Song Yixiao knew that her father-in-law and her husband didn"t get along well, and the decision not to give the manpower to Jian Yiyou was made by Jian Xubai himself. But being the daughter-in-law was different from being the son. There would always be room for mediation no matter how troublesome it was as long as the blood and family existed. The daughter-in-law didn"t have such good treatment. If she was ent.i.tled as unfilial, it would be taken for granted for her to be forced to divorce and go back her parents" home.

Therefore, she didn"t dare to neglect the requirement. “Father, after having promised mother, I went home and invited the managers to discuss, but the list given by Chief House Steward was large, and I just married into this family. I thought that this had already been at the end of the year. If all the people were transferred, in case there was something wrong…”

Who knew that she hadn"t finished speaking, Jian Likuang interrupted her with a cold face. “Why do you only think about your young couple living a life, regardless of your mother needing manpower here? Since it is so, why did you promise to do this at that time? I thought you to be trustworthy, so we didn"t recruit here. Now you are only of words and not of deeds, so no one will take over so many things here. It is absolutely outrageous!”

If it weren"t for Jian Xubai to tell the truth so that she knew that he did this for Jian Yiyou, Song Yixiao would really think that her father-in-law loved her mother-in-law very much!

There were some grievances in her heart: “If you are partial, go directly to tell your son! Do you have to bully me who had no good family ground and just married into this family?”

“Father, you misunderstood!” Song Yixiao criticized him silently, but she didn"t dare to offend her father-in-law in public. She thought for a while and said, “How can I dare to lie to father and mother? It"s just because there are too many things these days. I am so busy that it is delayed. Father, I am sure you will understand!”

Jian Likuang sneered, “These days are not New Year or holidays. Why are you so busy?”

“You don"t know. Last night when curfew was imminent, Sister Yourui went to Duke of Yan"s mansion to tell us a thing.” Song Yixiao softly said that the father and daughter of Pei Family wanted to go back to their hometown. She frowned to say, “Xubai is busy. Yourui entrusted the thing to me naturally! But father, you also know that I am young and haven"t handled such things before. I am afraid to sell the estates at a lower price, which will make Yourui suffer loss. How can I get the Pei Family down? Today I just come to seek advice from mother!”

Hearing “how can I get the Pei Family down”, Jian Likuang twitched muscles on his face: Did she think that he couldn"t understand the innuendo in the sentence?

After all, the Pei Family used to be in perfectly good condition, but it suddenly fell low. Not only was the Grand Secretariat ill for many days and at the point of death, but also they couldn"t continue to stay in imperial capital but to return to the hometown. After all, wasn"t it because Jian Yiyou abandoned Pei Yourui to go to marry the princess?

At this moment Song Yixiao said that she had to run errands for the Pei Family so she didn"t have time to care about other things. Jian Likuang knew this to be her excuse, but it was not easy to criticize her. His face changed color for a while and then he stiffly said, “Grand Secretariat Pei is just in his prime, and it is a pity for him to resign from the official post. And he is not in good health. If he stays in imperial capital, it will be convenient for him to look for doctors and medicines. Why will he have to return to Youzhou?”

Song Yixiao thought, “Wasn"t it the sin of your future daughter-in-law?”

But she said, “I heard what Yourui had said that it was because Uncle Pei missed his hometown.”

Jian Likuang unnaturally caressed the short beard and said, “I see. Then let your mother buy the estates of Pei Family and pay 10% more than the market price. I think your mother will have no objection.”

“Xubai originally wanted to do so.” Song Yixiao sighed, “But Yourui refused, saying that if so, she would rather not sell.”

It was not Pei Yourui"s remarks, but Song Yixiao mentioned it after Pei Yourui left yesterday and was rejected by Jian Xubai. “If it weren"t for that Pei Yourui was worried about Grand Secretariat Pei"s health, and she was anxious to leave imperial capital but lack of manpower, she wouldn"t have come to ask for our help. Jian Family betrayed her. Can it be compensated by paying more silver? Doing this will be like slapping the face of Pei Family!”

Although the Pei Family was not as powerful as the Jian Family, they were not short of silver!

Jian Likuang heard and frowned. Before he thought of other excuses, the eunuch who had entered to report while they were speaking came out and said, “Her Highness gets up. She will come out in a moment. Prince Consort and Fourth Young Mistress, please wait a moment!”

“I remember something. I shall go first.” Jian Likuang heard this and thought, then he stood up. He didn"t forget to tell Song Yixiao before leaving, “When you finish the business about the Pei Family, don"t delay you mother"s things!”

Song Yixiao respectfully said yes, but she made up her mind to ask Jian Xubai to deal with the things. Let the father and son confront with each other!

She waited alone for a while, and then saw four servant girls wearing colorful dresses surrounded Jinguo Grand Princess to come out.

Just when she was about to pay respects to her mother-in-law, a young man of the same age as Jian Xubai appeared behind the Grand Princess. He had dashing eyebrows, bright eyes, long legs and a great body shape. His coat was loose outside of the upper garment. His long hair scattered all over his shoulders. He smiled with his red lips slightly raising, looked around and asked, “Where is the Prince Consort?”

The eunuch bowed and answered, “His Highness the Prince Consort just remembered something and left.”

“That"s really a coincidence!” The young man said with a faint smile on his face. “I thought that he came to wait for me specifically. I come out early so that he doesn"t have to wait long.”

“Don"t care about him.” Grand Princess was obviously very indulgent to him, letting him act as if there was no one else present until this moment. Then she coughed lightly and nodded slightly to Song Yixiao. “Yixiao, you have come! It happens that there is cubilose stewed this morning in my small kitchen. You accompany me to have one cup.”

When Song Yixiao saw that her mother-in-law did not introduce the young man, she naturally wouldn"t ask inconsiderately. In fact, she didn"t dare to look at the young man. She just thanked her mother-in-law for her kindness with her head down.

Though she and her mother-in-law had a tacit understanding, but the young man didn"t know how to behave in a delicate situation. Seeing this situation, instead of leaving immediately, he leisurely took a seat opposite Song Yixiao and looked at her openly. Then he said to Grand Princess, “Aunt, your daughter-in-law is beautiful. Last time Zifu told me that Xubai"s taste was just so-so. I believed him. This time I saw her with my own eyes, and then realized that Zifu lied again!”

Song Yixiao just took a cup of hot tea. She almost fell it on her skirt after hearing the words!

Grand Princess was also slightly blushed after hearing “aunt”. She coughed again, and euphemistically said, “You came over in the morning. What"s up?”

It was unknown whether the young man didn"t get her intention of dispelling guests, or he didn"t care after hearing her words, he still sat steadily and laughed, “Aunt, you haven"t introduced me to Xubai"s wife yet. If she meets me next time without recognizing her own relative, will it be ridiculous?”

Regardless of the princess"s colorful face and Song Yixiao"s expression of almost vomiting blood, he introduced himself. “My family name is Ji and my first name is Mingfei. I am Ji Zifu"s cousin. Now I"m working in the Ministry of Works. If you need any help in the future, just mention my name.”

“Nice to meet you, Brother Mingfei!” When Song Yixiao said this, she was totally devastated. But Ji Mingfei was very calm, and also praised her, putting on airs like a cousin, and then proudly left!

He had left for a long time. The hall was silent.

After a long time, Grand Princess who had experienced great affairs took the lead to react. “Your Brother Mingfei"s parents pa.s.sed away long ago and no one restrained him, so he has been unruly and wild. There is nothing your uncle can do about him. Because we are relatives, don"t dispute with him.”

Song Yixiao nodded blankly, and she was confused, just thinking: No wonder her father-in-law left just now!

She thought that Jian Likuang had specifically come to her to ask for manpower. She used the name of Pei Family to block him, so he didn"t want to stay anymore. But actually he was afraid to quarrel with Ji Mingfei, and would lose face in front of his daughter-in-law!

Did she inadvertently get her father-in-law into trouble?

With the upsurge of emotions, Song Yixiao bit her tongue and forced herself to calm down to mention the matter, “Mother, last evening, Sister Yourui went to Duke of Yan"s mansion!”

Before she came, at the instruction of Jian Xubai, she had prepared countless tearful words and she must move her mother-in-law to howl on the spot. Helplessly after Ji Mingfei made such an incident, she would be counted to be thoughtful for she could sit still here. How could she care about other things?

She drily explained the process and straightforwardly proposed that her mother-in-law could pull some strings for the Pei Family. Otherwise the old father and weak daughter would return to their hometown under the cold and chilly weather, which was really pitiful.

Fortunately, Jinguo Grand Princess also felt guilty about the Pei Family. Although the daughter-in-law"s remarks were not very moving, she still kept sighing and said, “Xubai has a good idea. Since Pei Family will definitely leave imperial capital, it is better for them to go south than north in this season.”

After talking about this, Song Yixiao remembered the pressing of her father-in-law, and took the initiative to admit her error to the mother-in-law and ask for punishment. “At that time, I promised you and should have sent the men a few days later. But it was near the end of the year and all the stores and farms had been checking the accounts. Xubai was afraid that I did not know what was going on for I just married into the family, so he said to keep those men for some time. When we finish checking the accounts, we will send them to you. I originally thought that you were not in a hurry to use those men. Just now, father mentioned this and I just knew to have delayed your things. I…”

“He urged you here just now?” Jinguo Grand Princess suddenly interrupted her, and frowned to say, “What did he say?”

Song Yixiao was stunned for a while, and said, “Father said that you were short of manpower here, and asked me to send the people over earlier to avoid delaying your things.”

By heaven and h.e.l.l, she really did not have any malice to her father-in-law when she said this, just thinking that the last time her mother-in-law personally asked for the manpower. Since father-in-law personally urged her, mother-in-law must have remembered this.

In this case, there should be an explanation to show politeness, right?

She didn"t expect that Jinguo Grand Princess sneered after hearing the words, “It was I not he who asked for the manpower. I haven"t said anything. Why did he hurry to urge?”

She smiled to Song Yixiao and said, “You just ignore what that old guy said! If I am anxious to ask for the manpower, I will naturally tell you. Who did he think he was? He even dared to be the master in my family!”

Though she said so, Grand Princess still felt that her anger was hard to dispel. She slapped the table and shouted, “Go and call him over to me!”

Song Yixiao was speechless.

She felt that she seemed to get her father-in-law into trouble again?

On this day, Song Yixiao didn"t know how she got out of Jinguo Grand Princess"s mansion. She almost forgot the gifts specially brought to the sister-in-law when she was going out, and could only hand over to the secretary-general Xue Shiren to deliver.

After returning to the Duke of Yan"s mansion, Song Yixiao leaned on the bed for a while before slowly recovering, and asked about the thing Pei Yourui entrusted last night.

Qiaoqin came up and reported, “The fifth young lady of Pei Family sent three boxes to the door just now. I"ve had them carried to the drawing room and sent someone to watch. Madam, if you are not tired, you can go to check at any time.”

After hesitating, she said something else, “Ms. Zhao sent someone to send a message just now, saying that sister Qingchun and Fu Junchang could not go on their marriage, intending to divorce. But Ms. Zhao"s son and daughter-in-law did not agree. Ms. Zhao wanted sister Qingchun to get a job in our mansion which could provide a place to live after divorcing.”

“This is just a trifle. Ask Ms. Zhao to arrange as convenient as possible.” Song Yixiao knew that Ms. Zhao was afraid that after her daughter went back to her parents" house, older siblings would bully her. So she might as well to arrange her daughter to the Duke of Yan"s mansion. She could rely on Song Yixiao to take care of her daughter and avoided the discord among her children. Due to the loyalty of this foster nurse, Song Yixiao surely agreed.