Chapter Five: Seeking an Official Position for My Elder Brother
Song Sangyu never expected this to happen. She knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face, and hurriedly shifted the blame:
"Father and Mother, you are wise. It is Sangyu's fault for not disciplining her properly. She never knew that this wretched maid harbored such evil intentions."
"It was her! She did it all! It has nothing to do with Sang Yu! Please, Father and Mother, punish this vile servant severely and give my sister justice!"
Hongxiu looked up, her face filled with disbelief, and under Song Sangyu's warning gaze, she gritted her teeth and spoke:
"Master and Madam, I was blinded by greed. The Second Miss was unaware of this matter."
Seeing Song Sangyuyu frantically shifting the blame, Song Yiqiu deliberately said:
“Such a wicked servant in the household plots against his master! It is only right to report this to the authorities! Let the government investigate whether it was Hongxiu alone or if she had accomplices!”
The father's face was extremely grim, and he scolded in a low voice:
"Nonsense! Why take this to court! There are so many guests at today's homecoming banquet! Do you think the Song family hasn't lost enough face? This matter concerns your and your sister's reputation; how can you take it to court!"
The mother quickly chimed in:
"Yiqiu, I know you've been wronged, but family scandals shouldn't be aired in public!"
Even the eldest brother, though slow-witted, could see the situation and frowned as he chimed in:
"Song Yiqiu, it's good to be lenient when you can. Now that the thief has been caught and your sister knows she was wrong, why make a big fuss?"
The second brother also spoke up:
"Exactly, it won't do your reputation any good if word gets out."
Song Yiqiu sneered inwardly, her gaze sweeping over her parents and brothers. Knowing they were wholeheartedly protecting Song Sangyu, she feigned hesitation before proposing her conditions:
“Alright! Since Father, Mother, and Brother all say so, I will postpone reporting this to the authorities for the sake of the family’s reputation.”
The father breathed a sigh of relief:
"That's excellent."
But then the tone shifted immediately:
“However, my daughter was so frightened today that she almost lost her life and needs to rest. This main house, which originally belonged to me, will be moved back by my daughter.”
"Furthermore, my daughter has suffered this injustice, her spirit has been damaged, and her clothes and jewelry have been destroyed. She deserves a fortune in compensation to soothe her nerves. If even this is not allowed, my daughter will risk her reputation to beat the drum in front of the Prefect of the Capital and appeal for justice!"
Thousands...thousands of gold...
Song Yiqiu is really asking for an exorbitant amount.
Forced into a corner, Song Qingming and Song Shen exchanged a glance, then gritted their teeth:
"...Alright! As you wish, move back to the main courtyard immediately, and tomorrow your mother will give you three thousand taels of silver to calm your nerves."
Song Sangyu found it hard to believe, and was filled with jealousy and resentment:
"Father, Mother, the main courtyard is Yu'er's room, how can you..."
Her father immediately cut her off:
"Shut up! You've failed in your governance. Confine yourself to your quarters and reflect on your actions!"
He then turned around and took Song Yiqiu's hand:
"Yiqiu, don't worry, your father will always stand up for you."
Song Yiqiu feigned emotion, her eyes welling up with tears, but her heart remained icy cold.
His words were merely an attempt to absolve Song Sangyu of any blame.
As Song Sangyu was led away by the servants, she didn't forget to glare fiercely at Song Yiqiu as they passed by.
Song Yiqiu deliberately raised an eyebrow, and Song Sangyu immediately understood, shouting:
"It was Song Yiqiu, she did it, she tried to harm me..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was led away.
At the back of the crowd, Xiao Yongjing looked at Song Yiqiu's tearful eyes and gently licked his lips.
"Ha... So it's a wolf. A fierce and intelligent one at that... a wild wolf."
late at night.
The main courtyard where Song Yiqiu moved back to was flickering with candlelight.
Song Yiqiu leaned against the window, gazing at the full moon outside, her mind a jumble of memories of her past life's misery and the pretense of this one.
"You still don't know, do you? How exactly did Grandmother die?"
The smug face of Song Sangyu from her previous life reappeared in her mind, and her sinister words echoed in her ears.
Using these words, Song Sangyu tricked her into going to the woodshed, where she was subjected to a brutal massacre by her entire family, while she herself beautifully took her place in inheriting the title.
"Why?"
She asked herself softly, her palms icy cold.
"We are both daughters of the Song family, and I am even their direct bloodline, yet they are determined to give everything, even the title, to an adopted daughter?"
Was this statement merely Song Sangye's way of deceiving herself, or was it actually true?
Thinking back to when she returned home in her previous life, her father's concubine, Aunt Yun, had quietly approached her and offered a hesitant reminder.
"Young Miss, please be careful of the Second Miss when you return home this time..."
At the time, it seemed abrupt, but now, looking back, I realize there was pity in her eyes. It seems I need to find time to meet her.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The knocking interrupted her thoughts, and her mother, Song Shenshi, spoke from outside the door in a deliberately gentle voice:
"Yiqiu, are you asleep?"
A cold sneer flashed in Song Yiqiu's eyes. So impatient already?
Quickly compose yourself and regain composure:
"Mother, please come in."
The door was pushed open, and Madam Song Shen walked in carrying a steaming bowl of white fungus soup.
She wore a brocade nightgown, her hair slightly loose, perfectly embodying the demeanor of a loving mother.
He sat down at the table without a care in the world, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the room's luxurious furnishings. This was the place where Song Sangyu had lived for the previous seven years.
"Remembering Autumn,"
Madam Song gently pushed the white porcelain bowl towards Song Yiqiu, her voice soft and gentle.
"I apologize to you on behalf of Sangyu for what happened today. She is young and naive, and it is possible that she was deceived and manipulated by those black-hearted servants. As her older sister, please don't hold it against her, and don't harbor any resentment. Harmony in the family brings prosperity."
Song Yiqiu lowered her eyes and slowly stirred the white fungus in the bowl with a silver spoon.
Crystal clear and tender, stewed until soft, it has the best appearance.
But she remembered the snowy nights on the frontier, gnawing on cold bread as hard as a rock and drinking thin porridge so thin you could see your reflection in it.
Meanwhile, Song Sangyu in the capital probably found even white fungus too ordinary and used bird's nest soup every day.
She fought for seven years to ensure the safety of her family, and upon her return, she sincerely wanted to help her brothers and sisters.
But what was the result?
My heart sank little by little.
She raised her eyes, her tone direct and calm:
"Mother, please speak frankly."
Madam Song choked for a moment, a hint of unease flashing across her face, then she scolded playfully:
“You child, the longer you’ve been away from home, the more straightforward you’ve become. Fine, your mother won’t beat around the bush with you.”
She leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice:
"Your elder brother has studied for so many years, but he hasn't made much progress in his official career. I've heard... you have quite a few connections in the military?"
"Now that you're back, we're family after all. You should help your older brother out. It's just a sinecure; it's a piece of cake for you, right?"
Just as I expected.
Song Yiqiu almost let out a cold laugh.
Scenes from my past life are still vivid in my mind:
She swallowed her pride and begged a former subordinate of the general who held real power to secure a sinecure for her elder brother as a grain and salary officer.
What should have been a great achievement turned into the beginning of her elder brother's hatred for her.
The eldest brother was ambitious but incompetent, and he was lazy and made a series of mistakes after taking office. In the end, he embezzled military funds and almost implicated her and was also convicted.
She went to great lengths, pulling strings and using all her connections to get him released, only to receive a single sentence in return:
"If you hadn't gone out of your way to find me this job, I wouldn't have been so humiliated!"
You can't make a good impression on someone who's already rotten.
If you insist on helping him up, he will only resent you for getting him dirty and hate you for showing him the height of the wall and his own incompetence.
Song Yiqiu slowly pushed the bowl of untouched white fungus soup back in front of Song Shenshi, her voice laced with mockery:
“Mother, I’ve been on the frontier for seven years and I’m no longer used to this white fungus soup. If you’d like to have another late-night chat next time, how about bird’s nest instead? I remember that my sister Sangyu seems to love bird’s nest the most.”
The loving expression on Madam Song's face froze instantly. Enraged by the merciless retort, she blurted out:
"Song Yiqiu! Don't push your luck. You're already being kind by having some white fungus soup. Do you really think you're still some pampered young lady?"
"During those seven years on the frontier, you probably couldn't even afford a simple vegetable porridge! Now that you're back, you're putting on airs?"
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