The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 44 - Inside Story

That night, Song Chuyi slept very soundly. Since her rebirth, she had finally completed the first thing she wanted to do, successfully getting rid of the annoying flies around her.

The next morning, the house was filled with joy inside and out. Luyi helped her dress and then eagerly opened the window, smiling, "Miss, come and see! It's snowing again outside!"

Song Chuyi looked out through the wide-open window and indeed saw a world covered in silver.

Qingtai finished making the bed and saw Luyi leaning on the windowsill, reaching for the leaves outside that were already covered in a layer of ice. She couldn't help but say, "Be careful not to catch a cold..." She immediately regretted her words, thinking she was being too meddlesome. She had just joined Song Chuyi, and Luyi and Hongyu were probably still wary of her. Although she meant well, she feared Luyi might misunderstand her intentions.

However, Luyi didn't think much of it and cheerfully replied, "What's there to be afraid of? I'm in good health. I used to go out and have snowball fights with Hongyu."

Nanny Xu came in carrying two large red lanterns, her usually sorrowful eyes now filled with joy. She laughed as she entered, "I went to the storeroom early this morning to get these things, and it was snowing heavily! But the Third and Fourth Young Masters are not afraid of the cold and are building snowmen by the lake. They look quite decent."

Hearing that Song Yan and Song Jie were building snowmen by the lake, the smile on Song Chuyi's face deepened. She let out a genuine sigh of relief and instructed Luyi to fetch her cloak, "I want to see what they've built."

Since Song Yan's return, she hadn't had much contact with him. Now that the spies in her room were dealt with, it was time to deal with the ones around Song Yan.

Nanny Xu quickly waved her hand, laughing, "You can't go. I just came back from the old lady's side. She told me to keep a close eye on you and not let you go to the lake to fool around with the young masters. She also told you to go to the main courtyard after drinking your soup."

Hongyu, already holding a jade cup, laughed, "Today's soup is pig liver soup..."

Song Chuyi hated drinking this the most. Hearing this, her face wrinkled like a bitter melon, causing Nanny Xu and the maids to burst into laughter.

After drinking the soup, she went to see Old Lady Song, who held her hand to check her temperature and sternly asked, "Did you finish the soup? Don't secretly pour it out again."

That was something Song Chuyi would have done before her rebirth. She blushed and nodded like a pecking chicken, "I drank it, I drank it." After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Can I stop drinking pig liver soup in the future? I'd rather drink ****..."

Nanny Huang couldn't help but laugh, "No, you can't. It's good for a young lady to drink this to nourish her blood. It will benefit you in the long run."

Old Lady Song agreed with Nanny Huang and took a thin letter from a gilded box, handing it to her, "Take a look at this."

Song Chuyi's face changed as she read it.

"Is this written by Old Lady Su?" She was stunned for a moment, seemingly in disbelief.

Old Lady Song sighed, "It's her handwriting. I always said she was too weak as the head lady, but who knew she had the courage to cut off her own arm. I underestimated her."

The letter accused Su Yi of colluding with external enemies and other crimes, all reported to the Censorate by Old Lady Su.

Moreover, the letter stated that after the Lantern Festival, she would report Su Yi's unfilial behavior and have him expelled from the Su family.

"Grandmother, I'm afraid Old Lady Su's actions are not just about cutting off her own arm." Song Chuyi looked at Old Lady Song and said after some thought, "Old Lady Su is sacrificing a pawn to save the king, to protect the Su family."

The room fell silent. Suddenly, Song Chengru came out from behind the screen, laughing heartily and looking at Song Chuyi with admiration.

"Why are you here?" Old Lady Song was startled and scolded, "Weren't you supposed to distribute the New Year's gifts to the ministers today?"

Song Chengru took off his cloak and hung it on the rack, waving his hand with a smile, "Don't mention it. I let the warehouse manager Wu Yuan handle it. The Jinyiwei confiscated the Su family's property, but the items don't match the list, which is another troublesome matter. There will be more work after the New Year."

Since Chen Xiang became the commander of the Jinyiwei, they often embezzled items during raids, not even bothering to cover it up. Their power grew, and no one dared to challenge them.

After explaining this, Song Chengru looked at Song Chuyi and smiled, "Xiaoyi, you mentioned Old Lady Su sacrificing a pawn to save the king. What do you mean?"

"When I was at the Su family, I heard Old Lady Su complain to Grandmother that the ancestral fields were all squandered... It shows that the Su family's actions have been unprincipled for a long time. But Old Lady Su never showed any dissatisfaction before. Just when the Su family seemed fine, she reported her own son to the Censorate. This is suspicious." Song Chuyi's lips curled slightly, "Old Lady Su went to great lengths to protect even a granddaughter. I don't believe she would watch her other grandchildren suffer. She must have discovered something... For example, Eldest Master Su might be involved with a prince and wants to join a factional struggle."

Old Lady Song was speechless with shock.

Song Chengru thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, "It's possible."

He said this because he found that the military funds meant for the northwest camp were almost robbed at Shizuishan Prefecture. If it weren't for the loyal soldiers under Zhang Tianhe, the funds might have ended up elsewhere. Zhang Tianhe's letter emphasized that the robbers all spoke the Minnan dialect.

He briefly explained this to the Old Lady Song and Song Chuyi.

Old Lady Song and Song Chuyi exchanged glances and exclaimed, "What a coincidence!"

Song Chengru looked at her with some confusion.

Old Lady Song then recounted to the Old Master what Song Chuyi had overheard at the Su residence, and couldn't help but feel resentment towards the Su family: "I didn't expect the Su family's ambitions to be so grand. Su Yi's ambition is excessive."

Song Chengru frowned, thinking of something else. He asked Old Lady Song, "Why did you suddenly decide to visit the Su family?"

He remembered that Old Lady Song rarely went out to visit in recent years. Even if she had a good relationship with Old Lady Su, there was no need for her to go personally; at most, she would send the First Lady.