The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 40 - A Letter

The rain in the south is so excessive that it can drive a person to frustration. Just when the skies cleared for a few days, it suddenly turned gray again, pouring down a torrential rain that made people hesitate to step outside. Those who did venture out inevitably got soaked to the skin.

Song Chuning stood by the window, gazing for a moment. Suddenly, for some unknown reason, she erupted in anger, reaching out to slam the window shut with a loud bang that startled Cui Guo, who was nearby, causing her to jump.

Changsha is truly not a place for people to stay. In the summer, it's so hot that it feels like one is on fire, and in the winter, it's so cold that one can hardly move. She had only been in the south for a year, yet frostbite had already developed on her feet...

Her toes felt numb and itchy, making her uncomfortable. In her anger, Song Chuning impulsively grabbed a pair of scissors from the nearby basket and stabbed them down towards her foot.

"Miss!" Cui Guo was so shocked that she lost two of her three souls, screaming in a disembodied voice. She quickly rushed to snatch the scissors from her hand, crying out, "You're bleeding from your foot..."

Lady Fang entered shortly after and was taken aback by the scene. She hurried over and saw that bright red blood was seeping through the white embroidered shoe, leaving her frozen in place.

She had thought Song Chuning was heartless toward others, but it seemed that Song Chuning was also quite ruthless with herself...

Cui Guo cautiously helped Song Chuning remove her shoes and socks, revealing that her big toe was stained bright red with blood, a truly shocking sight. Fortunately, hot water was kept boiling all day, so she instructed a young maid to bring in some water, using it to clean away the blood while holding her foot to apply medicine.

Lady Fang looked at Song Chuning, who appeared oblivious to the pain, and could hardly believe it. "Why are you torturing yourself like this?"

Hearing about others using knives on themselves is one thing, but doing it to oneself is truly rare.

"It itches and feels uncomfortable, so I'm just trying to find a way to make it less itchy," Song Chuning said with a casual laugh, looking up at Lady Fang. "Any news?"

Her logic was difficult to comprehend, and Lady Fang shook her head in a daze, feeling somewhat guilty for some reason. "I'm afraid this time it won't work. I found out he set off on the seventh day of November, but there hasn't been any trace of him along the way... If we can't even find him, how can we talk about taking action?"

The hint of a smile on Song Chuning's face vanished in an instant, her lips pressed together and brows furrowed.

How could Song Jue be so crafty as to know to release the information ahead of time, then secretly change his route and the timing? Only Song Chuyi would come up with such underhanded ideas.

She had actually started preparing against her early on. Song Chuning didn't know whether to be more angry or resentful. With a kick, she sent the water basin flying, watching the splashes of water with an expressionless face.

Why was she always a step behind Song Chuyi? It was always just a little bit lacking—why was it always just that little bit?!

Suddenly at a loss for how to vent the anger inside her, she grabbed a nearby crochet hook used for making shoes and began to poke at her toes.

Lady Fang retreated several steps, her eyes wide as she looked at Song Chuning like she was a madwoman. In fact, she was genuinely afraid that Song Chuning had gone insane. Shocked, she exclaimed, "Have you lost your mind?!"

Song Chuning poked at the frostbite one by one, watching as blood flowed out through the broken skin without care. She casually tossed the crochet hook aside and looked at Lady Fang with a mocking lift of her eyelid. "If I mess up again next time, I won't be taking it out on myself."

Lady Fang felt a chill shooting up from her feet straight to her heart, pinning her feet firmly in place so that she couldn't move a step—if not taking it out on herself, then on whom? Wei Yanzhao? Or perhaps the Qin matriarch, who was her lifeline? She suddenly hesitated to think further, realizing for the first time that she might be colluding with a tiger.

____

Meanwhile, the Song family in the northern capital finally received good news. Old Master Song handed a thin piece of letter paper to Old Lady Song, looking at Song Chuyi in surprise and delight. "Xiao Yi truly is insightful! Your elder brother has indeed sent a message back."

Old Lady Song, adjusting her reading glasses, read the letter several times before feeling at ease. She responded, "Fortunately, these siblings had already made a plan on how to proceed; otherwise, there could have been real trouble. In the letter, Jue'er said someone has been inquiring about him along the way using his portrait."

And who besides Song Chuning knew Song Jue's appearance? She had not expected that Song Chuning really had the ability to track him all the way to Shuzhong.

After praising Song Chuyi, she instructed Yushu to report safety to the main courtyard. "Tell your First Lady that Jue'er has sent news, and he'll arrive in the capital in about half a month. She can rest assured."

Yushu smiled brightly as she leaned in to acknowledge, then turned and lifted the curtain to exit.

Old Master Song brought up the matter of raising disaster relief funds for Jiangnan again. "We should set off no later than three to five days from now. It's likely that I won't be able to return for the New Year, so you all must be careful at home."

Old Lady Song had already discussed this with Song Chuyi, so she was not surprised. However, she still felt a bit worried. "The journey to Jiangnan is quite far, and the weather is cold. Grandfather should take good care of his health."

Old Master Song nodded with a smile. "You don't need to remind me; I know how to take care of myself. Don't worry."

"As for raising disaster relief funds..." Song Chuyi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Does Grandfather have a plan in mind?"

She really couldn't get involved in these matters; after all, they hadn't occurred in her previous life, and they concerned the Ministry of Revenue, which involved many intricate connections and pathways that an outsider couldn't even begin to grasp.

Old Master Song stroked his beard and laughed. "Are you worried that your grandfather won't manage the accounts well? Rest assured, I have my own plans."

Having worked in the Ministry of Revenue for many years, he had dealt with natural disasters like the Yellow River floods, severe droughts in Shaanxi, and military provisions in the north. He had endured enough hardship to become immune to such issues. Besides, this time he was just going to act as an inspector, listening more and doing less.

"After all, the interests behind the salt merchants and wealthy traders are complex and intertwined. There's no need for Grandfather to stick his neck out and draw attention," Song Chuyi said, feeling much more at ease now that she knew Old Master Song had this in mind. "Since Lord Chen is determined to make you the villain, why not 'happen to fall ill' on the journey? Surely, Lord Fang wouldn't go so far as to pretend to be a coward all the way through, would he?"

Old Lady Song couldn't help but laugh as she looked at Old Master Song and complained, "I told you this girl is clever and mischievous, yet you said she's calculating."

Old Master Song chuckled in response to Old Lady Song, "Isn't this just being calculating? Xiao Yi isn't wrong. Is it only allowed for officials to set fire while common people can't even light a lamp? This time, I really will play the coward."