The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 38 - Xiao Qiang

Translator XiaoBai: I hope you're enjoying the novel! I'll be updating regularly, so no need to worry. I'd really appreciate it if you could like and follow me as it helps motivate me to translate more chapters!

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Chen Jinxin was gravely ill. Old Lady Song sent a name card to invite Imperial Physician Sun to examine her. Imperial Physician Sun's face was solemn and did not look good.

Old Lady Song thought Chen Jinxin was beyond medical help and sighed deeply, feeling sympathy for Old Lady Su and Su Yunxi. She sternly addressed Imperial Physician Sun, "You are a veteran of the Imperial Hospital, often praised as a reincarnation of Hua Tuo. Are those just empty words? This young girl is only thirteen, and her father was a renowned general who fought against the Japanese invaders. Why are you hesitating?"

(Translator XiaoBai: Hua Tuo (c. 140–208), also known by his courtesy name Yuanhua, was a renowned Chinese physician during the late Eastern Han dynasty. He is often celebrated as one of the earliest practitioners of surgery and anesthesia in China)

Imperial Physician Sun, stroking his beard with a troubled expression, stood for a long time, feeling as if his whole body was on fire.

He looked at the young girl sitting beside Old Lady Song and the servants around them, sighed deeply, and said earnestly, "Please, Old Lady, dismiss everyone."

Song Chuyi knew that what was about to be said was not suitable for her to hear, so she stood up with a smile, "Grandmother, Aunt said there will be stuffed longevity snowflake cakes at tomorrow night's banquet. I'll go see what they look like."

Old Lady Song nodded. Once most of the people had left the room, she looked at Imperial Physician Sun and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Old Lady, I have been treating your family for twenty years, frequently visiting since I joined the Imperial Hospital. If this were someone else's family, I would have turned and left. But since it's you, I must tell you the truth." Imperial Physician Sun's well-kept beard trembled as he spoke, his chest heaving, indicating the seriousness of the matter.

Old Lady Song was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Go ahead."

"This young girl... recently had a miscarriage..." Imperial Physician Sun squinted, steeling himself before continuing, "Her health was already poor after the miscarriage, and she fell into a lake, catching a severe chill. Even if she recovers, she may have difficulty bearing children in the future."

Old Lady Song's eyes widened in disbelief, her usually kind face showing sudden anger. She glared at Imperial Physician Sun, "What nonsense are you spouting! She is just a..."

But reason told her that Imperial Physician Sun was telling the truth; he had no reason to lie.

Feeling confused, she finally calmed down and waved her hand at Imperial Physician Sun, sighing, "I understand. Do your best to nurse her back to health. This matter must not be disclosed. Old Lady Su would give her life to protect this granddaughter. Consider it a favor to her."

This was to tell Imperial Physician Sun that the girl was not from the Song family but from the Su family. The Song family was merely fulfilling a duty to care for the orphan of a loyal minister.

Imperial Physician Sun, understanding the gravity of the situation, wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded vigorously.

Old Lady Song, having calmed her emotions, instructed Nanny Huang, who had been standing behind her, "Go and fetch Miss Chen's wet nurse."

Song Chuyi had guessed correctly; Chen Jinxin had several elderly attendants, all of whom had once served Old Lady Su. Old Lady Song had met them a few times.

Chen Jinxin's wet nurse arrived quickly and immediately knelt, respectfully kowtowing three times to Old Lady Song.

"Since your old lady entrusted her to me, I must have an explanation for these matters," Old Lady Song said, looking at the woman kneeling on the ground, who was not yet forty.

The woman showed a struggling expression, tears welling up as she looked at the pale Chen Jinxin lying behind Old Lady Song. She kowtowed three more times, "Old Lady Song, your insight is unparalleled. Our old lady was right to entrust the girl to you. Now it seems she truly had foresight."

Old Lady Song finally understood why Old Lady Su had chosen her. The Princess of Zhennan did not have a close relationship to handle these matters for Chen Jinxin, and Lady He might not be reliable.

"Old Lady Song, please don't think our girl is immoral..." The wet nurse couldn't help but cry, "Our girl is also a victim. She was forced! The child... the child is our eldest young master's... He used force, and our girl, being young and ignorant, didn't understand anything. By the time the old lady found out, it was too late..."

Old Lady Song was shocked.

She gripped the armrest of her chair, thinking she had misheard.

But the wet nurse continued with another bombshell, "The old lady had a fight with the eldest lady. Instead of blaming the eldest young master, the eldest lady tormented our girl, calling her a seductress and accusing her of seducing people... Our girl was driven to despair. Later, she even wanted to send the girl to be a concubine..."

A loyal minister's orphan! The eldest lady was Chen Jinxin's biological aunt, yet she was so heartless.

Old Lady Song squinted, looking at the frail Chen Jinxin behind her, feeling a deep sadness. If Linlang were gone and Mingzi were treated like this... she couldn't imagine such a scene.

The wet nurse kept kowtowing, her voice hoarse and aged, "We originally intended to hide this from you, but our old lady said we must tell you the truth. She said you are different from others... Old Lady Song, please have mercy. Our master and mistress only have this one orphaned girl left in the world. She has had a hard life. These things were beyond her control..."

"I understand." Old Lady Song, slightly tired, waved her hand to indicate the wet nurse should rise. She turned to check Chen Jinxin's forehead and sighed, "What does this have to do with her? Why should I blame her? Is the world so unfair that it only punishes women regardless of right or wrong? In my eyes, she is as pure as my granddaughters, with no difference!"

The wet nurse, not expecting such a response from Old Lady Song, felt her eyes heat up, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

Old Lady Song made a decisive decision, "It's almost the New Year, and your girl is too ill to move. Let her stay in the east wing until spring. When the weather warms up, we'll find a new place. I'll assign a few more people to serve you here. You continue to manage your girl's affairs as you have been. By the way, what's your name?"

"Servant Sanniang, thank you, Old Lady Song!" Sanniang knelt down with a thud, looking up at Old Lady Song sincerely, and said, "Our Old Lady said that everything she wanted to tell you is in that red lacquered wooden box with gold decorations."