The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 7 - Death

It was already deep autumn, and after experiencing a fright that made her break into a cold sweat and then being hit by a cold wind, Ye Yunxi returned home with a high fever. The Princess of Zhennan called for a physician to treat her and couldn't help but mutter softly about the King of Zhennan: "He didn't even tell me to prepare... I was almost scared to death..." Thinking of the terrifying scene from earlier, she shivered even in the warmth of the room.

"It's hard to explain to you. The situation was urgent..." The King of Zhennan also kept his voice low, glancing at his daughter, who was sleeping heavily, and sighed: "It's just unfortunate for Yunxi and Yunyi; they must have been really frightened... But luckily, they have been taught well since childhood, so they know what can and can't be said."

"What exactly happened?" The Princess of Zhennan tucked the blanket around her daughter: "What kind of nonsense are you and your son hiding from me...? Jingkuan hasn't been seen for four days now. Why does it take so long to go out?"

The King of Zhennan couldn't help but chuckle bitterly: "Four days is considered long? If he doesn't take a month or two this time, he probably won't be back. It's useless to discuss these matters with you. We will handle what's outside; just manage the people at home, and remind them to be cautious lately. The people around Yunxi and Yunyi especially need to be careful to prevent them from accidentally letting something slip. Since the Emperor has ordered silence on today's palace matter, our family must not let even a hint of it leak out."

The Princess of Zhennan found herself at a loss against the King of Zhennan, knowing that no matter how much she asked, she wouldn't get any answers. She sighed in a daze.

On the other hand, Old Lady Chen was much more straightforward. She stared directly at Old Master Chen, speaking quickly and urgently: "I can see that something is off... The one who caused the biggest uproar about finding the culprit was the Empress Dowager, but in the end, it turned out to be Princess Shijia..."

Old Master Chen finished writing the last character and glanced at Old Lady Chen while rummaging through the documents: "So what? Since the Emperor has already made a conclusion that Princess Shijia disrespected him and angered the Empress Dowager, just accept it. Don't ask about matters that aren't your concern."

He opened one of the letters and, seeing its contents, smiled in relief before tossing it into the brazier to burn.

Old Lady Chen, sharp-eyed, noticed that the signature at the bottom seemed to be the seal of the Crown Prince's heir, and she immediately felt dazed, staring at her husband and exclaiming, "What is going on?"

Wasn't the Crown Prince's heir already poisoned and unconscious?! When did he write a letter to Old Master Chen?!

"You just said it wasn't your concern, and now you've forgotten," Old Master Chen snapped, his expression shifting instantly. "If I could tell you, would I not?"

Old Lady Chen's high spirits were instantly dampened. She nervously twisted her handkerchief, and after pondering for a while, she couldn't help but ask, "Could it be... could it be that Princess Shijia is related to you..."

She was halfway through her question when she met Old Master Chen's piercing gaze, and she couldn't continue. In the end, she silently lowered her head.

"Mind your own mouth and also take care of Mingyu." Old Master Chen's stern gaze made her bow her head, and he coldly warned, "Disaster comes from careless words; you know this without me telling you. Since the Emperor has issued a gag order, just pretend you know nothing, and don't say a word to me about what happened today. Keep this matter to yourself."

The atmosphere in the room was so oppressive that it was unbearable. Old Lady Chen understood the deeper meaning behind Old Master Chen's words and stood up, pale-faced, wanting to leave.

"Wait." Old Master Chen called her back.

She turned to look at Old Master Chen, her throat moving as her usually sharp tongue stumbled over its words, only able to utter two: "What now?"

"If any female relatives from the Zhang family come to visit," Old Master Chen said, his gaze intense, "do not meet them. Anyone associated with the Zhang family should be avoided. This time, they're in deep trouble; don't let their mess splash onto you."

Old Lady Chen shuddered, her lips moving as she finally managed to stammer out, "Understood."

Although she had always known that her family's master was part of the Crown Prince's faction, she had never felt it so deeply—now it seemed that the Chen family and the Crown Prince's faction were like grasshoppers on the same rope, absolutely unable to separate from each other. She stifled her curiosity and swallowed all her questions back down.

In the Changning Marquis' residence, which was half a city away, the atmosphere was clearly much better than in the Chen residence. When Old Lady Song saw Old Master Song, she finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I nearly scared myself to death!"

Song Chengru chuckled, stroking his beard as he personally served her tea: "Why is your courage getting smaller and smaller? Back then, our marquisate nearly lost its rank, yet I didn't see you so shaken..."

"How can this be compared?" Old Lady Song shot him a glare. "After all, it concerns the survival of our family, and it implicates so many people. I was truly terrified in the palace, fearing that in the end, the people from the Shenching Division would find something in Fengzao Palace."

Old Master Song quickly reassured her, "How could that be possible? Princess Duan Hui has already informed the Empress... The Empress will definitely not let anything go wrong..."

Fortunately, they had connected with the Crown Prince's heir. With this thought, Old Lady Song turned her head to look at Song Chuyi, her gaze becoming softer as she stroked her head and sighed, "Speaking of which, we really must thank Xiao Yi."

If it weren't for her first noticing something was wrong with Song Chumi and then deducing from the details that the Zhang family was preparing to slander the Song family, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly afterward.

Old Master Song nodded with a smile: "Once I obtained that brocade pouch from the Yun family, I knew Xiao Yi's suspicions were correct. Thankfully, our son-in-law is sensible; he immediately detained the matriarch of the Yun family and all the related individuals, forcing them to disclose information about the Zhang family. Our eldest son even had some thugs catch that young man from the Zhang family right in the yard, extracting quite a bit of information from him..."

Recalling this matter, Old Master Song couldn't help but feel a surge of anger: "I asked him questions behind the screen, ensuring he couldn't see my face. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let him be sent to the residence of Princess Shijia; I would have tossed him into the river to feed the fish directly."

"What about Fourth Sister?" After Old Master Song finished speaking, Song Chuyi hesitated before asking, "Even though we retrieved the so-called token and the Yun family has kept quiet, if the Zhang family is pushed to the brink..."

This was precisely the cruelest aspect of Empress Rongxian and the Zhang family; no matter what, Song Chumi was still a Song, a member of the Song family. Since she had ties to the Zhang family, the Song family couldn't wash their hands of it.

Fortunately, all evidence had been erased, so even if the Zhang family wanted to retaliate, they had no way to do so.

But Song Chumi was ultimately still a problem...

Old Master Song steeled his heart, and a hint of murderous intent inevitably surfaced in his eyes. Whether Song Chumi acted with malice or not, she had nearly brought disaster upon the Song family.