The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 193 - Complexity

Unfortunately, this time, she truly found herself powerless to help. The reason she could fight her way through thorns to get to this point relied solely on the wisdom and experience she had gained over more than thirty years in her previous life. However, the mystery of His Highness the Crown Prince's death was something she had yet to thoroughly understand even now. In this rebirth, she had changed many people's fates. Song Jue was alive, the noble young masters of the Yulin Guards were all living well, and even the Crown Prince was still alive.

Moreover, by the Crown Prince's side was Zhou Weizhao, a person she found even more difficult to decipher, with an uncertain future ahead of him.

This life was already vastly different from her previous one; it was no longer the case that she could merely look at someone and know their past, present, and future.

The Empress had avoided meeting the Empress Dowager for many years to prevent conflict, yet now she was willing to come forward and engage in empty pleasantries with the Empress Dowager just to see her. This showed that the Crown Prince's situation was dire at the moment.

But if she knew nothing and couldn't provide the Empress and the Crown Prince's son with satisfactory answers, would this time her entry into the palace truly be a one-way trip?

Before long, Yulan and the others came in one after another, saying that the lunch banquet had been prepared and asking them to go eat.

First Lady Cui managed to compose herself. Although she hadn't gathered much information on this trip, she had learned enough to warrant a heads-up to Old Lady Song, so they could be more cautious when entering the palace and avoid unnecessary trouble.

Old Lady Song was watching Song Yan drink the appetizer soup. Upon seeing Song Chuyi and First Lady Cui, she hurriedly called for them to drink a bowl as well: "Recently, the children have been feeling fatigued with the arrival of autumn. It's good to let them have some appetizer soup in advance, so they can eat more at noon."

First Lady Cui nodded with a smile. Noticing that there was still no movement on the other side of the screen, she guessed that the men were likely still in the study and hadn't entered the backyard yet. Estimating that there was still time, she placed the soup on the table and said softly, "Old Lady, it might not be easy to deal with the Empress Dowager..."

First Lady Cui had been entering the palace frequently lately, so she must have heard some rumors to say such a thing. Old Lady Song nodded knowingly and signaled for Song Chuyi to take Song Yan out temporarily, putting down the bowl in her hands.

Once Song Chuyi and Song Yan had left, she thoughtfully said, "Initially, both I and the Old Master were worried about this matter, but in the end, we couldn't come up with any good solutions. However, now that the Crown Prince is poisoned... the Empress Dowager may not be in the mood to discuss matters with Chuyi as she usually would."

"The Crown Prince has been staying at the Eastern Palace due to his serious illness, so the poisoning could only mean there's been a problem within the palace. But with the Emperor and Empress preoccupied with this matter, it's likely that this has just aligned with the Empress Dowager's intentions," First Lady Cui continued. Seeing Old Lady Song's expression suddenly change, she comforted her, saying, "But we all know that Chuyi is not an ordinary child... Previously, when we were in Tongzhou, the Crown Prince's son already knew that she was special. Old Lady, don't hide it from me; I also know that this child can dream of past and present events..."

When First Lady Cui said this, Old Lady Song's heart probably started to settle. She couldn't help but look intently at First Lady Cui. The Crown Prince being poisoned—could it be that the Empress and others wanted to learn something from Chuyi?

They had anticipated that Song Chuyi's reputation for intelligence might not bring any benefits, only added troubles, and now it seemed to be true.

First Lady Cui continued, "This might not be a bad thing for Chuyi." It was as if she could see Old Lady Song's thoughts at that moment. After considering for a while, she said, "I know that the Marquis's residence intends to align itself with the Crown Prince... Since you already have this intention, why worry about the Empress? Her involvement can help Chuyi avoid the Empress Dowager, and it can also reassure the concubines in the palace. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"

Old Lady Song pondered in silence. First Lady Cui then called out a girl of about twelve or thirteen from behind her and smiled, "Though she's a bit young, she has spent three or four years in the palace, so she's somewhat familiar with the situation there. Since Hongyu is no longer by Chuyi's side, I thought I'd simply replace her with someone."

Old Lady Song took a glance at the girl. Seeing that she was fair-skinned, well-proportioned, and had a respectful demeanor, she nodded, "I was just worried about where to find someone suitable for her. Since you, her aunt, care for her, that's naturally a good thing. What's her name?"

Song Yan was a sensitive child, and twice he had noticed First Lady Cui overlooking him, making him acutely aware that something was wrong. Watching his somewhat lost sister, Song Chuyi, walking ahead, he suddenly felt a pang of anxiety.

The warm autumn sun filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves of Ningde Courtyard, casting a golden hue around her. Song Yan took a few steps forward to grasp her hand, tilting his head to look at her: "Sister... is Aunt here because of your situation in the palace?"

Song Yan's keen insight often startled Song Chuyi, causing her distress. After all, he was still very young, and perhaps out of a sisterly affection, she always hoped that he could live carefree. Yet the reality often made her hit walls—people who lived too naively could easily encounter misfortune. If she truly raised Song Yan to be an innocent youth unaware of anything, it would instead be harmful to him.

However, today's situation was clearly intricate and complicated, not suitable for Song Yan to know...

Just as she hesitated, she suddenly heard a small figure darting out from the stone path, running straight toward them.

"Is it Fifth Brother?" Song Yan tightened his grip on Song Chuyi's hand, looking at her with some confusion. "Why didn't Fifth Brother come with Fourth Sister?"

Since the Third Lady was following the Third Master to his official post, Song Yue was particularly clingy to Song Chumi. The bond between the two siblings was as close as the one he shared with his Sixth Sister, being inseparable.

Song Chuyi furrowed her brows when she noticed traces of tears on Song Yue's face. She quickly lowered her head and instructed Song Yan to stop him: "Quickly, block him! Grandmother is talking to our aunt right now. If he barges in so recklessly, he'll surely be scolded."

Moreover, looking at the time, Old Master Song would soon lead Cui Ying Shu to take their seats. If they encountered Song Yue causing a scene about Song Chumi at this moment, it would truly be a big problem.

Song Yan always listened to Song Chuyi, and upon hearing her words, he naturally had no objections. He stepped forward to block the crying Song Yue, frowning as he said, "Fifth Brother, Grandmother is receiving guests right now!"

The Song family emphasized the importance of order between elders and younger generations. Seeing Song Yan and Song Chuyi, Song Yue dared not cause a scene, but he still couldn't help but cry, "But Fourth Sister..."

Song Chuyi glanced at the small maidens around them, who were hanging their heads and pretending not to hear, and hurriedly said, "Sixth Sister is moving to Guanju Courtyard. Grandmother was feeling bored, so she called Fourth Sister to accompany her for a few days to relieve her boredom. Look at you, crying like a wet cat."

Song Yue knew that Song Chuyi was usually favored by Old Lady Song, and hearing her say this made him half-convinced as he wiped his tears: "Really?"