Marry my elder sister? Fine! I'll give you the letter of annulment and marry someone else.

Song Zhi didn't judge him, but just frowned at him and said, "It's not convenient for me, an unmarried woman, to take you in."

"What's the inconvenience? Nan Qi and I are like brothers. Don't worry, he won't think too much about it."

Cang Qiong didn't take it seriously. He looked around familiarly and said, "I'm not picky. Just arrange a servant's room for me."

Song Zhi refused, "I'm not afraid of him misunderstanding, it's just that the servants' quarters in my yard are all full."

It’s not that she is heartless, but she can’t help Cang Jian now. Madam Cang wants to teach Cang Jian a lesson, and she can’t ruin Madam Cang’s plans.

Cang Qiong didn't believe her excuse, "The Song Mansion is so big, let alone the servants' rooms, don't they have a single guest room?"

Song Zhicheng sincerely analyzed: "If you stay in the guest room, it means my father knows you are here. If my father knows you are here, doesn't that mean your mother knows you are here?"

Cang Qiong was stunned by the shock, and thought it was reasonable. He said with a sad face, "Is there no place for me in such a big city like the capital?"

"It's a blessing, not a curse. It's a curse that cannot be avoided."

Song Zhi patted Cang Jian's shoulder, his face full of confidence as he said, "No matter what, as a man you should face this matter head-on. Avoiding it blindly is what a coward would do. How can you, the only son of the Cang family, not be able to handle a little girl?"

Song Zhi's eyes were full of encouragement. "Go ahead and accept your challenge."

Cang Qiong's eyes suddenly became firm, "You're right, I can't escape."

"I'm glad you know." Song Zhi was very relieved.

"You are handsome, brave, and resourceful. If you take action, there is nothing you can't solve."

Cang Qiong gradually lost himself in the praise and strode out with his head held high. "You're right. I'll go confront that Yaksha right now."

Looking at Cang Jing's back, Song Zhi took out another teacup, poured a cup of tea, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Unexpectedly, in the evening, Mrs. Cang came to the door with gifts.

Today, Cang Jian behaved very responsibly and resolved the ill-fated relationship with the daughter of that wealthy man smoothly.

Madam Cang knew her son well. He knew that he would not be so smart without someone's guidance.

After asking carefully, I found out that it was Song Zhi who pointed out the "bright path" for him.

Mrs. Cang was grateful for Song Zhi's contribution, so she came to the house with gifts.

This time she didn't bring several carriages full of gifts, but only a simple box.

When I opened the box, there was a string of purple pearls inside.

"Although pearls are plentiful in the south, such round, shimmering purple beads are rare. I collected them one by one while doing business along the coast, and now I've strung them together into a string, perfect for you."

Song Zhi was flattered. "Since you've put so much effort into putting together this string, I'm sure Madam will love it very much. How can I take away her love?"

Madam Cang smiled softly, "No matter how good the beads are, they are still worthless. If they are gone, we can collect more. It's rare for Jing'er to meet a friend like you who is willing to think about him. This is much more precious than beads."

Song Zhi wanted to refuse again, but Madam Cang stopped her, "You are a good child, please accept it."

Song Zhi hesitated for a moment, "I'd be very sorry to refuse. Thank you very much, auntie."

Madam Cang finally nodded in satisfaction and said with some regret, "Jiang'er has a bad temper. I would be relieved if he could marry a girl like you. It's a pity that he doesn't have that blessing."

Speaking of this Madam Cang, she had a terrible headache. "He insisted on liking the boss Yunshui Youyou. That woman is obviously extraordinary. How could he possibly grasp her?"

Song Zhi was silent for a moment, then said sincerely, "Aunt, she is actually a very good girl."

"You know her?"

Song Zhi didn't deny it, "I know him."

Madam Cang sighed, "It's not that I dislike that girl, nor do I look down on her background. It's just that she's clearly not interested in Qiong'er. Why would Qiong'er bother to go against that wall?"

"It's not always a bad thing to hit the wall."

Song Zhi smiled, "Although I shouldn't interfere in your family affairs, I think that instead of creating a comfortable environment for Cang Qiong and letting him know the joys and sorrows of the world, it would be better to let him suffer a little."

"You can protect him now, but you can't protect him forever. If you are gone one day, how will he live without your protection?"

Mrs. Cang had obviously never thought about this question before. When Song Zhi asked it, she couldn't help but look solemn.

In the past, she always thought that she had earned enough wealth, and even if she passed away in the future, the Cang family was rich and powerful enough for Cang Jian to ruin.

But is this really good for Cang Qiong?

"Parents who love their children will make long-term plans for them. This is just my humble opinion, please don't be offended, aunt."

"Why would you find it strange?"

Madam Cang took Song Zhi's hand lovingly and said, "No one has ever told me this. I want to thank you. I will think about it carefully."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, and Mrs. Cang prepared to get up and leave.

Before she left, she looked at Song Zhi deeply and said, "What a pity, Jing'er didn't have this blessing."

Song Zhi was embarrassed and didn't say anything else.

Just as Madam Cang was about to turn back after she had gone far away, a sarcastic voice called out to her.

"Miss Song, you have some tricks up your sleeve. It turns out the richest family, the Cang family, also has a close personal relationship with you."

Song Zhi turned around and saw his old friend in brown satin clothes.

A trace of coldness flashed across his eyes, and Song Zhi said with a forced smile, "I thought it was someone else, but it turned out to be the highly sought-after Prime Minister Wang."

Wang Lanzhi has an ordinary face, the kind that you can't find in a crowd. He is also not tall, only slightly taller than Song Zhi.

He always has only two expressions: either flattering or gloomy.

In his previous life, he always looked at her gloomily from a distance.

In this life, he still stood not far away and looked at her gloomily.

"Miss Song, you're being too kind. I can't say I'm very popular, I can just barely make a living."

Wang Lanzhi stepped closer, "Can I have a word with you?"

Song Zhi thought she had no close relationship with this person, and this was the first time they had such a serious conversation.

But the other party's identity was there, and if she refused him, it would inevitably leave her open to gossip.

"If the Prime Minister doesn't mind, you can come into the mansion and have a chat."

"What an honor."

Wang Lanzhi waved away the extra followers and left a personal servant to follow him into the Song Mansion.

Along the way, the two of them were preoccupied with their own thoughts and remained silent until tea was served. Wang Lanzhi then spoke slowly, "I wonder if Miss Song is interested in discussing a business deal with me."

Song Zhi was alert, "What business?"

Wang Lanzhi seemed to be confident in his bargaining chips. He said leisurely: "The business of protecting the Song family's safety."

"Oh?"

"You also know that the emperor now regards the Song family as a thorn in his side, but he cannot take action due to various reasons. However, this check and balance is only temporary. As long as there is an opportunity, the emperor will definitely destroy the Song family."

Wang Lanzhi narrowed his eyes and said, "I can keep the Song family safe."

Song Zhi knew that pie in the sky wouldn't fall, so he put aside the question of whether he had the ability to do it and said calmly, "Then what price will the Song family have to pay for this business?"

Wang Lanzhi looked straight at Song Zhi and slowly uttered a word, "You."