The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 197 - Scandal

The Shen family's plans were indeed calculating and meticulous. Since the Song family didn't want Song Chuyi to become a pawn for the Eastern Palace, nor were they in a hurry to settle her marriage, Shen Xiaohai reasoned that if Song Chuyi and Shen Qingrang happened to fancy each other, given her cherished status in the Song family, a fuss at home would leave Old Lady Song and Old Master Song little choice. Even if they were angry, could they really disown their beloved granddaughter, who bore the blood of the Cui family? Inevitably, they'd have to approve the match and even treat the Shen family with deference—after all, her reputation would be tarnished, and as a young lady, reputation was paramount. She'd have no choice but to cling to the Shen family, with no prospect of a brighter future.

But what they failed to anticipate was encountering someone like Song Chuyi, someone who had once suffered miserably at the hands of the Shen family's underhanded tactics—so much so that her previous life had ended in ruin, with her family broken, abandoned, and despised. She had already predicted that Shen Xiaohai wouldn't give up easily and had prepared accordingly.

No one knew Shen Qingrang better than Song Chuyi, perhaps not even his own mother, Lady He. He couldn't resist temptation or flirtation, and his ideal life was one of idle indulgence, with wealth falling into his lap effortlessly.

When the incident broke out, Song Chuyi was busy with Xiang Mingzi, working on a Nine Rings puzzle. The Princess of Zhennan had just sent over some seasonal fruits, along with a recipe for a dish called "Red Wine Shad," which she had specially prepared for the Feng family.

In noble households, recipes and medicinal formulas were treasures accumulated over generations, rarely found outside. This thoughtful and generous gift showed sincerity.

Old Lady Song, harboring some private concerns, looked at the gift thoughtfully. The Zhennan King's household was indeed admirable, and Second Young Master Ye was both handsome and virtuous, and it was clear he had feelings for Song Chuyi. But the Zhennan King's family was irrevocably tied to the Eastern Palace, and she sighed, setting aside these thoughts for the moment. She decided to wait until Song Chuyi returned from Jinzhong before making any decisions—perhaps someone of suitable age and character could be found within the Cui family.

Song Chuyi had no inkling of the thoughts flashing through Old Lady Song's mind. After hearing a few words from Qingying, she excused herself to Xiang Mingzi, saying she was going to her quarters to change clothes. Once she reached Guanju Courtyard with Qingying, she asked, "So, it worked?"

Qingying's eyes sparkled with excitement, her cheeks flushed as she smiled. "Of course it did! I heard that Young Master Shen mistook her for one of the singers from his courtyard... It wasn't until the morning, when his drunken haze wore off, that he realized she was actually Miss Tong from the Ministry of Justice's household!"

Song Chuyi had first noticed Tong Shao purely by chance—after her leg was broken at the hunting ground, she was sent back to the capital early and received substantial sympathy from the palace, making it impossible not to hear of her.

Tong Shao, the legitimate daughter of the Assistant Minister of Justice, Tong Yuchun, was notoriously hot-tempered. In Song Chuyi's previous life, she had once lashed out at her son, Yiran, for no reason, beating him severely with a whip after being spurred on by Song Chuning. She was known to have grown up in her maternal family, the Marquis of Wuning's household, where she was indulged and thus raised with a lack of propriety—often coarse and harsh, prone to disregarding even her closest relatives after a few drinks.

The most crucial detail was that Tong Shao had always had an interest in Shen Qingrang, being one of the many girls who frequently sought his attention. And Shen Qingrang, with his willingness to lower himself for the sake of others, had no qualms about reciprocating, especially if it pleased his father. Just as he had once grudgingly flattered someone he despised, he could easily lower his pride when dealing with these noble girls.

With all this history, orchestrating a scenario between these two was almost too easy. Especially with the help of Zhou Weizhao, who was always ready to assist.

Shen Qingrang had recently been obsessed with the popular actors of the Hongyun Theater and wouldn't miss any of their performances. Naturally, when one of the popular actresses there flirted with him a little, he became utterly smitten. Add some wine and a lack of self-control, and the rest practically took care of itself...

As for Tong Shao, it only took spreading the rumor that Shen Qingrang had gone to drown his sorrows over a failed engagement to get her involved. Tong Shao was more than willing, and though her servants tried to stop her, she disregarded them and entered his room alone.

What followed was inevitable. The servant girl outside waited in terror, turning as pale as a ghost until she nearly fainted. By the time the Tong and Shen families arrived, it was far too late. Not only had Shen Qingrang and Tong Shao spent the night alone, but their disheveled appearances told the story clearly enough. The crowd gathered around them made it impossible to deny the reality of what had happened.

Tong Yuchun was furious, kicking down the door, while Lady Tong fainted on the spot. Shen Xiaohai arrived belatedly, only to angrily kick his son hard enough to send him sprawling.

As Qingying recounted this, she couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction. "Serves him right! First, it was that actress from the Hongyun Theater, and then Miss Tong followed her in. Shen Qingrang knew very well that the second woman wasn't that actress—no one would believe him if he claimed otherwise! He clearly thought it was some stroke of good luck and just went along with it..."

Ziyun, who had been listening quietly nearby, shook her head. "And Miss Tong... it only took one rumor, and she threw all caution to the wind. How could a noble young lady act so recklessly, as if she didn't realize how much this would impact her future?"

It was well-known that Tong Shao's leg, even once healed, would never be the same. She already felt insecure about her appearance, and now, with the chance to tie herself to her beloved, she certainly wouldn't let it slip away.

And despite not being favored by her father, she had the Marquis of Wuning's support. If the Marquis hadn't spoiled her to this extent, she wouldn't have been able to come and go from her family's home with such freedom.