“Hurry and apologize to your sister-in-law!”

As soon as Concubine Zhou entered the room, her eyes reddened as she pushed Jiang Jing forward. Seeing this, Jiang Jing fought back her tears and knelt before Song Wan.

The young girl cried, “It’s Jing’er who was petty and wronged sister-in-law. Please, sister-in-law, be magnanimous and forgive Jing’er this once.”

“That’s right, First Madam. Please don’t hold it against her. A young lady’s marriage prospects are paramount—if she can’t secure a good match, her entire life will be ruined. Please, in your great magnanimity, don’t quibble with a mere child, all right?”

Concubine Zhou’s legs went weak as she moved to kneel, but Heng Wu caught her and pulled her back up.

Heng Wu had a fiery temperament, and these past few days she’d already been holding back until her liver and lungs ached. Today, seeing Lin Jiayue walk in swaying her waist and hips as if nothing had happened, she could no longer contain the rage in her heart.

She raised her voice with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes: “If Third Miss wants to kneel to our mistress, let her kneel—with the mistress’s seniority, Third Miss won’t lose anything by kneeling once. But what is Concubine Zhou doing? You’re at least half an elder to our mistress. Are you trying to give our mistress a reputation for cruelly oppressing her father-in-law’s chamber woman, or are you secretly trying to steal away our mistress’s fortune?”

“Miss Heng Wu speaks too harshly. I have no such intentions.”

Concubine Zhou began crying again.

“Concubine Zhou, please stop crying. Third Sister, please rise as well. I cannot accept this kowtow from you both.”

Song Wan helped them up and had Lv Zhu bring handkerchiefs and brew calming tea for them.

“Is Concubine Lin looking for me about something?”

Lin Jiayue’s lips curved in a shallow smile, though the mirth never reached her eyes.

These past few days, she and Jiang Xingjian had been quarreling fiercely—Jiang Xingjian had even moved out of Xiuyan Pavilion. All because she’d organized a buffet, and he’d given her the cold shoulder for over half a month. She was truly furious.

But furious as she was, she couldn’t let Song Wan take advantage of this opportunity to worm her way in.

“What are you saying, Madam? Imperial Consort Jiang has issued an oral decree for Jiayue to help you manage the Marquis Estate. These past days, Jiayue has been busy with Huanyan Studio matters. Now that Huanyan Studio’s business is thriving, I’ve found time to come share your burden.”

“Jiayue is slow-witted. If I do anything wrong, please don’t hold it against me.”

Heng Wu cast a strange glance at Lin Jiayue but didn’t voice any curses. Her explosive, coal-like temperament managing to restrain itself made Lin Jiayue somewhat puzzled.

“Give Concubine Lin a seat.”

As Lin Jiayue watched Song Wan’s indifferent, unruffled expression, she suddenly had the strange feeling that this person had been waiting for her to come all along.

“Concubine Zhou…”

Looking at Concubine Zhou’s red, swollen eyelids, Song Wan’s tone softened by three degrees: “Third Sister’s marriage arrangement with the Lan family is certainly off. You needn’t be so heartbroken. Nothing was ever confirmed in the first place—just pretend this matter never happened.”

“Ha.”

Lin Jiayue laughed coldly from the side, but unexpectedly, no one in the entire room paid her any attention.

“Can’t First Madam think of another way to help Jing’er? I’ve asked Jing’er—she didn’t really do anything wrong that day. She simply didn’t respond immediately when Madam Lan called to her. If you explain things properly to Madam Lan, with her magnanimity, she won’t hold it against Jing’er.”

Hearing this, Song Wan’s expression grew much lighter. She said faintly, “Then what does Concubine Zhou think I should explain?”

“Just say that Jing’er didn’t hear her that day, or that Jing’er is young and doesn’t know proper etiquette, but has since returned home to study the rules thoroughly…”

“Though the Lan family are merchants, they’re of official lineage. Lan Yunhe, as the clan patriarch’s uncle, holds extremely high seniority—I needn’t elaborate further. Do you think Madam Lan would accept a young lady who only began learning proper etiquette right before her wedding to become her aunt-in-law?”

“He’s just a man she’s never met before. If this marriage falls through, just find another one. Third Sister is a young lady who isn’t ugly—I’ve yet to see any young lady who can’t find a match.”

“Ptui!”

As soon as Lin Jiayue finished speaking, Concubine Zhou spat in her face: “You think all the young ladies under heaven are as shameless as you, lying with men without matchmaker or betrothal? If not for you, you home-wrecker, would my Jing’er be in this situation?”

Concubine Zhou’s eyes were blood-red—she’d cried herself dry these past days: “What kind of person is Young Master Lan? The Lan family has immense wealth. If my Jing’er married in, she’d be the highest-ranking person in the entire Lan household. She’d have no mother-in-law above her, no sisters-in-law below. Even the Lan clan patriarch would have to call my Jing’er ‘Aunt.'”

“Young Master Lan bought a five-courtyard residence at Guangqu Gate years ago, planning to establish his own household after marriage.”

“If Jing’er married in, she’d be a wealthy mistress. Such a blessed fate, and you’ve completely ruined it!”

“You only think about the Lan family’s wealth. Why don’t you consider what kind of person Young Master Lan is? No matter how wealthy he is, if he takes many wives and concubines in the future, Jiang Jing won’t be happy after marrying him!”

“Ptui!”

Concubine Zhou shouted loudly: “The union of yin and yang is the way of heaven and earth. What man in this world doesn’t take concubines? If my Jing’er marries into the Lan family as the principal wife, even if Young Master Lan takes concubines, no one can supplant my Jing’er.”

“I understand now—you must be of lowborn origins and serve as a concubine yourself, so you can’t bear to see my Jing’er become a principal wife. That’s why you’re so malicious, instigating her to lose this marriage. I’ll tear your skin off!”

“You’re insane.”

Lin Jiayue glared at Concubine Zhou, too lazy to bother with this shrew.

Song Wan sipped her tea on the side, paying no mind whatsoever to the farce before her.

Outside Lanting Courtyard’s gates, the commotion was fierce. A matron stood there leading a small maid, her face full of awkwardness, as if she had something to say but didn’t know how to begin.

“Concubine Zheng.”

Heng Zhi called out in greeting. Upon seeing Concubine Zheng, Concubine Zhou immediately fell silent and stood to the side with Jiang Jing.

Concubine Zheng walked in with swaying hips, followed by a small maid wearing a silver hairpin. The little maid appeared timid and quite delicate.

Upon seeing her, Concubine Zhou lost her voice, her heart both angry and anxious at being seen in such an embarrassing state.

Years ago, she had been quite favored by the Old Marquis. If Concubine Zheng hadn’t used schemes to steal away her favor, how would she only have one daughter, Jiang Jing? Thinking of how Concubine Zheng had both sons and daughters, Concubine Zhou felt sourness seeping through her very bones.

“Greetings to First Madam. I’ve come today to trouble First Madam with a matter.”

Song Wan said gently, “Please speak, Concubine Zheng.”

Adjusting the golden hairpin on her head, Concubine Zheng smiled radiantly: “It’s about my son Jiang Ang. He’s ten years old now, and I thought he’s reached the age where someone should be arranged for his chamber. That’s why I selected this clever little maid—I want her to serve as Ang’er’s chamber maid.”

“According to the estate’s rules, anyone elevated to chamber maid or concubine must be registered. I thought I’d mention it to First Madam—whenever you have time, could you help me add this maid’s name to the register?”

Once elevated to chamber maid or concubine, they would receive monthly stipends. As Concubine Zheng spoke, she smiled and handed the little maid’s birth certificate to Song Wan.

Song Wan had just accepted it and was about to nod when Lin Jiayue suddenly shot to her feet with a screech, her voice shrill: “Chamber woman? Concubine?”

She snatched the birth certificate from Song Wan’s hand and carefully calculated the birth date and time written on it, her face turning iron-blue: “Are you all sick? Making a ten-year-old child take a concubine? Marrying him to a thirteen or fourteen-year-old concubine? You’re insane. I don’t agree.”

With that, Lin Jiayue tore the birth certificate in her hands to shreds.