The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 109 - The Funeral Bell

That night, the Song residence indeed sounded the cloud drum. Its toll echoed through the wind, and by the next day, familiar families began arriving. The Li family was the first to come. Upon hearing that Song Chuning had passed, Old Master Li jumped up on the spot, demanding an explanation from the Song family.

Eldest Master Song, Third Master Song, and Song Jue were all so busy they hardly touched the ground. Old Master Li looked at the commotion and found it amusing—while she was alive, they hadn't allowed her family to see her even once, but now that she was dead, visitors poured in one after another to mourn.

Yet he couldn't make a scene as he'd hoped. Old Lady Song invited him to the flower hall and, in the presence of several elder members of the Song family, asked him sternly, "Do you truly intend to cause trouble?"

Old Master Li grew uneasy, unsure what to say. Old Lady Song held more than a few pieces of leverage over the Li family. If he stirred up trouble, his hopes of becoming the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince's heir would be dashed, and he might not even retain his position as Chief Academician at the Imperial Academy. His family's reputation would be in tatters—stories of his daughter's cruelty and his granddaughter's viciousness would be widely known. The censors would likely flood the court with memorials on their transgressions, seeking fame through their denunciations.

His indignation subsided inch by inch, leaving him deflated, like a firecracker burnt out. Leaning heavily on Eldest Master Li's hand, he shuffled out and returned home, only to cough up blood in frustration.

Eldest Master Li and Second Master Li felt equally aggrieved. Their frustration wasn't due to Song Chuning's death itself but because they knew that, with her passing, their family's business connections beyond the pass would likely be severed. Previously, they had refrained from establishing direct contact with Prince Duan out of caution and because Song Chuning had refused. Now that Prince Duan had lost this particular "arm," he certainly wouldn't care about the "fingers" attached to it.

Eldest Master Li hastily called for a physician, careful to maintain appearances and avoid offending the Song family by seeming insensitive. He instructed First Lady Li through clenched teeth, "Find physician Zou, someone we know. And don't say Father is unwell—say it's Jiaojie."

First Lady Li wasn't as saddened by Song Chuning's death as Eldest Master Li and Second Master Li. Unaware that their family's status depended partly on Song Chuning, she recalled only her shortcomings. However, seeing her father-in-law, husband, and brother-in-law in this state, her face naturally turned cold. She turned and ordered a maid to summon the physician, then asked Eldest Master Li, "Shall we inform Mother of this? And, following custom, as her aunt, I should go to help dress her in her burial clothes..."

Eldest Master Li, being straightforward, shook his head immediately. "Mother is sensitive; if she hears that even Little Eighth has passed in just two years, it'll only bring her more grief. Best to keep it from her. As for dressing the deceased, see if the Song family sends anyone this afternoon. If not, prepare to go over later in the evening."

Outwardly, his words sounded considerate, but the Li family knew the truth. Old Lady Li had been sent to the temple by the pressing influence of the Cui family, who had persistently maintained offerings there. They had thrown so much money at the nuns that they hardly thought straight, leaving Old Lady Li worn and aged.

Even if they wanted to notify her now, the news likely wouldn't reach her. And should she return for this reason, there would be expenses for physicians, more offerings, and incense. With two daughters soon to prepare dowries for, where would they find the spare funds?

After sighing deeply, First Lady Li exited and was about to check on her daughters when she spotted Eldest Master Li's chief attendant, hat held tightly, rushing up to greet her before dashing into the study.

Eldest Master Li was already annoyed, and when his chief attendant handed him a letter, he assumed it was yet another invitation from a colleague. He frowned and waved his hand, saying, "Just leave it on the table."

The attendant stepped forward and bowed slightly. "The messenger urged me repeatedly to ensure that you personally looked at it. Perhaps you should give it a glance?" After all, he had received a full three taels of gold for this favor—more than he could make in a year in the Li household—so he wanted to make sure he delivered it directly to Eldest Master Li.

Eldest Master Li shot him a glare but ultimately reached out and took the letter. When he opened it, his expression shifted, and he quickly closed it, eyeing the curious attendant with a stern look. "Out! Go call the Old Master for me..."

But then he thought better of it, shook his head, and pocketed the letter, walking directly to the quarters of Old Master Li, where he found Second Master Li already present. Without delay, he took out the letter for them to see. "An odd thing happened today..."

Old Master Li glanced at the letter first, raising an eyebrow at Eldest Master Li in surprise before passing it to Second Master Li. After a moment of silence, Second Master Li finally spoke up. "It claims to have coordinated with us on Ning'er's behalf, but how can we know if it's true or not? And now, she's dead—there's no way to confirm anything..."

Just as he finished speaking, a series of increasingly urgent knocks sounded at the door. Irritated, Eldest Master Li called out for the person to enter and demanded to know what was going on.

The attendant from earlier, now pale-faced and drenched in sweat, stammered, "Two officials from the Ministry of Justice have arrived at the door... they say... that Second Master Song's case has been found to have some connection to Second Master. They're requesting that he accompany them for questioning..."

Old Master Li nearly choked, his hand trembling as he almost coughed up blood again. Second Master Li, too, was visibly shaken, standing up with a jolt. He had known about the recent hearing for Song Yi's case, but with witnesses and evidence against him, he had assumed the matter would conclude as it was. When the Ministry's investigation turned toward him, he had managed to push the blame onto a steward. Who would have expected that now, out of the blue, Ministry officials would show up in person?

The only reason they would bother him again was likely due to the arrangements with the illegal guild for the Yongzhou dealings. Yet, he had made sure to keep everything discreet, never appearing in person, only sending a steward on his behalf.

Still, he couldn't help but suspect that Song Chuning might have instructed the steward to engage in some further actions. His vision grew dark as dizziness overcame him, nearly causing him to faint on the spot.

But with officials from the Ministry of Justice personally at his door, there was no way to refuse. Heart pounding and legs trembling, Second Master Li began to make his way outside, each step unsteady as he moved forward.