The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 87 - Secrets

At the mention of this, all three men fell silent, their faces clouded with heavy thoughts.

Outside, servants bustled back and forth, preparing items for the New Year. The decorations alone were consuming a steady flow of silver...

Second Master Li lifted his gaze slightly. "It's all Mother's fault, really. If she hadn't insisted on buying that land, we wouldn't have thrown away 150,000 taels. That was 150,000 taels gone! Now, both nieces are about to marry, and the bride prices from their suitors aren't low. Are we really not going to match them? If we are, then that's another sum, and just for those two, it's at least 20,000 taels. Then there's my two sons, both needing to marry... it's an utter mess!"

At the mention of the land purchase, both Old Master Li and First Master Li initially reacted with anger, but upon hearing Second Master Li's grievances, they couldn't bring themselves to rebuke him further.

Second Master Li wasn't wrong; the family was indeed pressed for money on all sides.

First Master Li's two daughters alone would cost nearly 20,000 taels for their weddings, which was already considered modest, with the groom's family shouldering most of the banquet expenses. But when it came time for First and Second Master Li's sons to marry, the financial strain would be even more severe—especially since their chosen brides were not bringing substantial dowries to help.

Under such immense financial pressure, Old Master Li was living far more frugally than he had during his years as a teacher and academic supervisor. They saved on expenses wherever possible, yet no matter how carefully they managed, it was still hard to save enough, and he could barely keep up with the family's needs.

If they hadn't been tempted by profit and bought that dubious land and private properties, they wouldn't be in such a situation now.

Old Master Li couldn't help but think of Old Lady Li as a curse on the family. Not only had the daughter she raised offended the Song family, but she'd also squandered the family's wealth...

"Next year, we'll cut the donations to the temple in half." He flipped through the household accounts with mounting frustration. "Otherwise, there won't be enough for our two daughters-in-law to handle the usual social engagements and hospitality."

Thinking along these lines, even if he couldn't become the Crown Prince's heir's tutor, at least he could still recoup some silver, bringing him a bit of comfort.

Second Master Li seemed to share the sentiment, sighing as he glanced between his father and elder brother. "With the New Year fast approaching, the expenses for gifts alone are substantial. Thankfully, the dividends from the business beyond the Pass will be coming in soon."

Old Master Li gave a faint, ironic smile, tossing the account book onto the table and turning to look at him. "So, with Prince Duan expecting us to look after Eighth Miss, do you dare not comply?"

First Master Li rubbed his temples. "We just hit a wall today. Going again would likely be a wasted effort. However, my wife went last time, and the First Lady was somewhat courteous to her. Perhaps we should let the women try."

Old Master Li nodded. "Let's do that, then. Have your wife prepare a few gifts in the coming days and pay another visit. It would be best if she can see her."

Without Song Chuning's involvement, they wouldn't be able to manage their business beyond the Pass. In a way, Song Chuning's value was indeed greater than his two sons combined. He hoped she could help secure their connection with Prince Duan even more firmly.

As for Old Lady Li, who was practicing austerity in the temple, well, since it's called "austerity," it should naturally be a bit harsh. Otherwise, how could she truly reflect on her mistakes and cleanse herself of misfortune sooner?

At this point, after wasting 150,000 taels of silver, the Li family felt they had done more than enough for her. There was no reason to spend any more money on her.

The Li family's persistence surprised the Song family, who thought they would give up after a few unsuccessful attempts.

But their eagerness and the unusual level of attention they displayed were clearly out of the ordinary.

Old Master Li didn't seem like someone who valued daughters and granddaughters so highly that he would repeatedly risk offending the Song family to insist on seeing Song Chuning, fully aware of the Song family's boundaries.

First Master Song pondered this for a long time but couldn't make sense of it, eventually setting the thought aside—he was already overwhelmed by the troubles surrounding Song Yi's situation.

He had gone to the Ministry of Justice to inquire and learned that this time, Yin Zhengde's impeachment memorial was meticulously written, with each accusation supported by witnesses and evidence.

Unfortunately, while Song Yi claimed to have made payment, he had no proof to back it up—he hadn't gone through a brokerage and didn't even have an intermediary. He directly negotiated with the family selling the land, who firmly denied receiving any money from him.

Moreover, the scholar from Changsha claimed that his daughter had been engaged, only for Song Yi to forcibly take her, leading her to commit suicide out of indignation.

These two charges, combined, were no small offenses, even for an official.

Seeing her husband's distress, the First Lady of Song tried to lighten the mood with cheerful news. "You needn't worry so much. In any case, Old Lady and Xiao Yi should be back soon... Once they return, we'll finally have someone to consult with."

First Master Song nodded, taking the ginseng tea his wife handed him and sipping it. With all these continuous issues recently, he felt quite worn down. "Speaking of which, the young master from the Guo family is also returning with them. He was a great help in Qingzhou and even assisted with transporting furniture and lumber back. We should make sure to host him properly."

The First Lady moved behind him to massage his neck, her tone gentle. "You don't need to worry about that; I'll handle it. And as for Mingzi, she went through quite an ordeal this time. She'll be living with us permanently from now on. Tomorrow, I'll have Nanny Jin tidy and arrange the other Tingxiang Pavilion in the garden for her."

At this mention, First Master Song's mood darkened further. He set the ginseng tea down on the nearby table, staring into space for a long while. Finally, he sneered, grinding his teeth, "Now that you mention it, I just remembered that Xiang Yunchang is also being escorted to the capital for trial. He used to think he'd thrive without our family, even rise faster. This time, I'll watch and see what fate awaits him!"

After discussing this, First Master Song instructed his wife, "Since Old Lady's letter was clear on what to do, just follow her guidance. I suspect Second Brother's troubles might also be connected to her somehow. If we delay, who knows what she might stir up next."

No one cared more about this matter than the First Lady of Song. Ever since Song Jue's ordeal, she had been avoiding Song Chuning as if she were a poisonous snake. Now that both Noble Consort Song and Old Lady Song had made their intentions clear, she wouldn't hesitate. She nodded without reservation, saying, "The nannies have been feeding her medicine every day; I doubt she has the strength left to cause trouble."