The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 125 - Summons

If the Song family could be threatened, they would have stayed far from Prince Duan from the beginning—for his ambitions are not aligned, and even if he ascends to the throne, it would end with the fate of the crafty hare and hunting dog, discarded once the need is gone.

They had always assumed the Crown Prince was merciful, but now, that no longer seemed true.

Old Master Song harbored another concern and glanced at Song Chuyi: "The Emperor has always doted on the Crown Prince, attributing it to both his illness and kindness. Now, while the Emperor is still in his prime, the Crown Prince, unable to walk steadily, is already eager to run ahead; the path ahead may not be smooth for him."

Moreover, the Crown Prince chose to target Prince Gong—his own younger brother by blood. The poor boy, merely fifteen, was sent off to his fief. Although Emperor Jianzhang and the Empress never mentioned it, they clearly cherished him, often sending people with gifts. When Prince Gong's legitimate son was born two years ago, the Emperor and Empress even sent several carts of presents. The Crown Prince, however, chose to strike at someone close to Prince Gong, which, in the eyes of the Emperor and Empress, shows a lack of brotherly respect.

The Crown Prince has always been frail, while the vassal princes are young and robust, inevitably stirring other thoughts. Though his health seems to be improving, his many lingering issues remain unresolved, and he is in a rush to assert his authority. Prince Duan is no easy opponent, and even Prince Gong has always opposed him.

The more Old Lady Song listened, the more troubled she felt, her expression darkening as she brought up the matter of entering the palace: "The Empress is planning a spring banquet, inviting families to bring their daughters for a day in the palace. This likely concerns the selection of a study companion. Heaven knows what will come of it."

Old Master Song had initially said that the study companion would be decided by the spring hunt at the latest, but it now seemed the palace intended to settle it before then.

Feigning illness to avoid selection would be futile; they might instead accuse Song Chuyi of losing her future due to poor health, which was not worth the trouble. After some thought, Old Master Song said, "We may need to turn to Princess Rongcheng."

The matters of the inner palace are even more complex than those of the residence. Now, with the Ninth and Eleventh Princesses at odds, Noble Consort Xian showed no intention of reprimanding her daughter and had clearly decided that it was Noble Consort Song and the Song family who were at fault. Given this relationship, if Noble Consort Song insisted on having Song Chuyi serve as the Eleventh Princess's study companion, the Ninth Princess would only become more relentless.

However, Princess Rongcheng was the Emperor's eldest daughter and had always been highly favored, able to speak freely with both the Emperor and Empress. If she could intercede with the Empress and excuse Song Chuyi from both sides—this title of study companion may sound prestigious, but under the wrong guidance, it would wear a person down. Rather than that, she might as well stay home and cultivate herself.

Old Lady Song had been thinking the same and chuckled, "Speaking of this, I was just about to suggest that our eldest daughter-in-law take Xiao Yi for a visit to the King of Zhennan's estate."

Ye Jingchuan, who has been following Guo Huaiying, had steadily risen to the rank of Baihu. With Guo Huaiying now appointed as the new Governor of Fujian, Ye Jingchuan was taken in like family, which provided significant advantages for his future.

The Princess of Zhennan remembered this favor well, and it wouldn't hurt to let this opportunity serve as a connection. Adding in the goodwill for Princess Duanhui, how could she refuse?

Old Master Song nodded and finalized the decision: "Then tomorrow, they shall go for a visit. Ensure all the appropriate gifts are prepared to avoid any gossip."

Old Lady Song then mentioned Xiang Yunchang, "He has been sentenced to exile; the underage male family members are to be sold, and so are the women. Thankfully, we already completed the process of severing ties with the Xiang family for Mingzi, so we won't be implicated by such people."

This was the first time the couple had openly discussed the Xiang family and Song Linlang's matters in front of Song Chuyi. The room fell silent; even the crackling of the lanterns was audible.

A faint stream of incense smoke from the treasure-elephant incense burner veiled Old Master Song's expression.

But Old Lady Song and Song Chuyi knew he felt the sting of it. In this world, some see daughters as burdens while others see them as precious gems. Old Master Song's gem had been cradled in his palm for years, only to be lost to dust when he tried to reclaim her, unable to see her even one last time. The pain was evident. When he first saw Xiang Mingzi, he had kept a calm face, but later, hidden away, he wept to Old Lady Song, saying the granddaughter looked just like his daughter.

After a long silence, Old Master Song finally spoke: "Since she is no longer of the Xiang family, let's choose a suitable date, bring in a scholar, and change her surname. She will be a daughter of our family henceforth."

This would let the capital know that Song Linlang and Xiang Yunchang were divorced, and that their daughter now belonged to her mother's family, with no connection to the convict Xiang Yunchang.

The next day, the First Lady took Song Chuyi to visit the King of Zhennan's estate. Upon returning, she assured Old Lady Song with a smile, "I invited the Princess along, and as soon as the Prince Consort heard, he agreed."

Even if she didn't consider the Song family, she would certainly consider Princess Duanhui.

Though Old Lady Song had already anticipated the outcome, hearing it confirmed still brought her joy. "Since that's settled, we'll sit back and wait for the response."

The First Lady, aware of Old Lady Song's hopes, smiled and nodded, "With the princess herself interceding, the Empress will surely give her face."

With someone like the Ninth Princess, if Song Chuyi were truly assigned to be her study companion, there was no telling what trouble might ensue.

Yet, before the awaited message from Princess Rongcheng arrived, an envoy came from the palace, announcing that the Empress had summoned the Song family's daughters.

The Spring Banquet had not yet arrived, and no one had said they would not be attending. But now, word came that they were to enter the palace. The entire Song household became busy, preparing clothes and selecting jewelry for the girls to bring to the palace the following day.

Song Chubin, who was already engaged and soon to be married, was expected to remain unaffected by this summons. Old Lady Song held Song Chuyi in one hand and Xiang Mingzi in the other, gently reassuring them, "Though the notice came rather suddenly, you're both good girls. Just follow the rules properly, and nothing will go wrong. Tomorrow, I'll have the kitchen prepare blood-red bird's nest soup for you to drink when you return in the evening."