Song Yunzhao looked at Song Jinxuan. "Where did you hear this, Second Sister? Can we trust it?"

"Of course," Song Jinxuan replied. "My personal maid has some ties to one of the junior maids in Mrs. Cai’s courtyard."

Song Yunzhao didn’t press for details. ’It’s a given that Aunt Che would have eyes and ears in Mrs. Cai’s courtyard. After all these years as a favored concubine, she’s established deep roots.’

"I understand," Song Yunzhao said with a nod. Of course, she wasn’t about to mention that she had already gotten Father to suppress the matter. ’We’ve only just begun to cooperate; it’s too early to show my entire hand.’

’Given the character of Aunt Che and her children, I’ll need to keep a close watch on them.’

Having reached an agreement with Song Yunzhao, Song Jinxuan’s mood lightened considerably. Now in the mood for some gossip, she said, "I heard the first branch has been busy preparing Ms. Xi’s wardrobe these past few days. What about you? If Mrs. Cai is the one preparing it, I’m afraid she won’t put much effort into it."

Song Yunzhao wasn’t worried. She looked at Song Jinxuan and said, "With Father around, she has to at least maintain a facade of fairness. The most she can do is secretly give Song Qinghan extra personal Silver to cover her expenses."

At the mention of Silver, Song Jinxuan’s brow furrowed. "Even though my mother helps me out, I haven’t saved much. At most, I can spare twenty taels to help you. Please don’t think it’s too little."

Song Yunzhao gave Song Jinxuan a surprised look. She hadn’t expected her to be willing to part with her personal savings.

’Although Song Jinxuan was a bit wealthier than her, as the daughter of a concubine, she had many more people to bribe and tip, so her expenses were much higher. It couldn’t have been easy for her to save any money.’

"I’ll ask my younger brother later. He should be able to spare some for you too. In any case, you can’t look too shabby compared to Song Qinghan. I made some inquiries—some of the senior matrons in the palace deliberately make things difficult to extort money. It’s always better to have some money on hand."

’She even found out about that,’ Song Yunzhao thought. ’It seems Song Jinxuan really did have her heart set on joining the selection before. I’m surprised she gave up the idea so readily.’

"That won’t be necessary," Song Yunzhao said, refusing directly. "Father will definitely support me. It’s not easy for you to save Silver, so you should keep it." She still had the one hundred taels from the Xie family, and besides, she wasn’t as destitute as Song Jinxuan made her out to be. Her father actually supplemented her allowance quite a bit in private.

It was just that if she wanted an easier life in the mansion, she had to be willing to pave the way with money. She had some savings, but not an abundant amount.

When Song Jinxuan heard she didn’t need to contribute any Silver, she let out a sigh of relief. ’That’s wonderful! I don’t have to part with my precious savings after all.’

Song Yunzhao couldn’t help but chuckle at her shameless relief.

Song Jinxuan: ...

’So what if I’m poor?’

’Is there any daughter of a concubine who isn’t?’

Song Jinxuan left in a huff, and Song Yunzhao didn’t try to stop her.

Meanwhile, Song Qinghan was in her room, listening to Hanshao’s report.

"...The Master went to see the Madam, but I don’t know what they discussed. After he left, the Madam flew into a terrible rage. About an hour later, the First Madam came to speak with her, and the Madam’s expression was still very unpleasant. I haven’t been able to find out what they talked about, but the junior maid who tends the door curtain overheard something about the selection."

Song Qinghan frowned slightly. She had refused to leave her courtyard for the past few days, afraid that people would laugh at her.

’If I had known His Majesty was going to hold a selection, why would I have been in such a rush to go to the Uncle Mansion? And why would I have offended both Song Yexi and Song Jinxuan?’

’Now those two despise me. I wonder if they’ll try to make things difficult for me during the selection.’

’I’m not afraid of Song Jinxuan. She’s just a concubine’s daughter from the third branch; with my mother around, she wouldn’t dare cause any real trouble. But Song Yexi is another matter. We’re paternal cousins, and I have no control over the first branch.’

Song Qinghan couldn’t sit still any longer. She stood up and headed outside.

Hanshao saw this and hurried after her. "Miss, didn’t the Madam tell you to wait a little longer? Perhaps there will be good news tomorrow."

Song Qinghan was not so optimistic. "Father must have come to see Mother because of Yun Zhao. I have to go and find out what’s happening."

Unable to stop her, Hanshao could only follow along.

When Song Qinghan arrived at the main courtyard, it was utterly silent. Even the junior maid who usually tended the curtain under the eaves was nowhere in sight. Her heart skipped a beat. Just then, Yin Zhu emerged from the room and hurried over to greet her.

"Eldest Miss, what brings you here?"

Song Qinghan offered a faint smile. "I came to see Mother. I heard she was in a bad mood."

Yin Zhu glanced back over her shoulder before lowering her voice. "The Madam just finished venting her anger, Eldest Miss. Let me announce you."

Song Qinghan nodded. "Thank you."

Yin Zhu smiled, ducked back inside, and quickly reemerged. "Eldest Miss, the Madam says you may enter."

Song Qinghan nodded as she stepped over the threshold. Once inside, she saw only Nanny Zhao in attendance. Suppressing her unease, she stepped forward to pay her respects. "Mother."

Mrs. Cai mustered her energy to look at her daughter. "Why have you come at this hour? Sit down and talk."

Song Qinghan sat down beside her mother and said softly, "I heard you were in a bad mood, so I came to see you."

Her daughter’s words only made Mrs. Cai’s headache worse. For a moment, she didn’t know how to begin.

Nanny Zhao, watching from the side, took a step forward. "Eldest Miss, I’m afraid the plan to have the Third Miss accompany the Old Madam to the temple to pray for blessings has fallen through."

Hearing this, the hope Song Qinghan had been clinging to vanished, and her heart sank. She looked up at her mother. "Mother, was this Father’s decision?"

Mrs. Cai nodded. "Qing Han, your Eldest Uncle sent a letter. He wants Ye Xi and Yun Zhao to join you in the selection."

"But we’ve already split the household! How can Eldest Uncle still meddle in the affairs of our branch?" Song Qinghan said resentfully.

"What kind of talk is that? Even though we’ve split, he is still your father’s biological older brother," Mrs. Cai said, looking at her daughter. "This matter is set in stone. You need to accept it. With Yun Zhao’s personality, having her beside you will only serve to highlight her arrogance. That’s actually a good thing for you."

Song Qinghan frowned. ’Things might not be that simple,’ she thought. ’Since Mother’s plan won’t work, I’ll have to find a solution myself.’

"You’re right, Mother. I’ll listen to you," Song Qinghan said with a smile, affecting an obedient expression.

Mrs. Cai patted her daughter’s hand lovingly. "Don’t you worry. This time, I’ll give you plenty of extra Silver to take with you to smooth things over. I’ve already asked your maternal grandmother to make inquiries about palace matters. When the time comes, you can act as you see fit."

Song Qinghan smiled, pressing her lips together. "I’ve troubled you to worry so much for me, Mother. If I am truly fortunate in the future, I will be a dutiful daughter and make sure you share in my good fortune, so you can become a titled lady."

Mrs. Cai was overjoyed to hear this. "Then I will be waiting. My daughter is blessed, and I’m certain I’ll live to see that day."

Song Qinghan stayed and chatted with her mother a while longer before leaving. Upon returning to her own courtyard, she summoned Furong and whispered a few instructions to her.

Furong’s face was troubled. "Eldest Miss, this is quite risky. You must think it through carefully."