You Stole My Husband, So I Seduced Your Son - Chapter 22

The next day, when Baizhi told Song Xuwan about the events at the Annex, Song Xuwan nearly clapped her hands in delight. Her scheme was already showing initial success.

From now on, she planned to visit the Annex every three to five days, ensuring no one there would have an easy time.

In high spirits, Song Xuwan decided to give her daughter, Ningning, a day off. The girl had been cooped up all day practicing the zither and calligraphy, looking utterly listless.

After breakfast, Song Xuwan took Ningning to her maternal home. She sent the girl off to play with her cousins while she went straight to Second Madam Song.

Second Madam Song, who had little to occupy her days, had been visiting her cousin more frequently lately, ever since learning of Song Xuwan’s interest in the Min Family’s affairs.

After listening to a basketful of the Min Family’s private matters, the two women shut themselves in a room and didn’t emerge for hours.

“Little sister,” Second Madam Song said, “I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t asked. The Min Family’s Lady has returned to the Capital. My cousin says she’s staying below Fuyun Temple with her son, who’s preparing for the imperial examinations.”

No one knew this better than Song Xuwan herself, but she feigned surprise. “If the Min Family has someone here, why isn’t she staying at her maternal home?”

“That’s a long story,” Second Madam Song replied.

Second Madam Song gave Song Xuwan a knowing look and whispered, “You wouldn’t believe the chaos in the Min Family. It’s more dramatic than any opera!”

Anticipating the explanation, Song Xuwan leaned in as Second Madam Song began: “The Min Family’s eldest daughter-in-law and my cousin both despise the Min Family’s Lady. If not for their husbands, they’d never speak again. How could they possibly invite Min Rongxue home? I bet she knows her sisters-in-law resent her, which is why she refuses to stay there.”

“Oh? I heard the Min Family had such refined customs. How could they be in such disarray?”

Second Madam Song clicked her tongue and launched into a detailed account:

“It all started when Min Rongxue was still Princess Consort Guangyang. One day, she invited her elder brother over. Prince Guangyang, being a gracious host, got his brother-in-law drunk and let him stay the night. Three months later, Min Rongxue’s personal maid showed up at the Min Family’s door, heavily pregnant and claiming the child was the elder brother’s.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! Have you ever heard of a sister sending a woman to her brother’s bed? Any wife would be furious, let alone the Min Family’s eldest daughter-in-law. The fact that she didn’t storm over to confront them shows remarkable restraint.”

“Such a thing actually happened?” Song Xuwan was genuinely astonished.

“Let me tell you about my cousin,” Second Madam Song continued. “Back then, Min Rongxue claimed to be refined and disdainful of worldly possessions like gold and silver. Yet when she married Prince Guangyang, she insisted on taking the entire Min Family’s fortune as her dowry. Sadly, after Prince Guangyang’s suicide, everything was confiscated by the state, plunging the Min Family into poverty overnight.”

Song Xuwan was even more shocked now. When she married, Old Madam Song had given her half of her dowry, with her two elder brothers dividing the remaining half. She had already thought her sister-in-law was being excessive, but Min Rongxue’s actions were far more ruthless.

Second Madam Song continued, “After Prince Guangyang was arrested and imprisoned, Min Rongxue returned to her family home, weeping and begging Grand Academician Min to secure his release. My foolish cousin then handed over most of her dowry to the Grand Academician for this purpose. But the prince hanged himself anyway, and the dowry was lost.”

“Panicked, my cousin went to Grand Academician Min, demanding to know what to do. The Grand Academician, burdened by guilt toward his daughter-in-law and fearing his family would be implicated by Prince Guangyang’s actions, fell ill and died within days.”

“My cousin’s husband is a muddle-headed fool. He blamed her for driving her father to his death, and they had a terrible fight. By then, my cousin was five months pregnant. Her first two children had been girls, and this third pregnancy was finally a boy, but she miscarried him.”

“Ah!” Song Xuwan gasped, genuinely shocked. “And your cousin?” she asked urgently.

“She was so furious she nearly divorced him on the spot. Fortunately, her husband came to his senses and begged for forgiveness. They’ve been relatively harmonious these past few years and even had two more sons. But they never dare mention Min Rongxue in front of her again.”

No wonder Min Rongxue never returns to her maiden home. After causing so much trouble, her two sisters-in-law probably want to tear her apart.

“That Min Family’s Lady must be consumed by guilt and regret all these years,” Song Xuwan mused.

“As if!” Second Madam Song scoffed. “After being demoted back to Prince Guangyang’s ancestral lands, she still writes to her brothers constantly, begging for money and complaining about how hard life is.”

“Let me tell you, she truly deserved to die.”

“I heard that years ago, Grand Academician Min believed his daughter was a prodigy and was determined to find a talented scholar for her, someone with whom she could share intellectual pursuits. But Min Rongxue rejected several suitors. Then Prince Guangyang came to propose marriage. The Grand Academician, unwilling to let his daughter marry into the imperial family, refused outright. But guess what? Min Rongxue and Prince Guangyang secretly pledged their love to each other.”

“Heavens! A prodigy who’s read so many books would still elope?” Song Xuwan’s jaw dropped in astonishment.

Second Madam Song scoffed repeatedly. “So much for her supposed purity! Deep down, she craved wealth and power. Marrying into the imperial family nearly dragged her entire family to their graves.”

“It just goes to show, you can’t trust someone’s reputation alone!” Song Xuwan exclaimed.

“Exactly! All that reputation is just empty pretense.”

Yet even if her supposed purity was a facade, in Zhou Minghai’s eyes, she remained untainted by worldly concerns, a being untouched by earthly desires.

How could she uncover Min Rongxue’s true nature? Should she send luxurious silks, gold, jade, and jewels as a test?

I’d hate to part with those!

After chatting with her sister-in-law, Song Xuwan bid farewell to Second Madam Song and went to the study to find her second brother, Song Zhili.

“Second Brother, have you found that medicine that renders men infertile?”

“Do you think it’s as easy as buying candied hawthorns on the street?” Song Zhili chuckled.

Sighing, Song Xuwan felt a little discouraged. “You haven’t been too busy to look into it for me, have you?”

“Don’t worry, your brother hasn’t forgotten. It’s just that there are so many quack doctors and charlatans out there. I haven’t found the right one yet.”

“That’s good. I’ll wait for your good news, then.”

After a day of playing at the Song Residence, Ningning returned home still buzzing with excitement, even begging to skip school the next day.

“Mommy, I don’t want to practice the zither anymore! My fingers hurt so much! Can you tell my teacher to stop?”

Seeing her daughter’s fingers swollen from practice, Madam Zhou’s heart ached.

“Alright, let’s take a few days off.”

“Absolutely not!” Zhou Minghai’s stern voice cut through the air.

The curtain swayed as Zhou Minghai strode in, his face dark with displeasure. “How can you abandon your studies halfway through?” he demanded. “With such a weak will, how will you ever accomplish anything?”

“She’s still young, only eight,” Song Xuwan pleaded. “She’ll improve with practice.”

“Eight years old is young?” Zhou Minghai retorted angrily. “What about you? You’re almost twenty-eight. Can you even play the qin?”

Song Xuwan fell silent, unable to defend herself. Having been pampered since childhood, she had never been forced to learn anything she didn’t want to. As a result, she was unskilled in all the traditional arts: music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Her family had only one expectation of her: to be happy. When she chose a husband, they had insisted on a match below her station, ensuring she would never suffer hardship.

Yet, in this one area, Zhou Minghai consistently dominated her, leaving her without a single retort.

Seeing his mother being scolded, Zhou Jingning immediately chimed in, “Father, please don’t blame Mother. It was my fault for being mischievous. I’ll practice the qin tomorrow, I promise.”

Zhou Minghai’s expression softened slightly at this, though he still muttered, “A doting mother spoils her child.”