Chapter 360 - 139: High-IQ, High-Quality Female Supporting Character (Part 2)

Chapter 360: Chapter 139: High-IQ, High-Quality Female Supporting Character (Part 2)

"Sister-in-law!" Mrs. Cai’s voice was sharp. "If Ye Xi were in this situation, would you say the same thing?"

"If it were Ye Xi, she never would have agreed to this marriage in the first place. And even if she had, I would have broken her legs."

Mrs. Cai was left speechless.

Song Qinghan bit her lip, not expecting her aunt to be so merciless.

The First Madam turned to Song Qinghan. Seeing the defiance but no regret in her expression, she lowered her gaze slightly and spoke slowly. "Xu Anxing has already declared his intention to divorce you, Qing Han. If you back down and give in this time, Yan Liu will only grow more brazen. Your position as the main wife will be nothing but an empty title, and your life will only get harder."

"Sister-in-law, if they divorce, how will Qing Han ever remarry?" Mrs. Cai disagreed. With Qing Han’s reputation after a divorce, marrying into a good family would be a pipe dream.

The First Madam now understood the mother and daughter’s intentions. She stood and looked at them. "It seems you’ve already made your decision. Our Song Family is not to be trifled with, so of course we won’t let this matter be decided by Xu Anxing’s whims alone. However, it’s also impossible to expect him to concede too much."

"Aunt?" Song Qinghan gazed at the First Madam, a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes.

The First Madam looked at Song Qinghan. "If you don’t want a divorce and wish to secure your position, your only choice is to give birth to a legitimate son as soon as possible. As long as you have a son and hold the status of his legitimate mother, the Song Family will have grounds to support you. As for this current incident, getting rid of Yan Liu won’t be easy, but controlling her isn’t difficult. I will negotiate with Marchioness Wu Xin. Regardless of whether Yan Liu’s child is a boy or a girl, both of her children will be brought to you to raise. With the children by your side, you can keep Yan Liu in check and prevent her from causing trouble. However, whether you have the ability to raise two children well—that’s something I can’t help you with."

Of course, Song Qinghan had no desire to raise Yan Liu’s children. The very sight of them would be disgusting and an eyesore. But she knew her aunt’s proposal was the best option available right now.

"Besides that, there is one other method: find a woman who resembles Yan Liu and bring her into the residence. You understand what that means, don’t you?" the First Madam asked, staring at Song Qinghan.

Song Qinghan understood, of course. Her expression flickered, and she finally said, "Aunt, let me think about it."

The First Madam was not surprised. "Take your time." Turning to Mrs. Cai, she said, "Third Sister-in-law, you can’t always have it both ways in this world. You gain something, you lose something. I’ll be taking my leave now."

As soon as the First Madam left, the tension in Song Qinghan’s back eased slightly. She gritted her teeth and said, "Mother, help me find such a person."

Mrs. Cai was taken aback. She turned to her daughter. "You..."

Song Qinghan sneered. "It’s not like I love Xu Anxing. I only care about the title of Third Young Madam Xu. As long as I can crush Yan Liu, I’ll do whatever it takes."

Since her marriage, Xu Anxing had shared her bed only a handful of times, monopolized by Yan Liu in her own chambers. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so easily plotted against.

This time, she had come to a realization. Bearing a legitimate son in the next couple of years would be difficult, so she would crush Yan Liu first and worry about the rest later.

’As if Yan Liu, even after giving birth again, could compete with a fresh young girl!’

Song Qinghan’s decision was of no importance to Song Yunzhao. How she lived her life had nothing to do with her. As long as it didn’t drag her father down, she wouldn’t interfere.

Right now, the most important matter was welcoming the Empress Dowager back to the palace. The Emperor’s procession was about to arrive, and upon receiving the news, Song Yunzhao and the others immediately began their preparations.

Taking out the formal attire of a Concubine, Song Yunzhao carefully applied her makeup in the mirror. She drew her usually upturned eyeliner down just a little, giving her a more dignified look. Paired with the court dress of a Concubine, she no longer resembled the "seductress" others whispered about.

Once Song Yunzhao had finished preparing herself, she let Xiangxue and the others help her dress. She looked at Shizhu and asked, "What hour is it?"

Shizhu immediately replied, "We must leave in half an hour, My Lady."

Song Yunzhao nodded slightly. The three concubines would lead the rest of the harem to welcome the Empress Dowager.

She had just finished getting ready when Lu Zhixue arrived. Seeing Song Yunzhao, she said, "I know this might be a bit forward, but I still wanted to go with you."

Song Yunzhao didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry. ’She knows it’s forward, yet she came anyway. It’s not like I can just throw her out, can I?’

Lu Zhixue glanced at the time, then looked back at Song Yunzhao. "Aren’t you worried?"

"Worried about what?" Song Yunzhao asked in return.

Lu Zhixue was taken aback by the question. She frowned slightly and said, "The entire harem knows the Empress Dowager and the Emperor don’t have a harmonious mother-son relationship. Under these circumstances, shouldn’t you be worried that she might give you a hard time?"