Ji Zihuan's words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples.
Several pairs of eyes instantly turned towards Song Yihuan. Some were surprised, some were in deep thought, while others were full of envy and jealousy. Among them, the Ding'an Marquis Mansion reacted most strongly. Meng shi stared at Song Yihuan's back, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Song Nanxin never expected that Ji Zihuan was talking about Song Yihuan's heroic deed of saving someone. Startled, she blurted out, "When did this happen? Yihuan, why didn't you tell me about it?"
Song Yihuan was no less shocked than Song Nanxin at this moment.
After listening to Ji Zihuan say so much, she finally remembered where she had heard this voice before!
It was that day in the market when the panicked horses appeared. Besides Ji Lingchuan, she had also encountered a man with an ordinary appearance but an extraordinary aura.
Unexpectedly, that man was the current emperor!
Coming back to her senses, she met Ji Zihuan's meaningful smile and quickly averted her gaze. She turned to Song Nanxin beside her and said, "It was the day when I accompanied Eldest Sister to Duobao Pavilion to buy a gift for Brother - in - law. Eldest Sister met an old acquaintance and went to Xiyang Tower to talk. When I went to buy snacks for Xuan'er, I happened to witness that scene."
So it was that day! Song Nanxin deeply regretted taking her out that day. It was all for nothing that she had saved someone, and today she had even received the emperor's praise, earning herself a good reputation!
Everyone knew that being praised by the emperor in front of all the court officials and the common people was enough to prove that the Fourth Miss Song of the Ding'an Marquis Mansion had excellent moral character. She was definitely not the kind of flirtatious woman who was selfish and would use her beauty to climb up to other men by any means.
The rumors about Song Yihuan that had been circulating in the streets before lost all their power in the face of Ji Zihuan's words.
A woman who was willing to sacrifice her life to save a child who had nothing to do with her couldn't be a bad person, could she?
On the contrary, from today onwards, the name Song Yihuan would take on another meaning.
Song Nanxin was already married, but Song Yihuan was still a young lady of the Ding'an Marquis Mansion. With the emperor's guarantee just now, Song Yihuan's reputation was firmly tied to the Ding'an Marquis Mansion. For the sake of the marquis mansion, they had no choice but to support Song Yihuan and find a good family for her so that she could get married in style!
"Where are the people from the Ding'an Marquis Mansion?" Ji Zihuan said.
The Ding'an Marquis led Meng shi forward. After bowing to Ji Zihuan, they stood below with their heads lowered.
"I've heard that my imperial sister - in - law is an extremely talented woman and has outstanding achievements in the Imperial College. And the Fourth Miss Song in the mansion is so kind and brave. You two have really taught your children well."
A smile spread across the Ding'an Marquis's face. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty has overpraised. It's all because the children are ambitious on their own."
A look of curiosity appeared on Ji Zihuan's face. "However, I've also heard that the biological mother of the Fourth Miss Song was originally a maid. It seems that she was also involved in the death of the old madam of the Ding'an Marquis Mansion. Is there such a thing?"
Then he added, "Marquis of Ding'an, don't dare to deceive the emperor."
At this moment, the Ding'an Marquis even wished he were dead. Only he and Meng shi knew the truth about that incident back then. Not daring to deceive the emperor, he quickly said,
"There's no such thing. These are all just rumors spread by others. Although Huan'er's mother was just a maid, she was pure - hearted and gentle. She couldn't have done such a heinous thing. My mother passed away due to a serious illness. It had nothing to do with anyone."
His voice was not very loud, but it was loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly.
Even though the emperor was there, there was still an inevitable low - pitched murmur below. Everyone seemed to be very surprised by the truth of this rumor about the Ding'an Marquis Mansion. At the same time, the looks they gave the Ding'an Marquis Mansion also changed a bit.
The people in the marquis mansion knew that the truth was not so, but they still allowed the rumors to spread in the capital. No one knew what they were up to.
Standing to one side, Song Yihuan heard what the Ding'an Marquis said. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
After that incident happened back then, her mother had even threatened to kill herself to prove her innocence, but no one believed the so - called "truth" in her mouth. As a result, that rumor had haunted her mother for thirteen years, making her mother depressed all day long.
Now, her mother could finally be vindicated, and it was even said by the Ding'an Marquis himself.
Song Yihuan looked at Ji Zihuan gratefully, but unexpectedly met Ji Lingchuan's deep, black eyes that seemed to hide infinite strength. Her heart trembled. She quietly clenched her fists, her throat choked slightly, and she tried hard not to let the tears fall.
Was it him?
It must be him, right?
It was he who told the emperor about her mother's story. That's why the emperor specifically mentioned her act of saving the child in the market in front of everyone and then asked the Ding'an Marquis about her mother.
Taking her eyes off Ji Lingchuan, Song Yihuan looked at Ji Zihuan and found that the latter winked at her playfully, which further confirmed her guess.
"The Fourth Miss Song has done a meritorious deed by saving someone. She deserves a reward. Fourth Miss Song, what kind of reward do you want?" Ji Zihuan said to Song Yihuan with a smile.
A reward? Song Yihuan thought for a while and said, "Saving someone was just a small effort on my part. I dare not ask for a reward in exchange. Otherwise, the meaning of saving someone would be distorted. I would like to thank Your Majesty for your grace here. Receiving Your Majesty's praise is already the best reward I could get."
It was only at this moment that Ji Zihuan truly took a good look at Song Yihuan.
When they first met, she kept saying at Lanfang Garden that she wanted to climb up to a high - ranking family, which made people think that she was an extremely snobbish woman. But then he saw her risking her life to save a child in the market. He then felt that her true nature was not what he had seen at Lanfang Garden.
Now he saw even more of her merits.
Ji Zihuan laughed and said, "The high - mindedness of the Fourth Miss Song makes me admire. I'm really looking forward to the Fourth Miss Song's performance in this autumn hunting."
So far, the topic related to Song Yihuan came to an end. Ji Zihuan then asked other court officials and chatted with them for a while.
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, the Ding'an Marquis and Meng shi turned around. Seeing Song Yihuan behind them, both of them looked embarrassed in their own ways.
Although the Ding'an Marquis had cleared Concubine Rou's name in public, he knew the real truth back then. So when facing Song Yihuan, he felt a bit awkward.
He couldn't scold Song Yihuan in front of so many people. Finally, he managed to say, "Obey your eldest sister and accompany the princess on this journey." Then he led Meng shi back to the carriage of the Ding'an Marquis Mansion in a hurry, as if his butt was on fire.
Song Nanxin took Song Yihuan's hand and sighed, "You know, you encountered such a dangerous thing but kept it to yourself. If His Majesty hadn't mentioned it, we wouldn't have known that you saved someone and were almost injured."
Now that Song Yihuan's status had changed, Song Nanxin needed to maintain her image as a good elder sister in front of others even more. The two of them stood close together, looking as if they had a very good relationship.
Song Yihuan wouldn't fall out with her eldest sister at this time either. She responded with a smile.
After a while, Ji Zihuan finally finished his conversation with the court officials before their departure and ordered someone to announce the start of the journey.
The emperor's carriage, escorted by the Black Armored Army, led the way in the front. Dozens of carriages followed behind, advancing mightily towards Xingzhou.
Song Yihuan sat in the carriage, opened the small window, and looked ahead.
In the distance, she could see a tall and imposing figure riding a horse following the emperor's carriage. The man had broad shoulders. The armor fit tightly on his body, making him look even more steady and reliable, as if he could bear anything.