Song Chuyi had already experienced Miss Chen's decisive ruthlessness back in Tongzhou. The more she witnessed this seemingly pitiful yet formidable young woman, the more cautious she became.
Lord Chen was now deeply wary of the events in Tongzhou, having suffered losses and with interests at stake, leaving no possibility for neutrality. Therefore, Song Chuyi was impatient to continue engaging in hollow pleasantries with Miss Chen. Subtly, she withdrew her hand from Miss Chen's grip and replied in a lukewarm tone, "Thank you for your concern, Sister."
With those few dry words, Miss Chen found herself in an awkward position. However, she almost immediately seized Song Chuyi's hand again, holding it even tighter. With tears welling in her eyes, she said, "Sister, what happened back then was truly unintentional... At the time, who knew those people weren't just the Tartar bandits? If I had known they were coming for you, I would never..."
Someone like this, who can change faces at will to achieve her goals, and who has no problem trampling on her own self-respect, was thoroughly exhausting to deal with. So, Song Chuyi could only cough a few times to draw attention, seeing several people around glance in their direction, then sighed with a faint, ironic smile, "Elder Sister is overstating it... The matter in Tongzhou has yet to be concluded. You should be careful with your words."
The unshed tears in Miss Chen's eyes were quickly held back, and she awkwardly dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, lowering her voice. "I was reckless...."
After being mocked by Ye Jingchuan, she had returned to the capital before dawn the next day. Later, she had her grandmother prepare gifts so she could visit the Changning Marquis's Manor to feel out the situation—the Crown Prince's son, Zhou Weizhao had personally gone to Song Chuyi's rescue, and they seemed familiar with each other, a fact that was enough to make her wary. But then, she heard that the Second Lady of Changning Marquis's Manor had passed away from a sudden illness...
Changning Marquis's Manor neither set up a memorial tablet nor opened a mourning hall, and she wasn't foolish. She knew there was something profoundly off about the whole affair—such an abrupt death, and yet, despite the respect typically given to the dead, there was no mourning hall at all. They claimed it was due to feng shui, but she couldn't bring herself to visit under such peculiar circumstances. So, when she heard that Song Chuyi would be coming to help Shen Huixin with her wedding preparations, she couldn't wait to attend and meet her.
But now, it seemed that Song Chuyi was not only not foolish but was exceedingly clever, as slippery as a loach, making it hard for her to even say a few pointless words.
Turning her head slightly, she nodded awkwardly at her maid.
Just then, Song Chumi, who had been playing around with a few friends, saw that Song Chuyi had come out and smiled as she approached to take her hand. "Since you've helped with setting the wedding bed, they'll bring you a drumstick later. Wonder when that drumstick will arrive!"
Song Chuyi took the chance to excuse herself, swiftly stepping out to the balcony and taking a deep breath. That Miss Chen really made it hard to breathe. The balcony was bustling with noblewomen chatting and laughing. As soon as Song Chumi saw her cousin from her maternal family, she left Song Chuyi to greet her.
A maid brought tea, and just as Song Chuyi was about to take it, the maid, head bowed, said softly, "Sixth Miss, His Highness the Heir Apparent wants to see you."
Zhou Weizhao?! Song Chuyi's hand froze mid-air, startled. "What?" she asked, perplexed.
Immediately, something felt off. If Zhou Weizhao wanted to see her, he had countless ways to arrange it. Why choose Duke Ying's residence? He was usually so meticulous...
"The heir wants to see you at Xianle Garden," the maid continued in a low voice, handing Song Chuyi a neatly folded note. "Give this to the gatekeeper at Xianle Garden, and she will let you in."
Song Chuyi almost laughed out loud. If she had been slightly suspicious before, now she was entirely skeptical. Even later, when Shen Qingrang became Duke Ying, he didn't know the residence as well as she did. Xianle Garden was where the Duke's eldest son and Lady Yang lived. Why would Zhou Weizhao choose such a place to meet? The idea was laughable.
Before she could respond, the young maid was already turning to leave, but Song Chuyi's quick reflexes allowed her to grab the girl immediately. Given that this maid could come and go freely in Duke Ying's residence, it was clear she was one of their people. If Duke Ying's household intended to use such underhanded tactics to gather information on her or to blackmail the Song family, they were gravely mistaken.
Perhaps the girl hadn't anticipated Song Chuyi's sudden grip, for her face went pale with panic, and her bangs clung to her forehead, dampened by sweat as she struggled to break free.
Song Chuyi only tightened her hold, even calling out loudly to draw attention.
The young maid's face grew more distressed; she bit her lip hard, almost to the point of drawing blood, and finally broke down into a whimpering cry.
Everyone on the veranda looked over in surprise at the scene, assuming the girl must have offended Song Chuyi somehow.
At that moment, Song Chumi approached quickly, her face showing some anxiety as she frowned and asked, "What happened? Did this maid not serve you properly and end up hurting you?"
Just as they were quarreling, the cup in her hand had already fallen to the ground, and the steaming tea was still emitting smoke, which explained why Song Chumi thought as she did. Song Chuyi shook her head with a cold smile, keeping her grip firmly on the young maid. She responded to Song Chumi, "Fourth Sister, please help me call for Aunt."
Upon hearing this, Song Chumi sensed there was likely more to the situation than poor service. She wanted to ask further but, mindful of the many onlookers, thought better of it. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded and turned back into the room.
Inside, Miss Shen and Lady Yang had already heard the news and came out in astonishment. Seeing the scene before them, they were momentarily stunned—just last night, Duke Ying's eldest son's wife had repeatedly urged them to treat Sixth Miss Song well. Yet now, in the blink of an eye, Sixth Miss Song was visibly upset and had even called for an elder...
"What's going on here?" Lady Yang, being more experienced than Shen Huixin, approached to separate the two and tried to placate Song Chuyi. "Did this maid offend you, Sixth Miss? It's really not worth getting upset over something like this—punish her however you see fit..."
Song Chuyi looked at the young maid, who was trembling and on the verge of fainting, with not a shred of pity in her heart. Turning her head, she said quietly, "This young lady here just told me that His Highness the Heir Apparent is waiting to see me in Xianle Garden... I may be young, but I know such a thing is far from proper..."
This statement shocked Lady Yang so much she felt as if two-thirds of her soul had left her body, and for a moment, she couldn't manage to say a word. She merely stared in wide-eyed horror at the young maid, wishing she could devour her on the spot.
Xianle Garden! That was her place! For this maid to claim the Heir was waiting there to see Sixth Miss Song—such a matter was no trivial jest, even if Sixth Miss Song was still young!
YOU ARE READING
The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)
Historical FictionOther titles: Noble Family's Battle in the Boudoir Noble Family's Inner Struggles 名门闺战 Author: Qin Xi Translator: me (XiaoBai) Having lost all sense of face and shamelessly clinging to Duke Ying, Shen Qingrang, for a lifetime, Song Chuyi died. On th...