Madam Liu naturally knew that this matter would not be easily accepted by Song Yuan.
So she remained kneeling, her expression serene and her tone calm, "There are no other reasons. This concubine only wishes to leave the Song residence. I beg your Lordship to grant my wish!"
After speaking, she actually kowtowed three more times to Song Yuan.
This inexplicably made Song Yuan feel restless.
At first, his feeling was summed up by the word "absurd."
He had never once imagined that Madam Liu would want to leave him, to leave the Song family.
They had been together for so many years, and hadn't Madam Liu endured the hardships together with him in the estate back then?
Why did she now want to leave?
But soon, Song Yuan realized that Madam Liu was not joking!
It was precisely because they had been together for so many years that Song Yuan knew that Madam Liu's current gaze was serious and persistent.
When she was determined to do something, she would be like this.
Song Yuan closed his eyes, unwilling to admit what he saw before him, unwilling to admit that Madam Liu truly wanted to leave him.
He couldn't understand.
He stared intently at Madam Liu, his eyes even slightly reddening, "Eleventh Mistress, what has happened to you? Why are you suddenly like this? How is it that after visiting the Prince of Chang's manor, you've become like this?"
He was exasperated and looked at Song Chaoyu, "Yu'er, did you say something to your mother?"
Song Chaoyu shook her head and sighed.
Liu Yixiang, who had always been gentle and sensible, suddenly raised her head and sneered at Song Yuan, "Look, even now, you still think this matter has something to do with Ayu. Then I will tell you, this matter has nothing to do with Ayu at all. It is I, Liu Shiyi Niang, who wants to leave you, Song Yuan, to leave this Song residence. I have wanted to leave for a very, very long time. As for the reasons... where are there so many reasons?"
"Eleventh Mistress!"
This time, Song Yuan's voice calling out to Madam Liu carried a hint of anger, "Why did you have such a thought? Do you know that you are just a concubine! I have never heard of anyone formally issuing a divorce letter to divorce their concubine! A concubine can be driven away as one pleases, so why must you do this? What has our Song family done to wrong you?"
"What?"
Madam Liu finally raised her head at this moment and looked at Song Yuan with despair, "At this point, you always think that there is a problem with me, or you go to ask Ayu. But have you ever thought about yourself?"
Madam Liu placed her hand on her chest, "I am a concubine, and I have always known that I should not ask for too much. But when I gave up everything and followed you back then, what did I get in the end? You know, even though I was just an actress back then, the troupe leader doted on me, and I was still a virgin. If I had wanted to marry into a respectable family as a main wife, it wasn't entirely impossible."
She gave a bitter smile, "Even if I could only marry a merchant or even a farmer, life wouldn't be too difficult. Isn't it good to be a main wife? Do you think I followed you solely for your status as an official?"
Song Yuan naturally understood, "I know, there is still affection between us! I have wronged you over the years, but sending you to the estate, at least it ensured that you and Ayu had food and clothing without worry, right?"
"So I should be grateful to you?"
Madam Liu raised her head, her gaze towards Song Yuan like she was looking at a stranger, "Lord Song, how should I thank you? Thank you for abandoning me and the child in that estate, leaving us there for over a decade?"
She shook her head, utterly disappointed in Song Yuan, "In that estate, do you think we truly had no worries about food and clothing? If so, where do you think the money I earned as an actress all these years has gone?"
"I... I don't know!"
Song Yuan rushed to explain, "I can guarantee you, the money for your food and clothing, I had people send it to the estate every month. It must be those wicked servants who embezzled that money. I will order a thorough investigation now, is that acceptable?"
"No need!"
Madam Liu shook her head and sneered again, "Actually, in your heart, you probably know. You just don't care, thinking that we are just an outside wife and a庶女 raised in the estate, and it's enough that we are alive, so why bother caring? I admit, I used means to return to the Song family and conceive Xiao Qing'er. But if it weren't for my child, I would never have done those things. And I didn't harm anyone!"
She clenched her fists, her heart filled with disappointment and even despair, "But what's the point of returning to the Song family? My Ayu hasn't lived a better life, and neither have I. If Prince Chang hadn't appeared, what would have happened to Ayu? Would you have married her off to anyone to gain benefits for the Song family, is that it?"
Song Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to deny it, but the words wouldn't come out.
He had to admit that Madam Liu's words were like a knife, piercing his heart and exposing the ugliness of people like them.
Madam Liu continued, "And me? To you, my existence probably only means giving birth to Xiao Qing'er, right? That's why on the day of his birth, you could say without hesitation that you wanted the child to live and didn't care if I died, right?"
At this, Song Yuan was stunned, then looked at the Old Madam blankly, "Did I... say that?"
The Old Madam nodded, put down the teacup in her hand, and sighed, "That day... the situation was indeed not good. The midwife asked you, and you said that."
Song Yuan frowned, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes.
Madam Liu continued to speak, "After our mother and daughter entered the Song residence, you knew very well how Madam Da and Second Miss treated us. But not only did you not manage it, you even thought that we should tolerate it for the peace of the family. In your heart, what am I?"
Madam Liu shook her head, "But it doesn't matter anymore. Because I have decided to leave, it no longer matters what I am in your heart. My Lord, I am truly tired. I don't want to stay in this Song residence any longer. You have so many, many women, and what am I, an outside wife you once forgot in the estate?"
"No... it's not like that."
Song Yuan opened his mouth, his voice sounding pale and weak, "Many things, I didn't do it on purpose. Eleventh Mistress, can you bear to leave Xiao Qing'er? Can you bear to leave Yu'er? They are all your children, they are the Song family's children, and you can never be separated from the Song family!"
It was evident that Song Yuan was starting to get anxious.
But Madam Liu's attitude remained resolute, "I cannot bear it. So I still want to beg you, in the future, if I want to see Xiao Qing'er, or if Xiao Qing'er wants to visit me, I hope you will grant it. I will not take Xiao Qing'er away, because I know that only in the Song family can his future be broader. I, as a mother, truly cannot bring him more. I only hope to see him occasionally, please grant me this, Lord Song!"
After finishing, she kowtowed to Song Yuan once again.
Such an action made Song Yuan unable to get angry, not knowing how to express it.