Yu Mingyue took in everything. The arrogance of a single wet nurse revealed Concubine Fang's status in the manor.
The tea set in the room was not even complete, and the tea leaves were old. It was likely the kind they usually kept for guests, reluctant to drink themselves.
The wet nurse naturally noticed Concubine Fang's actions. "Concubine Fang, do you dare defy the master's orders?"
Concubine Fang lowered her head and shook it gently. The hand that had been clutching a tiny bit of the sleeve slowly loosened. Without a word, she appeared helpless and despairing.
"Please lead the way, madam. I shall go now." Song Yuming's use of "this official" clearly distanced himself from the Meng family.
Meng Laoye was a seventh-rank Tongpan. Song Yuming was a vice-sixth-rank official from the capital. He had to be addressed as "Sir" upon meeting him.
The wet nurse understood the implication, her face slightly darkening. "This way, please."
Not addressing him as "Sir" or "Son-in-law" clearly showed they didn't take him seriously.
Yu Mingyue knew Song Yuming's stepmother had been harsh to him, but she hadn't expected even the servants in her relatives' household to be so presumptuous.
Even if Song Yuming wasn't Song Wei's son, he was the Deputy Minister of Dali Temple. Not even the head steward of the Grand Secretariat would dare to be so dismissive.
Du Wei, usually good-tempered, was also struggling to suppress his anger. He glanced at Yu Mingyue, the word "Sir" almost escaping his lips, but he managed to stop himself. Today, he and his companion had entered disguised as Song Yuming's attendants.
Yu Mingyue shook her head at him. Let's see what this Meng Tongpan intended to do first.
As they followed the wet nurse, she suddenly turned to Yu Mingyue and said, "Don't look around so much. This is the Tongpan's manor."
Yu Mingyue almost burst into laughter. A servant from a seventh-rank Tongpan's manor had more airs than a wet nurse from the palace.
Du Wei clenched his fists, enduring it for now. They would make them pay later.
They soon arrived at the main hall of the Meng manor. Meng Tongpan was drinking tea at the head seat. He showed no intention of rising as they entered.
Seeing them, he casually said, "Sit down. Someone, bring tea."
Yu Mingyue and Du Wei stood behind Song Yuming. Meng Tongpan took another sip of tea before slowly saying, "Actually, you didn't need to make this trip."
Although they hadn't formally married, the bride had already departed from Yangzhou. Two of his personal guards were responsible for escorting her. They had informed him that the bride's cause of death was suspicious.
The bride seemed to have boarded the boat unwillingly. After boarding, she never left her cabin. The wet nurse assigned to care for her seemed more like a guard than a confidante. Later, it was a maid delivering food who discovered the bride was dead. The boat then turned back to Yangzhou.
One of the young servants returned to Yangzhou with them, while the other hurried back to the capital to report the news.
Regardless, she was his betrothed. If there was any injustice, he would certainly seek it for her.
"Uncle, you speak as if we are strangers. Third Miss is my betrothed. If I didn't come, Mother would also blame me," Song Yuming said with a smile.
His arrogance was merely relying on Madam Song's influence, but one shouldn't forget he was also a member of the Song family.
Meng Tongpan glanced at Song Yuming, his disdain growing. "My cousin is virtuous; she wouldn't blame you. However, your bringing so many people with such a grand display is not a good impression."
Song Yuming raised an eyebrow and slowly put down his tea. "Uncle, you may not know, but these two are my colleagues from Dali Temple."
"Oh?" Meng Tongpan glanced at Yu Mingyue and Du Wei, then looked away. They were so young; they were likely insignificant clerks.
"Yes, the two of them happened to be investigating a case in Yangzhou and came with me. There are some matters that require your assistance, Uncle." Song Yuming's mix of truth and falsehood momentarily stunned Meng Tongpan.
Investigating a case? What case? Could it be...
Impossible. This brat was deliberately putting on airs as a capital official to scare him.
Meng Tongpan looked up. "That's easily arranged. I heard you visited Concubine Fang's courtyard earlier. Since Third Miss left, she's become quite erratic, speaking nonsense. You shouldn't take her words to heart."