The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 114 - Making Trouble

Outside the house, the annoying sound of cicadas could be heard. The First Lady waved her fan irritably and instructed the maids to get started on making rods to catch these bothersome cicadas.

Seeing her distracted and different from usual, Nanny Zou contemplated for a moment and guessed the reason, unable to help but speak up: "We should just act according to the old lady's wishes; why should the lady be troubled by this matter?"

The old lady's request was rather difficult to fulfill, and the First Lady let out a heavy sigh.

"To send people everywhere to report the death, and to say that the feng shui master said the sudden death was ominous and that she can't be buried in the ancestral grave, this will surely raise suspicions." The First Lady felt a pang of concern: "Moreover, not only are we not holding a roadside sacrifice, but we also aren't setting up a mourning hall in our own residence for people to pay their respects. This is clearly against the rules."

Nanny Zou stepped forward to massage her shoulders, displaying complete loyalty and sincerity: "Whether it's in line with the rules or not is all up to the old master and old lady. Why are you walking into a dead end on your own? Li Shi has done many wicked things; if she hadn't died so suddenly, the divorce papers would have probably been issued by now. She can no longer be considered the lady of our noble house. Because of this, not only is the Cui family disgusted, but our old master and old lady are also feeling as if they've swallowed a fly. Besides, it would be troublesome for the Cui family—how could we possibly hold a grand funeral for her? Her death was suspicious, and if we make a big deal out of it, won't it force people to notice something's wrong?"

The First Lady closed her eyes and nodded, asking, "Has she been sent to Qingliang Temple? They say she will be kept there for a day before being buried on the mountainside of Qingliang Mountain... sigh, after all, she is my sister-in-law; I can't help but feel a bit unsettled."

Nanny Zou was startled and quickly sat on the nearby brocade stool, leaning forward to advise her: "Don't say such things! Everyone in the house knows what's going on; they all know that the old master and old lady are furious with Li Shi. If you don't restrain yourself at this moment, it will not only upset the old master and old lady, but also involve the Sixth Miss and Fourth Young Master..."

She didn't finish her sentence. After all, Song Chuyi was no longer the naive person she once was. Even Li Shi had been thoroughly pulled down by her, and the Li family had also lost a piece of their flesh; offending her was certainly not a good thing.

The First Lady opened her eyes and glanced toward Ningde Courtyard before expressionlessly closing them again.

Ultimately, it was her own anxiety that troubled her. At that moment, Li Shi had pointed at her nose in the main hall, scolding her, saying that she clearly understood everything but stood by and watched Song Chuyi suffer...

As soon as she closed her eyes, someone outside reported that the Su family had come.

The Su family? The lady suddenly couldn't recall which Su family it was until Nanny Zou reminded her: "It should be the Su family of General Yuan Zhongyi, who is about to leave the capital soon."

The men of the Su family were all being exiled, and the women were returning to their old home in Taiyuan. At this time, their visit was merely an attempt to take advantage of old friendships.

The First Lady initially wanted to shake her head and refuse, but Nanny Zou reminded her that Old Lady Su had some connections with the old lady. Moreover, there was still a Miss Chen staying in the house...

With a sigh, The First Lady decided to go and consult with the old lady.

Naturally, the old lady couldn't refuse to meet this old friend. After thinking for a moment, she had them take the visitors to the nearby Self-Reflection Hall.

However, they didn't see Old Lady Su; instead, when Old Lady Song looked at Lady Su, who looked haggard and had collapsed to the ground, she furrowed her brow and asked, "Why isn't your old lady here?"

Upon hearing this, Lady Su began to cry uncontrollably, her tears flowing like a broken dam. After sobbing for a while, she finally managed to say, "Our old lady... she passed away the day before yesterday!"

There have been a lot of things happening at home recently, and Old Lady Song has no time to take care of other things. Even the interpersonal relationships are handled by the First Lady, so she has never heard of this matter and could not help but stand there in a daze.

Seeing that Old Lady Song had fallen silent, Lady Su cried even more sorrowfully, "In a few days, we'll be escorting the remains back to Taiyuan... But since Miss Chen is still here with you, we specifically came to take her back."

Old Lady Song was momentarily stunned. When Old Lady Su had entrusted Chen Jinxin to her, she had made it clear that she would provide her a place to stay, and if that was not possible, she would send her back to the Chen family, but she could never hand her over to Lady Su.

"Sorry for the trouble we've caused for so long; I've really had to steel my face..." Lady Su wiped her tears, speaking with a mix of words, "In the beginning, I indeed mistreated her. But now that the old lady has passed, she specifically asked me to bring her back; after all, she is my future daughter-in-law..."

At this point, Old Lady Song finally understood the purpose of Lady Su's visit.

It wasn't about Chen Jinxin at all; it was about the valuable dowry that Chen Jinxin had!

Now that the Su family had fallen into decline and their assets confiscated, with all the male members exiled, Lady Su had set her sights on the niece she had once looked down upon.

Old Lady Song looked at her solemnly for a long while and said, "According to reason, you are her aunt; if you come to take her, I cannot refuse." Seeing Lady Su's face light up with joy, she suddenly turned the conversation: "However, your old lady had previously made it clear that unless someone from the Chen family comes to ask for her, no one else can take her away..."

In this world, every grain of rice nourishes different types of people. There were those like First Lady Cui, who regarded their nephews and nieces as precious jewels, and then there was Lady Su, who didn't see anyone as important except her own children.

Lady Su's sobbing paused, and then she suddenly stood up, crying even louder, "Old Lady! Please, be accommodating! I know your family is powerful now, but there's no reason to swallow someone else's wealth whole! That Chen girl has been close with my son since childhood... What's wrong with me bringing my daughter-in-law back now..."

It was evident that she was here to cause trouble.

The First Lady was feeling somewhat dizzy from the commotion and couldn't help but speak up: "Lady Su, be careful with your words! Back then, your old lady knelt before our Old Lady, pleading with us to take in this Miss Chen... Dozens of eyes were watching!"

Lady Su let out a cold laugh, her tears had smeared her makeup, blending the red rouge with coarse powder, distorting her entire face. She extended her hands, now roughened from her time in prison, and pointed at both Old Lady Song and the First Lady. "So what?! Our family has indeed been ruined and our property confiscated. How do you know that your Changning Marquis's Mansion won't face the same fate someday? Why push matters to such extremes? This incident in Tongzhou has implicated many people, and Chen Xiang is investigating it rigorously. Do you really think you can escape this muddy water?"

It seemed that Lady Su had heard about someone from the Song family being involved in Tongzhou, indicating that she had been watching the Marquis's Mansion for quite some time. Old Lady Song's anger only intensified as she wondered just how much Lady. Su knew. With a cold laugh, she expressed her frustration.

Previously, Su Yi had sought to engage in improper dealings, trying to drag the Marquis's Mansion into the mire of Prince Duan's faction. Out of sympathy for the already ruined Su family, Old Lady Song had endured. But now, with Lady Su's oblivious and confrontational behavior, it was becoming increasingly intolerable.