The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 101 - The Cui Family

Ye Jingchuan's eyebrows twitched exaggeratedly as he looked at Zhou Weizhao, somewhat bewildered. "Did you see that? That little girl is scarier than my father... I was worried she'd be scared by those people, but now it seems she's more likely to kill them all!"

Zhou Weizhao's eyes darkened. The scene of Song Chuyi interrogating those people had already been reported to him. Honestly, it made him believe even more in the dream Song Chuyi had mentioned.

If she hadn't truly experienced deep pain, a young girl with little experience shouldn't harbor such intense hatred.

The night grew deeper, the moonlight casting a faint yellow glow on the leaves, giving the surroundings a soft hue.

Judging that the time was right and having no doubts about Song Chuyi's abilities, Zhou Weizhao signaled Ye Jingchuan to leave. The Tatar soldiers outside should have been dealt with by now.

Song Ren, Song Jue, and Ye Jingkuan each personally led their teams, surrounding the enemy on all sides and setting ambushes on two fronts. Finally, they used kerosene to burn the Tatar soldiers almost to ashes.

When Zhou Weizhao and Ye Jingchuan arrived, the fire had not yet subsided, and the intense heat made them frown.

Ye Jingkuan, having been busy all night, showed some signs of fatigue, but his face was filled with a satisfied smile as he hurried to greet them.

Nine days after the Tatar soldiers entered Tongzhou, they were finally completely annihilated. The remaining stragglers were no longer a threat and could be dealt with gradually.

The cost of dealing with these ruthless Tatar soldiers was surprisingly low, thanks to Song Chuyi's foresight and brilliant strategies. Ye Jingkuan was deeply impressed by this young girl's abilities.

"While I was busy here, I vaguely heard that something happened in the backyard?" Ye Jingkuan asked, somewhat puzzled and then worried, "Nothing serious, I hope?"

After all, the backyard housed the granddaughter of Vice Minister Chen and the sixth young lady of the Marquis family.

Ye Jingchuan instinctively wanted to explain what had happened, but Zhou Weizhao spoke first.

"Nothing serious," Zhou Weizhao said meaningfully, glancing at Ye Jingchuan to signal him to stay quiet. He then casually looked at the shocked Song Ren and said, "It was just a small group of Tatar soldiers, and they have all been dealt with."

The Heir Apparent's fifty elite Yulin Guards, along with a few highly skilled Taoist priests from Longhu Mountain, made short work of the few remaining soldiers.

Song Ren and Song Jue exchanged a glance, both relieved.

The problem that had troubled everyone for nearly half a month was finally resolved, and everyone felt at ease. However, Ye Jingkuan was still concerned about how to handle the aftermath and minimize the responsibility of Ye Jingchuan and Yuan Hong.

When Song Chuyi stepped out of the granary, the night was as dark as ink. Without the lanterns, it would have been impossible to see anything. Darkness always tends to make people anxious.

Nanny Xu hurried over upon hearing the news and saw her standing in the night like a white jade statue, exuding a cold aura. Her face looked pale, likely from the fright she had experienced and the busy night she had endured. Nanny Xu felt a pang of heartache and quickly supported her, feeling that she seemed to regain some warmth.

"Miss, how are you?" Nanny Xu asked, her eyes full of concern as she touched her forehead. Song Chuyi had been waking up early and staying up late almost every day recently, and Nanny Xu was genuinely worried she wouldn't be able to hold on.

"I have asked everything clearly, and we have all the testimonies," Song Chuyi said in a low voice, as if she had no strength left. "Nanny Xu, the person who delivered things for Li Shi yesterday, please take two people and arrest her. She was the one who informed them of my whereabouts."

Nanny Xu gritted her teeth in anger and cursed fiercely, "She will definitely get her comeuppance!"

Yes, Li Shi would definitely get the retribution she deserved, not from the heavens, but from themselves.

Nanny Xu then told her that Lianyi had been placed in a trustworthy tenant's home—after all, with Song Jue and Song Ren around, recognizing Lianyi could complicate matters.

Song Chuyi nodded, and Nanny Xu asked her in a low voice, "When we go back this time, will you expose her to the old master and old lady? She's getting bolder, trying to fish in troubled waters... This can't go on. Who knows what other malicious ideas she might come up with?"

"Almost," Song Chuyi replied, then suddenly turned to ask Qingtao, "Any news from the people we sent to Jinzhong?"

If the Cui family had received the letter and replied, it would have taken about half a month through the post station, and now it had been almost half a month.

Given her status and age, she couldn't bring Li Shi to justice herself. Only if the Cui family stood up could Li Shi face the most severe punishment.

And now, she wanted more than just Li Shi's death.

Lady Li was the second wife of the Marquis family. She usually followed the rules strictly, even needing to report to the old lady or the first lady before going out. Without external help, she wouldn't have been able to bribe so many thugs.

It's obvious who helped her.

The Li's mother and daughter really thought they could do whatever they wanted, even resorting to bribery and murder...

The whole day had been chaotic, and Qingtao didn't know if any messages had arrived, so she shook her head. "I don't know if any messages have come in, but it should be soon."

By the time they reached the courtyard, seeing the mess and bloodstains, Nanny Xu could easily guess what had happened. Knowing how dangerous it had been, her hatred for Li Shi grew even deeper. She cursed Li Shi again and couldn't help but also curse Miss Chen: "Such an ingrate! If we hadn't kindly taken in her and her brother, they would have been fed to the Tatar soldiers. And now she repays kindness with betrayal!"

Nanny Xu had already tidied up the house, though the window paper hadn't been replaced yet. To avoid disturbing Song Ren and Song Jue, they had to make do for now.

Nanny Xu hesitated as she brought over clean clothes for Song Chuyi. "Miss, with all this commotion, what should we say if the master and young master ask about it tomorrow? We can't clean up the courtyard by ourselves quickly enough..."

"We don't need to cover it up ourselves," Song Chuyi reassured Nanny Xu with a smile as Qingtao and Hongyu dried her hair. "The Heir Apparent and Young Master Ye will explain for us. There's no need to worry."