Song Wan looked at Madam Song and smiled faintly with curved lips.

No wonder she hadn’t allowed Heng Zhi and Heng Wu to follow today—she had intended from the start to send her back to the marquis’s residence.

She raised her hand. The maid beside Madam Song quickly stepped forward to assist. Song Wan borrowed the maid’s support to descend from the carriage.

“This old servant pays respects to Madam.”

“I’ve troubled you to make this trip, Nanny. Mother and I still have some words to exchange. Could you wait a moment?”

“Please, Madam.”

Jiang Fu’s wife smiled obsequiously and retreated with the other old women from the marquis’s household, allowing Song Wan to converse properly with Madam Song.

Song Wan held her handkerchief and thought before speaking. “Given Father’s status, the background of the wife he chose to remarry shouldn’t have been as humble as Mother’s. You should know that before Wan’er’s birth mother passed away, she made a request to Father, asking him to select another concubine-born daughter from the Su family to be his second wife.”

“Though it maintained the marriage alliance between the two families, she also valued that the second wife would still share some blood relation with me and elder brother, and would treat us both kindly.”

“Father cherished Wan’er’s birth mother deeply, so he agreed to her proposal.”

Hearing this, Madam Song’s face turned ashen. She pressed her lips tightly together in silence.

“Mother became Father’s second wife because Uncle from the Su family said you were ‘honest and reliable,’ which allowed you to smoothly enter the household.”

“But Uncle probably didn’t expect that when an honest person develops selfish motives, they become a hundred times more troublesome than someone who hides daggers in their smiles.”

Madam Song abruptly raised her head, staring fixedly at Song Wan, yet didn’t dare utter a single word of refutation.

Song Wan’s gaze grew somber, her voice carrying coldness. “Those who hide daggers in their smiles may scheme for themselves, but at least they have brains and can clearly see the situation. But when an honest person develops crooked intentions, apart from being bad, they’re simply stupid.”

“Father cherished Wan’er’s birth mother because she was intelligent. Though she had a mother’s selfish motives, her thoughts and considerations always prioritized the bigger picture.”

“Your natural talents fall far short. Over all these years, being ‘honest’ was your only virtue. Now that you’ve lost even that slight advantage, I wonder how Father will view you in the future.”

Regardless of how Madam Song’s face flushed red and she turned pale with shock, Song Wan continued, “You think the marriage arrangement between the Cui family and Yao’er fell through because of me—that’s utterly laughable.”

“Never mind whether the Cui family knows about my severance with Jiang Xingjian, just considering the current situation, this is not the best time to discuss Yao’er’s marriage.”

Qianbai was disfigured and injured, the Fifth Prince’s legs were completely ruined—any family with even a modicum of wisdom was lying low in the shadows, quietly observing court developments.

Previously, Qianbai’s reputation was outstanding, so the Cui family’s interest in a marriage alliance with the Song household was normal. Their current silence was absolutely not due to concerns about her reputation.

“Although an outside-married daughter making such a spectacle of severing ties with her husband would tarnish the reputations of clan children, Father hasn’t insisted on sending me back to the marquis’s residence. Do you know why?”

Madam Song clutched her handkerchief, looking at Song Wan in fearful bewilderment.

Song Wan smiled faintly, her eyes carrying three parts mockery.

This mother of hers was truly… not very intelligent.

“If the Fifth Prince’s legs remain crippled and court maintains its three-way standoff, then whether I return to the marquis’s residence has no impact. Even if I severed ties with Jiang Xingjian, Father could tell the world that the Song family’s daughter doesn’t bend to personal feelings, that she’s upright and cast off her husband for the clan’s sake.”

If the three-way standoff returned to its previous state of mutual restraint, the Song family only needed to make a public outcry about Jiang Xingjian favoring concubines over his wife, Jiang Man as an imperial consort interfering in court officials’ family affairs, and Jiang Xingjian secretly harming the Third Prince. They could use this to attack Shen Qianshu’s maternal clan for lacking virtue and being unfit for succession.

And she would be the best witness.

Song Wan’s tone was calm and even, as if the matters she spoke of had nothing to do with her.

“If the Fifth Prince recovers and Qianbai completely loses hope, that would be the optimal time to send me back to the marquis’s residence.”

“Of course, Father wouldn’t use today’s petty villain tactics to send me back.”

“At that time, he would certainly renegotiate the marriage with Jiang Xingjian. To preserve the Song household’s dignity, Father would have the marquis’s household hold a grand wedding ceremony for us both, informing the world that the Jiang and Song families are joining forces more strongly than ever.”

“But what Mother did today is truly… extraordinarily stupid.”

Song Wan looked at the now somewhat panicked Madam Song and smiled warmly. “Wan’er takes leave of Mother here. On the road back to the residence, Mother might consider how to appease Father’s anger and atone for your transgressions.”

Having said this, Song Wan curtsied slightly toward Madam Song, turned, and walked toward the marquis’s carriage.

Shen Qianyu, concealed behind a locust tree, revealed admiration in his eyes.

Intelligent people conducting their affairs were truly pleasing to watch.

“Wan’er…”

Madam Song hurried forward anxiously, looking as though she wanted to bring Song Wan back. Who knew Song Wan wouldn’t even turn her head and directly boarded Marquis Chengyang’s carriage.

Jiang Fu’s wife smiled as she followed. The remaining old women boarded the carriage behind, and both carriages headed toward the city.

Shen Qianyu looked around and casually picked up two thick tree branches, carrying them forward.

Carriages for women didn’t travel fast, always prioritizing stability and comfort. When Shen Qianyu ran quickly to catch up with the rear carriage, he directly inserted the thick wood into the wheel spokes.

The passengers inside only heard a clanging sound as the entire carriage toppled sideways.

The carriage was heavy, and when it overturned sideways, it also dragged down the horses pulling it.

Shen Qianyu saw three old women tumble out. Including the driver, there were four people total, whom he knocked unconscious one by one with his stick.

The carriage’s sideways overturn produced a tremendous sound, frightening the old woman driving the front carriage into accelerating.

Shen Qianyu raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised.

He had thought this old woman would get down to investigate…

Tossing the tree branch on the ground, Shen Qianyu dismantled the rope from the carriage shaft, mounted the horse, and pursued ahead.

After catching up with the front carriage, he flicked a willow-leaf blade from his sleeve, embedding it in the horse’s rump. The horse, in pain, violently broke free from its reins and ran off.

The carriage was thrown far away. Shen Qianyu dismounted and walked to the carriage.

“Miss Song?”

Though Song Wan had been thrown about, because Jiang Fu’s wife had protected her, she was neither bruised nor bumped. After recovering her composure, she said softly through the carriage curtain, “Eunuch Ji Rong?”

“Yes. Is Miss Song injured?”

Song Wan gently said she was fine, then lifted the curtain.

Shen Qianyu stood beneath the carriage. Seeing Song Wan’s face, he raised his hand to support her descent.

“Will these old women be alright?”

“Not injured. They won’t die.”

Song Wan nodded and descended from the carriage with his assistance.

Knowing that noble ladies like her valued propriety, Shen Qianyu withdrew his hand and clasped it behind his back. “I’ll escort the young lady back to her residence.”

Just as they were speaking, the two saw the shadow of a horse disappear in the distance.

“…”

“Wait a moment—I’ll go chase down the horse.”

Just as he was preparing to move, Shen Qianyu saw Song Wan press her lips together slightly, as if unwilling for him to leave.

Seeing this, his eyes and brows carried a smile. “Is the young lady afraid?”

Song Wan lowered her head, her gaze downcast without speaking.

She had never been alone in desolate mountains and wilderness before—she was indeed somewhat afraid. Moreover, she didn’t know where that horse had run to. If those old women woke before he found the horse, she didn’t know how she would respond.

Looking down at the soft-soled pearl embroidered shoes on her feet, Song Wan felt slightly vexed.

In this desolate mountain wilderness, even if she tried to run, she couldn’t!