The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 32 - A Cunning One

Song Chuyi followed the delicate hand of the Princess Consort of Zhennan and saw a sullen-looking Ye Yunxiu.

Memories of a past conflict flashed through her mind. Ye Yunxiu was the legitimate eldest daughter of King of Zhennan, granted the title of County Princess by imperial decree when she was just five years old. She was one of the most prominent young noblewomen in the Da Zhou dynasty.

In her previous life, Song Chuyi had a heated argument with Ye Yunxiu while visiting the Li family, all because of Shen Qingrang. She had even scratched Ye Yunxiu's neck, leaving a mark. Ye Yunxiu, humiliated in front of others, had gone home in tears.

After that... Song Chuyi became ostracized by Old Lady Song. On top of her disputes with Song Chumi, she slowly walked down a self-destructive path, laid out by the Li Shi, and never managed to turn back.

Old Lady Song glanced at Song Chuyi discreetly and smiled, "Children sometimes make a fuss. Our little sixth one has been spoiled by me since childhood, unaware of the world. I hope the Princess Consort can overlook this on account of an old lady like me."

Song Chumi and Song Chubin looked up in disbelief, casting quick glances at Old Lady Song. They never would have imagined that she would take responsibility for Song Chuyi's actions, claiming it was because she had "spoiled" her.

The smile on the Princess Consort of Zhennan briefly froze, but she quickly recovered, her smile growing even sweeter. She playfully pulled Song Chuyi in front of her and teased, "Look, even the Old Lady says you've been spoiled. Do you admit it?" She paused, then added with a grin, "Don't you dare say you're innocent. Our Ah-Xiu cried so much her eyes were swollen. She's here today for revenge."

The king of Zhennan controlled three military divisions and was the only hereditary non-imperial prince. His status was exceptionally high, yet the Princess Consort still gave ample respect to Old Lady Song.

Song Chuyi knew the reason why: the Prince of Zhennan's legitimate second son was soon to lead troops in Fujian, and the regional commander there, Cui Shaoting, belonged to the Cui family of Boling, who were in-laws to the Changning Marquis family. In a place like Fujian, where pirates roamed, an ally could mean the difference between life and death. It was wise to form alliances.

Not to mention the King of Zhennan's heir, Ye Jingkuan, who had married Princess Rongcheng. If he were to seek a position in the capital's Military Affairs Office, he would need to form good relations with Song Chengru, the current Minister of Revenue.

The Princess Consort of Zhennan made no secret of the fact that Ye Yunxiu had been wronged, yet she accepted the explanation of childish play and gave Song Chuyi ample face.

Song Chuyi, naturally understanding the importance of seizing the opportunity, blushed deeply and offered a sincere apology to Ye Yunxiu.

Her genuine apology caught Ye Yunxiu off guard, causing her to retreat in surprise.

The Princess Consort of Zhennan glanced at Song Chuyi again, her expression thoughtful. "I don't know why, but upon seeing her today, it feels as if I'm looking at Tingting from back in the day. Little Six is looking more and more like her mother."

Cui Tingting, the legitimate daughter of the Cui family of Boling and Song Chuyi's mother, was renowned in the capital for both her beauty and virtue, always a beloved figure.

Old Lady Song understood the implications of the Princess Consort's words and simply nodded with a smile.

Ye Yunxiu, stunned by Song Chuyi's apology, was at a loss for words for a while. When she finally reacted, her face turned red with anger. "Who wants your apology! You...!" She stopped herself from calling Song Chuyi a two-faced liar.

Despite their previous enmity over Shen Qingrang, Song Chuyi genuinely liked Ye Yunxiu. She was a true noble lady, raised with grace and poise. She made it clear when she liked or disliked someone, never relying on her status to make others feel inferior, nor pretending to be friendly while plotting behind their back.

Even when Ye Yunxiu expressed disdain now, Song Chuyi wasn't offended. After all, in their past life, she had been the one to make Ye Yunxiu cry because of Shen Qingrang. Reflecting on it, she felt a little ashamed. Now, having lived for over forty years, she was as old as the First Lady, far too mature to bully an eleven- or twelve-year-old girl.

"It really was my fault last time. I was too careless with my words..." Song Chuyi shamelessly reached for Ye Yunxiu's hand, her large, innocent eyes looking at her pleadingly. "Sister Yunxiu, please forgive me. If you're still upset, you can even hit me a few times."

Her pitiful expression was just like a plump Persian cat that, after sneaking some dried fish, would look up with a guilty face.

Ye Yunxiu's heart softened, and her lingering resentment faded. Awkwardly pulling her hand away, she pouted, "Fine, I'll let it go this time since you're still young and don't know any better."

The Princess Consort of Zhennan chuckled, glancing at Old Lady Song, but she couldn't help but wonder. This Sixth Miss Song is quite cunning, knowing exactly how to handle my daughter's temperament...

Old Lady Song, too, appeared satisfied—being able to bend and stretch, and knowing when to back down, was a sign of true understanding.

The First Lady smiled, calling Song Chuyi over to her side, and hugged her while smiling at Ye Yunxiu. "This little one has a sharp tongue but a good heart. Our County Princess Yunxiu, with your graciousness, please forgive her this time. Otherwise, Old Lady Song might have to punish her later!"

Ye Yunxiu, having heard of the strict rules in the Marquis's household, no longer held any resentment. She glanced at her mother before lowering her head with a slight blush. "I'm not angry anymore."

With the First Lady's words, even the last bit of tension in Ye Yunxiu's heart dissolved. The Princess Consort of Zhennan shot a deep glance at the First Lady, silently acknowledging that the Song family was indeed full of clever people.

Just then, the Su family's First Lady laughed heartily at just the right moment, her tone light and cheerful. "These young girls squabble and make up all the time. When I was their age, I wasn't much better with my close friends."

Everyone smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Well, since the girls have made up, why not let them go have some fun? We're going to watch a play later, but I'm sure the younger ones won't enjoy it. We've set up swings in the garden, so they can either play on the swings or go for a boat ride."

The First Lady of the Su family smiled at the group of girls, adding, "I'll have the garden prepared, and you're free to enjoy yourselves."

The unexpected offer to let the girls play on their own made everyone cheer joyfully. Even County Princess Yunxiu couldn't help but smile at her younger sister beside her.