But Fourth Concubine…
The Old Madam neither spoke to her nor allowed her to rise, an attitude that bred suspicion.
Seeing everyone kneeling, Concubine Liu stepped forward and knelt before the Old Madam. “Old Madam, it is I who failed to take good care of Qing Ge’er. I am willing to accept punishment!”
“Hmph! See?”
The Old Madam pointed at Song Yuan, but it was Concubine Liu she addressed. “This is the only clear-headed person in this manor!”
Song Yuan looked at Concubine Liu with a newfound gratitude and apology in his gaze.
But Concubine Liu was no longer the Concubine Liu of the past; she wouldn’t be moved to tears by Song Yuan’s words.
Instead, her gaze grew calmer.
The Old Madam first helped the First Madam to her feet. “You may rise. As the matriarch of the Song family, you must be mindful of many matters going forward. This is the last time. If the Song family remains in such disarray in the future, you will be the first to return to your maiden home. Do not vex me with your presence!”
The First Madam felt wronged but dared not show it. She could only stand up and repeatedly agree.
The Old Madam continued, “You must always remember your status. You are now the mother of the Ning Princess. Regardless of whether you are within the Song family or outside, your conduct must not be as it was before. You are the mistress of the Song family, and you must do what you are meant to do. Do you understand?”
The First Madam was foolish, but she understood the Old Madam’s meaning.
However, Song Chaoyu knew that the First Madam lacked the ability to manage the Song family properly.
She had long lost her favor in the Old Madam’s eyes.
As long as she made another mistake, even if it wasn’t a direct error, the Old Madam would likely lose all trust in her.
And Song Chaoyu was merely waiting for that opportunity.
—
After speaking to the First Madam, the Old Madam, instead of addressing Song Yuan, turned her gaze directly to Concubine Liu. “You may also rise. It must be very tiring for you to care for little Qing’er alone after we have all left. Moreover, you will soon be a concubine to the Chang Princess. You must always remember that your status is different from others. Qing Ge’er’s status is also different. Only when you are well can Fourth Girl fare better in the Chang Prince’s manor.”
She was reminding Concubine Liu, but was she not also reminding others?
Even Song Yuan began to feel uneasy, believing he had mistreated Concubine Liu.
Concubine Liu also stood up, not showing any pride, but becoming even more cautious. “Please rest assured, Old Madam, I will certainly not hold back Fourth Girl.”
“You!”
Only then did the Old Madam look at Song Yuan. “As the head of the family, your eyes must be sharper. Things that can be overlooked cannot always be overlooked. You may rise and think carefully about how this matter should be handled.”
Song Yuan had already understood the Old Madam’s intentions. After all, as someone who had reached the third rank in the imperial court, how could he not understand why the Old Madam was so angry today?
He stood up and nodded to the Old Madam. “Mother, rest assured, your son understands.”
The Old Madam waved her hand at the Seventh Concubine. “You may also rise! Upon returning, you are confined to your courtyard for three days of reflection. After that, you will come and tell me if you have understood. That is all, you may go!”
The Seventh Concubine, with her humble origins, was naturally terrified of the Old Madam.
She finally breathed a sigh of relief, hastily rising and taking her leave.
In the end, only Fourth Concubine remained kneeling in the hall.
Her heart was filled with confusion, fear, and nervousness.
The Old Madam simply ignored her, stood up, and waved Song Yuan away. “Alright, you handle the rest of the matters yourself! I am old now, and this Song family is now your domain. As the master, you must have a clear understanding of things!”
“Yes!”
Song Yuan understood the Old Madam’s meaning and cupped his fists in respect as he saw her off.
Song Chaoyu also stepped forward, intending to leave with Concubine Liu.
“Eleventh Mistress, Yu Yatou, you two stay!”
Song Yuan, however, spoke, keeping the two of them behind.
Song Chaoyu knew even more clearly that Song Yuan was about to deal with Fourth Concubine.
Concubine Liu did not wish to get involved in this matter, but she glanced at Song Chaoyu and saw the hatred in her eyes. She understood Song Chaoyu’s well-intentioned plan and ultimately stayed.
After the Old Madam left, Song Yuan sat in the seat the Old Madam had occupied and looked at Fourth Concubine. “Zhang’er, you have been serving me in this manor for quite some years now, haven’t you?”
Fourth Concubine’s body trembled slightly, but she maintained a calm demeanor, raising her head and looking at Song Yuan timidly. “It has been six years, Master! May I know what Zhang’er has done wrong to anger the Old Madam and Master so?”
“Hmph! Enough, stop acting!”
Song Yuan was not entirely unaware of Fourth Concubine’s nature. “These past years, you have appeared cautious and uncontroversial in this household. But for many things, I always thought they were just the games of young girls and chose not to pay attention. I never expected that this time you would extend your reach to Qing Ge’er. Zhang’er, you must know that Qing Ge’er is my son! I have only two sons, Yang Ge’er and Qing Ge’er.”
“No… no!”
Fourth Concubine’s heart sank, but she maintained a fearful and innocent expression. “Master, where do these words come from? Qing Ge’er is perfectly fine. How would I dare do anything to Qing Ge’er? I dote on Qing Ge’er! What is happening today? If Master is to punish me, you must at least let me understand!”
She was still playing dumb?
Song Chaoyu closed her eyes. Concubine Liu could no longer bear to watch. She stared intently at Fourth Concubine. “Concubine Jiang, I once considered you my best friend in the Song family! I never expected you to harm Qing Ge’er! What is your relationship with the Hu tribe? Why do you possess such a vile thing as Chongming Incense? Did you give me Chongming Incense not to harm Qing Ge’er?!”
“Chongming Incense… what’s wrong with it?!”
Fourth Concubine continued to feign ignorance. “Master, I did not! I… I bought some Chongming Incense from the Hu tribe. It’s because my family lives on the border, you know this! But I myself use Chongming Incense, and there’s nothing wrong with that item! I didn’t know that Chongming Incense would harm Qing Ge’er! If it truly did, then I deserve to die!”
Unexpectedly, Fourth Concubine’s words caused Song Yuan to frown. He seemed to find something suspicious about the matter and hesitated, then looked at Concubine Liu. “What exactly is the deal with that Chongming Incense? Didn’t Qing Ge’er just have diarrhea?”
For a moment, Song Chaoyu saw despair in Concubine Liu’s eyes.
She stepped forward, shielding Concubine Liu, and said to Song Yuan, “Chongming Incense may not affect adults, but it does have an effect on children. If it were just Chongming Incense, it would be one thing, but Father, don’t you know? After the Chongming Incense was removed, someone tampered with my concubine’s clothes.”