The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 151 - Room for Maneuver

The next day, when Song Chuyi went to the house near the Huang Daxian Temple, she unexpectedly ran into Zhou Weizhao. Song Chuyi knew he rarely visited, especially now that the Crown Prince had impulsively taken action against Prince Gong's faction, leaving Zhou Weizhao busy dealing with the aftermath.

There were faint dark circles under his eyes, evidence of his recent lack of sleep. When he saw Song Chuyi, he pushed a cup of tea toward her. "Junshan Silver Needle from this year's harvest. Give it a try."

Song Chuyi wasn't particular about tea, something that Old Lady Song often laughed about, saying it was uncharacteristic of her. She picked up the cup and took a sip, giving her honest opinion. "I can't taste any difference."

Zhou Weizhao couldn't help but laugh, a rare moment of relaxed amusement. "To tell you the truth, I can't taste the difference either. When I was young, my master always asked me to tell apart Qimen Black Tea and Duyun Maojian, but I never could. Seems we're both just common folk."

After this lighthearted comment, he noted the faint dark circles under Song Chuyi's otherwise fair complexion and, after a moment of thought, asked, "You've heard about the Japanese envoy's marriage proposal, haven't you?"

Surprised, Song Chuyi raised an eyebrow. "Did Your Highness come here just to discuss that?"

She had always trusted Zhou Weizhao—a trust rare for someone who had been betrayed by close people in her previous life. Not even her loving grandparents in this life had her complete trust, yet Zhou Weizhao did.

Perhaps it was because, despite knowing all of her secrets, he had never used them against her, unlike his self-serving uncles.

Zhou Weizhao didn't deny it, pouring himself another cup of tea as he sighed softly. "This time, my father has thoroughly offended them, and now they want to take advantage of the Emperor's anger to strike back. It's only to be expected."

That morning, the Crown Prince had asked Consort Fan to prepare spring hunt gifts for the Changning Marquis Household and Grand Secretary Chen's family, as if he wanted to make it publicly known that they were now part of the Eastern Palace faction.

Grand Secretary Chen was expected to stand by the Crown Prince, having taken on the role of the Crown Prince's tutor, but Song Chengru still had the freedom to withdraw whenever he wished. This move by the Crown Prince was unwise, as it would worsen his reputation with the Emperor and likely make Song Chengru feel pressured into taking sides.

Song Chuyi lowered her head without saying anything for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "How about this: I'll help Your Highness with something, and Your Highness can help me in return?"

If she were to seek allies, Prince Duan and Prince Gong were definitely out of the question. The Crown Prince, perhaps due to his prolonged illness, was no longer reliable; depending on him was like leaning on an iceberg—cold and indifferent. Zhou Weizhao, on the other hand, seemed much more dependable.

Zhou Weizhao raised an eyebrow at her, thinking she resembled the cat he had kept on Mount Longhu for seven years—a creature that always managed to look innocently endearing, even when getting up to mischief, making it hard to scold.

And then he laughed.

Song Chuyi felt slightly uneasy under his gaze. Her long, fan-like eyelashes fluttered as she tried to maintain her composure, her bright eyes looking at him with a determined resolve. "You wouldn't lose out, Your Highness. If you help us, you're indirectly helping the Crown Prince. They say you shouldn't allow anyone to sleep near your bed, and having a tiger watching over you as you nap is hardly ideal, is it?"

Zhou Weizhao indeed had more to worry about than most. He was entangled in all matters related to the Eastern Palace. If Prince Duan truly managed to persuade the Emperor to send the Eleventh Princess to Japan as part of a marriage alliance, the resulting fallout—Japanese pirates and traitorous accusations—would have serious implications not only for the Song family but, more importantly, for the Crown Prince.

So Song Chuyi wasn't wrong; stopping this was only beneficial for the Eastern Palace.

Yet Zhou Weizhao suddenly changed the topic, speaking of Ma Wangkun's injury. "I called in Physician Hu to examine him. He said that if he can hold out through the month, he should be fine. His prescribed treatments seem different from the other physicians', so it may be worth a try."

After finishing, he glanced at the quietly exasperated Song Chuyi, then, with a composed and serious expression, spoke on the main matter. "You're right; one step at a time. First, let's remove this obstacle."

Was that agreement? Song Chuyi quickly nodded. "Grandfather has already sent a letter to my uncle. He was once the governor of Fujian and had quite a bit of interaction with the Japanese, so we'll start by getting a read on the current situation there. As for Guo Huaiying... he's a bit slippery..."

Chuyi's eyes sparkled. No one else might know, but she did—Guo Huaiying had been an Empire loyalist in her previous life. In this life, he'd even had his son, Guo Yantang, serve as a companion to the Heir Apparent, a connection that spoke volumes.

Zhou Weizhao immediately understood her meaning, chuckling. "You really don't miss an opportunity to calculate. You'd even use Guo Huaiying's influence."

Song Chuyi gave him a curious look. Her recent interactions with him had brought them closer, and she no longer felt as cautious and distant around him. "To be fair, I think it's Your Highness who shouldn't miss such opportunities. If I hadn't brought up Minister Guo to Ye Jingchuan, would Your Highness have acquired such a formidable ally so easily? Guo Huaiying's influence along Fujian's coast is unmatched. I'm sure Prince Duan is green with envy..."

Seeing Zhou Weizhao smile as she expected, she shifted the topic again. "Besides, I wouldn't expect him to help us for nothing. I can help him in return too."

The one thing Guo Huaiying couldn't afford in Fujian was a military defeat. Any minor setback would immediately result in memorials to the cabinet and the Emperor requesting his removal. Even though he had allies in the court, the sheer volume of accusations made his situation challenging. Adding to that, the newly appointed war commissioner kept close watch over him, so his days were far from easy.

Zhou Weizhao nodded without hesitation. "I'll speak to him. You need to stay vigilant as well. Matters with Han Zhi remain unresolved, and now the arrival of the Japanese envoys. Given Noble Consort Xian's and Prince Duan's natures, it wouldn't be surprising if they push for you to go as a secondary consort."

Prince Duan and Noble Consort Xian never left their opponents room for maneuver. They saw no need to show mercy. Just a few years ago, without any warning, they had tried to destroy the Song family the moment attempts at alliances failed, showing no hesitation or unnecessary effort.