The old madam naturally saw through Concubine Liu's intentions by this point.
She frowned, still somewhat bewildered. "You are now even willing to abandon Little Qing'er?"
The old madam turned and chided Song Chaoyu again. "Yu'er, are you not going to look after Little Qing'er either? He is still so young, how can he be without his mother by his side?"
From the old madam's perspective, her grandson was naturally the most important.
Fortunately, whether it was Concubine Liu or Song Chaoyu, they had long anticipated the old madam's reaction, so they didn't feel particularly disheartened.
Song Chaoyu sighed and could only say to the old madam, "Grandmother, I also wish for Concubine to be well. The days when Concubine was at the manor were her happiest. Since returning to the Song family, A'yu has never seen that kind of smile on Concubine's face again. I imagine, if not for me, Concubine would have regretted it long ago. Now that I can support Concubine, why should I object to her leaving?"
Her tone carried a great deal of relief. "On the contrary, I am very happy. Concubine can find her own life and live well in the future. She can also face her children in a good state. Isn't this a good thing for Little Qing'er?"
In fact, the former Song Chaoyu rarely acted spoiled towards the old madam.
But this time, she sincerely knelt before the old madam and acted spoiled. "Grandmother, please help Concubine, won't you? Just this once, is that alright?"
"Alas—"
The old madam, for some reason, as she grew older, found herself unable to bear Song Chaoyu's pleading.
She reached out and tapped Song Chaoyu's forehead, her brows furrowed. "Such a matter, let alone in the capital, even if we were to buy in our hometown of Jiangzhou, it has never happened! If this truly succeeds, won't the Song manor's backbone be broken?"
Although the old madam said this, Song Chaoyu could tell that the old madam was likely wavering.
So she rubbed her cheek against the back of the old madam's hand. "Grandmother, please help Concubine! We don't ask Grandmother to do anything else, just when Father is angry, Grandmother can speak a few words for Concubine and protect her!"
"Alas!"
Unable to refuse Song Chaoyu's persistence, the old madam sighed and then gave a wry smile. "You all, I truly don't know what to say to you!"
She reached out and tapped Song Chaoyu's head. "Do not harbor any illusions about this matter. If your father finds out, he will surely be angry, and perhaps very angry. At that time, even if you are the Princess of Chang, even if she is the mother-in-law of the Prince of Chang, I fear your father's anger will not diminish in the slightest! Do you know that I might not even be able to stop your father?"
Song Chaoyu nodded repeatedly. "Yes, when Father's temper flares up, no one can stop him. But since Concubine has made up her mind, she naturally knows what the outcome might be. Please, Grandmother, help Concubine just this once?"
The anticipation in her eyes made it impossible for the old madam to refuse.
So all the old madam could do now was sigh. "I am truly afraid of you two, mother and daughter. If I had known this would happen, I would never have let you enter the manor, and there wouldn't be so many troubles!"
She still hadn't agreed, but Song Chaoyu could tell.
She happily pulled Concubine Liu, and the two of them knelt and kowtowed to the old madam. "Thank you, Grandmother, for granting our wish!"
—
On this very day, Lord Song, knowing that Concubine Liu was finally returning to the manor, felt exceptionally happy.
When Concubine Liu was not around, he felt there was nothing to do when he returned to the manor.
Concubine Liu had said she wanted to serve Song Chaoyu, and he was initially unwilling.
But then he thought, the fourth daughter was now the Princess of Chang, and their Song family had lost Song Yanjiao's chance to "excel" in the Prince of Ning's manor. How could they afford to lose Song Chaoyu as well?
So he agreed to Concubine Liu's request.
Naturally, there was another reason.
That was, Song Yuan had also discovered that since giving birth to Little Qing'er, Concubine Liu had become somewhat indifferent to him.
However, Song Yuan only thought it was because Concubine Liu was busy taking care of Little Qing'er and didn't think much of it.
But Song Yuan did not expect that ever since Concubine Liu went to the Prince of Chang's manor, she seemed to have forgotten her identity as a member of the Song family.
She hadn't even come back to visit! Occasionally, when he took Little Qing'er to the Prince of Chang's manor, Song Yuan couldn't say anything.
After all, Song Chaoyu was Little Qing'er's sister, and if the Princess of Chang wanted to see Little Qing'er, would he still stop her?
But later, Song Yuan found that without Concubine Liu in the vast Song manor, he felt very strange and couldn't adapt.
The First Madam's power was long gone, and whenever Song Yuan saw the First Madam, he thought of the disappointing Song Yanjiao, which made him feel annoyed.
After Concubine Liu left the Song manor, everything in the Song manor seemed to have fallen into disarray.
Song Yuan always felt that Concubine Liu didn't manage many things on a daily basis.
But after she left, why was there always someone arguing, or accounts being lost?
The old madam was old and unwilling to manage the affairs of the manor, so these matters always ended up before Song Yuan.
He therefore increasingly disliked returning to the manor and hated seeing the chaotic scene.
So he stayed away from the manor all day. When the day finally arrived for Concubine Liu to return, she showed no reaction at all.
Song Yuan then sent a servant to urge her, three times a day.
Finally, on this day, early in the morning, he heard that Concubine Liu and Song Chaoyu had brought the little one back to the Song family.
Song Yuan felt an indescribable sense of relief and joy.
After the morning court, he had intended to go straight home. However, his colleagues insisted on going to Zuixian Tower for drinks.
He couldn't refuse, so he sat there for a while, but he felt restless.
Then Song Yuan got up, insisting on taking his leave.
Fortunately, he used Song Chaoyu's return to her maiden home as an excuse, so others couldn't say much.
After all, who didn't know that the Prince of Chang's manor was currently favored?
So Song Yuan happily got into the sedan chair back home, thinking that he would scold Concubine Liu properly when he got back.
She had promised to return earlier, so why had she delayed until now?
But upon returning to the Song manor, Song Yuan quickly sensed that the atmosphere of the manor seemed somewhat off.
Before lunchtime, the old madam had already taken Song Chaoyu and Concubine Liu to the main hall, seemingly waiting for his return.
Concubine Liu's eyes were slightly red, as if she had just been crying. After returning, she bowed respectfully but did not lift her head to look at him.
This made Song Yuan feel a bit uncomfortable.
Looking at Song Chaoyu, she had clearly returned with the child, but the child was not present at the moment, nor was Little Qing'er.
Song Yuan frowned, entered the main hall, bowed to the old madam first, and then looked at Concubine Liu. "You're back? You've been wild outside, haven't you? I'm afraid you've forgotten the way home?"
If it were any other day, Concubine Liu would probably have looked up and given Song Yuan a fawning smile.
But today, she merely lowered her head and listened quietly, as if she had nothing to say to Song Yuan, which made Song Yuan feel a bit awkward. "Why aren't you speaking? What's wrong?"
He then looked at Song Chaoyu. "Where are Little Monkey and Little Qing'er? Why haven't they been brought over for me to see?"