Chapter 225 - Song Yuan Takes a Concubine

After all, Song Yixiao grew up and lived within the boudoir in this life or her last life, who lacked experience and knowledge in the court games. Therefore, she didn’t notice her husband’s concealment.

When she learnt that Gu Shao only wanted to make a retreat instead of allying himself with her, she felt relieved. As to whether she would be implicated by the Crown Princess and her son for Cui Jianlian’s matter, she worried about it for a while and still put it aside. It was right to take precautions but wasn’t it bad to live in a state of excessive worry?

It was the third lunar month now. Last Shangsi Festival, out of the need of selecting wives for the clansmen and childes, Commandery Princess Qingjiang held a feast in Zhanchun Venue. This Shangsi Festival, a similar dating feast was held too but this time, the hostess was not Commandery Princess Qingjiang but Daiguo Grand Princess.

“It must be for the marriage of Cousin Mingfei and Cousin Zifu.” Song Yixiao was inevitably surprised at the news, “It just reminds me of one thing. Last year, Qingjiang brought so many couples together. Why didn’t she introduce girls to the two cousins? Is it because Aunt Daiguo liked none of the ladies who attended the feast last year?”

“This time you’ve guessed it wrong. It’s not because Aunt is picky!” Jian Xubai frowned and then said with a chuckle, “Cousin Mingfei just doesn’t want to get married. Think about this. How can a girl from a respectable family stand his lifestyle of idling around all the time? Even if the girl doesn’t dare to intervene with his business, her family must point fingers at him. He can’t stand being restrained, so he keeps being particular about the girls and won’t get married!”

Song Yixiao thought that Ji Mingfei did have some self-knowledge. If he only took a liking for going to the brothel and kept women outside, maybe there would be a girl who could put up with him. However, he even hooked up with his nominal aunt, Jinguo Grand Princess. How could any father-in-law stand him?

Of course she didn’t know another terrible reason why Ji Mingfei was still single. That was, he had a thing about seducing married women, for which he antagonized too many people among the nobles!

How could those families or relatives having been offended by him allow their daughters to marry him?

Some were afraid that after they were related with him by marriage, he took the advantage of his position to fool around their womenfolk. That would be like inviting the wolf into the house.

“What about Cousin Zifu?” Song Yixiao’s impression of Ji Zifu was not good but compared with Ji Mingfei, this man could be regarded as decent.

Could he also find it inconvenient to engage in love affairs with others for being restrained by his future wife after getting married?

“As to Cousin Zifu…” With a glint of complexity flashing across his face, Jian Xubai hedged and said, “He was still depressed at that time because he just came back to the imperial capital. Hence, he had no desire of getting married. When he just let it go, the Shangsi Festival had passed, so he didn’t mention it anymore.”

Song Yixiao couldn’t help laughing, “He finally came back. Why did he feel depressed? Shouldn’t he be happy?”

“Back then, we were captured. Although it was because the Su Family colluded with Wuhuan, it was much related with Cousin Zifu. He trusted the outsiders too indiscreetly and faked the military order to deceive us into getting out of the camp,” Jian Xubai said causally, “Therefore, after we returned and the diagnosis of Xuepei’s condition was made, I fell out with him and things didn’t end well.”

When it came to Wuhuan, Song Yixiao didn’t feel like asking further. It was not a good memory for Jian Xubai.

She hastened to change the topic, “I was reminded yesterday that we should make some clothes for the coming summer. What kind of design would you like? I’ve been so busy these days that I forgot about that. If the maid didn’t remind me, I wouldn’t notice that the fashion this year was quite different from that of last year!”

“You are reminding me to buy clothes and ornaments with you?” Jian Xubai said grinningly, “Okay. I will go out with you tomorrow.”

Some memories just flashed across his mind, “I just recall that when we first met, your mother took you to pick cloth?”

Speaking of what happened back then, Song Yixiao couldn’t help glaring at him angrily, “It was such a mess back then! I simply wanted to take shelter from the rain there but you pushed me and got my ankle sprained. I was thinking that where this spoiled childe was from. How could he be so fierce?”

“I got you wrong at that time,” Jian Xubai said with an embarrassed face, “I thought that you were the maid who came to find me. Besides, didn’t I take you to put on some medicine, did I?”

He added, “I also carried you to a place for resting. How can you say I was fierce?”

“Speaking of that.” Song Yixiao suddenly stroked his face with a faint smile, “You seem to have had compassion for girls since you were a child. I was so young back then and you didn’t let go of the opportunity to take advantage of me?”

Jian Xubai held her hand with a wry face, saying, “What are you talking about? I got you wrong at first and then made you sprain your ankle by accident, so I was afraid that your sprain might be aggravated if you hobbled back. And you only brought a little maid around your age back then, who couldn’t carry you on her back at all. I wanted to make it up to you so I held you in my arms along the way.”

Then he suddenly dragged his wife into his arms, pressed her on his knees and gave her a kiss, saying frivolously, “It also proves that I have foresight. I knew that you would be mine sooner or later so I showed concern for you the first time we met, right?”

“Who knows whether you will just show concern for whoever you meet?” Song Yixiao poked his chest lightly and said with a faint smile, “If I find you do something behind my back… Humph!”

Jian Xubai turned his head sideways and bit her earlobe gently, snapping with a chuckle, “You brute! Who else do I show concern for besides you? However, you are concerned about so many people, like the maid and the foster nurse. I wonder where you put me in your heart.”

Speaking of the maid, he suddenly thought of one thing and said, “Your maid, I mean the one you keep in the side yard. Is she married?”

“Zhiqin?” Song Yixiao was a bit surprised and then answered, “Of course not. Why do you ask that? We have plenty of empty yards. It doesn’t matter to spare one for her, does it?”

“Am I that stingy?” Jian Xubai pinched her with a wry smile, “After all, the maid saved you before. As long as you are happy, what’s wrong with keeping a group of idlers in the mansion? I was just asking about it and you suspect that I want to drive her away?”

Song Yixiao patted away his hand snappishly, “Then why do you suddenly ask about her marriage? You know, she became disabled for saving me back then. It is not easy to find a husband for her!”

When it came to this matter, she felt sad immediately, “If she were healthy, in light of her appearance and talent, it wouldn’t be a problem for Zhiqin to find a good husband, even if she were as old as Cuipiao. Now…alas, I don’t mind keeping her all the time. I’m just afraid that she may feel lonely.”

These days she made time to select a few men for Cuipiao and then ordered the servants to run a background check on them. As long as the results came out and everything went well, Cuipiao’s marriage would be more or less finalized.

But Zhiqin…

Song Yixiao was pondering over it when her husband said, “Xuepei told me that he had a guard, an 18-year-old honest man with an average appearance. His family condition is simple. Now he wants to marry your maid. Would you approve it or not?”

“How can’t such a man like him get a wife? Particularly, he is working for a hereditary marquis.” Song Yixiao didn’t expect that her husband would be entrusted by Yuan Xuepei with the task of asking whether Zhiqin was married. Then she replied alertly, “Why does he want to marry Zhiqin? Don’t tell me that the guard once snuck into our mansion and then fell in love with Zhiqin at the first sight!”

Then she couldn’t help sneering in the end!

“Xuepei and I are childhood friends, but you are my wife. Are you an outsider to me?” Jian Xubai took a glance at her resignedly, “I just hope that you can give him a chance to atone for what he has done in consideration of me, but I can’t displease you for him. You are being so narrow-minded. I don’t know what to say now!”

“If I were really narrow-minded, I wouldn’t regard Xue’e as my bestie these years and instead, I would transfer my anger about her brother on her!” Song Yixiao glared at him dissatisfiedly and pulled a long face, “But they are brother and sister. No matter how close Xue’e and I are, she is not her brother!”

After they opened their hearts to each other, Jian Xubai didn’t attempt to persuade her to let go of Yuan Xuepei anymore. Song Yixiao even left aside her husband’s prospect in order to get rid of Cui Jianlian. After all, his prospect was closely related to hers!

Since she was so determined, how could her determination be shaken by him or Yuan Xue’e?

Therefore, not surprised by his wife’s attitude at all, he only said calmly, “Listen to me. The mistake back then was made and Zhiqin’s injuries can’t be recovered. No matter how you take vengeance on the ringleaders, you can vent your anger at most. However, as you say, you are worried about Zhiqin’s future! In this case, why don’t you give Xuepei a chance to compensate?”

He explained, “Xuepei has made a lot of effort to find this man. The guard he recommends is the son of a servant of the Yuan Family. His family are loyal to the Yuan Family from generation to generation! In order to atone for the sin on behalf of his master, he will never mistreat Zhiqin. If you find a husband for Zhiqin yourself, to be honest, you may not be able to find a better one!”

After all, given Zhiqin’s condition, it is basically impossible for her to find a husband with her own charm.

Although Song Yixiao could let a guard marry her as well, the commitment could only be made based on a huge dowry and a significant job promotion. Hence, this kind of profit-driven man wouldn’t be as reliable as a loyal guard of the Yuan Family.

At least, the former one would have a condescending attitude towards Zhiqin; on the contrary, the latter one would hold a penitential attitude towards her.

After struggling in her heart for a while, Song Yixiao finally said drily, “Let me think about it!”

Jian Xubai was relieved. Having spent these days together as husband and wife, he had known something about his wife’s character. Since she didn’t refuse out of hand, obviously there was a possibility. He claimed that he wouldn’t help Yuan Xuepei scheme against his wife, but they were childhood friends so he didn’t want to see Yuan Xuepei suffer the same as Cui Jianlian and Madam Jin.

It would be great if they could bury the hatchet.

It was about Zhiqin’s future. Song Yixiao had many scruples and couldn’t make up her mind easily.

The Shangsi Festival passed then. The next day was the fourth day of the third lunar month, Madam Lu’s twin babies’ first month birthday as well as the birthday of Dou Rouchi, Earl Shouchun.

These two things coincided with each other but thanks to the reason that she shouldn’t bring bad luck to her grandmother, Song Yixiao just sent a gift to the Song Family and then went to Earl Shouchun’s mansion to attend the feast.

However, the Song Family sent a message from Gu Shao over that siblings should stay as close as possible, which euphemistically suggested that she shouldn’t neglect the one-month-old ceremony of her half-siblings.

“What on earth is Gu Shao up to?” Song Yixiao thought it was only a trick of Gu Shao to persuade her and her father to bury the hatchet but now he became so enthusiastic. She couldn’t help suspecting, “Isn’t he making a retreat? He has his own concerns. Why does he have to persuade me to make peace with the Song Family? He is a benefactor of the Song Family. If the Song Family are on good terms with me and I am Jian Xubai’s wife, oh my goodness, Duke of Yan will be regarded as being in the same boat with him! If his future merits surpass the imperial family one day, we will be dragged into trouble too!”

Thinking of that, Song Yixiao made up her mind not to go. After all, the reason was ready. That was, she was concerned about her grandmother!

Therefore, Qiaoqin was ordered to send the gift to the Song Family and explain for Song Yixiao while Song Yixiao herself went to Earl Shouchun’s mansion with her husband to offer congratulations. She could also take the opportunity to bond with her sisters-in-law.

However, during the feast, Princess Changxing kept talking to Commandery Princess Qingjiang and Song Yixiao couldn’t find any chance to chip in at all. So she could only go to hang out with Earl Shouchun’s wife and Nie Wuying.

Unexpectedly, after she went back to the mansion from the birthday feast, Qiaoqin who had come back received her with a strange look and then reported a piece of shocking news to her, “The master of the Song Family has taken a concubine, who happens to be that girl of the Liu Family, the daughter of a sinful official bought by the Elder Lady before!”

Song Yixiao was speechless.

She was stunned for a while before asking, “Does my stepmother have no problem with that?”

Madam Lu was not so aggressive as Wei Mengying but it was out of jealousy that Wei Mengying didn’t allow Song Yuan to have any concubine and for Madam Lu, she really loved her husband very much!