The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 135 - Preparations

Qingtao dared not say more. She had never been close to Hongyu, and Hongyu had indeed crossed a major line—running to sympathize with the enemy and even speaking for them. No master could tolerate that. Swiftly, Qingtao finished braiding Song Chuyi's hair and responded, "I'll tell Nanny Xu as soon as she returns. But if we send Hongyu away, won't Luyi..."

"Luyi would be even angrier if she knew Hongyu went to Song Chuning," Song Chuyi sighed, feeling a bit relieved thinking of Luyi. "Let's head to the Old Lady's place. Any further delay and we'll be late."

Old Lady Song had indeed been waiting for a while. Seeing Song Chuyi, she smiled, "Why so late today? Finished your soup?" Song Chuyi nodded as maids entered carrying food, filling the table.

"You mentioned last time that you enjoyed the spicy beef porridge. I had the kitchen make some for you today. Come, try it." Old Lady Song watched as Yushu served a bowl to Song Chuyi, and then sipped the eight-treasure porridge that Yulan had prepared for her.

The beef soup was rich and tender, cooked with pearl rice and herbs like codonopsis and beef, with a hint of spiciness. Soon, a thin layer of sweat appeared on Song Chuyi's forehead. After breakfast was cleared, Old Lady Song chatted with Song Chuyi about the upcoming wedding of Lady He's eldest daughter.

"I didn't originally want you to go, but they kept insisting, and even mentioned that the county princess from the Princess of Zhennan's family will attend. We can't keep refusing." Song Chuyi knew that Lady He had been sending invitations frequently, so she nodded.

After observing her granddaughter's calm demeanor, Old Lady Song felt a pang of guilt. She hesitated for a while before patting her hand, "You are a smart child. I can't bring myself to defend your father... I only hope he will come to his senses and properly make it up to you in the future..."

If Old Lady Song had excused Song Yi's actions, Song Chuyi's grievances stemming from Cui Shi's situation might have deepened. But since Old Lady Song didn't, Song Chuyi felt more at ease and asked, "I heard Father wants to take Eighth Sister with him to his post?"

This couldn't be hidden. Old Lady Song nodded heavily, "Your father is too muddle-headed! Don't worry, while your grandfather and I are still alive, we won't let him have his way. If he insists on being stubborn, I will send Little Eight to the family temple, even if it means he disowns me as his mother!"

Song Chuning, at just six years old, dared to incite servants to commit arson. If she follows Song Yi to his post, who knows what greater chaos she might cause? If she were to make a grave mistake in the future, harming Song Yi or even the Song family, the regret would be unimaginable. After a night of pondering, Old Lady Song became even more resolute in her decision.

Old Lady Song's candid revelation of her intentions moved Song Chuyi. After a moment of silence, she looked at her grandmother and softly said, "Grandmother, I have something to tell you." It was likely about what Sanniang mentioned last night. Old Lady Song nodded, and Yulan, Yushu, and the others promptly left the room. Even Nanny Huang stepped out.

"Grandmother, I'm afraid Old Lady Su has indeed placed a hot potato in our home." Song Chuyi briefly recounted Sanniang's revelations to Old Lady Song. "Chen Jinxin has such items, no wonder Chen Xiang, the Prince of Zhennan, and others are targeting our Marquis's Residence. Even if we were unaware before, others won't believe we're just being kind. To outsiders, it looks like we're leveraging these items for profit..."

It's likely Chen Xiang and others suspect our involvement in Su Yi's downfall too. No wonder Prince Duan has become more aggressive since the Su family incident—it all stems from this.

Old Lady Song felt a chill run through her, her scalp tingling. The Marquis's Residence had always avoided factional disputes, but now it seemed they had no choice but to pick a side.

"Sanniang wants to trade those letters for their young lady's safety. Though I said I needed to discuss with you and Grandfather, there's no room for negotiation," Song Chuyi calmly analyzed. "They are our guests, and the items are in our residence. Even if we want to distance ourselves, it's too late."

Old Lady Song felt regret for readily accepting Old Lady Su's plea and resentment for her secrecy. She was momentarily speechless. This wasn't just a minor issue; one misstep could drag the entire Marquis's Residence down.

"Grandmother," Song Chuyi held her hand gently, "Don't worry too much. Grandfather will find a solution."

Old Lady Song nodded, unable to hold back a sigh of relief. She took Song Chuyi's hand in hers. "Good child, thanks to you... about Duke Ying's residence..."

"We still need to go," Song Chuyi reassured her grandmother. "We've already agreed, and there's no reason to back out now. Besides, with all that's been happening, Fourth and Fifth Sisters rarely go out... Since Lady He is so insistent, I can use this opportunity to see if I can glean any information."

The back courtyard is always a great place to gather news. Since Lady He wanted to use her, Song Chuyi could turn the tables and see what information she could extract from them. For instance, when did the heir of Duke Ying, Shen Xiaohai, start getting involved with Prince Duan...

Old Lady Song knew she was right and didn't object, but still felt uneasy. She sent Nanny Huang to fetch Sanniang by Miss Chen's side—if everyone believed the letters were in Marquis's Residence, they had to secure them first before taking any risks.

"Grandmother," Song Chuyi remembered the purpose of her visit and softly shared her plans for Song Yan. "He's still young, and I'm not comfortable with him living too far away... There are some vacant courtyards in the garden. I was hoping you could help us prepare a couple of them..."

Old Lady Song shook her head. "I've been thinking about this too. If you both move into the garden, you might as well go back to the main courtyard of the second branch. It's empty anyway."