Chapter 156: Song Ci Lectures His Daughter-in-Law

Old Madam Song rejected Madam Song’s suggestion.

Dowager Empress Wang had summoned only her. Why take her granddaughter along? Besides, what kind of place was the imperial palace? What if something went amiss in there? How could she answer to her shrewd eldest son?

Furthermore, their Song family had no intention of sending their daughters into the imperial family, so what was the point of parading the girl before them? What kind of misconception would that give people?

Old Madam Song dismissed her attendants, leaving only Madam Song in the room to speak.

"Didn't Dalang talk to you? As for Qier's marriage, let alone marrying into the imperial family—"

A blush crept onto Madam Song’s face. "He did mention it. Mother, I didn't mean to parade Qier in front of those princes; I simply wanted her to pay her respects to the Dowager Empress."

"And what good would paying respects do? Could it be that you think the weight of the Prime Minister's second daughter's status isn't enough? Not enough to secure a good match?" Old Madam Song's tone suddenly turned sharp.

Seeing her mother-in-law suddenly grow stern and sharp, Madam Song felt her heart tighten, as if she had been instantly transported back to the days of being dominated by her mother-in-law in the past.

She sank to her knees and said, "Mother, that is not what I meant."

"Then what is it? You wanted the second girl to make a presence before the Dowager Empress. If not for her marriage prospects, what was it for?" Old Madam Song said coolly, "Madam Gu, the Prime Minister's estate is of high standing now, and you and I both know what that relies on. We owe much to the Emperor's grace and the Dowager Empress's favor. The more this is the case, the more we must know our boundaries. We cannot let our favored status breed arrogance, can we?"

Madam Song was reprimanded until her face turned crimson, her lips trembling. "Mother..."

"You have managed reasonably well all these years. How is it that upon reaching this position, you've grown somewhat muddled? Or have you been so provoked by those girls—what were their names, Osmanthus and Hibiscus?—that you've lost your senses?"

"Mother, I was merely concerned for Qier's marriage prospects. I thought that if she caught the Dowager Empress's eye and pleased Her Majesty, even just a word of praise or a few pointers would benefit Qier endlessly in the future," Madam Song argued with a flushed face.

"Your anxiety stems from your care, but given Qier's status, would her marriage ever be difficult? There are plenty of talented young men for you to choose from. As for parading her before the Dowager Empress, it is true you had your own selfish motives, but you ought to know what kind of place the palace is, and that our Prime Minister's estate is currently under the close scrutiny of many. If you take the second girl into the palace, won't others let their imaginations run wild?"

"This..."

"To retreat ten thousand steps, even if others wouldn't let their imaginations run wild, is taking her into the palace without an imperial decree something we ought to do? That is the Dowager Empress, not some relative of yours, and the palace is not just the garden of some noble estate where you can bring whomever you please. I thought you understood that well."

"Mother, your daughter-in-law—your daughter-in-law was wrong." Madam Song was reprimanded so severely she felt she had nowhere to hide her shame.

Old Madam Song sighed and said, "Get up. Don't let the maids see and think I've done something to you."

Overwhelmed with shame, Madam Song murmured, "It is entirely right for my mother-in-law to discipline her daughter-in-law."

Though she said this, inside she was dying of mortification.

How long had it been since she was last reprimanded?

"Madam Gu, as things stand for the Prime Minister's estate now, keeping a low profile in all matters is never a mistake," Old Madam Song said. "I know you have felt wronged for many years, and now that you have tasted success overnight, you no longer wish to endure humiliation. That is human nature, and I do not blame you. But you must also consider whether the Prime Minister's estate is as secure as Mount Tai. Your husband has only just stepped into this position; he has not been entrenched in it for years. If I must be blunt, Dalang's position is not even as stable as Prime Minister Fan's. That man is a true, veteran chancellor of many years, wielding power that shakes the court and the country."

Madam Song was shaken to her core.