The Qian family’s carriage departed, and after Song Tangning thanked and sent off the stern Madam Fu, she watched as the Marchioness Wenxin also boarded her own carriage. Without paying any attention to the cold look on Lu Zhinian's furrowed brow, she left with the Princess of Cheng and the others.
As the carriage curtain fell, it hid the disbelief in Lu Zhinian's eyes.
Outside, Lu Zhinian felt as if he had lost something important, leaving his heart feeling empty. He couldn't help but lower his gaze to his waist, where the sachet Song Tangning had painstakingly embroidered by hand over several days still hung. She had once shyly presented it to him as a gift, her face flushed as she said it was for him. Knowing she would be attending today, he had made a point to wear it in a prominent place to surprise her.
But what he hadn’t expected was that Song Tangning didn’t even glance at it once.
It was as if he no longer existed in her eyes. Apart from a few cold words, she hadn’t said a single thing to him. She treated him with the same indifference she showed to Song Jinxiu, and she even had the audacity to propose breaking off their engagement.
How dare she act so willfully?
Those who hadn’t yet left were all discreetly watching the scene. Noticing the anger on Lu Zhinian’s face, Old Madam Lu fumed, “What a fine Song Tangning! She’s really something!” She angrily waved her sleeve and shouted, “That Song girl thinks she’s so noble. Our Lu family doesn’t need a daughter-in-law like her. Sanlang, we’re leaving!”
Even now, Old Madam Lu couldn’t believe that Song Tangning was truly willing to leave Lu Zhinian.
Back when she was still young and naive, her marriage to the Lu family had been arranged. They had slowly stripped away her liveliness, her boldness, and bit by bit removed her from her original life. Other than Song Dalang and the heir-apparent Xie, Lu Zhinian had become the only person close to her.
She had engraved her love for Lu Zhinian deep into her bones, growing up reliant on that affection. This begonia flower had long been unable to leave the Lu family, and Old Madam Lu refused to believe Song Tangning could truly give up her grandson.
She was certain that it was the Princess of Cheng and that eunuch Xiao Yan who had filled Song Tangning’s head with nonsense, causing her to lose control momentarily. Old Madam Lu firmly believed that Song Tangning couldn’t bear to leave Lu Zhinian.
If she didn’t personally come to the Lu family to kneel and apologize, Old Madam Lu would never forgive such a defiant woman. Even if she did beg for mercy, Old Madam Lu was determined to punish her properly and teach her the meaning of respect and propriety!
…
Inside the carriage, Xiao Yan glanced through the curtain at the furious Lu family members leaving in a huff, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. His pale fingers released the curtain, and he turned to look at Song Tangning, who had been quietly chuckling since they got into the carriage. In a gentle voice, he asked, “You seem to like that Qian girl quite a bit?”
Tangning nodded, revealing dimples in her smile. “That Miss Qian is forthright and lively. I’ve seen her a few times before, but I always thought she was a bit overbearing and temperamental. It turns out I misunderstood her.”
She hadn’t attended the gatherings of the capital’s young ladies for many years. Ever since her engagement to Lu Zhinian, Old Madam Lu had instructed her that a proper lady should be quiet, virtuous, and well-mannered. She was told to study the classics of womanly virtue and filial piety, pay attention to her future husband's preferences, and avoid unnecessary social events to prevent malicious individuals from taking advantage.
Tangning had treated Old Madam Lu’s words as gospel, going from occasionally attending events to devoting herself entirely to pleasing Lu Zhinian. In a year, she only attended one or two palace banquets by invitation.
At those banquets, she had seen Qian Qiyue three times, each time in the midst of an argument.
The first time, Qian had slapped the daughter of a fourth-rank court official. The second time, she had scolded the County Princess of Feng’an to the point of tears. The third time, she stood proudly in a splendid dress, arms crossed, single-handedly making five or six young ladies blush in embarrassment. At the end, she even kicked one of them into the Imperial Lake.
Qian Qiyue’s daring actions made her famous overnight. Had it not been for the fact that Qian Baokun managed the Ministry of Revenue and that the Empress didn’t want to offend the Qian family, along with the fact that none of the girls involved could explain what had caused the quarrel, Qian Qiyue would’ve been punished in the palace long ago.
Song Tangning had heard stories of Qian Qiyue before and used to avoid her from afar. Today was the first time they had actually come face to face.
Yet...
Tangning was a bit puzzled. “I can’t help but feel that Miss Qian seems familiar, though I don’t recall ever speaking to her before.”
Xiao Yan said, “Some people are simply kindred spirits. You naturally feel an instant connection.”
“You’re right.” Tangning smiled, thinking she must have simply been drawn to Qian Qiyue’s bold personality, which explained the feeling of familiarity. With her doubts laid to rest, she turned to the Princess of Cheng, who sat beside her.
The princess’s face was pale, and her lips were bloodless. Tangning worriedly asked, “Auntie, you don’t look well. Should I have Nanny Jiang accompany you back to Jiyun Lane to rest? I can go to the Song family by myself.”
The Princess of Cheng shook her head. “I’m fine...”
“Fine? Do you want me to find you a mirror so you can see for yourself? You’re as pale as a ghost,” Gu Helian, as sharp-tongued as ever, couldn’t resist taunting the princess. His biting sarcasm spared no one.
“Look at you, your marriage is falling apart, and yet the Prince of Cheng doesn’t seem particularly upset. But here you are, staggering around like a ghost. What’s next? Are you planning to die out of loyalty to your marriage? Shall I dig a grave for you and bury you?”
The Princess of Cheng shot him a glare. “If you stop talking, no one would mistake you for a mute.”
“I’d love to be mute, but you lot just keep dragging me into things.”
“Gu Helian, you— Ugh!” The Princess of Cheng opened her mouth to curse him, but before she could finish, her stomach churned, and she threw up into his lap.
Gu Helian’s stern face instantly cracked, and he began jumping in fury, cursing, “Rong Yue! Are you disgusted with me, or are you deliberately trying to gross me out? I rushed all the way to the capital to help you sort things out, and my horses even dropped dead along the way. Is this how you repay me? Do you know how much silver my clothes cost? This fabric took me ages to find, and you—”
He reached out to steady the Princess of Cheng, intending to help her stand up, but his hand accidentally brushed against her skin. The scorching heat of her body made him stop mid-sentence, and his previously forceful hand stilled, now resting on her forehead.
"Gu Helian," the Princess of Cheng tried to push him away, "Don't touch me..."
"You think I want to touch you?!" Gu Helian's face darkened immediately. "You're burning up. Do you not realize you're running a fever?"
The Princess of Cheng felt a discomfort in her throat. Despite the churning in her stomach, it was empty, and she could only retch, with sour bile rising up into her mouth. Her eyes grew misty, and the last bit of strength she had been holding onto faded. Her head began to spin as she swatted his hand away from her forehead, frowning and rasping, "I'm fine. Let go."
"Fine, my ass!" Gu Helian ignored her words completely. He threw open the carriage curtain and barked, "Stop the carriage!"
The carriage came to an abrupt halt. Gu Helian immediately commanded, "Lord Xiao, you take the little Haitang to the Song family. I'll take Rongyue back to Jiyun Alley."
"I'm not going..."
"It's not up to you. If you die, how am I supposed to explain it to my sister?*" Gu Helian forcefully grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her beside him. He looked up at Xiao Yan and Song Tangning, who remained motionless, and snapped, "Are you two not getting off?"
Xiao Yan's expression turned icy, his fingers curling slightly as his sharp gaze froze in displeasure.
Song Tangning, sensing Gu Helian was dancing on a knife's edge, quickly tugged at Xiao Yan's sleeve and whispered, "There’s another carriage behind us, Brother. Let's switch to another one and let Auntie go back first."
Xiao Yan's expression was still cold, but at her plea, his gaze softened a bit. "Cang Lang, escort the Princess of Cheng back to Jiyun Alley."
"And don’t let any irrelevant people into the Tang family residence,"
Gu Helian: ...
He muttered under his breath, "Damn, I was careless."
=========
*Gu Helian is an adopted brother to the Rong sisters so he must be referring to Song Tangning’s late mother
You can read ahead to chapterr 132 here
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