Chapter 669 - 447: Brazen with Favor

Chapter 669: Chapter 447: Brazen with Favor

After relaying the message, Zhang Maoquan handed over the official seal for Guangning Prefecture. Only then did he take out the private letter from Lady Ming for Third Young Madam Xu. He waited for her to finish reading, took it back, pulled out a flint, and burned it on the spot.

Once all this was done, Zhang Maoquan paid no mind to whether Third Young Madam Xu’s expression was pleasant or not and simply rose to take his leave.

Song Qinghan: ...

After seeing Zhang Maoquan off, Song Qinghan had someone clean up the ashes on the floor before she clutched the seal for Guangning Prefecture and went into her inner chamber.

Hanshao followed her in, a worried look on her face. "Young Madam, are you really going to join forces with Lady Ming?"

Song Qinghan looked at Hanshao. "Do I have any better options?"

Since Yan Liu’s death, Xu Anxing had started coming to her room again, but she still had no ’good news’ to report. Moreover, he was incredibly rough during *those* matters, which she found unbearable. The two of them were always clashing.

’I’m not some woman of low birth. How can I tolerate Xu Anxing treating me like this?’

’Every time we share a bed, it’s like we’ve fought a battle. Now, the very sight of Xu Anxing makes me want to kick him out.’

’But I don’t have a child yet, so I have no choice but to hold my nose and endure it.’

’I know he’s just venting his frustrations on me. He doesn’t dare raise his voice to his own elder brother, but he sure knows how to throw his weight around with me.’

But Song Qinghan was not afraid of him now. They were both as stubborn as bulls, so their life together naturally went from bad to worse.

Song Qinghan had truly had enough. ’I’d rather bow my head to Song Yunzhao than be trampled under Xu Anxing’s foot. I have to win this fight for my pride.’

Hanshao was still worried. "But what if Lady Ming..."

The two sisters had a bad relationship. If Ming Fei dug a pit, her Young Madam would fall headfirst into it and never be able to climb out.

"I’ve fallen to such a state that the difference between us is like that between the clouds and the mud. With her personality, she wouldn’t even notice an ant like me. She’s only giving me a little something now because she has a use for me, expecting me to risk my life for her," Song Qinghan said. As she recalled what Song Yunzhao had written in the letter, a chill spread from the depths of her heart.

’I don’t know how Xu Mingying offended her to deserve being plotted against like this.’

However, Song Qinghan’s relationship with Xu Mingying was terrible anyway. ’Back when Yan Liu was still alive, Xu Mingying was far closer to Yan Liu than to me, her own third sister-in-law. The very thought of it disgusts me.’

"Go send a message to the Marquis Mansion. Say that I wish to pay my respects to Mother and ask if she is available." Having found her place in this new scheme, Song Qinghan’s psychological barriers vanished.

’My life has become a quagmire. I gave up on competing with Song Yunzhao long ago. Right now, I just want to put Xu Anxing in his place.’

’Anyway, Song Yunzhao and I can never be good sisters. She’s giving me benefits, and I’ll do the work for her. As long as I get something out of it, that’s all that matters.’

Marchioness Wu Xin had no desire to see her daughter-in-law, Song Qinghan, and rejected her request outright.

Song Qinghan was not surprised at all. She sent Hanshao on another trip, this time to spread the news that Song Yunzhao had entrusted her with the business in Guangning Prefecture, making sure the entire Marquis Mansion heard about it.

This time, her "good" mother-in-law was willing to see her.

Song Qinghan meticulously applied her makeup in front of the mirror and changed into a set of bright, fresh clothes. ’Looking at my own haggard reflection... I’ve really been living a life neither human nor ghost these past few years.’

’Anyway, if I’m having a hard time, my "good" mother-in-law and "good" sister-in-law shouldn’t expect to have an easy time either.’

Not long after Song Qinghan arrived at the Marquis Wuxin Mansion, Marchioness Wu Xin had someone summon Xu Anxing back home. The next day, the Marchioness gave the couple one of the shops under her name—yes, she let Song Qinghan take over its management.

Song Qinghan was quite pleased to get the shop. ’*Tsk*, Ming Fei’s influence really is immense.’

’It was worth bowing my head for once to get benefits like this.’

Xu Anxing did not return to his own home that night. Marchioness Wu Xin kept him there and gave him a harsh scolding, the first time she had ever been so strict with her son.

’Such a great opportunity! Of course my son has to seize it.’

’Look at the Yue and Yang Families—now their younger generations can socialize with the Eldest Prince. Speaking of which, my eldest grandson is old enough, too, but the children of our family don’t get the chance. And whose fault is that? It’s because our relationship with Ming Fei is poor.’

Now that they had this chance, Marchioness Wu Xin felt she had to kick some sense into her troublesome son, even if she had to do it literally.

’What do past grievances matter? Ming Fei has already made peace with Song Qinghan, so our own minor issues are even less significant.’

Marchioness Wu Xin knew her son’s weak spot and laid it out plainly. "Your wife cannot show her face in public. The Guangning Prefecture business has fallen into her hands. If she just loosens her lips a little, can’t it be handed over to you? With such a profitable business in your grasp, will you ever be short on silver again? In any case, from this day forward, don’t even think about getting a single cent from me. If you don’t want to do this, then you can spend the rest of your life living at the mercy of your wife’s moods."

Xu Anxing felt as if the sky had fallen. ’This is my own dear mother, all right.’

"You want me to bow my head to her? You might as well just kill me! Mother, she’s the one who caused Yan Liu’s death!" Xu Anxing said furiously.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Yan Liu took her own life. What does that have to do with your wife? Besides, she was just a concubine who grew insolent when she gained favor, with no sense of her place. She brought her fate upon herself. I advised you back then to be more restrained, but you wouldn’t listen. That little wench was no angel either. She has only herself to blame for how she ended up," Marchioness Wu Xin retorted angrily.

Xu Anxing was dumbfounded. "Mother, how can you say that?"

’Back then, if his own mother hadn’t instructed Yan Liu to oppose Song Qinghan, would she have ever been so bold in the first place?’

But Xu Anxing couldn’t point out his mother’s fault. He held it in, his face turning from pale to dark, his expression momentarily savage.

Marchioness Wu Xin pretended not to notice and said slowly to her son, "The family assets have already been divided. I can’t keep subsidizing you forever. In the future, I will be relying on your elder brother and sister-in-law for my retirement. If you stand on your own two feet now, your brother and sister-in-law will think more highly of you. You can’t be looked down upon your whole life. Besides, Song Qinghan is your wife. What’s wrong with bowing your head to your own wife? Once you have the Guangning Prefecture business firmly in your grasp, won’t it be easy for you to control her then?"

Xu Anxing didn’t want to bow his head.

Marchioness Wu Xin added, "When your wife gives birth to a legitimate son, you’ll need money if you want to take on concubines. Don’t expect me to pay for them; I can’t afford that kind of embarrassment. Once you have money, what kind of Beauty can’t you find? You could have your pick of ten Yan Lius."

Furious, Xu Anxing flung the door curtain aside and stormed out.

Marchioness Wu Xin’s brow furrowed. Song Qinghan had said she wanted to go to the temple to burn incense, wishing to pray to Buddha for the early birth of a legitimate son. The Marchioness never used to care about such things, but things were different now. ℯℯ𝑙.

She thought of her daughter at the Imperial Awakening Temple. If Song Qinghan could also improve her relationship with her daughter, perhaps when her daughter returned to the palace, Ming Fei might show them some favor as well.

It would be even better if it led to a recommendation before the Emperor. At this thought, she had someone send a message to Song Qinghan, saying she would take her to the Imperial Awakening Temple to burn incense.