Song Yixiao knew that there was a rift between her father-in-law and husband, but the decision to cut off ties with her was made by Jian Yu himself. However, as a daughter-in-law, she was treated differently from her son, and no matter how much she caused trouble, there was still room for mediation due to their blood relationship. But as a daughter-in-law, she didn't receive such good treatment, and being told "you're not virtuous or filial" and being asked to leave the house was also reasonable.

  So she didn't dare to slack off: "After answering her mother-in-law's words, the daughter-in-law went home and asked the housekeeper to discuss it together. However, the housekeeper gave a long list of people, and the daughter-in-law had just passed the door, thinking that since it was already the end of the year, if she took all these people away, something might go wrong..."

  Who would have thought that before she had finished speaking, Jian Liang interrupted her coldly: "How can you just think about your little husband and wife living together, without caring about your mother's situation? Since that's the case, what did you agree to do in the first place? I thought you were a trustworthy person, so we didn't hire anyone else. Now it turns out that you only talk but don't act, leaving your mother with a mess of things to deal with. What kind of talk is this?"

  If it weren't for Jian Yu's transparent scheme, Song Yi would have really thought that her father-in-law was heartbroken over his wife.

  She felt a bit wronged: "You want to pull the strings, go and tell your son directly! How can you bully me, this daughter-in-law who just entered the door without a good mother's family?"

  "Father misunderstood!" Song Yi smiled and muttered to herself, but didn't dare offend her father-in-law in public. After a moment's thought, she said, "How could the daughter-in-law dare deceive Father and Mother? It's just that there have been too many things happening these days, I've been busy and couldn't keep up, so I delayed it. Please forgive me, Father!"

  Jian Li coldly smiled and said: "These days are neither New Year's nor a festival, what urgent matter can't you come for?"

  "You don't know, yesterday at curfew time, Yijie specially came to the Yan Guo Gong Fu and told me something." Song Yi smiled and spoke in a soft voice about the matter of the Pei family father and daughter returning to their hometown, and put on a difficult expression, saying: "Husband is busy with official duties, the matter entrusted by Yijie naturally falls on my shoulders! But Father, you also know that I'm young and haven't handled such things before, afraid that if I sell it for less, Yijie will be at a disadvantage, and later when it gets out, how can we face the Pei family? Today I was just about to come ask Mother for advice!"

  When he heard "how can we be worthy of the Pei family", Jian Li's face twitched: Can't he hear the sarcasm in these words?

  After all, the Pei family was originally well-off, but it has fallen to this point today. Not only is the dignified university scholar bedridden for many days with his life hanging by a thread, but even the emperor cannot stay and wants to return to his hometown. In the end, isn't it because Jian Yi abandoned Pei You Rui to marry the princess?

  This made Song Yixiao rush to take the place of the Pei family, so she didn't have time for other things. Jian Li Ming knew she was just pretending, but he couldn't say anything. His face turned red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple for a while before he stiffly said: "Pei University Scholar is still in his prime, it's really a pity that he's retiring now. Moreover, he's not in good health, staying in the capital would make it more convenient to see doctors and take medicine, why must he return to Youzhou?"

  Song Yi smiled to herself, thinking, "Isn't this all because of that accurate daughter-in-law you have now?"

  The mouth then said: "The daughter-in-law listened to what Yiyi sister said, and it was Pei Shibo's nostalgia for his hometown."

  Jian Li Kuan stroked his short beard unnaturally and said, "I understand - in that case, let your mother buy those properties from the Pei family at market price plus 10%, I think she won't have any objections."

  "Hubby originally wanted to do it this way too." Song Yi sighed with a smile, "But Yijie wouldn't agree, saying that if it were like this, she'd rather not sell at all."

  It wasn't Pei Youdui who said this, but rather Song Yixiao mentioned it yesterday after she left, and was immediately vetoed by Jian Xubo: "If it weren't for Eldest Sister worrying about Pei University Scholar's health and rushing to leave the capital, we really couldn't spare anyone. Do you think she would come ask us? The Jian family owes her this favor, can it be repaid with just a bit more silver? Isn't doing this the same as slapping the Pei family in the face?"

  The Pei family may not be as powerful as the Jian family, but they are also not short of those few silver coins!

  Jian Li Kuan heard the words and frowned, not thinking of other excuses. The eunuch who had entered to report earlier came out and said: "The prince is up, he will come out soon, please wait a little longer for the prince and the fourth lady!"

  "I've thought of something, I'll leave first." Jian Liang heard this and thought for a moment before getting up. Before leaving, he reminded Song Yixiao, "After finishing the Pei family's affairs, don't drag your mother into it again!"

  Song Yi smiled and nodded in agreement, but she had already made up her mind. She turned around and threw the matter to Jian Xu Bai - let them fight it out themselves!

  She waited alone for a while before seeing four attendants in colorful clothes escorting out the eldest princess of Jin State.

  Just as he was about to pay his respects, a young man of similar age to Jian Yuxiao appeared from behind the Empress Dowager. He had refined eyebrows and eyes, long legs and a slender waist, wearing a loose cloak over his shirt, with his long hair scattered on his shoulders. The corners of his lips were slightly raised, and he smiled as he looked around, asking: "Where is the imperial son-in-law?"

  The eunuch bowed and replied: "The groom just remembered something and left first."

  "What a coincidence!" The young man said with a hint of a smile, "I thought he came specifically to wait for me? I'd better come out early, so as not to keep him waiting."

  "What's wrong with you?" The Empress Dowager was obviously very indulgent towards him, letting him come and go as he pleased. Only when she had cleared her throat did she nod slightly at Song Yi, "Ah, Ah Xiao's wife is here? Just in time, I just stewed some bird's nest in my small kitchen this morning, you can have a bowl with me."

  Song Yixiao saw that her mother-in-law did not introduce the young man, so she naturally wouldn't ask impolitely - in fact, she didn't dare to look at the young man this time, and thanked her mother-in-law with her head lowered.

  They didn't want to see the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law having an unspoken understanding, but that young man wasn't a tactful person. Seeing this situation, not only did he not leave immediately, but instead sat down in front of Song Yixiao with a swagger, looked her up and down several times, and then said to the Empress Dowager: "Auntie, your daughter-in-law is indeed beautiful. Last time Zi Fu told me that Ah Xu's taste was just so-so, I believed it to be true, but now that I've seen her with my own eyes, I know that little brat was lying again!"

  Song Yi Xiao had just lifted a cup of hot tea and almost spilled it all over her skirt when she heard his words!

  The princess's face turned slightly red at the mention of "aunt", and she coughed again, saying: "A Xū's daughter-in-law came over early in the morning, there must be something going on."

  That young man didn't know whether he couldn't hear her hint to leave or heard it but didn't care, still sitting steadily and smiling: "Auntie hasn't introduced me to Ah Xū's wife yet, if we run into each other later and don't recognize our own relatives, wouldn't that be absurd?"

  He didn't care about the colorful and changing expression on Chang Gongzhu's face, nor did he notice Song Yi's pale complexion as if she was about to spit blood. He introduced himself, "My surname is Ji, my full name is Ming Fei, I'm the older cousin of Ji Zifu. Currently working in the Ministry of Works, if you need any help in the future, just give me a shout!"

  “…Sister-in-law is great!” Song Yi said with a smile, but her heart was completely collapsing - that Ji Mingfei was still calm and composed, still maintaining the air of an elder brother, praised her a few times before leaving with satisfaction.

  After he left, the hall was silent for a long time.

  After a long while, Princess Chang finally reacted: "This young master Ji's parents have passed away, no one to discipline him, so he grew up unruly and unbridled. Your uncle can't do anything about it either. For the sake of kinship, don't bother with him."

  Song Yi smiled and nodded calmly, but her mind was a mess, thinking: It's no wonder Grandfather wanted to leave earlier!

  She thought Jian Liang was specifically looking for her, and after being lifted out of the Pei family to block him, she naturally didn't want to stay - who knew it was because he was afraid of getting into a fight with Ji Mingfei and losing face in front of his daughter-in-law!

  Is she unintentionally tricking her father-in-law?

  In the midst of her excitement, Song Yi smiled and bit her tongue, forcing herself to calm down, bringing up the main topic: "Mother, yesterday evening, Yi Jie went to the Yan Guo Gong Fu!"

  Before she came, according to Jian Yu's instructions, she had prepared countless words that would move people to tears, determined to make her mother-in-law cry out loud on the spot - but after Ji Mingfei's disturbance, she could still sit here and talk calmly, which was already a great achievement, how could she care about other things?

  It turned out to be a straightforward explanation, directly expressing the hope that his mother-in-law could help facilitate things for the Pei family. Otherwise, it would be too pitiful to let the old father and weak daughter of the Pei family return home in the cold winter.

  Fortunately, the Princess of Jin State also felt guilty towards the Pei family. Although her daughter-in-law's words were not eloquent, she listened with repeated sighs and said: "Ah Xū's idea is not bad. Since the Pei family must leave the capital, this season it is indeed better to go south than north."

  After saying this, Song Yi thought of her father-in-law's urging just now and took the initiative to apologize to her mother-in-law: "At first, I promised my mother that I would send someone over after a few days. Unfortunately, it was the end of the year, and all the shops were settling accounts. My husband was afraid that his daughter-in-law had not yet entered the house with a steady heart, so he said to temporarily keep the person, wait until the accounts are settled, and then send them to mother's place——I thought mother didn't need someone urgently, but just now I heard father mention it, only to realize that I missed mother's matter! Daughter-in-law..."

  "Did he just urge you here?" The Princess of Jin State suddenly interrupted her, frowning and asked, "What did he say?"

  Song Yi smiled and said: "Father just said that mother, you are short of people here, let the daughter-in-law send someone over early, so as not to delay your affairs."

  She spoke with a clear conscience, without any malice towards her father-in-law, thinking that since it was her mother-in-law who personally brought up the matter last time, and now her father-in-law is personally urging them, then her mother-in-law must also remember.

  In that case, shouldn't there be some sort of explanation on the scene?

  Who would have thought that Jin Guo's Chang Gong Zhu heard the words and actually burst out laughing coldly: "I want him, not him wanting me, I haven't even spoken yet, why is he rushing out to urge what urgency!"

  "Mind your own business and don't listen to that old thing! When I need someone, I'll naturally tell you. Who does he think he is, daring to boss me around!"

  Despite this, Princess Chang still felt her anger was hard to dispel and slapped the table, saying "Go bring him over for me!"

  Song Yi smiled: "......"

  She felt like she had wronged her husband again?

  This day, Song Yi smiled to herself, not knowing how she left the Jin State's Long Princess Mansion - even the gifts specially brought for her younger sister were only thought of when they were about to leave, and could only be handed over to the long history Xue Shiran to convey.

  After returning to the Yan State Duke's mansion, Song Yixiao leaned on the couch for a while before recovering and only then asked about the matter that Pei Youxuan had entrusted her with last night.

  Qiao Xian came to report: "Just now, Miss Pei Wu has sent three boxes to the door, and I have arranged for someone to move them to the flower hall. Someone is watching over them. If Madam is not tired, she can go over to check on them at any time."

  She hesitated for a moment, then said another thing: "Just now, Zhao's mother sent someone to deliver a letter, saying that Qingchun sister can't get along with Fu Junchang and plans to divorce. However, Zhao's mother's son and daughter-in-law do not agree, and Zhao's mother wants Qingchun sister to have a job in our mansion after the divorce."

  "This little thing, let Mom see how to arrange it conveniently." Song Yixiao knew that Zhao's mother was afraid that her daughter would be bullied by her brother and sister-in-law after returning to her natal family, so it was better to bring her to the Yan Guo Gong Fu, where she could have her own dignity and care, and avoid conflicts between children - relying on this wet nurse's loyalty, Song Yixiao naturally had no objections.