Zhao Qianlan knelt by the bedside and served Song Xizhi and Madam Song all night long. She even washed Madam Song's soiled clothes and used chamber pot with cold water in the dead of winter.
She had lived a life of luxury for decades. Although she was a concubine's daughter from a collateral branch when she was young, she relied on her own methods and had Zhao Qingshu as her backer, so no one had ever bullied her to this extent.
After she used her influence to marry into the Song family, she was tormented by Old Madam Song for a while, but she still managed to persuade Song Juncai to separate from the family and move out of the old Song residence.
Now, she had suffered the most humiliation she had ever experienced in her entire life, all in front of that vile woman, Song Xizhi. The hatred in Zhao Qianlan's heart was so intense it felt like it was going to burst the roof, and she was on the verge of madness.
Finally, the second day arrived, and they found an opportunity for Old Madam Song to take a nap at noon. At this moment, Song Xizhi was nowhere to be found.
She then left the room under the pretext of changing clothes and having a meal, saying she would be back later. This excuse was so legitimate that the servants in Madam Song's room were powerless to stop her, and they let her out.
As soon as Zhao Qianlan stepped out, her maid, Li Mama, brought over the silver she had prepared.
Without exception, she still had to ask Zhao Qingshu for the thousand taels of silver. Zhao Qianlan herself never expected that she would end up like this.
I used to think that my relationship with Zhao Qingshu was just a fleeting affair and that I would be able to get away with it soon, but now I still owe several thousand taels of silver and need to borrow more.
Now, she is not only heavily in debt, owing Zhao Qingshu an uncountable amount of money, but Zhao Qingshu's attitude towards her is also becoming increasingly unscrupulous. He wants to use any means necessary and is almost torturing her to death.
Zhao Qianlan felt that life couldn't go on like this any longer. Zhao Qingshu was becoming increasingly audacious. Not only could her body not take it, but she was also afraid that one day the truth would come out and others would find out, leaving her with nowhere to die.
Once the birthday gift was settled, He Yunce's career would flourish and he would have money again. She would then ask He Yunce to quickly help her pay off all the money she owed.
Zhao Qianlan, filled with anticipation, clutched the silver in her hand and hurried along until she reached the back door of the old house.
Since Zhao Qianlan had to serve Old Madam Song and couldn't go far, He Yunce set the location for the birthday gift transaction near the Song family's old residence.
When she rushed over, she saw that He Yunce and Song Ruoan had been waiting at the door for a long time.
Song Ruoan was pale, her face haggard and disheveled, her bluish lips dry and chapped, and she looked almost lifeless as she leaned against He Yunce's chest, as if she had been completely broken from kneeling the night before.
Zhao Qianlan was startled by this.
When Song Ruoan saw that face that looked ten years older, she was also startled.
The mother and daughter both had tears welling up in their eyes at almost the same time, and Zhao Qianlan's hatred for Song Xizhi was growing stronger.
She hadn't even had a chance to speak to Song Ruoan before handing the birthday gift pouch to He Yunce:
“Son-in-law, take this money. I have no other wish than that you accomplish this and rise to prominence, and then kill Song Xizhi.”
"I want Song Xizhi to be dismissed from her post and imprisoned. I want her to be utterly disgraced and kneel before me, licking my and Ruo'an's feet! Just like her damned mother!"
Zhao Qianlan's voice was hoarse, like a tattered rag, and her eyes were filled with ruthlessness.
Hearing this, He Yunze felt inexplicably displeased, thinking that his mother-in-law was really too vicious and vulgar.
But when he tossed the purse in his hand, his expression changed slightly. He Yunze's Adam's apple bobbed, and he spoke with some difficulty:
"Mother, how much silver do you have in this purse?"
Zhao Qianlan paused slightly, her arm around Song Ruoan still, and she was somewhat stunned: "One thousand taels, didn't you say that?"
He Yunze took a deep breath, a sense of frustration rising within him: "With this thousand taels, I can't get anything done at all!"
Zhao Qianlan's breath hitched: "What...are you saying?"
"It's not one thousand taels, it's three thousand and fifty taels..." He mumbled, omitting what happened in the restaurant. For some reason, he didn't want to hear Zhao Qianlan use vulgar language to slander Song Xizhi anymore, perhaps because it was just too indecent.
"That large lacquer mother-of-pearl inlay piece will cost over three thousand taels of silver! The shopkeeper is already on his way. If we don't have the money, all our hard-earned plans will be ruined! We'll lose everything! We'll lose everything!"
Zhao Qianlan felt her blood turn ice-cold in an instant. He Yunze's words struck her like a thunderbolt, and everything went black before her eyes.
"He Yunze? What are you talking about? Didn't you say one thousand taels of silver? Now you want three thousand taels? Who do you think I am, that I can conjure up silver without a word?"
"Do you want me dead? Do you want me dead?!"
Zhao Qianlan's dream, which she had spent the whole night fantasizing about how she would humiliate and abuse Song Xizhi after she had succeeded, vanished in an instant. She was trembling all over and was filled with rage, and began to act hysterically.
When Song Ruoan saw Zhao Qianlan's appearance, he panicked.
She didn't actually know where her mother got all that money from, since her mother was an illegitimate daughter and her maternal grandfather was from a collateral branch of the family; it was impossible for her to come up with so much money.
But his father seemed unaware of these things.
Song Ruoan felt her mind was in a mess, and she hurriedly tugged at He Yunce's sleeve.
He Yunze suddenly came to his senses, placed his hands on Zhao Qianlan's shoulders, and pressed down hard again:
"Mother, calm down! Calm down!"
"It's alright... If the plan falls through, it falls through. It doesn't matter whether others look up to us or not. At worst, we can suffer some more grievances. Father-in-law and Ruo'an can continue to kneel outside, and you can continue to serve Grandmother by her bedside."
"My son-in-law's grievances in officialdom are nothing to worry about; at worst, he can simply stay out of the limelight. We can endure it for another three to five years, until Grandmother passes away, and life will be better. At that time, we can stay at home and it won't matter to us who gains the Emperor's favor..."
He Yunze's words, especially the phrase "serve him for another three to five years," sent a chill down Zhao Qianlan's spine.
Three to five years? That old codger, after taking Song Xizhi's medicine, could easily live another ten or twenty years!
But what about her? She can't possibly serve him for the rest of her life!
She absolutely could not let Song Xizhi look down on her, nor could she temporarily avoid his sharp edge, stay at home, and endure a lifetime of serving those two wretches!
She must ensure Song Xi's death!
Zhao Qianlan thought it over and made up her mind in an instant. She took two steps to the side, leaned close to her trusted nanny, and whispered the instructions:
"Go find Zhao Qingshu! Go find Zhao Qingshu! Make him give me another two thousand taels of silver. Tell him I'll do anything, I'm willing to do anything, as long as he promises me the silver, I'll sell my life to him!"
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