Chapter 93
Self-rescue

Although Song Wan had long lost her feelings for Jiang Xingjian, she felt humiliated thinking about how she once admired such a person.

Heng Zhi also understood the situation and felt sorry for her mistress.

“Miss, was all this arranged by the Marquis?”

Song Wan shook her head. “He didn’t even need to arrange anything.”

“Lin Jiayue’s thoughts are shallow, and she never hides her desires. Her emotions are always on display, making her easy to manipulate.”

“Once he knew what she wanted, it was easy to control her by giving her what she desired and then taking it away.”

“Jiang Xingjian knew she loved him and valued the child in her womb, so he forced her to abort the child. If he didn’t harbor resentment, he wouldn’t have wasted such effort.”

Feeling somewhat frustrated, Song Wan continued, “He wants both fame and wealth, so he suppresses her while not wanting her to hate him completely.”

Song Wan instinctively touched her chest.

“Miss, are you feeling unwell?”

“No, I’m going to write a letter to my brother.”

Suppressing her coldness and frustration, Song Wan wrote about Lin Jiayue’s self-induced abortion and added a few lines about the ninth young lady of Duke Ying’s family, Ming Xiang, describing her as an adorable and beautiful person. She also mentioned Ming Xiang’s speech impediment and suggested that Song Fu find some young, kind, and friendly maids to accompany Ming Xiang when she marries into the Song family to ease her fears.

Although Song Wan had other concerns, she didn’t mention them, as she was already married and couldn’t interfere in her family’s affairs.

She sent the letter to Song Fu and received a reply seven or eight days later.

Reading the letter, Song Wan’s eyes reddened.

Song Fu wrote that he had tried to persuade their father to bring her back to the family, but there were still obstacles. He advised Song Wan to take care of herself and stay safe in the Marquis Mansion. He also mentioned that the marriage arrangements with Duke Ying’s family were progressing quickly, likely due to concerns about Song Wan’s situation.

Song Wan felt a mix of sadness and guilt, realizing that her presence had caused trouble for her brother and aunt. She reflected on how she had become a burden to her loved ones, which made her feel even more sorrowful.

“Miss, what did the eldest young master say in his letter?”

Seeing Song Wan’s pale face, Heng Wu hurriedly asked. Song Wan folded the letter and said softly, “My brother said he wants to bring me back to the family.”

Heng Wu blinked, her round eyes wide open. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“To me, it might be a good thing, but it came at the cost of my brother compromising with our father.”

“Enough, talking is useless. Let’s focus on something productive.”

Song Wan asked Heng Wu to bring out a booklet, which she carefully reviewed. It contained records of people who had bought cosmetics from Huan Yan Zhai, mostly noblewomen. Although not detailed, it was enough for her to work with.

“The maidservant of Madam Tan visited Huan Yan Zhai four times in a month. There might be a problem. Could it be lead poisoning?”

“Using white lead powder for a long time can cause dark spots on the skin, which can only be covered by increasing the dosage. Other powders can’t hide these spots. If that’s the case, Huan Yan Zhai must have a problem. The shopkeeper might not dare to speak up, and the Tan family might not want to make it public.”

Song Wan held the account book and said softly, “Last time, Aunt mentioned Huan Yan Zhai in the palace. Someone must have taken it to heart.”

The palace is full of schemers, and someone might have tampered with the cosmetics, waiting for the right moment to act.

“Tomorrow, find someone to spread the word that Consort Jiang is generous and never uses the expensive cosmetics sent to the palace by the Marquis’s residence, giving them all to the servants.”

“Also, find a few women to spread rumors in the streets, saying that their relatives, who work as servants in wealthy households, had problems using the cosmetics given by their masters.”

Song Wan threw the account book into a copper basin to soak. “Let’s see if anyone takes action. If they do, I’ll give them a push. If not, I’ll find someone to approach the Tan family.”

Heng Zhi nodded, but Heng Wu said, “Miss, it’s a tumultuous time. Why not wait for the eldest young master to take you back to the family? Why take such risks and provoke those two heartless people?”

Ever since she learned that Jiang Xingjian had even schemed against Lin Jiayue, Heng Wu couldn’t bring herself to call him “Marquis.”

Those two used to be so affectionate, always talking about being a pair and calling each other by name. How could they turn so vicious in such a short time?

When they first returned to the mansion, he cherished her so much, even stepping on her mistress to please his beloved. How could he suddenly turn against her, wanting her dead?

The more Heng Wu thought about it, the more scared she became. She grabbed Song Wan’s hand. “Miss, I’m afraid he’ll harm you. If he’s so cruel to his beloved, who knows what he’ll do to you?”

“Why don’t we wait for the eldest young master to come and get you? He said it would only be a year or so.”

Song Wan smiled gently. “Silly Heng Wu, even if my brother wants to save me from this pit of fire, I must first reach out for help. Otherwise, I might end up dragging others down with me.”

Seeing Heng Wu nod obediently, Song Wan smiled faintly.

If her brother were confident, he would have told her when and where he would take her back to the family. He wouldn’t have mentioned any obstacles. By informing her this way, he must be uncertain, wanting to reassure her but fearing false hope.

Power is hard to obtain and even harder to maintain. As long as the situation remains unclear and the highest seat in the nine halls is undecided, her father won’t easily offend Jiang Man and the Marquis’s residence.

The world is unpredictable, and the court is full of ups and downs. Who knows if today’s wearer of the purple robe will become tomorrow’s prisoner?

No matter how badly the Marquis’s residence falls, it might still recover.

Song Wan lowered her head, her mouth bitter. She didn’t blame her father for abandoning her. She only worried that her brother would become estranged from their father because of her. If that happened, she would be unfilial and unkind.

“If I can escape this cage on my own, I’ll try not to burden my family. Otherwise, I won’t be at peace.”

Heng Zhi and Heng Wu felt a pang of sadness, and the three of them sighed together.