Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Song Yiqiu saw through the window a dense crowd gathered at the mansion's entrance. At the forefront stood her mother, Song Shenshi, her face ashen with a clear intention to demand answers.
Song Yiqiu sneered inwardly:
Song Sangyu certainly wasted no time tattling. She must have flown back here.
The moment the carriage halted, Song Shenshi's shrill voice pierced the air:
"Song Yiqiu! You finally decided to return?"
Song Yiqiu acted as if she hadn't heard, first calmly assisting the nervous Song Sanchun out of the carriage before turning around with perfectly feigned confusion:
"Mother, what do you mean? I don't understand. Song Manor is my home. If I don't return here, where else would I go? Unless…"
She left her sentence hanging, her gaze sweeping over Song Shenshi's visibly darkening expression,
"…I should return to Grandmother's Zhaohua Residence instead?"
The mention of "Grandmother" struck a precise nerve in Song Shenshi.
Sure enough, Song Sangyu immediately seized the opportunity, stepping forward with a gentle 'mediation':
"Mother, please don't blame sister! She certainly didn't mean to bring up Grandmother and upset you…"
"She just spoke in haste, just like today at Feizhi Pavilion when she offended Xingrong Princess while defending Sanchun sister…"
"Fortunately, I once served as the princess's study companion for two years and pleaded desperately on her behalf. The princess was magnanimous enough not to pursue the matter further, otherwise… otherwise our Song family would have faced disaster!"
Song Yiqiu watched her performance coldly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
You ran fast enough, and fabricated quite thoroughly too.
Grandmother Shen Zhaohua was a forbidden topic in this household.
The relationship between her mother Shen Ruyi and her grandmother was extremely strained. Since her birth, she could count on one hand the number of times she'd seen her grandmother.
When she was five, she had unintentionally picked up her father's sword and mimicked a few moves. When her mother saw this, she deemed it utterly improper and had her thrown out of the mansion to kneel in punishment that very night.
It was pouring rain. She knelt at the entrance until she collapsed from high fever. It was her grandmother who took her back to Zhaohua Residence and cared for her meticulously…
Because of this, the conflict between her mother and grandmother deepened further.
Afterward, she spent most of each year living at Zhaohua Residence—that was the place where she truly felt warmth.
Stimulated by both the mention of 'Grandmother' and 'offending the princess,' Song Shenshi's face turned livid, her chest heaving violently as she pointed at Song Yiqiu and snapped:
"You! Go kneel in the ancestral hall! Family discipline awaits!"
Baimei exploded upon hearing this, unable to hold back:
"No! Madam! That's not what happened today! It was that princess who first…"
Qingzhu, standing beside her, quickly tugged hard on her sleeve, whispering urgently:
"Sister Baimei… don't say anymore!"
She understood the madam's temper better than Baimei—the more one argued, the harsher the punishment would be.
Baimei was both anxious and furious. She turned to Song Sanchun, whom they had just helped:
"Miss Sanchun, why don't you say something! If it weren't for our young lady today…"
But Song Sanchun merely glanced expressionlessly at Song Yiqiu, then bowed properly to Song Shenshi. Without uttering a word, she hugged her paintings, lowered her head, and walked straight into the mansion as if none of this concerned her.
Baimei stamped her foot in anger:
"Hey! This heartless…"
"Baimei."
Song Yiqiu shook her head to stop her, her gaze returning to Song Shenshi, her tone calm:
"Fine. I will go to the ancestral hall and accept the family discipline. But please make it clear, Mother—exactly what did Yi Qiu do wrong today?"
"The matter of defying the princess cannot be judged solely by Song Sangyu's one-sided account. As for mentioning grandmother… Grandmother is Yi Qiu's closest relative. Having just returned home, is it wrong for Yi Qiu to mention her out of longing?"
Song Shenshi grew even more enraged by her calm demeanor:
"Wrong? Your wild temperament brought back from the borderlands is the greatest wrong! It needs to be properly tempered! If not for Sangyu's careful handling today, do you realize what great disaster you could have brought upon our household?"
"Never mind your audacity to speak that way to the Count's heir – if you dare show disrespect to the princess today, you'll dare be unfilial to your parents tomorrow."
"I truly don't know how I, Shen Ruyi, could have given birth to such a disgrace. If you had even half of Sangyu's obedience and understanding, why would I need to worry so much?"
Growing more agitated, she pointed at her forehead:
"You'd better remember – you are my daughter, Shen Ruyi's! Not hers, Shen Zhaohua's!"
"What became of Shen Zhaohua? Died an unnatural death! All my brothers and sisters fell in battle – all cursed by her restless, ambitious nature that refused to stay in her proper place."
"A young lady should be like Sangyu – gentle, obedient, cultivated and reasonable. Not like you, brandishing weapons and making a spectacle of yourself like her!"
Song Yiqiu listened as her mother cursed her grandmother and belittled her, her heart gradually turning cold.
Straightening her back, she retorted loudly:
"Mother seems to have forgotten that you yourself bear the surname Shen!"
"Grandmother was the only woman in the Great Jin Dynasty who could pass her surname to her children and earn nobility through military exploits. The blood flowing in your veins is the same as grandmother's."
"The misfortunes that befell grandmother and our uncles and aunts were caused by border unrest and enemy cruelty, not because grandmother 'cursed' them! They were heroes defending our country, not the criminals you speak of!"
Slap!
A sharp slap landed hard on Song Yiqiu's face.
Song Shenshi trembled with rage, clutching her chest as if struggling to breathe:
"You! How dare you… How dare you speak to me like this? What do you even know? Shen Zhaohua was a venomous-hearted…"
She abruptly stopped, as if realizing she had misspoken, forcibly swallowing her words before panting:
"Enough. These filthy matters need not be spoken to you. Nanny Wang, fetch the disciplinary rod! Drag her to the ancestral hall and make her kneel in repentance before our ancestors!"
Song Sangyu immediately pretended to be frightened, tears springing to her eyes as she supported Song Shenshi:
"Oh sister~ please say no more and apologize to mother quickly! How would we juniors know about past matters? Perhaps… perhaps grandmother really…"
She left her words hanging, the hypocrisy thick in the air.
Song Yiqiu licked the blood trickling from her lip, staring coldly at her:
"She's not your grandmother. Don't presumptuously claim kinship as an adopted daughter."
Song Sangyu's face instantly turned pale, her tears falling more heavily as she looked pitifully at Song Shenshi:
"Mother…"
Song Shenshi indeed grew more furious, pointing at Song Yiqiu and scolding:
"Song Yiqiu, who do you think you are? In this household, even I can't bear to speak harshly to Sangyu, yet you dare insult her like this? You've become completely wild! Today I'll teach you a proper lesson! Nanny Wang! Why haven't you gone yet!"
Nanny Wang responded excitedly:
"Yes! This old servant is going right away!"
As if happier than when receiving her monthly allowance.
Mama Li, who stood nearby, was also a wet nurse from the mistress's courtyard and had watched Song Yiqiu grow up. Unable to bear the situation, she stepped forward to plead:
"Madam, please reconsider! The young lady has just returned to the manor—her health may not yet be fully restored. The family punishment is severe; I fear she cannot endure it…"
Song Shenshi, already enraged, flared up even more at these words:
"What? Now that Song Yiqiu is back, do you all think you can rule the Song Manor? Do any of you still see me as the mistress?"
Seeing this, Mama Li could only sigh and helplessly retreat to the side.
Mama Wang shot her a smug glance, swayed her hips, and hurried off to fetch the disciplinary tools.
Song Yiqiu said no more. Her gaze swept over the servants who intended to seize her as she coldly declared:
"Don't touch me. I'll go on my own."
She turned and walked toward the ancestral hall.
Baimei clenched her fists, suppressing her fury as she closely followed behind.
Meanwhile, Qingzhu took advantage of the chaos to slip into a nearby alley. There, she quickly removed her simple disguise and resumed her usual foolish, deranged demeanor. Fearing suspicion, she skipped and giggled her way after them.