TSNCWEM Chapter 39.2

Song Qinghan and Song Boyue were both stunned, not expecting Song Yunzhao to agree so readily. They were overjoyed, but then heard her continue.

“Although mother has favored my elder sister and brother for more than ten years, although mother has always disliked me, oppressed me, and even withheld my rightful share, making my life as the legitimate daughter less comfortable than the second sister’s. Although my elder sister and brother knew of my mother’s favoritism and turned a blind eye, I am a good child.” At this point, Song Yunzhao, with tears and a runny nose, looked at her father, “Father, I beg you not to divorce mother. Otherwise, if you do, I fear that elder sister and brother will resent me for a lifetime.”

Third Master Song’s forehead twitched at his daughter’s words. Song Qinghan was his daughter, so as a father, he couldn’t hit her, but he kicked his son, “You are truly my good son. Did those sage books you read disappear into a dog’s stomach? You can’t tell right from wrong, confusing black and white. You unfilial son, get out of my sight!”

“Father!”

“Master!”

Song Qinghan helped Song Boyue up, crying out in a shrill voice. She never expected her father to hit her brother for Yunzhao’s sake!

Cai Shi treated her son as her lifeline. Seeing her son get hit, she went mad and lunged forward.

“Master, be careful!”

Song Yunzhao watched wide-eyed as Concubine Che, despite her age, ran faster than a rabbit, flying forward to shield her father. Cai Shi ended up crashing into Concubine Che.

Song Yunzhao couldn’t just stand by and let her Father get hurt. Her reaction was no slower than Concubine Che’s, and if she didn’t act now, when would she?

She immediately stretched her arms to brace her Father’s back, mustering all her strength, and shouted, “Father, your daughter is here to save you!”

However, Song Yunzhao had neither unparalleled martial arts skills nor innate strength. Although she wasn’t favored, she was still a well-cared-for legitimate daughter of an official’s family. She really used all her strength, but she couldn’t withstand Cai Shi’s desperate and irrational force. 

With the momentum, Song Yunzhao was forcefully pushed to the ground!

Song Yunzhao’s vision went black. Before fainting, she sighed: Ah, what a tragic fate.

She wasn’t pretending; she really was knocked out.

After all, Cai Shi, Concubine Che, and Third Master Song were like a skewer of candied haws. Her frail little body really couldn’t withstand it.

Song Yunzhao blacked out, leaving everything behind, while the Song family was thrown into chaos.

This was the perfect timing for the First Madam to arrive, holding evidence of Song Qinghan’s poisoning plot in one hand and immediately taking over the West Court’s authority amidst the chaos. She arranged for a doctor, intervened in the situation, scolded Song Qinghan for her lack of sisterly love, reprimanded Song Boyue for his poor handling that led to disputes, praised Concubine Che for her loyal protection of her Master despite the danger, and finally comforted Third Master Song. She emphasized that matters of the inner court couldn’t be clearly judged by logic alone. A family is like bones joined by tendons, and the inner court’s issues couldn’t be solved solely by reasoning.

Lastly, the First Madam greatly praised Song Yunzhao’s self-sacrificing act of saving her father, almost turning her into a model of filial piety for the Song family’s ancestral hall.

After Song Yunzhao woke up and heard from Luo Momo, she could only shout in admiration for the First Madam’s excellence.

But alas, she fainted!

How could she have fainted?

To miss witnessing the First Madam’s glorious moment, to not see Song Qinghan look like a defeated dog, to not witness Song Boyue’s humiliation and Cai Shi’s furious suppression by Concubine Che, was truly regrettable.

How could she have fainted?

Even as a minor supporting character, she couldn’t fully enjoy the show?

And to be locked in a small dark room, that was just too much!

Luo Momo looked at the Third Young Lady with affection, adjusted the cushion behind her to make her more comfortable, and said, “Madam previously refused to hand over your matters entirely to the Master, but this time, First Madam caught the Eldest Young Lady bribing someone in the kitchen to poison you, hoping you would get a rash and miss the selection. To protect her, Madam used this as a bargaining chip to make a deal with the master. Young lady, you have endured and finally came out on top.”

Luo Momo was overjoyed to the point of tears, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. Seeing the Young Lady’s puzzled expression, she couldn’t help but laugh. 

Song Yunzhao felt that after all these years of living in the storybook, she had finally reached the day when a pie fell from the sky and hit her head. Dazed, she wondered, did it… really work out?

It felt like a dream.

“Luo Momo, are you sure Madam can no longer control me?” Song Yunzhao asked again, this was like a divine assist, the First Madam was amazing.

“Yes, you can rest assured from now on.”

Song Yunzhao felt her heart race as if she were bungee jumping from a high mountain. For so many years, the constraint of filial piety had weighed her down to the point where even breathing felt like a luxury.

Although she could borrow her Father’s power, it was ultimately limited. She had been enduring with great difficulty.

Suddenly, the situation opened up, and she couldn’t quite believe it.

Instinctively, Song Yunzhao touched her heart, feeling a newfound lightness, as if some shackle had been broken, cleansing her inside and out.

 

“So from now on, I’ll be under Father’s care?” Song Yunzhao asked Luo Momo with a joyful expression.

“The Master will be looking after you, but as an official, he has to attend to matters at the yamen during the day. Moreover, there are many trivial matters in the inner household that a man can’t handle personally, so he has entrusted the First Madam to oversee your care.”

 

Song Yunzhao was initially stunned upon hearing this, and then felt a slight twinge of bitterness in her heart.

Luo Momo looked at the Young Lady and gently patted her hand, lowering her voice, “Young Lady, after you risked your life to save Master, First Madam publicly praised your filial piety and righteousness to clear your name, Madam can no longer use filial duty to suppress you. So rest assured.”

Song Yunzhao hadn’t thought that far ahead at the time, after all, she couldn’t predict that First Madam would be so supportive, but the outcome gave her double the surprise.

“Moreover, the First Madam has her reasons for favoring you. This old servant believes that the First Madam has surely placed her hopes on you for the selection, hoping you can rise high and support the main family in the future.”

Song Yunzhao: …

Well, that might disappoint Aunt. 

Entering the palace to become a concubine and competing with countless beauties for one man’s attention was not something she would do, even if she had ten pounds of water in her brain.

Only then, she would fail to meet Aunt’s kind intentions. She needed to find opportunities to repay her in the future.

Song Yunzhao suppressed the guilt in her heart and looked at Luo Momo: “Since the exchange has been made, will Song Qinghan still participate in the selection?”

Luo Momo  nodded, “Madam has truly gone all out for the Eldest Young Lady.”

Song Yunzhao lowered her eyes slightly. It seemed that some of the plot points in the book could not be changed. The path that cannon fodder with rankings had to walk was still unavoidable.

As for someone like her, who didn’t even make it into the rankings, she recalled the feeling of breaking free from her shackles earlier and had a new guess in her heart.

Completely escaping Cai Shi’s control, did this mean she has broken free from the original plot’s trajectory?

To verify it wasn’t difficult, just a chance encounter with the female protagonist would do.

Such eager anticipation.

Unfortunately, now she was a bedridden patient who couldn’t leave.

Knowing that Yunzhao had awakened, the first to visit was Third Master. Seeing his daughter’s red eyes, he was almost choked with emotion and couldn’t speak. 

Song Yunzhao: …

She never knew her Father had such deep emotions!

Next came the First Madam with a beaming smile, looking at Yunzhao as if she were a glittering God of Wealth.

Song Yunzhao felt a bit guilty, thinking to herself, ‘I truly cannot do it.’

Next came Song Jinxuan and Song Yexi.

The first thing Song Yexi said when she saw Song Yunzhao was, “Sister Zhao, from now on, you’re my real sister. Don’t worry.”

Song Yunzhao kept smiling.

Song Jinxuan’s eyes were red, and she held Song Yunzhao’s hand tightly, “You scared me to death. Thankfully you’re okay, otherwise I wouldn’t have made it through this lifetime.”

Song Yunzhao was full of questions. Was it that serious? Did something happen that she didn’t know about?

Seeing her puzzled expression, Song Jinxuan burst out laughing.

Crying and laughing at the same time, women truly had changeable faces.

Song Yexi watched from the side and then said to Yunzhao, “Concubine Che made great contributions this time, but it caused you to get hurt, so…” 

Song Yunzhao immediately understood. If she had been fine and healthy, Concubine Che’s merit would be indisputable. But if something had happened to her, Concubine Che’s merit could turn into a fault.

After all, if Concubine Che hadn’t rushed forward, Yunzhao might not have ended up as their cushion.

Tsk!

If she had really been killed on the spot, Cai Shi might have used her daughter’s death as an excuse to cause a scene and then dealt with Concubine Che in the process.

After sending Song Yexi and Song Jinxuan away, the sky had already turned dark. She let out a long sigh of relief. It had been an exciting and thrilling day, and she needed a good dream to recuperate.

For several days, the First Madam had shown great care for Song Yunzhao, arranging everything perfectly, allowing her to truly enjoy the super treatment of a legitimate daughter. It was indeed comfortable.

Song Yexi was sitting in the room embroidering a sachet, chatting with Song Yunzhao while threading the needle.

“My mother said that the selection will be in three days. I heard that many families from the surrounding prefectures and counties are sending their daughters, so there won’t be a shortage of people.”

Song Yunzhao had recovered, but First Madam, fearing another accident, had her stay in the courtyard for three more days before letting her go out for a stroll. 

At this moment, upon hearing Song Yexi’s words, Song Yunzhao felt a moment of confusion. She didn’t remember the book mentioning that surrounding prefectures and counties would participate in the selection.

Had she been in the book for so long that she had forgotten some details?

Just as she was thinking this, she heard Song Yexi continue, “This time, many people in the West Courtyard have been dealt with, and even a little maid in your courtyard was sent away. My mother asked me to ask you if you want some more servants. This time, you can choose them yourself.”

What?

Sent away?

Song Yunzhao felt a sharp pain in her heart. That was the spy she had deliberately kept from Cai Shi and her daughter, just to catch them in the act.

Noticing Song Yunzhao’s troubled expression, Song Yexi put down her needlework and said with concern, “Don’t be sad, it’s just a little maid.”

Song Yunzhao squeezed out a smile, “Thank Aunt for thinking of everything for me.”

“What’s there to thank?” Song Yexi dismissed it lightly, then dropped another bombshell, “Today, my mother received an invitation from the Old Madam of the Cai family, inviting her to a banquet tomorrow.”

Old Madam Cai?

Song Yunzhao shivered and turned to look at Song Yexi. 

Song Yexi met her questioning gaze and nodded, “The Old Madam of the Cai family had originally invited you too, but my mother refused. What do you think the reason is for inviting you now?”

Song Yunzhao asked the crucial question, “Is Song Qinghan going?”

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TL’s note: The selection is coming~