Song Yi smiled and nodded, saying: "I understand, you go to the kitchen and tell them, tomorrow add a few more dishes."

  After Dai Jin Xun left, Yuan Xue Lian looked around the room and saw no unfamiliar servants, then she asked in surprise: "How did you get so close to the Su sisters? I heard my brother say that the Su family is not on good terms with us now."

  "It's hard to put into words!" Song Yi smiled wryly and shook her head.

  Yuan Xue saw that she didn't want to talk much, pursed her lips and said tactfully: "The Su sisters are indeed not bad people, especially the seventh young lady Su Shaohong, who is knowledgeable, reasonable and good at understanding others. However, the problem of standing on different sides has nothing to do with their character."

  "I didn't know?" Song Yi smiled, knowing that she was genuinely considering his well-being. Hearing this, he couldn't avoid it anymore and had to wave his hand for the servants to leave. He then said in a low voice, "But I just owed one of the sisters a favor, if I close the door on them now, wouldn't that be burning my bridges?"

  Yuan Xueying suddenly realized: "I said you always make decisions for me, how could you be so confused?"

  She didn't ask how Song Yi Xiao owed a favor to the Su sisters, but said, "When repaying kindness, if you need help, just send someone to tell me!"

  "Don't worry, it's better to owe you than anyone else, isn't it?" Song Yi smiled and nodded in response.

  She originally wanted to have dinner with Yuan Xueying, but Yuan Xueying said she was afraid of being resented by Jian Yuxiang: "Who doesn't know that you two are a loving couple? Jian Yuxiang gets up early in the morning to attend court, and finally goes on duty at the Ministry of War, working hard all day. It's not easy for him to hold this beautiful wife in his arms, but when he comes back and asks, he says you can't accompany him because you're having dinner with me - who knows how he'll calculate against me? I don't want to provoke this master for just one meal!"

  Xiu Huang is a fake and hypocritical person. Song Yi Xiao heard this and couldn't help but laugh, saying: "He's good friends with your brother, so out of respect for him, he wouldn't really try to harm you! Why are you so afraid of him?"

  "You didn't see how he scolded me at first, did you?!" Yuan Xue said indignantly. "Just because he's not afraid of you doesn't mean he's really not a formidable person! Do you think he can stand firm in the Ministry of War just by being a good boy?! I heard from my brother that many officials in the Ministry of War are afraid of him, and when they see him, they'd rather take a detour!"

  At the beginning of the year, that stormy outburst left a deep impression and shadow on Yuan Xueying. So no matter how Song Yixiao guaranteed that her husband was actually enthusiastic and hospitable, but just not good at expressing himself, she still resolutely bid farewell.

  "When Jian Yu Bai returns, I must ask him how he managed to train Yuan sister in the first place. It's almost year-end and she still has lingering fears?" Song Yi couldn't help but think as she walked back to Ke Shao Hall after seeing her off.

  Who would have thought that after calculating the time, he should have returned, but there is no sign of him.

  "Could it be that the Ministry of War has something urgent today?" Song Yi laughed, initially not paying much attention, but when her husband still hadn't returned by the time the lamps were lit, she suddenly became anxious and called out to Jin Xun: "Go ask at the front if Master is doing what and hasn't come back yet? If no one knows, send someone to the Ministry of War to take a look!"

  Jin Xun led the order and hastily left, after a long time, he returned to Ke Shao Tang to report: "The slaves asked two guards to rush to the Ministry of War to investigate the news, saying that the Ministry of War had dispersed early today, but Master Gong did not return to the mansion, looking at the direction, he went to other places."

  "Somewhere else?" Song Yi smiled and furrowed her brow, "What place?"

  "The slave also doesn't know very clearly..." Jin Xun stammered and got halfway through, but was glared at by her, and suddenly didn't dare to continue lying, rubbing the hem of her clothes nervously and said, "Master... Master went to the Hongxiu Alley area!"

  The Red Sleeve Alley was actually not originally called Red Sleeve Alley. The origin of this nickname is taken from the phrase "Man Lou Hong Xiu Zhao", which means "the red sleeves inviting from a full tower". So, by understanding the text, it can be inferred that this is a place where courtesans gather in the imperial capital.

  No wonder Jin Xun was hesitant to speak at first.

  Song Yi Xiao heard the words, fell silent for a moment, then said: "He went to Hongxiu Alley, you didn't tell me, does that mean he never went? From now on, similar things are not allowed to be hidden! Otherwise, he'll bring people home and I'll still be in the dark, not knowing what's going on, and get cheated without even realizing it!"

  Jin Xun carefully responded.

  "Since he may not come back tonight, there's no need to wait for him. Let's get the food from the kitchen!" Song Yi said with a faint smile, "It's getting late and the Hongxuan Pavilion is far away. Otherwise, it would be nice to invite my cousin over for dinner and have a chat with her."

  Although Song Yixiao's expression was calm and seemed unaffected by her husband's absence, the servants were still extremely cautious and diligent, fearing they would be blamed.

  After dinner, after bathing and changing clothes, Song Yishang returned to the inner room, lay on the couch and let the maid help dry her long hair, then waved her hand to indicate that she wanted to rest, and had everyone driven out of the door - only then did she calm down!

  "Last night, although Jian Xubai was dissatisfied with me for not telling him about my cousin, it wasn't to the point where he would hit me like this today! Although she hasn't been married for long, she has already gotten a sense of her husband's temper and knows that if Jian Xubai could tolerate his anger on their wedding night, then last night shouldn't have ended in a fight."

  It's inevitable to suspect, "Someone must have instigated him!"

  She was certain that someone was sabotaging her, but she had no idea who it could be.

  After all, she had never met her husband's colleagues, and as for her husband's friends, she only knew one person named Yuan Xuepei.

  "It's still not enough to have a humble origin, and having been living under someone else's roof for years, turning a blind eye and deaf ear!" Song Yi sighed secretly, "Get rid of those people in the mansion, and bring in her own trusted personnel. This matter absolutely cannot be delayed any further!"

  Otherwise she's too passive!

  That night, Song Yi laughed alone on the bed for a long time before falling asleep with a sense of depression.

  She didn't know how long she had slept, but in her daze, she felt the bed beside her sink slightly, and a refreshing soap scent mixed with a faint sea breeze brushed against her cheek - Jian Xubai was back.

  Song Yi thought about what he did tonight and felt annoyed in his heart, so he deliberately turned over and moved away from him.

  He simply lay down, stretched out his arm and pulled her into his arms, rubbing her a few times before closing his eyes contentedly.

  Song Yi smiled: "......"

  If it weren't for thinking of him, she would have kicked him out long ago!

  The next morning, Jian Yu Bai again used her old trick and woke her up before dawn: "Get up! Get up quickly and serve me, don't make me late for court!"

  Song Yi Xiao is simply: “……”

  She helped him dress with a gloomy face, and was about to call in the servants to attend to him when he complained: "Didn't you forget to take this undergarment to be washed? Why is there a stain on it?"

  "You're outside and don't want to take off your clothes, who knows if your underclothes are clean?" Song Yi was already unhappy, hearing this she glanced over and saw that it was just a speck of dust on her sleeve, so she coldly said, "Even if I wanted to take off my clothes, it would be for the silver coins, what business is it of yours whether my clothes are clean or not?!"

  Jian Xu Bai originally tried to wipe away the dust on his sleeve, but after hearing this, he frowned slightly and said: "What's with the clothes not being taken off? This stain is fine elsewhere, but it just so happens to be on the cuff. When you roll up your sleeves to do things, won't it be seen?"

  "Aren't you afraid of being late for court?" Song Yi smiled coldly. "Where would I get the time to change into another outfit for you?"

  Jian Yu glanced at her briefly, slightly furrowed his brow, and reminded her somewhat unhappily: "In the future, when giving me clothes, you must inspect them carefully!"

  "Someone's coming!" Song Yi laughed as if she hadn't heard, loudly instructing, "Where's the hot water? Bring it in quickly!"

  The two of them were a bit awkward in the room, and when they went to the flower hall for breakfast, Jian Yu Bai complained that the congee was not as good as usual: "It smells burnt even before drinking it, it must have been overcooked, and the unburnt part on top was scooped up to make up for it!"

  "There's nothing that can be done." Song Yi smiled, having a poor appetite this morning, she picked up a bowl of warm rose porridge to drink first. She hadn't even taken a bite yet, but upon hearing the words, she naturally thought that Jian Yu had someone outside, and now looking at herself and others, it was especially unpleasant.

  She lightly said, "I'm from that kind of background, what high-class maid can I invite to serve me? Now not being able to attend to you is also a normal thing for people. However, after Master leaves the house, don't worry about no one attending to your needs with all their heart and soul. This will do, just make do!"

  Jian Yu Bai complained that the porridge was not good, but on such a cold day, going to court on an empty stomach would not be pleasant for someone of his age and physical condition.

  So he continued to pick and eat - Upon hearing this, the silver spoon stopped, made a gesture with his eyes for the people around him to leave, raised an eyebrow and said: "I feel like since this morning, you've been trying to find fault with me?"

  "Am I bothering you?!" Song Yi laughed at his sudden reversal, "If you don't pick on me, I should be grateful! Do I dare bother you?!"

  "How could I possibly pick on you?" Jian Yu Bai said with a hint of playful mockery, "You saw the stains on the clothes yourself. Our house is paved with silk carpets, where did the dust come from? It must be that the laundry person was careless and you didn't check it properly! As for this porridge, try drinking a mouthful yourself! Besides, I didn't say I wanted to punish the cook, just mentioning it in passing. Is this also considered finding fault with you?"

  "You're now naturally justified in doing whatever you want - as the saying goes, 'only seeing new people smile, but never hearing old people cry', how can you find fault with that?!"

  She was momentarily flustered and only realized her mistake after she finished speaking, her face turning beet red in an instant. She was so angry that she could have bitten off her own tongue!

  Jian Yu Bai had already heard, and after a slight pause, he burst out laughing and said: "I wanted to ask Jie Da Gege some questions last night. Although he has taken on a task in the Ministry of Works, he is always playing truant, and recently he's been infatuated with a courtesan in Hongxiang Alley, indulging in pleasures all day long. If not for dispersing after work, where else can I find him?"

  Her eyes were full of playful teasing, "Yesterday when I returned to my room it was already late, but not past midnight. If I had really gone to the red sleeve alley to have fun, how could I have returned so early? You wouldn't have been eating vinegar all night yesterday, would you? I said so, so sour in the morning! The words of both new and old people are all spoken!"

  "Although you went to the Red Sleeve Alley, it was for a proper matter, but outsiders wouldn't know!" Song Yi smiled, suppressing her urge to spit blood, and said expressionlessly, "Don't forget that our household is still far from being in a state of martial law, and this isn't the time for us two to be at odds with each other!"

  With a faint, pale smile and a slight nod, her hand holding the rose wine trembled slightly. She took a deep breath before continuing in a cold tone, "Last time you said that Qiu Xixia has been keeping an eye on you until now. If he were to catch wind of this private matter, wouldn't it give him another reason to attack you? I'm thinking about your future prospects!"

  "Of course, of course." Jian Yu Bai said with a straight face, "You've always been generous and magnanimous. Last time you even said that after our household settles down, you'd love to have several more sisters to play together! I remember this clearly, how could I possibly suspect you of being jealous or petty? You must be... hmm, definitely still hungry from not having had congee yet!"

  He spoke sincerely, but his expression was full of "Tsk, tsk, look at your insincere face! As a husband, I am magnanimous and will not expose you out of kindness." And also "Are you jealous or sour? Haha, haha, haha, you think you can deceive me with such hypocritical words? You are too naive!"

  "It's fine if you know!" Song Yi smiled and tightly grasped the crystal cup with only a small amount of rose dew left, pretending to be calm as she said, "It's getting late, hurry up and finish eating so you won't be late!"

  ...After Ruan Yu walked out with a crazy smile, she slammed the crystal cup to the ground and gritted her teeth, shouting loudly: "Jin Xun! You come back here and die!!!"

  What a useless maid, can't even gather information properly!

  How embarrassing for her!!!!!