Song Jingcheng tilted his head, wearing an extremely self-righteous expression as he argued with Song Mingjian.
Song Mingjian was shaking with rage. "You unfilial son! Unfilial son!"
He snatched a teacup from the table and hurled it straight at Song Jingcheng, who didn't even bother to dodge, letting the cup smash against him.
Yao Yun'er gasped in horror, rushing forward to stop it. She grabbed Song Jingcheng and barely managed to pull him out of the way. When Song Mingjian reached for a teapot, Yao Yun'er grabbed the other side, and the scene instantly descended into chaos.
Watching this farce with cold detachment, Yun Feiwan raised a hand to her chest, putting on a heartbroken expression and calling out Song Jingcheng's name in a thoroughly performative manner.
Seeing Song Jingcheng stick out his neck to argue further with Song Mingjian, and watching Song Mingjian pick up a stool to smash over Song Jingcheng's head, she stepped forward to pull Song Jingcheng away and glared angrily at Song Mingjian.
"What do you think you're doing? Chenger is your own flesh and blood. If you hurt him, don't blame me for fighting you to the death."
Protecting her young with all the fervor of a mother beast, Yun Feiwan threw out both arms to shield Song Jingcheng behind her.
She was only putting on a show, of course. A little squabble was one thing, but in the heat of the moment, if that stool actually came down and frightened Song Jingcheng, cowed him, or seriously injured him, how could she keep this play going?
Once she had stoked the fire, if the flames grew too high, she had to damp them down and pull them back. Only by doing so could she keep the fire contained within a small area while still maintaining absolute control over its intensity.
She was accustomed to using this method to manage the people around her and run the household. It was a set of rules her mother had taught her back in her maiden days for managing domestic affairs, and after so many years, she wielded it with effortless ease. She simply never imagined she would one day use these tactics on her own husband and son.
Enduring his aches and pains, Song Jingcheng looked at the mother shielding him, his eyes swimming with grateful tears.
"If Father wants to beat someone, he can beat me. He must not hurt Mother."
Though he said this, he made not the slightest move to step back in front.
He knew that his father respected his mother and dared not cross the Yun family. If his mother were truly injured at his father's hands, the scholars under his maternal grandfather would rain down verbal condemnation and make sure his father never knew a moment's peace.
"All these years, whatever Father told me to do, I did. I never dared disobey him in the slightest. This concerns my lifelong happiness, and I simply want to choose someone I love to spend my life with. Why won't Father grant me this? Aside from her humble birth, Yanran is lacking in no other way.
"Grandfather once said that when making friends, one should put aside snobbery of social status, appreciate the other person's good points, and avoid arrogance. Did Grandfather not teach Father this as well...?"
Bolstered by Yun Feiwan's support, Song Jingcheng straightened his spine, every word ringing with absolute confidence.
Hearing these words, Song Mingjian pointed a shaking finger at Song Jingcheng, his face flushed crimson with a surge of fury. He staggered and collapsed.
"Someone come quickly..."
Yao Yun'er started violently and moved to rush forward, but Yun Feiwan beat her to it.
"Husband! Husband, what is wrong with you? Someone come quickly! A doctor, go fetch a doctor at once..."
At her cries, the servants swarmed into the room.
Using the excuse that she needed to keep Song Jingcheng away for fear that Song Mingjian would fly into a rage upon seeing him, Yun Feiwan ordered the servants to carry Song Mingjian off to the study.
Watching the servants carry him away, Yun Feiwan took a step forward, then paused. She turned to Song Jingcheng and said, "Ordinarily, I should be looking after your father right now. But to be honest, in my heart, you are more important than your father. I need to speak with you first."
With that, she called the servants over and gave them detailed instructions before pulling Song Jingcheng down to sit in a chair.
Yun Feiwan glanced around the room, as if only just remembering that Yao Yun'er was still there. She forced a smile to her face.
"I am truly sorry to have made our Eldest Sister-in-law watch such a spectacle."
As she withdrew her gaze, she deliberately glanced at Song Jingcheng. Seeing his tightly furrowed brow and sour expression, her spirits lifted, and she found a bit more patience to deal with Yao Yun'er.
Yao Yun'er appeared somewhat awkwardly restrained. "Second Sister-in-law is being too formal. We are all one family, and there are no two ways about things within a family. I am also a part of the Song Estate, and more than anyone, I wish for the Marquis's Estate to prosper. I truly cannot bear to see Second Brother and Chenger falling out so bitterly.
"My position is humble and my words carry little weight. If your Eldest Brother were still here, I doubt such a thing would ever have happened."
As she spoke, Yao Yun'er glanced at Song Jingcheng, tossing out some self-justifying words while managing to squeeze out two hard-won tears.
Just now, she had listened to Yun Feiwan instruct the servants to look after Song Mingjian, and every single word had sounded utterly sincere, showing genuine care. Naturally, she could not give herself away or let Yun Feiwan discover any flaws.
Yun Feiwan sighed, nodded, and played along with her words.
"Indeed. Third Brother is far away on the frontier, and only my husband holds the reins of the household. He must shoulder everything both inside and out, and he placed high hopes on Chenger. I never expected things to come to this, and it is the last thing I wanted to see.
"Chenger is the child I carried for ten months and raised bit by bit. I want him to do well more than anyone else.
"It's just that now... and with my husband like this... Ah, Eldest Sister-in-law, what do you think should be done about this matter?"
Yao Yun'er's face was a mask of hesitation.
With Song Jingcheng right there beside them, she simply did not dare speak recklessly. After pondering for a good long while, she weighed her words carefully and said to Yun Feiwan, "Chenger is your child, after all. You should have the final say in this."
Yun Feiwan wore a helpless expression as she turned to Song Jingcheng, beginning to urge and exhort him with earnest sincerity:
"Chenger, you must not blame your father for this. To be completely honest, the thought of you marrying a courtesan as your wife is something your mother also finds ten thousand times unpalatable. But because Mother cares about you and does not wish for the bond between mother and son to fracture, she had no choice but to relent.
"If you can use this as motivation to strive for greatness, earn a scholarly title, and make progress in an official career, then it matters little if Mother bears the infamy.
"What I fear most is that you will drown yourself in women, neglect your career, and lose all interest in your studies. That would truly ruin your life..."
Song Jingcheng nodded. "Yes, Mother, your son understands. Everything Mother is doing is for my own good. From now on, your son will certainly study diligently, and together with Yanran, we will be filial to you and never let you down."
Yun Feiwan smiled with gratified tears, reached out to take his hand, and gently patted it. Looking at Song Jingcheng with maternal affection, she said, "If that is the case, then if you wish to marry her, Mother will help you bring her into the family. No matter what outsiders say, Mother accepts it."
"Thank you, Mother. Don't worry, Mother; once Yanran enters the household, you will see her good qualities."
Song Jingcheng looked at Yun Feiwan with deep gratitude, pledging his loyalty and expressing his lofty aspirations.
Beside them, Yao Yun'er felt as though she were sitting on pins and needles.
No. Absolutely not.
No matter what, Song Jingcheng could never marry a courtesan as his wife. Yun Feiwan was shortsighted and only saw what was right in front of her, but she had to plan for Song Jingcheng's long-term future.
If this marriage really went through, Song Jingcheng's official career would undoubtedly be cut short.
Remembering the attitude Song Jingcheng had just shown her, she felt a wave of cowardice. But thinking of her own son's future, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward.
Gathering her courage, Yao Yun'er stood up, interrupting their conversation, and said with a stern expression:
"This matter must absolutely not happen."