Ever since Caiyu was announced to be under house arrest, at first everyone thought that this time the prince was just making a big fuss over nothing.
But Song Yinghuai didn't return to the Prince Yan's Mansion for two days. No one knew where he had gone. People couldn't help worrying that their master was really angry this time.
After all, except for Han Fen, no one else among them had witnessed his last outburst of anger.
So they were all extremely panicked.
When Qingqing came back and heard the general situation from Ning Shi and the others, she could only bite her lips, suppress her worry, and go to the room to see Caiyu.
Just like in Yanjing, during the cold war, Caiyu had once again taken over the master's room.
When Qingqing walked into the yard, she saw Caiyu wearing a jade-green silk dress, slumping on the lawn in the yard.
She didn't care about the water droplets on the grass leaves or the mud on the ground. There wasn't even a trace of powder or perfume on her face.
Her whole expression was listless.
Qingqing handed the lotus root cakes in her hand to Caiyu without saying a word. She just picked a patch of grass and sat down without a care.
Caiyu had been locked up for two days and was almost going crazy. Finally, someone came, but this person didn't say a word.
She pinched the lotus root cake but couldn't eat it. Seeing that Qingqing had also lost her usual energy, she finally summoned up the energy to ask, "Why do I feel like you're the one under house arrest?"
Qingqing lowered her head and kicked a pebble, startling a butterfly. She forced a smile and said, "I'm just worried to see you and the prince arguing."
This time, Caiyu didn't throw a tantrum like she usually did. Instead, she looked dejected. "It seems... I caused trouble. I hurt his feelings."
In fact, she was naturally carefree and didn't have the delicate emotions towards love like the noble girls from the aristocratic families.
The little bit of delicate feelings she had was forcibly trained by the nanny in Yangzhou.
So when Song Yinghuai gave her the private seal, although she was extremely happy, once something happened, she would instinctively solve the problem without thinking.
As for whether her actions would hurt Song Yinghuai emotionally, she temporarily forgot to consider it.
Qingqing murmured, "You still have someone who will be sad because of your mistakes. I'm different. Even if he is wrong and it makes me sad, he doesn't care. If I make a mistake... he will immediately drive me away. Comparing like this, I'm really envious of you."
Hearing what she said, Caiyu immediately knew who she was talking about.
She pushed Qingqing. "What did Sheng Jiangli do to you again?"
Qingqing stared blankly at her, looking like a wandering soul. "Sister Caiyu, will he be locked up in jail and tortured? Will he never get out?"
Caiyu was completely confused by her words. She immediately squinted her eyes. "Who are you talking about?"
As if startled, Qingqing came back to her senses and immediately shook her head vigorously. "No, I was just talking nonsense..."
Caiyu suddenly stood up from the grass and looked down at Qingqing menacingly.
"Is he General Sheng?"
"Why is he in jail?"
"Why won't he get out?"
For every question Caiyu asked, Qingqing shook her head vigorously.
Something was wrong!
Caiyu's face changed.
She was under house arrest because she let Sheng Jiangli take the private seal to get two hundred thousand taels of silver. Could it be...
Did Song Yinghuai take the opportunity to arrest Sheng Jiangli and throw him into jail?
Caiyu's heart sank like an ice cube. She grabbed Qingqing's shoulders and raised her voice urgently.
"Is it? Is it really him?"
Qingqing was frightened by her appearance.
Song Yinghuai had told Han Fen to tell everyone in the mansion not to reveal the matter of Lan Jinqin to Caiyu, but Han Fen had been following Song Yinghuai for the past two days.
Qingqing had just returned. The atmosphere in the Prince Yan's Mansion was so oppressive that everyone had no mood to move around. She didn't meet anyone on the way and no one reminded her not to reveal the news.
Qingqing stammered, "Sister Caiyu... Brother Sheng, Brother Sheng kidnapped the wife of the Minister of War and stole two hundred thousand taels of silver from her private treasury... Don't you know?"
...
In the evening, Song Yinghuai, who had been missing for two days, finally returned to the mansion.
He didn't go to the bedroom but went to the study.
One reason was that he was still angry with Caiyu and didn't know how to face her.
The other reason was that he was thinking about how to make plans after Xiao Rencheng was released tomorrow.
There was a commotion outside. Song Yinghuai frowned. Just as he was about to ask Han Fen outside what was going on, the door was pushed open.
Caiyu rushed in and stared angrily at Song Yinghuai.
Han Fen and Qingqing also rushed in behind her.
Han Fen gasped for breath and said, "Your Highness, this subordinate really couldn't stop her..."
In fact, he didn't dare to stop her.
Who would dare to stop this young miss?
Song Yinghuai pursed his lips tightly, didn't even raise his head, and coldly shouted, "Get out!"
Han Fen and Qingqing immediately turned around.
Unexpectedly, Song Yinghuai's voice sounded again. "I said let Caiyu get out!"
What?
Han Fen and Qingqing were shocked. They turned around and stared blankly at Song Yinghuai.
The prince was going to drive Caiyu out?
Seeing the two of them looking so stupid, Song Yinghuai was furious. "Can't you understand? Do I have to say it again?"
Caiyu had been feeling guilty for doing something wrong, so she had been obediently staying under house arrest and reflecting for the past two days.
But after learning that Sheng Jiangli was being threatened and Lan Jinqin was also in trouble, she didn't care about anything anymore.
Before Han Fen could reach her, she stepped forward and knelt down first.
"Your Highness, this servant knows her mistake. One should take responsibility for one's own actions. General Sheng was implicated because of this servant. This servant is willing to be punished. Whether it's house arrest or family law... But please, Your Highness, spare him this time!"
How long had Brother A Li struggled to reach his current position?
The numerous wounds on his body were so terrible that even a stranger would not be able to bear to look at them a second time.
It was a future that he had earned through a narrow escape from death. How could she just let Song Yinghuai push him to his death?
It was still Sheng Jiangli!
Song Yinghuai had been busy cleaning up the mess. He had entangled with the Xu family for half a day, then fought with Sheng Jiangli at Luoyanju until both were exhausted. He had resorted to threats and inducements to get Xiao Rencheng out.
As a result, as soon as he came back, this girl couldn't wait to plead for Sheng Jiangli!
Was Sheng Jiangli the only one on her mind?
Didn't she think about the possibility that once the private seal was in Sheng Jiangli's hands, it might be used to do something that could shake the foundation of the Prince Yan's Army?
Didn't she think about whether the birthday gift he had given her had been taken back?
Song Yinghuai tightly grasped the writing brush in his hand, and his face became even more gloomy.
"Who told her? Didn't I say not to reveal the news?!"
Qingqing and Han Fen both knelt down.
Qingqing said, "Your Highness, it was this servant... This servant didn't know that Your Highness had given the order."
Han Fen said, "Your Highness, this subordinate didn't have time to inform Qingqing before going out with you. This subordinate made a mistake."
"Your Highness doesn't need to punish them." Caiyu bit the inside of her cheek, and her eyes were rimmed with red. "This servant will take their blame too. Your Highness can punish this servant however you like, but please spare General Sheng this time!"
A fierce glint flashed in Song Yinghuai's eyes. "Lan Caiyu! You keep talking about Sheng Jiangli all day long. Where exactly do you place me?"
"General Sheng is General Sheng, and Your Highness is Your Highness." Caiyu replied without hesitation. "The two of you hold different places in this servant's heart."
One was like a brother, and the other was her lover.
But how could Song Yinghuai tolerate such an answer?
Did it mean that there were two men in Caiyu's heart?
Had he, Song Yinghuai, fallen to the point of having to compete with other men for a woman's favor?
Xiao Rencheng's information was really right.
He was the latecomer, the third party.
If Sheng Jiangli hadn't left without saying goodbye for those nine years, he, Song Yinghuai, probably wouldn't have had any chance to step in at all, right?
Thinking of this, Song Yinghuai's heart ached so much that it felt like it was being stabbed.
He pressed his heart, which ached so much that he could hardly breathe, and said tiredly.
"Fine, different, different..."
Suddenly, he swept the books on the table to the ground and roared.
"I don't want to be your 'different'!"
"Lan Caiyu! Go back to your room right now!"
"If you plead for him one more time! I'll have his head cut off tomorrow!"