The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 23 - Teaching the Wife

The First Lady came to report to Old Lady Song about the arrangements to invite the Cui family back in a few days, and hesitantly asked, "But I'm not sure who to invite as companions..."

It was truly difficult to find someone who could connect with both the Song family and the Cui family. She had discussed this with Old Master Song for several days, but no one could suggest a suitable candidate, which really troubled her.

Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, Old Lady Song noted that the previous misunderstandings had gradually faded. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Isn't your brother still in the capital these days? Why not send him an invitation? Besides, the King of Zhennan will be coming that day, so you will have companions already."

Recently, the family had grown closer to the King of Zhennan's household. The First Lady was somewhat surprised by the reasons behind this, but since the King of Zhennan's family had previously been connected with their own, she didn't continue to question it. Instead, she started to worry about her own brother. She had ultimately told the Li family about sending Song Chuyi out as a scapegoat, which led the Li family to specifically send her elder brother, Li Yuanwang, to the capital to apologize. (This is not the same Li Family of the deceased Li Shi)

Although the Li family had gradually lost their influence in the court, many of the younger generations were still preparing to enter officialdom. They held their family values in high regard. When Li Yuanwang heard about this matter, he was furious, as if a Buddha had descended and then entered nirvana, pointing at her and asking if she had forgotten their parents' teachings from over a decade ago...

It was only in these days, considering Old Master Song's standing, that Li Yuanwang's attitude towards her had softened somewhat, so that he didn't treat her with disdain every time he saw her.

The First Lady sighed, burying her worries deep in her heart. She nodded and asked Old Lady Song, "As the New Year approaches, my sister-in-law can no longer be running back and forth. Since she is living at home now, why not let her manage some affairs like before? It might help alleviate her daily sadness over the Fourth girl..."

Old Lady Song felt heavy in her heart as well. Among the four daughters-in-law, only Fifth Lady Wang Jinsi came from a prestigious family, but she had been spoiled by Empress Dowager Rongxian. The other three were all of common origin... Back in the reign of Emperor Chenghua, the atmosphere had been extremely tense; otherwise, it would have been better to find someone of equal status to marry, so that they wouldn't all be so short-sighted, raising their children to turn out poorly.

She took off her headband, rubbed her temples, and after careful thought, nodded, "That's good; it will save her from crying all day long."

After pausing, she looked at the First Lady with an unusual seriousness. After a self-deprecating smile, she admonished her, "How many years have you all been married? The children are now of marrying age, yet each of you is still like a clumsy cat, unable to stand straight or walk properly. Once I and your father are no longer around, what do you plan to do?"

The First Lady's face turned pale at these words. She hurriedly stood up, saying she didn't dare, her hands trembling slightly from nervousness. In these days, she had come to understand many things. For instance, she had always thought her daughter, being a noble consort, would be secure as long as she was safe, and her own position in the Song family would remain prosperous. However, the situation with Empress Dowager Rongxian completely shattered that notion—without the Song family as a formidable backing, Noble Consort Song would likely have been reduced to nothing long ago. The incident with the Yun family was the best proof of that.

She bit her lip, holding onto Old Lady Song's hand, nearly crying out, "Mother, it's my fault... In the future, I will remember your teachings and never dare again... Please don't speak of such things..."

Old Master Song and Old Lady Song, as the leaders of the Song family, could always smoothly navigate through storms and knew where to go, which was far better than her, who only looked at the small road in front of her. She was accustomed to relying on the support of a big tree to enjoy the shade. Hearing Old Lady Song's words now made her think of what would happen if Old Master Song and Old Lady Song truly let go. She couldn't even bear to think deeply about it...

Throughout history, those in high positions often met unfortunate ends. Since the reign of Emperor Chenghua, seven chief ministers had died, and only one had survived, ending up with a shattered family. The saying goes, "The higher you stand, the harder you fall." They had merely fallen victim to court intrigues, but her own daughter was still in the palace, making it even less likely for them to escape. If they were once caught in that whirlpool, it would lead to a point of no return...

Old Lady Song supported her hand to help her stand, noticing she was quite frightened, and her voice softened considerably, "I don't mean to blame you; it was just a moment of feeling. You haven't experienced the bloody storms of the Chenghua reign. At that time, your grandfather's elder brother... was also in charge of the Imperial Guards..." She sighed, placing her palm on the back of the First Lady's hand and patting it, "Perhaps you won't like to hear this, but it was precisely because of that that your grandfather sought to marry you to become the matriarch of our Song family... Among you all, aside from Tingting and the fifth one, which of you isn't from an ordinary background? But I'm not afraid to tell you, I have never been dissatisfied with you for that reason. It's just this time; you really made me very angry..."

The First Lady, forcing back her tears that were about to spill, hurriedly nodded, "This matter is the fault of the daughter-in-law..."

"No matter when, you must remember that you are the matriarch of the Song family. Although the eldest son is currently only holding a position in the Ministry of Rites, that's because his father is putting pressure on him. It's not that he lacks ambition; he is a proper Jinshi graduate and will rise in the future. If you hold him back from behind, you might drag him and the Song family down together at any time," Old Lady Song patiently explained to her. "In marriage, partners should discuss matters openly; you mustn't act on your own and hide things from each other. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, it will be too late to regret it. I've been with your father-in-law for many years without ever raising my voice or arguing. It's not because I serve him well or willingly act as a yes-woman, but because I respect him, and he respects me. When problems arise, we first consider our own issues instead of blindly blaming each other or shifting all the responsibility onto others just to seek our own comfort. In the past, I was negligent, thinking you would gradually understand many things on your own, but I forgot that every matter involves you, and you need to learn alongside me. From now on, put in more effort and learn from this old woman."

Overjoyed, the First Lady nodded vigorously, almost to the point of tears.

Old Lady Song called for Yushu and others to come in to help the First Lady freshen up while instructing her, "Afterward, also try to guide your sister-in-law a bit. I really can't communicate clearly with her... Before I even start talking, she's already in tears... It's quite a headache. You two are sisters-in-law after all; you probably have more to say to her than I do as her mother-in-law."