TSNCWEM Chapter 86

First Madam considered many things, but she had never expected Third Master to be so ambitious.

She smiled suddenly. “If I had known you were so determined, I wouldn’t have worried so much.”

Third Master felt somewhat embarrassed—his own wife hadn’t interceded for him, yet his sister-in-law had been concerned on his behalf.

“Sister-in-law, please tell Yunzhao tomorrow—tell her to take care of herself in the palace. She shouldn’t worry about the family.”

“I will relay your message,” First Madam promised.

Then, recalling the matter from earlier, she hesitated but ultimately decided to inform him.

Upon hearing the name Wuxin Marquis, Third Master furrowed his brows.

“I will investigate this matter.”

“With you handling it, I’ll feel more at ease,” First Madam said.

She elaborated, “Our family has never interacted with marquis households. If a marriage proposal is involved, what would they want from us? We have nothing to offer—except Jieyu in the palace. They must be trying to leverage her status.”

She left the thought hanging, then took her leave.

Once First Madam had gone, Third Master’s expression darkened.

He summoned his steward and instructed:

“Investigate what is happening between my wife and the Marquis of Wuxin’s household.”

“Yes, Master.”

Third Master knew his wife was frustrated over Qinghan’s marriage prospects, but he could not allow her to use Yunzhao’s status for leverage.

The Next Day—Inside the Palace

After First Madam entered the palace, Song Yunzhao finally learned about the family affairs.

For a moment—she was stunned.

The Marquis of Wuxin?

She had no impression of that household.

Did these people exist in the novel?

She couldn’t recall—which meant they were either insignificant or never mentioned at all.

“Concubine Che said Countess Dingnan arranged the match?”

Song Yunzhao looked at First Madam.

First Madam nodded, fearing Yunzhao might not grasp the weight of the matter.

She carefully explained, “The Marquis of Wuxin does not have a strong reputation in the capital. His household has no promising heirs. Even the marquis himself holds only an idle post. Though they carry the title, their status is purely decorative. That is why this marriage arrangement seems ill-advised.”

Song Yunzhao, upon hearing First Madam’s explanation, grew curious.

“If that’s the case, then why did my mother and Song Qinghan agree to this marriage?”

First Madam sighed. 

“You know Qinghan’s reputation suffered after being expelled from the palace. Her marriage prospects became difficult. However, Third Sister-in-law didn’t want her daughter to settle for less. Qinghan is proud and unwilling to marry beneath her—so finding a match has been challenging. At the very least, the Marquis of Wuxin holds a noble title, making the match appear prestigious on the surface.”

Song Yunzhao immediately understood.

Song Qinghan was vain—even knowing this marriage was insubstantial, she would still desire the illusion of status.

To have the title of a marquis’ wife—even if her husband was merely an insignificant younger son.

Tch.

“If that’s the case, then let her marry,” Song Yunzhao said with a smile.

First Madam, hesitated, then added, “My concern is that the Marquis of Wuxin’s family agreed to this simply because they wish to latch onto Jieyu’s influence. Meanwhile, Jieyu remains unaware that the Cai family is using her name.”

Song Yunzhao was shocked.

“The Cai family is using my name?”

“Yes, I only discovered this recently. I haven’t yet told Third Master, and now that he’s leaving the capital, this matter will have to wait for his return. However, you should know about it, so you can be prepared.”

“What exactly has the Cai family done under my name? I have no contact with them,” Song Yunzhao asked.

“But they are your maternal family. And outsiders do not know that you have no real connection with them. The Cai family certainly won’t clarify it.”

Song Yunzhao laughed coldly.

“The Cai family is delusional—do they think my name is theirs to borrow? Madam, what have they done?”

“Nothing outrageous—for now. But people now recognize them as the family of Song Jieyu, and many have drawn closer, strengthening their ties with them. While it’s not a flood of visitors, their household has certainly grown livelier than before.”

Song Yunzhao: …

Got it. Spend money first, then ask for favors.

The Cai family doesn’t even know what they’re supposed to do, yet they already dared to take money.

Infuriating!

Seeing Song Yunzhao’s dark expression, First Madam quickly spoke to reassure her.

“They wouldn’t dare to cause a major scandal right now. I’ll help keep an eye on them.”

But Song Yunzhao shook her head—she wasn’t convinced.

“Madam, when did the Marquis of Wuxin begin discussing marriage with our family?”

“I don’t know when Third Sister-in-law started interacting with them. And Countess Dingnan is involved—you know I have no connection to that side. So I can’t say for certain. But Concubine Che only uncovered this about five or six days ago. It likely hasn’t been long—if it had been planned earlier, Third Sister-in-law wouldn’t have kept it secret.”

Five or six days?

Thinking carefully—wasn’t that the exact timeframe of the flood disaster?

Song Yunzhao’s expression grew tense.

The three consorts had no direct way to target her—could they be using her family instead?

And who in the Song family was most desperate for help right now?

Song Qinghan and her mother.

Her marriage was Third Madam Song’s greatest concern.

What if someone suddenly presented a respectable match for Song Qinghan at this moment?

Song Yunzhao inhaled deeply.

If her guess was correct, she couldn’t afford to ignore it.

She shared her suspicions, and First Madam’s face immediately darkened.

“If that’s the case, this becomes even more difficult.”

The timing was terrible.

Third Master was leaving the capital with the Minister of Judicial Review.

The first branch had already separated from Third Master’s household.

Without Third Master here, First Madam had no authority to interfere in his family’s matters, especially in Song Qinghan’s marriage.

They had both reached the same conclusion.

First Madam hesitated, studying Song Yunzhao.

“So, Jieyu—what do you plan to do?”

Song Yunzhao rubbed her forehead, frustration clear in her voice.

“Madam, I need time to think this through.”

She wanted to cut ties with Third Madam Song, but clearly, that was impossible.

Previously, Third Madam Song might have held back, but now, having secured the Marquis of Wuxin marriage, she likely felt emboldened to oppose her.

If Song Yunzhao acted rashly, doing anything that could be twisted into disloyalty, wouldn’t she just be handing leverage to the three consorts?

It was as if a toad was jumping onto her face—it didn’t bite, but was disgusting nonetheless.

First Madam observed her carefully, then relayed Third Master’s message, adding her own reassurance.

“Do not mention this to your father. If he heads south while still worrying about you, he might lose focus on his mission—and that would be a real disaster.”

Song Yunzhao nodded, her tone firm.

“Madam is right.”

“You can rest assured—I will keep an eye on things for you. If Song Qinghan truly does something harmful, I won’t let it slide.”

First Madam’s gaze turned serious as she continued.

“If those two women choose to completely disregard you, then I will not allow them to act recklessly.”

Due to her position, Song Yunzhao was limited in action—if things escalated, First Madam would step in to suppress Third Madam Song and Song Qinghan.

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