Old Madam Song's heart began to burn with excitement. She suddenly felt that Tangning's misfortune at Yushan was actually a blessing in disguise, as it provided an opportunity to climb up the ranks by associating with Xiao Yan, the eunuch. No matter what he saw in Tangning, the Song family could certainly benefit from it.
Madame Zou, however, wasn’t thinking that far ahead. She was simply envious that Tangning had managed to secure such a fine residence, while they had been in such a state of anxiety for the past few days, yet Tangning seemed to be living in peace.
When the servants of the Tang family led them to the front hall, but Tangning didn't appear, Madame Zou couldn't help but say, "What's wrong with Tangning? Mother has personally come, yet she doesn’t come out to greet us. It's not proper to keep her elders waiting outside like this..."
Jiang Momo, who had just come in with tea, frowned and said, "Madame, our young lady is still recovering from her injuries and must take her medicine daily. The doctor was attending to her when you arrived."
Madame Zou frowned at this, "Didn't they say her injuries were minor, just some scrapes and bruises?"
"Injured by a frightened horse, falling off a cliff—do you think that’s nothing?" Jiang Momo’s face turned cold with anger. "Our princess has said that the young lady’s health is the most important thing. If the two of you can't wait, you can go back first. When the young lady is feeling better, she will naturally visit the Song family to pay her respects to Old Madam."
"You...!" Madame Zou was about to angrily rebuke this old, insolent servant when Song Laofuren interrupted her.
"Enough!" Seeing the darkened expression on Jiang Momo’s face—an old servant she had previously seen in the service of Princess Cheng—Old Madam Song turned her displeasure toward Madame Zou. "You talk too much. Tangning is injured, don't you know that? What harm will it do you to wait a little? If you're too impatient, go outside yourself. Don't say things that might upset Tangning."
She then turned to Jiang Momo with a gentle expression. "Please forgive her, Jiang Momo. She has a sharp tongue, but she cares for Tangning. Tell Tangning not to hurry, and to be thorough with her medication and treatment. We’ll wait here until she’s ready to see us, or we could go to her if that's more convenient. If she’s not feeling well, she shouldn't force herself—she shouldn’t make us worry."
Jiang Momo had originally intended to use this opportunity to send the two away, but Old Madam Song spoke so carefully that she blocked all possible exits, making it clear that she was determined to see Song Tangning. Either Tangning would come out to meet her, or she would go to Tangning herself.
Suppressing her anger, Jiang Momo said coldly, "Then Old Madam and Madame, please wait. The young lady will come soon." She curtseyed and left without another word. Madame Zou, fuming, said, "The people of Princess Cheng's mansion are so arrogant! Do they think they can act so lawlessly just because of the Princess? We are Tangning's elders, and yet they leave us waiting like this. Does she even understand propriety?"
Old Madam Song remained calm. "Your son almost caused her to lose her life, and you tried to push an illegitimate daughter into the second household. What kind of attitude do you expect her to have towards you?"
Madame Zou was stung into silence. "But you are her real grandmother..."
"If I weren't her grandmother, you wouldn't have even set foot inside this door today." Old Madam Song took a sip of tea, recalling the formidable guards outside the gate. "We're here today to bring Tangning back, not to make an enemy of her. Don't forget what happened at court yesterday. Besides, Tangning has been through a lot and needs to vent her frustrations. It's only natural—how could we blame her? Your son acted carelessly, and you have to bear the consequences."
"Our Tangning has always been the cherished daughter of the household. When has she ever suffered such humiliation?"
Madame Zou opened her mouth to protest, but Old Madam Song silenced her with a stern look.
"I warn you, don’t even think about bullying Tangning."
Tangning, supported by a servant, stood outside, listening to Old Madam Song’s words. Even though she had not yet been seen, Old Madam Song was doing everything to appear thoughtful and protective. But Tangning’s eyes were filled with cold sarcasm.
Her grandmother had always been this "loving."
In her previous life, when she returned injured, it was her grandmother who punished Song Jinxiu, scolded Song Shulan, and personally apologized to Princess Cheng on her behalf. She had held her while crying inconsolably, cursing Song Jinxiu, Xie Yin, and Lu Zhinian, and had wept at her bedside every day, claiming she wished she could take her place, as if her grief surpassed even that of Tangning herself.
But later, it was also her grandmother who coldly told her to stop causing trouble, to be content with what she had, and to consider the bigger picture for the Song family, urging her not to jeopardize Song Jinxiu's future over trivial matters.
She had watched as Tangning was confined to that abandoned courtyard, watched as Song Jinxiu and the others humiliated her, helped Song Shulan strip away her mother’s relics bit by bit, helped Song Shulan become a celebrated woman in the capital, concealed Song Shulan’s true parentage, and assisted in her marriage to Lu Zhinian.
Tangning's face turned pale with a deep, stabbing pain, but she quickly suppressed it. When she raised her eyes again, they were cold and detached.
"Grandmother..." Tangning’s leg injury made her walk very slowly. As Hua Wu supported her into the hall, her face appeared pale and gravely wounded.
Madame Zou turned, ready to reprimand her, but was startled by what she saw. Old Madam Song was also taken aback and quickly stepped forward. "Tangning? How did you get so badly hurt?"
Tangning moved slowly. As Old Madam Song approached, she tried to bow in greeting, but her leg buckled, and she nearly collapsed.
Hua Wu cried out in alarm and hurried to support her. "Young lady, your leg is still badly injured. Madam Qin said you shouldn’t strain yourself. Please, sit down..."
"But I haven't yet greeted Grandmother."
"You're so severely injured that Madam Qin has forbidden you from getting out of bed. It’s already a great effort for you to come out and see Old Madam Song. She won't mind such formalities."
Song Laofuren couldn’t help but feel that Hua Wu's words were pointed, as if they were intentionally aimed at her. But with one so anxious and the other so weak, and with Tangning's face as pale as paper and her injuries so severe, Old Madam Song, who had initially intended to assert her authority as a grandmother, didn’t dare say more.
"You're so badly hurt—there’s no need for such formalities. Just sit down," she urged. Seeing Tangning sit weakly, she couldn’t help but say, "If your injuries are this serious, you should have called for us to come in."
"You're my elder, Grandmother. How could I ask you to come to me? If others heard, they’d think I was being unfilial."
"Nonsense."
Old Madam Song lightly scolded her. "As if I don't know whether you're filial or not. Everyone in the household knows you’re the most obedient daughter of the Song family. Grandmother cares about you deeply—you have no idea how worried I’ve been since your injury."
Hearing this, Tangning's eyes filled with tears of gratitude, and she choked out, "I knew you cared for me the most, Grandmother."
"These past few days, I’ve been feeling so unwell, sleeping most of the day. Every time I close my eyes, I dream of falling off that cliff at Yushan. I keep thinking that I’ve already died down there, my face ruined, my legs broken. I scream for Grandmother to save me, but no one answers, and I end up freezing to death in the snow."
"Even though I’ve returned to the capital, I’ve been terrified, afraid that surviving was just a dream. Now that you’re here, Grandmother, I’m truly relieved."
As she spoke of her joy, her eyes welled up with tears, but Old Madam Song's expression grew more and more strained.
The pale, delicate girl before her was using the most affectionate and dependent words to cruelly strip away her façade.
If she truly cared for her, how could she not have known that Tangning hadn’t returned to the city that night?
If she truly cared for her, how could she have delayed coming to see her for days after she narrowly escaped death?
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You can read ahead to chapterr 60 here
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