Binding Spring Love

After Song Fu and Ming Xiang, the ninth daughter of the Duke of Yingguo's family, were engaged, no one informed Song Wan. It wasn't until the betrothal documents between the two families had been exchanged, leaving no room for negotiation, that she learned of the news.

It was only when Consort Yun invited Song Wan to the palace for a small gathering on Consort Yun's birthday that she learned that her father had chosen such a marriage for her brother.

Recalling the current situation of the Duke of England's mansion, Song Wan unconsciously frowned.

Hengzhi's expression was also somewhat unpleasant, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

Hengwu couldn't help but ask, "Miss, are you familiar with the Ninth Miss of the Duke of Ying's Mansion?"

Song Wan nodded: "Ninth Miss is considered to be a child born late in life. It is said that the second wife of the Duke of Ying’s mansion had no children for many years after marriage, but she and her husband were deeply in love and the second master never took a concubine. It was not until she was nearly thirty that the two of them had a difficult time giving birth to Ninth Miss."

"After the Second Master passed away, the Second Madam followed him the following year, leaving the Ninth Miss alone in the Second Branch of the House, who was raised by the Old Madam. It is said that she has some speech problems and was mocked by the servants in the house when she was a child. In recent years, she has not come out to see guests and has been well protected by the Grand Princess."

Hengwu's gaze swept over Hengzhi, and she murmured, "How could Master possibly propose such a girl to the eldest young master?"

"The Ninth Miss's maternal uncle is Lord Yan Tongfu, and her father has his own plans."

Song Wan clenched her fist slightly, unable to suppress her disappointment.

She always knew that the only purpose of a noblewoman like herself was to unite the clan in good relations, so no matter what her father decided, she never complained.

It is difficult for women, but all women in the world are like this, so she neither complains nor seeks to be a better woman.

But Song Fu was different.

Her brother will be the head of the household in the future, whether in the court or in the inner quarters. If he doesn't have a wife who can manage the household, he will likely have more worries than joys in the future.

Although few people are as prone to causing trouble as Lin Jiayue, Jiang's mother's personality is still enough to cause concern.

Furthermore, since Ninth Sister was not good at socializing, her brother would lose a lot of support in his official career.

Song Wan clutched the hem of her skirt, feeling a tightness in her chest.

"The Grand Princess is already in her seventies, while the Ninth Miss has just come of age. Their usual upbringing is mostly based on pampering and affection, so she probably won't learn much about managing the household."

"Although born into a prestigious family, she lacked the guidance of a strict father and a loving mother from a young age, and her nature is still unknown..."

Song Wansheng's mother passed away early, and from childhood, no one taught her to be reasonable and know how to behave. If it weren't for the difficult life of a widow in the Marquis's mansion, which forced her to be learned and have a broad knowledge, who knows what kind of personality she would have been born.

Having experienced the consequences of being uneducated, Song Wan was not optimistic about this marriage.

She then said that her father valued the Grand Princess's status and her connections with Lord Yan, and that it was inappropriate to exchange her position as the mistress of the Song family for it. The Grand Princess was growing old, and after her passing, it was unknown how much the Emperor would still remember the kindness shown to the Duke of Ying's family.

Moreover, Lord Yan is merely the maternal uncle of the Ninth Miss. The Yan family has more than a dozen young ladies, including Lord Yan himself, who has three or five daughters, both legitimate and illegitimate. She really doesn't know how much of his heart he would have on her brother.

This marriage brought very little benefit to the Song family or her brother.

"I wonder what my father is thinking."

A faint sadness crept into Song Wan's brows, but now that the marriage was settled, everything else was in vain.

Because Consort Yun was to enter the palace with Jiang Xingjian for her birthday, Song Wan was even less enthusiastic. Seeing that her mistress and Hengzhi were both sullen, Hengwu did not dare to say much and just tidied up the clothes Consort Yun would wear on her birthday.

After Song Wan went to sleep that night, Heng Wu pulled Heng Zhi aside on the embroidered couch in the outer room and asked her in a low voice.

"Sister, the young master is getting married, and you...?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Don't ever mention such things again."

She pulled the blanket over Hengwu, while Hengzhi huddled in a corner, secretly wiping away her tears.

It's common for women to be attracted to pretty young masters like the wealthy and beautiful young men.

But she always knew that even the most scoundrel in the world would not take his own sister's maidservant as a concubine, so Hengzhi always knew that all her feelings were just empty talk.

She pulled the blanket over her head, cried secretly for a while, and then stopped thinking about anything else.

The weather was getting cooler on the day she entered the palace. After Song Wan finished tidying her hair and makeup, she saw Jiang Xingjian waiting for her outside the door.

It had been quite some time since the two of them had last seen each other, and today she noticed that Jiang Xingjian had become extremely thin, and she wondered what had caused it.

She had no intention of asking, and Jiang Xingjian had no intention of bringing it up either. The two remained silent the whole way, their indifferent demeanor making them seem like complete strangers.

Jiang Xingjian lowered his eyes and saw that Song Wan's back was ramrod straight, her hands resting on her knees in a cautious and defensive manner. He suddenly remembered the last time the two of them entered the palace together, their knees touching in the carriage.

The feelings that had been building in the car that day had stirred something within him that made him restless.

But now Song Wan avoids him like the plague, and the gentleness and tenderness of the past are nowhere to be seen.

The same carriage, the same road, yet the two men's feelings were quite different.

Only after entering Changxin Palace did the two of them smile, as if they were a loving couple who had been inseparable for many years, like a pair of phoenixes singing in harmony.

The Song couple arrived early and paid their respects to Consort Yun. Jiang Xingjian then followed the eunuchs of Yanqing Palace to see Consort Jiang. He had originally invited Song Wan to come along, but she declined.

"Today is my aunt's birthday, so it's fine if you're not here, but it wouldn't be good if neither of us were here."

"You don't usually have a chance to catch up with Consort Jiang, so why not take this opportunity to spend more time with her? There's no need to rush back; your aunt won't blame you."

Jiang Xingjian remained silent for a moment, then turned and left.

Jiang Man was waiting for Jiang Xingjian at Yanqing Palace. She couldn't stand Song Yuning embarrassing her in front of everyone last time. If it weren't for the bigger picture, she would have liked to find an excuse to teach that person a lesson.

"How is Grandma?"

Jiang Xingjian shook his head: "I'm afraid we can't hold out for more than a few days. Does Your Majesty have any way to delay the inevitable?"

Jiang Man waved her hand somewhat irritably.

She was in the deep palace; how could she possibly care about her grandmother's life or death?

Seeing that Jiang Xingjian had become terribly thin recently, she couldn't bear it: "Try to delay for a few more days. If that doesn't work, hide the old lady's body in the ice cellar and find an excuse not to open the coffin during the funeral."

"I also have some arrangements in the palace, regarding Song Yunning and Shen Qianbai..."

Jiang Man lowered her eyes, leaving her words unsaid.

"Don't worry too much. If you hurt yourself, it will be your sister's fault."

Jiang Xingjian said, "I should be the one telling this to my elder sister."

The siblings exchanged a knowing smile, and Jiang Man said calmly, "I know that Lin is pregnant. Normally, this fetus shouldn't be kept, but since it's your first child, you can keep it if you want."

"Find a secluded place to send her away to have her pregnancy, and we can find her again when the situation has stabilized."

Jiang Xingjian replied, "I know what to do; my brother has his own plan."