Chapter 135 Daydreaming
Madam Song and Song Sangyu were so shocked that their faces turned ashen, as if they had seen a ghost.
They not only drugged her, but also sent an old woman to guard the door. How did Song Yiqiu still manage to get here?
Madam Song rushed forward, suppressing her panic:
"Yiqiu! What are you doing here? Weren't you too sick to get out of bed?"
She stared intently at Song Yiqiu, her eyes filled with coercion.
"If you are sick, take good care of yourself. The Emperor's court is not a place to be reckless!"
She was implying the serious consequences of the crime of deceiving the emperor.
Meeting her gaze, Song Yiqiu readily bowed:
"Thank you for your concern, Mother. Perhaps it is thanks to your good fortune that my health has suddenly improved. I dare not let this small matter delay my important task of inheriting the title, and I dare not trouble my sister Sangyu."
She skillfully downplayed her serious illness, describing it as a minor ailment.
Song Sangyu's plan failed, and she gritted her teeth in anger, but she forced herself to remain calm and launched the first attack:
"Since you are well, why have you been so late? Is it your duty as the heir to the Marquis of Yongjia to keep His Majesty and the Crown Prince waiting?"
Song Yiqiu turned her gaze to her, seemingly lost in thought:
“Sister, you misunderstand. It’s not that I intentionally came late, but on my way here I had to deal with an urgent matter that concerns the reputation of my Song family.”
She clapped her hands gently.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the eldest brother, Song Tianhan, was being carried in by several guards from the Prince's Mansion. He was disheveled, his brocade robe was torn, and his eyes were black and blue. He no longer looked like a young master at all.
Song Shen cried out and rushed over:
"Tianhan! My son! What happened?!"
Song Tianhan stammered, his face ashen, not daring to utter a single word.
The heir apparent of the Prince stepped forward, bowed to the throne, and then, his face full of anger, pointed at Song Tianhan and said sternly:
"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Please do justice to us! Song Tianhan was competing with us in a cockfight in the south of the city, and he actually used a forbidden secret medicine from the Western Regions to feed the fighting cocks!"
"This medicine is vicious. It can stimulate the chickens' ferocity until they are exhausted and die. I spent years and a fortune raising General, Chiyan and several other beloved chickens, and today they were all pecked to death by his poisoned chickens!"
He grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, his voice rising in intensity:
"What's even more hateful is that he was caught red-handed, yet he still tried to deny everything, showing no sense of responsibility whatsoever. I hate more than anything such a cunning and deceitful scoundrel who has no competitive spirit whatsoever!"
"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, please take heed and order the Song family to compensate me for my losses at the full price, and severely punish this scoundrel to rectify the decadent lifestyle in the capital!"
This prince's heir has a special status, being related to the royal family. He has always been arrogant and unrestrained. Since he dared to act so out in front of the emperor, he must have known that the emperor would give him face.
Seeing that things were escalating, Song Qingming only wanted to quell the situation as quickly as possible and preserve the succession process. He quickly bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, this matter... this matter can be discussed later, how about we? My daughter's succession ceremony is more important right now, we mustn't delay the auspicious time..."
He tried to bring the focus back, but his reminder brought everyone's attention back to Song Yiqiu, and someone finally couldn't help but point out the clothes she was wearing.
“Miss Song! Today is your joyous day of inheriting the title of Marquis and bringing glory to your family. Even Miss Sangyu, who is performing the ceremony on your behalf, knows that you should wear auspicious attire. As the person in charge, why are you wearing a plain white dress to the hall?”
"What exactly is your intention? Could it be that you are resentful, disrespect the Emperor's grace, and look down on the title of Marquis of Yongjia that His Majesty personally bestowed upon you?"
These words caused an uproar in the room.
Deceiving the emperor, disrespecting him, showing contempt for imperial power... any one of these accusations would be enough to crush her.
Song Yiqiu sneered inwardly. The fact that her older brother poisoned cockfighting for fun was less important than her changing clothes. Some people really do show favoritism.
Undeterred, she stepped forward:
"Your Majesty is wise. Today is not only the day I inherit the title, but also the birthday of my late Marquis Yongjia, my maternal grandmother, Shen Ruyi."
“My maternal grandmother has passed away. As her bloodline heir, I am wearing white today, firstly to remember her and secondly to comfort her spirit in heaven. What is wrong with that?”
She glanced at everyone present, her gaze finally settling on the emperor, and clutched her chest in deep sorrow:
"As for why we offer this gesture of consolation... you gentlemen have already witnessed what happened in the hall just now."
“My four elder brothers are either cockfighting and dog racing, cheating and fraud; or indulging in homosexuality and accumulating huge debts; or engaging in debauchery in broad daylight and disregarding human ethics; or being addicted to gambling and bringing ruin to the family.”
She was heartbroken and filled with grief and indignation:
"As for me, I was sent to the frontier by lottery at the age of eleven. For the past seven years, I have been on guard, fighting bloody battles. Every scar on my body is a testament to my dedication to protecting the territory of the Great Zhou."
"This title of Marquis of Yongjia was earned by my daughter with her life on the frontier, and it is a monument to commemorate the millions of heroic souls who died in battle. Tell me, how can we face the loyal souls of the soldiers on the frontier if this title is handed over to someone who engages in infighting within the inner palace?"
Her words were earnest, and the emperor, upon hearing them, was moved and slowly nodded.
"General Song's words...are indeed true. You have suffered on the frontier for seven years."
Seeing that things were not going well, Song Qingming gave a wink to the officials around him who were on good terms with him, and immediately some of them stepped forward:
"General Song's achievements on the frontier are admirable. However, as far as I know, during the seven years General Song has been away from the capital, it has always been Miss Sang Yu who has been attending to his parents morning and night!"
"As the saying goes, of all virtues, filial piety is the most important. Miss Sangyu fulfilled her filial duties on behalf of her sister, allowing General Song to serve the country without any worries. If we're talking about merits, how could Miss Sangyu's hard work not be credited?"
"In my humble opinion, sisters united in heart are as strong as metal; together we can uphold the family's honor, and that is the way for our family to prosper!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Song immediately grasped at this straw. She squeezed out a few tears, stepped forward, and echoed in a choked voice:
"Yes, Your Majesty! Yiqiu suffers on the frontier, but Sangyu has it no easier at home. Whenever I am ill, it is Sangyu who serves me medicine without ever taking off her clothes. Her filial piety is witnessed by heaven and earth!"
"They are sisters, why be so particular about it? This title... should be inherited by them both, so as to show the Emperor's boundless grace and also to save face for the Song family!"
Song Qingming quickly regained his composure, adopting the dignity of a family head, and said in a deep voice:
“What you say is absolutely right, Madam. Although Sangyu is not your biological daughter, she has been raised by your side since childhood and is no different from your own. She is gentle and kind, and she is very filial. She has a good reputation in the capital.”
"It would be unfair to deny everything about her simply because of her birth mother's faults. Yiqiu, I know you harbor resentment, but the honor and disgrace of the family are more important than anything else. You must not ruin the family's century-old reputation for your own selfish reasons!"
Song Yiqiu sneered inwardly. Her stupid mother still didn't know the truth and was speaking up for outsiders. Seeing that Song Sangyu couldn't take the blame, she took a step back and let herself inherit the title with her.
This is... a pipe dream!
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