The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 27 - Plans

Ye Jingchuan listened, somewhat taken aback. Although he disliked getting involved in matters of the inner courtyard, growing up in a prominent family had inevitably exposed him to these issues, making him inherently sensitive to them. In the past, if anyone in the household made an unforgivable mistake, they would usually be sent to the countryside. For more serious offenses, they would call a human trader, often without demanding money, subtly indicating their opinion of the servant—allowing the trader to deal with them however they saw fit, as long as the person who had erred had a difficult time. This had become a customary rule among noble families in the capital regarding their servants.

He thought about An An and then recalled the girl Lianyi, whom he had found in the pigsty. Suddenly, he felt that the seemingly heartless methods he had always considered too harsh actually had their own rationale. After all, how else would these wicked people be made to pay for their mistakes?

Song Chuyi turned her head, weariness etched on her face. The fierce wind blew her hood off, and after she pulled it back on, she leaned gently toward Qingtao, who had just hurried over, and quietly asked, "Does Lianyi know about this?"

The Li family was a nightmare for Lianyi; just hearing their name made her tremble uncontrollably. She had suffered far too much over the years... If she found out that the old woman from the Li family was actually crazed enough to want An An dead, it would be devastating for her.

As Qingtao helped her put her sleeves back on, she also slipped a hand warmer into Song Chuyi's hands, shaking her head. "I didn't dare tell her. I also spoke with Nanny Xu, telling her not to mention this to Lianyi."

Song Chuyi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She nodded, turning to thank Zhou Weizhao and Ye Jingchuan. "Today, it's really thanks to both of you; otherwise..."

Otherwise, if anything happened to An An, Lianyi wouldn't be able to live either; she would never find peace in her life.

Zhou Weizhao shook his head, gesturing toward the drooping flower gate to indicate she should move ahead. "Your brother should have arrived in Shuzhong by now, right? Tang Mingzhao doesn't have many disciples, and he's a gentleman. It's a good thing for him to go there; he'll have peace and learn some skills."

Ye Jingchuan interjected, "I've heard my father say that Tang Mingzhao only takes in a few disciples. When it came time for Song Yan, he just happened to be the closed-door disciple. You really know how to time things perfectly."

After passing through the drooping flower gate, the sound of the howling wind diminished significantly, surrounded by the courtyard walls. Song Chuyi nodded slightly. "It's also a matter of fate to have this opportunity. I don't expect him to accomplish great things; I just want him to be able to stand on his own in the future."

Although Empress Dowager Rongxian had been overthrown, Song Chuyi still felt uneasy. She would rather send Song Yan a thousand miles away than allow him to become a target for others to attack her in the capital. The tragic story of her past life could never happen again.

She paused and then asked Ye Jingchuan, "You're supposed to set off right after the New Year, so why do you always have time to wander around outside? And you always end up here..."

Previously, the Princess of Zhennan had brought Ye Jingchuan to the Changning Marquis's residence several times. Although nothing had been explicitly stated, everyone could probably see his interest in her.

Ye Jingchuan scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "First, I wanted to come find you for fun; second, my mother was willing to let me go out when she heard I was coming to see you, so it wouldn't be good for me to go elsewhere..."

Zhou Weizhao glanced at him and suddenly found it amusing. "You want to play with her, but your mother probably thinks differently. She likely believes you've grown up and are making plans for yourself."

Ye Jingchuan indeed had plans for himself. If he were just a typical wealthy playboy, he wouldn't be so determined to run off to Fujian. Song Chuyi turned her gaze to Ye Jingchuan and suddenly asked, "Why are you willing to retreat from the north to go to Fujian? Do you think the threat from the Japanese will arrive sooner than that from the north?"

The events involving the Tatars passing through Tongzhou suggested that unrest would likely occur within a year or two. Since the Great Zhou had closed the trade, it was tantamount to cutting off their supplies. Those who only herded cattle on the grasslands would inevitably explode in anger; without the ability to purchase goods and recall the dire conditions faced by the cavalry in Tongzhou, they would certainly be driven to desperate measures.

However, to the public, the pirates in Fujian had always seemed like mere nuisances, unable to create any substantial threat.

When this topic was brought up, Ye Jingchuan became uncharacteristically composed, his expression serious as he nodded. "The court has always prohibited maritime activities, but in recent years, the reports of pirates from that area have increased significantly. I counted, and there are at least ten who have their own ships and weapons. These pirates are increasingly audacious, not only selling weapons to Japan but sometimes even coming to Fujian and Guangdong along with the Japanese pirates to raid... This has been going on for three to four years. I once asked your uncle what would happen if this continued, and his thoughts aligned with mine..."

Zhou Weizhao walked ahead with his hands clasped behind his back. Hearing Ye Jingchuan pause, he continued, "Within a year, there will surely be a major invasion by the Japanese pirates."

It was precisely for this reason that Cui Shaoting had remained uneasy and had been reluctant to enter the capital even after receiving the order. However, the northern defense line was indeed becoming strained. Although the defenses of Datong and Xuandu were once as solid as a copper wall and an iron bastion, with renowned generals as defenders, after decades of neglect, they were no longer as fortified as they once had been.

Song Chuyi furrowed her brows tightly and let out a deep sigh.

She knew that most of these pirates were from Jiangxi and Changsha. In recent years, these two regions have been plagued by banditry, and due to their proximity to the sea, more and more people were turning to piracy.

What was most frightening was that several of them had close ties to Prince Duan.

In her past life, when Prince Duan raised his troops, the Japanese pirates simultaneously invaded Fujian, Guangdong, and Zhejiang, tying up a significant portion of the southern military forces. To make matters worse, the governors of Fujian, Guangzhou, Changsha, and Jiangxi at that time were all people of Prince Duan, making the southern provinces almost like his stronghold.

"Who are you going to serve under this time in Fujian?" After sighing, Song Chuyi raised her head to look at Ye Jingchuan, her eyes sparkling as she blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

For some reason, Ye Jingchuan suddenly felt his face grow warm. He absentmindedly touched his head, his mind blank for a moment, and he didn't respond for quite some time.

Zhou Weizhao tapped him on the head, snapping him back to reality.

"My father means that I will still be serving under the successor of the governor of Fujian..."

Song Chuyi shook her head, a sudden smile spreading across her face. The smile was unexpected and beautiful, catching everyone off guard.

"No, don't go to him. Let me tell you about someone; following him will definitely be the right choice."

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Translator Xiaobai: My boy Jingchuan is definitely falling in love ~~~~