Song Jinzhao smiled faintly. "Qiming hasn't mentioned it to me, so I suppose it hasn't been completely finalized yet."
Madam Meng continued to probe. "I heard from my husband that when Lord Ye left the capital, his relationship with the two princes was not very harmonious. I wonder how things will be when he returns this time? Your brother is Lord Ye's only student, so surely he must know something."
Song Jinzhao reached out and brushed her fingers over the stamens of the winter jasmine. "Qiming is only thirteen. How could Mr. Ye discuss major court affairs with a child? Mr. Ye used to be an imperial censor, a position that easily offends people, so I imagine his relationship with anyone wouldn't be too good."
Madam Meng pursed her lips and looked away. Why was she so impenetrable?
If she didn't reveal a single bit of information, what was she supposed to report when she went back?
After strolling for nearly half an hour, seeing that she could no longer stall for time, Madam Meng helplessly frowned.
As they reached the entrance of Ming Garden, she put on a very troubled expression. The words rolled around on her tongue a couple of times before she swallowed them back, as if she were stuck.
Meeting Song Jinzhao's nonchalant gaze, she finally opened her mouth.
"Actually, the person who wanted to see you today isn't me, but Prince Ying's side consort, Li Qinyun."
Song Jinzhao asked in confusion, "Li Tianchong's daughter? Isn't she in the capital? Why did she suddenly come back?"
Anyang Prefecture and the capital were thousands of miles apart; even riding a horse would take over a month. Furthermore, Li Qinyun was a side consort, and under normal circumstances, she would rarely be allowed to visit her family.
Madam Meng replied, "The day after tomorrow is Li Tianchong's birthday. Side Consort Li is favored, and Prince Ying specially granted her the grace to return and celebrate her father's birthday."
"The day before yesterday, she suddenly sent someone to my door, saying she wanted to meet you. Given her status, I couldn't easily refuse, which is why I invited you to go on a spring outing. Side Consort Li is already waiting inside."
In reality, to leave some time to speak with Song Jinzhao alone, Madam Meng had deliberately moved their meeting time up by an hour. Unfortunately, she still hadn't managed to find out anything.
Song Jinzhao asked, "Does Madam Meng know why Side Consort Li wants to see me?"
Madam Meng shook her head. "She only said she wanted to see for herself the elegance of the lady personally titled by the Emperor. She didn't say anything else."
When Li Qinyun married into Prince Ying's manor, Meng Hechuan had not yet been transferred to serve as the Prefect of Anyang. Madam Meng and Li Qinyun had never met. This sudden request had startled not only Madam Meng but even Meng Hechuan.
Historically, the struggle for the throne was always accompanied by bloodshed and sacrifice, especially for the officials who chose sides.
Successfully backing the winning prince meant a meteoric rise, but failing meant not just demotion or dismissal; in severe cases, it could implicate one's entire family, leading to their deaths.
Meng Hechuan certainly did not want people to think he had defected to Prince Ying.
A few steps into Ming Garden, Song Jinzhao saw four guards standing outside the enclosure with their swords, their expressions very serious.
Seeing women approaching, one of them turned and walked inside, bringing out a maidservant when he returned.
"This must be Lady Linghui. Her Ladyship has been waiting for you for quite some time."
Madam Meng noted the maid's attitude and demeanor, her heart pounding and unable to calm down for a long time.
She carefully stole a glance at Song Jinzhao, feeling as though she had pushed the other woman into a pit of fire.
Hopefully, nothing bad would happen!
The woman sitting on the embroidered stool wore a pale lotus-colored dress embroidered with golden birds. As she looked up toward the door, the pure gold kingfisher feather hairpin in her chignon swayed gently, accentuating her exquisitely beautiful face with a touch of charm.
Song Jinzhao's eyes held a smile as she raised her eyebrows in slight surprise.
It seemed that Prince Ying's decision to marry her wasn't entirely due to the Li family's vast wealth; no man could resist a face like that.
Li Qinyun had seen portraits of Song Jinzhao. Seeing her in person, she realized the woman was not particularly tall or large, making it hard to imagine that such a woman could hunt down fierce tigers and black bears.
Song Jinzhao stopped calmly and gave a slight curtsy. "This subject greets Her Ladyship."
Madam Meng quickly followed with a deep curtsy. "This subject's wife greets Her Ladyship. Wishing Her Ladyship peace and prosperity."
Li Qinyun affectionately stepped forward and held Song Jinzhao's hands, breaking into a bright smile. "Lady Linghui, there is no need for such formalities. Let us treat today as a meeting between good friends; there is no need to be too strict with the rules."
After taking their seats, Li Qinyun's mouth never stopped. The moment the atmosphere cooled down even slightly, she would immediately switch to the next topic and keep chatting.
Even Madam Meng, who frequently attended banquets, could not help but inwardly marvel at Li Qinyun's social grace.
Despite her young age, judging by her conversation, it would not be an exaggeration to say she was a seasoned veteran in social settings.
