The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 39 - Disharmony

Even though Song Chuyi said this, the people that needed to be dispatched couldn't be ignored. Old Lady Song pondered for a moment and sent someone to call Old Master Song back for a discussion.

"Xiao Yi probably got frightened by the Li mother and daughter in her dreams or maybe it's because of Yan'er..." Old Lady Song carefully chose her words and sighed, "She's become a frightened bird because of Yan'er's situation, to the extent that she's wary of Little Eighth. But thankfully, her vigilance is so strong; otherwise, if something really happened to Jue'er, it would truly be our fault."

If it weren't for their negligence, how could Song Chuning have followed Song Yi to such a distant place as Changsha? Now that no one could control her, she could do whatever she wanted.

Old Master Song's expression grew more serious as he shook his head heavily.

"This little girl's thoughts have turned so harsh; indeed, she can't be left alone." He looked at Old Lady Song and said, "Since the Noble Consort has said so, let's follow her advice. That second son of ours is so unreliable; if he causes any more trouble, he doesn't deserve to be our son."

If it weren't for that muddled and weak fellow, Song Yi, things wouldn't have escalated to this extent.

"He's far worse than his brother and not much better than the younger brothers when it comes to handling matters," Old Master Song concluded. "If it weren't for him, Li Shi wouldn't have been able to enter our home. In the end, it's not wrong for the Cui family and Xiao Yi to resent him; he is indeed the murderer of his own wife. We've just been protecting him out of a bit of selfishness... If he dares to cause trouble again, I'll dare to open the ancestral hall and have him kicked out!"

He rarely expressed such harsh emotions, even Old Lady Song was startled and took a while to react, lowering her head with apprehension.

Opening the ancestral hall... Since the Song family was demoted due to inheritance disputes, there hadn't been any call to open the ancestral hall for separation. If it truly happened, especially among the direct descendants of the Song family, it would attract countless eyes. Song Yi's future would be nearly ruined—just one word of filial piety would be enough to crush him to the point of disgrace.

Old Lady Song felt somewhat reluctant, but she knew that Old Master Song was considering the entire Song family. Song Yi indeed needed to learn and grow; otherwise, relying on the family's protection to have a smooth career while turning around to throw tantrums at them...

Seeing Old Master Song frowning and looking quite irritated, Old Lady Song couldn't help but ask, "Why do you look so unwell? Is there something else besides Jue'er?"

"It's truly been quite bothersome these days," Old Master Song replied candidly in front of Old Lady Song. "There's been a snow disaster in the northwest, yet the disaster relief funds dispatched by the Ministry of Revenue have gone silent like a mud cow sinking into the sea. It's causing quite an uproar now."

Old Lady Song had heard Old Master Song mention the snow disaster in the northwest before, but she didn't expect it to be this serious. After a pause, she asked, "This is something the Ministry of Revenue should be concerned about; you don't need to be too anxious about it..."

"But this fire has burned onto my head. How can I not be anxious?" Old Master Song forced a bitter smile. "Because I previously served in the Ministry of Revenue, I'm well aware of these matters. Fang Xiaoruo submitted a memorial to the emperor, asking me to join him in Jiangnan to raise disaster relief funds..."

Funds from those salt merchants in Jiangnan are notoriously hard to obtain. It seems Fang Xiaoruo knows it's a difficult task, so he dragged me, the former Minister of Revenue, into it, fearing he would bear the responsibility alone.

Money matters are the hardest to deal with, especially disaster relief funds, which involve a lot of complexities. Old Lady Song couldn't help but worry: "The salt merchants in Jiangnan are all wealthy but stingy; how difficult it is to get money from them! They all have layered relationships behind them... If you're not careful, you might offend some influential person. If we can't secure the funds, we'll be reported by the censors for being indifferent to the people's suffering. Even if we manage to raise enough money, there's no guarantee it'll safely return... How did we get dragged into such a mess?"

"Who says otherwise?" Old Master Song coldly chuckled and put down his teacup. "What scheme Fang Xiaoruo is up to, does he really think I don't know? He runs to Old Chen every day and then comes up with this idea... Old Chen really thinks we're easy to bully; he actually wants Fang Xiaoruo to step on me to climb up."

The "Old Chen" he mentioned was Lord Chen. Old Lady Song couldn't help but feel a chill: "He must know that we're now on the same side, yet he still dares to target us."

"It's true that we're on the same side, but hasn't Xiao Yi also said before? Even between brothers, there are still people who want to fight for superiority, let alone between us?" Old Master Song noticed Old Lady Song seemed a bit lost in thought and comforted her in return. "Just keep this matter to yourself; you don't need to worry too much. After all, I've been in the Ministry of Revenue for over twenty years, and no one understands the ins and outs better than I do. It's just a bit of a hassle, that's all."

There really isn't any other way; could we possibly refuse?

Old Lady Song nodded absently and then told Old Master Song again about sending someone to Deyang to look for Song Jue. Afterward, she quietly reported everything they discussed during today's palace visit, finishing with a serious expression: "It's obvious that the two consorts are in cahoots. No matter how we guard against it, hidden arrows are hard to defend against. Xiao Yi advised the Noble Consort to rely more on Qingning Palace. This is indeed sensible, but when we left the palace today, we heard that something happened in the Eastern Palace, and they've summoned the imperial physician again..."

Old Master Song furrowed his brows in confusion. "But His Royal Highness just visited the Astronomy Bureau to discuss this year's ancestral worship at the Imperial Ancestral Temple... He seems to be in good spirits..."

"The Eastern Palace is essentially equivalent to the current Imperial Palace, with many factions involved. Just like you and Lord Chen... This time, I suspect it's not the Heir Apparent or His Highness himself who has encountered any issues, but rather that other celestial master..." Old Lady Song hinted subtly to Old Master Song. "He has genuinely been favored by the Crown Prince and the Emperor for eleven years now, and the Crown Prince has always doted on him."

Old Master Song understood what Old Lady Song was implying. The Crown Prince has two sons, and the reason the Heir Apparent was sent to Mount Longhu was that the Crown Princess personally begged the Emperor and Empress. Although the outside world still appeared harmonious, many felt a certain reticence regarding the Heir Apparent's inexplicable serious illness.

It seems that the Crown Princess and the side consort Fan are indeed at odds.

If Zhou Weizhao is on bad terms with Zhou Weiqi, then the Eastern Palace is bound to have some issues arise.

The Song family is clearly closer to Zhou Weizhao, but it ultimately depends on which son the Crown Prince values more. However, the Heir Apparent has only just returned, and the Crown Prince has been ill for so long; outsiders can hardly discern the true relationship between the Crown Prince and the Heir Apparent.