He looked at Aunt Liu in surprise, as if he thought she was dreaming: "What, you want to leave my Song Manor, and you also want me to agree to send Xiao Qing'er to you to see? Is there such a good thing in this world?! Absolutely impossible!"
Song Yuan flicked his sleeves, appearing furious: "Let alone Xiao Qing'er, even if you wanted me to divorce you, I wouldn't agree. Eleventh Mistress, you can forget about it in this lifetime!"
Hearing this, Aunt Liu closed her eyes in despair.
Even the Old Madam shook her head, looking at Song Yuan, seemingly helpless.
"Father."
This time, Song Chaoyu could no longer hold back.
She stood up and walked towards Song Yuan.
Looking at Song Yuan's furrowed brow, Song Chaoyu did not flinch: "Father, your daughter knows that you have done many things for the Song family your entire life. But there are also many things you cannot decide."
"You have no business here!"
Song Yuan knew that Song Chaoyu would definitely side with Aunt Liu.
Therefore, when facing Song Chaoyu, he waved his hand dismissively: "Now that you are the Princess of Chang, you naturally have the final say outside. I have never had any other words for Prince Chang's manor, nor for you. But this is the Song family's matter, the Song clan's matter. It is between your aunt and me. Even as the Princess of Chang, it is not appropriate for you to say anything, is it?"
He sneered: "Moreover, if it weren't for Prince Chang, you would just be a concubine's daughter in the Song manor. Your mother was also a concubine, what more do you want to say?"
These words were truly unpleasant, but they were likely Song Yuan's true feelings.
In fact, Song Chaoyu did not care about these words.
Ever since she returned to the Song manor, there had always been people saying such things, and she had long grown accustomed to the gossip outside.
Unexpectedly, these words caused the usually gentle Aunt Liu to suddenly stand up and look at Song Yuan angrily: "So what if she's a concubine's daughter? If it weren't for my uselessness as a mother, would she have wanted to be a concubine's daughter herself? What's the use of you mentioning嫡庶 (direct lineage and concubine lineage) every day? Are the legitimate daughters of your Song family doing any better?!"
She took a deep breath, and under everyone's surprised gazes, she seemed to be trying hard to suppress her anger: "The second young lady has already left, and I shouldn't have said these things. But since you insist on calling Ayú a concubine's daughter, I have no choice but to say them. Since our Ayú returned to the Song manor, has she ever caused you any trouble?"
Song Yuan's brow furrowed, and he could not utter a word.
Aunt Liu continued: "Our Ayú is so obedient and sensible, yet you are completely unaware. When she became the Princess of Chang, you were only happy about Prince Chang's status, never truly happy for our Ayú. Have we, mother and daughter, ever caused you any dissatisfaction in the Song family? Ayú merely spoke a word for me, because she pities me. Yet you use her status as a concubine's daughter to criticize her. Is this how you are as a father?"
Song Yuan had never considered these matters before.
It was only at this moment that he could truly look at Aunt Liu and her daughter before him.
He realized that many things were not as he had previously thought.
Song Chaoyu actually did not want Aunt Liu to speak up for her. She gently tugged at Aunt Liu's arm: "Mother, there's no point in saying these things. If you want to leave today, I will definitely help you."
"Enough, enough!"
Aunt Liu shook her head helplessly: "Ayú, the last thing I want is for you to do anything for me again."
She raised her eyes and looked at Song Yuan, her gaze like stagnant water: "Why don't you just tell me directly. If I want to sever ties with the Song family, what should I do?"
This question, like a knife, fiercely pierced Song Yuan's heart.
Because before this, he had never considered it.
Aunt Liu's resolve left Song Yuan completely at a loss.
He took a deep breath, then asked that question dazedly: "You... you really must leave?"
"Yes. I must leave."
Aunt Liu smiled bitterly, this conviction had long taken root and sprouted in her heart: "I truly do not wish to be a member of the Song family anymore!"
"Good!"
A hint of cruelty appeared in Song Yuan's eyes: "Then from today onwards, return everything the Song family has given you to the Song family."
Song Chaoyu's body stiffened.
Aunt Liu also looked confused: "What do you mean by everything the Song family has given me?"
Song Yuan sneered: "At that time, we both willingly entered into the relationship, didn't we? But over the years, you were supposed to be by my side, but you did not fulfill that. Weren't you free enough when you were on the estate?"
At this point, even Song Chaoyu lost her last bit of sympathy for Song Yuan.
Regardless of whether he was anxious or not, Song Chaoyu knew that what he was about to do to Aunt Liu was probably unimaginable to others.
Song Chaoyu sneered: "In those years, besides freedom, what else did you give Mother?"
Song Yuan did not care about Song Chaoyu's words; he only stared at Aunt Liu: "For how many days you were free, you must return that many days to the Song family. From today onwards, you will be confined to your courtyard. The seventeen years you spent on the estate..."
"It's eighteen years."
Aunt Liu still looked at Song Yuan calmly: "When I was pregnant with Ayú, you sent me to the estate. For a full eighteen years and seven months, we lived on that estate. So, you have misremembered."
Eighteen years was a woman's most beautiful years, and Aunt Liu's life would not have another eighteen years like that.
Song Yuan swallowed, then averted his gaze, seemingly not knowing how to face Aunt Liu's look: "Eighteen years... has it been that long?"
Aunt Liu sneered: "In fact, what difference is there between seventeen years and eighteen years? So, you intend to confine me in the Song manor for eighteen years?"
"It's not confinement."
Song Yuan vehemently denied: "It's just that you should return what you owe the Song family to the Song family, and to me."
He was truly too much!
Let alone Song Chaoyu, even the Old Madam looked at Song Yuan with displeasure: "Eighteen years, do you know how long that is? Rather than letting this ungrateful person eat the Song family's grain for eighteen years in vain, it would be better to just let her go. Since her heart is no longer with the Song family, nor with you, why are you forcing it?"
On the surface, the Old Madam was scolding Aunt Liu for being ungrateful.
But in reality, Song Chaoyu could hear that the Old Madam was also speaking up for Aunt Liu.
Song Yuan naturally heard it too, and he cast a dark glance at the Old Madam: "Mother, stop helping her. No one can help her today!"
He even pointed at Song Chaoyu: "Even as the Princess of Chang, you cannot force someone to divorce their concubine, can you? Moreover, isn't this concubine your mother?"
"No need."
Aunt Liu also glanced at Song Chaoyu: "This matter has nothing to do with anyone!"