The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 76 - The Abandoned Pawn

This was a battle doomed to failure from the start. Xiao Ding, watching the endless stream of archers advancing, finally realized that the defeat was inevitable. Unwilling to accept this, he intended to end his life by slashing his throat.

But even this attempt was thwarted by Song Jue, who had been well-prepared. His horse-riding and archery skills were exceptional. With one precise, firm arrow, he knocked the blade away from Xiao Ding's throat, leaving him unharmed.

King of Zhennan let out a cheer and, for the first time that night, broke into a smile. Turning to Song Chengru, he said, "Old Song has indeed taught his grandson well. Given time, my nephew will surely achieve greatness!"

Song Chengru also showed pride on his face, but mixed with deep fear and relief.

Had it not been for Song Chuyi, Song Jue might have already died. Even if he hadn't died on the road while surveying the terrain, he would have been killed today by Xiao Ding's blade.

The heir of the Song family had been protected entirely by Song Chuyi.

He looked at Xiao Ding, his gaze filled with a mixture of regret and ruthlessness. After a long pause, he turned to the King of Zhennan and said, "It's late. Let's put an end to this. Arrest all these men and send them to Shuntian Prefecture."

The common soldiers would be sent to the prison of Shuntian Prefecture, but Xiao Ding and Fang Deng had to be taken either to the Imperial Prison or to Dali Temple.

King of Zhennan nodded and went to handle the situation.

Song Chengru stayed behind with the King of Zhennan to deal with the aftermath, instructing Song Jue to escort the first lady and Song Chuyi back to the manor.

Now, in his eyes, Song Chuyi's life might be only slightly less valuable than Song Jue's, if at all. He was extremely concerned about her safety.

Yuan Jue arranged for the Song family members to stay in the Discipline Hall at the temple, where warrior monks guarded both inside and outside, leaving no security gaps. Yuan Jue, having dealt with royal relatives and nobles many times, fully understood the complexities involved.

When Song Jue arrived, the First Lady was pacing anxiously. Upon seeing him, she seemed to find her backbone and forced herself to calm down, asking about the situation. Only after hearing the details did she send people to wake Li Shi and the others, who were already fast asleep.

Song Chuning had not slept at all. She had an innate sensitivity to conspiracies and schemes, and she fully understood that something had gone wrong. But she couldn't figure out exactly what had happened.

In her dreams, there had been no such event as this. She racked her brains but couldn't fathom why the ladies of a prestigious family would need to hide at a temple until the moon was high in the sky.

What disturbed her even more was that she had been completely excluded from the unfolding events, while Song Chuyi seemed to be fully involved.

Wherever the First Lady went, she kept Song Chuyi by her side at all times. Even when they came to the Discipline Hall at night, the first madam hadn't arranged a separate room for Song Chuyi but kept her close by.

Just based on the old lady's affection alone, it wasn't enough to make the First Lady behave this way.

This showed that the First Lady valued Song Chuyi in her own right. But why? Song Chuning gazed at Song Chuyi, who was being fussed over by Song Jue, her eyes dark with hidden thoughts.

In the end, they rode under the moonlight back to the capital. Strangely, the city gates hadn't been closed—a sure sign that something had happened, regardless of the time.

Song Chuning glanced toward the carriage where Song Chuyi was, her expression hidden in the moonlight.

Old Lady Song, unable to sleep all night, finally breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that Song Jue and the others had returned safely. She quickly had the First Lady, Song Jue, and Song Chuyi summoned to Ningde Courtyard.

The First Lady had nearly lost her life during this outing. Hearing what had happened from Song Jue on the carriage, she was drenched in cold sweat. Now, seeing Old Lady Song, even though she was usually calm, she couldn't help but shed a few tears out of lingering fear.

Song Jue and Song Chuyi, however, remained as composed as ever.

Old Lady Song, knowing the First Lady had been frightened, comforted her kindly and urged her to rest.

The First Lady knew she had nothing more to contribute here, so she nodded and withdrew.

Old Lady Song inspected both Song Jue and Song Chuyi, ensuring they weren't hurt, then uttered a prayer, "Amitabha, thank goodness nothing happened. Xiao Ding and Fang Deng must have eaten the gall of a leopard to act so recklessly!"

Song Jue helped her to sit down and reassured her, "Grandmother, don't be upset. Xiao Ding and Fang Deng are already in King of Zhennan's hands, and he has handed them over to Dali Temple overnight."

At this point, he couldn't help but glance back at Song Chuyi.

Initially, it was agreed to hand the matter over to Jin Yi Wei, but Song Chuyi suggested that Song Chengru send the person to the Dali Temple.

In this brief moment, Song Jue had already sensed the extraordinary nature of this sixth sister and dared not underestimate her. He understood that her words must carry deeper significance.

"Speaking of which, I've always wanted to praise Grandmother for creating such a wonderful environment here, teaching sixth sister to be so perceptive and intelligent," Song Jue remarked as he looked at Old Lady Song. "She's simply like a wise sage."

Although the Great Zhou treated women with much more respect than before, it still adhered to the belief that a woman's lack of talent was her virtue. With Song Chuyi being this intelligent, it wasn't necessarily a blessing.

Old Lady Song understood his meaning and shook her head with a faint smile. "Don't follow your father's views on this, saying that a woman's lack of talent is her virtue. Just look at what kind of life your second sister is living! What does it matter whether one is a man or a woman if one has ability?" She smiled and beckoned for Song Chuyi to come forward, then turned back to say, "Moreover, your sister is naturally gifted; it's not solely due to my teachings."

This also acknowledged part of Song Jue's statement, admitting that she had indeed educated Song Chuyi.

Old Lady Song then asked Song Chuyi, "In your opinion, could this matter involve Prince Duan?"

"Difficult to say," Song Chuyi said, her gaze becoming solemn as she shook her head. "Grandfather received news that the Japanese invaders were causing disturbances in Zhangzhou, and Prince Duan left the capital overnight."

Left the capital overnight?!

Old Lady Song and Song Jue exchanged glances, both feeling a weight in their hearts.

"The Pingyang Marquis and the Deputy Commander of the Five Cities Militia have already become pawns," Song Chuyi said with a hint of coldness in her expression. "Chen Xiang has always been close to Xingfu in the palace, and Xingfu was a chief attendant in Prince Duan's previous residence... The reason I advised Grandfather to send them to the Dali Temple is that I feared they wouldn't even have time to speak before being dealt with by the Jinyiwei."

At least the Minister of the Dali Temple was affiliated with the Crown Prince's faction and would do their best to extract some information from Xiao Ding and Fang Deng.

Old Lady Song had long been accustomed to Song Chuyi's intelligence, but Song Jue was so astonished that he stood up directly.

Song Chuyi was able to see through all the twists and turns of this matter. She could even distinguish the entanglements and affiliations among officials. Many seasoned players in the political arena struggled to grasp the complex relationships within this web, treading carefully like walking on thin ice. Yet, Song Chuyi could perceive it clearly; her insights truly surpassed those of ordinary people by tenfold.

How much effort had Song Chengru and Old Lady Song invested in teaching her? She might even understand more than the palace's concubines!