The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 50 - Terrifying

Song Linlang had never felt such terror toward the person beside her. She cried, collapsing from the bed, casting aside years of resentment, bitterness, and pride, and begged Xiang Yunzhang in a voice raw from anguish, "I beg you, Xiang Yunzhang! Spare Mingzi—she's your daughter, too!"

You once held her hand, pushing her on the swing under the jujube tree, helping her learn to walk back and forth along the stone streets of Qingzhou! She clutched her collar, feeling her heart churn violently, and in a fit of anger, spat out another mouthful of blood.

The blood splattered, staining Xiang Yunzhang's frost-white robe, and he froze for a moment. He'd always known Song Linlang was in poor health but hadn't expected it to be this severe—she'd already coughed up blood twice in a single day.

Xiang Mingzi cried out, struggling free, and threw herself onto Song Linlang, sobbing uncontrollably as boundless fear spread through her heart.

Ignoring the blood at the corner of her mouth, Song Linlang clung tightly to Xiang Mingzi, refusing to let go. The room was filled with the old, the ill, and the young, and Xiang Yunzhang suddenly felt a flicker of disorientation. 

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Meanwhile, Old Lady Song, who was sprinkling longans and red dates into the ceremonial wash for the newborn's third-day ritual, suddenly felt her heart skip a beat, and the longan slipped from her hand, landing in the water with a splash.

First Lady Song noticed and quickly took the tray from Old Lady Song's hands with a couple of comforting laughs, instructing the midwife to chant blessings for the little one.

Old Lady Song reluctantly let go, steadying herself as she watched the newborn wail, thrashing in the water scented with mugwort and peach wood, before standing up and walking outside.

The First Lady and her daughter-in-law both looked worried and quickly signaled to Song Chuyi.

Song Chuyi had already risen and followed her. She caught up to Old Lady Song, gently holding her hand to help her down the stairs.

The grandmother and granddaughter were silent for a long time. After a while, Song Chuyi felt a sudden chill on the back of her hand and stared in surprise at the moisture, silently tightening her grip on Old Lady Song's hand.

"Back then, your maternal grandmother made the harsh decision to sever ties with us entirely; even sent over a letter to pick up Yan'er..." Old Lady Song's back was hunched, and a large tear rolled down her cheek. "I thought she was heartless, but now I see... the fact that she didn't come with a blade to kill me shows she was far too kind."

Some things, if not personally experienced, could never truly be understood.

Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Old Lady Song said in a low voice, "I used to think we could make amends, that it would be enough. But now, what use is any atonement? I wish Xiang Yunzhang a miserable end, and I'm sure your grandmother's hatred for Li Shi and that second son of mine would only have deepened..."

Song Chuyi lowered her head in silence. Some wounds, once inflicted, couldn't be erased with a mere apology. She understood the love that her grandfather and grandmother had for their son, but she could never forget how Lady Cui had died, thousands of miles away from Jinzhong.

Everyone must pay the price for their mistakes, even Song Yi.

"Linlang's health has always been poor. I don't know if she can bear up under all this pressure..." Old Lady Song's face was pained, and even the joy of the newborn couldn't ease her sorrow. "Before, I was so disappointed in her stubbornness that I thought I'd just ignore her and let her taste what it's like to lack family support. But now, I wonder if I was too harsh. If I'd sent people to check on her more often, the Xiang family might not have dared to treat her so cruelly."

Song Chuyi was silent for a moment; lately, she had grown more and more quiet.

Then, she raised her head and looked at Old Lady Song, slowly shaking her head. "Grandmother, people change. All the ghosts and gods in this world combined can't match the terrifying fickleness and greed of the human heart. Uncle's sincerity was worn away long ago by his desire for a son and his loyalty to his mother. No matter how many people we send, it would be in vain. Aunt must have known this, and that's why she forbade us from going and worrying over her anymore."

"Yes..." Old Lady Song seemed a bit dazed. She nodded and sighed.

What Song Chuyi said was true—what could be more terrifying than the human heart? When someone loves you, they want to hold you close until old age; when they no longer care, they wish to crush you so you can never rise again...

After settling the guests from her family, the First Lady came outside just in time to see the grandmother and granddaughter leaning against the railing, silhouetted against the frozen lake, making them appear even more lonely and forlorn.

"Mother, don't worry," she said, stepping forward to gently support Old Lady Song's hand. After a moment's thought, she added, "Third Brother just returned today; let him rest for a day, and tomorrow he can accompany you on your journey."

Originally, it would have been ideal for Old Lady Song to stay for the celebration of her great-grandson's one-month birthday. But given the urgency of the situation, it was clear that she couldn't wait another twenty days.

Old Lady Song patted her hand, saying, "You've been burdened with so much."

The First Lady quickly shook her head. "There are still many older nannies at home, and Third Sister-in-law can help me manage things. It's no trouble at all."

Old Lady Song paused for a moment, then advised her, "I've already moved Little Fourth and Chen Jinxin to another location, so Third Daughter-in-law won't have them constantly on her mind and do something foolish. When you have time, speak to her; remind her that she has more children than just Little Fourth. Yue'er and the others still need her guidance."

This was actually Song Qi's suggestion. Although Tongzhou was a good location, it was still too close to the capital, with many prying eyes, and one never knew when trouble might arise.

The First Lady was surprised but still obediently agreed.

Song Chuyi suddenly turned to the First Lady and said, "Aunt, when Eldest Brother returns, please advise him to distance himself from his friend Wei Yanzhao, who is also in the Yulin Guard."

She had only recently realized a crucial fact—Song Jue's schoolmate Wei Yanzhao was not born into the Wei family, and his birth mother was actually a cousin from the Qin family...

This revelation dragged down quite a few people.

The real problem was that by the time this came to light, it was too late. Wei Yanzhao had already inherited the title from his deceased father.

And even worse, by that time, Prince Duan had ascended the throne, and Wei Yanzhao's birth mother was among the first batch of ladies honored by the imperial decree and was extremely close to the Empress.

Thus, the Wei family's title had been handed over to an outsider, with no recourse for justice.