The evening mutton hotpot was exceptionally well-made. The lamb was young, slaughtered at only five or six months, and even when simply boiled in water, there was no trace of a gamey smell.
Tang Ning's facial wound was not deep, and after applying medicine for two or three days, it had already begun to scab. Although she was advised to eat less mutton, it wasn't a major issue. On the contrary, she had caught a cold earlier in the mountains, and her body had remained weak these past few days. The mutton soup was warm, and it was simmered with red dates and goji berries.
After two small bowls, she felt warmth spreading through her body.
Xiao Yan used the communal chopsticks to blanch some vegetables and tofu for her and added two more pieces of mutton. "The mutton soup is warm, but it's not advisable to drink too much. These pieces of meat should be enough; you can have something else afterward."
Seeing the flush of color on her cheeks as she ate, Xiao Yan finally put down his chopsticks and asked, "I noticed you're unhappy with Prince Cheng. Did he do something?"
Tang Ning hesitated for a moment before replying, "I'm not sure. He's always treated my aunt very well, and he used to be kind to me. He even put in a lot of effort regarding my marriage to the Lu family. But I can't shake the feeling that there's something hidden behind his kindness."
"Last night, when the Song family visited Prince Cheng's mansion, my brother saw it too. Although he said he would teach them a lesson for me, in reality, he didn't pursue the matter. Instead, he seemed to want to keep the peace, as if what they did wasn't a big deal."
She couldn't talk about what happened in her previous life or tell Xiao Yan that her aunt would suddenly pass away in half a year. Tang Ning could only find another excuse.
"After all, Prince Cheng is only my uncle by marriage, and the elderly princess in his mansion is extremely strict with rules. My marriage to the Lu family concerns the Empress. Although I asked my aunt to have him investigate, I'm worried he might choose to hide the truth because of his concerns about the Song and Lu families, not wanting to drag Prince Cheng's mansion into the matter for my aunt's sake."
Xiao Yan listened to her words without changing his expression, but he was calculating in his mind.
If she was simply worried that Prince Cheng might hide the truth, she could have bypassed him and directly asked Xiao Yan to investigate. Yet she specifically had Prince Cheng's wife intervene first and then came to him privately to investigate.
Her behavior didn't seem aimed at the Song family; instead, it appeared as though she wanted to use Prince Cheng's subsequent actions to confirm something. Given how Prince Cheng's wife had always defended and cared for her, Xiao Yan was certain that if Prince Cheng did indeed find out the truth about that illegitimate daughter's background and chose to conceal it, helping the Song family cover their tracks under the guise of the greater good, and confirming Song Shulan as the legitimate second wife’s daughter, his wife would definitely turn against him once she learned the truth. Even if it didn't lead to a complete break, their once-loving relationship would be tainted.
This little one...
Is she trying to drive a wedge between Prince Cheng and his wife?
Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised and a bit puzzled.
He didn't suspect Tang Ning of having any malicious intent. With her straightforward personality that he could see through at a glance, just a little protection from him would earn her full trust.
Prince Cheng's wife was her biological aunt, and the two were very close. Her aunt had always defended her. Why would she try to cause a rift between her aunt and uncle for no reason?
So, is there something wrong with Prince Cheng? Or is there some hidden truth behind the "loving" relationship between Prince Cheng and his wife?
Xiao Yan quickly guessed Tang Ning's thoughts, but his face remained calm. "You're right. Prince Cheng is involved in many things, and this matter concerns his son. It's possible that he might choose to hide the truth."
"I'll have someone investigate. If Prince Cheng knows the truth and hasn't concealed it, I won't intervene. But if he does hide the truth, choosing to make you suffer for the sake of the greater good by covering up that illegitimate daughter's background, there won't be any way for him to erase the evidence and deceive others."
Tang Ning relaxed visibly when she saw that he didn't press further about Prince Cheng. "Thank you, Brother."
Her eyes curved into a smile, and the tension in her posture melted away. The guilty look on her face was replaced with a sweet, obedient smile.
Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle.
She's still just a kid.
She can't even lie properly.
...
With Xiao Yan accompanying her, Song Tang Ning was finally able to relax and enjoy herself. Meanwhile, over at the Lu family, Lu Zhinian was in an extremely foul mood.
He had initially thought that sending Song mo to Ji Yun Alley would make Song Tang Ning obediently return. Even if she refused to return to the Song family, she would definitely visit the Lu family to plead with his grandmother not to punish him. But Lu Zhinian hadn't anticipated that the string of coral beads would be thrown out, along with Song Ning's servant being sent back as well.
The men from the Governor's Mansion had all seen blood before. When they saw their master's newly recognized sister being bullied to the point of tears, they hadn't held back in their scuffle.
The servant, Song Mo, had a bruised and swollen face and was limping from the encounter.
As he waited beside Lu Zhinian, the family head of the Lu family, who had just returned, scolded him once more. Song Mo carefully brought over some tea.
"Sir, please don't be angry. The master didn't mean to scold you. He was just frustrated after being slighted in court today, which made him lose his temper. Besides, the incident with the Song family has indeed caused quite a stir. I heard that when the eldest son of the Song family went to court today, there were a lot of rumors."
Compared to the direct malice Song Jinxiu faced, the few reprimands Lu Zhinian received were nothing.
Lu Zhinian's expression remained grim. "Did Song Tang Ning really throw you out? Was Xiao Yan there?"
Song Mo quickly replied, "The mansion was only occupied by Miss Song. I heard that Princess Cheng had already bought the place and gifted it to Miss Song. The servants inside were all from Prince Cheng's mansion, and the guards at the entrance were from the Governor's Mansion."
Seeing Lu Zhinian's dark expression, he added softly,
"When I arrived, the guards outside initially wouldn't let me in. It was only because Miss Song specifically allowed me in. Although she threw me out afterward, I noticed that Miss Song was only upset with you. Otherwise, she wouldn't have kept bringing up that illegitimate daughter of the Song family."
Lu Zhinian frowned deeply at this. "I have a clear conscience with Song Shulan; there's nothing improper between us. But just because I exchanged a few words with her, Song Tang Ning keeps clinging to it and targeting me at every turn. How can someone so petty bear the responsibility of being the matriarch of the Lu family?"
He was the third son in the household, but as the legitimate eldest son, his status was far more distinguished than that of his two older brothers from concubines, even though he was younger. He was also the one destined to inherit the position of head of the Lu family in the future.
Song Tangning was so petty and willful, completely lacking in tolerance. Her domineering nature didn’t even compare to half of Song Shulan’s kindness and understanding.
Hearing his master's words, Song Mo couldn't help but suddenly recall the moment earlier today at Jiyun Alley when Miss Song tearfully mentioned breaking off the engagement. That thought flashed through his mind but quickly faded, for no one knew better than him how much Miss Song cared for their lord.
Song Mo quietly said, "Miss Song is overly concerned about you, my lord. That’s why she can't tolerate Miss Song from the other household. Otherwise, she wouldn’t cry at the mere mention of you."
"She cried?"
Recalling how Song Tangning had looked before they left, with reddened eyes, Song Mo confidently replied, "Miss Song was extremely upset."
Lu Zhinian’s expression softened upon hearing this, and the coldness in his eyes eased a bit. "That's just her nature."
Seeing his master’s face relax, Song Mo then suggested, "Would you like to go see Miss Song? If you go, she will surely be happy."
Lu Zhinian hesitated for a moment but, remembering the trouble Song Tangning had caused this time, shook his head. "Not now."
Tangning’s temper needed to be properly tempered. He was the future head of the Lu family, and there would inevitably be other concubines around him in the future. If Tangning couldn't even tolerate the gentle-natured Song Shulan now, wouldn’t she cause chaos once she entered the Lu family?
Moreover, this incident was clearly her fault. If he went to see her now, she might think that throwing a tantrum could force him to yield. It would be better to leave her be for a few days, allowing her to cool off. Once she realized her mistake, he would go see her.
"But about Jiyun Alley..." Song Mo hesitated.
Lu Zhinian responded coolly, "Tangning is a daughter of the Song family. They will be more anxious than I am. Song Jinxiu and the others will naturally bring her back."
If Song Tangning didn’t return to the Song family for a day, the family would be gossiped about, and the reputation of Song Jinxiu, the eldest son, would be nearly ruined. The Song family would certainly find a way to bring Song Tangning back.
Besides, Song Tangning liked him so much that if he didn’t go looking for her in a few days, she would naturally come to him on her own, begging.
Lu Zhinian had never doubted Tangning’s feelings for him; she couldn’t live without him.
…
"Achoo!"
Tangning had just swallowed a bite of mutton when she suddenly sneezed.
"Did you catch a cold?" Xiao Yan glanced up.
"No, I just choked. This soup is so spicy..."
Seeing her red nose and her tongue sticking out as she gasped for air, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but chuckle. He reached out to take the dipping sauce away and placed a small bowl of snow fungus soup in front of her.
"I told you it was spicy, but you insisted on trying it. Don’t eat spicy food until your facial wound heals, or it might leave a scar."
Tangning continued to exhale while holding the snow fungus soup, sipping it with dimples forming on her cheeks.
========
T/N: Her revenge on him would be very satisfying dw
You can read ahead to chapterr 60 here
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