Song Yuan was very happy today and drank a few more cups.
Before long, even the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess sent generous gifts.
However, Song Chaoyu always felt out of place in such a lively Song family.
She walked towards Old Madam Song, "Grandmother, I feel a bit dizzy. May I go back first?"
Old Madam Song now felt genuine pity for Song Chaoyu, "You, I saw you drinking several cups of rose sweet wine earlier. It's still hot today, but that is wine, after all. How can you drink so much? Never mind! Since your second and third sisters are here, and your father is not thinking about you, you can go sit in the garden behind. Come back when your eldest brother toasts with tea."
Song Chaoyu nodded, then took Tiao Hong and Xun Lu to the back.
Today, male and female guests were seated together, so the entire back garden of the Song family was opened up.
However, the guests would not venture too deep inside. Song Chaoyu chose a secluded pavilion hidden by a rockery to sit down.
After drinking some rose sweet wine, she didn't feel drunk, only that her cheeks felt a little hot.
But shortly after she sat down, she heard someone approaching.
She frowned in annoyance, stood up, and saw Mu Hansu walking towards her from outside.
He seemed to have wandered over by chance, bored.
Seeing Song Chaoyu, he was stunned.
Song Chaoyu quickly suppressed the disgust in her eyes and curtsied, "Greetings, Your Highness Ning Wang."
"No need for such formalities."
Mu Hansu was extremely gentle at this moment, "I remember you. You are the fourth daughter of the Song family, aren't you? I noticed your face was flushed at the banquet earlier. Rose sweet wine is delicious, but you must not drink too much!"
If it weren't for the memories of her previous life, Song Chaoyu might have thought Mu Hansu was a gentle and reliable person.
In her previous life, before she was married off to him, she had never met him alone like this.
The events of this life had changed too much, catching Song Chaoyu off guard, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. This humble daughter is fine."
She retreated step by step. Mu Hansu mistook it for propriety between men and women.
But he smiled slightly, showing no intention of leaving, "Don't be nervous. My attendant is watching outside. If anyone comes, they will surely inform us. It was noisy at the banquet, and I also drank a few more cups. Fourth Sister, you don't mind if I sit here for a while, do you?"
How could Song Chaoyu not mind?
However, she did not want Mu Hansu to see her aversion yet. She merely moved towards the rockery, "Since that is the case, this humble daughter will not disturb Your Highness."
Seeing her about to leave, Mu Hansu suddenly stood up and blocked Song Chaoyu's path, "Fourth Sister, wait a moment! This King has something he wishes to ask Fourth Sister for help with. I wonder if Fourth Sister is willing?"
Song Chaoyu frowned.
She saw Mu Hansu take out a box and a handkerchief wrapped around something from his sleeve and hand them to Song Chaoyu, "If it's possible, could Fourth Sister help this King deliver this box to your second sister? This handkerchief contains some gold ingots. They are not very valuable, but Fourth Sister can keep them to buy things you like."
Had he prepared this long ago?
How did he know he would meet someone who could help him?
Or did he intend to ask someone else to help him, and just happened to encounter her?
For a moment, Song Chaoyu's mind raced.
In this life, she actually hoped that Mu Hansu and Song Yanjiao would end up together.
However, with her current status, it was probably not appropriate to act in such a manner.
As she hesitated, Mu Hansu stepped forward and pressed the items further towards Song Chaoyu, "I believe Fourth Sister will not refuse this King, will you?"
He had called himself "I" just now, and now it was "this King."
Was he trying to force her using his royal status?
"Brother Ning Wang!"
Before Song Chaoyu could say anything, Mu Changxi's voice suddenly came from outside, "Brother Ning Wang, please don't make things difficult for a humble concubine's daughter in someone else's home. If you are discovered helping to deliver things privately, your second daughter might not be punished, but this humble concubine's daughter will surely be in trouble!"
Song Chaoyu thought he had come from the other side of the pavilion. Because the pavilion was mostly blocked by the rockery, neither Mu Hansu nor Song Chaoyu had noticed his presence before.
At this moment, his attendant pushed the wooden wheelchair, and he slowly moved forward, smiling at Mu Hansu, "Brother Ning Wang, talking to this young lady has disturbed my good dream!"
Good dream? Had he been here all along?
Song Chaoyu lowered her head further and remained silent. Mu Hansu finally withdrew the items into his sleeve.
He spoke to Mu Changxi with some politeness, "Brother Chang Wang, you are right. This King did not expect you to be here either. What just happened..."
"I won't speak carelessly, Brother Wang. Rest assured."
Mu Changxi acted as if he were very understanding, "A beautiful woman is sought by a gentleman. The legitimate daughters of the Song family are naturally like celestial maidens descending to earth, making it natural for Brother Wang to pursue them. I will not say anything."
"That's good."
Mu Hansu nodded.
The attendant outside hurried into the pavilion, "Your Highness Ning Wang, someone from the banquet just informed me that the Minister of War has also arrived and is looking for you everywhere, wanting to drink with you!"
If Song Chaoyu remembered correctly, Mu Hansu in her previous life did have his own people in the Ministry of War, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to mobilize the army so easily to block the news later.
Mu Hansu indeed became serious and cupped his fists at Mu Changxi, "Brother Wang, I will take my leave first."
Mu Changxi nodded, and Song Chaoyu's gaze involuntarily fell on Mu Changxi again.
She noticed that his left hand was currently resting on the back of his right hand. The gesture was casual, but it perfectly concealed a not-so-obvious scar on the back of his right hand.
If he was Hanxi, then he also wanted to distance himself from her, right?
Song Chaoyu quickly took two steps back, "This humble daughter also takes her leave. I will not disturb Your Highness's rest here."
Why did her heart feel so heavy when she said this?
"Wait!"
As Song Chaoyu took two steps back, Mu Changxi called out to her, "Are you that afraid of this King?"
Song Chaoyu stopped, "This humble daughter dares not."
Mu Changxi motioned for the attendant behind him to withdraw, then reached out and turned the wooden wheels on either side of the wheelchair, "It seems every time you see this King, you are unwilling to say more than a few words to me. Why, are you afraid of this disabled body, or are you afraid that this King spent so many years in the barbarian lands?"
These two things were gossip topics for others.
He actually took them to heart?
"This humble daughter dares not."
Facing such a Mu Changxi, Song Chaoyu was a little flustered and could only apologize repeatedly, "This humble daughter has never thought so. I beg Your Highness Chang Wang to see clearly. This humble daughter just feels... Your Highness resembles a deceased friend of this humble daughter, so whenever I see Your Highness, my heart is filled with longing."