The First Madam also chimed in, "My Lord, things have come to this. If Fourth Miss insists she didn't do it, we can't do anything. But are we just going to stand by and watch Third Miss suffer like this? My heart aches just thinking about it!"
With so many people fanning the flames, Song Yuan had no other way out.
Moreover, he had never had any affection for Song Chaoyu. At this moment, he simply smashed a cup to the ground, "Fine! Do you even deserve to be my Song family's daughter? Tomorrow, you will pack your things and return to the manor! My Song family cannot tolerate someone as wicked as you!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Second Concubine's crying subsided considerably, and the First Madam's eyes seemed to relax.
Ignoring the tea splashing onto her from the shattered cup, Song Chaoyu's eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of frost.
She then knelt before Song Yuan, feigning extreme grievance, "Father, if, as Granny Zhao claims, Third Sister was indeed poisoned by Cao Jie Zhi Du, then the poison must have entered through her mouth. This means the poison could not possibly have been administered by me!"
Under the pretense of grievance, her tone was firm, which made Song Yuan pause, "You... why do you say that?"
Song Chaoyu glanced around. She saw the Second Concubine's surprise, the First Madam's stunned silence, and Song Yanjiao's thoughtful expression.
She paused before speaking, "Because what I sent to Third Sister was not plum cake at all!"
Everyone was stunned.
For a moment, in the main hall of Tingfeng Yuan, if a needle were to fall, it would be heard clearly.
"What did you say?!"
The Second Concubine was the first to react, staring at Song Chaoyu in disbelief, "Wasn't the box you sent filled with plum cake? Your maid, Xun Lu, personally delivered it, saying you made it yourself and wanted us to try it."
But after speaking, the Second Concubine realized she had said too much and quickly covered her mouth.
Song Yuan could also tell that the Second Concubine likely had no idea what was in the box!
Song Yanjiao exchanged a look with the First Madam, who appeared somewhat flustered.
Song Yanjiao remained composed and stepped forward to ask Song Chaoyu, "I recall Fourth Sister also sent a box of food to me this morning through your maid Xun Lu. Xun Lu said it contained plum cake you made yourself, and that you also sent some to Eldest Brother and Third Sister. Why does Fourth Sister say it wasn't plum cake?"
Song Chaoyu's expression was somewhat innocent, "It seems Eldest Sister hasn't opened the box yet."
Song Yanjiao smiled faintly, "I... I don't really like sour things. I just had my servants put it in the ice chest, thinking I'd try Fourth Sister's plum cake tomorrow at noon when it's hot and my appetite is poor. It's perfect for whetting the appetite."
"Yes, Third Miss kept clamoring to eat it, and that's how she got poisoned. How could it not be plum cake?"
Although the Second Concubine's eyes were somewhat flustered, she tried to remain calm and looked at Song Chaoyu, "Are you trying to deceive your father here to escape punishment?"
Song Chaoyu tilted her head and stared at the Second Concubine, "If you want to know if the box contained plum cake, why don't you take it out for Father to see?"
Song Yuan extended his hand to the Second Concubine, his heart filled with suspicion, "What is going on? Bring out the box that Fourth Miss sent!"
The Second Concubine inwardly lamented, but could only find an excuse, "That thing made our Third Miss sick, so it was thrown away long ago. Where would we keep it?"
Song Yuan frowned, "Where was it thrown? Have the servants go look for it!"
His tone carried a hint of sharpness, startling the Second Concubine, who shrunk back, on the verge of tears.
Song Yuan then looked at Song Chaoyu, his tone still displeased, "What is going on with you? What exactly was in the box? And why did your maid say it was plum cake?"
Ignoring his displeasure, Song Chaoyu calmly explained, "I initially made plum cakes, thinking of sharing them with everyone. However, when I was giving them away, I remembered that the weather was getting hotter, and plum cakes might spoil if not eaten for a long time. Auntie also said that since I had only entered the manor the day before, plum cakes were a bit too modest. Therefore, I changed the items just before gifting them. I was simply too busy and forgot to tell Xun Lu, which led to her relaying the wrong message!"
Yes, this was a trap.
Song Chaoyu had known from the start that they would set this trap for her. In her previous life, they had thrown the box away without even looking at it. Song Chaoyu had even felt heartbroken afterward, thinking about the plum cakes she had painstakingly made.
This time, her plan wasn't particularly brilliant; it was merely a test. She hadn't expected the Second Concubine and the others to be so foolish as to not even bother opening the box to see what was inside!
This trap was set by Song Chaoyu. If the Second Concubine and the others had been slightly more careful, or had exercised a little restraint in their malice, they would never have fallen into Song Chaoyu's snare.
Unfortunately...
Their sole intention was to make Song Yuan dislike Song Chaoyu and to separate Song Chaoyu from her mother, Concubine Liu, which led them to rush into the trap.
Facing Song Yuan's increasingly furrowed brow, Song Chaoyu's explanation became even more forceful, "What I sent to Eldest Brother was a wolf-hair brush, wishing him a bright future. What I sent to Second Sister was a pearl hairpin, hoping she would retain her beauty forever. What I sent to Third Sister was a velvet flower hairpin made by Auntie herself, hoping Third Sister would have a life of prosperity. If Father doesn't believe me, he can retrieve the boxes from Eldest Brother and Second Sister and see if they are as I say."
At this point, if the Second Concubine were to argue further, it would be too weak.
The First Madam stepped forward, wanting to say something more, but was pulled back by Song Yanjiao.
She smiled faintly at Song Chaoyu, displaying the grace and magnanimity of a lady from a prominent family, "Sister is thoughtful. Since it's not plum cake, I'll have my maid retrieve the box from the ice chest right away. We mustn't let Sister's thoughtfulness be spoiled by the cold!"
Then she turned to Song Yuan, "Father, I suspect Second Concubine was merely overly concerned for her daughter. Coupled with Granny Zhao misidentifying the poison as Cao Jie Zhi Du, this whole misunderstanding has arisen! Fortunately, Fourth Sister was not wronged, otherwise, Mother and Father would also be distressed."
And she claimed she wasn't wronged?
Song Chaoyu forced herself to recall past events, her eyes reddening slightly, "It's good that things have been clarified. With Father's fair judgment, I naturally won't be wronged."
She looked up first at Granny Zhao, "However, Granny Zhao, you were so confident just now, and now Second Sister says you misidentified it. I truly don't understand. You kept saying I grew up on the manor, so only I could bring such a lowly poison as Cao Jie Zhi Du into the household. But my surname is Song. By slandering me without discerning right from wrong, you are essentially slandering the Song family's reputation and calling the Song family lowly. Do you know your mistake?!"
Even though Song Chaoyu was still kneeling there, she wanted to make Song Yuan realize that she was also a daughter of the Song family and could not tolerate such insolent slander from a servant!