Binding Spring Love

Before the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the Marquis of Chengyang's residence was busy making mooncakes and fruits, hanging lanterns and changing silk.

Song Wantong and Hengzhi Hengwu were sitting in the room making paper lanterns. Seeing the elegant design on the lanterns, she picked up a brush and wrote a few words. Just then, a maid came to report that Madam Song had arrived.

After having her things cleaned up, Song Wan went to the main hall of Lan Courtyard.

Yesterday, Madam Song sent someone to deliver an invitation, but Song Wan didn't know why she would visit around this important festival, as the Song family should be busy at this time.

After welcoming her in, Song Wan poured her tea and then sat obediently to the side.

Madam Song took a small sip and sighed, "I didn't want to come looking for you either, but the household has no other choice now."

She stared at Song Wan and said bluntly, "Do you know what Fu'er did to get you to leave the Marquis of Chengyang's mansion?"

Song Wan looked up at Madam Song.

"The marriage between our family and the Duke of England's family has been arranged. Your elder brother and the Ninth Miss have exchanged their betrothal gifts and sent the betrothal papers. Your father asked him to visit them in the middle of autumn, but he refused no matter what."

Song Wan frowned and remained silent.

The Song family values ​​etiquette. The Duke of Ying's family is the wife's family of the elder brother, so it is necessary to visit them on important occasions. Now that the marriage is settled, it is even more appropriate to visit their home. If they do not go, it will not only disgrace the Song family's reputation for passing down poetry, literature, and etiquette, but it will also be tantamount to openly insulting the Duke of Ying's family.

If that's the case, the two families will end up becoming enemies instead of getting married.

"You have been taught manners since childhood, and you should understand that this behavior is very inappropriate."

"Recently, your elder brother has been preoccupied with finding a house in the capital, even at the cost of defying your father. I am uneasy about this."

"Fu'er has just entered the Ministry of Personnel. If people find out that he is so rebellious and opposes his own father for his sister, not only will your reputation be ruined, but his career will also be destroyed."

Madam Song took out a land deed from her bosom and gently pushed it in front of Song Wan: "The house that Fu'er chose for you is not far from Zhitong Temple in the suburbs of the capital."

"I asked around beforehand, and it's an extremely beautiful and peaceful place."

"I know that you and your brother have been close since childhood, and I know that you would not agree to his reckless behavior."

"It's fine if things go well within the Song family, but it's unacceptable to bring shame upon yourself outside. Your mother doesn't want you to bring disgrace to your maternal clan and brothers as a married woman."

"Even if you do not consider yourself, you should consider your own children and your brother's children in the future."

"Your mother knows you will not be able to bear the thought of your brother's unborn child being implicated and bearing the name of an unfilial father."

"The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is in a few days. Before entering the palace, your brother will also go to watch the lantern lighting. If you see him, try to persuade him to stop."

After Madam Song finished speaking, she got up to leave, but Song Wan said, "Mother, you haven't finished your tea yet, why don't you sit a little longer?"

Knowing that she had something to say, Madam Song sat down again.

"I know my brother's character best; he would never disobey Father. Moreover, my brother has always kept his word, so he would never agree to the marriage with the Duke of Ying's family and then go back on his word halfway through."

Picking up the land deed in front of her, Song Wan smiled gently: "It is indeed a good place, brother, you've gone to a lot of trouble."

Carefully putting away the land deed, Song Wan looked at her mother and said, "Mother, you are Father's second wife. You married late, so it's normal that you don't know your brother's temperament. But as a member of the Song family, you keep calling him disobedient and reckless... you really don't know any manners."

"Before outsiders can even throw dirty water on us, why are you in such a hurry to label your brother as unfilial?"

"Mother says that since my brother didn't go to the Duke of Ying's mansion, why doesn't she mention that the family failed to fulfill its promise to him?"

"Since the household has already broken the agreement, it is only natural for my brother to do the same."

Upon hearing this, Madam Song frowned deeply: "Do you mean you agree with your brother taking you away from the Marquis's mansion? Do you know that in the Song and Su families, for a hundred years, there has never been a woman who was divorced or remarried?"

Song Wan clutched her handkerchief and pursed her lips. Seeing her like this, Madam Song softened her tone: "It is common for a woman to have some troubles when she gets married. Not to mention you, even the most noble woman has times when she is unhappy."

"You and the Marquis of Chengyang do not yet have any children. It will be better once you have children."

Song Wan lowered her eyes and remained silent.

"What woman in this world can have everything go her way? If every little thing that doesn't go her way makes her want to be taken home by her father or brothers, wouldn't the world be in chaos?"

"Your mother advises you to be more patient."

"I understand."

Song Wan got up and saw her mother out of Lan Courtyard.

Hengzhi waited cautiously to the side, but dared not step forward.

Hengwu, being impatient, hurriedly asked, "Miss, is that all?"

"Calculate?"

Song Wan murmured, "In the past, I was afraid of tarnishing the reputation of the children and relatives in the family, so I always tolerated and kept to my duty. But now, because I care about this reputation, my brother has been controlled by others."

"As long as I am in the Marquis's mansion, my brother will not be at ease, and I will be controlled by others."

"I am truly unwilling to let my brother be led by the nose for the rest of his life because of my worries about life and death."

"I acted for the sake of my clan, yet I singled out my closest brother, my own flesh and blood. What kind of logic is that?"

Song Wan picked up the land deed on the table and chuckled, "The manor knows that I value my reputation and family, so they use this to control me. They also know that my brother values ​​loyalty and promises, so they have made us intertwined, mutually restraining, and mutually shackled. They've really played their cards well."

He handed the land deed to Hengzhi: "Check where this location is."

Hengzhi took the land deed and left the hospital to inquire about it.

Lan Tingyuan has given away most of her dowry; the only thing she can't bear to part with now is that room full of books.

Looking around the study, Song Wan reluctantly packed away some rare and hard-to-find books.

She felt sorry for the girls of the Song family and clan, but her brother and aunt were more important than anyone or anything in the world. If the world truly could not accept her, she would cut off her hair and become a nun to give the Song family an explanation.

In short, even if she dies, she will never again give anyone the opportunity to use her to manipulate her brother.

Song Wan picked up her pen again and focused on writing on the lantern, no longer thinking about anything else.

The lanterns were made and hung all over the Lanting Courtyard, and then it was time for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

Song Wan got up early and began preparing the clothes and accessories needed for the grand banquet that evening. Since she was going to watch the Third Prince light the lanterns at Dengtian Tower first, and then go to the palace for the banquet, she prepared two sets of headdresses.

"Miss, why are the clothes sent from the embroidery workshop caught in a fringe?"

Hengwu picked up the clothes and then noticed a inch-long mark on the hem, which she didn't know had been snagged by something.

"See if it can be repaired. If it can't be repaired, then change into the brocade dress with the precious image pattern that my aunt gave me before."

"Let me see."

Song Wan Gang nodded, but suddenly felt a sharp, unbearable pain in her abdomen.

In just a moment, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Hengzhi was filled with worry and hurriedly sent a maid to find the family doctor.

"Grandma is like this because she ate something that wasn't right for her."

The physician had Hengwu bring over the food that Song Wan had eaten earlier. After examining each dish, he pointed to one of them and said, "This is quinoa."

"Veratrum is bitter, cold, and poisonous. It was because Grandma accidentally ate this that she suffered from severe abdominal pain."

"Who dares to poison our young lady?"