The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 14 - New Life

When the Cui residence held the welcoming banquet, the wind was strong and the snow was heavy. The first snowfall in the capital arrived earlier than in previous years, and the swirling snowflakes quickly laid a thick white carpet on the ground.

The bougainvilleas at the princess's residence were also in bloom, and as the wind blew, the petals fluttered like snowflakes, drifting toward people's necks. As Song Chuyi stepped down from the carriage, a gust of wind nearly knocked her off balance. It was only thanks to Ziyun's quick reflexes that she steadied herself. Looking up, the sight of white snow and red plum blossoms dazzled her eyes, prompting an involuntary smile.

"Be careful, it's slippery underfoot," First Lady Cui personally welcomed her at the second gate. Seeing her almost stumble, she couldn't help but laugh. Then she glanced at Song Chuyi's feet, noting that she was wearing a pair of deerskin boots, which reassured her: "The snow is deep; if you're not careful, your shoes and socks will get wet."

Song Chuyi took her arm and turned to see two cheerful young girls. She couldn't help but glance back at First Lady Cui— in her previous life, she had little interaction with the Cui family, and they had gradually fallen from grace, making it hard for her to recognize them all.

First Lady Cui waved the girls over, smiling as she introduced them: "These are your two older sisters from your maternal uncle's family." She pointed to the taller girl, who was already showing the charm of youth in her water-red cloak, saying, "This is your sister Huaying."

The other girl, slightly younger and wearing a bright red cloak, chimed in cheerfully, "I'm Huayi! I'm two years older than you!"

Song Chuyi smiled and exchanged greetings with them, and then was pulled inside by First Lady Cui: "It's so windy and snowy outside; you girls are quite resilient. It's just as good to talk inside."

Huayi seemed a bit dissatisfied and shook First Lady Cui's hand, asking, "Auntie, how can you lie? You clearly promised me we could go to Qixia Pavilion for some barbecue!"

First Lady Cui was a bit exasperated by her persistence and playfully pinched her cheek: "What time do you think it is now? You can be as naughty as you want later; I don't have time to indulge you. You can take these little troublemakers with you! Even if you make a scene, it's not my concern. But it's still early; you should meet the guests and not cause any trouble."

Once she calmed Huayi down, First Lady Cui pulled Song Chuyi into the flower hall, hurriedly asking someone to bring hot tea to warm her up while inquiring, "You said you would come earlier; why did you suddenly decide to come later?"

Song Chuyi smiled, revealing her small tiger teeth, her eyes curving in delight: "Sister-in-law suddenly went into labor this morning... The old lady was worried and wanted to wait for the child to be born before coming over with Uncle and Auntie."

"No wonder your uncle complained about Eldest Master Song arriving late; it turns out this was the reason." As she watched Song Chuyi drink her tea, she smiled: "You'll soon be an aunt; time really flies."

Outside, the sounds of singing and festivities could be heard, prompting First Lady Cui to give the girls a few reminders before rushing out to welcome the guests.

"Didn't they say it was just a family banquet? Why are there people personally welcoming guests?" Huayi asked, playing with her little braid, looking confused at Huaying. "I thought it was just us and our cousins."

Huaying, much more composed, gave her a reproachful look and spoke gently: "What do you know? Even though it's a welcoming banquet, it wouldn't make sense not to invite some close relatives. Just like our father, whenever he hosts a banquet, he always invites a few familiar uncles to join."

Huayi fell silent at her scolding and ran over to sit beside Song Chuyi, eagerly urging her to go to Qixia Pavilion: "They have so many green plums over there, much more interesting than these plum blossoms. Eating and drinking while enjoying the plums—wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Compared to Huayi, Cui Huaying looked more like a girl from the Cui family. Song Chuyi was a bit surprised by Huayi's lively nature and was about to speak when she heard First Lady Cui's laughter outside. She quickly pointed and laughed, indicating the direction.

Huayi fell silent, and the three of them stood quietly together.

"Oh, are we setting rules here?"

As soon as she entered, a beautifully dressed lady next to First Lady Cui smiled and said, "It's just a family banquet. Did you, cousin, really lecture the children again?"

First Lady Cui ignored her, beckoning the three girls over and saying, "Quickly greet the princess."

The three quickly realized that this lady was Princess Rongcheng, who was as close to First Lady Cui as a biological sister, and they hurriedly bowed.

"Get up, get up," Princess Rongcheng said, recognizing each of them as she received the gifts presented by the female official beside her, unable to suppress her laughter: "Fortunately, I prepared in advance; otherwise, if I had rushed over, wouldn't that have been impolite?"

She paused, then waved for Song Chuyi to come forward, curiously looking her up and down. Turning to First Lady Cui, she remarked, "You really do resemble Tingting... For a moment, I thought I saw little Tingting from back in the day."

First Lady Cui smiled and had her sit down, then instructed several young girls, "Your brothers are outside; they'll take you with them later. Just be careful of the time; don't play on the ice, and come back when it's time."

Song Chuyi noticed a few tables set up next door in the flower hall and quickly understood that the guests had probably not yet arrived, so First Lady Cui would likely go out to welcome them soon, allowing the girls to play.

Huaying clearly shared the same thought, responding with a cheerful smile.

However, Princess Rongcheng smiled and called for Song Chuyi to stay: "I have something to ask this little girl. You two go ahead; I'll send her to you later."

First Lady Cui was eager to go out to welcome the Princess of Zhennan, and upon hearing this, she chided, "How old are you? What do you need to ask a nine-year-old girl? Be more reasonable!"

Princess Rongcheng was unafraid and urged her to go receive the guests: "I'm just going to ask a few questions. Don't worry, cousin, I won't eat her."

First Lady Cui could only laugh in exasperation and allowed Song Chuyi to stay with her. She glanced at Song Chuyi before heading out to welcome the Princess of Zhennan.

"I've heard all about you from my cousin; I originally thought you would be quite a remarkable person," Princess Rongcheng said with a smile, taking her hand. "But you're really just a little girl, which is quite surprising."

Before Song Chuyi could respond, she continued to smile to herself: "Looking at you like this, how could anyone believe that a little girl like you could pressure Lord Zhang into retirement?"

In her previous life, after the crown prince passed away, the crown princess and Princess Rongcheng both encountered misfortunes. Since she had never interacted with Princess Rongcheng before, she didn't quite understand if there was any deeper meaning behind her words and wasn't sure how to respond.

However, Princess Rongcheng suddenly stopped smiling and looked at her, sighing: "But speaking of which, I really must thank you. If it weren't for you..."