The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 160 - Unexpected Turns

When the Eleventh Princess returned to her quarters, Noble Consort Song was having her hair towel-dried by Zhuying. Seeing her daughter's face glowing with joy, she chuckled and beckoned her over, pulling her to sit in front of her. "What's made you so happy?"

She knew all too well the frustrations her daughter had suffered. Time after time, they had to endure and back down from the overbearing Ninth Princess, not only for reputation's sake but also for the greater good. It seemed that their repeated tolerance had led people to assume they were easy targets, inviting others to walk all over them.

Both princesses were daughters of the Emperor, yet the Ninth Princess, favored as she was, seemed to think she was invincible, treating the Eleventh Princess less like a sister and more like a handmaid she could command at will. The sarcastic jabs could have been ignored, but the incident with the lapdog...

Noble Consort Song glanced at the scar on the Eleventh Princess's elbow, her eyes darkening. The Ninth Princess had first allowed her precious Pekingese dog to bite the Eleventh Princess, then had even shouted that her sister should pay for the dog's life.

What a ridiculous notion. It was no wonder that the censors had rushed to report on it—such an outrageous demand, asking her own sister to repay a dog's life, had turned the Ninth Princess into a laughingstock. Submitting a report on it might even earn one a place in the annals of history.

They had endured enough, but even after being confined as punishment, the Ninth Princess showed no sign of restraining herself; instead, she grew worse. If she didn't taste some hardship, she'd never understand the cycle of cause and effect.

The Eleventh Princess's eyes sparkled, and a rare, satisfied smile appeared on her face. "It's such a relief to see her so frustrated, with nowhere to complain about it!"

Noble Consort Song patted her head and instructed Zhuyi to help her rest. "There's still a banquet tonight, so you don't need to be in a rush to watch her fall. There'll be plenty of opportunities tonight. Don't get so excited you miss the real show."

Today was the second day at the hunting grounds. Emperor Jianzhang had personally gone out and hunted a deer and countless rabbits and hares—a promising start. Even if Prince Duan's scandalous affairs had dampened his spirits, it wasn't enough reason to cancel the banquet. The more he cared, the less he could afford to show it. Otherwise, the rumors would only grow louder and harder to quell.

Noble Consort Xian eventually did appear at the evening banquet, but her smile was visibly strained, so much so that even the Empress noticed her discomfort. Concerned, she asked, "Would you like to return and call for a physician? The wind is strong tonight; you wouldn't want to catch a chill."

With her daughter's face thrown in the dirt and her normally dependable son caught up in a scandal, Noble Consort Xian could hardly maintain a pleasant expression. Hearing the Empress's words felt like another slap in the face, which filled her with resentment, though she kept up her usual composed smile. "Thank you, Your Majesty, but it's nothing. I merely slept a little too long this afternoon. A little fresh air should clear it up."

As Noble Consort Xian glanced around, her gaze fell on Song Chuyi, seated beside Princess Duanhui. Her expression froze momentarily—while the Ninth Princess had shut herself away, humiliated and refusing to be seen, the very instigator of her shame sat fearlessly at the banquet like a victor. When her eyes shifted to Noble Consort Song, laughing and chatting with the Eleventh Princess, the stifling anger in her chest only grew. The Song family had become so audacious! The Emperor and Empress may have chosen to overlook the incident, but Song Chuyi's family had shown no restraint either. Instead of hiding her away, they'd seated her prominently beside Princess Duanhui, brazenly acting as if the Ninth Princess's disgrace was beneath their notice—as if to say, "Yes, we struck her, and what can you do about it?"

Even with all her self-control, Noble Consort Xian felt her face flush with fury. She clenched a strawberry in her hand, squeezing it until the juice dripped, though it did little to release her frustration; she wished she could devour Sixth Miss Song whole on the spot. But she knew she couldn't. Just today, Emperor Jianzhang had distributed venison from his hunt, including some to the Song family. His lack of concern over Song Chuyi's actions toward the Ninth Princess, the Empress dismissing it lightly as "children's quarrels"—if she pursued it, she would only be making herself a target, and she wasn't so reckless as to take that chance.

Nearby, Han Yueheng stared at Song Chuyi, as if expecting to discover something miraculous in her face. Even Lady Fan noticed his intense gaze and glanced over. She had initially thought that Song Chuyi would surely face repercussions, imagining that at best, the Empress would reprimand her and the Song family would hurriedly escort her back to the capital to "reflect on her actions." But two days had passed, and here Song Chuyi was, sitting beside Princess Duanhui as if nothing had happened. It was clear that the Ninth Princess's humiliation was in vain.

Chen Mingyu's eyes were wide with shock. Without any elders to consult (her mother rarely made appearances, and her grandmother, Old Lady Chen, was too elderly for such arduous travel), she could only swallow her astonishment and confusion. She clearly remembered Noble Consort Xian storming off to see the emperor, her brow furrowed in anger, yet here they were, with no outcome in sight. The Ninth Princess and she had been left waiting in vain for some misfortune to befall Song Chuyi. Chen Mingyu's conviction that Song Chuyi was a serious threat only grew, and with it, her wariness.

Besides Emperor Jianzhang's own bountiful hunt, the younger nobles had fared well too. Although the Crown Prince could not participate due to his poor health, both his sons had notable successes. Despite the incidents involving Prince Duan and the Ninth Princess, the atmosphere was lively and untroubled, as if their troubles were mere stones dropped in the sea, leaving no trace.

But just as the dancers finished their performance, the envoys from Japan once again publicly raised the subject of a marriage alliance.

The hall fell silent, with only the crackling of the bonfire echoing in the night.

Although this had been expected, Noble Consort Xian exhaled a long, quiet breath, a faint, genuine smile creeping onto her lips. Finally, an outlet for her frustration had arrived.

The Eleventh Princess went rigid, trying to keep her expression composed, but her hand instinctively clutched Noble Consort Song's arm, her body trembling slightly. Princess Duanhui, on the other side of the table, glanced over at the indistinct figures of the envoys, a hint of a sneer crossing her face.

Emperor Jianzhang, holding his wine cup, looked at the envoy with a smile, just about to speak when Cen Biliang suddenly burst in, breathless and stumbling. His expression grave, he shouted, "Urgent report from Fujian!"