The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 60 - Death

It was as if all vitality had suddenly drained from the mansion; an eerie silence settled over everything, chilling to the bone.

Concubine Bai, huddled in her room, had lost all her usual composure. At the sound of the door opening, she jumped, causing Xiang Jian to step back in fright.

Realizing who it was, she let out a sigh of relief, slumping into her chair with a weary wave of her hand. "How did it go?" she asked.

Last night, the main courtyard had been in turmoil, with cries and shouts filling the air, carried on the wind and disrupting her restless sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she was jolted awake by the haunting sounds.

In truth, whether Song Linlang lived or died made little difference. In her half-dead state, having completely severed ties with Xiang Yunzhang, she couldn't cause much trouble. Concubine Bai had even hoped she might live a few more years.

Yet, whether by some terrible coincidence or with a malicious intent to disgust her and Xiang Yunzhang, Song Linlang had chosen precisely this moment to descend to the underworld...

She wasn't sure if Xiang Yunzhang had noticed the look Xiang Mingzi had given them yesterday—a glare filled with fury and a desire for their downfall, even making a seasoned actress like Concubine Bai feel a chill. And who knew what tales Xiang Mingzi might spin once Old Lady Song arrived!

Xiang Jian shook his head, his round body rolling onto the bed as he nestled comfortably into the thick Hangzhou silk covers, leaving only his head visible for Concubine Bai to see. "Looks bad. People have been coming and going, crying their eyes out. That Nanny Zheng, who's usually the fiercest, was bawling so hard her eyes were swollen shut."

Concubine Bai, irritated, got up and gave his ear a sharp twist, scolding him with a handkerchief in hand. "Who asked you that? I'm asking what the physician said!"

Nanny Zheng had clearly intended to pin the blame on her yesterday. Since she had indeed been alone with Song Linlang, if the doctor came out with anything incriminating, things would get truly troublesome.

Xiang Jian yelped, rolling to evade her grasp, his eyes darting mischievously as he looked at Concubine Bai with a hint of mockery. "My, you're ruthless. Did you find out the old lady was coming and serve up arsenic in advance?"

Arsenic?!

Concubine Bai's face went deathly pale, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at Xiang Jian. She mechanically turned her head toward the main courtyard, her voice trembling, "What... arsenic?"

A cold fear crept over her, as if a large net was closing in on her and even on the Xiang family itself. Yet her mind instinctively rejected the idea as absurd—could Song Linlang really have gone to such lengths as to sacrifice her own life to trap others? Old Lady Song hadn't even arrived yet, and Xiang Yunzhang, as the local authority, could surely control what people said, couldn't he?

With his chin resting on one hand, Xiang Jian looked oddly relaxed, raising an eyebrow as he repeated, "Arsenic, of course. Physician Yao said it was excessive ingestion of arsenic that worsened her condition beyond recovery."

Concubine Bai slumped back into her chair, her expression blank as her mind spun in confusion. She glanced at her son, but for once, her thoughts were completely empty.

Just then, a young maid burst through the door, breathless as she announced, "My lady, our old lady has arrived!"

Our old lady?

Concubine Bai's eyes lit up, as if she had been given a second chance at life. She quickly grabbed Xiang Jian's arm, a mix of excitement and relief on her face, and hurried toward the door. "Go on, greet your grandmother!"

Lady Xiang, despite her long, dusty journey, was impeccably put together, not a hair out of place, as she sat sternly in the main hall, listening to Xiang Yunzhang explain something.

Concubine Bai gave Xiang Jian a meaningful look and discreetly pushed him forward from behind, guiding him to kneel in front of Lady Xiang.

Xiang Jian, being the apple of the old lady's eye, quickly understood his mother's intention. With perfect timing, he gave Lady Xiang a respectful kowtow, greeting her warmly.

Lady Xiang's stern expression softened as she personally helped Xiang Jian to his feet. However, she immediately noticed something amiss and turned toward Xiang Yunzhang and Concubine Bai, her expression severe. "How have you been taking care of this child? Why does he look so worn out..."

Xiang Yunzhang opened his mouth but seemed at a loss for words, his brow furrowed in discomfort.

Concubine Bai, however, gently shook her head and humbly took the blame, saying softly, "It's all my fault. I didn't care for the young master as I should have..."

Lady Xiang's face immediately darkened as she tenderly touched Xiang Jian's cheek, her voice as cold as the winter ice. "I know you all lack any real authority, unable to make decisions for yourselves."

She let out a mocking laugh as she looked at her son. "And that wife of yours, who's supposed to be in charge—why isn't she helping you?"

After years of sparring with Song Linlang, Lady Xiang knew her rival's faults like the back of her hand.

Concubine Bai kept her head down, not daring to speak, while Xiang Yunzhang tried to say something but stopped himself each time, leaving the hall in uncomfortable silence.

Suddenly, a wave of wailing echoed from outside, each cry louder than the last, filling the gloomy evening with a haunting sense of dread.

"What's going on?!" Lady Xiang stood up in surprise, a clear frown of displeasure crossing her face. "Why does it sound like a mourning cry?"

The elderly are often sensitive to such things, avoiding sounds of crying at dusk, open umbrellas in ancestral halls, encounters with the deceased after a journey, and similar superstitions.

Xiang Yunzhang and Concubine Bai exchanged a glance, seemingly understanding what had happened, and quickly stood up.

Sure enough, a servant from the main courtyard soon came rushing in, out of breath, to deliver the news. "Mistress... she's gone..."

Lady Xiang was taken aback—she knew the Song family would be sending someone soon, and now Song Linlang had died at this crucial moment. The Song family would never let this go.

"What a troublesome woman," she muttered, pulling Xiang Jian close to shield him from hearing, and sneered coldly, "Didn't I say it from the start? Girls from high, pampered families who've been coddled in honey and medicine aren't suited for us; we'd have been better off finding a wife from a family of equal standing. But you didn't listen, thinking your mother was trying to harm you. Now look—the household's in shambles, your wife isn't even a wife, and the daughter she raised only knows how to compete with you!"

Xiang Yunzhang bowed his head, her words barely reaching him. His mother had never had a kind word for Song Linlang, and even now, in death, she had to throw in a few more jabs to feel satisfied.