Song Yexi had no idea about her mother’s plans. She went to Yun Zhao’s room and noticed Yun Zhao’s face was still pale. She was already beautiful, but now she looked like a porcelain doll.
“Why is it that we’re all surnamed Song, yet your face is so annoyingly pretty?” Song Yexi sat by the bed, and the more she looked, the more she felt Yun Zhao was truly beautiful.
Song Yunzhao was both amused and exasperated. “How about I peel off my face and swap with you?”
Song Yexi snorted. “Who wants it?”
When they were in Nanyu, Song Yunzhao and Song Yexi didn’t interact much. After all, their families had separated, and aside from festivals, they didn’t meet often.
Song Yunzhao could tell Song Yexi was in a bad mood. A quick thought told her something must have happened at the Count’s Mansion, so she feigned curiosity and asked, “Sister Xi, how was your visit to the Count’s Mansion today? A noble family must be different from ours, right? Tell me about it, so I can broaden my horizons.”
Song Yexi hadn’t particularly liked Song Yunzhao before, but compared to Song Qinghan now, she suddenly felt Yun Zhao was beautiful, kind-hearted, and pitiable. Unconsciously, she grew closer and said, “It’s just that their mansion is a bit bigger than ours, and they have more servants. Nothing worth mentioning. When you’re better, I’ll take you to see Jing Garden in Jing City. Now that’s impressive.”
Jing Garden…
Song Yunzhao knew it well. In the book, it was the most elegant place favored by high officials and nobles, with flowers blooming all year round and various gardens highly praised, no less famous than Sanyuan Restaurant. It was a hotspot for gossip and incidents.
“Sister Xi, have you been to Jing Garden before?”
“I went with my mother to my maternal grandparents’ home before. My cousins took me there.”
After chatting for a while, Song Yexi noticed Song Yunzhao looked tired and got up to leave.
After Song Yexi left, Mama Luo quietly entered and said in a low voice, “Miss, something happened at the Count’s Mansion today.”
Song Yunzhao looked at Mama Luo. “Where did you hear this, Mama?”
Mama Luo recounted what she had overheard from First Madam and her daughter’s conversation, then added, “This old servant went back to the West Courtyard on the pretext of fetching something and found out what happened…”
After hearing Mama Luo’s words, Song Yunzhao thought to herself, “Tsk,” Song Jinxuan was quite lucky today. She happened to be standing by the lotus pond, so the man didn’t have a chance to bump into her.
She hadn’t expected that even though she wasn’t present, Chu Yuying would still try to cause trouble.
“Miss, this old servant fears this matter isn’t over yet. The quieter Consort Che is, the more uneasy I feel,” Mama Luo whispered.
Song Yunzhao nodded slightly. “Keep a close watch on our people these next couple of days, Mama. Don’t let anyone return to the West Courtyard.”
“You’re right, Miss. This old servant will make sure to keep them in check,” Mama Luo nodded hurriedly. “But, Miss, when do you plan to return to the West Courtyard? You can’t stay here forever.”
“Let’s wait until Father returns to Jing City,” Song Yunzhao said.
“Once the master returns, he’ll see justice done for you. It’ll be better to go back then,” Mama Luo helped her lie down, extinguished one of the lamps, and gently drew the bed curtains. Through the curtains, she added, “Rest early, Miss. Jiangxiang will keep watch tonight.”
Song Yunzhao closed her eyes and responded softly. She didn’t sleep well that night, her dreams filled with chaotic fragments she couldn’t recall upon waking, leaving her head heavy.
Continuing her convalescence, Song Yunzhao had just finished breakfast when First Madam came to check on her briefly before hurrying off. Soon after, Yunzhao learned that First Madam had returned to her maternal home, taking Song Yexi along.
Later, the legitimate daughters from the main branch—Song Lirong, Song Hongjiao, and Song Yunmei—came to visit. The cousins exchanged a few perfunctory words before departing.
Song Yunzhao truly had little to say to them. First Madam treated the legitimate daughters neither particularly well nor harshly, as evident from their names alone—they were clearly destined for political marriages. Moreover, the concubines in the main branch were kept firmly under First Madam’s control.
Years earlier, Song Hongjiao’s birth mother, Consort Luo, had been a singing girl—accomplished in song and dance, with an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and eyes that seemed to hook people when she gazed at them. She had been greatly favored by the Master.
Alarmed by this “little enchantress,” First Madam promptly selected a talented woman from an impoverished Cultivated Talent’s family to join the household.
When cultured met uncultured, beauty clashed with talent, and the two fought to a stalemate. First Madam immediately secured her position as the steady fisherman.
With both a refined companion for scholarly pursuits and a beauty for his bedchamber, the Master was thoroughly satisfied with his official wife. Thus, First Madam’s status as the principal wife became unshakable—no matter how the concubines stirred up storms, she remained immovable as a mountain.
Sometimes Song Yunzhao reflected that women like First Madam were the most successful principal wives in feudal society. With dowry in hand, she never panicked; with status secured, she stood justified. Adding some skill in controlling concubines and coaxing her husband, as long as she never gave her heart or emotions, she was practically a winner in life.
This was the path Song Yunzhao aspired to follow.
Early the next morning, while still eating breakfast, Qiancao rushed in excitedly, calling out, “Miss, the Master has returned to the estate!”
Song Yunzhao was startled—so soon?
Consort Che certainly had skills. Calculating the timing, her father must have traveled overnight to arrive. Tsk tsk.
Abandoning her meal, she loosened her hair and changed into old clothes before lying down in her room. Still uneasy, she had Qiancao bring a palm-sized bronze mirror. One glance in the reflection made her wish she hadn’t bothered.
She’d forgotten that bronze mirrors weren’t as clear as modern mercury glass—whether one’s complexion was good or bad, everything appeared the same shade in bronze.
Song Yunzhao got up and sat at the dressing table, where her maids hurried to attend her. She took out face powder and carefully applied a layer, examining herself closely in the mirror. Something was still missing.
Retrieving kohl, she used a small silver knife to scrape some powder, crushed it with her fingertips, and gently patted it under her eyes while studying her reflection.
Jiangxiang and Qiancao stared in astonishment—in just this short while, their young lady’s face had become far more haggard than in the morning, clearly appearing as someone still seriously ill.
Quite pleased with her transformation, Song Yunzhao lay back down. Calculating the timing—her father would need to handle affairs upon returning to the capital—it would be at least two hours before he reached her.
Perfect time to brew her emotions and prepare to lodge a fierce complaint.
To break free from Cai Shi’s control, lodging a complaint alone wouldn’t suffice. Fortunately, with the incident Song Jinxuan encountered at the Count’s Mansion and Consort Che as a formidable weapon, she now had a fifty percent chance of success.
Just as she was delightedly pondering this, a deep voice sounded from outside, “Does the young lady reside here?”
Song Yunzhao froze—it was unmistakably her nominal father’s voice. How had he arrived so quickly?
She hadn’t even begun to muster her emotions yet.
“This servant pays respects to the Master.”
Through the curtain, Song Yunzhao heard the voices of Qiancao and Jiangxiang. In that brief moment of distraction, she felt a shadow fall over her as a tall, slender figure stood before her.
Song Yunzhao looked at her father. His eyes were bloodshot, his expression stern, but when their gazes met, the severity instantly melted away. He bent down to look at her and said, “Zhaozhao, your father has come too late. How are you holding up?”