After such a scene, my mother lost the mood to continue shopping. She bid farewell to the familiar ladies inside and pulled me away.
Of course, she didn't forget to instruct the shopkeeper to pack up the items Mrs. Song wanted and deliver them to the Song residence.
As we exited, Mrs. Song's carriage was just turning the corner of the long street. "Bad luck," she huffed, "to run into her while out shopping. I should never have come."
"Mother, don't be angry. You won today, didn't you?"
"Won? More than just won! With so many people in the shop, who knows how Han Shi's words will be twisted and used. Your Uncle Song will likely be impeached. Tsk, tsk, she's in for a tough time in the days to come." My mother, who had just complained about bad luck, was instantly beaming.
I quickly urged her to calm down.
But she wouldn't: "Why should I? My enemy is in trouble, can't I be happy? Come, let's go to Zui Xiang Lou for roast chicken to celebrate properly."
"But Mother, haven't you forgotten what the Abbot said? We have to eat vegetarian for the next few days."
"Alright, we'll save this for later. Once your brother finishes his exams, the whole family will eat together."
Just for this, my brother was definitely born of the same parents.
I breathed a sigh of relief, "Mother, I thought Mrs. Song usually had good sense. Why does she lose her head whenever she encounters you?"
"Jealousy can make anyone lose their composure. Tsk, winning too easily, there's no thrill in it."
"...For Uncle Song's sake, can't you just not bother with her?"
"Pah! Song Ming still has to call me 'Master.' If she weren't respectful to me for Song Ming's sake, she still expects me to yield to her? Where is the respect? Still, today's outcome is quite good. Originally, I just wanted to bid against her to make her spend more. I didn't expect her to be so aggressive, not minding the occasion, and blurting out anything. Just watch, this time not only will Song Shuxian be out of the running for Crown Princess, but any reputable family in the capital will be hesitant to marry into her family for a while."
"Surely not. Her Majesty the Empress is benevolent; she wouldn't take such a remark to heart?"
"Her Majesty the Empress might not, but His Majesty will. The one His Majesty cherishes is being called out for her low birth. Tsk, I really wonder what she's thinking all day. If you really trace back, she was just the daughter of a sixth-rank official back then. Besides, the Empress's low status is due to her adoptive family; her birth father holds a noble title."
Thinking of the Emperor and Empress's daily interactions, I wholeheartedly agreed with my mother's statement.
Even if Uncle Song gained favor again, he would likely suffer some hardship.
Uncle Song treated me well, but my mother clearly didn't think it a big deal for Song Shu to suffer a little. To stop her from gloating, I quickly pulled her to a rouge shop. My mother was reluctant, "Can't we just buy rouge at Xiang Dai Ge?"
Xiang Dai Ge was also an enterprise of Her Majesty the Empress.
I cajoled her, "Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win every battle. Let's just see what other shops are selling."
"Whatever they sell, it's not as good as the products at Xiang Dai Ge."
Me...
Rumors in the capital always spread with astonishing speed. By the time my mother and I finished shopping and returned home, news of my mother and Mrs. Song competing for finery was already common knowledge.
Of course, the fact that Mrs. Song, the wife of the Grand Justice, looked down on a merchant's daughter's background had also spread.
Inevitably, the Empress's background was dragged into it.
"Miss Song is indeed well-mannered, but it's a pity she has such a mother. After today's spectacle, her chances of becoming Crown Princess are likely gone."
"The Wang family's daughter will probably be implicated too. Originally, with the Crown Prince's favor, she might have become a secondary consort, but now at most a Liangdi."
"Being a Liangdi isn't bad. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, she'll at least gain a consort title."
"Serving with beauty, favor can't last long. His Majesty is in his prime. By the time the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he'll have long forgotten the Wang girl."
"That's not certain. Look at His Majesty; he's been devoted to the Empress alone for so many years. Royal families, they often produce devoted lovers."
"If you say the Second Prince takes after his father as a devoted lover, I might believe it, but the Crown Prince isn't quite like His Majesty."
"They say fathers like children who resemble them the most. Do you think there will be a day when the Crown Prince loses favor?"
"Who knows? His Majesty is still so young; he might live for several more decades. Who can say what will happen decades from now."