The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 168 - The Unexpected

Remaining at the hunting grounds with neither hunts nor evening banquets was eerie enough to make even the most oblivious feel the tension. A strange silence shrouded the palace inside and out.

Fortunately, on the night the grand secretaries departed, word arrived that the hunt would proceed as planned the following day, and a banquet would be held that evening.

Song Chuyi, having already drawn enough attention in recent days, had no intention of joining the festivities. She stayed in her tent, listening as Qingying shared news from the capital. "Word is the Jinyiwei raided the Li residence... but the one leading the raid wasn't Chen Xiang, but rather Lai Chenglong."

She held back a chuckle as she handed over a letter, adding, "Lord Lai said that his previous actions were rather ungracious—he dropped off a person with you and then left without checking if you could handle it. This here is an apology gift."

An apology gift, arriving conveniently now? Clearly, Lord Lai was aware of the role Prince Duan's allies, like Cui Shaoting, had played in stirring up the situation. With Chen Xiang also implicated, he was seizing the opportunity to send his thanks.

Song Chuyi almost laughed, but as she pulled the letter from the envelope, her smile faded, and she let out a cold laugh, her brow furrowing.

In recent years, her focus had been on her struggle with Song Chuning, and then Han Zhi had appeared. Now, finally, she was ready to turn her attention to eradicating Prince Duan, who had been quietly digging pitfalls for her family. But she had overlooked the fact that Prince Duan still had a fiercely loyal "dog."

Chen Xiang was a man of deep ambition and patience. As the commander of the Jinyiwei in recent years, he had kept a low profile and even started doing good deeds—working to overturn wrongful convictions and clearing cases, filling three entire rooms in the Northern Judicial Office with evidence of injustices.

Clearly, he wasn't completely disengaged; otherwise, he wouldn't be so incensed as to go after her now. Song Chuyi set the letter on the table, pondering how Chen Xiang might make his move.

In the letter, Lai Chenglong warned her that Chen Xiang likely learned of the situation from Prince Duan and suspected her involvement, intending to root out the problem at its source.

A man like Chen Xiang could decide his course of action in a single moment. Especially with Prince Duan and Chen Xiang, men who lived on the edge, once pushed into a corner, they would neither beg for mercy nor quietly retreat; instead, they would risk everything, dragging their enemies down to hell with them.

Song Chuyi didn't find this strange. When she had faced death in her previous life, her heart had been full of resentment and regret. Had she possessed the power of Chen Xiang and Prince Duan at that time, she would have never gone quietly; she would have taken Song Chuning and Shen Qingrang down with her, and ensured some accomplices went to the grave with Song Yan.

But this was also an opportunity. Chen Xiang had entrenched himself in the Jinyiwei for too long, and even the Xingfu incident hadn't been enough to bring him down. Although he would be implicated by Prince Duan's scandal, he wouldn't fall so easily. However, if they failed to strike at his vulnerable spot, leaving him alive could invite endless trouble in the future. If he aligned himself with Zhou Weiqi, that would truly spell disaster.

The real fear was that Chen Xiang might hold back. If he truly decided to act, she could ensure that both he and Prince Duan would suffer.

Seeing Song Chuyi's expression change suddenly, Qingying became anxious, fearing something important had happened. "Miss, what's wrong?"

She vaguely knew that the issues surrounding Prince Duan involved the Cui and Song families, and that it had been Song Chuyi's plan. Immediately, she wondered if something had gone awry with the plan, causing Song Chuyi's sudden change in expression.

Lai Chenglong had mentioned in his letter that Emperor Jianzhang hadn't summoned Chen Xiang back to handle the Li family's affairs, nor instructed him to accompany the grand secretaries. This suggested the Emperor was intentionally isolating Chen Xiang from the matter. Likely, the Xingfu incident had left a stain in the Emperor's heart. While bringing Chen Xiang along had once been an honor, its meaning was now less certain.

With Chen Xiang so close and in command of the ruthless Jinyiwei, he would have countless ways to act against her on the hunting grounds. She couldn't defend herself alone and would need to find an ally.

Given the involvement of the Jinyiwei, Song Chuyi couldn't involve Zhou Weizhao or Ye Jingchuan. After some thought, she said to Qingying, "Let's pay a visit to my aunt."

Unfortunately, they arrived at an inconvenient time. First Lady Cui had a guest—a renowned monk from Huajue Temple, Master Yuanhui, personally chosen by Emperor Jianzhang to accompany him and currently staying at Tongyuan Temple nearby.

Song Chuyi remembered Master Yuanhui well—it had been his extended discourse with Master Yuankong at Huajue Temple that delayed her for an entire day. And now he was here visiting Princess Duanhui...

Seeing Song Chuyi silent, First Lady Cui smiled and waved her over. "What a coincidence! We were just talking about you, and here you are. Come meet Master Yuanhui."

The people of the Great Zhou deeply revered both Buddhism and Daoism, and Daoist and Buddhist leaders held esteemed positions in the empire. The Daoist Master Zhang from Longhu Mountain and Master Yuankong from Huajue Temple were both renowned and respected. Even Emperor Jianzhang treated them with exceptional regard.

Princess Duanhui was no exception. She had always worried about Song Chuyi's fate, particularly after a dream in which she saw her with a short life span. She feared the dream might come true and often lost sleep over it. After exchanging letters with her mother-in-law in Jinzhong, they decided to take Song Chuyi to Longhu Mountain to have Master Zhang read her fortune, though it hadn't yet been possible.

Now, with Master Yuanhui's unexpected arrival, her concerns resurfaced. After introducing him to Song Chuyi, she immediately requested that he read her fortune. "How is this child's fate?"

Master Yuanhui asked Princess Duanhui for Song Chuyi's birth details, then looked up at her. "This young lady has two fates, which is indeed unusual."

The two lives of her past and present—couldn't that be considered two destinies? His words hit upon Princess Duanhui's innermost concerns. Glancing at Song Chuyi, she quickly asked, "Two fates? What does that mean?"

Song Chuyi glanced down at her palm, a hint of cold amusement in her heart.

Master Yuanhui examined her intently. "One fate is for an early death, the other for great prosperity. But they share a common trait—they both require overcoming the misfortune of losing parents first."

Princess Duanhui's voice grew shrill with alarm, and she clasped Song Chuyi's hand in shock, recalling the early death of her mother, Lady Cui. Nodding urgently, she said, "That has already passed."

Master Yuanhui smiled slightly. "In that case, there is little else to be said. Both fates indicate a life path under a star of misfortune, marked by bloodshed."