Moments later, a eunuch brought over a token and presented it to Song Yihuan.
It was the first time she had ever seen a so - called "amnesty token". There were no words saying "amnesty" on it. On the front, the character "Yu" was engraved in seal script, and on the back, the imperial surname "Ji" was carved.
However, this alone was enough to prove its status and function.
This amnesty token was a pleasant surprise for Song Yihuan. With it, no matter what she did next or no matter what happened, she could use this token to escape any danger.
After bestowing the token, Ji Zihuan yawned and said he was going back to rest. Everyone quickly paid respects to the emperor. They didn't stand up until Ji Zihuan was out of sight.
Feeling a hateful gaze on her, Song Yihuan looked up. The Marquis of Ding'an and Lady Meng were both staring daggers at her.
The Princess of Ningqin, however, looked at her with interest.
Indeed, her plea today for her birth mother to be freed from slavery and the Ding'an Marquis Mansion had surprised everyone present. However, this also meant that from now on, her mother would no longer be a concubine but an ordinary citizen.
In the future, no one could look down on or manipulate her because of her mother's low birth. She didn't ask for a marriage or a reward for herself. Starting from the issue of her birth was indeed a very smart move.
The Princess of Ningqin gave Song Nanxin a fleeting glance.
In comparison, the Crown Princess always seemed to be a bit inferior. She had done well in her studies at the Imperial College and handled the account books well, but why did she never give people the impression of being smart and clever?
Once this thought popped up, the Princess of Ningqin couldn't ignore it.
The Crown Princess was a bit smart, but during their days of getting along, her performance was not outstanding. She was just seen as a decent and proper woman, that was all.
However, in front of the Ding'an Marquis Mansion people, the Princess of Ningqin couldn't voice her doubts. Suppressing her inner misgivings, she smiled and said, "Well, Huan girl has just come back. She must not have rested well in the mountains these days. Let her go back and rest quickly."
"Xiaoxuan'er, come with me." The Princess of Ningqin waved to Song Yixuan.
Song Yixuan hadn't seen Song Yihuan for a few days and missed her very much. He was a bit reluctant to part with Song Yihuan. But Song Yihuan pushed his shoulder and said, "Xuan'er, go."
At this moment, Song Yihuan and the Princess of Ningqin reached a subtle understanding. There was no safer place than by the Princess of Ningqin's side.
She had just pleaded for the imperial decree for her mother. She guessed that the marquis, his mother, and her elder sister must hate her very much. If she kept Xuan'er by her side, it might cause a lot of trouble.
Although Song Yixuan didn't understand all the subtleties, he knew that Song Yihuan did this for his own good. So he had to walk towards the Princess of Ningqin with many backward glances and followed her away.
After the Princess of Ningqin left, the Marquis of Ding'an, suppressing his raging anger, said to Song Yihuan, "Fourth girl, come with this marquis."
Humph, was he so eager to make trouble for her? Well, it was going to happen sooner or later anyway.
Song Yihuan followed the Marquis of Ding'an and Lady Meng towards their tent. Song Nanxin also tagged along.
As soon as they entered the tent, the Marquis of Ding'an turned around and immediately raised his hand, intending to slap Song Yihuan in the face. Song Yihuan had expected this and raised the gold token in her hand, saying,
"Marquis, His Majesty has just bestowed this on me. If you want to punish me now, you'd better think carefully. Is this slap going to land on my face or on His Majesty's?"
The marquis' hand stopped just in front of the token. He was so angry that his chest heaved up and down. Pointing at the calm - faced Song Yihuan, he gritted his teeth and said, "Rebellious girl! Kneel down for this marquis!"
Lady Meng said coldly from the side, "This token can save your life, but it can't stop you from kneeling to your parents. Kneel down!"
Indeed, the amnesty token in her hand could save her life, but it couldn't stop the Marquis Mansion from using "filial piety" to suppress her.
Moreover, she got this token because of her "filial piety".
Well, it was just a matter of kneeling. To achieve her goal, it was okay for her to suffer a bit of grievance. Song Yihuan calmly knelt down in front of the Marquis of Ding'an and Lady Meng.
Seeing her lower herself, the Marquis of Ding'an and Lady Meng finally let out a sigh of relief.
Watching her parents team up against Song Yihuan, Song Nanxin felt extremely satisfied. She let out a soft sigh and said,
"Yihuan, your actions just now really hurt our parents' hearts. The Marquis Mansion has raised you for seventeen years, providing you with food, clothing, and shelter. But you don't consider the Marquis Mansion your home. When you got such a good opportunity, you only thought about Concubine Rou. This was clearly a great opportunity for the Marquis Mansion to gain more titles and honors, but you ruined it. How can our parents not be angry?"
Song Nanxin then tried to persuade the Marquis of Ding'an and Lady Meng, "Marquis, Lady, please calm down. Daughter will find a way to talk to the Crown Prince properly and help our family get to a higher level."
The Marquis of Ding'an snorted and pointed at Song Yihuan, saying, "Look at your elder sister, and then look at you! You only think about your mother. You have a short - sighted and stupid vision!"
Song Yihuan looked up at the Marquis of Ding'an and smiled, "However, this is what my mother deserves. Back then, my mother had reached the right age and had saved enough silver to redeem herself and leave the mansion. I'm sure the marquis knows very well why my mother stayed in the Marquis Mansion as a concubine."
Concubine Rou had cleared her name and now, with the emperor's permission, she was removed from the Ding'an Marquis Mansion. She was no longer the marquis' concubine. So Song Yihuan no longer needed to call her "Concubine". Finally, she could call her "Mother" openly.
"You—" Having the old matter exposed in public, the Marquis of Ding'an was so angry that his fingers trembled.
When that matter was brought up, Lady Meng also looked bad. She shouted angrily, "That's enough, rebellious girl. Kneel here properly. You can get up only when your father calms down!"
She supported the marquis and was about to go down to rest when the curtain of the tent was lifted. A tall and straight figure walked in, dimming the light in the tent.
The person who came was Ji Lingchuan.
No one had expected his sudden appearance. The Marquis of Ding'an, Lady Meng, and Song Nanxin were all startled.
"Your, Your Highness the Crown Prince?" Song Nanxin looked at Ji Lingchuan, who was in armor and looked dusty.
The Marquis of Ding'an and Lady Meng were also terribly frightened.
Why did Ji Lingchuan come back suddenly? There was no sign outside! He suddenly lifted the curtain and walked in. How much of what they had just said had he heard?
Ji Lingchuan stood inside the tent. His sharp eyes swept over the Marquis of Ding'an, Lady Meng, and Song Nanxin one by one, and finally landed on Song Yihuan, who was kneeling on the ground. He asked,
"What's going on here?"