Chapter 66

The news of the Eighth Prince finding his long-lost eldest son quickly overshadowed the gossip about a peasant girl being granted the title of county princess. Song Dingxiang couldn't help but feel that everything was happening too hastily.

However, she couldn't stop the Eighth Prince and his Consort. The next day, the Eighth Prince held a banquet to introduce his newly recognized son to everyone.

The young couple was forced into the situation, much to their dismay. Even the clever Li shi was helpless in this matter. Originally not very religious, Li shi now spent her days chanting Buddhist scriptures, hoping that the Bodhisattva would let them return home soon.

"This wretched capital! I never want to come back here again!" She sighed in frustration.

The banquet was grand, and even the Emperor attended incognito. In fact, the Emperor was a bit confused as well.

He had only intended for the Eighth Prince and his Consort to test the waters, but who knew that the Eighth Prince would be so eager to recognize Zhou Yinuo as his son?

At first, he thought Zhou Yinuo had said something to please the Eighth Prince, but after some inquiries, he learned that Zhou Yinuo had no intention of staying at all. It was said that the young couple was so worried about it that they had gotten sick.

"Interesting," the Emperor murmured, seemingly understanding the Eighth Prince's urgency to recognize Zhou Yino as his son.

However, he did not stop it and merely watched the merriment. The Eighth Prince could recognize Zhou Yinuo as his son, but he could not be added to the family genealogy until his identity was confirmed. This was an ironclad rule.

However, as long as she acknowledged him, at least the eighth princess could feel a lot more at ease and no longer felt sad or shed tears every time she thought of her son.

Furthermore, Zhou Yinuo himself was capable, regardless of whether he was the eighth prince's biological son or not. Since he originally had no parents, it didn't hurt to acknowledge this new relative.

Zhou Yinuo wore luxurious silk and satin, adorned with a white jade hair crown, never having dressed so sumptuously in his entire life. The servants helped Song Dingxiang dress up the general to look auspicious, and then watched as the eighth prince and Zhou Yulin dragged him out.

He felt like a puppet, stiffly smiling and listening to everyone around him showering him with compliments. He drank when offered, poked at food when not given any, feeling completely uncomfortable.

After finally finding a moment to rest after a long circle, he quickly hid behind a flower stand, feeling his back soaked with sweat. He had never felt so nervous and uncomfortable, not even during the time when he was preparing to assassinate the enemy king.

"General Zhou, my dear Zhou." Wang Dong turned around with a smile, "Congratulations, congratulations."

Zhou Yinuo, who was initially on guard, sighed in relief when he saw Wang Dong and said, "Brother Wang, please don't tease me."

Wang Dong spoke sincerely, "I really do congratulate you, my brother. Who would have thought that someone who seemed so destitute before would have such a prestigious status now?"

Zhou Yinuo gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing.

Wang Dong chuckled and said, "Alright, I'll stop joking with you. Today is not easy for you either."

Zhou Yinuo looked around and seeing no one, he whispered, "Brother Wang, you have always been intelligent. My wife and I have been thinking about this for two days and still can't figure out why the eighth prince is so anxious?"

Wang Dong paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Why do you need to think so much?"

Zhou Yinuo sighed, "All of a sudden, I have come into this unexpected wealth and how can I not be nervous? Whether it's good or bad, without thinking it through, I can't feel at ease in my heart."

Wang Dong asked, "Do you know how old the eighth princess is this year?"

Zhou Yinuo thought for a moment and said, "I heard she is in her forties."

Wang Dong replied, "She is forty-three. How many more forty-threes does one have in life? My father once told me about this. Since losing her child, the eighth princess has been harboring grievances in her heart. Even though she had two more children later on, they could not replace the place of that child in her heart. She has been looking for that child for over twenty years, and now she's forty-three."

Zhou Yinuo remained silent.

Wang Dong continued, "Whether you are or are not that child from before, it doesn't matter to the eighth prince and princess. Of course, it's better if you are. Even if you're not, with no parents of your own and raised as their adopted son, it will also benefit you in the future with Zhou Yulin. However, looking at you standing next to the eighth prince and Zhou Yulin, you indeed look like a family."

Zhou Yinuo asked, "Then why not have a blood test to confirm the relationship?" Song Dingxiang asked this yesterday as well, although she felt that the blood test method was unreliable, but in her eyes, it was the most common method used by ancient people.

Wang Dong quickly hushed him, looked around again, and lowered his voice, "Brother, don't speak recklessly. Our ancestors had a similar incident where the biological child was abandoned, and the child they disdained was raised. When this was discovered, our ancestors were furious, and from then on, the royal family never used this method to confirm relationships."

Zhou Yinuo felt a sense of sadness.

Wang Dong continued, "Now you are a genuine General Xuanwei, bestowed by the emperor himself, and given a mansion. This is considered quite an achievement among many noble families. You are now just to be filial to your parents; it doesn't hinder anything."

Zhou Yinuo shook his head, "I am worried about my wife, I always feel that the princess... doesn't quite like Dingxiang."

Wang Dong chuckled, "Isn't that normal? This is how it is between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. However, your wife is also a county princess bestowed by the emperor himself. Not many daughters of these princes and dukes have been granted the title of county princess with an additional honor. This is a great reward, and even the princess cannot do anything about it. So, you can set your mind at ease."

"No!" Zhou Yinuo said urgently, "I'm afraid they will force Dingxiang to stay here. You know I've been in the army for six years. It's not easy to come back and see my wife. I, I..."

Seeing his distressed look, Wang Dong couldn't help but laugh, "What are you worrying about? Just wait and see, she won't be left behind."

Song Dingxiang's current situation is not as good as Zhou Yinuo's. At least Zhou Yinuo has Wang Dong or General Zhong in the capital whom he can know and talk to.

She is all alone, surrounded by opulence, with no familiar faces in sight.

The ladies were all sitting together, with the eighth princess leading Song Dingxiang around to introduce her to everyone, overwhelming her with information. They talked about the ladies from different countries, the wives of notable families, who were daughters or daughters-in-law of princes, princess, or kings...

Song Dingxiang tried to remember, feeling overwhelmed by the scent of perfume from these women and dazzled by the jewels. Finally, she managed to sit down and rest.

Conversation among women was much more complicated than among men.

A woman subtly remarked, "It is indeed a joyous occasion that the eldest prince has been found. However, nothing can be perfect in this world. It's a pity that the princess cannot find a close companion for the eldest prince. It's truly unfortunate."

Song Dingxiang inwardly cursed the woman from head to toe.

The eighth princess smiled and said, "I think it's fine. When choosing a wife, one should choose wisely. She is a county princess officially bestowed by the emperor, a loyal subject with great accomplishments. Why do you consider her not a good match for the eldest prince?"

The woman covered her mouth and chuckled, "I didn't mean it that way. It's just that in the capital, there are so many talented and high-born women, proficient in various arts such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. If only the eldest prince..."

The eighth princess frowned and said, "Among all these distinguished young ladies, how many of them have been bestowed the title of county princess by the emperor?"

Although she has been pampered and sheltered since childhood and may not understand social norms very well, the most important thing about her is that she fiercely protects her loved ones.

It's her own business if she doesn't approve of Song Dingxiang's peasant background, but no matter what, Song Dingxiang is the wife of her eldest son, a loyal subject of great accomplishments. It's not up to an outsider to criticize or reject her.

The woman's face stiffened, immediately changing the subject.

Song Dingxiang pretended not to hear, pouring a cup of hot tea for the princess, "Mother, it's dry in autumn now, please have some tea."

The eighth princess regained her graceful demeanor, sipping the tea and saying, "My child, you may not excel in the arts, but when it comes to being considerate, who can surpass you?"

Song Dingxiang:...

She smiled and replied, "Mother, you flatter me." Then she resumed her aloof demeanor.

Perhaps accustomed to the intrigues of noble ladies, their conversations were filled with subtle jabs and remarks, making Song Dingxiang feel drowsy. Compared to them, Fang shi seemed more amiable.

Most of the arriving guests congratulated them on the surface, but as soon as they turned away, they looked as if they had tasted years-old vinegar, full of envy. They saw Zhou Yinuo and Song Dingxiang as two sparrows who unexpectedly rose to become phoenixes, and now they had to greet them respectfully and not offend them.

How could anyone feel comfortable with that?

But with power and status at stake, they had to endure it even if it made them uncomfortable.

Some troublemakers even went to instigate trouble with Zhou Yulin, but Zhou Yulin was a savvy person, easily deflecting their attempts and making a mental note of them. Now that his father had accepted Zhou Yinuo, whether he was a real brother or not, as long as he didn't threaten his position as heir, it was a good thing for him.

Haven't they seen how the emperor greeted General Zhou with a smile?

With such a supportive older brother, what did he have to fear?

Thinking of this, Zhou Yulin immediately went to find his brother, seizing the opportunity to get close to him while he still could, so their relationship wouldn't become estranged in the future.

After two days of socializing, they finally set the time to return. Song Dingxiang was so excited she almost cried.

The eighth princess naturally couldn't bear to leave, embracing Song Dingxiang and Zhou Yinuo, crying about how they were like her own children and her flesh. She cried while helping them pack up their things.

Originally looking down on the cheap items bought by the Song family, she couldn't just throw them away since they were relatives. Instead, she pretended not to see them, planning to buy better ones later, stacking them up high in boxes.

When the Song family arrived, they only had a few carriages and mules with them and some personal belongings. But when they left, there were over twenty large carriages filled with their belongings and around a hundred soldiers accompanying them, with the pomp and circumstance of a county princess procession, looking extremely grand.

The eighth prince sent private guards to follow this convoy as well.

Once they were completely out of the capital city, the whole family breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Yinuo abandoned his horse to ride in the carriage with his wife. Inside, Fang Shi, Song Yulan, and Song Hutou were asking Song Dingxiang all sorts of questions, making a lively atmosphere.

When Zhou Yinuo entered the carriage, Song Hutou grinned and said, "Brother-in-law, should I call you the little prince?"

Zhou Yinuo waved his hand and said, "Don't talk nonsense, I'm not a prince. I'm your brother-in-law, and I'll hit you if you keep saying that."

Song Hutou wasn't afraid at all, just laughed, "I heard my sister's rank is higher than yours. If you want to cause trouble, be careful she'll have you arrested."

"Get out of here!" Zhou Yinuo rolled his eyes. "Why are you sitting here? Go to your brother's carriage."

"I'm not going," Song Hutou made a face at Zhou Yinuo, laughing.

Fang Shi sighed, "Everyone says the capital city is good, lively, but I never want to come back in my life... Everything there is so expensive, just window shopping is enough, but actually buying is out of reach. They insisted we stay at that prince's palace, where even the maids in the yard dress more elegantly than the daughters of our local landlords, making me feel like I can't even breathe freely. Originally, I thought I could go out for a stroll, but wherever I went, someone was following me. It's true I didn't have to spend my own money to buy things, but it's still uncomfortable. Our own home is better, more comfortable."

Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "Who says it's not tiring? Talking for a few days is more exhausting than a few days of farm work. Those people talk in circles, some of the things they say I don't even know how to respond to, so I can only laugh foolishly."

Fang Shi laughed and said, "I don't understand either. Those maids and servants even call me 'nainai,' and I wonder why they are calling me that when they are much older than me? Later, I found out that they call many people this way. In our family, we don't call people by such titles for no reason, as it is believed to bring bad luck."

Song Dingxiang laughed uncontrollably.

Once out of the capital city, the ceremonial escorts were all disbanded. Since they were all in carriages, the journey back was much faster than the one coming.

These large carriages were specially made for high-ranking officials and nobles from the capital city, spacious and comfortable inside. If one was tired, they could dismantle the table board, pull out the leg supports below, and turn the benches into beds for sleeping.

Zhou Yinuo sat in the carriage for a while, chatting with his wife, then got down to ride a horse. The children around were envious of the magnificent horses.

Zhou Yinuo didn't mind the chaos and simply gestured for his subordinates to take a few children to ride with them. He and his wife then rode to the front together, causing Song Dingxiang to laugh in surprise.

The over a hundred soldiers were all to be stationed at the new residence by Zhou Yinuo. Most of them had fought alongside him in the Northern Territory, knowing him well and sharing stories.

After half a month, the caravan arrived at Weixian County. The county magistrate had received advance notice and personally came out to welcome them.

He looked at the family getting off the carriages with mixed feelings - they had started as simple farmers, seeking protection from the Wang family, and now they had risen to such heights that even he had to bow and pay respects when meeting them.

Song Dingxiang and her husband had no intention of attending banquets or feasts, declining the magistrate's invitations. They simply stated that they were feeling unwell after the long journey and needed to rest.

They had their fill of extravagant dishes in the capital city and preferred the simplicity of eating a golden-brown pancake at their own hearth, accompanied by a bowl of soybean paste, and dipped in spicy-sweet green onions. And of course, a large bowl of greased dregs soup with sesame oil topped off the meal perfectly.

Just as they turned into their own alley, Liu Dagui came out to greet them, saying, "Oh, my masters, you are finally back." He glanced at Zhou Yinuo on horseback and thought to himself that this man had a commanding presence, perhaps he was a young general sent by the emperor to escort the lady back.

Song Dingxiang got off the carriage and before even entering the house, asked, "Have there been any issues at home while we were away?"

Liu Dagui replied, "Oh yes, plenty. By the way, your Fifth and Sixth grandaunts and their families are temporarily staying here, I arranged for them to stay in the west courtyard."

Surprised, Song Dingxiang asked, "How did they come here?"

Liu Dagui looked embarrassed and said, "Madam, you know about the Xu family..."

Song Dingxiang suddenly understood and said, "Let's discuss this inside, and get all the belongings moved in first."

With the help of the soldiers, they spent half a day moving over twenty carts of belongings. Song Dingxiang greeted the Fifth and Sixth grandaunts and immediately arranged for the soldiers to have a meal as they entered.

As the saying goes, what goes out as dumplings comes in as noodles. The kitchens were bustling with women making noodles and preparing broth. Large bowls filled with noodles were brought to the soldiers.

At first, they hesitated to eat, but Zhou Yinuo laughed, "Once you're here, you're family. So, don't the noodles made by the county princess taste good?"

The over a hundred young men all laughed and started eating heartily.

After the meal, Zhou Yinuo didn't rest, insisting on heading to the designated residence with his men. Song Dingxiang saw them off and then finally had time to inquire about what had happened, leading to the Fifth and Sixth grandaunts moving to their side.

"We didn't want to come either," the Fifth Grandaunt spoke quickly, sighing heavily. She continued, "Some days ago, there was an imperial decree that went to the Xu family, stating that this Xu Qiang...whatever, was accused of oppressing the people and poisoning his wife and daughter. I'm not sure of the details, but it's said he's to be executed in the capital city and the Xu family is to be banned from official positions for life. Things are in chaos over there. Song Taohong has also returned, but instead of entering her family's home, she was sent directly to a temple in Nanshan, saying the emperor asked her to pray for blessings for the Song family and the children."

Li shi was confused and asked, "What does that have to do with our family?"

The Fifth Grandaunt glanced at Song Dingxiang and said, "Isn't your granddaughter an official now? The Third Lao San family came seeking help, as did the Xu family. But they were turned away by Wang Daren's family and the county officials, so they came to us, causing a commotion. After discussing with Old Sixth, we decided to come here for some peace... But something else happened in the village involving the Old Third family."

Song Dingxiang asked, "Is it Song Jiaoxing?"

The Fifth Grandaunt nodded, "Yes, it is. I think Jiaoxing has truly gone mad. You wouldn't believe what she did."

Song Dingxiang shook her head, "I really can't imagine."

The Sixth Grandaunt sighed, "I don't know how Old Third raises his children, these two girls..."

The Fifth Grandaunt continued, "Song Jiaoxing went to the family she was previously betrothed to and revealed all the dirty secrets of her brothers. Those people were furious and came knocking on their door. Because it was so shameful, the village pretended not to see. Old Sixth didn't want to get involved so he came to my house. Meanwhile, Jiaoxing took advantage of the chaos and kidnapped several children from her own family."

"What?!" Li shi clutched her chest, her eyes almost popping out, "She kidnapped them all? Have they been found?"

The Fifth Grandaunt shook her head and said, "Many people saw Song Jiaoxing driving a carriage, heading straight into the river. No one knows where she got the carriage from, sigh..."

Song Dingxiang felt a pang in her heart, "Driving a carriage? How many children did she kidnap?"

The Fifth Grandaunt sighed, "It's a tragedy, seven or eight children gone, just like that. Your Sixth Grandaunt and I couldn't sleep all night after hearing about it."

"Oh my god!" Everyone in the room gasped in shock.

Song Xingyi was speechless in shock, "How could she, Song Jiaoxing, dare to do such a thing?"

The Sixth Grand Uncle said, "What's there to be afraid of? That girl was raised with nothing but contempt, with no love from her parents. Can she not harbor resentment? The eldest and second brother's families were involved in that matter as well, can she not hold a grudge? Now the families of the three brothers are in chaos, resorting to violence. They even asked me for help, what can I do? I am ashamed to even go!"

Song Xingyi was close to passing out from anger, murmuring, "How did our Song family end up with such disgraceful behavior? Dingxiang from our family is so capable, but their family...sigh!"

The Sixth Granduncle continued, "The Old Third family is completely scattered now. The eldest son has gone mad with anger, packing his bags and leaving for his wife's maternal home, never to return. The two sons from the second family want to move out, saying living in this courtyard is disgusting."

Song Xingyi suddenly burst into tears, "Thank goodness our parents are no longer here, otherwise they would have been driven crazy! We never saw this side of the Old Third family before, what is happening now?!"

The Sixth Granduncle sighed, "The families of the eldest and second brother are also in turmoil, with rumors that the maternal family members have come and caused havoc. They even said Dingxiang has become a county princess and they want to capture her. It was a complete mess...Dingxiang, don't go back to the village, I think those people are really losing their minds."

Song Dingxiang nodded and said, "Even if I go back, I will bring Zhou Zi with me. Besides, I'm not afraid of them. We have already divided our families and live separately. If they have turned out like this, do they expect me to apologize?"

The Sixth Granduncle replied, "They might try to extort money from you."

Song Dingxiang said, "I'm not afraid of that either. I am now personally appointed as a second-ranking county princess by the emperor. If they dare to challenge me, I won't hold back! Of course, this message should be relayed back to them first, so they understand. It wouldn't look good if things were to escalate into a conflict."

Sixth Granduncle laughed and said, "Your brain is just more agile than others."

Song Dingxiang replied, "We just live our lives in a steady and stable manner, but being steady doesn't mean we are afraid of trouble. Now our family has a general and a county princess, others can only envy."

Sixth Granduncle said, "Yes, yes, but I must stay longer at the county princess's residence until things calm down before I return. If I had known about this earlier, I would have sold everything to live in town. It's really nerve-wracking."

After resting for two days, Song Dingxiang called the person sent by the Eighth Prince.

"This is a drawing I made of the jade pendant belong to my husband. You can't take the jade pendant with you, in case it gets lost and causes misunderstanding later."

The person replied, "I understand. The prince said, as long as he can see the design, it's fine."

Song Dingxiang folded the delicate white silk with a dab of cinnabar on her thumb at the folded position. She then cut it in half with scissors. She placed one half in a box and said, "The journey is long, I'm afraid of any mishaps. Show this half of the silk to the prince and princess. If they want to see the other half, they can exchange it with this half. If the patterns match, I will make the exchange, if not..."

The person nodded quickly, "County princess, rest assured, I will protect this silk without any mishap."

Song Dingxiang warned, "Good to know. This is a life-threatening item. If it's lost, the prince and princess won't forgive you, and neither will I."

She had thought of this method overnight. Initially, she wanted the person to take the jade pendant directly.

However, Zhou Yinuo only had this one thing that could confirm his identity. If it was lost, they would have nothing left.

There were no photos online at the time, only relying on people delivering messages, and there was no guarantee that everything would go smoothly on the journey.

Now, only half of the design is shown for the silk, so even if someone tries to imitate it, they won't be able to replicate it. If they want to see the other half, they have to come and exchange it, matching the fingerprint before they can exchange for the other half.

Even if someone manages to gather both parts of the design and tries to make a replica of the jade pendant, they will still be a step behind.

Moreover, a drawing is just a drawing after all. The prince and princess can recognize the design in the drawing, but it's absolutely impossible for others to replicate it based on the drawing.

After sending off the person, Song Dingxiang began to inventory the items that the empress and the emperor had gifted to them.

These items were now all piled up in a few empty rooms in the western courtyard. It was fortunate that there were people living in the courtyard, otherwise it wouldn't have been safe.

Initially, they had planned to clear out the western courtyard to create a workshop, but now with the substantial amount of silver she had, she could easily buy some barren land to establish a workshop.

With industries, development in the surrounding areas could be stimulated, and she couldn't help but feel a bit excited about her family's centuries-old soy sauce brand.

Now that she was a county princess, it wouldn't be inappropriate to hire a few workers and set up a workshop. Previously, she hesitated to expand the workshop because she was afraid as just a country girl, she wouldn't be able to protect her own workshop.

However, things were different now; it was normal for a county princess to have her own industry, and people wouldn't be ignorant enough to bring trouble to her.

She planned to divide the soy sauce into several parts and let her family members manage some of them. Even though she had her in-laws now, she still relied on her family one way or another.

However, focusing too much on her family would raise some unfavorable opinions. Song Dingxiang had experienced the feudal era, and she was well aware of these matters.

She called Liu Dagui and asked him to invite Wang Yuanwai and Madam Wang from the county town to have a meal together.

Having more friends means more connections. Although she initially sought refuge from the Wang family with the house, they had indeed been helpful over the years.

Even though she was wealthy now, she couldn't just forget about her friends who had helped her in the past. In these areas, the local bosses were more powerful than dragons.

Liu Dagui hurriedly ran out, and Song Dingxiang continued to look through the items in the house. After opening a silk box and being slightly stunned, she smiled.

The box contained soap shaped like flowers, emitting a gentle fragrance. It was not just any soap, but the soap made from the recipe she had given to Wang Yuanwai!

It seemed that the soap had been sold in the capital city and was quite popular.

——— Author's Note:

Zhou Yinuo: Darling, I'm home! Song Dingxiang: I know! Zhou Yinuo: I'm home, so... Song Dingxiang: ??? Zhou Yinuo: You know, that thing!!! Aww~ Song Dingxiang: !!!