The New Year was just around the corner.
He Wan had bought many bolts of silk to prepare for the wedding. She picked out a few and pieced them together, making two sets of red new clothes for Song Chuzhao, hoping for good fortune.
She had originally wanted to make two sets for the other children in the Song family as well, to avoid being accused of being stingy. But when she went to ask someone about it, she received a sarcastic and unpleasant barrage from Old Madam Song, and she lost all interest.
She wasn’t going to go out of her way to offer money and then be rejected. He Wan simply didn’t bother anymore.
On New Year’s Day, He Wan woke up early. After going next door to urge Song Chuzhao to get up, she went to the kitchen to give instructions to the servants. She told them how to prepare the day’s meals and to keep an eye on the snacks for the guests in the front hall.
Song Chuzhao changed into her new clothes and accompanied He Wan in receiving guests in the main hall.
Many people came to the Song Mansion today.
Since Song Guangyuan rarely stayed in the capital for the New Year, those in the court who were close to Master He and Duke Gu had sent gifts. The Song siblings also brought their younger generations to pay their respects.
The Song family had originally planned to stay for dinner, hoping to cultivate a relationship with Song Guangyuan and open up opportunities. But when they arrived at the Song Mansion, He Wan informed them that Song Guangyuan might not be home today. They stayed for a while and then left dejectedly.
That’s right, Song Guangyuan had taken Song Shiwen out to gain experience.
On New Year’s Eve, the court would set up stalls outside the city to distribute snacks and hot soup to those in need. Song Guangyuan volunteered for the task, taking Second Miss Song out to do practical work and enrich their lives. This was also a good way to prevent Second Miss Song from being influenced by Old Madam Song again, lest her previous efforts be undone.
As for whether he could make it back for dinner, he didn’t say.
Although He Wan had put in a lot of effort, Song Chuzhao wasn’t actually interested in this dinner with the Song family. The thought of sharing a table with Old Madam Song and Third Master Song’s family made her feel no warmth at all.
He Wan promised her that after dinner at the Song family’s, they would go to the He Mansion for a late-night snack. Song Chuzhao looked forward to what her grandfather would prepare for her.
…She wanted to eat barbecue. Her grandfather must have understood her hint.
The He Mansion was indeed bustling with activity.
Because the He Mansion was small, Master He usually didn’t like to make a fuss during the holidays. He would just invite Fu Changjun over for a meal and consider it a festive occasion, which seemed rather lonely.
Madam Gu thought that since the two families were about to be related by marriage, they might as well celebrate the New Year together. After all, the two families were already familiar with each other and had deep ties, so there was no need to feel awkward. She went to ask Master He’s opinion, and he was very happy. So she simply brought all the servants and younger generations from the mansion to the He Mansion.
With Madam Gu around, there were indeed many ideas.
As evening approached, just as the He family was about to start their meal, Madam Gu encouraged Gu Fengjian to go to the Song Mansion to pick them up.
“Eat what? You can eat when you get back.” Madam Gu said, “Go now, and by the time you get there, they should be about to start their meal. Just stand by and wait. He Wan will surely not bear to make you wait long. She will come with you after taking a couple of bites out of courtesy. You are a Gu, and you are a younger generation. Old Madam Song wouldn’t dare to make things difficult for you. Isn’t that great?”
Master He nodded repeatedly, “I think it’s great!” He was happy. This Fifth Son Gu, besides climbing walls, finally had some other use.
Gu Fengjian smiled helplessly, but he also thought…it made a lot of sense. So he ordered someone to prepare the carriage and set off to pick them up.
When Gu Fengjian arrived, Song Chuzhao was actually already eating.
Old Madam Song had lost a lot of weight recently. She had a lot of anger bottled up inside and had no place to vent it, so she still had a stern face at the dinner table. Third Master Song took good care of her, which made her face soften slightly.
Third Master Song was good with words and could smooth things over. Song Guangyuan’s eldest son was also a person who knew how to read the situation. The family seemed to be enjoying themselves, except for He Wan and her daughter, who were out of place.
Song Chuzhao heard the news of Gu Fengjian’s visit and stood up as if she had been saved. She ran out to greet him, completely ignoring the displeased clicking of her tongue from Old Madam Song behind her.
She hurried towards the gate and bumped into Fifth Son Gu on the way. She dismissed the gatekeeper who was leading the way and personally led Gu Fengjian inside.
Gu Fengjian asked, “Did I come too early?”
“You came at the right time! You have no idea how tasteless this meal is. My mother and I are sitting here, unable to say a word. Mother has been busy all day, giving them all the respect they deserve, but they haven’t said a single good word to her. I’m so angry on her behalf.” Song Chuzhao asked, “What about the He Mansion? How is it now?”
Gu Fengjian smiled and said, “It’s brightly decorated and bustling with activity. You’ll be happy when you get there.”
Song Chuzhao laughed merrily, pulling Gu Fengjian along as she quickened her pace towards the backyard.
The two reached the entrance of the dining hall, but before they could enter, they heard Old Madam Song’s voice, laced with displeasure, coming from inside.
Song Chuzhao paused, listening intently. The other party was saying, “Third Girl’s wedding, I won’t meddle in other matters. But why are you avoiding my Song family in everything? Are you afraid we’ll harm you?”
He Wan remained silent.carpreads.pages.dev
“Why didn’t you listen to your Third Sister-in-law about the seating arrangement at the wedding banquet? Is it because my Song family is not worthy of sitting at the head table?”
“And that dowry, such a long list of gifts, you only care about your own daughter. Have you ever thought about Second Girl? You’ve ruined her, she can’t even return home for the New Year. Don’t you feel even a little bit guilty?”
He Wan put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.
“The dowry was provided by my He family. General Song also agreed.”
“I don’t know what tricks you used to bewitch the eldest child!”
Song Chuzhao was furious, but Gu Fengjian stopped her.
Third Madam Song said, “Mother, let’s eat first.”
“I can’t eat!” Old Madam Song slammed her chopsticks down, seeing He Wan’s lack of response. “I don’t know who she’s thinking about! If she’s so distracted, why not just leave? Eating with her is enough to make me die of anger!”
Third Madam Song said, “It’s the New Year, why make things so unpleasant?”
“Isn’t it because of her?” Old Madam Song said, “Your eldest brother is not here, so she acts like this. Who is she putting on this face for? She has no respect for her elders!
Third Master Song said, “The food will get cold. Mother, eat.”
Old Madam Song pounded the table and said, “This Third Son, he’s your own relative. Your He Mansion is unreasonable in its actions, deliberately making things difficult for him before. Now that the eldest and you have both returned, you don’t even go and explain to Master He why? You need to understand who is truly your family. Are you going to rely on the He Mansion in the future?”
He Wan said calmly, “Since I bear the He surname, why can’t I?”
Old Madam Song said, “How many people are left in your He family? Don’t tell me you have some dirty thoughts!”
Song Chuzhao kicked the door open and stormed in, shouting, “My mother has tolerated you time and again, don’t push your luck!”
The door slammed shut with a loud bang, startling everyone in the hall, causing them to tremble.
Old Madam Song glared at her, momentarily stunned by her fierce demeanor, but quickly regained her composure. Feeling displeased with Song Chuzhao, she reprimanded, “Is this how you speak to your elders?”
“Those disrespectful elders don’t deserve respect,” Song Chuzhao retorted without hesitation. “You can go and tell my father what you just said. Don’t take advantage of my absence and my father’s absence to bully my mother just because she’s easygoing!”
Old Madam Song pointed angrily, “You’re being utterly insolent!”
“Mother!” Third Master Song grabbed her sleeve, frowning and gesturing, “Fifth Son Gu is also here, don’t make a spectacle of yourself.”
Old Madam Song, naturally concerned about appearances, could only reluctantly sit down upon hearing this.
Old Madam Song said, “Forget it. Let’s not talk about these depressing things. Since Fifth Son Gu is here, why not join us for a bite. This table of dishes took quite a bit of effort to prepare.”
Seeing her act as if nothing had happened, Song Chuzhao felt a surge of anger and couldn’t bring herself to eat.
Gu Fengjian glanced at Song Chuzhao, stepped forward, and bowed to everyone, “Gu-mou is unappreciative, I apologize to everyone.”
Before anyone could understand what Gu Fengjian meant, they saw him grab the festive red cloth covering the table and yank it upwards.
A series of “whoosh” sounds. The delicious dishes, soups, and stews spilled all over the floor. Porcelain plates flew across the room. In an instant, the entire table of food was ruined.
Even though Third Master Song dodged quickly, he was still splashed with the soup. Everyone present was in a state of disarray, all shocked.
He Wan also gasped at the sudden change, but quickly calmed down, as if nothing had happened. She slowly stood up and retreated to Song Chuzhao’s side.
Big Brother Song was the first to lose his composure. He jumped up and said, “What do you mean, you little brat from the Gu family!”
“How many people at this table are truly happy? If that’s the case, even the most delicious food is just like a bone stuck in your throat. It’s better to break it and speak plainly. It’s better than continuing to pretend.” Gu Fengjian said, “Madam Song, what do you think?”
He Wan lowered her head and straightened her soiled clothes.
Gu Fengjian stretched out his hand behind him and said, “Zhaozhao, come here.”
Song Chuzhao finally came to her senses and looked at Gu Fengjian, her eyes nearly turning red. She had never thought that Gu Fengjian’s figure could be so imposing.
He Wan wiped the soup off her skirt, raised her face, and her black pupils were like a cold abyss, filled with a chilling aura as she swept her gaze across the Song family members.
Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion: “I intended to tell you all this later. After Zhaozhao’s marriage, I will divorce General Song.”
If Old Madam Song’s previous expression was shock and anger, after hearing her words, it was terror.
In her mind, how could a woman divorce her husband? Losing her reputation was worse than death. It was precisely because of this that she dared to bully He Wan so much.
She also knew that the Song family currently relied heavily on the He Mansion. She dared not imagine what would happen to the Song family if they offended the He family.
Did He Wan not care about her reputation?
Old Madam Song trembled and said, “How dare you!”
“Dare or not, I’ve decided to do it. General Song also knows about this and agrees.” He Wan said, “I wanted to end things amicably with you all, as a way of repaying General Song for our years of marriage. Since you all don’t care, then so be it. I, He Wan, am not someone who is cheap. My father has made great contributions to the country, even the Emperor respects him greatly. I can go anywhere and be treated with respect. I won’t endure such humiliation from you all.”
Old Madam Song was almost going mad. She lost her composure and roared, “You… you can’t do this! How could the eldest son agree to such a thing? Even if he agrees, I won’t agree! Unless you take my old life!”
He Wan ignored her outburst, turned around, took Song Chuzhao’s hand and said, “Let’s go.”
Song Chuzhao was moved and called out, “Mother!”
He Wan said, “You shouldn’t have been made to suffer this injustice with me. I imagine you’ve been feeling stifled for a long time, haven’t you?”
Song Chuzhao shook her head and hugged her tightly.
He Wan patted her shoulder, offering comfort, and then gestured for her to leave with her, not to linger any longer.
Seeing this, Old Madam Song rushed out, wanting to stop them. Song Guangyuan suddenly appeared at the door and reached out to block Old Madam Song. The two collided, and Song Guangyuan quickly stabilized her, then let go of her hand.
Song Chuzhao recognized the person and called out, “Father, you’re back?”
The people on the other side also called out urgently:
“Big Brother, you’re back!”
“Father! I was just about to go find you!”
Song Guangyuan was still wearing a gray linen robe, clearly he had only come back to check on things. He listened to everyone calling out to him, his expression turning serious.
Old Madam Song pulled on him, her expression agitated as she described the scene to him, urging him to stop He Wan and give her a lesson.
Song Guangyuan felt annoyed. He walked past everyone and saw the scene inside the room, immediately understanding what had happened.
He felt helpless, but also that it was reasonable, and even a sense of relief.
Song Guangyuan sighed softly, saying, “Fifth Son Gu is here to pick you up, right? Go ahead, don’t keep General He waiting. I’ll handle things here.”
He Wan nodded at him, “Then… farewell.”
Song Guangyuan found the scene both absurd and amusing. He nodded and said, “All the best.”
Unlike He Wan’s nonchalance, the Song family was completely flustered when they saw the group actually leave.
Old Madam Song shoved Song Guangyuan, shrieking, “You just let her leave like that? Do you have any shame?”
Third Master Song stomped his foot, “Big Brother, you’re being foolish!”
Song Guangyuan withdrew his gaze and said to Old Madam Song with disappointment, “Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?”
Old Madam Song retorted, “What do you mean? Did I force you to divorce her? Don’t you dare slander me!”
Song Guangyuan said, “He Wan and I never had any feelings for each other. You and I both know that. No, everyone knows. If there was anything, it was her lingering affection for a bit of past kindness.”
“She bears the surname He. General He has always been a free spirit, never bound by worldly conventions. The He family has even saved His Majesty’s life, receiving imperial favor. All these years, He Wan has been willing to stay in the Song Mansion, and General He has been willing to help my Song family’s relatives, near and far. It’s all for Third Girl’s reputation.”
Old Madam Song asked, “Then why is she leaving now?”
“Mother, after Third Girl returned to the capital, didn’t you already allow Second Girl to ruin her reputation? You even spread rumors about He Wan. Those words were so vile, even Third Girl heard them. And that’s not all. You’ve been suppressing Third Girl internally, and now the whole capital knows. You can’t deny it. You’ve gone so far, why should she still care about you?”
Old Madam Song was speechless under his questioning, her expression evasive, her fingers twisting together. She mumbled, unable to form a complete sentence.
Song Guangyuan didn’t soften his tone, continuing sternly, “I’ll tell you everything today. When He Wan returned to the capital and heard about this, she was furious. I begged her to endure it, and that’s how we managed to maintain things until now. She treated you with utmost respect, yet you repeatedly pressured her, showing no restraint. Do you really want her to be confined to the Song Mansion and endure your humiliation? Any decent person wouldn’t tolerate such slander. He Wan, who is she, that you think you can manipulate her? Who gave you such confidence? Tell me, Mother.”
Old Madam Song’s thoughts scattered, realizing the seriousness of the situation, and an overwhelming fear gripped her heart.
She had completely angered He Wan. He Wan had returned to the He Mansion, and it was no longer a matter of whether Master He would help the Song family. As before, if Fu Changjun simply expressed his opinion, it would be enough to shake the Song family.
If He Wan was unhappy and wanted to settle the score, it would be even worse. In this world, who could withstand the impeachment of Fu Changjun, Master He, and Duke Gu?
Song Guangyuan would be fine, after all, he was Song Chuzhao’s father, and they were still connected. But what about his other children? What about his brothers and relatives?
Old Madam Song hesitated for a moment, then softened her voice and pleaded, “Why don’t you go and persuade her again? I… it was my fault. She’ll agree to you, even if it’s for Third Girl’s reputation! At most, I’ll be more tolerant of her in the future, and I won’t hold it against her.”
Song Guangyuan sneered, “If things really escalate, He Wan returns to the He Mansion, and with the He Mansion’s reputation, do you think people will look down on them two, mother and daughter? Or will they look down on you and me, who disregarded their kindness and forced them out of the house? Will the people of the capital believe them or you?”
Old Madam Song froze, unable to answer. The color drained from her face, leaving only a dullness in her eyes, as if she had aged ten years in an instant.
The rest of the Song family also fell silent, their eyes flickering, frightened by the implications of his words.
Song Guangyuan sighed deeply and said, “Mother, General He is not a petty man. Let’s part ways amicably. Don’t keep clinging to them. The He Mansion can still give me some face, and our two families won’t have to split too ugly. The Song family has been under the He Mansion’s protection for a long time. It’s time to learn how to walk on our own. Good things in this world can’t fall on one person forever.”
“Oh…” Old Madam Song gasped, letting out a couple of groans, rubbing her forehead. She couldn’t stand anymore and slumped back.
Third Master Song quickly caught her, and as he raised his head to call out, he met Song Guangyuan’s undisguised gaze.
Those sharp eyes, steeped in years of battlefield blood, sent a shiver down Third Master Song’s spine. His heart tightened, knowing that Song Guangyuan resented him. He had always been favored by his mother, making Song Guangyuan jealous. Today, he had even incited Old Madam Song to ask He Wan about his promotion…
Third Master Song’s teeth chattered. For the first time, he felt fear towards his elder brother. He realized he had probably made a huge mistake. The words he was about to say were swallowed back down. He just wanted to leave this place and never show up again.
He… he shouldn’t have moved back!