Song Wan was quite troubled.

Originally, she had prepared to let Lin Jiayue seize upon her minor weakness and use the opportunity to extricate herself, but now that such a major troublesome incident had been stirred up, it was difficult to handle.

After pondering for a long while, Song Wan picked up the sheep-hair brush on the table, dipped it in ink, and blacked out that phrase about “descended from eunuchs.”

“It’s still early. When the Marquis rises, he will surely come to ask about the Jinxiang Earl’s manor matter. You all must not mention this phrase—I will tell him myself.”

Heng Zhi and the others nodded in acknowledgment. Song Wan then sat before her writing desk, contemplating how to toss this hot potato to Lin Jiayue.

At daybreak, Jiang Xingjian came to the main courtyard of Lanting.

He currently wasn’t residing in Lanting Courtyard, but was temporarily staying in the outer courtyard guest rooms. Thus, early in the morning, he heard that people from Jinxiang Earl’s manor had come to cause a great disturbance, and that Song Wan had even invited two old women into the inner courtyard.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xingjian immediately knew that Lin Jiayue must have caused trouble again.

Thinking of Lin Jiayue, an inexplicable irritation swept through his heart, yet he had to forcefully convince himself that it was because he hadn’t fulfilled his duty as head of the household.

“What exactly happened with Jinxiang Earl’s manor? I heard from Songyan that they came to make a scene before dawn and carried on for quite a while.”

“I was just about to discuss this matter with you.”

Song Wan had Heng Zhi prepare breakfast and invited Jiang Xingjian to sit inside the room.

“The day before yesterday, I asked Concubine Lin to send the mourning ode and mourning announcement for Jinxiang Earl’s manor to the ceremony office. Who would have known she would write her own mourning ode and slip it in among them, sending everything together to Jinxiang Earl’s manor?”

While speaking, Song Wan picked up a thin sheet of paper from the table and handed it to Jiang Xingjian.

Jiang Xingjian’s gaze was first drawn to the black ink spot. He furrowed his brow slightly, and when he came to his senses and saw the page full of references to “Lady Lu Gong,” his forehead began throbbing incessantly.

The man extended his slender index finger to press against the space between his brows, but not only could he not dispel the frustration in his chest, it actually added seven or eight parts more vexation.

He didn’t quite understand why he suddenly felt somewhat aggrieved.

With Song Wan’s capabilities, such embarrassing incidents shouldn’t occur in the manor. For Lin Jiayue to behave so outrageously—if one claimed it was without Song Wan’s indulgence, Jiang Xingjian would absolutely never believe it.

As long as she wished, she could surely protect the entire Chengyang Marquis Manor as impenetrably as an iron barrel.

But why were errors now occurring one after another?

Jiang Xingjian’s brow creased slightly, not daring to deeply contemplate the reason behind this.

“Let’s eat first.”

Looking at the breakfast Heng Zhi had set upon the small table, then looking at Jiang Xingjian’s expression, Song Wan inexplicably found her appetite had improved somewhat.

Because Jiang Xingjian was also present, today’s breakfast had several additional items prepared. Just the small pastries alone included four varieties: orange sand cakes, butterfly rolls, eight-treasure steamed buns, and precious makeup cakes. For porridge, the small kitchen had made abalone porridge and emerald jade porridge. Looking at the emerald green vegetable leaves floating atop the milky white rice porridge, Song Wan suddenly felt her appetite stirring and had Xiang Cao bring it before her.

Seeing her calm expression, looking as though she only wanted to eat, Jiang Xingjian spoke with slight grievance: “You… clearly knowing that Jiayue has a rash temperament, how could you let her deliver some mourning ode? Even if she wanted to go, you should have stepped in to stop her.”

“…”

Song Wan set down her jade chopsticks, her appetite disturbed by that single sentence.

Heng Wu at the side let out a cold laugh: “This servant would say that being the household head should be done like the Marquis does—so worry-free.”

“You personally elevate an arrogant creature who stirs up storms throughout the city. If she stirs well, then you have a discerning eye and employ people on merit. If she stirs up trouble, then it’s our mistress who failed in supervision, not knowing that creature has a rash temperament.”

“How is it that when the manor handed over the household management authority to her, you didn’t know she had a rash temperament and a foolish brain?”

Being scolded so thoroughly without warning, Jiang Xingjian pressed his lips together, finally escalating from seven parts vexation to a heart full of frustration.

Song Wan kept her head lowered. After thinking for a moment, she picked up her jade chopsticks again and took some pepper vinegar chicken from before her and put it in her mouth. The chicken carried a numbing, spicy, sour flavor upon entry, quite appetizing on this summer morning.

“With the Marquis and the First Madam present, how is it your turn to act wild?”

Heng Zhi perfunctorily struck Heng Wu’s arm twice, then had Xiang Cao lead her away. Seeing that Song Wan’s appetite was good today, she placed a piece of grilled clam on the small dish before her.

Jiang Xingjian’s heart was full of stifled anger, his throat felt as though stuffed with cotton—how could he possibly eat?

Song Wan, however, rarely ate a finger-sized butterfly roll and a small bowl of porridge. After rinsing her mouth, she said to Jiang Xingjian, who was still lost in thought: “This mourning ode looks exactly like an intentional insult delivered to their door. Jinxiang Earl’s manor must be given some kind of explanation no matter what.”

“I will personally go to their door today to apologize and offer incense and bow before the deceased.”

“That seems insufficient.”

Jiang Xingjian pressed his lips together, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

He had never encountered such a situation before and truly didn’t know for the moment how to make amends and apologize. After all, in all of the capital, there had never been such an… absurd precedent.

Thinking of that phrase about “descended from eunuchs,” Song Wan felt so embarrassed her teeth ached. She cleared her throat lightly and continued: “The Marquis just blamed me for not stopping Concubine Lin. That’s not entirely unfair to me.”

“I truly didn’t want to stop her, nor did I intend to.”

Song Wan casually tucked the stray hair at her temples behind her ear and smiled faintly: “I have tried to stop her. What was the result?”

“I tried to stop you from giving Lin Jiayue the authority over household management. I tried to stop her from presiding over the grand banquet. Which matter have I not tried to stop, whether it was Third Sister’s marriage or Fourth Master taking in concubines? But when I was trying to stop things, weren’t you the one supporting her wholeheartedly, repeatedly saying that Concubine Lin had great talent and would surely add glory to the Marquis Manor?”

Jiang Xingjian lowered his eyes, having bitter feelings he couldn’t express.

“I know her temperament is frivolous, but how could I know that merely asking her to send a mourning ode to the ceremony office could also cause such great trouble?”

“After the grand banquet, I, a daughter of the Song family, had my reputation swept to the ground. Now I’ve been cursed by rough servants from Jinxiang Earl’s manor for over half a shichen straight, with foul language too obscene for the ears…”

Song Wan’s expression grew increasingly cold: “I have always followed rules and propriety, adhering to womanly virtue. Yet in less than a month this summer, I’ve become an incompetent fool of ill repute in the capital, despised by all. What more do you expect of me? If I continue covering for the Marquis Manor, when I die in the future, what face will I have to meet the ancestors of the Song family?”

“Jiang Xingjian, not only will I not stop Lin Jiayue today, I will never manage her affairs again in the future.”

“I cannot hold up or bear this household management authority of the Marquis Manor.”

“Originally, Imperial Consort Jiang already issued a verbal decree. Now, why not let Concubine Lin have sole authority? This way, the servants in the manor won’t have confused loyalties, not knowing which master’s words to follow.”

“Ah Wan…”

Hearing that Song Wan wanted to cast off the responsibilities in her hands, Jiang Xingjian suddenly panicked.

Let Lin Jiayue manage the household? He didn’t even dare think it.

“Just now my words were too harsh. I had no intention of blaming you.”

“Has my husband thought of how to give Jinxiang Earl’s manor an explanation?”

“I…”

Song Wan smiled lightly: “This wife has thought of a solution for my husband.”

“You go kneel in Jinxiang Earl’s manor’s mourning hall for three days, while I relinquish the household management authority of the Marquis Manor and move into the small Buddhist hall to chant sutras and recite Buddha’s name for Madam Cheng, seeking her forgiveness. In this way, we might obtain their pardon.”

“Ah Wan, I…”

Summoning Heng Zhi, Song Wan had her bring out the manor’s authority tablets that had long been packed and ready, along with the receipt vouchers and account books, and pushed them all toward Jiang Xingjian.

Only then did Jiang Xingjian realize that Song Wan was sincere—she didn’t want to manage the Marquis Manor, nor did she want to manage him anymore.

His mouth tasted bitter, and just as he was about to explain, Lin Jiayue walked in.

Her face was full of pleasure, smiling sweetly: “I heard that people from Jinxiang Earl’s manor came to cause trouble all morning? What happened? Could it be… someone made some mistake?”