The Emperor nodded, then offered a hand to Mu Hansu, who had no choice but to rise.
He had not achieved the outcome he desired, and his gaze was naturally displeased.
However, the Emperor said nothing, merely telling him to visit the Chang Prince's estate more often to see Xiao Taozi. Mu Hansu could only nod in agreement.
Throughout the banquet, though Song Chaoyu was generous, Mu Hansu did not get too close to Xiao Taozi.
Song Chaoyu could see that he actually disliked Xiao Taozi in his heart.
Halfway through the banquet, he began to feel somewhat intoxicated. The Emperor also told him to return to his estate, and he did not object.
What was particularly noteworthy was that after the palace banquet ended, Song Chaoyu heard that the Emperor had indeed gone to Consort Li's chambers.
The winds in the palace always shifted quickly, and soon people began to curry favor with Consort Li.
However, the Song family remained as it always was.
Only one thing had changed.
Song Chaoyu had now given birth and completed her confinement period, and it was time for Concubine Liu to return to the Song estate.
But on the night before her departure, she suddenly knocked on Song Chaoyu's door: "Ayu, are you asleep?"
Mu Changxi had not yet returned from the palace, so Song Chaoyu naturally invited Concubine Liu in: "Not yet, Mother, what is it?"
Concubine Liu pushed the door open and sighed.
Song Chaoyu knew she was likely in a bad mood and quickly asked, "Mother, what's wrong? Why the sigh?"
Concubine Liu reached out and took Song Chaoyu's hand: "Ayu, I... I don't want to go back to the Song estate anymore, what should I do?"
Song Chaoyu was taken aback. While she found Concubine Liu's words surprising, she also understood her mother's feelings to some extent.
She patted Concubine Liu's hand: "Mother, do you mean you don't want to go back for now, or you never want to go back?"
Concubine Liu gave a wry smile: "As expected, you are the one who understands my heart the best. Actually, I never had this thought before. Even when Father treated me that way during Xiao Qing'er's birth, I didn't feel this way. But now, I don't know what has changed."
In truth, Concubine Liu was also a person of great misfortune.
She was born into an extremely poor family. Both her parents were farmers, and they had so many children that they could no longer afford to raise them.
Concubine Liu's eldest sister was "sold" by her father for twenty taels of silver to a sixty-year-old man as a second wife. She died tragically at the hands of the old man within three years.
Concubine Liu knew from a young age that her fate would not be any better than her elder sister's.
But she was luckier than her elder sister in that she possessed great beauty.
In that small village, Concubine Liu's beauty was her greatest asset.
Thus, when Concubine Liu was five years old, her father sent her to a troupe of actors.
Unexpectedly, although Concubine Liu came from a farming family, her talent was extraordinary.
To keep Concubine Liu, the troupe not only did not "buy" her like others but also paid money to the Liu family every month.
Concubine Liu's father treated her like a cash cow, and for those few years, Concubine Liu managed to live a good life.
But soon, things changed again.
The troupe was unwilling to let Concubine Liu's father continue to "bleed" them. When Concubine Liu was eleven years old, they proposed to "buy" her outright.
At first, the Liu family, thinking Concubine Liu was a valuable commodity, naturally refused.
The troupe also resorted to a malicious tactic, spreading many scandalous rumors about Concubine Liu and a martial arts actor at the time.
These rumors caused a huge uproar in the village, with everyone pointing fingers at the Liu family, calling Concubine Liu a woman of loose morals.
A mere eleven-year-old girl was forced to understand such filth.
Even knowing that the troupe was doing this intentionally, what could Concubine Liu's father do?
In the end, Concubine Liu was sold to the troupe for one hundred taels of silver.
For Concubine Liu, the years spent in the troupe were actually more carefree and happy.
At that time, her life was solely about "acting."
Although people called her a "low-class" person wherever she went, Concubine Liu felt joy in her heart.
She could even temporarily forget and not think about the word "future."
Until she met Song Yuan—
Initially, Concubine Liu did have the girlish hope that Song Yuan would give her a future.
But what happened later was beyond Concubine Liu's control. Over the years, Concubine Liu had tasted the full spectrum of human suffering.
But what else could she do?
She merely wanted to find her own place amidst the ups and downs of fate and live a peaceful life.
As she spoke, Concubine Liu's eyes reddened: "In the beginning, I didn't ask for much. I just thought that as long as my daughter and I could return to the Song estate, we would have a place to belong. As you grew older, your father would find a good husband for you, and life would get better. But when we actually arrived at the Song estate, I realized how many vexing matters there were within it."
She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "Later, you suddenly became the Chang Princess, and I felt a glimmer of hope in my heart. I knew I couldn't help you much, but I thought if I could have another child for you, it would solidify my position in the Song estate and thus help you."
In fact, Concubine Liu's thought was not wrong in the slightest.
Only if she was well-off in the Song estate could Song Chaoyu also be better off in the Chang Prince's estate.
But the day Xiao Qing'er was born was far too "unordinary" for Concubine Liu: "Ayu, I must tell you. If it weren't for you, if it weren't for Xiao Qing'er, I probably would have died long ago. I had my own intentions, and I used despicable means to return to the Song estate. But I was always sincere towards your father, and I never intended to harm him!"
Concubine Liu's greatest disappointment lay in this: "I never thought your father would want me dead. I could choose to die for Xiao Qing'er, because I am his mother. But why should your father decide my fate? He didn't even think about it before he decreed my life or death. It was on that day that I realized, in your father's eyes, I was probably just a plaything, or perhaps even less than a plaything!"
Concubine Liu's eyes were filled with nothing but endless despair and bitterness: "From that day on, I wanted to escape your father and the Song estate that was suffocating me at every moment. But I had Xiao Qing'er, and I had you. I thought that living a muddled life like this might not be so bad."
Indeed, after that incident, Concubine Liu became much more distant towards Song Yuan.