The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 63 - Strategic Play

When Li Shi spoke of her daughter, her tone revealed more fear and distance than closeness. Old Lady Li finally sensed something amiss. Others would be thrilled to have such a clever and resourceful daughter, but Li Shi seemed more afraid than happy.

"What's going on?" Old Lady Li waved Nanny Yu forward to explain everything in detail.

A girl barely six years old with such a ruthless mindset was truly frightening. Old Lady Li frowned. "Could she be possessed by something?"

Li Shi's eyes lit up briefly, but then she shook her head slightly. "I thought of that before, but it doesn't seem like it..."

She just felt a headache coming on. This was her own flesh and blood, and it pained her to feel both distressed and fearful. Before she could even deal with the children left behind by that wretched Cui Shi, her own daughter was now becoming a problem.

Old Lady Li made up her mind. "The abbot at Huangjue Temple, Master Yuan Kong, is highly respected. In a few days, find an opportunity to take Ning'er there for a visit." She looked at Li Shi and emphasized, "Whether she's possessed or if this is just her nature, that's no excuse for you to distance yourself from her. Your stepdaughter is already distant from you—do you want to alienate your own daughter too?"

"What can I do?!" Li Shi said, becoming angry again, feeling like her mother was only offering irrelevant advice. "She's now being protected like a treasure by Old Lady Song, and all my people have been dismissed. What else can I do?"

"Even if she's gone, don't you still have her brother in your hands?" Old Lady Li remained calm. Seeing Li Shi lower her head, she sneered coldly, "She may spend all her time with Old Lady Song, but you spend all your time with her brother. The saddest thing for an orphaned sister is having a brother who turns against her."

Li Shi stood there, dumbfounded, her mouth slightly agape.

"If you truly care for him, then treat him just as you treated Song Chuyi before—put all your heart into it. Be thoughtful and attentive," Old Lady Li continued, with a cold smile. "Think ahead for him in ways even Old Lady Song wouldn't. From his future tutors and classmates to his daily food and clothing, take control of everything. One day, there will come a time when Song Chuyi will cry with no tears left."

Indeed, wisdom comes with age. Nanny Yu watched in awe, filled with respect for Old Lady Li's cunning.

Li Shi's mood lightened, and she smiled, her frustration disappearing. "How did I not think of this... You truly are brilliant!"

Old Lady Li glanced at the broken cups on the ground and scolded, "And stop smashing things! Don't you know the situation in our household? You're just giving your sister-in-law more reasons to gossip! You shouldn't stay here too long—go back tomorrow. As for your family's old matriarch, I know her well. If you really stay for three or five days, you'll only suffer for it later!"

By now, Li Shi dared not disobey. She spent the night in her mother's room and returned to the mansion the next day, full of energy.

Everyone had thought she would stay at her family home for a few days, but surprisingly, she returned the next day. When Old Lady Song asked about it, her annoyance toward Li Shi diminished a little.

Taking advantage of the moment, Li Shi mentioned that Song Chuning had recently been frequently involved with the flower gods and needed to visit Huangjue Temple to see Master Yuan Kong.

This was a common practice in noble households, and it happened to fit with Old Lady Song's plan, as the first lady had already mentioned a trip to Huangjue Temple to ask for blessings on behalf of the Noble Consort.

"That's fine. Let your sister-in-law pick a day, and you can all go together," Old Lady Song agreed, then instructed Li Shi to help the first lady prepare a three-story pavilion in the garden. "A few governesses are arriving soon, and it would be perfect to set up the pavilion for the girls' studies."

Li Shi readily agreed. Then, noticing that Song Chuyi was nowhere to be seen, she asked, "Where is Little Sixth? It's time for her spring clothes, and the seamstress in the house is new. She should take measurements to get started."

At the mention of Song Chuyi, Old Lady Song's smile deepened. "She's in the study, grinding ink for her grandfather. You can wait until tomorrow to have the measurements taken."

Li Shi forced a smile, though her heart was filled with bitterness.

Meanwhile, Song Chengru was reviewing the memorials sent by his colleagues. Suddenly, with a snap, he dropped one of them onto the desk.

Recently, Song Chuyi had been spending more time in Song Chengru's study, and she knew this was his signal for her to read. She picked up the memorial, skimmed through it, and smiled.

When she smiled, two small tiger teeth peeked out, and the dimples in her cheeks appeared faintly. She looked just like an ordinary little girl.

Song Chengru couldn't help but smile along with her. "You seem quite pleased?"

This memorial was from the prefect of Tai'an, Shandong, reporting that the heir apparent and his entourage had stayed in Tai'an for more than half a month, spending a considerable amount of money, and requesting the Ministry of Revenue to account for it.

The emperor simply smiled at the report and, after approving it, passed it along to the Ministry of Revenue.

"His Highness, the heir apparent, is indeed a clever person. He knew to take a detour on his way back. Didn't Grandfather say that if he traveled the official roads, it would likely be dangerous?" Song Chu Yi was in a great mood. "He chose to go through Taiyuan instead... It seems His Highness will soon arrive in the capital."

Since the heir apparent had changed his route and was able to return to the capital smoothly, it meant that as long as they continued to work hard, the remaining matters could still be salvaged.

Song Chengru nodded. Then, he heard Song Chuyi ask, "Grandfather, have you found any leads regarding the spy in the manor?"

After all, this spy was like a lurking tiger behind their backs, waiting for the slightest mistake to devour them whole. They couldn't afford to be careless.

Song Chengru seemed somewhat melancholic. In truth, there weren't many people in the Song family qualified to enter the study. After ruling out the impossible ones, the person in question became quite obvious.

"I just don't know who is behind her," Song Chengru's expression grew grave.

Song Chu Yi pulled out a small pouch from her sleeve and handed it to Song Chengru. "Grandfather, take a look at this."

Song Chengru emptied the pouch and found a luxurious bracelet, finely inlaid with gold and tortoiseshell. Upon closer inspection, his expression changed several times.

"When Nanny Qiu asked me about it, I sensed something was off," Song Chuyi's eyes gleamed with a mischievous light. "I just didn't expect Fifth Lady to be so ruthless. If this item were discovered, I would have no way out, and the manor would also be implicated. If the faction of Prince Duan took advantage of the situation and urged the censors to impeach us..."

It would spell total disaster.

Hiding forbidden items from a family convicted of treason is a crime punishable by death. Ten heads wouldn't be enough to atone for it.

Though Song Chengru's expression remained unchanged, the killing intent was clear in his eyes. Fifth Lady had never treated the Song family as her place of refuge. Instead, she had caused chaos, quarreling and disturbing the household. They had tolerated all of that. But for her to be so ruthless as to drag the entire Song family down with her—her intentions were truly heinous!

This bracelet was so delicate and beautiful. If an ordinary girl who loved beauty had taken a liking to it and worn it, and one day it was exposed by someone with ill intent...

Song Chuyi saw through her grandfather's plan and hurriedly said, "Grandfather, she can't be killed just yet!"