The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 124 - Purpose

In the garden of the Marquis's residence, flowers bloomed vibrantly, creating a stunning spectacle that could leave anyone breathless. However, the wife of Duke Ying's heir, navigating through this beauty, felt no leisure to appreciate it. Instead, she appeared anxious as she earnestly tried to persuade the First Lady: "Though we are in mourning, is it really possible to follow all the rules at this time? To speak frankly, when the late Empress Dowager passed away a few years ago, the Emperor only decreed that no weddings or celebrations should take place within three months. But beneath that, everyone has their own schemes; who really obeys such orders? Didn't the Meng family marry off their daughter during that time? It didn't seem to bring any disgrace. And what about the young ladies in our capital? Have they really refrained from socializing for three years? Surely they must adapt to the times!"

The Princess of Zhennan trailed behind, and ordinarily, she would have just laughed off such remarks. However, she was now almost eager to chime in. Fortunately, she remembered Ye Jingkuan's advice before she came. She only tilted her ear slightly to listen to the First Lady's response.

The First Lady had always had a good relationship with Lady He, so she didn't find anything wrong with these words—after all, Duke Ying's household and Marquis Changning's household had long been family friends, with the women of both households often visiting each other. Previously, Lady He had also interacted with Song Chuyi a few times. Since it was said that a girl from the residence was to be married, inviting Song Chuyi and other young girls to "press the bed" was a common occurrence.

(Translator Xiaobai: "Pressing the bed" (压床) is a traditional Chinese custom where young, unmarried girls sit or lie on the bridal bed before the wedding to bring good luck and fertility to the newlyweds. It's a symbolic gesture meant to bless the marriage with prosperity and numerous offspring. )

However, she still shook her head, smiling as she declined, "I know this is your kind intention. But those two children have just lost their mother; it wouldn't be appropriate for them to expose themselves immediately. Moreover, with such a grand occasion, their presence might not be suitable..."

Lady He couldn't help but grow anxious. Apart from Old Lady Song, Song Chuyi was the only person who had been close to Chen Jinxin and must have known something.

They couldn't approach Old Lady Song regarding this matter, and it would be inappropriate to disturb her, so their only option was to try to get information from Song Chuyi. But if Song Chuyi couldn't go out, how would they learn anything from her?

"Whether it's suitable or not, we don't have such customs in our place." Lady He felt heavy-hearted, clutching the First Lady's hand and letting out a deep sigh, "You know my family's situation; although I appear well-off on the outside, we sisters are aware of the reality... You know my circumstances; even though I have a son, he still has an elder half-brother to contend with. Your daughters have all married off, and it's difficult for them to return. I was hoping that if a few of the other girls could come, it would add some brightness to the occasion..."

The First Lady sighed as well; she understood the difficulties of Lady He. After many years without children, she had allowed the concubines to stop taking contraceptive medicine, and the eldest son from a concubine was born. It took more than seven years before she gave birth to the eldest daughter. Finally, she gave birth to a legitimate son.

Now that Lady He's daughter had become engaged, according to the customs of the capital, the unmarried girls should gather together to present gifts for the wedding.

In reality, this wasn't a big deal. After a pause, the First Lady said, "Since that's the case, I'll go back and discuss it with the old lady. If it can be arranged, I'll send you a message."

Given the First Lady's response, Lady He felt it would be inappropriate to press further, fearing to raise the suspicion of both the First Lady and Old Lady Song. She smiled and nodded, "Regardless of the outcome, I'll always remember your kindness. It's just that there are too few girls of the tiger zodiac in the capital, as you mentioned; otherwise, I wouldn't have troubled you."

Ziyun served tea to Song Chuyi, feeling confused. "Why would the Princess and the wife of Duke Ying's heir invite you for this occasion?"

Although most people in the palace knew the true nature of the Li family, outsiders were oblivious. To them, Song Chuyi still appeared to be in a three-year mourning period. Why would she be asked to attend a gathering now?

Ever since the incident at Songtao Courtyard, Song Chuyi had grown much closer to Ziyun. Hearing her question, she frowned. It was indeed unusual for the wife of Duke Ying's heir to invite the Princess of Zhennan to act as a mediator.

Moreover, why did they insist on involving her, a girl still deep in mourning? Although it was said to be calculated by some expert, she felt something was amiss.

No one understood Lady He's temperament better than herself. If she hadn't been forced, there was no way she would be working so hard; she would just be getting by. So why did they insist on having her step out of the Marquis's residence?

In other words, what was it about her that made the Princess of Zhennan and the wife of Duke Ying's heir both covetous?

Qingtao hesitated to speak, "Miss, could it be related to the situation in Tongzhou?"

Even though she had had a conflict with the Li family upon her return, she could still catch some news about the court's movements through Song Jue. It was said that even though Xingfu was currently facing difficulties, it remained safe.

However, that didn't quite add up...

The Princess of Zhennan might seek reassurance regarding Ye Jingchuan's situation, but what did the wife of Duke Ying's heir want? Did their family somehow get entangled with the events in Tongzhou this time?

She had a headache when Hongyu entered with tears in her eyes, silently kneeling down. Hongyu was usually calm and composed, never this distraught. Her sudden kneeling startled Qingtao and Ziyun, who both took a step back. Song Chuyi, who had left Hongyu to watch over Nanny Yu at Taoran Residence, felt her heart sink—Hongyu wouldn't act like this unless something was seriously wrong. She signaled Qingtao to help Hongyu up and asked in a stern voice, "Has something happened?"

"Miss..." Hongyu looked at her, tears streaming down her face, wishing she could disappear. "Nanny Yu... she took her own life."

Earlier, a young maid had come from the main house to bring Nanny Yu some fresh clothes. Out of kindness, Hongyu let her in. But not long after, Nanny Yu took advantage of everyone's drowsiness and ran into a pillar...

Previously, Song Chuyi had repeatedly instructed that nothing should happen to Nanny Yu, but she ended up failing miserably. Hongyu lowered her head, unable to cry aloud, cursing herself countless times in her mind. The young lady had trusted her so much, yet she had managed to mess up the only chance to prove that Song Chuning was the mastermind behind it all. Qingtao, feeling a bit frustrated, glanced at Song Chuyi and then at Hongyu but knew it wasn't right to speak harshly—unlike Luyi, Qingtao didn't share a long-standing bond with Hongyu, and speaking now might seem like kicking someone when they were down.