The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 33 - Eavesdropping

The young girls all looked excited and happy. Since it was the host who asked, there was no reason to refuse. So even though some of the ladies found it strange, they did not say anything to refute it.

Song Chuyi instinctively felt something was off. Smiling, she shook her head while standing beside Old Lady Song: "I'm too young. Grandmother says it's easy to slip while playing on the swing. I'd better stay with her and Aunt."

No one expected that a seven-year-old girl would decline the invitation to play. Lady Su's face briefly showed a hint of unease, but it quickly disappeared.

"The old lady truly raised her well," Lady Su exclaimed in surprise. "No wonder both Noble Consort Song and Linlang have grown up so gracefully and charming."

Princess Zhennan was also a bit taken aback. She glanced at Song Chubin and Song Chumi, who were clearly eager to join in and couldn't help but laugh behind her hand. "Miss Song, at such a young age, you act with such caution and maturity. It's as if you're the elder sister, while Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss seem like the younger ones."

As the conversation buzzed around, Song Chuyi lowered her head, smiling shyly. "I... I'm just afraid of offending Sister Yunxiu again..."

The group fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"No need to worry about that!" Lady Su affectionately took her hand and stood up. "County Princess Yunxiu is gentle and lovely, and you're as smart as can be. You two should enjoy playing together."

With that, she called over the young ladies from the Su family.

The Su girls had interesting names: the third girl was called Su Chenxiang, the fourth Su Qing'ai, and the fifth Su Banxia.

County Princess Yunxiu felt something familiar as she listened. Nearby, Yun Yi stared at the Su girls with a deep gaze and muttered, "Why are they all named after medicines?"

Once the formal greetings were exchanged, Lady Su instructed her girls to take care of their guests, personally escorting them out of the reception hall. She watched them head toward the garden before turning back.

The Su family had been granted a title during the reign of the Taizu Emperor, and this residence was part of that honor. It was said to have once belonged to a minister in the previous dynasty.

Beyond the moon gate stood a massive banyan tree, so large it would take four or five people to embrace it. A few squirrels scurried through its branches, their heads tilted curiously at the onlookers, utterly unafraid.

The young girls couldn't help but feel fascinated, and the atmosphere became lively.

As they continued, they came upon a decent-sized man-made lake. In the center stood an octagonal pavilion draped with curtains.

This must be the boating spot Lady Su had mentioned earlier.

The lake was dotted with large, purple flowers floating on the water, adding a splash of color to the scene.

Even the well-traveled County Princess Yunxiu couldn't help but exclaim, "It's beautiful!"

The Su girls, accustomed to the sight, smiled as they explained, "Grandfather originally wanted to get rid of the squirrels on the banyan tree, afraid they might bite someone. But Father found them interesting and decided to keep them. As for the flowers in the lake, Father brought the seeds back from Jiangnan. They bloom in spring and summer, and when the weather warms up a bit more, the lake will be filled with them. They're pretty, but they also attract mosquitoes. We don't come here much when it gets hot."

County Princess Yunxiu, not one to put on airs, nodded with a smile.

But Yun Yi glanced coldly at Su Banxia and muttered under her breath, "Pretentious!"

The Su patriarch, holding the title of Loyal and Righteous General, had no real power. He spent his days raising birds and cricket-fighting, disinterested in more refined activities. As a result, people often described him as being "pretentious."

The Su girls felt awkward but couldn't respond, and the atmosphere grew tense.

Fortunately, the maids came to invite them to play on the swings, lightening the mood again.

"If you say such reckless things again, you won't be allowed out!" County Princess Yunxiu scolded Yun Yi in a low voice. "I'll tell Father when we get back!"

Yun Yi remained silent, lowering her head and following behind.

Song Chuyi, disliking swings, felt a headache just looking at them. They brought back unpleasant memories, so she quietly sat on a stone bench behind the rockery, lost in thought.

While the voices of laughter and chatter filled the air on the other side, the area around her was eerily quiet, as though they were in two different worlds. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she suddenly heard a familiar yet faint voice coming from a nearby cave: "How is the plan going? There won't be any problems, right?"

Sensing something wrong, she quickly signaled Qingtao and Huangyao to remain silent.

Qingtao obeyed immediately, but Huangyao instinctively wanted to shout. Her reasoning was simple: a young lady eavesdropping, especially among so many noblewomen, would ruin her reputation.

However, Song Chuyi seemed to have read her mind and immediately turned to glare at her with fierce determination. Huangyao, shocked and frightened, found her voice suddenly silenced, unable to make a sound.

"It's fine. They'd never guess we'd target the military funds from the northwest," said a low, raspy voice, speaking in an odd accent, almost like a folk song.

Qingtao and Huangyao looked confused, but Song Chuyi felt a chill run down her spine. Having spent over twenty years in her previous life as the Duchess of Ying, she had often dealt with people from the coastal regions of Fujian. She immediately recognized that this man was speaking in the Minnan dialect!

The military funds for the northwest... She stood frozen, cold sweat dripping from her forehead.

"We're lucky this year. The northwest is in such a mess. That fool Zhang Tianhe has barely taken his seat, and his head is likely to roll soon." After saying this, the man speaking Minnan laughed loudly.

By now, Song Chuyi was drenched in cold sweat. Knowing it was too dangerous to keep listening, she gently waved her hand, motioning for the two maids to quietly leave. Once they rounded the rockery and were sure the people inside wouldn't chase after them, Song Chuyi broke into a run toward the swing area.

Qingtao and Huangyao struggled to keep up.

Seeing her running over, Song Chumi chuckled, "You just said you wouldn't play, and now here you are. Seems you didn't mean it after all."

Song Chuyi kept her head down, not saying a word, her heart still pounding. She realized her fingernails had dug deep red marks into her palms.

The banquet at the General's mansion today hosted at least a couple hundred guests. However, only a few had access to the inner courtyard...