When Song Yanjiao returned to the manor, she learned of the major incident that had befallen the Song family. She also realized that today's events had rendered Song Yanrou completely useless within the family.
Conversely, this incident had allowed Song Chaoyu to gain favor within the Song household.
She and the First Madam spoke in hushed tones in her room, and Song Yanjiao let out a sigh, "Without anyone noticing, the Fourth Girl has pleased Grandmother so much? I always feel that the Third Girl's misfortune might have something to do with her!"
The First Madam frowned, "That's impossible, isn't it? How could the Fourth Girl possibly orchestrate the Third Girl's affair with that stable boy? The Third Girl willingly fell into depravity. From a superficial perspective, this matter has nothing to do with the Fourth Girl at all!"
Song Yanjiao felt uneasy, "But that stable boy came from the estate, and wasn't it someone by the Fourth Girl's side who informed Mother, saying that the Fourth Girl had committed adultery with that person? How is it that when they went, it turned out to be the Third Girl? The Fourth Girl has been accompanying Grandmother all day. Mother, do you think that's just a coincidence?"
"That little slut!"
Thinking of Xunlü, the First Madam was so angry she gnashed her teeth, "It's all my fault for trusting that little slut's words! When I find an opportunity, I will surely skin her alive! This matter cannot be let go. I will immediately send someone to investigate!"
"Mother, please wait!"
Song Yanjiao's eyes darted, "If this is a coincidence, and you investigate now, I fear both Father and Grandmother will be displeased with you. If this is not a coincidence, do you think the Fourth Girl would leave any evidence for us? We cannot investigate!"
The First Madam's anger only grew, "Not investigate? Are we going to let a mere young girl turn our entire Song family upside down? I thought she was just a girl raised on the estate, but I never imagined she would be so troublesome! Fortunately, our Yang Ge'er has woken up. Otherwise, if Liu Shiyi Niang's unborn child were to be born, we would be in for a terrible time!"
Song Yanjiao reached out and took the First Madam's hand, "Mother cannot investigate, but the Second Concubine can! When the Second Concubine wakes up, Mother should personally visit her. Shift the blame for this matter onto the Fourth Girl and Concubine Liu, and the Second Concubine will naturally act on our behalf!"
"Yes, yes, you are indeed clever!"
The First Madam slapped her thigh, "I should have told you about this earlier. I just thought you had been close to Prince Ning these days and didn't want you to worry about household matters. I didn't expect such a major event to occur. Tomorrow morning, I will go to Wang Shi's courtyard. She only has the Third Girl as her daughter, and she will surely want to kill that little slut, the Fourth Girl, to avenge the Third Girl!"
The night was deep, and who knew how many more secrets were quietly unfolding amidst the scattered candlelight in the vast Song family manor...
---
To everyone's surprise, the next morning, on his way back from court, Song Yuan overheard some "gossip" about the Third Miss of the Song family and a stable boy.
Song Yuan immediately jumped off his carriage and grabbed a tea house patron who was gossiping, asking them what they were talking about.
The patron said that it was the brother of a stable boy from the Song family who worked there.
He said that his younger brother and the Third Miss of the Song family were in love and planned to elope.
The words spoken did not quite match what had happened in the Song family.
However, for such news to spread at this moment, it was certainly not without reason.
When Song Yuan went to the place where Zhuzi's so-called brother worked, the person there said that Zhuzi's brother had collected his wages and left early, and no one knew where he had gone.
Returning to the Song family, Song Yuan smashed two valuable teacups in succession, "Scoundrels! All of you are scoundrels! He had already planned to spread this matter! What does he want?!"
Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to provoke Song Yuan at this moment.
Song Yuan, filled with rage, looked at the First Madam, "Yesterday you said this matter could be handled slowly, but now it's too slow?! This girl has ruined our Song family's reputation! What do we do now? You were told to go ask at the nunnery outside the city, did you go? If not, shave her head and send her out to become a nun!"
"Then... how should Zhuzi be dealt with?"
The First Madam naturally did not care about Song Yanrou's life or death, but she still had to handle internal affairs.
Song Yuan was extremely annoyed, "We should have beaten him to death yesterday! Now that the news has spread, if we casually kill him again, I fear I will be impeached by those with ulterior motives."
He paced back and forth in the hall, anxious.
The Old Madam also sat by the side, shaking her head and sighing. She reached out and took Song Chaoyu's hand, appearing extremely distressed.
However, Song Yanjiao stepped forward at this moment, "Father, I have an idea."
Song Yuan was eager for someone to solve this matter, "Speak quickly, what do you think?"
Song Yanjiao stepped forward, "I went to the ancestral hall to see the Third Girl this morning. She said she knew she had wronged the Song family and wanted to die, but she was afraid that others would point fingers at the Song family. She said she knew her mistake and shouldn't have brought such great shame to the Song family."
"Hmph!"
Song Yuan snorted coldly, "If she dies, won't people be pointing fingers at my back? That stable boy did it on purpose! If she dies, how will my Song family salvage this situation?"
After Song Yuan finished his outburst, Song Yanjiao continued in a gentle tone, "I asked Third Sister, and she said she is truly in love with that stable boy and has already exchanged vows of eternal love. So, I was thinking, why not fulfill Third Sister's wish and let her be with that stable boy!"
In fact, even without Song Yanjiao saying it, Song Chaoyu could guess that this was the outcome for Song Yanrou and Zhuzi.
Zhuzi was very clever, and Song Yanrou was helpless.
At this point, with the matter spread, the Song family had no way to punish the two of them.
Only by letting them be together and then elevating Zhuzi's status could they slightly salvage their reputation.
Upon hearing Song Yanjiao's words, Song Yuan's eyes burned with even greater anger, "What? You want to marry a daughter of the Song family to a mere stable boy?! Are you crazy?"
He rarely spoke to Song Yanjiao like this.
A hint of grievance flashed in Song Yanjiao's eyes, and then she lowered her head, appearing to be doing it all for the sake of the Song family, "Actually, the rumors outside are still vague. Why don't we elevate Zhuzi's status and remove his slave status? Either say he is a small businessman from outside, or simply promote him to be a steward of the family's estate! For an ordinary official's concubine-born daughter to marry into such a household, although it is a downward marriage, it is not impossible."
Song Yanjiao's words were the last resort for Song Yanrou and Zhuzi, "If that doesn't work, provide the stable boy with some assets. After all, he is a stable boy from the Song manor. If he is truly fortunate, he will be grateful to the Song manor in the future. Third Sister is also of marriageable age, and it is her own choice. She will also be grateful to Father and Mother!"
Song Yuan's eyes were still filled with resentment.
But he knew in his heart that what Song Yanjiao said was also a way.