The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 159 - Outmaneuvered

Qingzhuo stood outside the tent, mentally preparing himself. The Heir Apparent had sent him to deliver a vial of Purple Gold Circulation Elixir to Sixth Miss Song. This special remedy from Longhu Mountain was excellent for treating bruises. But, the Heir Apparent's words had also been unusual: "Not bad at horsemanship. Let's spar next time, shall we?" The Ninth Princess had been struck, yet here he was delivering medicine, and on top of that, the Heir Apparent's remark! If the Ninth Princess ever heard, she'd probably cough up blood again.

After finally mustering up the courage to deliver the medicine, Qingzhuo came out feeling like his heart had taken a hit. Sixth Miss Song was no ordinary person; she accepted the medicine and merely responded with a calm, "Thank you for the compliment," as if this was all a normal occurrence. Could this truly be considered a good thing?

With a conflicted heart, he returned to Moonlit River Island, sighing at the sight of Zhou Weizhao. The Heir Apparent was no longer young; though the Celestial Master had once predicted it wasn't favorable for him to marry early, surely it was time for him to consider potential matches. Initially, Sixth Miss Song seemed a good candidate—not necessarily because of her virtues but because the Heir Apparent had spent seven or eight years in seclusion at Longhu Mountain, and apart from Miss Song, there were few young ladies he'd even met often. Now, however, Qingzhuo was beginning to have doubts—she wasn't one to be trifled with. If she could strike a princess, who knew what she might do if she truly joined the household?

He turned to whisper his concerns to Hanfeng, his apprehension practically spilling over. "The Crown Princess has been worried about His Highness's marriage, saying he should pick someone he truly likes. But if he really goes with his preference, who else would there be but Sixth Miss Song? And with her temper..."

Hanfeng thought Qingzhuo was overthinking it. Instead, he should be more concerned with whether the Heir Apparent even liked women. Growing up among Daoists, he'd had hardly any contact with women. The first year he returned, he'd blush at the sight of any girl. Although he'd improved somewhat over time, it was only because he rarely encountered women. Apart from Sixth Miss Song, Hanfeng couldn't think of any other young lady he even talked to with some familiarity.

Song Chuyi, for her part, had no idea that Qingzhuo had once considered her a candidate for the Heir Apparent's consort. She was busy staring at the letter pulled from the bottle of Purple Gold Circulation Elixir, stunned. Though she already knew Zhou Weizhao could be meticulous when he wanted to be, she never imagined he'd be so thorough—he hadn't just incited the princess consort Duan to harm Lady Rui, but he'd also managed to implicate the Qin family. Now the main and third branches of the Qin family were at each other's throats, with the husband of the main family severely injured by his brother. Rumor had it that he was still bedridden and wheezing.

As for Prince Duan, he must have been in utter chaos by now. Originally determined to present an image of family harmony, with the Qin sisters "happily" sharing one husband, his carefully crafted illusion had fallen apart. They said self-discipline at home led to public success, yet here he was, his household in shambles, with news of it even reaching the Emperor. Who knew how many hairs he'd pull out trying to handle it?

Qingying and Ziyun had been worried all day, even though First Lady Cui and Lady Yu had separately sent messages assuring them that Song Chuyi was safe and wouldn't face any consequences. How could they truly rest easy?

It wasn't until the Eleventh Princess arrived with Song Jue that they both finally breathed a sigh of relief. The Eleventh Princess's visit implied that Noble Consort Song was aware of the situation. Since she wasn't afraid of offending Noble Consort Xian, it seemed the incident hadn't blown up.

The Eleventh Princess couldn't hide her joy, her eyes gleaming as she clutched Song Chuyi's hand. "Auntie, you really surprised me! When Mother and I heard what happened, we were stunned. We never imagined you'd be so bold..."

Song Jue covered his mouth and coughed, signaling her to be more restrained. He glanced at Song Chuyi, who was relatively unharmed, and remarked lightly, "You truly have some nerve, running into that thorny path. If the Ninth Princess's lashes hadn't gotten you, you could've easily injured yourself. But I suppose skill brings courage. You don't seem too hurt, so just rest up."

The Eleventh Princess, catching the sarcasm in Song Jue's tone, quickly reassured Song Chuyi, "Auntie, don't listen to him. Noble Consort Xian already went to the Emperor to complain, but he paid it no mind, and the Empress merely dismissed it as a child's quarrel. Next time, be careful, but you won't get scolded."

Having suffered at the Ninth Princess's hands countless times, the Eleventh Princess was delighted to finally see her humiliated. The despondency of the past few days vanished, and she was brimming with energy.

Noble Consort Xian, however, had never anticipated this setback. In the past, Emperor Jianzhang would've shown her some consideration—after all, like the Empress, she had persevered alongside him for years and had given him two sons and a daughter, so she always held some weight in his heart. And the Ninth Princess had always been favored. But this time, hearing of her injuries from racing Sixth Miss Song, he not only showed no anger but even commented that the Ninth Princess had indeed gone too far and that there were always others more skilled. Losing was part of the learning process.

Noble Consort Xian had never heard the Emperor criticize the Ninth Princess with such veiled meaning. Anxiously, she returned to her quarters, but she soon learned the reason—the household of her son, Prince Duan, was in utter turmoil. Not only was there strife, but it had escalated to open conflict. The princess consort had killed the side consort and her unborn child, and the Qin family had erupted in conflict. Prince Duan's wetnurse Qin had attacked the princess consort, scratching her face, and, in a desperate act, the princess consort attempted suicide, nearly succeeding before being rescued.

Emperor Jianzhang loathed domestic scandal, and now Prince Duan had unwittingly stepped right into it, at the worst possible moment.

Noble Consort Xian was both furious and panicked. Furious that her son had allowed such chaos under his roof and panicked that the matter had reached the Emperor's ears so swiftly, with everyone now aware of the sordid details. What would people think of Prince Duan now? Not since the scandal in the Marquis of Pingyang's family generations ago had there been such a disgraceful incident.

The Ninth Princess, in her frustration, smashed her freshly replaced furnishings in a fit of rage. Song Chuyi had faced no consequences whatsoever despite her insubordination and sneak attack, emerging unscathed without even a reprimand!

This was an open slap to her face as a princess. In the future, when others talked about it, who knows how they would laugh at her.