The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 139 - Confrontation

Wei Yanxi felt that Han Zhi was being excessively aggressive. Initially, his plan was merely to coerce Song Chuyi into submission and thereby bring the Song family into Zhou Weiqi's camp. But now, Han Zhi seemed hell-bent on driving Song Chuyi into a dead end.

"Your Highness, remember that even a cornered rabbit will bite back. By pushing Sixth Miss Song so hard, she might not submit as easily as you expect," he remarked, arms crossed, recalling something Zhang Run had once said. The person before him was not a master anyone could trust; he was cold-hearted and emotionless, likely to strike you down without warning the moment you ceased to be useful.

Sitting back in his chair with one leg propped casually on the opposite bench, Han Zhi sneered. A dead end? That was exactly what he intended—to back Song Chuyi into a corner and make her taste the shame he had endured two years ago.

When she had killed Song Chuning and Wei Yanjun and spread rumors pointing the blame toward him, hadn't she also been forcing him into a dead end? If she dared to act so recklessly, she should have anticipated this day would come.

A short distance away, the tiny An An was tied up beneath a wisteria trellis. Han Zhi glanced over at her, his smile deepening. Although Song Chuyi was exceptionally clever, even as formidable as Song Chuning, she was far easier to handle—because Song Chuning had no vulnerabilities. Even if you placed the entire Li family and Song Yi over the fire, she would show no hint of softness or compromise. But Song Chuyi was different; all it took was holding her lifeline firmly.

This was all thanks to Song Chuning's teachings. On this estate in Tongzhou lived her wet nurse, who had cared for her like a true mother since childhood, always thoughtful and attentive. Another person was the head maid who once risked her life for her birth mother and endured countless hardships. He didn't believe she wouldn't come.

Of course, he still planned to use Song Chuyi, draining every bit of her value—from the influence of the Cui family, the Marquis of Changning's manor, and her combined wisdom from past and present lives. He intended to keep her as a target forever at the Marquis of Jinxiang's gates, shielding him from storms in front and burying the filth of his back courtyard behind.

With these holdbacks and the lives of the people in Tongzhou as bargaining chips, this should be enough to force her to compromise.

He had sat since morning until the sun was nearly setting when he finally heard the panting footsteps of Guanshan outside.

Wiping his sweat, Guanshan, nearly breathless from running, informed him, "Young Master, they've arrived—the carriage from the Song family is here."

Han Zhi kicked the bench far away, straightened his attire, and turned to see Song Chuyi finally approaching from a distance. She looked different than she had two years ago—her figure had matured, with her hair loosely styled in a reverse coiled bun, adorned with a single delicate and intricate hairpin that highlighted her skin, as pale and delicate as pear blossoms.

With his hands behind his back, he had already examined her carefully without a trace of emotion, a warm smile lingering on his face as he greeted her, "It's been a long time, Sixth Miss. You seem much calmer this time compared to before."

Whether it was during the incident at the Tongzhou estate or the flower party at the Marquis of Jinxiang's manor, Song Chuyi's reactions had never been considered calm. Only this time, she appeared poised, her gaze steady, giving no indication of emotion, her composure unsettling.

Song Chuyi didn't look at him, her gaze fixed straight on An An, moving past him. She calmly untied the rope holding An An, letting the child jump into her arms.

Seeing this, Guanshan frowned and started forward, but Han Zhi gestured him to stop. With a nod toward Song Chuyi, he said, "So, Sixth Miss, what's your plan? The Marquis of Changning's estate, hiding criminals and weapons from two years ago, that's a rumor hard to contain, wouldn't you say?"

Handing An An to Qingying, Song Chuyi didn't lift an eyelid, raising her chin slightly toward Han Zhi. "Young Master Han, you must be joking. As I recall, when they searched for the culprits, even the Jinyiwei came to our estate. At that time, our Old Master even received word from Commander Chen. They didn't find anything then. And now, you visit once and claim that we're harboring criminals and weapons? Isn't that too coincidental?"

Han Zhi wasn't surprised by Song Chuyi's quick-witted response; her sharp tongue was something he knew well. Instead, he laughed. He watched as Guanshan blocked Qingying from leaving with the child, gesturing for Guanshan to stop. With his hands still clasped behind his back, he looked at Song Chuyi with a calm air. "Since you're so sure, why did you come?"

Song Chuyi had always had a knack for getting straight to the point. She was right; the Jinyiwei had already searched everywhere from Tongzhou to the suburbs of the capital, even conducting countless investigations at Lord Chen's hot spring estate. If they were going to find anything, they would have done so long ago. It wasn't feasible to plant charges on the people in Tongzhou now; otherwise, even Lord Chen wouldn't let it rest, not to mention the Marquis of Changning.

He paused, then gave Song Chuyi a significant look, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Because, Sixth Miss, you know well that the story about criminals and weapons hidden on the Tongzhou estate is false. But the person caught at the Huangdaxian Temple is real. Am I wrong?"

He didn't wait for Song Chuyi's answer, nor did he get angry at her silence. He walked over to her, carefully examining her face. Then, abruptly, his expression shifted, from a smiling facade to twisted fury. "I hadn't realized it before, but Sixth Miss is not only smart, she's cruel, too. Song Chuning is your own sister. No matter what grudges you had, you left her utterly defenseless, and didn't even give her a way out... killing her in cold blood. She died miserably... her face slashed dozens of times. When I saw her, the wounds were pale and soaked from the rain."

Breathing hotly on her face, Song Chuyi took a step back in disgust and took the cloth that Luyi handed her, carefully wiping her face.

She knew exactly how to provoke Han Zhi. Even before, he, as clever as a fox, would often be infuriated by her, let alone the Han Zhi who hadn't yet achieved full cunning in this life. Although he knew her background and thought he understood her, he could never truly comprehend her reborn experience or the lessons and growth she'd gained.

True to form, Han Zhi became more enraged, his clenched fist showing bulging veins, struggling to contain his anger.

After a long silence, he finally regained his calm and looked at her, asking, "How did you know that Song Chuning wasn't dead and was going to be taken away that night?"