After rebirth, she became the favorite of the powerful minister.

After sitting for a while, the maids who went to the kitchen came back, and Jiang Shi did not show up either.

Yuan Ge could understand this. This stepmother was aloof and not very close to Wen Qian. Also, as she was the second wife, it was somewhat awkward for her to be called mother in a serious manner while sitting here, so he simply avoided her.

There was still some time before lunch, and Wen Changling opened his mouth several times. He really didn't know what to say to Song Wenyuan. If it came to court affairs, the two of them were just nodding to each other when they met. If it came to family matters, although they were father-in-law and son-in-law, there was nothing to tell each other. After a while, Wen Changling waved to Yuan Ge and called, "Qianqian, I sorted out some old things in the study a few days ago. Some of them are yours. Come with me to see if you need them. If it's nothing important, I'll tell the servants to throw them away."

What old stuff must he show to the guests at this time? It is obvious that he has something to say.

Yuan Ge understood what she meant, said to the old lady, "I'll be back soon", and followed her.

After the two of them left, the task of entertaining Song Wenyuan fell on the old lady. She smiled awkwardly and invited him to have tea. Although she wanted to say something polite, after thinking for a while, she could only say one sentence, "Are Lord Kejing and his wife all right?"

"Everything is fine. Thank you for your concern."

Then there was silence.

After a while, the old lady asked again, "Lord Song... is four years older than my Bao'er?" She lived in the inner courtyard and had only heard a few words from the elders around her when they talked about this young man who had risen to a high position at the age of twenty. She didn't know much and her memory was not very good, so she asked with uncertainty.

The other person replied, "I just turned twenty-one last month, which means I'm five years older now."

This young man had a good appearance, a very white face, gentle but deep facial features, and at the age of 21, he was not impetuous like a young man, but rather had a calm and reserved demeanor of someone who had been in a high position for a long time. His every move was quiet and noble. Such a person was out of reach for his child, and after all the farces before, he was willing to step into this door today, which was already a face-saving move for the Wen family. Other things... such as "I'll ask Lord Song to take care of my Bao'er" were useless.

After sitting for a while, Song Wenyuan stood up and asked the old lady if he could walk around nearby. After saying that, he smiled apologetically.

The old lady understood what he meant, thinking that he wanted to find the toilet after drinking his tea... She agreed with a smile and told the servant waiting at the door to lead the way.

Song Wenyuan followed the servant out, turned a corner and said he was in no hurry and just wandered around the yard. He only let the servant point out the approximate direction and then let him leave. After all, he was his son-in-law, so the servant nodded and bowed and left.

The moment he turned around, Song Wenyuan's smile disappeared, and he looked around with his sharp eyes - the father and daughter couldn't have gone too far to talk, and they were only in a few houses nearby. He walked towards a secluded place, and as expected, he heard Wen Changling's voice, "His Majesty said that once this matter is done, he will grant your wish."

His Majesty really never believed him. Song Wenyuan lowered his eyebrows and sneered, and found a shady corner near the yard, wanting to listen to how the father and daughter planned to deal with him.

But Yuan Ge suddenly smiled and said in a cold tone that he had never heard before, "Father is confused."

Obviously, Wen Changling was also startled, "What did you say?"

This is an abandoned woodshed. No one has stepped into it for a long time, and the ground is covered with a thick layer of dust. Yuan Ge leaned against the dusty edge of the table behind him, raised his eyes to meet the other person's gaze, and his smile gradually faded. "My wish? Is it my wish to marry the second prince?"

Wen Changling nodded, "Of course."

The old house, whose doors and windows had been closed for a whole summer, was still hot and stuffy with the summer heat still lingering.

The light in the room was dim, and the expression on Wen Changling's face, who was an arm's length away, looked a little unclear, as if he was wearing a hypocritical mask.

Yuan Ge stood there, her eyes gradually turning cold, but her lips were curled up with a gentle smile, so gentle that it was almost cruel. She said, "The current second prince is the Queen's biological son, the legitimate son of the royal family, and the most popular candidate for the crown prince in the court. As the eldest daughter of the Minister of Revenue, I am not worthy of marrying him, but as a divorced woman of the Song family, I am qualified? Father, I don't think that you, as the Minister of Revenue, really believe what Your Majesty said, so you think I am naive and want to use me as a discarded pawn in your chess game... right?"

The person outside the window had left, just like when he came, without attracting the attention of anyone in the house.

The wind came from nowhere and made her heart feel cold.

Wen Changling frowned, his eyes were strange, a bit scrutinizing and a bit surprised, but he didn't have the slightest emotion of being angry. He just said in a calm voice, "What nonsense are you talking about? I am your father, how can I treat you as a chess piece... and even abandon you? You have only been married for a few days, and you are talking nonsense. Then tell me, His Majesty has given you this task, what can I do as a father?"

That look, that tone, seemed like a test.

Yuan Ge frowned slightly, and for a long while he just suppressed his doubts, and concealed all the sharpness in his eyes, and said in a calm voice, "As a girl, I don't understand the way of being an official, but I also know that serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. Father, the Wen and Song families are now relatives. No matter what happens inside, in the eyes of outsiders, they are always related by the same thread. If the Song family is guilty, can the Wen family really stay out of it?"

Wen Changling tightened his hands behind his back.

It cannot be said that he does not like his daughter Wen Qian. After all, she is Rou'er's only daughter. He used to hold her in his hands for fear of dropping her, and hold her in his mouth for fear of melting her. But he does not know when this child gradually became distant from him, or even distant from anyone else. She became timid, cowering, and walking on thin ice... and also became less smart.

She was like a clumsy little duck, curled up in her own yard, unknown.

There are sighs and heartaches, but there is really not much to say that he likes her or cares about her. As a father, he learned about his daughter's misplaced love from others... But by then, everything was too late. She was like a moth that flew into the fire, and he couldn't stop her or pull her back. She hanged herself, jumped into the river, and threw herself into the lotus pond on her wedding day... He didn't know what she would do next, so he thought, just use this bait to keep her hanging, keep her hanging, and let her feel that there is still hope.

It was true that His Majesty had issued such an order, but as a father, how could he let his daughter be abandoned? However, the sudden insight of the child surprised and unfamiliar him.

He put his hands behind his back and pondered for a moment. His square face was expressionless as he encouraged, "Go on..."