Chapter 136: Chancellor Song Instructs His Wife

While Madam Song was touched, she was not one to be vague about matters that required clarity, particularly the marriage of her second daughter, which was currently weighing heavily on her mind.

Previously, she could remain calm, as her daughter was still young. But now, with the girl’s coming-of-age ceremony fast approaching and no match yet settled, it was simply improper. Furthermore, the princes’ visit today had set her heart ablaze with new aspirations.

Did the princes' arrival signify that she might have a chance to become the mother-in-law of an imperial prince?

Madam Song took a sip of tea to steady herself and looked at Song Zhiyuan. "My Lord, many ladies asked about Qi’er today. What exactly are your intentions for her? And as for those princes, why did they come here this time?"

Song Zhiyuan set down the gift list and countered, "Do you believe Qi’er is suited to be a prince’s consort?"

Madam Song’s heart skipped a beat. She did not answer immediately, instead observing the expression on Song Zhiyuan’s face.

"Husband," she said, using the intimate term she had used for years, "setting aside whether she is suited or not, she is nearly at the age of maturity. Qi’er may not be as steady as her elder sister, but I long for her to live a life of honor. Even if not a prince, surely it must be some other noble scion? You must give me some indication—how long are we to keep this child at home?"

Song Zhiyuan rubbed his large thumb ring and said, "I have no intention of sending Qi’er into the imperial family. She is not suited for it."

Upon hearing this, the fire in Madam Song’s heart was extinguished as if doused by a basin of ice water.

Why wasn’t she suited? In what way was she lacking?

Whether she was suited or not was not her primary concern; who decreed that a prince’s consort must be perfectly composed and flawless? A prince’s consort relied on status and family background, and her Qi’er certainly possessed those credentials.

Song Zhiyuan had long been tempered by the political arena. He looked at the woman sitting across from him—his wife of nearly twenty years, the person closest to him—and with a single glance, he perceived her resentment and dissatisfaction.

"Madam, if Qi’er were to become an imperial consort, the Song family would inevitably be forced to pick a side. I do not wish for the Song family to be drawn into the succession struggle one day," Song Zhiyuan explained calmly, laying out the pros and cons.

In truth, another man might not have explained himself with such detail to his wife, especially one prone to chauvinism, who would find such explanations beneath him.

But Song Zhiyuan was not like that. He believed the inner chambers and the imperial court were inextricably linked. Many pieces of information filtered out from the inner chambers—often more comprehensive than one might think. After all, men always rested in the inner chambers, and if some pillow talk were to slip out, it was nine times out of ten the truth.

From such pillow talk, one could often glimpse the reality of larger affairs.

Song Zhiyuan understood this, and he would not let Madam Song remain in the dark like a fool. If she focused solely on the trivialities of the inner chambers, she would be more prone to causing trouble.

Furthermore, Song Zhiyuan was satisfied with his wife. They were childhood sweethearts who had weathered storms together, building their life from nothing. Madam Gu had borne his children, managed the household, and cared for his parents; he felt both gratitude and appreciation for her.

Otherwise, were there truly no women more considerate or intelligent than Madam Gu over all these years? There were, but he had never been moved by them. He always remembered how, when she first married into his home, she—the legitimate eldest daughter of a noble marquis—had taken out her own dowry to support the family, ensuring he had no worries at home.

Because of this, Song Zhiyuan always showed a bit more patience and tolerance toward his wife; what she did not understand, he could teach.

What brought him comfort was that although Madam Gu loved to be competitive and prideful, she was never muddled when it came to major issues, and she was capable of listening to reason.

Yet, lately, as her official rank had risen, so had her vanity; she seemed to be drifting off the ground.