Second Wife

Meanwhile, back at the Song Clan's residence, Huang Dan was combing Song Yimu's hair personally.

It was quite a good picture of a mother and daughter. The older woman's gentle looks and the girl's innocent face were good enough as subjects of a painting.

In the eyes of the maids, they felt empathy towards them for having lost a daughter and sister. To them, Huang Dan is treating Song Yimu especially well when Song Jia passed away since Song Yimu is now the only daughter left.

"Madam really dotes on Miss Yimu." A maid told the other.

"Of course, especially now that she's the only daughter left."

"Hayyy.. I miss our Miss Jia.. Why would anyone harm her and the master? They've always been good people.."

"Yeah.. even now, Master is still unconscious. What would he do once he finds out that Miss Jia is already gone?!"

"It would break his heart.. Hayyy.. Why did such an unfortunate event befall the Song Clan?"

As these two maidservants chatted in hushed tones outside of Song Yimu's quarters, Song Yimu and Huang Dan were also having a conversation of their own.

"Did the fifth prince say anything about when you will get married?" Huang Dan bent down and looked at Song Yimu's face in the mirror from behind her. Her expression was soft as she saw how pretty Song Yimu is.

"He didn't say yet. But I believe it should be before the year ends." Song Yimu went to spend time with Ding Wu in his courtyard in the Imperial Palace everyday. They either would take a stroll around the city, buying clothing or jewelry, dining at restaurants, or having a tryst in the fifth prince's room in his courtyard. Since they have done it once, they wouldn't hesitate to do it more times.

"You will be attending the Tranquility Conservatory soon. Since the fifth prince will be your senior there, you have the chance to spend time with him as well. Watch out for other girls who would try to snatch him!" Huang Dan warned Song Yimu.

"Nobody would be able to snatch him from me, Mom. Big brother Wu loves me. He wouldn't look at anybody else.." A smile spread on Song Yimu's face as she recalled the whispered words uttered by Ding Wu as they made passionate love on his bed.

"That's good that he loves you.. As he should. You are one beautiful and smart girl, you are a match for someone of his status!" Huang Dan stared at Song Yimu's reflection with pride. She has always loved this girl.

"Mmm.. A shame that big sister had to disappear so I can finally get him.." Her lips formed in a smile but her eyes were cold like a blizzard.

"He would be with you even if she didn't disappear! Still, it would be troublesome to connect her name to your relationship with the fifth prince."

"Mmm.. You're of course, mom. Mom, you love me the best?" She turned to look at Huang Dan, a wide smile on her face.

"Of course! I see you as my only daughter!" Huang Dan hugged her affectionately. "Alright now, you need to rest. Don't stay up late or your beauty will diminish!"

After her reminder, Huang Dan left Song Yimu's courtyard and went to her own courtyard. Across hers is her husband, Song Xia's courtyard that he once shared with his former wife, Zhou Guiying.

Zhou Guiying has been gone since she gave birth to Song Jia. But with Song Xia still staying in that courtyard, it was obvious that he still could not forget her.

Huang Dan felt a pang in her heart as she was reminded of the fact that she would always be the Second Wife. Even now, she wasn't acknowledged as the Main Wife.

She couldn't protest either as she had not given him a child and yet she was respected as the Lieutenant General's Second Wife.

It irked Huang Dan to think that the little girl, Song Jia, had more of a status in the clan than her.

Even when her cultivation disappeared, she was still the Main Daughter. She had more say to their household other than General Song Qing, Song Xia and Song Huo.

Before Song Jia died, Huang Dan was still receiving good benefits but couldn't complain for more. She didn't want to imagine that there would be a time that Song Jia would control the household and would give her less if she wanted to.

So, Huang Dan didn't hesitate to lace her food with slow-acting poison since she turned 13 years old. Only when she was about to enter the Tranquility Conservatory did she add more than usual.

She was pleased to hear that Song Jia failed to enter the Tranquility Conservatory. Still, she couldn't take chances for her to recover, so she arranged the ambush.

But she didn't expect for her husband, Song Xia to still be unconscious even now. She only wanted him to be injured enough to be unable to protect Song Jia. Now that he's unconscious and there's still no way of knowing when he would wake up, she felt anxious about the possibility of Song Huo to be the Patriarch instead.

Huang Dan walked towards Song Xia's courtyard that had at least four guards keeping watch. Two stayed on the front, two in the back and there was a possibility of more guards hidden.

"Madam would like to visit the Patriarch." Cao Yi, Huang Dan's maidservant, spoke to the guards on her behalf.

"Apologies to Madam, the doctor is now with the Master and they are not to be disturbed." The guard wearing light blue clothing slightly bowed towards Huang Dan.

"The doctor? Then all the more I need to go in. I want to talk to the doctor.." Huang Dan finally spoke directly to the guard. Her tone was urgent.

The guard named Long De shook his head in response. "Apologies to Madam. The Second Master and Old Patriarch are already inside. They were the ones who instructed us not to let anyone in while the doctor is treating the Master."

Once she heard that General Song Qing and Song Huo were inside, she didn't dare insist anymore.

"I see. Then I have nothing to worry about. Please let them know that I was here. I will wait patiently in my courtyard for news." Huan Dan's tone changed, becoming gentle like a wife genuinely worried for her husband.

"Yes, Madam." Long De slightly bowed to Huang Dan's retreating back.

The Second wife and her maidservant didn't see the look on the guards' faces when they left.

They already know that the Second Wife was the one responsible for the ambush that took the lives of their fellow guards and servants of Song Clan and even took the life of the Main Daughter and heavily injured the Patriarch.

What they didn't know is that the Main Daughter was actually alive and is undergoing training in the underground chambers. Only the elite guards know about this fact.