The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 151 - Apologies

Old Lady Chen, despite having navigated the complexities of the official and domestic realms for many years, couldn't help but be taken aback by the young girl's reasonable and aggressive words, forcing her to take a deep breath.

First Lady Song also let out a timely cold snort and interjected, "I have also heard about the incident in Tongzhou. Later, the Chen family sent us a thank-you gift; there's no way you didn't know that if it weren't for Little Sixth's rescue, your grandchildren might have met with disaster. But I never expected the Chen family's morals to be like this. Not only does Miss Chen fail to consider repaying kindness, but she even pushes our Little Sixth out to take the blame! If it weren't for Little Sixth being so honest, and if she hadn't spoken out about this now, we would still be unaware of the dangers she faced. Old Lady Chen, you just criticized our Marquis's household's family education, perhaps looking down on us..."

Lady He wanted to interject, but was silenced by a glare from Shen Xiaohai and dared not speak again. But Shen Xiaohai himself couldn't help but be a bit shaken by Song Chuyi's intelligence and tact—she had forced the Chen family to apologize and admit their mistake, leaving no room for escape, and had even forced the lady of the Li family to confront the old lady of the Chen family, bringing everyone together to deal with her... 

The old lady of the Chen family looked extremely displeased. She didn't dare to go and ask the Crown Prince's son and Second Young Master Ye for confirmation, for fear that even if it wasn't true, the rumor would spread and ruin her granddaughter's reputation. 

Chen Mingyu, the beloved eldest granddaughter whom she had raised herself, couldn't be abandoned. But covering it up was also difficult, especially with Duke Ying's family and the Li family involved, since their children were part of this. Handling Princess Duanhui and the Marquis of Changning's family was much harder...

Chen Mingyu, having come to her senses, turned sharply to look at Song Chuyi, her emotions a mix of defeat and fear. She took a few steps back and grabbed her grandmother's arm for support.

"On the first and fifteenth of every month, I remember that the decree requires an audience with the Empress. I wonder what Old Lady Chen will say when she meets Her Majesty this time?" First Lady Cui spoke slowly, but her words sent a chill through everyone present.

Old Lady Chen understood First Lady Cui's threat perfectly. She shot Song Chuyi a dark glance and sneered, "What could I possibly say? Just some childish antics. Do you think they'd deprive our old master of his official position over this? Are they really going to kill Mingyu?!"

She had always disdained the idle nobility and relatives who relied on their family backgrounds. Although she was currently facing the somewhat intimidating Princess Duanhui, her concern for her granddaughter made her flustered. Thus, she let out a cold laugh, infused with disdain and mockery, as she looked around at Shen Xiaohai, Lady He, the First Lady of the Li family, and the Li sisters, pointing at them and saying, "Besides, are they really going to kill all of us?"

After all, this incident involved all three families; it wouldn't be fair to punish just one.

Old Minister Chen was a trusted confidant of Emperor Jianzhang. In his youth, he served as a circuit inspector in Jiangxi and later rose to the position of salt inspector, eventually becoming the governor of Yangzhou. He controlled the salt administration in Yangzhou for several decades and helped Emperor Jianzhang resolve many potential issues...

Although Old Lady Chen was wary of First Lady Cui, she was not excessively afraid of her.

Shen Xiaohai couldn't help but feel a bit angry. While he wanted to curry favor with the Qingliu faction, there was no need for him to bow and scrape before the family of the ****** Chen Old Minister. At that moment, they were threatening him while pointing fingers at him, prompting him to snort coldly, "I wouldn't dare. Our little Seventh is small in stature, and if someone incites him to make a mistake, it's to be expected. I don't know what kind of family education is present in the Old Lady Chen's house, but in our family, mistakes are punished and acknowledged. This concerns a girl's reputation. Even if he were beaten to death, I wouldn't have any complaints!"

Lady He was also angry that Old Lady Chen had dragged Shen Qingrang into this mess as a shield. She bit her handkerchief hard. Thinking of Chen Mingyu's scheming to use Shen Qingrang as a scapegoat made her even more furious. In her agitation, she even overlooked the three words Shen Xiaohai said about being beaten to death.

First Lady Li held one daughter in each hand, feeling a deep sense of frustration—these two girls had no reason to harbor any resentment toward Song Chuyi. If it weren't for Miss Chen stirring the pot behind the scenes, they wouldn't have been pushed into this whirlpool, leading to their current awkward predicament. Miss Chen didn't seem worried; her family was well-established, and she was still young. In a few years, people would forget about her disgrace. However, her own daughter was at the age where she was about to get married...

Shen Xiaohai's words struck hard and severely undermined Old Lady Chen's face. Old Lady Chen was furious, repeating several "good" words before turning to look at Song Chuyi, "So what do you want to do?!"

Now she realized that this girl was quite special; she could influence First Lady Cui and the opinions of Duke Ying's residence. It seemed she alone had the final say in the room.

First Lady Cui's wide sleeves concealed her movements as she reached out to pinch Song Chuyi's hand.

Song Chuyi understood; First Lady Cui had previously told her that among noble families, it was difficult to fight to the death in a mutually destructive manner. The best approach was to obtain the greatest benefit.

Only children would focus solely on immediate victories or losses; adults often aimed to secure the maximum advantage for themselves.

"That depends on whether Old Lady Chen wants to escalate this matter or downplay it." Song Chuyi looked directly into Old Lady Chen's slightly cold eyes with her clear black-and-white gaze, showing no signs of retreat. "It also depends on your sincerity, Old Lady Chen."

Under the eaves, one must bow their head. Old Lady Chen looked at her tearful granddaughter beside her, and then thought of her early-deceased eldest son, finally making up her mind.

"I heard you have a younger brother," Old Lady Chen said reluctantly, her face stern as if someone owed her several thousand taels of silver. "If he wants to pursue a career in academia in the future, I can recommend him to Tang Mingzhao."

Tang Mingzhao was a renowned scholar of his time, and even noble families and prominent clans like the Four Surnames found it difficult to invite him. If he were to take him as a disciple, the benefits for Song Yan's future and life would be self-evident.

Using Chen Mingyu's reputation to exchange for a rare life mentor for Song Yan was a very profitable deal. Song Chuyi paused for a moment, then smiled with the corners of her lips curving upward: "Old Lady Chen is indeed a straightforward person. Since that's the case, today's matter and the issue in Tongzhou will be wiped clean."

By bringing up a figure like Tang Mingzhao, Old Lady Chen was certainly not worried that First Lady Cui and First Lady Song would persuade Song Chuyi not to agree. However, after presenting such a significant gift, she felt a heavy burden in her heart. Even her usually cold expression could no longer be maintained. Supporting Chen Mingyu, she glanced at Song Chuyi and walked out.