Chapter Sixty-Seven: A Dinner on the Surface, a Blind Date in Reality

Song Yiqiu smiled slightly, curtsied, and performed a perfectly executed bow, without the slightest error.

"Yiqiu met with Grandmother Song."

Then his gaze turned to Madam Ruan Liu, "Madam Liu, are you well?"

That cry of "Aunt Liu" was like a silent slap in the face, shattering the illusion of being the legitimate wife that she had painstakingly built up.

Her face stiffened, and her smile froze.

Before Ruan Liu could react, Song Sangyu immediately stood up gracefully, walked to Song Yiqiu's side, and tried to smooth things over with a kind and understanding demeanor:

“Grandmother, Madam Liu, please don’t blame my sister. She’s been in the army for many years, so her words and actions are a bit direct. She didn’t mean to offend anyone.”

"It's all Sangyu's fault for not teaching her proper etiquette in the capital beforehand. Sister, quickly apologize to Grandmother and Madam Liu. They are magnanimous and won't hold it against us juniors."

Song Qingming was somewhat annoyed by the scene and said in a deep voice:

"Alright, everyone, say less. Yiqiu, sit down and eat."

As soon as Song Yiqiu arrived, Ruan Tianxin felt like she had found her pillar of support and quietly moved to the empty seat next to her.

As soon as she sat down, she couldn't help but whisper:

"Sister Yiqiu..."

Before she could even speak, her eyes welled up with tears.

Song Yiqiu could easily imagine how, before she arrived, this room full of people had joined forces to openly and subtly mock this disgraced legitimate daughter.

Qingzhu whispered a reminder from the side:

"Miss, Miss Ruan's outfit today is far inferior to what she wore at the poetry gathering a few days ago."

The material is ordinary, and the jewelry is simple.

How could Song Yiqiu not have noticed? The most simply dressed people in the room were probably her and Ruan Tianxin.

Bai Mei also lowered her voice and complained:

"Hey, this old lady from the countryside certainly has quite the airs! Look at her clothes, it's not just gold and silver, it's like she's living in a pile of gold and silver, as if she's afraid people won't know she's a nouveau riche, she wants to wear all her worldly possessions on her body!"

During the meal, Old Mrs. Song and Mrs. Ruan Liu chatted more and more enthusiastically.

Grandma Song patted Ruan Jiawen's hand and smiled at Ruan Liu:

"Madam Liu, please rest assured, I like Jiawen very much. She is beautiful and has a good temperament. Marrying into our Song family will be a double blessing."

"Look at my four grandsons, each one of them is handsome and talented. Let Jiawen choose whichever one she likes!"

Ruan Liu laughed so hard her body trembled:

"Grandma, you're too kind! It's Jiawen's good fortune to marry into such a distinguished family as the Song family. Speaking of which, my younger brother married your eldest son, so we're already related. This marriage is just the second perfect match!"

Ruan Jiawen, seizing the opportune moment, revealed a shy demeanor and whispered:

"Grandmother, please don't tease them... Brother Tianhan is brave, and Brother Haochu is gentle; they are both wonderful people..."

These words made Old Madam Song and Madam Ruan Liu even happier. They never expected that Ruan Jiawen would be interested in two of her brothers. It seemed that the marriage was a done deal.

Song Shenshi and Song Qingming stood by with smiles, offering no objections.

After several rounds of drinks, Old Mrs. Song finally revealed her true intentions. She looked at Song Yiqiu with a loving tone:

“Yiqiu, your grandmother knows you’re about to inherit the title. But this title is ultimately a man’s possession. What use is such a high reputation to a woman? In the end, she still has to get married, be a good wife and mother—that’s the right path.”

She glanced at Song Qingming and continued to persuade him:

“Look, when your sister Jiawen marries into the family, whether she marries your eldest brother or your third brother, they will all be family. Wouldn’t it be better if your brother inherited the title of Marquis of Yongjia?”

"Those men work hard outside, and they can bring honor to the family, right? Don't worry, you are your grandmother's granddaughter. Your grandmother will definitely find you a good marriage in the future, so that you can have a grand wedding!"

Song Yiqiu had been listening in silence until now, when she finally understood the true purpose of this treacherous banquet.

This isn't about getting Ruan Jiawen married quickly; it's about transferring all the enormous wealth left by Ruan Tianxin's birth mother to Ruan Jiawen as a lavish dowry.

After she finished speaking, the room fell silent, and everyone waited to see how Song Yiqiu would react.

Song Yiqiu put down her chopsticks, gently wiped the corner of her mouth, her movements elegant and composed.

She raised her eyes, looked calmly at Old Mrs. Song, and feigned humility:

"I am grateful for my grandmother's loving care."

Then the tone shifted.

"However, please forgive me for not agreeing with what Grandmother just said, as many of her points contradict national laws and family rules."

"Grandmother said that titles ultimately belong to men, but that is incorrect."

She began to recite slowly and methodically.

"Our dynasty's 'Social Law' states: 'In the inheritance of titles, merit is the primary consideration, followed by primogeniture. If one has rendered meritorious service to the state, even a woman may inherit the title, to demonstrate the Emperor's grace and to encourage future generations.'"

Her gaze swept over her parents, whose expressions had suddenly changed, and she continued:

“Yiqiu inherited the title not because I am a daughter of the Song family, but because I fought bravely on the frontier for seven years, accumulating military merits, which were approved by His Majesty’s own decree. This is His Majesty’s recognition of my personal achievements and a reward for those who serve the country. How can it be easily given to someone else just because I am a woman?”

"Where does this place His Majesty's grace? Where does it place the laws of the court? If we really do this, wouldn't we be disregarding His Majesty's will and the law? Father, as an official in the court, you should know the implications of this."

To put it bluntly, if you don't grant me the title just because I'm a woman, then you're disregarding the emperor's grace and the law of the land!

Song Qingming's face turned pale instantly. His minor official position was hard-won, and if it were to be lost because of this...

“Mother! Yiqiu is right! This title was bestowed by His Majesty himself. How can it be transferred so easily because of gender! This matter must never be mentioned again!”

He was terrified of being implicated.

Seeing her father back down, Song Yiqiu nodded slightly, raised an eyebrow at Old Madam Song, and showed no intention of letting the matter rest.

“My grandmother mentioned that ‘being a good wife and mother is the right path for a woman,’ but Yiqiu did not entirely agree.”

"May I ask, grandmother, the former empress once accompanied Emperor Taizu on his campaigns to bring peace to the land. The late Marquis of Yongjia, my maternal grandmother Shen Ruyi, guarded the border, making the enemy tremble with fear and ensuring decades of peace on our border."

"Aren't their actions the right path? When has the value of women been limited to the confines of the inner quarters?"

She glanced at Old Mrs. Song, whose expression had drastically changed, and a smirk appeared on her lips:

“Grandmother keeps saying she will find me a good marriage, but has she ever thought about what the world will think of me, Song Yiqiu, if I can’t even keep the title I earned with my own blood and sweat and give it away?”

“In the future, which respectable family will truly respect a woman who cannot even protect her own rights? The good marriage that my grandmother was talking about will probably only become a laughing stock.”

These words struck a chord with all the women present, and even Ruan Jiawen subconsciously frowned.

Song Qingming looked embarrassed, but dared not escalate the situation, and reluctantly spoke:

"Yiqiu, Grandma is only doing this for your own good. You're overthinking it. Eat, eat!"

Ruan Liu also stirred up this mess:

"Look at this young lady, Song. She's probably drunk too much and talking nonsense."