The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 20 - Immediate Concerns

Lady Fang, who had initially appeared resolute, now showed signs of hesitation. She glanced at Song Chuning, rubbed her head, and felt somewhat troubled. "It can't be that serious. His Highness the Heir Apparent isn't truly a Taoist; could he really be that fond of helping others and acting justly?"

"Why can't it be like Prince Duan, holding onto a mindset of exploiting opportunities?" Song Chuning seized the chance to interject, "What if His Highness the Heir Apparent, like Prince Duan, has taken a liking to Song Chuyi's good fortune? Don't forget what I told you: Song Chuyi might also possess the ability of precognition. Why can't she use this to negotiate with His Highness the Heir Apparent?"

That was indeed a possibility. Who among those in power didn't value so-called auspicious omens and fortunes? Moreover, even if they didn't care about Song Chuyi's fortune, her ability to foresee the future would be enough to make people treat her as a treasure.

Lady Fang sighed heavily and looked at Song Chuning. "I must speak frankly. You can ask me to inquire on your behalf, but whether the prince agrees or not is his own business."

"Of course," Song Chuning quickly replied with a smile, lifting her eyelids to glance at Lady Fang with a half-smile. "Besides, I'm not just doing this for myself. If something happens over there, you can't imagine the chaos the Song family would be thrown into."

The Song family had always regarded Song Jue like a precious gem. If something were to happen to Song Jue...

She recalled how Song Chuyi's misfortunes began with Song Jue's death in her dream. The desire for Song Jue's demise grew even stronger in her heart, making her voice tremble slightly with excitement.

Lady Fang couldn't understand how a six-year-old child could display so many bizarre expressions, each one so twisted that it frightened her, a woman nearing forty. She also couldn't fathom where Song Chuning's deep-seated hatred for the Song family came from. If it was simply because the Song family sent someone to bring her back to the capital, then her desire for revenge was truly terrifying.

"I... I know some of the reasons you hate your sixth sister," Lady Fang stared at her in shock, frowning in confusion. "But you are still surnamed Song. You should know the saying, 'Under the fallen nest, there can be no complete eggs.' If the Song family falls into misfortune, you might not end up well either. Even if you can persuade your father to save your clan, you can't block the public's criticism... Why would you hurt your enemy a thousand while harming yourself eight hundred?"

Song Chuning found it somewhat ridiculous that Lady Fang, who wished for the Song family's downfall, would remind her of such things.

"Why aren't you afraid that after explaining these principles to me, I might decide not to oppose the Song family and run back to report you?" Song Chuning couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Isn't it precisely because you've seen how deep my hatred for the Song family runs after that incident involving the prince getting poisoned through a scheme against them?"

She paused, her smile vanishing in an instant, replaced by a thick indifference that was hard to penetrate. "Anyway, I just want them dead. I want them to have no peace at all."

Her hatred had little to do with the Li family; she didn't care whether Li lived or died. Even if Li Shi didn't die, it would only make her reputation sound a bit better, and besides, Li Shi had never fulfilled a mother's responsibilities in her daily life.

What she truly hated were any of the people standing by Song Chuyi's side—clearly, she was stronger than Song Chuyi in every way, yet they foolishly chose to oppose her for Song Chuyi's sake...

Lady Fang felt a creeping chill on her arms, covered in goosebumps, and for a moment, she found herself at a loss for words. Song Chuning was like a wolf in sheep's clothing; once she shed that gentle and lovely facade, what lay beneath were eyes that glimmered green and seemed ready to devour, along with a gaping maw like a bloodthirsty beast, which was truly frightening.

How could the Song family produce such strange girls? She thought to herself but kept her expression neutral, letting out a sigh as she said, "Still, it's the same old story. After what happened with the prince, I'm afraid your grandfather will be even more wary of us. If something were to happen to Song Jue, he'd surely jump to the conclusion that it was the prince who did it without a second thought..."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Song Chuning sneered. "I've already found a scapegoat."

Lady Fang watched as she took out a roll of fabric from a box, and curiously pointed at the red dots on it, asking, "What are these?"

"Names of those who have offended me, those who deserve to die," Song Chuning replied matter-of-factly, pointing at the black dots corresponding to the red ones and telling Lady Fang, "These... are those who should wish for death."

Lady Fang thought she had probably stumbled upon a rare kind of madwoman, and not just any madwoman, but one whose clarity of thought was terrifying.

"Who is the scapegoat you've found?" Lady Fang managed to steady her mind. "The miasma. There's a lot of miasma in Shuzhong; isn't that common knowledge? If he gets lost in the mountains and doesn't come out, and ends up fainting from the miasma and is torn apart by wild dogs or wolves, who can be blamed for that?"

Lady Fang felt somewhat relieved—although she was a strange and cruel little girl, she was still inexperienced. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and asked, "He's the grandson of the Marquis of Changning, and he'll definitely have at least twenty bodyguards with him. Do you really think that a whole entourage could just be taken away by wild dogs or wolves? Only a fool would believe that. Your grandfather and Sixth Sister are so suspicious; they wouldn't even need to think twice before directly concluding that it was the prince's doing."

"So what? Do they have any evidence?" Song Chuning sat down, calmly looking at Lady Fang. "Besides, they've made it clear that they will never stand on your side. Isn't the incident with Xingfu the best proof of that?"

Her delicate earlobes glowed in the light, and the faint green pearl she wore only enhanced her overall charm.

"Trust me," Song Chuning gently coaxed, speaking patiently like a well-informed elder advising a younger person, her tone warm yet firm: "If Song Jue dies, the entire Song family will be thrown into chaos. Let's not even mention it; you can't always rely on Song Jue's compassion with the Wei Yanzhao matter, can you? What if one day, Song Jue no longer has that compassion?"

Lady Fang suddenly stood up, her hands clenched into fists as she glared at Song Chuning, as if she could swallow her whole at any moment.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and the calm voice of the housekeeper from outside echoed: "Miss, the master is in the study and would like you to come over."

"See? I just mentioned this. If one does not plan ahead, they will surely face troubles soon," Song Chuning leaned forward to set aside the chess jar that Lady Fang had picked up, supporting herself on the chessboard as she stood up.

Luyu and Cuiguo had already fetched her cloak, quietly waiting to the side.