Song Yexi shook her head.
“Of course, Song Qinghan isn’t going. She needs to prepare for the selection. After losing face this time, Cai Shi is sparing no expense to get her ready, determined to secure a spot in the palace to redeem her honor.”
Song Qinghan wasn’t going, yet Old Madam Cai invited her. Song Yunzhao couldn’t figure out when she had became favored by this grandmother. After all, the last time, this same Old Madam agreed with her daughter’s idea of confining her to a temple.
Song Yexi comforted Song Yunzhao, “You don’t need to be afraid. My mother is taking care of things for you. I’m just letting you know so you can prepare.”
Song Yunzhao smiled lightly, “I have no trust in my maternal family.”
Song Yexi knew this well. After all, back in Nanyu, their families lived next door to each other. Although Third Madam didn’t return to her maternal home every year, she did go back every few years. But each time, it was always Song Yunzhao and Song Jinxuan who were left behind.
Leaving Song Jinxuan behind was one thing, but Song Yunzhao was a legitimate daughter. Yet, she was never taken to visit relatives in the capital, nor did the Cai family send her any gifts.
Every time Song Qinghan returned from the capital, she boasted with big and small presents about having a good maternal family.
“Don’t be sad. They will regret it in the future,” Song Yexi said through gritted teeth.
Song Yunzhao couldn’t help but laugh. She found herself growing much fonder of Song Yexi, and their relationship was getting closer than before.
In the afternoon, before First Madam had returned home, another steward from the Cai family came, saying that the Old Madam missed her granddaughter and wanted to invite Song Yunzhao over for a small gathering.
Song Yunzhao was surprised by the Cai family’s audacity. Clearly, they intended to keep the First Madam busy at their place and then send someone to fetch her, fearing that the First Madam might interfere.
Since Cai Shi had already agreed not to meddle in Song Yunzhao’s affairs, she simply let the steward be sent directly to Song Yunzhao to annoy her.
Song Yunzhao, being straightforward, refused to go along with Cai Shi’s plan. Without even seeing the steward, she let Qian Cao go out and say that she was still recovering and couldn’t receive visitors.
The term “visitors” truly encapsulated the complicated and unspeakable relationship between her and the Cai family.
Cai Shi, upon hearing this, was so angry that she smashed a teacup. But this time, she really didn’t dare to do anything more, only considering this daughter as good as dead!
The steward from the Cai family didn’t expect the Third Young Lady to be so unyielding and had to leave empty-handed. As for what the Cai family thought afterward, Song Yunzhao couldn’t care less.
They were irrelevant people anyway, so they could think whatever they wanted.
That evening, Song Jinxuan came over to chat, her face full of schadenfreude, “You have no idea, Song Boyue is not only being confined but also has to copy texts as punishment. And, today, father took Boming out to meet guests.”
Song Yunzhao’s eyes sparkled, and she matched Song Jinxuan’s happy smile, “That’s indeed a good thing.”
“Isn’t it? Previously, with Madam watching over him, Boming never had such opportunities,” Song Jinxuan spoke with some discontent, but what could they do? A concubine’s son couldn’t be compared to the legitimate son.
However, now that Song Boyue had given up the opportunity himself, he couldn’t blame anyone else.
Song Yunzhao said, “Opportunities are rare; let Second Brother make the most of it.”
Song Jinxuan nodded, “Exactly. My mother was so happy that she sang little tunes all night. She even took out her private savings for Second Brother to use outside, worried that he’d be restricted or laughed at.”
Song Yunzhao frowned slightly upon hearing this, “Having too much money might not be a good thing; he could be led astray. The most important thing are his studies. I think it would be better to take this opportunity to ask Father to find a good teacher for him.”
“A good teacher is not so easy to find. My mother mentioned it to Father, but whether it will work out is uncertain,’ Song Jinxuan said, clasping her hands together. “I hope the Bodhisattva will open her eyes and let Bo Ming have a stroke of good luck.”
Song Yunzhao thought that praying to the Bodhisattva wouldn’t help with such matters. She pondered for a moment and then said softly, “Instead of wasting time here, it would be better to seek help from Aunt.”
Song Jinxuan was taken aback, “Aunt?”
Song Yunzhao said softly, “I heard that Aunt has hired a good teacher for Second Cousin. Why go to great lengths when we can see if we can arrange for Second Brother to join in with a little extra tuition?”
“Will that work?” Song Jinxuan didn’t have much confidence.
“Whether it works or not, it’s worth a try”, Song Yunzhao advised. “Aunt has always treated the concubine-born children kindly; she might have some sympathy for Second Brother.”
Song Jinxuan suddenly understood. Although the First Madam’s kindness to the concubine-born children was true, it was mainly to ensure they could be married off well in the future. Look at the names of the girls from the main house. If they could find a reliable marriage partner for a concubine-born girl, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.
What prospects did a concubine-born child have? The girls from any family were bound to be married off; it was just a matter of finding a good family.
The First Madam never did anything that harmed others without benefiting herself. Even if she arranged a marriage for a concubine-born child, she would carefully select the family.
Thinking about this, she felt a bit envious of those concubine-born cousins.
Moreover, Song Yunzhao made a good point. The First Uncle from the main house only had two sons—the eldest was legitimate, and the second was concubine-born. Although Aunt didn’t care for the concubine-born son as much as her own, she was very attentive, clearly intending for the concubine-born son to support the legitimate son in the future.
With this in mind, Song Jinxuan became very excited: “I’ll go and discuss this with my mother immediately and see if it can be done.”
Song Jinxuan hurried away, while Song Yunzhao felt that with Concubine Che’s intelligence, although it might be a bit challenging to accomplish, it wasn’t impossible.
For the next two days, Song Yunzhao didn’t see Song Jinxuan, knowing she was probably busy with Song Boming’s matters. However, Song Yexi had the time to visit frequently, as the First Madam had prepared plenty of clothes and jewelry for the two of them, many of which were newly customized from famous jewelry shops in the capital. Thus, the shopkeepers often visited to make minor adjustments, making it convenient for the two to be together.”
Xie Linlang received the news a bit late, so by the time she came to visit Song Yunzhao at the mansion, it was already the day before the selection.
Xie Linlang brought many things, including a small box of gold and silver ingots.
“These things will be convenient for you to reward people in the palace. My brother specifically inquired and found that this size is the most suitable”, Xie Linlang explained to Song Yunzhao in detail. “There is only one small box because the items you bring into the palace are limited, so you have to pick the most useful ones.”
Song Yunzhao actually knew this because it was mentioned in the book, but listening to Xie Linlang’s chatter made her heart feel warm, and she didn’t find it annoying at all.
“I originally wanted to make some nice clothes for you, but I heard that the First Madam is in charge of your clothes and jewelry, so I didn’t want to cause you any trouble.”
Song Yunzhao understood.
“My brother inquired with a retired steward from the palace about life there, but he didn’t find anything particularly useful. He just learned that His Majesty is diligent in state affairs and that there are many high-ranking concubines in the palace. You need to be careful.”
Diligent in state affairs means not fond of women?
Song Yunzhao almost couldn’t hold back her laughter. The emperor wasn’t not fond of women; he just didn’t want to be.
In the book, it was mentioned that His Majesty ascended the throne at a young age, and the daughters of noble and important families were stuffed into the palace right after he took the throne. Though our Emperor might have ascended to the throne by chance, he had high aspirations.
He was very proud and looked down on beauties forced upon him, finding each one scheming and annoying. He wished he could sweep them all out with a broom.
So in the book, after the female protagonist entered the palace, she had a few tough years because the emperor used her as a tool to clean up the harem.
The female protagonist got all the bad names, while the Emperor took all the benefits.
Later, the Emperor was finally moved by the protagonist’s true beauty and goodness, leading to a perfect happy ending.
Thinking of this, she shed a tear of sympathy for the female protagonist. What a top-tier scumbag she had met! But thinking about her own several innocent encounters with the protagonist, the sympathy for the protagonist quickly turned to self-pity.
No matter how pitiful the female protagonist was, the one who suffered was someone else. Pitying the protagonist made herself the one who suffered.
“What are you laughing at?” Xie Linlang didn’t see anything funny in what she had said.
Song Yunzhao immediately put away her smile and said seriously, “This is a smile of genuine gratitude. Don’t worry, I know what to do. Maybe we’ll be able to see each other again soon.”
Xie Linlang: …
She didn’t know whether to hope for another meeting with her or to wish she would soar to wealth and honor.
After discussing the main matters, Xie Linlang remembered her brother’s instructions and said to Song Yunzhao, “I haven’t told you the good news yet. Your storybook is very popular now, and the business at Yuquan Tower has improved as a result. The storybook you sent afterward is being studied by my Second Brother. Don’t worry, the remuneration won’t be small.”
Song Yunzhao was quite surprised and smiled at Xie Linlang, “I happened to visit Yuquan Tower that day and heard about the impressive feat of the second young master finding people to act out the story. I never expected it.”
“Oh, you already know? Isn’t the idea great? It was my suggestion to my second brother.”
“Your idea?”
“Yes, indeed. One day, I accidentally walked in on two of my father’s concubines arguing, making a big scene. It was quite lively. Watching them, I suddenly thought, your storybook is so good that if someone acted it out deliberately, many people would enjoy watching it like I did. So I came up with this idea. Unexpectedly, it worked so well that it delighted my second brother. He said for your next storybook, he wants to go to the theater to pick a few skilled actors to perform it. The effect will be even better.”
Song Yunzhao: …
She never expected this to be the real story. Linlang’s mind was indeed agile. Whether it was a lucky hit or pure luck, as long as the result was good, it didn’t matter. Be it a black cat or a white cat, catching mice made it a good cat.
“No wonder you brought me this box of gold and silver ingots. I’ll accept them with peace of mind.”
Xie Linlang laughed heartily; she liked Yunzhao’s straightforwardness.
After a moment of laughter, Song Yunzhao looked at Xie Linlang and asked, “Are you still coming to stay at the Song mansion?”
Xie Linlang hesitated, not knowing how to answer for a moment. After a while, she said, “I need to think about it. I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
“Have you changed your aspiration?” Song Yunzhao asked with a smile. If so, that would be good, as being a concubine was not the right path in the end.
“It’s not that. Our family’s business is slowly spreading in the capital, and my father and brother don’t want me to become a concubine. They want to wait and see.”
Song Yunzhao was stunned, suddenly recalling a line from the book. The Xie family faced many obstacles when they first arrived in the capital, and their business struggles were the root cause of Xie Linlang’s determination to marry into a high-ranking family.
Now, because of her storybooks, the Xie family’s business has seen a slight turnaround. With the Xie men being shrewd in business, they wouldn’t want their daughter to suffer if there was even a slight chance of success. Xie Linlang naturally never desired to be a concubine; who wouldn’t prefer to be a legitimate wife? Hence, her hesitation.
Song Yunzhao’s heart softened, and she said to Xie Linlang, “I’ll continue writing storybooks, don’t worry.”
So, there’s no need to keep thinking about selling yourself as a concubine to pave the way for your family.
Xie Linlang, hearing this, looked at Song Yunzhao in a daze, and suddenly lowered her head.
Song Yunzhao saw Xie Linlang’s shoulders trembling and sighed softly. She patted her gently and said in a soft voice, “Everything will get better.”
Xie Linlang took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes vigorously before raising her head to look at Song Yunzhao. “Yunzhao, I’m not afraid you’ll laugh at me. Our family may have money, but without someone to back us, it’s not necessarily a good thing. Otherwise, why would my brother work so hard at his studies? Our family spent a large sum of money paving the way for my brother to study. Before he passed the scholar examination, many people mocked us, calling us toads wanting to eat swan meat, saying that a family reeking of money wanted to produce a refined scholar—what a daydream.”
Song Yunzhao sighed lightly. The book mentioned this briefly, but never in such clear detail as Xie Linlang explained.
“I don’t believe in fate. I want to change it. As the daughter of a merchant, if I really entered a high-ranking family as a concubine, that would be my fortune. What dissatisfaction would I have? For my family, I am willing.”
Xie Linlang almost gritted her teeth saying this, and then she let out a sigh of relief, smiling at Yunzhao. “With our Yuquan Tower establishing itself in the capital, we can gradually build connections with noble families. Once we make connections, there won’t be anything to fear. Yunzhao, so we have to thank your storybooks.”
Now that their family had the unique storybooks, they naturally attracted noble people.
Song Yunzhao quickly waved her hand, “You shouldn’t say that, it’s just a timely coincidence.”
Xie Linlang didn’t care about Song Yunzhao’s modesty; she believed it was her, and she was her benefactor!
“Don’t be modest. If you achieve great things in the future, I’ll rise along with you, and who would I fear then?”
Song Yunzhao: …
Rise along? This one was really going all out.
So, it seemed the Xie family was counting on me!
The two girls looked at each other and burst out laughing simultaneously.
Long, long after, when Song Yunzhao and Xie Linlang recalled their conversation today, it felt like a lifetime ago. Who would have thought that all those casual remarks would actually come true?
Early the next morning, Song Yunzhao was urged to get up, wash, and dress. Today was the day for the selection. Half-awake, she got up, but the cold water on her face instantly woke her up.
Jiang Xiang’s face had improved a lot, with only a slight red mark remaining. She was already much better. Holding a set of clothes, she asked, “Miss, shall we wear this today?”
The light green gown embroidered with a broken branch pattern was simple yet had an elegant charm. Song Yunzhao’s face was too striking, so wearing such clothes would tone down her overly sharp beauty.
“This will do.”
Qian Cao opened the makeup box and selected hairpins, picking out a pair of silver hairpins with auspicious cloud patterns, and another pair of hairpins with ruyi patterns inlaid with rubies. The rubies were small and not very conspicuous. The silver hairpins were too plain, but with the rubies, they looked acceptable.
Jiang Xiang picked up the comb and carefully combed the lady’s hair. Her long, black, and smooth hair was obedient and smooth in Jiang Xiang’s hands. Since she was not yet married, she couldn’t have her hair fully up, so the back was braided and left to hang down her back.
After dressing up and looking in the mirror, Song Yunzhao was quite satisfied. Low profile, aiming to quietly make it to the finals and get a bestowed marriage would be perfect.
Song Yunzhao led the maids to the main hall in the front courtyard. Not too early, not too late, she met Song Yexi at the door, followed closely by Song Jinxuan. Behind them were Song Lirong, Song Hongiiao, and Song Yunmei from the main house. They all greeted each other and then entered the hall, chatting and laughing.
The large flower hall was clean and tidy, with a few pots of fresh flowers on the windowsill, and a faint fragrance wafting through the room.
Today, Song Yexi dressed quite modestly. She looked at Yunzhao, who was similarly dressed, and they exchanged smiles.
Song Jinxuan, watching the two of them, slowly said, “Sister Yexi, Third Sister, you must be careful in this selection. I’ll be waiting for your good news back at the mansion.”
“Thank you, for your kind words”, Song Yexi replied cheerfully. She knew that with Song Yunzhao around, she was just a foil, but her mother was right; it was good to gain some experience. If she made it to the end and then was not selected, it would still raise her value when discussing marriage proposals in the future.
Seeing the look on Song Yexi’s face, Song Yunzhao thought to herself that her previous intuition was correct. The First Madam was indeed prepared for Song Yexi to not be selected.
There were gains and losses, ups and downs. First Madam was indeed an extraordinary woman.
On the other hand, someone like Cai Shi would never act this way.
Soon, Cai Shi arrived with Song Qinghan. Song Yunzhao, along with everyone else, stood up to greet them. Once Cai Shi took her seat, Song Yunzhao promptly sat down.
Cai Shi glanced at Song Yunzhao, biting her lip but ignoring her, instead talking very kindly to Song Yexi.
Song Jinxuan had never been liked by Cai Shi, so she didn’t mind, but Song Qinghan’s eyes fell on Song Yunzhao. After a few days without seeing her, she felt that her younger sister had become even more beautiful.
Sometimes, Song Qinghan felt it was unfair. They were both their parents’ daughters, so why was Song Yunzhao so much more beautiful? If she had Song Yunzhao’s looks, would she be worried about the selection?
Song Yunzhao felt Song Qinghan’s gaze on her but didn’t look back. The more attention you gave such people, the more excited they became. Today was a good day to go out for the selection, and she didn’t want to bring bad luck.
The First Madam arrived last, smiling as she entered, “There was a sudden issue with the carriages, so I was delayed.”
Facing the First Madam’s almost blindingly bright smile, Cai Shi’s expression nearly faltered, “Sister-in-law is quite busy these days. It’s fine to be a bit late as long as it doesn’t delay the children going out.”
First Madam, upon hearing Cai Shi’s words, smiled even more calmly. “Third Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Even if someone does something thoughtless, I can handle it.”
After saying this, First Madam ignored Cai Shi and turned to look at Song Qinghan, Song Yexi, and Song Yunzhao. “You are daughters of the Song family. No matter what disagreements you have at home, once you leave this house, you are a family with the same ancestors and surname. I hope you support each other. Regardless of the selection results, your family will be here waiting for you.”
Song Qinghan, the eldest among the sisters, smiled and said, “Aunt, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of my two younger sisters.”
First Madam smiled, “With those words, I am at ease.”
Song Yexi sneered inwardly. She wouldn’t dare entrust herself to Song Qinghan; she would be skinned and sold by her.
“Mother, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Sister Yunzhao”, Song Yexi said with a smile, pulling her forward.
Song Yunzhao also smiled obediently, “Aunt, I won’t cause any trouble for the family.”
The First Madam nodded in satisfaction and glanced at Cai Shi, “Third Sister-in-law, do you have anything else to say? If not, let the children go, so they won’t miss the time.”
Cai Shi wanted to give Song Qinghan some private instructions, but with First Madam there, she couldn’t do so. She just said perfunctorily, “Our family is not considered high-ranking nobility in the capital. You sisters must be careful and act cautiously outside.”
Song Yunzhao lowered her head to avoid looking at Cai Shi’s hypocritical face and heard Song Qinghan respond, “Mother, don’t worry, I’ll be careful with my two sisters.”
First Madam then said, “Let’s go.”
This time, First Madam personally escorted them to Jincui Garden.
Jincui Garden was the selection site, and to be honest, Song Yunzhao was quite excited.
When she read the book, she felt that although the female protagonist was a bit indescribable, the scenery in the book was truly beautiful. Especially since Jincui Garden was the high-end selection place where incidents frequently occurred, it was the best place to enjoy the scenery and watch the drama unfold.
To not wear it once or walk through it once would be a disservice to the author’s rich and exquisite praise.
Jincui Garden belonged to the royal palace but was independent of it. It was essentially the emperor’s private garden next to the royal palace. Holding an elegant event like the selection there allowed one to enjoy both the scenery and the beauty, which was truly pleasing to the heart.
The Song residence was somewhat far from Jincui Garden. It took half an hour by carriage to get there, but the straight and smooth roads of the imperial city made for a comfortable ride.
Song Yunzhao got off the carriage with Jiang Xiang’s help. The maid was very worried, “Miss, once you get here, you’ll have to go in alone. We can’t serve you inside, so you must be very careful.”
“Don’t worry”, Song Yunzhao reassured her. She wasn’t really a pampered lady who had never been out. In her previous life, although she couldn’t say she traveled around the world, she had been to many places.
Seeing the carefree demeanor of the young lady, Jiang Xiang became even more worried instead of reassured.
Song Yunzhao, oblivious to her loyal maid’s concerns, quickly walked over to the First Madam after getting off the carriage. “Aunt.”
First Madam was slightly frowning at this moment, as the line of carriages in front of theirs seemed to stretch endlessly.
Who would have thought that even here, there would be a chance to experience a traffic jam?
Song Yunzhao found it quite amusing.
At that moment, Song Qinghan and Song Yexi also came over. Song Yexi, looking surprised, whispered to Yunzhao, “There are too many carriages, aren’t there?”
She hadn’t been nervous before, but at this moment, Song Yexi suddenly felt very nervous.
