"I beg Mother to grant my request and allow me to take Yanran as my wife."
"Though Yanran comes from a house of ill repute, she sells her talent, not her body. She is gentle, well-versed in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting; she is in no way inferior to the daughters of prominent families..."
At the head of the room, Yun Feiwan slowly opened her eyes.
The scene before her shifted from a blur into sharp focus.
She looked at Song Jingcheng, who was kneeling on the floor. After hearing his words, which came to her in disjointed snatches, her mind rang with a deafening chime before the realization finally settled in:
She had been reborn.
She was reborn into her thirty-second year.
In this year, because her son Song Jingcheng’s personal maid had secretly given birth to an illegitimate daughter, she had been relegated from First Madam to "Old Madam."
In this year, her relationship with her son had shattered because he insisted on marrying a woman from a brothel.
And she only learned the truth on her deathbed:
The husband who appeared so affectionate to her in public had been committing adultery with her widowed sister-in-law in private. Within this very Song Estate, they had lived like a true couple behind her back and even had a child together.
Worse still, to secure the benefits of her Yun family, they had swapped her biological son for theirs.
The son she had raised at her knee for sixteen years, whom she had taught with all her heart, was actually the child of her husband and her sister-in-law. Once this boy relied on the Yun family’s connections to enter government service, he personally handed her a bowl of poison and set a fire, burning her to death.
She had exhausted her mind and strength for half a lifetime, only to act as a stepping stone for others...
At this moment, Song Jingcheng, still kneeling on the floor, cast a furtive glance at Yun Feiwan as he spoke. Seeing her dazed expression, he felt even more anxious.
Yet, come what may, he was determined to bring Cen Yanran into the estate.
He gritted his teeth, adopting an all-or-nothing attitude.
"I beg Mother to grant my request; otherwise, I will remain kneeling here indefinitely."
Yun Feiwan finally regained her composure.
She cleared her head and saw the situation for what it was, her eyes turning cold and sharp.
She looked at Song Jingcheng, studying him carefully.
Others had long said that they did not look alike, but she had always assumed the son took after the father and never gave it much thought. Now, looking at him, she could see that besides his father, Song Mingjian, he bore traces of his biological mother, Yao Yun'er.
In her past life, she had never entertained such a thought and could not have discovered it, but now that she knew the truth, she saw it at a single glance.
Then there was Song Jingcheng’s character—he had inherited nothing from her.
He was restless, could not endure hardship, lacked responsibility and backbone, and only cared for his own pleasures. In her past life, she had spent all her energy trying to keep him from straying too far.
She had raised him with care for over a decade and had even leveraged her Yun family connections to secure his entry into officialdom.
In return, Song Jingcheng had given her a bowl of poison to send her to her agonizing end, followed by a fire to cover his crimes.
For this ungrateful ingrate, now that she saw him for who he truly was, even after raising him for sixteen years, Yun Feiwan felt not a shred of affection.
In this life, not only would she never scheme for Song Jingcheng again, but she would also settle every debt and grievance.
She looked down at Song Jingcheng, masking her emotions.
"Logically speaking, a woman from a brothel can never enter our doors. I have no reason to agree, but you are the apple of my eye. How could I bear to let you be disappointed?"
Song Jingcheng’s eyes lit up at these words.
He had been pestering her for days, coming to beg every day, and had been prepared to throw caution to the wind and have a falling out. He had not expected his mother to yield.
Yanran was right; he was his mother’s only child, and she would always give in to him regardless of the circumstances.
"Mother, are you serious?" A wave of joy washed over Song Jingcheng’s face, and he stood up directly from the floor.
Yun Feiwan concealed the disgust in her eyes and replied, "Yes. You are my only child, so naturally, I must put you first in all things. However, while I am easy to persuade, I fear you will have to put in some effort with your father."
Song Jingcheng dismissed this, saying, "Mother need not worry. Father has always doted on me and will certainly not object. Father is a reasonable man; as long as I speak with him properly, I believe he will grant my wish."
A cold sneer touched the corner of Yun Feiwan’s mouth.
Indeed, for so many years, they had always played the "good people," leaving all the unpleasant tasks for her.
In Song Jingcheng’s eyes, it was only natural that as long as she agreed, everyone else would be a non-issue.
In her past life, she had fought to the death to keep Cen Yanran from entering the house as his wife, which had led to her and Song Jingcheng becoming bitter enemies.
In the end, her sister-in-law, Yao Yun'er, had stepped in to call the shots, letting Cen Yanran enter as a concubine, for which Song Jingcheng was eternally grateful to Yao Yun'er.
This time, she would not stand in his way. She wanted to see if Yao Yun'er could watch with her own eyes as her biological son married a brothel woman.
Having gotten what he wanted, Song Jingcheng showered her with sweet words before taking his leave.
As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, Nanny Qu, who stood behind Yun Feiwan, spoke in a low voice, her tone filled with worry.
"Is the Madam planning to steady the eldest young master first before finding a better solution?"
Yun Feiwan shook her head. "No, this is exactly what I intended."
"Madam?" Nanny Qu was astonished.
No one knew better than her the expectations Yun Feiwan had held for Song Jingcheng.
Not to mention that a brothel woman becoming the legitimate wife of a Song Estate heir was against all rules, but having such a person by his side would surely cause Song Jingcheng to drown in a life of idle luxury and ruin his future.
Yun Feiwan looked at Nanny Qu, her voice cold and low.
"Nanny Qu, Song Jingcheng is not my child. He is the son of Song Mingjian and Yao Yun'er."
The words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving Nanny Qu stunned and reeling. It took her a long moment to process the information.
"But the First Madam is the Master's own sister-in-law... their child... good heavens..."
Thinking of her own miserable end in her past life, Yun Feiwan gritted her teeth and shared the secrets she knew with Nanny Qu. Nanny Qu was so infuriated she began to curse aloud.
"Whatever the Madam wishes to do, this old servant will follow, even through fire and water. They have gone too far."
As Nanny Qu spoke, tears fell, and she looked at Yun Feiwan with a heart full of sorrow.
Yun Feiwan pressed her left hand against the armrest of her chair, stood up, and looked at Nanny Qu, a sense of warmth rising in her heart.
Nanny Qu was the most loyal soul, devoted entirely to her. In her past life, she had even lost her life for her sake, still worrying about her even at the very end. She was a person she could trust.
"Yao Yun'er has always used me as a shield, hiding behind me to reap the rewards. Where in this world is there such a good bargain?"
"If her son wants to marry a woman from a brothel, let us see if she remains so calm."
"Understood." Nanny Qu wiped away her tears and nodded repeatedly.
"If the First Madam swapped the Madam’s child, then the true eldest young master..."
A look of pain flashed in Yun Feiwan’s eyes. She closed them, and tears spilled out. "He is the son of Concubine Han: Song Yanqing."
"What?" Nanny Qu gasped in shock.
Concubine Han had passed away shortly after giving birth. Yao Yun'er, claiming it was for Yun Feiwan’s own good, had sent that child away to the countryside.
Nanny Qu had heard some news about that child in the past. At the time, she only felt he was a bit pitiful but never did anything about it.
But now, knowing that he was Yun Feiwan’s biological child, tears flowed uncontrollably down her face.
"Madam, Young Master Yanqing, he..."
Yun Feiwan’s eyes turned red.
As the lady of the house, she naturally had little affection for an illegitimate child, but even so, she had always done what was expected of her, never giving anyone a reason to criticize her.
However, an illegitimate son sent to the countryside for over a decade, with Yao Yun'er pulling strings in the shadows to make his life difficult—how could his life have been anything but miserable?
"Nanny Qu, send someone to protect and look after him secretly. Be careful; do not let anyone discover anything."
"Yes, Madam. Would you like to meet... Young Master Yanqing?"
Yun Feiwan shook her head. "It is not yet time."
She was not ready, and she could not show her hand just yet.
All she could do for now was to protect him and ensure his life became a little easier.
"Go and bring me the estate's account books. It is time to settle things properly. All the dowry funds that have been siphoned off through the years must be recovered from the public accounts."
"Yes."
Song Estate, Yulan Courtyard.
Under the veranda, Yao Yun'er was dressed in white, her skirt hem embroidered with large camellias in fine gold thread. The patterns shimmered as she moved, her waist ribbon fluttering, giving her a slender, delicate appearance.
She had refined features and wore light makeup; at a glance, she was a woman of charm and grace.
At this moment, she was elegantly watering the poppies by the wall, every movement befitting a noble lady of the Capital.
Song Mingjian entered the courtyard and saw this beautiful scene. He took a few strides forward, hugged Yao Yun'er from behind, and pulled her waist close.
"Sister-in-law..."