The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 197

After lunch, the rain began to fall softly, refreshing the plants washed by the rain. The water dripped from the leaves of the large-leafed ligustrum and bamboo, creating a harmonious melody.

Old Lady Song glanced at the vibrant flowers outside, dripping with rain, and ordered Yulan to close the window.

"Stay outside and keep watch. Don't let anyone in," Old Lady Song instructed Nanny Huang. "If the eldest daughter-in-law comes, tell her the dinner will go on as usual. Uncle and his wife will have dinner at our house, so she should prepare accordingly."

Nanny Huang replied softly and took Yulan outside to sew in the bright room, while a few girls on duty were assigned to keep watch in the corridor.

The room grew dim as the windows were closed. Cui Ying Shu looked at Old Master Song with some urgency. "What's going on? At this critical juncture, the Yulin Guard shouldn't be mobilized..."

At this critical juncture, the Jinyiwei, Yulinwei, and Jinwuwei should all stay in the imperial city and defend it strictly.

First Lady Cui furrowed her brow at her husband, hesitating for a moment before saying, "When I left the palace, I happened to hear Wei Zhao say that he requested the emperor to have the Astronomical Bureau choose a day for an envoy to go to Longhu Mountain to pray for blessings. Could it be because of this?"

Song Chuyi's brow twitched, and she soon sensed something was amiss. If Zhou Weizhao truly intended to pray for blessings, wouldn't he be the best candidate, having spent seven or eight years at Longhu Mountain? Moreover, given his identity as a Daoist, he would have a better chance of inviting Master Zhang out of the mountain.

The Crown Prince was poisoned; if it was poison, it wasn't a serious illness. Why was there a need to pray for blessings? It was likely that the claim of seeking blessings was a facade, while secretly, they would be going to Longhu Mountain to seek medicine.

But would they not fear that the unseen mastermind behind the poisoning might take action during such a grand dispatch of envoys?

Was this an elaborate ruse?

No, with Zhou Weizhao's overly cautious nature, he could never do something so conspicuous. The envoy was definitely a cover; behind the scenes, there would surely be his confidants, or perhaps he would go to Longhu Mountain himself.

Song Chengru evidently thought the same; his expression was serious as he frowned. "If the Yulin Guard really has to take on the responsibility of escorting the envoy, this trip could be quite dangerous..."

Song Ren's expression was also somewhat grim, but he knew that worrying at this point was futile, so he could only suppress his unease and focus on listening to them speak.

Cui Ying Shu sighed, somewhat lamenting, "The Crown Prince's heir... doesn't seem like a mere twelve-year-old boy."

He recalled the moment he learned about the Crown Prince's poisoning, when Zhou Weizhao immediately ordered the palace to seal off and capture people, and felt a strange sense of panic wash over him. It had been many years since he had felt such a shameful emotion.

First Lady Cui glanced at him, then at Song Chuyi, her mind suddenly filled with unseemly thoughts—your nine-year-old niece does not appear to be an innocent child of her age.

"Xiao Yi, in your dream, how was your uncle?" Old Master Song suddenly turned and asked her, with an uncertain inquiry. "Do you still remember?"

Song Chuyi looked up in surprise at Cui Ying Shu, recalling that First Lady Cui had previously mentioned that he had decided to restore his position, and couldn't help but ask, "Has the matter regarding my uncle's position come down?"

She then remembered that in her previous life, due to the Crown Prince's death, the former Prime Minister had been implicated and lost his official post. After thinking for a moment, before Cui Ying Shu could respond, she asked, "Did the Prime Minister help?"

Cui Ying Shu's handsome brows furrowed in surprise, taking a breath at the girl's insight. "How did you know?"

Like the Song family, the Prime Minister, who had been in the officialdom for over forty years and was deep-minded, never aligned himself with factions. Otherwise, he would not have taken the initiative to show goodwill in front of Song Chengru and made comments suggesting that Lord Zhang had gone too far.

Since Prime Minister Chang had already offended Xingfu and had no intention of joining Prince Duan, he would naturally have to do the same as the Song family and temporarily find a high branch for shelter, or... win over the aristocratic families to form his own power.

It now seemed that the Prime Minister was choosing the latter option. He originally had a familial connection with Cen Biliang of the Ministry of War, and his students were spread throughout the court. He had a number of aristocratic disciples like Cui Ying Shu, and if he offered substantial benefits or high official positions, he might actually achieve his goal.

After careful consideration, Song Chuyi did not answer Cui Ying Shu's question. Instead, she turned to look at her grandfather and asked, "Grandfather, has the cabinet's debate on the selection of the commander of Zijing Pass come to a conclusion?"

If she guessed correctly, the Prime Minister wanted to win over the Cui family, and he would definitely not stop at just offering Cui Yingshu the position of left deputy minister of the Ministry of Works. The Cui family was now at the highest status, yet there was still one person who could be promoted without appearing to be self-serving.

The position of the commander of Zijing Pass was still a little low for Cui Shaoting. Shaanxi, Gansu, Datong, Xuanfu... Song Chuyi always felt that there seemed to be a big net, covering the Song and Cui families.

Song Chengru, impressed by her sharpness, nodded calmly. "In the end, they recommended Wei Qingshu, the current successor of the title General Weilie, proposed by Lord Du." He glanced at the pensive Cui Ying Shu and added, "But at the same time, Prime Minister Chang also submitted a request to the Emperor to reinstate the position of Commander of the Three Borders, with Fujian General Cui Shaoting as the candidate."

Three Borders Commander—just as expected. Song Chuyi squinted, sighed, and looked at Cui Ying Shu, then at the silent Old Lady Song and First Lady Cui. She asked gravely, "Grandfather, Uncle, have you considered that war might break out again in the Northwest?"

Cui Ying Shu and Old Master Song exchanged glances, stunned by the question. Realizing the gravity, they quickly considered the possibility. If the Tatars had no ulterior motives, they wouldn't have allowed their cavalry into the city or colluded with Xingfu. With Xingfu dead and the increased border defenses, the Tatars, always short on supplies, might grow desperate. Already having subdued surrounding tribes, they might seize the chance to attack during winter when grazing was impossible.

In previous years, they only looted, but this year could be different—emboldened by their success at Zijing Pass and Tongzhou, they might aim higher, attacking Great Zhou. If war broke out, Cui Shaoting, as Commander of the Three Borders, would inevitably lead the charge.