She still remembers the eve of her wedding day, when she lay in bed with her mother, full of longing and fear for the future.

  They, the Li family, had long since declined and were even worse off than some rural gentry. To marry into the esteemed House of Changning was, in the eyes of her sisters, no different from a sparrow transforming into a phoenix. For a time, flattering voices surrounded them on all sides.

  Her mother held her hand and instructed her carefully: "You are the eldest daughter of our Li family, representing the gate wind and face of our Li family. We don't have a rich dowry or a powerful maternal family, but we do have a clean and honest household and a clear conscience. After you get married, you must be filial to your parents-in-law and loving to your sisters-in-law. Since the Ning family didn't care about social status and came to our family to ask for your hand in marriage, they won't mistreat you. As long as you treat them with sincerity, they will also return it with sincerity."

  At that time, the bright moon was just right, and the colorful clouds surrounded her. She was fully immersed in joy, secretly making a vow in her heart that she must not tarnish the reputation of the Li family, and she would be a good matriarch of the Song family.

  But times have changed, and it's unclear whether the prosperity and luxury of the capital city has blinded her or if her daughter's high position has left her intimidated, but all these teachings that were once always on her mind have been cast aside.

  Mrs. Song's back broke out in a cold sweat, her undershirt clinging to her back, damp and uncomfortable.

  Mrs. Song no longer looked at her, coldly smiled and let her out: "Think about these words carefully, it's good if you understand, if not..."

  She didn't continue speaking, but Mrs. Song suddenly felt a surge of pressure and her legs trembled violently.

  "Bullying an orphan, and using her brother to threaten her, you've really become skilled. Mrs. Song looked at her one last time: 'I've already written a letter to your parents about this matter, telling them everything that happened. If you don't believe me, you should at least listen to what they have to say.'"

  Madam Song struggled to her feet with the support of Yu Shu, no longer having the dominant attitude she had when she went to Song Chuyi's room. She knew what Old Madam Song meant, and after so many years as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, she thought she understood Old Madam Song.

  She bit her lip and looked at Old Lady Song sitting in the front row with a defeated expression, her voice as thin as a mosquito: "This time it's my wife's fault that Xiaoliu suffered injustice."

  Old Lady Song waved her hand: "There's no need to say these words again, we all know what's true and what's false. Xiaoliu is not a foolish child, she's also sharp-witted. I don't expect you to treat them like your own family, just hope you can do your duty as the matriarch of the Song family well. As for Xiaoliu's matter, I'll take care of it, and in the future, you don't need to worry too much about Guifei's matters either, this time when we enter the palace, I will make things clear with her."

  Mrs. Song smiled bitterly and nodded, then endured the soreness in her knees as she left the courtyard.

  It wasn't until she returned to the main courtyard and saw her husband that her already frightened heart skipped another beat. Song Ren's face was unsightly as he stood in the room, and it was unclear how long he had been standing there.

  "Old Master," she forced a smile, opened her mouth to continue speaking, but just then saw Mr. Song suddenly turn his head and look over, the shock and impatience in his eyes instantly blocking all the words that were about to come out of her throat.

  Song Ren stood with his hands behind him and stared at her for a while before suddenly letting out a cold laugh.

  If saying Mrs. Song was just scared, her husband's words made her both frightened and desperate, Mrs. Song felt the kind of panic she hadn't experienced in years, feeling out of control, and worried to the point of tears.

  "Just now, Little Liu sent Ya Tou over to look for you, but you weren't here." Mr. Song's low and even voice slowly sounded out, seeming to hold no emotions yet also seeming to be extremely disgusted: "She wanted Ya Tou to tell you that she agreed to go before the Empress Dowager and apologize as you asked her to, just hoping you won't make things difficult for Xuan Ge."

  Mrs. Song was shocked and turned her head to look at Jin and Zou, seeing them both shrinking their necks and hiding aside, suddenly her heart had already turned gray. She didn't want her husband to know about these things, but unfortunately, Song Chuyi's maid came at the worst time and happened to run into the master!

  Mr. Song suddenly felt a sharp pain in his throat, as if he wanted to cough uncontrollably, and cleared his throat before continuing: "I didn't know that the lives of our Song family children were so worthless, and that Yaoyao's life would be exchanged for Aying's using Xiaoliu's life. You really make me feel too scared."

  "No, no!" Madam Song's urgent tears finally fell out, and she took a few steps forward to grab the old master's hand: "Master, it's not like that"

  She wanted to explain, but where should she start? Should she say that she was trying to clear the way for her own daughter? Or should she say that she really did want to push Song Chuyi to death and even used Song Yan to threaten Song Chuyi?

  She knows what kind of person her husband is, how dare she say such things?!

  "Old Master Song suddenly pushed her away, feeling that all the blood in his body was rushing to his head: 'You use such words to deceive a nine-year-old girl, are you not ashamed?! Can you be worthy of my second brother?! Can you be worthy of our Song family?! Ah Ying, I've lived with you for so many years, never thinking that you would be this kind of person. How can I have the face to see my second brother? How can I have the face to pay respects to my deceased brother and sister-in-law?!'"

  The green-clad girl pushed open the door, stuck out her head, saw Song Chuyi looking over at her, and then poked out her tongue. She came in with great enthusiasm: "Miss, Miss! The big house really had a fight!"

  Her face still had a smile of schadenfreude that hadn't been retracted, and she was gesticulating wildly: "The old master is furious, his face has turned red with rage. All the servants were chased out, I could only hear the mistress's crying."

  Zi Yun and Qing Tao exchanged a glance, both of them couldn't help but laugh.

  Song Chuyi was right, dealing with people like the Grand Lady, being tough is useless, it can only make the people around her disgusted and despise her, so that she can see clearly where her status and mistakes are.

  "Serves her right!" Qing Tao said, while helping Song Chuyi put away the box given by Mrs. Cui. She turned around and spat: "The mistress has gone too far this time, treating people like targets and expecting them to help her ward off disaster! Even a clay figure has some earthly nature, thinking our young lady is easy to manipulate."

  Song Chuyi smiled and didn't say a word, still reading her travel notes.

  Everyone is selfish, Mrs. Song wants her own daughter to live a comfortable life and thinks of pushing others to die for her, she can understand. But when this other person becomes herself, she has no choice but to think about herself.

  For someone like the madam, neither gentle persuasion nor forceful coercion will work. Only when she realizes that this matter has lost face for both the Song and Li families, lost the trust of her parents-in-law, and disappointed her husband's heart will she firmly remember not to do it again.