The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Chapter 823: Chapter 823: Failed to Steal the Chicken, Lost the Rice Instead

A bolt from the blue.

Sending Bai Shuilian’s children to be raised in the main courtyard—isn’t this separating mother and child?

Song Zhiqing’s first thought was that this time it was really over, Bai would probably cry a small lake out.

On the other hand, Lu was stunned but quickly eased her brows.

”Mother, this...” Song Zhiqing was anxious and a bit flustered but quickly calmed down, saying, ”Mother, my sister-in-law is currently pregnant, Lu and my second sister-in-law are also helping manage the household, they are already quite busy. If the fifth child and the others are moved to Plum Garden, won’t that disturb her? She won’t have time to manage them!”

Song Ci glanced over indifferently: ”The Song Mansion has over a hundred servants, are they not meant to assist the master? Naturally, they should help lighten the master’s burdens. The fifth child and the others are about the same age as Yuanyuan, many days it’s eat, sleep, and play. Lu can teach them during her spare time.”

”But...”

”What, you want to register them under the legitimate mother’s name, isn’t that raising their siblings’ status? Having them raised under the legitimate mother’s care is also an elevation, aren’t you pleased? As for Bai, if she’s clever, she’ll naturally know that raising the children in such a place garners more respect.”

Song Ci eyed him and said: ”This is an era where the Great Qing’s rules are enlightened, if it were a dynasty with stricter regulations, where is there the rationale for a concubine to raise the children herself? It is entirely the duty of the legitimate mother. A concubine’s duty is merely to serve the master well.”

Song Zhiqing was terrified, his lips slightly moved.

Song Ci tilted her head slightly: ”Nanny Gong, go personally to Serene Garden to bring the children to Plum Garden and say it’s my instruction. Soon it will be Ghost Festival, have Bai transcribe some volumes of the Rebirth Scripture and Ksitigarbha Sutra for offering at the Ghost Festival.”

”Alright.” Nanny Gong curtsied and walked out, calling Chun Fen inside to serve.

Song Zhiqing looked ashen-faced; having Nanny Gong fetch them made the decision final.

Song Ci looked back at Lu again: ”The fifth child and others are also the Song family’s descendants, as the legitimate mother, you should treat them equally. After all, they are to call you mother.”

To be honest, even Song Ci herself probably couldn’t do this.

But as the family matriarch, she had to say the right things. She couldn’t admit that sending the children over means you can’t treat them like your own, yet you should still be diligent. Their real father is kneeling here, isn’t he?

So the right words must be said, as for how Lu acts, can she really monitor it personally?

She cannot.

Lu replied meekly, ”Mother, your daughter-in-law understands.”

”Since you understand, then withdraw. From now on, I don’t want to see this kind of matter again. If you trouble me again, I’ll inform your father to split you up.” Song Ci said coldly, ”I’m getting old and hope to live a few more years, I don’t want to be angered to death.”

Song Zhiqing and Lu hurriedly apologized and made several promises before leaving.

Walking out onto the porch, Song Zhiqing looked at the gray, bleak sky, his mood matching the gloom, thinking of today’s events, inexplicably feeling like he had shot himself in the foot.

A case of losing a chicken and losing rice.

All thanks to Lu, that shrew, if it weren’t for her fierce actions, how could it have ended this way?

Song Zhiqing turned to look at Lu, but saw she had already walked out of Chunhui Hall’s courtyard, her back looking particularly desolate.

Song Zhiqing hesitated for a moment, rubbed his brow, and quickly walked out of the courtyard, he still had to rush to Serene Garden to extinguish the fire.