Qiu Pozi's cries gradually faded, and the Second Concubine seemed to have guessed something.
Her eyes darted around, and then she smiled at Song Yuan, "Master, I think finding a female physician is not very reliable. Doctor Zhou has served in our household for so many years without such an incident. If Master were to prevent Doctor Zhou from coming to our Song family because of this, wouldn't it hurt Doctor Zhou's feelings?"
Indeed, a hint of hesitation appeared in Song Yuan's eyes.
Song Chaoyu quickly explained, "Father, I don't mean to stop Doctor Zhou from coming to our house! It's just that with such an incident, there will naturally be gossip within the inner chambers. Although it has nothing to do with me and Concubine, we are all women. We must not get involved in such baseless rumors, lest it tarnish the Song family's reputation!"
When she was in her maiden chambers, she knew nothing.
But now, with three years of experience that others lacked, she said to Song Yuan, "Daughter has heard that the households of several dukes and princes are like this, with female attendants cared for by female physicians. And aren't there many female physicians trained by medical families in the capital? I assume they come from families of esteemed physicians, so their medical skills should not be too poor."
Since Song Chaoyu had brought up the dukes and princes, Song Yuan naturally nodded repeatedly, "You speak the truth. Doctor Zhou's medical skills are seasoned, but female physicians trained by families like the Fan and Li families in the Imperial Hospital are also excellent. Let it be so. We will have the matchmaker send a few female physicians this afternoon, and you can choose yourselves."
He then glanced at the Second Concubine, "Why haven't you gone to inform the First Madam yet?"
The Second Concubine found herself rebuffed and could only retreat from the Painting Study dejectedly.
Perhaps feeling that the matter had startled Concubine Liu, Song Yuan stayed for dinner in the Painting Study that day.
During the meal, he specifically instructed Song Chaoyu. He said that in five days, the Imperial Consort would be hosting a banquet for Prince Chang in the palace, inviting the female dependents of all the ministers. As Song Chaoyu was now a concubine's daughter of the Song family, she naturally had to accompany the First Madam. He wanted Song Chaoyu to always remember the rules, to emulate Song Yanjiao, and to avoid any mistakes.
Song Chaoyu had not expected this.
In her previous life, because she had annoyed the Old Madam by not knowing the rules, she was not qualified to attend the banquet for Prince Chang's return to the capital.
Although she later heard that Prince Chang had stirred up trouble in the capital with His Highness the Crown Prince, she had already been confined to a side courtyard of Prince Ping's mansion, so she had never met Prince Chang.
She hadn't expected things to change in this life.
However, she would deal with whatever came her way. As long as she didn't stand out or draw attention, and entered the palace adhering to the rules, she shouldn't make any mistakes.
—
Now that Song Chaoyu had dealt with Doctor Zhou and Qiu Pozi in one go, the courtyard was finally much cleaner.
In the afternoon, people from her grandmother's side brought a matchmaker and several female physicians.
This matter should have been decided by the First Madam, but the Song family's Old Madam was not foolish. She naturally guessed that Doctor Zhou was someone the First Madam relied on, so she intervened in the matter, ensuring that the female physicians sent were of good character.
Song Chaoyu's eyes immediately fell on the female physician Fan Jiangyue, who was walking at the very end.
The reason she had caused this commotion was for this person.
Fan Jiangyue was one of Song Chaoyu's few friends in her previous life.
She was the illegitimate daughter of Fan Jia, the director of the Imperial Hospital. She was not favored in the Fan family.
However, she was ambitious and did not wish to compete with her legitimate sisters for the reputation of a "young lady of a noble family," so she followed her grandfather to study medicine.
In fact, although female physicians were not of slave status like servants, their social standing was not much higher. For Fan Jiangyue, a daughter of the esteemed Fan family, to willingly place herself below others and become a female physician, showed her courage.
In her previous life, Fan Jiangyue was sent to the side courtyard to treat Song Chaoyu when she was gravely ill, and the two of them became kindred spirits.
Later, she often visited Song Chaoyu. Before Song Chaoyu's death, Fan Jiangyue had, with her exceptional medical skills, cured the Empress Dowager's chronic illness and had become the most famous female physician in the Great Yue Dynasty. The Emperor had even made an exception for her to join the Imperial Hospital as a female physician!
After a lapse of three years between her past and present life, Song Chaoyu saw Fan Jiangyue again and felt her eyes well up slightly.
Fan Jiangyue was upright and understood the hardships of illegitimate daughters. In her previous life, it was she who helped Song Chaoyu analyze that Concubine Liu's child was not lost due to an inability to preserve it, but rather due to deliberate actions.
Therefore, Song Chaoyu believed that she would take good care of Concubine Liu.
Naturally, the female physician who remained was Fan Jiangyue.
Fan Jiangyue found it strange. It was her first time seeing this illegitimate daughter of the Song family, yet she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness.
It was as if... they had known each other for a long time.
—
With Fan Jiangyue in place, a great weight was lifted from Song Chaoyu's heart.
What needed to be prepared next was the palace banquet for Prince Chang's return—
Although she had not attended this palace banquet in her previous life, she knew it had been a spectacular event!
There were two incidents that left a deep impression on her.
The first incident was about Song Yanjiao.
At this palace banquet, Prince Ning, Mu Hansu, and Lin Muyang, the eldest legitimate son of the Grand Scholar, would simultaneously fall in love with Song Yanjiao.
The outcome in her previous life was obvious: although Song Yanjiao was eventually betrothed to the Lin family, after Mu Hansu usurped the throne, he killed Lin Muyang and married Song Yanjiao as his Empress.
Another incident that caused a great stir at the palace banquet was this:
During the banquet, for some unknown reason, the Crown Princess suddenly fell into the water.
Then, a young eunuch who went to her rescue pulled open her clothes, and she lost her virtue in front of everyone.
It was after this incident that the Crown Prince was repeatedly reprimanded by the Emperor, and Mu Hansu seized the opportunity to gain the Emperor's favor.
Since Song Chaoyu did not want Mu Hansu to ascend to power this time, it was good that she could attend the palace banquet. At least she could prevent this from happening and allow the Crown Prince to retain the ability to suppress Mu Hansu.
However, before Song Chaoyu could prepare, during the family dinner that evening, the First Madam told Song Yuan that all the female dependents attending this palace banquet were from prominent families.
She said she had inquired, and almost every household brought their legitimate daughters.
Thinking that Song Chaoyu had not properly learned the rules since her return, she feared that she would not know the etiquette in the palace, and therefore it would be better not to bring Song Chaoyu this time.
Song Yuan nodded and said nothing more.
However, the Old Madam cast a cold glance at Madam Song, "Since they are going, the daughters of the Song family should all go. You brought the third daughter, how can you not bring the fourth daughter?"
The First Madam still wanted to explain something, but Song Yanjiao tugged at her sleeve from below.
She could only nod in compliance with the Old Madam's wishes, "Mother is right. There are still a few days left, so let the governesses teach Fourth Miss some manners!"
Song Chaoyu understood in her heart that her grandmother was protecting her.
The Old Madam Song might not necessarily like Song Chaoyu at this moment, but her fairness was enough to make Song Chaoyu feel warmth.