The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 126 - Crisis

Night fell, and the sky was dotted with stars. Lanterns lit up the covered corridors of Ningde Courtyard, with gardenia petals occasionally fluttering in the breeze. From afar, the sea of flowers and lanterns merged into a beautiful, long dragon. Nanny Huang stood in the corridor for a while, seeing a few lanterns approach from the distance. She smiled, lifted the curtain, and entered, addressing Old Lady Song with a smile: "Here they come, and it seems you couldn't wait."

Recently, Ziyun had been increasingly favored by Song Chuyi. Knowing how to speak on her behalf in front of Old Lady Song, she said, "You always said that Sixth Miss is blessed and never holds grudges. She's a good child, but since it's about her birth mother, she's naturally anxious... You're her grandmother, so just teach her well."

Song Chengru said the same, and Old Lady Song nodded with a smile. Not long after, Yushu smiled and lifted the curtain, announcing Song Chuyi's arrival.

It had been a while since Old Lady Song had closely observed her, and now she saw that the girl who once had a bit of baby fat on her face had become quite thin, with her once rosy cheeks now pale. Old Lady Song felt a pang of sadness.

In Tongzhou, she must have endured a lot of fright and grievances. Upon returning, there was the matter of Li Shi, and Song Yan almost scared her to death...

Old Lady Song sighed deeply, suddenly feeling that her previous worries were unnecessary. She thought her granddaughter might harbor resentment for being kept in the dark and guarded against, but seeing the frail girl before her, all her heartache and self-pity vanished.

"Come here..." Old Lady Song pulled her close, a touch of worry in her voice. "Why have you become so haggard? We've already sent a message to invite Physician Sun to examine you properly in a few days. Although the blood you coughed up the other night was due to anger, a child like you can't be left unattended..."

Seeing Song Chuyi hanging her head silently, Old Lady Song felt a mixture of heartache and relief—having grievances was normal; if she had immediately let go of all her grudges, that deep-seated mindset would be more worrying.

"Are you resenting Grandmother?" Old Lady Song took her hand, her tone somber. "It's right for you to blame me for Li Shi's matter... I knew her reputation was ruined and she was involved with your father, yet I still let her marry in. I even left you in her care..."

Old Lady Song, with her white hair and wrinkled face, looked older than ever, making Song Chuyi feel a pang of sorrow. She blinked back tears and looked her grandmother square in the eyes. "If I hadn't had that dream, I don't know what I would have become... Living in a muddle, offending you and Grandfather, being abandoned by Father, and being forced to marry someone that didn't love me..."

A tear finally fell from Song Chuyi's eye, her voice growing more emotional. "And then watching helplessly as my son died, unable to save him, handing over everything to my husband... Watching Yan'er be driven to death by them... Grandmother, it's not that I mean to resent you, but every time I think that your kindness to me stems from your guilt towards my mother, I don't know how to face her..."

An eight-year-old girl, plagued by nightmares for more than half a month, lived cautiously, aware of the ill intentions of those around her...

Old Lady Song held her in her arms, gently patting her back as she did when she was little, her voice choked with emotion: "I know, in the past, Grandmother let you down. But, Xiao Yi, do you remember Grandmother's advice? No matter what happens, always think about what you have, not what you lack?"

Seeing Song Chuyi nod, Old Lady Song felt relieved and tenderly touched her hair: "In this world, there are bound to be people who wrong you. Feeling angry and seeking revenge is natural, but never let yourself be consumed by hatred and turn into the person you despise... Grandfather and I may have neglected you in the past, leaving you to face your fears alone. It's natural for you to resent us... But believe me, if I had known that Li Shi was involved in your mother's death, I would never have let her marry your father. Not only that, I would have sought justice for your mother along with the Cui family!"

With time and sincerity, Old Lady Song believed they could mend their fractured relationship. Nanny Huang, feeling both relieved and moved, wiped away her own tears.

Song Chuyi nodded but suddenly remembered the purpose of her visit, breaking the tender moment between grandmother and granddaughter: "Grandmother, it seems the Princess of Zhennan and the wife of Duke Ying's heir have been unusually warm to me this time..."

Upon mentioning this matter, Old Lady Song furrowed her brows. "Speaking of this, I also find it strange. They are not only overly enthusiastic about you but also excessively interested in the Su family's affairs." The Princess of Zhennan and the wife of Duke Ying's heir were usually just polite acquaintances, but this time, their unity in approach was indeed thought-provoking.

"The Su family was once accused of colluding with foreign enemies..." Song Chuyi's heart trembled, and she suddenly stood up. "But I heard even Chen Xiang couldn't confirm that accusation. Since Old Lady Su anticipated this great calamity and preemptively went to the Censorate to protect the Su family's weak women and other male members from the death penalty, it shows she was well prepared. Could she have hidden something with Miss Chen?!"

Old Lady Song was taken aback by her words, trembling slightly. Hadn't her eldest daughter-in-law discovered that Old Lady Su went to Yujing Tower? Yujing Tower is Chen Xiang's property! Could it be that Old Lady Su harbored ill intentions toward the Song family, planning to use these things to frame them?! But she quickly shook her head, denying this possibility. If that were the case, then Lady Su and Chen Xiang would not have bothered with such trouble, they could have made a direct uproar.

Old Lady Song regained her composure, "But what does this have to do with you?"

Song Chuyi couldn't quite figure it out either, but soon she had a clue. The matters of the Su family, the Xiao family, and Fang Deng, along with the chaos in Tongzhou—all these events seemed to bear the shadow of Chen Xiang. Perhaps Chen Xiang was trying to investigate something because she was involved in each event? But what could be here that both Chen Xiang, the wife of Duke Ying's heir, and the Princess of Zhennan needed? She vaguely sensed an impending crisis but still couldn't pinpoint its source.