Ji Lingchuan looked at her and said, "It's I who should thank you. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have caught the culprit so smoothly. Maybe we'd still be struggling with that case today."
"Your Highness, I have an impertinent request," Song Yihuan said. "The yamen hasn't posted the notice of reward for this case yet. If possible, could you please keep my name out of it?"
Actually, even if she hadn't mentioned it, Ji Lingchuan wouldn't have let her name appear on the notice board. But he still asked,
"Why? Don't you want to gain a good reputation through this and let the world know that you, the fourth young lady of the Marquis of Ding'an's Mansion, are extremely intelligent?"
Song Yihuan countered, "Then, Your Highness, would you like others to know that you and I solved the case together? Aren't you afraid of arousing gossips?"
Ji Lingchuan replied, "What does it matter? As long as our consciences are clear, who can point fingers at us?"
Song Yihuan shook her head with a smile. "The world is very lenient towards men but extremely harsh on women. Your Highness, you don't understand. A clear conscience alone won't do."
Just like her stepmother.
She knew only too well the harm of rumors.
Ji Lingchuan glanced at her fair ears and answered, "Okay."
Not staying in the room any longer, Ji Lingchuan left soon.
Back at the front courtyard of the Marquis of Ding'an's Mansion, Ji Lingchuan summoned Fuzhou, who was guarding outside, and told him to send someone to inform the people in the mansion that he was about to leave immediately.
When Song Nanxin received the message, she was chatting intimately with Lady Meng in her room. Hearing this, she was slightly stunned and said, "Leaving so soon? We agreed to have dinner in the mansion before leaving."
When Lady Meng accompanied Song Nanxin back to the front hall to meet Ji Lingchuan, Song Yihuan also rushed over from Qinghe Courtyard.
Seeing the guards of the Prince Ning's Mansion following behind her, each carrying a large wooden box, Lady Meng almost lost her composure.
This little minx! If she hadn't said that she was going to take some warm clothes back this time, Lady Meng would have thought that she was planning to leave the marquis's mansion for good.
Song Nanxin also noticed this. Narrowing her eyes, when Song Yihuan walked up to her, she said rather discontentedly, "Why are you taking so many things back? People who don't know might think that the Prince Ning's Mansion has treated you badly and you have to move things out of the marquis's mansion."
Just as she finished speaking, there came the sound of servants bowing and saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Song Nanxin's heart skipped a beat. Turning around, she saw Ji Lingchuan walking out of the front hall and standing not far from Lady Meng.
She wondered if Ji Lingchuan had heard what she had just said.
Song Nanxin felt extremely uneasy.
Ji Lingchuan looked in their direction. His eyes swept over the three wooden boxes carried by the guards and said, "Let's set off."
To make up for her words, Song Nanxin took Song Yihuan's hand and said with a smile, "When we get back, I'll take you to the East Market. We'll have some new clothes tailored for you and Xuan'er at the Brocade Workshop to keep warm in winter."
Song Yihuan saw the change in her attitude. She knew that her elder sister was worried that Ji Lingchuan might suspect something and was deliberately trying to make up for it.
It was not easy to return to the marquis's mansion, and with Ji Lingchuan around, a hint of calculation flashed across Song Yihuan's eyes. Suddenly, she stopped and said to Song Nanxin, "Oh, sister, I just remembered that I still have something to do..."
"What is it? You had so much free time just now. Why didn't you do it then?" Song Nanxin asked patiently.
Song Yihuan moved her lips and lowered her voice. "Forget it, sister. Let's go."
But Ji Lingchuan said, "Since there's something unfinished, finish it before leaving."
Song Nanxin also smiled and said, "Look, even your brother-in-law said so. Let's wait until you've finished it."
Song Yihuan clasped her hands together and looked at Lady Meng with a bit of restraint. "Actually, it's not a big deal. Since I went to the Prince Ning's Mansion to stay with my elder sister, it's been three months and I haven't received my monthly allowance yet. Mother, could you please tell the steward of the warehouse? I'll go and come back quickly so as not to delay brother-in-law's schedule."
Hearing this, Lady Meng and Song Nanxin almost gritted their teeth in anger.
Song Yihuan's monthly allowance had been deliberately withheld by Song Nanxin's order. Lady Meng knew about this and had even instructed the warehouse steward not to let anyone take Song Yihuan's allowance, no matter who came.
In front of Ji Lingchuan, Lady Meng didn't dare to show that she was a stepmother who treated her stepdaughter harshly. She had to force a smile and say, "There's no need to go through so much trouble. You can take it from me first. I'll tell the warehouse steward to balance the accounts."
After saying that, she winked at an old maid beside her. The old maid took out fifteen taels of silver.
Just as she was about to hand it to Song Yihuan, she noticed that Ji Lingchuan was looking in their direction. Lady Meng took another fifteen taels from the old maid, making a total of thirty taels.
Lady Meng said, "This is thirty taels of silver. If it's not enough, just tell your elder sister. You can also get some from her first."
Who would dislike having more silver? Song Yihuan happily took the silver and curtsied. "Thank you, Mother."
Watching Song Yihuan put the silver into her pocket, the corner of Ji Lingchuan's lips curled up imperceptibly.
She was really smart. She knew how to take advantage of his presence to get what she deserved and wouldn't let herself suffer any losses.
He also bowed to bid farewell to the Marquis of Ding'an and Lady Meng. Then he took Song Nanxin and Song Yihuan out of the Marquis of Ding'an's Mansion and got into the returning carriage.
After the carriage left the Marquis of Ding'an's Mansion, it didn't head straight back to the Prince Ning's Mansion. Instead, it turned in another direction. Song Nanxin noticed the change in the scenery outside through the window and couldn't help asking, "Your Highness, where are we going?"
Ji Lingchuan opened his eyes and said, "Didn't you just say you wanted to go to the Brocade Workshop in the East Market?"
Song Yihuan almost burst out laughing. Worried that Song Nanxin would hold a grudge against her, she managed to suppress the smile on her lips.
It seemed that both her stepmother and elder sister were destined to spend a lot of money today.
Song Nanxin was secretly annoyed. To maintain her image of a kind and loving sister, she forced a proper smile and said, "Yes, I did say that I would take Yihuan to the East Market to have some clothes tailored. But won't it delay Your Highness's business if we go to the East Market now?"
"If Your Highness has something urgent to do, we can go back to the prince's mansion first. I'll take Yihuan to the East Market later."
Ji Lingchuan looked into her eyes and said indifferently, "It doesn't matter. It's on the way. I also need to go to the East Market."
Since things had come to this, Song Nanxin didn't dare to say more for fear of arousing Ji Lingchuan's suspicion.
Soon, the sound of street vendors' cries and pedestrians' conversations came from outside the carriage. The streets were bustling with activity.
Song Yihuan rarely came to the East Market. The goods sold in the shops here were of high quality. Every shop was selling top-grade items, which were beyond her means. Occasionally, she would come here with Song Nanxin to choose clothes. Song Nanxin would do the choosing while she stood beside her and gave advice.
The carriage wound through the streets of the East Market and soon stopped outside the Brocade Workshop.
Getting off the carriage, Ji Lingchuan said to the two sisters, "I'll be in the shop opposite. You two can choose whatever you like. Don't worry about me."
Song Nanxin gritted her teeth and said with a smile, "Yes."
Filled with anger, she called "Baishao" behind her and walked into the Brocade Workshop.
Song Yihuan lagged behind her by one step. Looking up, she happened to meet Ji Lingchuan's deep eyes. She lifted the corner of her lips imperceptibly at him.