At this hour, the dawn light was dim, but the commoners passing by the Marquis of Yongan's Estate witnessed the scene and began to whisper among themselves.
Seeing this, the expressions of the Marquis of Yongan and the Marchioness, Lady Bai, gradually turned ashen.
Although Song Yunqing was not of the Marquis’s true bloodline, she had been raised in the estate for over a decade. She had earned a good reputation for her devotion to the Old Marquis during his final days, and she was already betrothed to His Highness Prince Ning. Reason and duty dictated that the Marquis’s estate could not abandon her, nor could they afford to let others gossip that they had cast aside a daughter they had raised for fifteen years simply because they had found their biological one.
After fifteen years of living under the same roof, it wasn't just a person; even a dog would have developed an attachment.
"Of course not!"
Lady Bai spoke immediately, her tone firm and decisive. "Mother would never despise you! And I would never drive you out of the estate! That girl Jinxiu must have been instigated by someone to drive a wedge between us mother and daughter, which is why she dared to say such things! Someone, come! Sell Jinxiu off at once; we will not allow such a person to remain in our household!"
"Mother... Mother!"
Li Fuyin opened her eyes wide, filled with joyful surprise. "You mean... that Nanny Jinxiu colluding with the servants to oppress me, insulting me with her words, and leaving me hungry day after day was someone else's doing... and it wasn't because you didn't like me?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Marquis of Yongan’s expression darkened instantly.
Song Yunqing was so frail—was it truly because she went hungry every day? Although she was not of their blood, she was still the second young lady of the Marquis’s estate on paper. For the servants to dare to treat her with such neglect was a total lack of discipline!
Song Yunling, who had remained silent until now, frowned slightly upon hearing that the maid had been instigated to bully her. His gaze drifted toward Bai Xiyue.
The servants in the house would not easily bully Song Yunqing without reason. If it was not by their mother’s order, then it could only be...
Noticing Song Yunling’s suspicious glance, Bai Xiyue felt a jolt of anxiety. Almost instinctively, she began to defend herself: "It wasn't me! I... I have always treated Elder Sister as my own, how could I do such a thing..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Bai Xiyue’s expression froze. She bit her lower lip hard, a flicker of vexation crossing her eyes.
Damn it! How could she have said that at a time like this? It was like saying, "There is no silver hidden here!" Anyone who heard this would only be more suspicious that she was the one behind it!
Lady Bai also realized the situation had turned sour and quickly pivoted. "It was all Jinxiu’s own wickedness. Once I have dealt with her harshly, such things will never happen in this house again! Qing'er, don't let your imagination run wild. There, there, let's stop talking about this. Mother will take you into the palace!"
With that, Lady Bai hurriedly dragged Li Fuyin toward the carriage, without a single glance back at the awkward-looking Bai Xiyue.
...
The two carriages from the Marquis’s estate set off toward the palace. The atmosphere inside the first carriage, occupied by the Marquis of Yongan and Song Yunling, was somewhat stifling.
"Father, do not forget that the one betrothed to His Highness Prince Ning is Qing'er," Song Yunling said suddenly.
The Marquis of Yongan asked, puzzled, "Why do you bring this up now?"
Song Yunling replied, "Father has repeatedly arranged for Yuer to meet His Highness Prince Ning in private, and Mother always brings only Yuer to banquets. It seems you and Mother have completely forgotten the instructions the grandfather gave on his deathbed."
The Marquis of Yongan seemed to recall something, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face, yet his tone remained stubborn. "Qing'er has a dull personality and is not very likable. You can see it yourself—His Highness Prince Ning clearly favors Yuer more. Yuer is clever, proper, cheerful, and talented. Furthermore, she is of our true bloodline; she is naturally closer to us. As for Qing'er, I have raised her for fifteen years and will certainly not treat her poorly... If she behaves and listens, I will surely find her a good match!"
"But this betrothal was secured by Grandfather using his life-saving favor to His Highness Prince Ning for Qing'er. When Grandfather was dying, Father, you knelt by his bed and swore that regardless of blood ties, you would treat Qing'er as your own daughter, never mistreat her, never show favoritism, and that her name was even inscribed in the family genealogy... How is it that Grandfather has been gone for less than half a year, and you and Mother have already begun to mistreat her?"
As Song Yunling spoke, he recalled the wretched sight of the Old Marquis on his deathbed, his brow furrowing with pity.
The Marquis of Yongan’s estate had been earned by the Old Marquis through decades of fighting on the battlefield. Yet, when he fell, the only person by his side in that vast estate was a granddaughter with no blood ties, and it seemed no one had truly taken his last wishes to heart.
The Marquis of Yongan was silent for a moment before snapping in defensive shame, "Who mistreated her? When would I have the time to deal with trivial domestic matters! If Song Yunqing had the ability to earn the Prince’s favor, I would have nothing more to say... And you, I never saw you care much about her before. Why are you suddenly speaking up for her now?"
To this, Song Yunling had no reply.
In the past, he had indeed disliked Song Yunqing, for she was dull, timid, and cowardly, afraid to speak more than a few words to him, only daring to secretly offer him subpar snacks and trinkets.
But yesterday, when she fainted in the palace and he carried her to the carriage, he was startled to realize that the girl raised by the Marquis’s estate was so frail—as light as a cloud, as if she might drift away at any moment.
Having just heard her say she went hungry every day, he felt a pang of guilt and could not help but speak up for her.
Meanwhile, in the other carriage:
As soon as she entered, Bai Xiyue threw herself into Lady Bai’s arms and wept, "Mother, you must believe me. I never thought of opposing Sister... Sister treats me so well, how could I ever do such a thing... I wouldn't dream of it, and I despise the very thought!"
"Yuer, don't cry, Mother believes you, of course!"
Lady Bai hugged Bai Xiyue with heartfelt pity, her eyes filled with maternal affection, soothing her repeatedly. "Our Yuer is so kind, how could you do such a thing? There, there, don't shed tears over such a small matter; it’s not worth it, you know? Don't let your eyes get puffy; we still have to see the Emperor shortly..."
Inside the carriage, away from prying eyes, Lady Bai did not spare another glance for Li Fuyin, pouring all her attention onto Bai Xiyue with a tenderness and love that Song Yunqing had never seen in fifteen years.
Seeing this, Li Fuyin felt no emotional disturbance; it was exactly as she had expected. It was merely the body that had belonged to Song Yunqing that made her feel a sense of sorrow.
Song Yunqing had spent her whole life yearning for her mother’s love, only to die without ever receiving a drop of it.
Li Fuyin had lost her mother at birth and had never felt maternal love, but she had never longed for such sentiment. She had grown up in a treacherous deep palace, witnessing too much intrigue and fratricide. The only person she cared for was her twin brother, Li Yuanzhao. To keep him alive, she had schemed and exhausted her heart’s blood to help him seize the throne. To solidify his reign, she had become the cold-blooded, ruthless, and notorious "female demon."
Once a woman who held the power of the empire in her hands, she had long understood that affection was the most inconsequential thing in this world.
Only power was the most useful and the most fascinating thing of all!