Chapter 1521: Chance Encounter

When the Crown Prince visited the Duke Mansion, he did not put on airs and first went to pay his respects to Song Ci. After all, this elderly lady was as close as sisters with his own royal grandmother, so he must show respect.

On Song Ci’s side, upon hearing that the Crown Prince had arrived and even came to pay his respects to her, she was so shocked she almost couldn’t close her mouth.

How did this little ancestor come to the mansion without anyone informing them?

Despite her surprise and suspicion, when she saw Song Lingjie accompanying the Crown Prince in front of her, Song Ci still stood up from her seat, took Nanny’s hand to step forward, and was about to kneel in greeting.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, forgive this old woman for not welcoming you sooner."

As she was about to bow, the women in the room naturally did not have the right to remain seated arrogantly. They had stood up since the Crown Prince entered and now followed Song Ci together to bow.

"There’s no need for formalities, Dowager Madam. The Emperor has specially pardoned you from bowing rituals, and I dare not receive such courtesy from you. I should be the one to pay my respects to you as your junior." The young Crown Prince quickly stepped forward and helped her hand, saying as he released Song Ci’s hand and respectfully bowed.

Upon hearing his self-referential way of speaking, Song Lingjie couldn’t help but nod silently. In front of so many people, if he were still addressing himself casually, it would diminish his imperial dignity.

Song Ci felt somewhat flattered and overwhelmed.

Everyone else internally sighed, thinking that when it comes to prestige, it is the Song family’s matriarch who holds the highest.

The young Crown Prince also waved to the others: "Madams, you are all excused from formalities as well."

Spotting Princess Anping, he quickly stepped forward and bowed again: "Aunt, you are here too."

Princess Anping expressed with slight reproach: "Why has the Crown Prince come as well?"

"I just came to join in the fun," he said, his eyes darting around, smiling as he addressed Song Ci: "Also conveying my royal grandmother’s regards to Dowager Madam Song."

Upon hearing this, Song Ci couldn’t help but express her gratitude to the Imperial Palace with profound appreciation.

With a room full of ladies, the young Crown Prince found it inappropriate to linger. After exchanging greetings, he left with Song Lingjie.

As the two exited Chunhui Hall, they were met by a maid walking toward them, followed by two beautiful young ladies, and both sides were startled by the encounter.

These two young ladies were Guan Shuyan and Fu Yunjin, who had returned without expecting to run into Song Lingjie and the Crown Prince, thus instinctively turning their bodies to avoid them.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, this way,"

Hearing this title, Guan Shuyan and her companions were shocked, quickly bowed their heads and curtsied, daring not to look further.

Song Lingjie recognized his future sister-in-law, his gaze briefly lingered on the girl in pink-blue attire before quickly averting his eyes, escorting the Crown Prince away.

Once the two were far off, Guan Shuyan finally breathed a sigh of relief and stood upright.

"I didn’t expect the Crown Prince to come as well,"

Fu Yunjin asked curiously: "Sister Shuyan, was that gentleman beside His Highness one of the Crown Prince’s study companions, Song San?"

Guan Shuyan raised her brows: "Oh, did you notice him? In your view, is he a handsome man?"

Fu Yunjin blushed, her cheeks rosy: "Stop teasing me, I just guessed it. Song San is your future brother-in-law; whether he’s handsome or not, Sister would know better than I do."

Teased in return, Guan Shuyan’s cheeks flushed as well, and she retorted with a playful scold: "Little girl, so shameless, hurry up."

Discussing external men is not something these young ladies should do.

However, the young Crown Prince was also commenting: "Do you recognize those two girls from earlier?"

"One is my eldest brother’s fiancée, Miss Guan Liu from Duke Dingguo Mansion, the other, I don’t know,"

The young Crown Prince replied, "Ah, so they weren’t deliberately looking to encounter me."

Song Lingjie’s brow furrowed with a hint of humor, his lips curling into a smile; becoming Crown Prince has started to make him aware of things.