The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 112 - The Great Mourning

Song Chuyi knew that Han Zhi wouldn't be quick to retaliate—though the countryside estate was registered under Wei Yanjun's name, everyone in the capital knew whom Wei Yanjun truly worked for. Furthermore, among those killed alongside him were several unfamiliar young girls.

Rumors soon spread in tea houses, theaters, and eateries, saying that the unrecognizable woman who died in the attack was Han Zhi's lover. Since Han Zhi was getting married, he'd arranged to send her away quietly, only for her to be ambushed by bandits along the way, leading to the massacre.

Regardless of the truth, the deaths of so many people with ties to Han Zhi brought both the Jinyiwei and the Shuntian Prefecture officials knocking on his door. It was only after Marquis Jinxian's household spent a fortune that the matter was finally laid to rest.

As this commotion settled, another major event struck the capital.

The Empress Dowager passed away.

Emperor Jianzhang, known for his filial piety, ordered the suspension of court proceedings for three days. For the next three months, officials were forbidden from marrying, and commoners were also expected to observe a year of mourning. Naturally, the selection of companions for the princesses was also postponed.

The women of noble households with titled ranks all had to enter the palace to mourn, leaving Old Lady Song and the First Lady so busy they were rarely at home. Finally, when the Empress Dowager's funeral concluded, another issue arose concerning the marriages of Song Chubin and Song Chuxuan.

Although the emperor had kindly left a three-month window for officials, the Ministry of Rites procedures were extensive. With both herself and the First Lady being titled, they had to enter the palace for the mourning ceremonies and would need to attend rituals until the body was laid to rest. There was simply no time in these few months to arrange the marriages for Song Chuxuan and Song Chubin. This meant another unavoidable delay of two years.

Sighing, Old Lady Song made sure to send word through Lady Yu to Jiangyin to convey the situation. Fortunately, Jiangyin was quite satisfied with the marriage arrangement, and given the national mourning, they couldn't easily start seeking another match. Thus, the two families agreed on a delay of two years.

The First Lady, relieved that things had resolved so smoothly, hugged Song Chuxuan with a sense of lingering fear, feeling deeply thankful. After all, the marriage to Jiangyin was rare and ideal. If missed, her daughter would have to remarry, and in two years, finding a match would be even harder.

After the Empress Dowager Rongxian's funeral finally concluded, nearly another half-year had passed, and Song Chengru had still not returned. Matters in Yangzhou remained a tangled mess, complicated by a vast web of connections, making it difficult to resolve.

However, Cui Shaoting sent word in mid-year, saying he was reinforcing city walls and rebuilding parts of the Great Wall.

Song Chuyi sensed that the situation in the north was growing tense; after two years of restraint, the Tatars seemed unable to hold back any longer. They lacked the ability to farm, so each year, they resorted to raiding for resources from the central lands. They had been quiet for a time in Tongzhou, but now, after reorganizing, it seemed they were preparing to return.

After reading the letter, Lady Yu felt uneasy and held First Lady Cui's hand, speaking at length. "If a battle breaks out, who knows how things will turn out? He's only ever fought pirates..."

First Lady Cui, who was also worn out from the mourning period, was nevertheless full of spirit. With the passing of Empress Dowager Rongxian, the heavy presence that had loomed over the imperial court had finally fallen. Now, no censor could use that as an excuse to throw themselves before the Tai Ji Hall, accusing Emperor Jianzhang of filial neglect.

She squeezed Lady Yu's hand in reassurance. "There's no need to worry so much. Shaoting is level-headed. He survived those difficult times in Fujian, so why would he suddenly forget how to wage war in a different place? Don't fret. Another year will pass in a flash, and he'll be back in the capital for his report."

Lady Yu understood that First Lady Cui was purposefully offering words of comfort, but she had no other choice. She sighed deeply, glancing outside, and murmured, "I truly hope things go as you say, so he can return to the capital in a year. Otherwise, he may even miss his sisters' marriages."

The marriages of Cui Huaying and Cui Huayi had also been delayed due to national mourning. But with two years nearly gone, Lady Yu had begun discussing wedding dates with the Lady of the Guangping Marquis, giving her something to occupy her time.

Mentioning this, First Lady Cui fell silent for a moment. Cui Huaying and Cui Huayi's ancestral home was in Boling, and tradition required them to return to Jinzhong to prepare for their marriages. Now that the matter had been raised, Lady Yu would have to escort the sisters back to Jinzhong.

"These are turbulent times; perhaps returning with them isn't a bad idea." She chuckled, lowering her voice. "Inside the palace, Noble Consort Xian and the Noble Consort Song are at each other's throats, and now the Crown Prince has taken another consort..."

Originally, Noble Consort Xian and Noble Consort Song managed to keep up appearances with each other. However, an incident with the Ninth Princess's Pekingese tearing up the Eleventh Princess's face had escalated the situation. For a young girl, a beautiful face is precious, especially for a beloved princess. Having her face scratched was as devastating as a life-threatening injury. Yet the Ninth Princess brushed it off, claiming her dog had been startled. Noble Consort Song endured it repeatedly, but seeing neither Noble Consort Xian nor the Ninth Princess offer a single apology, and instead hearing that the Ninth Princess intended to call for the imperial physician to treat her dog, she couldn't hold back any longer and went straight to Qingning Hall.

The Empress reported it to the Emperor with a frown. Initially, he thought it was just childish bickering and would have let it go with a laugh. But upon hearing that the Ninth Princess had said her dog was more important than the Eleventh Princess, he was truly furious. He immediately punished the Ninth Princess with confinement and ordered the dog to be put down.

It wasn't until Prince Duan returned for the New Year last year, speaking persuasively on her behalf, that the Ninth Princess was released. However, the grudge between the two sides was set in stone.

Now that the national mourning was over, the matter of selecting companions for the princesses was back on the agenda. With the princesses now older, the process couldn't be delayed much longer without breaching protocol.

Choosing companions, however, was a difficult matter. Two years ago, the Ninth Princess had inexplicably insisted on selecting Song Chuyi. Now, with the recent incident involving the Eleventh Princess, it seemed she would be even more adamant.

As for Song Chuyi's temperament, no one knew it better than First Lady Cui, the County Princess of Duanhui. The Ninth Princess, with her solitary and stubborn nature, would fall out with her own sister over a mere dog...

First Lady Cui gave a wry smile, "Perhaps it's partly my fault. Ever since the incident with Tingting, Noble Consort Xian has held it against me, and now her daughter has her sights set on Xiao Yi."