The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 112 - Hatred

Nanny Yu had been waiting outside the main hall for a full three to four hours, but she had not received any news. Instead, she was met by the First Lady and Nanny Huang, whose words almost made her faint under the blazing sun.

"Counting the dowry?!" She widened her eyes, suddenly feeling a haze in her mind and trembling all over. She certainly knew when a dowry needed to be counted, and because she knew, she understood that the Li family had sent people who couldn't save Li Shi...

Dazed, she followed the First Lady and Nanny Huang to the second room, watching the maids coming in and out to sort through Li Shi's belongings, and suddenly, she burst into tears.

With Li Shi's crimes exposed and her being cast off, how could she hold her head high in the future? Old Master Li valued his reputation above all, and First Lady Li had never gotten along with Li Shi... Nanny Yu couldn't help but cry even harder, and she couldn't stop worrying about Song Chuning. If Li Shi became a cast-off wife, Song Chuning's situation would be incredibly difficult in the future.

But they had only sorted through half of the things when someone rushed in from outside, saying that there was no need to continue counting.

The newcomer was a maid from the Li family, and Nanny Yu immediately recognized her, feeling a glimmer of hope. Overwhelmed with joy, she rushed forward and grabbed her, asking, "Did you find out that our lady was wronged?"

The maid wiped her eyes, but tears streamed down her face. "No... no... Our lady... she's gone."

The First Lady showed an expression of surprise, closing the notebook in her hand, and suddenly understood why there was no need to continue counting the dowry. She couldn't help but space out for a moment. When she saw Song Chuning standing there, having listened for who knows how long, she was shocked.

She didn't know how much Song Chuning had heard, nor did she know the current situation regarding Li Shi, so she could only force a smile and wave for Song Chuning to come closer.

With tears in her eyes, Song Chuning looked at the Madam, pitifully tugging at her sleeve in confusion, crying, "Aunt, what happened to my mother? Why do they all say my mother is gone?"

The Madam didn't know how to respond. After stammering for a moment, she called Nanny Yu to come forward and take Song Chuning away, while she went to the main hall to assess the situation.

Nanny Yu held Song Chuning's hand, crying as they walked, "You often say that your mother doesn't care for you, but that's not true at all. After all, she is flesh and blood from her own body. She would do anything for you. If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to marry into the Song family, nor would she have lost her life..."

At this moment, Nanny Yu had forgotten the terrifying aspects of Song Chuning and could only urge the young lady as much as possible: "Since the lady has caused trouble, our roles here will likely last only a day or two. We won't be able to take care of you in the future, so you need to be careful. I know you're a smart girl, but the situation will be different from now on; you must learn to endure..."

Yes, endure it.

Song Chuning remained expressionless as Nanny Yu led her to the courtyard, gazing distantly in the direction of the main hall.

Nanny Yu waved for her to go in, wiping her tears as she bid farewell: "Go in now; it's getting hot. Don't indulge in ice treats, or you'll risk getting sick... Be cautious about everything in the future..."

Song Chuning didn't think much of the value of life, but at this moment, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart. That sharp pain quickly spread throughout her limbs, causing her to clench her fists and tears to fall from her sore throat.

She didn't understand why things didn't unfold as they did in her dreams, nor did she understand why Li Shi, who was clearly in an advantageous position, had fallen to this state.

But she understood the root cause of all this.

Song Chuyi!

This girl, who should have been as foolish and clumsy as a pig following Shen Qingrang behind, she did not know when Song Chuyi started to cultivate the ability to hide her emotions and began to know how to bite back.

Suddenly, an uncontrollable anger surged within her. She reached out, grabbed the tablecloth beside her and yanked it, overturning everything on the table.

She pulled so hard that a wooden splinter pierced her index finger, but she didn't even feel the pain.

Her heart was hurting too much for the injury on her hand to register. Moreover, compared to the days ahead, the pain in her body was insignificant.

Slowly, she pulled the splinter from her finger, feeling her chaotic mind gradually clear.

Li Shi had committed such a grave taboo and lost her life, while her father was far away on official duties, unable to reach her... The old lady had always favored Song Chuyi and even her grandfather looked at Song Chuyi with a different perspective. If she stayed in the manor, there would undoubtedly be many grievances in the future.

But her mother had made a grave mistake that led to her death, and her maternal family was not as powerful as the Cui family, so bringing her back to her maternal home was out of the question. Her expression changed several times, and suddenly she waved for Lu Shan, instructing her to go to Old Master Li and deliver a few words.

If asking Old Master Li for help with a major task might not be feasible, he could at least write a letter.

Her gaze shifted, following the swaying branches visible through the open window, her heart filled with resentment.

Everything she had suffered today would be repaid a thousandfold to Song Chuyi in the future!

Li Shi had crashed into a pillar in the main hall, and blood splattered everywhere, a truly shocking sight. The First Lady entered the room with a heavy expression, cautiously glancing at Old Lady Li.

Old Lady Li refused to let go of Li Shi's corpse, and it was only when Old Master Li ordered a sturdy servant woman to knock her unconscious that they finally separated her from Li Shi.

The Cui family was still in the capital, and now Old Master Li was worried that the situation might escalate uncontrollably. He felt embarrassed to bring up how to handle Li Shi's funeral arrangements and hunched over as he bade farewell to Old Master Song.

Just as he stepped out of the marquis's residence, he saw several palanquins arriving in a grand procession at the entrance. From the appearance, they seemed to belong to the princess. He was taken aback and turned to ask the doorman, "Which princess is this?"

"Princess of Zhennan," the doorman replied, still unaware of the situation inside and answering the family head's questions without hesitation.

Old Master Li recalled that Song Chuyi had previously mentioned calling Ye Jingchuan as a witness. His heart sank, and he felt a surge of mixed emotions rising within him. Without looking back, he climbed into the palanquin.

After a day of chaos, with noon approaching and the main hall in such a state, Old Master Song and the elder master had left the study together with Cui Ying Shu to discuss funeral arrangements.

First Lady Cui said she was going to check on Song Chuyi, while Old Lady Song returned to Ning De Courtyard and instructed the madam to prepare a banquet.

Just as she settled down to sip some tea, someone outside came to report that the princess of Zhennan had arrived.

The teacup in Old Lady Song's hand trembled slightly, splashing a drop of hot tea onto her hand. She felt a pang of anxiety in her heart and turned to look at First Lady Cui, recalling what Song Chuyi had said about Ye Jingchuan earlier.