"Yesterday, Song Yanji entered the capital. My sister Yan, being curious, went to see him. She thought he was quite a hero, so she asked her son to ask him a few questions." Xie Jiali dared not hide anything and only told him a few things.
“Yan’er has always been arrogant,” Grand Tutor Xie said calmly.
“Father, Yan’er is still young, it’s inevitable that she’s a bit confused.” Xie Jiali knelt down, seemingly in a hurry. “Please don’t blame her.”
“You can’t be stupid just because she’s stupid. It’s one thing if it were someone else, but this Song Yanji…” Grand Tutor Xie laughed, his eye wrinkles deepening slightly, “You know that.”
“My son understands.”
"Go ahead. You and Yan'er are siblings from the same mother, so you should think more about her." Seeing Xie Jiali breathe a sigh of relief, Grand Tutor Xie spoke again, "Yesterday, the maid who stopped you was Huan Suyi, wasn't she?"
"yes."
"Send some silver to her house." Grand Tutor Xie turned around, pointing at the painting on the table, seemingly dissatisfied. "It's still not good."
After receiving his father's words, Xie Jiali left the study and headed towards his younger sister's residence, He Tongyuan, feeling increasingly anxious.
"Young Master." A maid in the courtyard rushed to greet Xie Jiali, while another hurriedly went to inform Xie Jiayan.
Where is Miss?
"I'm reading right now."
"What are you reading so late at night? Aren't you afraid of ruining your eyes?" His voice traveled through the wall to Xie Jiayan's ears.
She sat on a rosewood chair with openwork carvings, watching Baoyun open the door for him, and smiled, "Brother, what brings you here?"
"Get out, all of you." Xie Jiali spoke, and the maids inside the room didn't dare to move, all cautiously looking up at Xie Jiayan for his signal.
"Go down." After a moment's pause, she smiled and spoke, and the maids quickly bowed and took their leave.
After the door closed, he sat down beside her. "Where is that maid named Suyi who's next to you?"
"She should be in the back mountain." Xie Jiayan thought for a moment, a little confused, then laughed, "Who knows where she was thrown away."
"Yanmei, you're going to discourage people by doing this." Xie Jiali tapped the table, clearly dissatisfied.
“Baoyun, Jinxiu has been with me for so long and nothing has happened to her.” She looked at the newly dyed nail polish on her fingertips, seemingly unconcerned about her brother’s words. “Who does she think she is, daring to use Mother to pressure me?”
"you…"
“If the maid is obedient, I will help her if something happens. But if she is afraid of others, what use is she to me?” Xie Jiayan said impatiently, tugging at Xie Jiali’s sleeve and acting coquettishly. “Brother, you don’t just want to tell me this so late at night, do you?”
"This matter concerning Song Yansi ends here. Do not inquire further."
"Oh?" Jin Xiu had just told her that her brother came from the direction of their father's study. Xie Jiayan narrowed her eyes, looking rather sly. "Could it be because of Father?"
Seeing Xie Jiali's sullen face, she leaned closer to him and asked curiously, "Why is Father so concerned about this matter?"
She only asked the man a couple of questions and didn't do anything out of line.
"Sister Yan!"
"Alright, I understand." Seeing that her brother was about to get angry, Xie Jiayan quickly put her finger to her lips. "I won't ask again."
Afterwards, Xie Jiali gave her a lot of instructions before leaving the courtyard.
"Miss." Bao Yun saw him off and hurried in, asking quietly, "Should we still keep an eye on Marquis Anguo's affairs?"
"Keep an eye on it, why wouldn't you?" Xie Jiayan rested her chin on her hand. Such a small matter had actually alarmed her father. This was getting more and more interesting.
"What about the young master..."
"Don't worry about him." Xie Jiayan touched the book in his hand and casually tossed it onto the table. "Tell our people to keep their eyes open and avoid our leader's men."
"yes."
"Master, Madam, you're finally back." Jiang Yuan and Song Yansi had just stepped into the courtyard when Bi Fan rushed out from the doorway. "Young Master has been crying for most of the day, and Miss is comforting him inside right now."
"Mother—" A heart-wrenching wail echoed through the courtyard.
Jiang Yuan felt heartbroken upon hearing this, and without even thinking about the little prince from earlier, she quickly lifted her skirt and hurried into the house.
"Perhaps she's just arrived in Lin'an and is a little scared." Tang Rong'an breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jiang Yuan come in, and handed Song Chengyu to her.
"Mother." The little one looked so wronged. Seeing Jiang Yuan and Song Yansi, she pouted and twitched, "You don't want me anymore..."
"How could your mother not want you?" Jiang Yuan patted his little bottom.
“You’re gone,” Song Chengyu said accusingly.
"Your mother went to gather grass to make grasshoppers for you." Song Yanji rubbed his son's forehead, reached into his sleeve and took out two grasshoppers made of grass. The grasshoppers were so lifelike that they seemed ready to jump away.
The little man was quickly attracted by the grasshopper, forgetting the reality of being "abandoned," and reached out to grab it.
"Yu'er is so cute." Rong An said with a smile, holding a small handkerchief.
Song Yansi continued to tease his son, subtly saying, "Rong'an is not young anymore."
The atmosphere became somewhat tense. Jiang Yuan remained silent, only gently pulling Tang Rong'an's suddenly tightened hand and placing it on Cheng Yu, casually changing the subject, "Yu'er, look how much your aunt likes you."
That evening, Song Chengyu played around for a while longer, and only after he was tired and fell asleep was Zhu Chuan carried him out.
Song Yansi lay on the bed, propping his head up with one arm and holding Jiang Yuan in his arms with the other. "After being busy these past two days, I can finally get a good night's sleep."
"Don't sleep." Jiang Yuan nudged his arm and turned to look at him. "Father wants us to go back sometime. Do you have time these next couple of days?"
"Yes, you decide." Song Yansi turned around and hugged her, resting his forehead on her hair.
Seeing that he was about to close his eyes again, Jiang Yuan quickly raised his head, "By the way, we still need to discuss Rong'an's matter."
"What's there to discuss? What kind of man in Lin'an City wouldn't be good enough for my cousin?" He sounded almost proud.
"But..." She thought for a moment, then finally decided to tell him, "Rong'an already has a man she likes, you can..."
“Fu Zhengyan won’t do.” Before Jiang Yuan could finish speaking, Song Yansi interrupted him.
"Why? Don't you say your cousin is good enough for anyone?"
“I asked him.” Song Yansi looked down at Jiang Yuan, his expression serious. “Several years ago, before Jingzhou City fell.”
He asked: If you care so much about her, why don't you marry her?
He said: You know the relationship between the Tang and Fu families, I can't marry her.
They might not care, but the Fu family couldn't get over this hurdle. And Rong'an, that silly girl, knew it all too well.
Jiang Yuan was stunned, then suddenly remembered that Rong An had said to her that day, "It's a pity my surname is Tang, and his surname is Fu." She pondered for a moment and asked, "Is there some kind of grudge between you?"
"Um."
"Is it solvable?"
"I don't know." Song Yansi closed his eyes. "Even if I could, I couldn't solve it now."
Jiang Yuan remained silent, resting her head on Song Yansi's shoulder. Of all the grudges in the world, the deepest is the feud between generations, which accumulates over time and is etched into the blood. Perhaps she and Fu Zhengyan are burdened by the previous generation.
Jiang Yuan thought of Tang Rong'an from her previous life again. It seemed that she really wasn't living a good life; she was lifeless and stagnant, like a dry well without any ripples.
etc!
Jiang Yuan's slightly narrowed eyes suddenly widened!
If Rong'an and Fu Zhengyan are in love with each other and Song Yansi knows this, given his personality, he would certainly not touch his best friend's sweetheart. And Master Fu is also a man of principle. So, whose child is Rong'an in her belly?
This realization gave Jiang Yuan goosebumps. She turned her head in shock, looking at Song Yansi with a complicated expression. The man beside her seemed to be asleep, and the moonlight made his face look very handsome.
Tang Rong'an has a secret! Jiang Yuan is certain, but what did he hide from her in his past life?
Chapter 51 A Great Falsehood Appears True
The sky was a bit dark in the morning, and a light drizzle was falling. Inside the carriage, Song Chengyu leaned against the window, peering through the crack at the wet street. Children this age are curious about everything.
Just as they turned the corner of the alley, before even reaching the Jiang residence, Song Chengyu turned his head, pointed his chubby little finger out of the carriage, and softly called out to Jiang Yuan, "Mother, there's someone here."
Jiang Yuan looked in the direction he was pointing. The drizzle wet the blue stone slabs. In the distance, several figures stood at the gate of the mansion, holding oil-paper umbrellas. The carriage creaked and groaned as it moved forward, and the blurry figures became clearer and clearer.
"Yuan'er." Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, her mother's voice, choked with sobs, reached Jiang Yuan's ears. The carriage curtain was suddenly pulled up, and two pairs of tearful eyes met.
Jiang Yuan's nose tingled, and tears streamed down her face. She didn't forget to comfort her mother, "Mother, don't cry, your daughter is back."
Cheng Yu was held in Song Yansi's arms. Seeing her mother crying so sadly, she said in a small voice with a hint of grievance, "Mother."
Madam Jiang was brought back to her senses by the child's soft, sweet voice. She wiped away her tears with her handkerchief and exclaimed with delight, "Is it Yu'er?"
"This little rascal is over two years old." Jiang Yuan smiled as she took her son from Song Yansi's arms, pushed him in front of Madam Jiang, and patted her son's head. "Yu'er, call me Grandmother."
"Grandmother." The sweet voice brought tears to Madam Jiang's eyes again. Her Yuan'er, she seemed so small in her memory, and now she was a mother.
"Let's go inside and talk again." Seeing that the two were about to burst into tears again, Song Yansi spoke up in time. He smiled and said to Madam Jiang, "Don't keep your father-in-law waiting anxiously at home."
"Look at me, I was so happy to see Yuan'er that I kept talking to her by the roadside. Let's go home, it's warm at home." Madam Jiang then remembered that her daughter and son-in-law hadn't gotten out of the car yet. Cherry was quick-witted and hurriedly stepped forward to help Jiang Yuan out of the car, while Zhu Chuan held up an oil-paper umbrella and picked up Cheng Yu.
The Jiang residence wasn't large, but it was exquisite, with pavilions, terraces, and winding streams. Fearing she might be neglecting Song Yanji, Madam Jiang chatted with him, eventually mentioning some amusing anecdotes from Jiang Yuan's childhood. Passing by the artificial hill in the courtyard, Madam Jiang pointed to one of the rocks, a hint of lingering fear in her voice, "Yuan'er was incredibly playful as a child. The more you forbade her to do something, the more she insisted on doing it. She even fell off this rock once and was bedridden for quite some time."
"They say you learn from your mistakes, and Yuan will surely be much more obedient and gentle afterward," Song Yanji said with a smile, looking at the artificial hill and gently rubbing his fingers in his sleeve.
"Absolutely." What mother doesn't like others praising her daughter? So she started talking, "She suddenly grew up after that, becoming as sensible as a little adult."
At the time, she was still very scared, afraid that her daughter might have gotten seriously injured. But later, seeing that her daughter was becoming more and more sensible and that her mind was not damaged, she felt happy.
Jiang Zhongsi was drinking tea in the hall when the bustling voices grew closer. He waved his hand, and Rui'an fell silent and tactfully withdrew.
Having not seen him for a long time, Jiang Zhongsi had grown a beard and looked even more refined and cultured. After greeting him, Song Yansi stood to one side and watched as Jiang Yuan, like a little girl, tugged at Jiang Zhongsi's sleeve and acted cute. She then held her son and talked to him for a long time, her eyes sparkling and her spirits high.
If it weren't for the fact that Song Yanji and he were at odds in their past lives, everyone would think of him now as a learned and humble man of exceptional talent.
"Chengyu is very good." Jiang Zhongsi patted his little grandson's head.
“Zhongli said the child looks like him, which must be wonderful.” Jiang Yuan pulled Song Yansi’s arm and pulled him over, smiling. “But I think Chengyu looks just like me.”
“A married woman obeys her husband, how can you still be so childish?” Jiang Zhongsi’s smile remained unchanged as he subtly withdrew his hand from his sleeve and looked at Jiang Yuan, saying, “You and your mother haven’t seen each other for a long time, go and have a chat. I also want to discuss some serious matters with Zhongli.”
"Hmph, isn't my daughter's business a serious matter?" Although she said that, Jiang Yuan was very clever and knew that it was not appropriate for her, as a woman, to get involved in men's business. So she reached out and pulled Cheng Yu, and looked at Song Yansi and said reproachfully, "Yu'er, let's go to Grandmother's for some snacks, without your father."
"I won't take Father." Cheng Yu nodded solemnly, but when he looked up he saw Song Yansi glaring at him. He hurriedly hid behind Jiang Yuan's skirt and changed his words, "Yu'er will save it for Father."
After a few more words were exchanged, the hall fell silent as soon as the women left with their children.
Jiang Zhongsi reached out his hand, and Song Yanji thanked him and sat down on the chair behind the screen next to him. The servant quickly brought out fresh tea. Song Yanji took a sip, and the fragrant aroma was refreshing. It tasted bitter at first but had a sweet aftertaste. It was the finest tea from the green mountains and clear waters.
Jiang Zhongsi remained silent, and so did he. Song Yanji felt that his relationship with Jiang Zhongsi in this life could hardly be called good. Their first meeting was when Jiang Zhongsi threatened him with the matter of Meng Xizhi; their second encounter was when Jiang Zhongsi asked for his daughter's hand in marriage before the emperor, forcing him to marry her; the third time was their first confrontation over the Qi'an matter, where Jiang Zhongsi backed down and Jiang Zhongsi used Jiang Li.
The greatest villains appear loyal, and the greatest falsehoods appear true; Jiang Zhongsi perfectly embodied the latter. In this life, Song Yanji neither wanted nor had the time to portray the harmony between father-in-law and son-in-law with him, so he departed first.