Song Yunzhao's original plan hadn't been to have a falling out with Mrs. Cai just yet. She'd intended to wait until after the concubine selection. A critical opportunity would arise then—the court was holding a mass selection of concubines to fill the harem and soothe the Emperor's grief over losing his Imperial Concubine. This gave all the daughters of the Song Family a chance.
But Song Yunzhao was simply too beautiful. Mrs. Cai was terrified she would outshine her sister, so she demanded that Song Yunzhao not participate in the selection. When the original owner of her body refused, Mrs. Cai then demanded that she not steal Song Qinghan's spotlight.
To ensure she could participate in the selection, her predecessor had gritted her teeth and agreed. But she never imagined that Song Qinghan would be even more ruthless than Mrs. Cai. Once in the palace, Qinghan gave her no chance to appear before the imperial court and swiftly used the conflicts among the concubines to get rid of her.
Her plan had been to wait until Mrs. Cai demanded she step aside for Song Qinghan, and then cause a huge scene. By that time, her father, her strongest ally, would have arrived in the capital, giving her the confidence to break free from Mrs. Cai's grasp.
But what was done, was done. Regret was useless. Fortunately, the First Madam—who was at odds with Mrs. Cai—was also here.
"You're really rebelling now! Ever since you were little, you've been sharp-tongued and overbearing. Your sister gave in to you at every turn, and now you repay her with slander! I have no daughter like you! You're trying to anger me to death!" Although Mrs. Cai was furious, the First Madam was still here. She had her reputation to consider. She couldn't let Song Yunzhao drag her name through the mud, making her a laughingstock for the First Madam. Her only option was to crush Song Yunzhao completely.
Hearing Mrs. Cai's words, Song Yunzhao immediately knew her game. 'She's going to pin all the blame on me and absolve herself and Song Qinghan. They'll be the pure, innocent mother and daughter, while I'll be the vicious, heartless, unfilial one.'
Song Yunzhao had no way out. Her father, her only ally, was still nowhere to be found. She had to latch onto the First Madam.
She leaped off the bed, grabbed Song Qinghan, and started dragging her outside.
"What are you doing?"
"Let go!"
With a face pale with fury, Song Yunzhao fixed her pitch-black eyes on Mrs. Cai, not even sparing a glance for Song Qinghan's terrified expression. She reached out and threw open her own jewelry box. "First Aunt, please look! Inside is all the jewelry my mother has given me over so many years. Even if it costs me my life today, I will prove my innocence! Mother says I'm insatiable, and Song Qinghan claims she is the most just. Then I'll take you all to see Song Qinghan's jewelry box, her clothing trunks..."
As she spoke, she relentlessly dragged Song Qinghan a few steps forward, then shoved her own clothing trunk to the floor.
With a loud THUD, the trunk hit the floor and broke open. A bundle of worn-out clothes rolled out, all in plain, faded colors. Only one or two garments were even slightly brighter.
"Look! These are my clothes! Song Qinghan gets new outfits every day, while I have to wear these rags! Song Qinghan, where is your justice now? These two new garments were even made for me by the First Aunt. If Mother had been in charge of making new clothes for me, I'm afraid all I'd have are these tattered rags!"
Song Yunzhao was running on pure rage; no one could stop her. She grabbed a pair of sewing scissors from the windowsill to clear her path, scaring everyone so much that no one dared block her way, terrified the scissors would end up on Song Qinghan's face.
Song Yunzhao forcibly dragged Song Qinghan to her own courtyard, where she viciously smashed her jewel-filled case to the ground and threw open all her clothing trunks.
Every piece of Song Qinghan's jewelry was exquisite. There were seven or eight gem-encrusted red gold hairpins and step-shaking hairpins alone, not to mention a whole case overflowing with earrings, bracelets, and other trinkets. Her trunks were also full of clothes, covered inside and out with delicate embroidery; one could tell from the patterns alone that they had been made with great care.
The disparity was so great that even the First Madam, who wasn't a particularly compassionate person, could no longer hold her tongue.
"Mrs. Cai, you... you have simply gone too far."
Song Yunzhao couldn't care less about the dark expressions on Mrs. Cai and her daughter. Having torn away their facade in front of so many people today, she had no intention of making peace.
She had been waiting for the First Madam to say just that. She grabbed the First Madam's arm and choked out through sobs, "First Aunt, I truly have no way to survive now. After the scene I've made today, I fear I won't live to see tomorrow. I still want to say goodbye to Father... First Aunt, please have pity on me, give me a place of refuge! After I see my father and thank him for the grace of raising me, I will smash my head to death in the Song family's ancestral hall to atone for today's sin of unfilial piety."
Mrs. Cai was so furious at Song Yunzhao's words that her hands started to tremble. "You wicked girl! I should have strangled you the moment I gave birth to you! That would have been better than having you disgrace us all today."
"First Aunt, did you hear that? Just because I'm not a son, she wishes I were dead! I really can't go on living..." Song Yunzhao cried as if her heart were being torn in two. Her body trembled, and before she could finish, her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed.
The First Madam gasped, nearly unable to catch her breath. "What are you all standing there for? Quickly, help the Third Young Miss up and bring her to my courtyard."
"Eldest Sister-in-law, what do you think you're doing?" How could Mrs. Cai possibly let the First Madam take Song Yunzhao away?
The First Madam didn't want to get involved either, but her Ye Xi's prospects were tied to the Uncle Mansion. She couldn't let Mrs. Cai and the Madam team up to suppress Ye Xi.
Now that Song Yunzhao had caused such a scene, she could keep the girl by her side, which would also serve to keep Mrs. Cai in check and force her to act more carefully. Otherwise, when the Third Young Master returned, it was hard to say how this account would be settled.
On a grander scale, this was an affair of an unloving mother and an unfilial daughter. The Song Family's reputation was utterly ruined, shattered so completely it could never be restored.
On a smaller scale, it was merely Mrs. Cai showing favoritism and wronging Yun Zhao. As long as things were smoothed over afterward, it wouldn't be a big deal. Close the gates, cover the pot, and who would know what was stewing inside? Once it was boiled to a mush, it would be impossible to tell what was what.
The First Madam was a clever woman and immediately found the most advantageous foothold for herself in this quagmire.
"Mrs. Cai, Yun Zhao is the Third Young Master's beloved daughter. Now that this has happened, if something were to befall her, how would I explain it to him when he arrives in the capital? When we came from Nanyu, I promised the Third Young Master I would take good care of Yun Zhao," the First Madam said without batting an eyelid. "Both you and your daughter are in a heated moment right now. I think it would be best to separate you for a while. Coincidentally, Yun Zhao has fallen ill, so she can recuperate at my residence. When the Third Young Master returns to the capital, he can handle this matter. I will absolutely not interfere. How does that sound?"
'It did not sound good at all!'
Mrs. Cai already detested her younger daughter. But the girl was so cunning she had managed to win her father's affection, to the point that even Qing Han had to take a step back in her own husband's presence. How could Mrs. Cai be content with that?
Now the First Madam was using her own husband to pressure her again. How could Mrs. Cai possibly be happy about that?
But the First Madam was not one to be easily swayed. Without even waiting for Mrs. Cai's reply, she immediately had a soft sedan chair brought over to take Yun Zhao to her own courtyard. She gave a special order, "Clear out the East Wing Room in my courtyard for the Third Young Miss to stay in. See if the doctor has arrived, and have him check her pulse first."
"Eldest Sister-in-law, this is inappropriate. Yun Zhao is my daughter..."
"She is your daughter, true, but she is also the Third Young Master's daughter," the First Madam retorted. "Mrs. Cai, the Third Young Master will be arriving in the capital soon. You must at least allow me to have a proper explanation for him."
Song Jinxuan's eyes shone so brightly they could have shot out sparks. 'Yes, make a scene! The bigger the better!'