After Song Wan left, before she had even walked back to her own courtyard, she saw the steward matron from the outer courtyard approaching with a red invitation card.

Seeing Song Wan, the matron smiled and said, “Eldest Miss, the Bai family has sent an invitation. On the ninth of this month, Miss Bai will be getting married, and Madam Bai invites you to attend the banquet.”

“The wedding is happening so soon?”

A faint smile traced across Song Wan’s face as she took the invitation.

Lan Yunhe had reached marriageable age, and it seemed they were following the groom’s family’s wishes—that’s why the wedding was being arranged so hastily.

The mention of Lan Yunhe inevitably made her think of Jiang Jing. Song Wan’s heart grew heavy, and she felt a moment of sadness.

“Will Miss be going?”

“Naturally.”

Song Wan smiled gently. “Please trouble yourself, Nanny, to ask the gatehouse to help me send a reply card, saying that on that day I will go to add betrothal gifts for Miss Bai.”

“This old servant understands.”

The steward matron also asked about the congratulatory gifts Song Wan wanted to bring, informing her that everything would be properly prepared before taking her leave.

Song Wan’s thoughts were heavy as she clutched the red silk-wrapped invitation and headed toward her courtyard.

“Elder Sister.”

Song Yao walked over with her personal maidservant Youyou, standing before Song Wan biting her lip in silence.

“Second Sister, if you have something to say, just say it directly.”

Song Yao said, “Elder Sister, are you really going to attend a banquet outside the residence?”

“Why should I not be able to go?”

Song Yao didn’t answer, but instead said, “Elder Sister sent away all the old servants from Mother’s side back to the Su residence. Now Mother has no one available to her. Even in the evening when she wants the small kitchen to prepare a stewed soup, no one responds. Mother’s authority in the residence has been swept away. Is Elder Sister happy about this?”

Song Wan frowned slightly. “Second Sister, who is your etiquette nanny?”

“What, does Elder Sister want to send my etiquette nanny back to the Su family as well?”

Song Wan’s tone grew cold. “A matron who has taught you to speak such nonsense and confuse right and wrong—I’m afraid even the Su family wouldn’t want her.”

“When did I speak nonsense?”

Song Wan said to Jinshu beside her, “Go fetch all the steward matrons from the kitchen and see exactly who dares to treat the household’s mistress this way.”

Song Yao’s expression became flustered as she hastily spoke, “Why must Elder Sister do this? Ever since you returned to the residence, you’ve stirred up nothing but trouble. Elder Sister knows full well your reputation is ruined—why did you still agree to the Su family’s marriage proposal? And now you’ve even had Third Cousin come to the door to refuse the marriage. Do you know how humiliating this is for the other daughters of the family?”

For a woman to have her engagement refused was already disgraceful enough, yet Song Wan had been repeatedly rejected and cast aside. As her legitimate younger sister, her own face had been completely lost along with it.

“Yesterday, my close friend sent a letter asking about all this chaos. Now Elder Sister isn’t confined to the residence—instead, you want to go out and attend banquets, making a spectacle of yourself… Elder Sister, aren’t you afraid of losing even the last shred of the Song residence’s dignity?”

Song Wan was about to speak when Nanny Song behind her interrupted, “Eldest Miss, the Crown Prince has arrived at the residence and has bestowed gifts upon you and the other young misses.”

“The Crown Prince?”

Song Yao pressed her lips together, her cheeks flushing with a layer of thin red.

Father had arranged for two etiquette nannies who had served in the palace to be sent to her and Song Nian’s sides. This had given her some speculations about her marriage prospects.

Moreover, although Mother hadn’t spoken of it explicitly, the implications in her words and behavior were enough for her to guess what might be happening.

This was precisely why she harbored such resentment toward Song Wan.

Song Wan had repeatedly damaged the reputation of the Song family daughters. Song Wan herself was already a rejected woman, so of course she wasn’t afraid of anything. But she and Song Nian couldn’t bear such consequences.

After all, the status of legitimate daughter of the Song family was sufficient to qualify for the position of Crown Princess. But if, because of Song Wan’s actions, she could only become a Crown Prince’s Secondary Consort at most, the disparity would be more than just slight.

Thinking that she might lose her qualification to become the mother of a nation because of Song Wan, Song Yao felt her heart grow stuffy, a lump of air stuck in her throat that she couldn’t swallow down.

“The Young Master asks if Miss wishes to go pay respects and offer thanks to the Crown Prince?”

“Although we should offer thanks, the mistress is indisposed, and it’s not proper for inner chamber women to see outsiders…”

“How is it that Elder Sister now says it’s improper to see people? Weren’t you just about to go out to attend a banquet?”

Song Yao’s voice grew lower and lower, her tone increasingly urgent.

She wanted to see the Crown Prince.

Song Wan didn’t want to, but she did!

Clutching the handkerchief in her hand, Song Yao’s face flushed red with anxiety.

Nanny Song glanced at her, her brows furrowing tightly. “Miss…”

Song Wan smiled faintly. “Since Second Sister wants to see the Crown Prince, go ahead and offer your thanks.”

Song Yao’s face lit with joy. Dropping a quick word about changing clothes, she turned and left. Song Wan then returned to her own courtyard with Jinshu and Luanjian.

When she returned to her courtyard, she finally saw five or six boxes piled up in the room. Song Wan was somewhat surprised. “Were all these bestowed by the Crown Prince?”

Heng Zhi nodded and moved close to Song Wan, saying, “The matron who manages records in the residence came to say that the Crown Prince specifically named these things to be bestowed upon Miss. Second Miss and Third Miss each only received one palm-sized small box containing two thumbnail-sized auspicious jade carvings.”

Items bestowed by palace dignitaries all needed to be properly preserved. Apart from daily-use items that would be distributed to individuals, everything else had to be stored in the residence’s storeroom to avoid damage from bumps and scratches.

After the record-keeping matron delivered the items, she had lavishly praised Miss’s good fortune.

If their young miss were unmarried, the Crown Prince’s intentions would be quite obvious. But now…

It was really hard to say what it meant.

Heng Zhi looked puzzled. Song Wan casually opened a box on the table and saw that inside were various seasonal tribute items—besides food and snacks, there were also some melons, fruits, and fine teas.

Song Wan smiled sweetly. “It must be that Ji Rong said something to the Crown Prince.”

The bestowed items were still fairly ordinary, but they were much more substantial than what was given to Song Yao and Song Nian. This intention to elevate her status was quite obvious.

“I’m afraid Ji Rong knows I sent away the people at Mother’s side and has guessed something.”

“Prepare ink and brush—I want to send Ji Rong a letter.”

Handing the red invitation to Heng Zhi, Song Wan wrote a brief letter to Ji Rong. Though the words in the letter were plain, they carried a sense of intimacy and familiarity.

After finishing, Song Wan carefully sealed the letter. “Send this to Elder Brother and tell him to find an opportunity to deliver it to Ji Rong’s hands.”

As the Crown Prince’s close attendant, Ji Rong would most likely accompany him today.

Having finished her tasks and seeing that only her own people remained in the room, Heng Zhi clutched the Bai family invitation and said, “Miss, are you really going to attend the banquet?”

“I’m afraid others outside will gossip terribly…”

Song Wan smiled. “When people live in this world, how can they not be slandered and criticized?”

“Even sages are constantly attacked by ignorant scoundrels—what more ordinary people?”

Whether it was her severing ties with Jiang Xingjian or Su Xie coming to refuse the marriage, these things had indeed damaged her reputation. But she didn’t feel she had done anything wrong. Song Wan believed she had acted righteously and sat with a clear conscience. She feared neither gods and spirits above nor felt ashamed before people below—so why should she feel unable to face anyone?

“Heng Zhi, I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“A true gentleman doesn’t speak ill of others. Those who constantly hang others’ difficulties on their lips are mostly not gentlemen at all.”

“So why should I live in fear because of petty people’s words?”

“The more I fear others’ gossip, the more I’ll hear such voices. Because those people, seeing you afraid and seeing you hide, know where your pain lies and how to hurt you most deeply.”

“Words are weapons that harm people, but if I’m not afraid, no one can do anything to me.”

Song Wan stood up and opened the persimmons Shen Qianyu had sent over, smiling as she brought them close to her nose to smell.

“Heng Zhi, we’re not only going to attend the Bai family banquet—we’re going to go happily. When those who want to harm me realize that I’m not moved by their words and won’t be hurt by their actions, they’ll find it boring and naturally give up.”

Hearing this, Heng Zhi’s eyes reddened as she nodded firmly.

The mistress and servant pair savored the persimmons bestowed by the Crown Prince in the room, while Shen Qianyu, having heard that Miss Song was changing clothes and would soon come to pay respects and offer thanks, suddenly became restless and unable to sit still.