Lady Wen's face instantly turned ugly.
She tightened her face and glared angrily at Song Zhaoyang. "I won't stop you from moving to the mansion bestowed by the emperor. But don't forget that Chu Cheng is the eldest legitimate son of the Xue family. The Xue Mansion is his home!"
Song Zhaoyang leaned back in her chair and calmly nodded.
"Mother, you're right. Inheriting the Xue Mansion is the responsibility of our eldest branch. After you pass away, when we divide the family property with the second brother, according to the rules, their branch will have to move out."
As soon as these words were spoken, Lady Wen and Lady Xiao Wen were stunned.
Lady Xiao Wen got anxious.
They had come to persuade Song Zhaoyang to return to the mansion. How did the conversation suddenly turn to family division and them having to move out of the Xue Mansion?
Wasn't this a death sentence for their second branch?
Lady Xiao Wen kept winking at Lady Wen.
Lady Wen frowned and said unhappily, "You're just waiting for me to die?"
Song Zhaoyang said innocently, "Mother, I didn't say that."
Lady Wen glared at her. "Then why did you bring up the matter of family division?"
Song Zhaoyang sighed. "Wasn't it you who brought it up first? You said that this Xue Mansion belongs to our marquis. According to the rules, one day when the family divides, won't the second brother have to move out?"
Lady Wen was suddenly at a loss for words. She found that Lady Song was becoming more and more disobedient to her.
Could it be that the premature birth incident had made Lady Song hold a grudge against her and she was no longer as obedient as before?
This wouldn't do!
If she couldn't control Song Zhaoyang anymore, it would be her and her son who would suffer.
Lady Wen took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions, and smiled gently.
"You're right, daughter-in-law of the eldest branch."
When Lady Xiao Wen heard Lady Wen's affirmative answer, her face instantly changed. She shouted anxiously, "Mother, you..."
"Shut up!" Lady Wen scolded Lady Xiao Wen and said sternly with a straight face, "Did your sister-in-law say anything wrong? You'll have to move out one day."
Then, she turned to look at Song Zhaoyang and said helplessly, "Daughter-in-law of the eldest branch, I know you were hurt by what happened before. I protected the second branch before because I didn't want the two branches to be in conflict."
"You know that a harmonious family leads to prosperity. Now that the second son has been dismissed from office and is idle at home, while the eldest son is rising in rank, it makes the second son feel unbalanced."
"If we were to compensate you further, their branch would be in a difficult situation."
"But now I think about it. A mistake is a mistake. I shouldn't have favored the second branch and wronged you. That's why I brought Yarong here today to apologize to you and offer a gift."
"Yarong" was Lady Xiao Wen's maiden name.
After Lady Wen finished speaking, she glared at Lady Xiao Wen and said, "Come and apologize to your sister-in-law!"
Seeing this, Lady Xiao Wen felt a pang in her heart.
Why should she apologize!
She had only come to see her daughter!
Now her mother was pushing all the blame onto her.
Lady Xiao Wen was unwilling, but before she could protest, she was intimidated by Lady Wen's warning look.
Lady Wen reminded her, "If you don't apologize, do you want the family to divide?"
Lady Xiao Wen looked at Song Zhaoyang aggrievedly and said, "I'm sorry, sister-in-law. It was my fault that I didn't manage the servants well, which caused you to give birth prematurely. I've already severely punished Concubine Hua and sold her off."
Song Zhaoyang raised her eyebrows and said, "Sister-in-law, how you deal with the people in your house is your business. I can't interfere."
Lady Xiao Wen felt a pang in her heart. She had already compromised, but Song Zhaoyang still wasn't satisfied?
She looked at Lady Wen dejectedly.
Lady Wen glanced at Mingyao.
Mingyao understood and bowed, then left. Soon she came back holding a box.
Lady Wen motioned for Mingyao to open the box. Inside were shiny gold ingots.
Lady Xiao Wen's eyes shrank and her hand unconsciously tightened the handkerchief.
She looked at the gold ingots unwillingly. She didn't expect her mother to have so much private money!
Song Zhaoyang calmly looked at the box and sneered in her heart.
Was Lady Wen finally willing to make a sacrifice?
But this small wooden box was probably just the tip of the iceberg.
Over the years, Lady Wen must have hidden a lot of private silver.
It would be difficult to make Lady Wen spit out all the things she had embezzled at once. She could only do it gradually.
Lady Wen took in the expressions of her two daughters-in-law and thought that her niece was really petty. She would have to train her more so that she could deal with Song Zhaoyang in the future.
She said to Song Zhaoyang, "Daughter-in-law of the eldest branch, you didn't like the things I sent with Mingyao last time. So I've converted them into money as compensation for you."
Hearing Lady Wen's words, Song Zhaoyang's mouth curled up slightly. She stood up and curtsied to Lady Wen. "Then thank you, mother!"
After saying that, she looked at Magpie.
Magpie understood and immediately took the box from Mingyao's hand.
Lady Xiao Wen watched helplessly as the box was taken away by Song Zhaoyang. The handkerchief in her hand almost tore.
This was originally supposed to be hers, but now it had been taken by Song Zhaoyang.
She was so unwilling!
Seeing that Song Zhaoyang had accepted the gold ingots, although Lady Wen felt a bit heartache, compared with the future benefits, these gold ingots were nothing.
She asked gently, "Now that you've accepted the gift, when will you return to the mansion?"
"Mother, did I say I would return to the mansion?" Song Zhaoyang pretended to be confused.
Lady Wen's expression froze.
Lady Xiao Wen said angrily, "Song Zhaoyang, don't push your luck!"
Hearing Lady Xiao Wen's angry words, Song Zhaoyang's expression turned cold.
"Sister-in-law, if you think I'm being excessive, then I don't need this compensation!"
After saying that, she waved her hand, and the wooden box in Magpie's hand was knocked to the ground. The gold ingots scattered all over the place.
Lady Xiao Wen was greatly startled by Song Zhaoyang's sudden action.
Lady Wen was stunned for a moment, then tightened her lips. She turned to look at Lady Xiao Wen, who was scared silly, and cursed in her heart: Good-for-nothing!
She shouted angrily, "Get out!"
Lady Xiao Wen suddenly came to her senses and left the hall with a slightly pale face.
Lady Wen looked at the cold-faced Song Zhaoyang and comforted her, "Daughter-in-law of the eldest branch, Yarong has always been outspoken. Don't take it to heart."
Then, she suddenly coughed and looked weak.
Song Zhaoyang watched Lady Wen's act and twitched the corner of her mouth.
But she deliberately pretended not to see Lady Wen's hypocrisy and stepped forward to support her.
"Mother, are you okay?"
Lady Wen sighed and said, "I'm really old and useless. Since I was hurt by Nanny Shi last time, my health has been getting worse and worse. I don't know when I'll pass away."
There was coldness in Song Zhaoyang's eyes, but her tone was concerned. "Mother, don't say such discouraging words. You'll get better."
Lady Wen gently patted Song Zhaoyang's hand and said, "I can't manage the affairs of the mansion now. I really don't have the strength. You should come back and take back the power to manage the mansion."
Song Zhaoyang advised, "Mother, you can let sister-in-law help you."
"Her?" Lady Wen shook her head and said angrily, "She's impulsive and doesn't think before she speaks. If I give her the power to manage the mansion, the whole mansion will be in chaos! Daughter-in-law of the eldest branch, mother knows you're a good person. I misunderstood you before. Will you come back to the mansion?"
Song Zhaoyang watched Lady Wen speaking nicely to her. She looked like a weasel paying a New Year visit to a chicken.
She deliberately sighed and said, "Mother, it's not impossible for me to come back and manage the mansion again, but I have a condition."