The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 55 - Malice

Lady Fang once thought she'd seen all the wickedness in the world, and in truth, she had seen quite a bit. Just recently, after Song Chuning had subtly warned her about Nanny Qin, she'd indeed uncovered some troubling clues.

Lady Rui, who had been bedridden for years, wasn't suffering from some nutritional deficiency—she was a victim of chronic poisoning.

As for the identity of the poisoner, it was almost too obvious to question. Nanny Qin nearly fainted from anger. If it hadn't been for her own efforts to pave the way, Qin Zhi would never have set foot in Prince Duan's mansion. But instead of gratitude, Qin Zhi had dared to harm her own cousin.

Outside, the fierce wind battered the windows, casting the shadow of swaying trees faintly onto the paper-thin window screens. Lady Fang closed her eyes, unconsciously taking a step back, her voice barely audible.

"But... he is your father..." Lady Fang began, though she herself didn't seem to know what she was trying to say. "If he suffers because of this, what good will it bring you?"

She had never seen anyone so devoid of conscience, willing to kill anything in their path. With Song Jue and Song Chuyi, one might barely justify it as a grudge from the past, but now Song Chuning was even plotting against Song Yi, leaving Lady Fang in shock and disbelief.

Everyone could see how Song Yi treated her. Perhaps not perfectly, but he was an indulgent father, fulfilling her every request. Yet despite this, Song Chuning could still bear to act against him!

Song Chuning's eyes were red and swollen, partially closed to shield the frightening gleam in her otherwise lovely eyes. She responded dismissively with a nonchalant "hmm," and then, as if puzzled, she asked, "And so what?"

Father? Mother?

Had either Song Yi or Lady Li ever treated her as a person? To Lady Li, she was nothing more than a tool, a pawn to secure Song Yi and gain entry into the Song family.

As for Song Yi, his soft heart had been entirely spent on trying to make amends to Song Chuyi and Song Yan.

No one cared about her, no one bothered to understand her. She remembered having a high fever for three days, only for a nanny and the eldest daughter-in-law to be the ones to notice. And where had her parents been then?

They'd been by Song Chuyi's side, never leaving her.

Why should she recognize such parents? Why should she revere them like they were saints?

Lady Fang was stunned by her cold, emotionless words and sighed, momentarily at a loss for a response. At this moment, fear and horror outweighed her anger. She'd lived a long life, but she had never encountered someone as cold-hearted and detached as Song Chuning; she simply didn't know how to respond.

"This time, returning to the capital is as good as death for me." Song Chuning opened her eyes, gazing at Lady Fang as she lazily rested her head against the pillow. "If he doesn't care whether I live or die, why should I care for him? As long as I'm still of use to you, shouldn't you all be helping me?"

Lady Fang was momentarily speechless—after the revelations about Lady Rui's poisoning, Nanny Qin had come to revere Song Chuning almost like a divine oracle, singing her praises endlessly in front of Prince Duan. Now, with Prince Duan's increased favor for Song Chuning, viewing her as a girl of great fortune and foresight, how could he possibly consider her useless?

"The two plots of land in Yongzhou can be put to good use," Song Chuning said, noticing Lady Fang's attentive expression and curving her lips into a faint smile. "Those plots were gifted to my father by a certain landowner after a court case. If you go and stir up some doubts, that landowner will likely figure things out on his own."

Lady Fang sucked in a breath, finally realizing that Song Chuning wasn't joking; she genuinely intended to bring misfortune upon Song Yi. She knew about those plots—Song Chuning's two maids were currently people of hers, and it was Song Chuning herself who had convinced Song Yi to accept them, under the pretense of conducting a legitimate transaction through a broker.

Had she planned to use this against Song Yi all along?

A chill ran up Lady Fang's spine, her hair standing on end, and a gust of cold wind made her shiver.

"Don't look at me like that." Song Chuning frowned, watching as Lady Fang averted her gaze like a frightened rabbit. She continued, her tone low and commanding, "Also, instruct Uncle Huang to send over a few beautiful women in a few days."

Song Yi might be principled in most aspects, but he had an undeniable weakness for beauty. Gifts of beautiful women from his superiors or subordinates were something he'd never turned down.

Lady Fang hesitated, puzzled. "But exchanging beauties is common in official circles... it's just a custom..."

"Who said they were gifts?" Song Chuning sneered. "Did I say it was a gift? No, these are proper young women whom my father forced from Uncle Huang's household. One of them, refusing to submit, chose to end her life by hitting her head in the back courtyard of the magistrate's office. With both his land and daughter forcibly taken, wouldn't Uncle Huang feel justified in pressing charges?"

Lady Fang recoiled as if she were staring into the eyes of a demon emerging from hell. She took a few steps back, her eyes wide with horror.

This girl, barely seven years old, would take a life whenever things didn't go her way. And now she was so ruthless as to target her own father, merely because Song Yi supported her selection as a palace study companion. Alongside her fear and terror, Lady Fang began to feel a deep revulsion toward Song Chuning.

Even in her darkest times, she had never wished death upon Lady Wei. But Song Chuning viewed human life as if it were nothing more than weeds. Her malice extended not only toward strangers but even toward her own parents and family, with open disgust and murderous intent.

If she ever took a wrong step, Lady Fang feared Song Chuning wouldn't hesitate to kill her, or even harbor the same intent for Wei Yanzhao.

Utterly venomous. Lady Fang lowered her head, unable to speak for a long time.

Song Chuning, unmoved, was accustomed to such looks—after all, she'd seen enough of them from Nanny Yu and Lady Li to feel nothing now. She simply lowered her tone and continued, "Also, inform Nanny Qin and let her know that I'll be entering the capital. I understand that even the prince cannot defy the palace decree, so my journey to the capital is inevitable. But if you don't want to lose a pawn as useful as I am, you'd better figure out how to keep me safe."

Lady Fang agreed and stood, heading for the door. She carefully stepped around patches of thin ice, hearing the pounding of her own heart.

The news that Song Chuning would be entering the palace was oddly comforting—Lady Fang was, after all, Fang Deng's wife and could not return to the capital. Following Song Chuning had proven far too dangerous, and she was constantly terrified by her. Now, thinking that she might finally part ways with this harbinger of misfortune, she felt a faint, guilty sense of relief.