The expected melodramatic scenario did not occur, so Song Ci happily spent a short holiday at the Hot Spring Palace. Two days later, Madam Song returned to the city, as she had to preside over the ancestral rituals for the Winter Solstice, being the House Mistress.
Song Ci stayed with Empress Dowager Wang at the palace for another three days and returned to the city on the twenty-sixth of the twelfth lunar month in a grand fashion. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NoveI~Fire.net
Upon returning to the Prime Minister’s Mansion, Song Ci heard that the Commandery Princess Chunping had gone back to the Mingyang Uncle’s Mansion and fiercely confronted her mother-in-law, leaving them fuming and bedridden. She forcefully took over the stewardship and reorganized the servants from top to bottom, selling anyone who showed resistance on the spot.
Moreover, she confined that ceremonial Madam, completely replaced the people around her, and had several concubines’ daughters stay by her side to learn proper conduct. This turned those maids’ lives into a living hell, yet they dared not complain.
In light of this, Mingyang Uncle’s Mansion became as silent as the dead, with no one daring to make a sound. Even the discontented Zhao Commandery Prince had his leg broken by Mingyang Uncle, with a message saying that if Zhao Commandery Prince dared to oppose his wife again, he and his concubine’s illegitimate children would be expelled from the family records.
Terrified, Zhao Commandery Prince dared not act up anymore!
It’s said that after Chunping Commandery Princess’s outburst, the Mingyang Uncle’s Mansion was purged and became much more orderly than before, where legitimacy was no longer a messy affair.
Song Ci sneered, "It should have been long ago. Had she shown such determination back then, she wouldn’t have become the laughingstock of the entire capital."
The Nanny replied, "Perhaps it was because she had given up back then, so she just let things slide."
Song Ci paused. Perhaps that’s true; nothing is more hopeless than a dead heart. As a Commandery Princess, she has her own Commandery Princess Mansion allowance and plenty of dowry. With a daughter by her side, why should she care about the chaos in her ex-husband’s house?
Let him be as he is. I am free in every way.
Little did she know that by letting things slide, she might also implicate herself.
Just like now, if not for her daughter, why would the Chunping Commandery Princess care about the survival of Mingyang Uncle’s Mansion?
Song Ci sighed, "But the upbringing in Mingyang Uncle’s Mansion is indeed difficult to describe."
The Nanny said, "That Mingyang Uncle’s Madam bringing her ceremonial Madam and illegitimate granddaughters to visit the Empress Dowager was a game of stink, and no one could be blamed. However, in my humble opinion, it taught a lesson to the Madams of our family."
After this trip to the Hot Spring Palace, the two daughters-in-law paid more attention to the education of their children, especially the Lu clan, who went as far as she could.
"I heard Wei’er has become quite liked by the Third Princess." Song Ci leaned against the pillow, saying, "With her status, gaining the favor of that little Princess is indeed a stroke of luck."
"It’s all thanks to the Old Madam’s fortune," the Nanny complimented with a smile.
Song Ci shook his head, "She has to strive for herself. I used to think she was a bit overly restrained by her mother, but now she’s more lively and gained some of that youthful spirit."
"People are always subtly influenced, perhaps the Third Miss is learning from her elder sisters or family elders," the Nanny also felt that Song Ruwei had become more lucid since she first returned home, though compared to her two elder sisters, especially the eldest, she was still far behind.
However, these things cannot be compared. Every family’s eldest daughter is meticulously raised, and even the Second Miss can’t compare.
Take it slowly. We don’t expect her to be as multifaceted and have a clear, smart mind as her eldest sister. As long as she is able to understand clearly and recognize the times, her two elder sisters won’t look down upon her, nor will they distance themselves from her.
Sometimes, the support between sisters is more accessible than that between brothers.
So it’s said that Song Ci’s words are true; a person must achieve things for themselves.