bring the meal on.

By convention, one shall pay a New Year’s call to his own family on the first day of the first lunar month and then his wife’s maiden family the day after that. From the third day on, he would start to pay visits to other relatives and colleagues.

That was to say, Duke of Yan’s mansion would be open to receive guests for New Year’s visits from tomorrow on.

Of course, Jian Xubai had to pay a New Year’s visit to the Eastern Palace and his supervisors of the Ministry of War.

“We have to act separately from tomorrow on. You stay at home to receive my subordinates on behalf of me.” They had supper together and rinsed the mouth with the tea served by the maid. Jian Xubai said, “I will ask Ji Su to stay too. By then, if they come and visit, let Ji Su receive them. If they bring any womenfolk, you should help receive them. As to the other relatives, when my sister has the schedule finalized, she will inform us and then we can go with her!”

Song Yixiao kept everything he said in mind and then winked at the maids to leave. Then she put down the tea bowl and said, “Today, my mom asked Xue’e whether she would like to marry Lu Guanlun in front of me.”

Jian Xubai was slightly surprised and very soon he said casually, “That girl’s prospect is Xuepei’s problem. We shall stay out of it in case that your mother gets mad!”

Song Yixiao sensed his confidence in Yuan Xuepei and thus had to swallow back what she wanted to say. She only thought that if she had time, she must spend more time with Yuan Xue’e in the following days. Once there was anything wrong, she would stop it then. Regardless, she wouldn’t allow Wei Chan’s mishap to happen again!

Because their following schedule was still tight and they both had something in their mind, they just went to bed without saying anything special.

The next morning, Jian Xubai got up first and dressed himself up as always. Then he woke his wife up.

They freshened themselves up and had breakfast together. Jian Xubai left the mansion with prepared presents. Song Yixiao who stayed at home on behalf of him received the first batch of visitors—a few subordinates of Jian Xubai’s.

Due to common decency, they were received by Ji Su in the front yard while their womenfolk had to go to the back hall to meet Song Yixiao, two of whom also brought their young children with them.

Song Yixiao accepted their greetings, asked them to rise amicably, and ordered the servants to offer them seats, serve tea and bring a candy tray. Afterwards, they started to exchange pleasantries and talked about different topics. When it was noon, they had lunch together. Having made sure there were no more visitors coming, as she was free, she saw them off then.

After all the guests were away, Song Yixiao stopped acting elegance and instead, put on a tired look and asked the maid to make preparations for her bath.

While she was resting in the water of the tub, Jinxun came into the room to massage her shoulders and said, “Madam Liao, Vice Director Ming’s wife, deliberately postponed leaving and sneakingly gave Qiaoqin some money in exchange for your birthday and preferences!”

“How did Qiaoqin respond to her?” Song Yixiao, not surprised at all, asked with her eyes closed.

Vice Director Ming was Vice Director of Bureau of Military of War, Ming Nezhi, who was an assistant of Jian Xubai. As a saying went, a wife gained honor from her husband. Madam Liao was not the leading one among the visitors, but her status was relatively high.

Jinxun said, “Qiaoqin told her about your birthday. As to your preferences, Qiaoqin said that you were thoroughly accomplished in lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy and painting but you didn’t like seeking the limelight.”

“She does know how to talk!” Song Yixiao grinned, “Her saying so is not different from telling her that if she wants to send any gift to me, it must be expensive and can’t be tacky!”

Jinxun said grinningly, “Tacky things are out of your league!”

These were tacitly common practices of reciprocating etiquette in the official circle. Song Yixiao didn’t feel like advising her husband to set his own banner and oppose against the secular world. Having learnt that the behaviors of Madam Liao and other womenfolk were all pretty normal, she showed no concern then.

She organized her thought and then told her husband roughly after he came back. Jian Xubai heard her out and nodded his head, “I will take a day off on the 9th day of the 2nd lunar month and hold a party for you to have fun in the mansion.”

The birthday of Song Yixiao was the 9th day of the 2nd lunar month.

“In my opinion, you shouldn’t take the day off back then!” Song Yixiao reminded him. “At that time, it must be womenfolk who will come and send congratulations to me. If you are present, how can they offer birthday felicitation to me? Then it won’t be fun at all!”

However, when it came to Jian Xubai’s birthday, “You should come back earlier for a feast to receive the guests’ congratulations on the 13th day of the fourth lunar month!”

Now it was only at the beginning of the first lunar month. Jian Xubai didn’t argue with her and then asked, “Has my eldest sister or the second brother sent any message about visiting the relatives?”

As Song Yixiao shook her head, he replied, “Then I will pay a visit to some colleagues of the same ranking as me. You just stay at home. Maybe there will be some colleagues to visit our mansion!”

Actually, among those who paid them New Year’s calls, one or two of them were fifth-rank officials. Therefore, Madam Liao was not the leading one of the womenfolk. After all, only in terms of official posts without consideration of his dukedom, Jian Xubai was an outstanding fifth-rank official.

For the officials of the same ranking without potent backing, it was a latent rule to pay a visit proactively to one with powerful backing, which was not very obsequious.

Yet, after all, the imperial capital was the city where the emperor lived. Jian Xubai could be rendered paramount and powerful among the fifth-rank officials, but he was not the only one. Moreover, he was young and not experienced, so he still should show some respect for some seniors.

The next day, they acted separately again. When Song Yixiao saw the guests off, Commandery Princess Qingjiang sent a maid to deliver a message to her. “Her Highness intends to pay a New Year’s visit to Director Qui, thus sending me to ask His Highness and Your Highness whether you would like to go together.”

It reminded Song Yixiao of the similarity between her and Jian Xubai, which she almost forgot. Both of them had an annoying father, which was a tie for them. Besides, she had a troublesome grandmother while Jian Xubai had a vexing distant uncle!

She told the messenger, “Of course we will go too!”

Meanwhile, she couldn’t help frowning slightly. As Jian Xubai and this vexing uncle had locked horns in court again and again, how would the uncle treat them when they went to the Qiu Family’s mansion?