The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 6 - Malicious Intent

The ninth day after the beginning of spring marked the first day of the Lunar New Year. The servants in the Mansion had long begun preparations for the New Year's cleaning and renewal.

 First, the lanterns stored from last year had to be dusted and cleaned, ready to be hung on New Year's Eve. The bedding was to be washed and dried, and all the cookware, bowls, and furnishings were to be cleaned. The entire household was bustling with activity.

Song Chuyi sat on the heated brick bed, staring blankly at the pile of things in front of her. It was a collection handed to her by Nanny Xu, with a small gold-painted wooden box at the front, filled with large, lustrous black pearls, each one worth a fortune just by appearance alone.

 Behind that was a red lacquered wooden box, neatly packed with various silks, along with a pile of thread balls. Further back, hidden behind the box, was a huangli wood chest filled with stacks of books and recipes—some were dessert recipes, others medicinal formulas—brought as part of Cui Shi's dowry.

On top of everything was a handwritten copy of the Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra by Cui Shi herself, with each character written in a delicate and elegant hand, showing the care she put into it. 

Song Chuyi's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at it, about to read further when the curtain was suddenly lifted.

A gust of wind blew in, making her shiver.

Nanny Xu hurriedly shielded the pile of belongings, her face stern as she scolded the grinning Huang Yao: "I just said no one was to come in, and here you are ignoring my orders!"

Everyone in the household said that Song Yi's new wife, Li Shi, was a kind and benevolent woman, treating the children of the first wife even better than her own. But Nanny Xu, having been brought up in the Cui family for half her life, wasn't fooled by Li Shi's act. She was sharper than anyone and could see clearly through many things.

In all her years, Nanny Xu had never heard of a stepmother who genuinely loved her stepchildren. Despite how kind Li Shi had been to Song Chuyi for the past few years, Nanny Xu always treated them as outsiders. It wasn't because she had found anything particularly malicious in Li Shi, but because Li Shi's goodness toward Song Chuyi seemed too much—too over the top.

Where there's smoke, there's fire. The better Li Shi was to Song Chuyi, the more on guard Nanny Xu became. This was why she remained highly cautious of the new servants Li Shi had sent, including Huang Yao and Qingtiao.

Today, Nanny Xu had strictly ordered the senior maids to guard the door, forbidding anyone from barging in. Yet, Huang Yao had still managed to slip in, much to her frustration.

Unfazed by the scolding, Huang Yao craned her neck, trying to peer behind Nanny Xu with a playful grin. "What are you hiding, Nanny?"

How brazen! To peek at the young mistress's belongings as if they were her own as if no one mattered!

Nanny Xu's fury grew. Seeing that Huang Yao was now grabbing her arm and trying to look at the things on the bed, she shook her off with a forceful motion, nearly causing Huang Yao to tumble over the table.

"Nanny!" Huang Yao didn't expect such rough treatment. Her face flushed with anger as she choked back tears: "You...!"

"Enough!" Song Chuyi stepped down from the bed, putting on her shoes. She ignored Huang Yao and called outside: "Hongyu, Luyi!"

Hongyu and Luyi immediately entered, lifting the curtain. Seeing Nanny Xu's displeased expression and Huang Yao crying on the side, they exchanged uneasy glances.

Without a word, Song Chuyi shot a glance at the pitiful-looking Huang Yao and sneered. "Where were you two just now?"

Still puzzled, the two girls answered honestly, "We were embroidering in the hallway."

"If you were in the hallway, why did you allow Huang Yao to come in when I explicitly said no one was allowed?!" Song Chuyi's face darkened with anger. "Just because I've been ill, you think you can disregard my orders now?"

This was an accusation aimed directly at their loyalty, and Hongyu and Luyi immediately knelt in panic, repeatedly saying they did not dare.

Song Chuyi knew these two maids were loyal, but loyalty alone wasn't enough—not nearly enough. In her past life, Hongyu was dismissed at the slightest excuse, and Luyi was ostracized from the beginning, proving how naive they were. For now, though, they were the only people she could trust, aside from Nanny Xu.

Startled by the sudden rebuke, Huang Yao realized she had underestimated the situation. Though still indignant, her face paled as she listened to Song Chuyi.

"You two, go to Nanny Liu and take twenty strokes as punishment. If this happens again, you'll no longer serve by my side but find work elsewhere!"

Both maids, normally spared from harsh treatment, were terrified by Song Chuyi's severe tone.

Song Chuyi turned her attention to Huang Yao. With a cold look, she said, "I told you the same thing earlier, did I not?"

Though her expression remained neutral, her words were far more intimidating than what she had said to Hongyu and Luyi. 

Terrified, Huang Yao dropped to her knees, sobbing: "I... I only came because I heard that Second Master has returned from Cangzhou with Fourth Young Master, and I forgot myself..."

Ah, yes. Song Yi had left a few days earlier to fetch Song Yan, who had been staying at his maternal family's estate in Jinzhong. By now, he should have returned, just in time for the New Year's Eve celebrations.

"No matter what important news you had, you shouldn't have barged in here," Song Chuyi said, breaking into a sudden smile. "Surely, you wouldn't rush into Grandmother's chambers like this, would you?"

Huang Yao, realizing the weight of her mistake, kowtowed in panic. She knew well that not only had she angered Song Chuyi, but also that Li Shi's protective guise meant she could not afford to be seen as disobedient.

After all, she was still just a naive girl, lacking the cunning she would later develop.

Nanny Xu watched Huang Yao, her gaze shifting to the pile of items on the bed, her heart sinking. If the one who had barged in had been Qingtiao, she might have felt more at ease. Qingtiao was quiet and observant, not the scheming type. But Huang Yao? She clearly harbored ill intent...