In the bustling marketplace, Song Yihuan and Ji Lingchuan stood wordlessly facing each other beside the carriage.
Although it was but a fleeting moment, their eyes met with a thousand unspoken words hidden within.
No one knew that they had just briefly been in the same room at the Ding'an Marquis Mansion.
Song Yihuan dared not look at him for long. She gave him a slight nod, then lifted her skirt and chased after Song Nanxin ahead.
Ji Lingchuan watched her figure disappear into the Brocade Workshop before turning around and walking towards the teahouse across the street.
Inside the Brocade Workshop, the shopkeeper's wife warmly greeted Song Nanxin. The shop assistants held up several brightly - colored cloth rolls and showed them to Song Nanxin.
"Princess Consort, you've come at just the right time. Our shop received a new batch of goods today. Take a look at these fabrics. Their colors and weaving are of the highest quality. They're the perfect match for you, Princess Consort."
Song Yihuan stood beside Song Nanxin. Song Nanxin looked up at her and asked, "Yihuan, what do you think?"
Song Yihuan hesitated and said, "Sister, perhaps we should forget it. The clothes for Xuan'er and me are enough to last through winter. I don't want to trouble you to spend money."
Hearing this, the shopkeeper's wife immediately guessed that it was Song Yihuan who was here to pick out clothes today. She smiled and said, "I didn't expect the Princess Consort to be so generous, personally coming to buy clothes for her younger sister. Your sisterly bond is truly enviable."
Although Song Nanxin didn't want to spend money on Song Yihuan, the compliment from the shopkeeper's wife made her feel a bit better. Well, it was worth it if it could earn her a good reputation.
Maintaining a smile on her face, Song Nanxin said, "Well, since we're already here, pick whatever you like. Now you don't just represent the face of the Marquis Mansion, but also mine."
Song Yihuan replied with a "Yes", then stopped being polite and stepped forward to choose.
She picked out several fabrics with steady colors that were unlikely to go wrong for herself and Song Yixuan. After having their measurements taken, the shopkeeper's wife smiled at Song Nanxin and said, "Miss Song, these clothes for Miss Song in total cost a hundred taels of silver. But since the Princess Consort is a regular customer of our Brocade Workshop, you only need to pay ninety taels."
Ninety taels! Just thinking about spending ninety taels on clothes for Song Yihuan and Song Yixuan made Song Nanxin fume.
She was willing to spend eighty taels on a jade pendant for Ji Lingchuan because he was her husband and her reliance. But for someone else, spending ninety taels was like cutting off a piece of her flesh!
However, since the words had already been said and there were so many people in the Brocade Workshop watching, she couldn't go back on her word due to her pride. Song Nanxin had to smile and tell someone to pay.
After receiving the silver, the shopkeeper's wife said to Song Yihuan, "Miss Song, the clothes you ordered today will take ten days to make. Our shop will send someone to deliver them to you in person ten days later."
At this moment, Song Yihuan's smile was genuine. "Thank you, shopkeeper's wife."
When leaving the Brocade Workshop, the smile on Song Nanxin's face was much fainter than when she came. It was easy to imagine how gloomy she felt inside. She turned back and secretly glared at Song Yihuan. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Ji Lingchuan walking out of the teahouse across the street and bumping into them.
The sarcastic words got stuck in her throat. Song Nanxin put on a smile and walked towards Ji Lingchuan. "Has Your Highness finished your business?"
Ji Lingchuan walked past her, imperceptibly glancing at Song Yihuan who was walking behind. He responded and said, "Let's go back to the mansion."
It was only the afternoon when they returned to the Prince Ning Mansion. Learning that they had come back so early, the Princess Consort of Prince Ning was also taken aback. They had previously agreed to stay at her natal home for a whole day and return after dinner. She wondered what had happened to make them end so soon.
At this time, the servants came to report that Song Nanxin and Song Yihuan were waiting outside the Songhe Courtyard, waiting to pick up Song Yixuan and take him back to the Tinglan Courtyard.
The Princess Consort of Prince Ning twirled the Buddhist beads in her hand and said, "Let the two of them in."
Hearing that the Princess Consort of Prince Ning wanted to see them, Song Nanxin and Song Yihuan glanced at each other, then stepped in one after the other.
Inside the Songhe Hall, the Princess Consort of Prince Ning was the only one. Her posture was extremely casual, but her whole being exuded the dignity of a long - time superior.
After paying their respects, Song Nanxin smiled and said to the Princess Consort of Prince Ning, "Does Your Highness have any instructions for me?"
"Did everything go smoothly when you and Chuan'er went back to your natal home today?"
Song Nanxin replied, "Don't worry, Your Highness. Everything went smoothly."
The Princess Consort of Prince Ning frowned. "If it went smoothly, why did you come back so early?"
Song Nanxin shook her head. "I don't know either. When we went back today, we met the Marquis and the Marchioness, as well as a few younger brothers and sisters. Then His Highness followed me to the courtyard where I lived before I got married. We hadn't been sitting in the room for long when His Highness went to play chess with the Marquis. While I was talking to the Marchioness, I received the news that His Highness wanted to return to the mansion."
The Princess Consort of Prince Ning knew Ji Lingchuan's temper best. Hearing what Song Nanxin said, she guessed that Ji Lingchuan didn't want to stay at the Ding'an Marquis Mansion for long. Perhaps something had happened at the Ding'an Marquis Mansion that had annoyed him.
Seeing Song Yihuan standing nervously beside Song Nanxin after entering the room, the Princess Consort of Prince Ning was quite satisfied with her non - competitive nature. She said, "Sit down and talk, Miss Huan."
"Thank you, Princess." Song Yihuan sat down on a chair beside her, but her posture remained upright, full of respect for the superior Princess Consort of Prince Ning.
The Princess Consort of Prince Ning asked, "When you went back today, did you pack all the clothes for autumn and winter?"
Song Yihuan nodded and replied, "Yes, Your Highness. Everything is packed. On the way back, my sister took me to the Brocade Workshop to buy some more fabrics for making clothes. It's enough for Xuan'er and me to get through the whole winter."
Song Nanxin subconsciously straightened her back and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. Yihuan and Xuan'er are here to accompany me in the mansion. I won't let them be wronged in the Prince's Mansion."
The Princess Consort of Prince Ning smiled, then turned to Song Yihuan and asked, "Xuan'er has a heart disease. How did he spend the winters in the past?"
Obviously, she cared more about Song Yixuan than Song Yihuan.
Song Yihuan knew this well and replied, "In winter, each courtyard can receive two catties of red snail charcoal every month. It's enough to keep warm. Xuan'er is still young and can't move around much. In fact, winter is easier for him than summer."
In front of Song Nanxin, Song Yihuan didn't want to tell the truth. It was true that every courtyard received charcoal, but the charcoal that reached the Qinghe Courtyard was often less than one catty. She had left all the charcoal for Song Yixuan and endured the cold herself.
The Princess Consort of Prince Ning was a shrewd person. She had heard about Song Yihuan's situation in the Prince Ning Mansion before and naturally knew that she was hiding something. Seeing that she didn't take the opportunity to complain and seek sympathy from her, the Princess Consort of Prince Ning thought more highly of her.
"By the way, last time the Princess Consort took Miss Huan to the Duke Jiang's Mansion for a banquet. Did you take a fancy to any outstanding young men at the banquet?" the Princess Consort of Prince Ning suddenly asked.