Lord Song felt his anger boil, but what could he do?
He had bowed and scraped before Prince Ning, and now he had to do the same for Prince Chang.
But then he thought of Concubine Liu leaving…
For the first time, Lord Song stood firm before Mu Changxi: "This is a matter of my Song manor, between me and Eleventh Mistress. Although Ayu is Eleventh Mistress's daughter, she knows nothing of the affection between me and Eleventh Mistress. It is absolutely impossible for me to let Eleventh Mistress go."
Mu Changxi had anticipated Lord Song would act this way.
He merely nodded slightly, "Indeed, we should not interfere in the affairs of elders. I am not speaking to you today, Father-in-law, to expect you to accept Concubine's departure immediately. I only wish to tell you, Father-in-law, to cease imprisoning Concubine. Seventeen years was your angry outburst, Concubine will not take it to heart, Ayu will not take it to heart, and neither will I."
The implication was clear: if Lord Song denied it was an outburst and insisted on his actions, then all of them would take it to heart.
Lord Song understood. No matter how stifled he felt, he had to concede.
He knew this was likely Mu Changxi's bottom line.
Although Mu Changxi was not as favored by the Emperor as he had been upon returning from the Southern Kingdom, he was still the Emperor's beloved son.
Lord Song closed his eyes and finally let out a sigh, "Alright, alright! It was indeed an angry outburst on my part. I will not truly imprison her, I merely wished to make her aware of my feelings. Since even the Prince has come to plead for her, I will naturally release her. Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will handle my own family matters."
"Mm."
Despite knowing Lord Song was angered, Mu Changxi's expression showed no other emotional fluctuations.
He had achieved his objective, and nothing else mattered.
—
After a long while, the eunuch's voice was heard from outside, "The groom and bride are returning to the manor—"
Mu Changxi glanced at the sky and realized it was slightly later than initially planned. He guessed something had happened on the road.
Thus, as everyone entered the gates of Prince Wen's manor, his eyes scanned everywhere for that familiar figure.
Fortunately, he spotted Song Chaoyu at a glance, and his heart immediately settled.
Once inside Prince Wen's manor, the atmosphere was no longer as constrained as it had been in the palace.
Prince Wen would lead Ti Le in three bows within the manor, and then escort Ti Le to the bridal chamber, while Prince Wen himself would remain in the main hall to entertain the guests.
Song Chaoyu finally had an opportunity to meet Mu Changxi. She walked towards him almost immediately.
Mu Changxi had only been apart from Song Chaoyu for a day, yet his heart was filled with joy.
Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, he slipped a small piece of pastry, wrapped in a clean handkerchief, into Song Chaoyu's hand. "I imagine you haven't eaten anything since early this morning. The feast won't begin for a while yet, so eat this to tide you over."
The handkerchief still held Mu Changxi's warmth, which in turn warmed Song Chaoyu's heart.
Taking the pastry, she lowered her head and popped it into her mouth. After eating, she smiled, "I also hid some small pastries, but I never had a chance to eat them. If I don't eat soon, I fear I'll starve to death."
Mu Changxi chuckled, "Prince Wen is getting married, yet the Princess Consort of Prince Chang is starving to death. What kind of logic is that?"
As they chatted, Song Chaoyu noticed Song Yuan walking towards them.
Seeing the displeased look on Song Yuan's face, Song Chaoyu quickly stood straight. "Greetings, Father."
Song Yuan approached, said nothing else to Song Chaoyu, but tossed her a key. "I am going out for drinks this afternoon. When you return, release your concubine."
With that, he turned and left, leaving Song Chaoyu somewhat bewildered as she looked back, likely understanding Mu Changxi was behind this. "You… what did you do? Why has Father changed his mind like this?"
Mu Changxi smiled slightly. "I didn't do much, just had a few words with Father-in-law. Seeing you unable to eat or sleep for days over your mother's affairs, and even Little Monkey sighing with you sometimes, I felt it was only right to have a chat with Father-in-law."
He seemed to sigh with a touch of emotion. "Actually, Father-in-law does care for Mother, but he's always been accustomed to being doted upon. It's probably difficult for him to suddenly have to dote on someone else. Don't worry, he won't do anything to Mother. If Mother remains steadfast, he will eventually compromise."
Recalling Song Yuan from her previous life…
Song Chaoyu merely smiled and shook her head. "What's the use of realizing his feelings now? So many years have passed, Mother must be utterly disappointed in him. It's rather pointless for him to act this way now."
Mu Changxi reached out and took Song Chaoyu's hand. "Don't worry. No matter what choice Mother makes, we will be behind her. In the future, no one will bully Mother again, not even Father-in-law."
It was at moments like these that Song Chaoyu felt incredibly fortunate to be Mu Changxi's wife!
Song Chaoyu handed the key to Qiu Qing, and then told Mu Changxi about the matter of the 'tiaohong'.
Before she could finish, Mu Changxi's eyes turned cold and sharp. "Ti Le was never a good sort in the Southern Kingdom, but because she took care of Qian Shan, I didn't think much of her. However, if she is now planning to harm us, then we must be prepared."
His tone was always reassuring. "But don't worry, with Qiu Qing at Prince Wen's manor, I'm sure everything will be fine. After these couple of days, I will personally go and ask Prince Wen for her return."
Indeed, asking for someone on their wedding day would be inappropriate.
Song Chaoyu then nodded. "That's true. It's just that Tiaohong will have to suffer for these two days."
Mu Changxi smiled. "She has been by your side for many years, and you have always treated her like a sister. How could I not see that? Rest assured, as long as she is in Prince Wen's manor, she will be safe. My relationship with Prince Wen is still trustworthy."
Even so, Song Chaoyu could not truly feel at ease until Tiaohong returned.
While they were speaking, Ti Le Princess and Prince Wen had already finished their wedding ceremony in the main hall.
Ti Le Princess was about to be escorted to the bridal chamber, and Song Chaoyu should have accompanied her.
However, Mu Changxi kept Song Chaoyu in the main hall to eat the feast, wanting to ensure Song Chaoyu wouldn't go hungry.
After all, Mu Changxi was Prince Chang, and he was entitled to do as he pleased. Who would dare object?
Song Chaoyu also had the rare opportunity to dine with other noble ladies and officials in the main hall. Everyone was polite to her, creating a harmonious scene.