The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 3)

Chapter 27 - The Storm

When news spread that Zhang Tianhe couldn't withstand the torture in the Ministry of Justice prison and confessed to all charges, Song Chuyi was playing chess with her grandfather, Song Chengru. Although she had learned a lot in her past life, she had no particular talent for chess and was being steadily forced into retreat by Song Chengru. Hearing the news, she tossed her chess piece back into the basket and reached out to him, saying, "Grandfather, I am willing to accept defeat. As promised, you owe me a piece of yellow Tian jade. No backing out!"

Song Ren and Song Jue, who were nearby, couldn't help but laugh. Song Jue tapped Song Chuyi's head and chided, "Grandfather let you win, and you think he didn't notice all your little tricks? Don't push your luck too far."

He then looked at Song Chuyi curiously and asked, "Grandfather and Father guessed that a scapegoat would be pushed forward because they know Grand Secretary Chen has deep connections and support from the Eastern Palace and the Northwest factions—those people wouldn't let him fall easily. But you said that in your dream, this didn't happen, so how did you know that Zhang Tianhe would end up as the scapegoat?"

After all, the Jinyiwei wasn't a monolithic force. Lai Chenglong had only recently been promoted to Commander, while Chen Xiang had dominated the Commander's position for over six years. Six years was plenty of time to accomplish much—Chen Xiang, who had fought his way up from the battlefield, commanded fierce loyalty from his subordinates, especially in the North Surveillance Bureau. Many of them would gladly risk their lives for him.

Lai Chenglong, as capable as he was, couldn't exert control over everything. Even before Chen Xiang's misfortune, he had to tread carefully when helping Song Chuyi, avoiding direct confrontation with Chen Xiang. After Chen Xiang's death, Lai Chenglong became Commander, yet both Deputy Commanders had been promoted under Chen Xiang's influence. To complicate matters, Chen Xiang had been close to Han Zhi. And who was Han Zhi's father? None other than Marquis Han Zhengqing, who was also involved in this affair. Add in Consort Fan and the Prince of Commandery, and it was clear they wouldn't let their long-cultivated gains in the Northwest be destroyed. Protecting Han Zhengqing was essential if they wanted to retain Grand Secretary Chen's vast network of loyalists.

Song Jue understood this rationale, but hearing Song Chuyi explain it in detail left him feeling stifled. These people had dug such a deep pit, nearly wiping them out, and now they wanted to settle things by pushing out a scapegoat. The frustrating part was that they could actually get away with it. No matter who you are, that reality would be disheartening.

Song Chengru, patiently gathering the chess pieces and placing them back in the basket, noticed Song Jue's discouraged expression and offered him some advice. "In officialdom, the most dangerous thing is losing patience. Battles and vendettas in the political arena can rarely be repaid immediately. Our grudge with the Chen family is indeed set, but whether and how to seek revenge depends on observing the situation and acting when the time is right. Look at Grand Secretary Chen—that old fox was displeased with Shaoting taking the spoils years ago, but he held back until three years later, when the timing was right. Even if the plan failed, he had an exit strategy to cleanly pull out. That is true skill. Acting impulsively in officialdom won't get you far; remember that well."

Song Ren and Song Jue immediately stood up straight, respectfully listening to their father's lecture, and responded in unison with agreement.

Song Ren hadn't been too involved in this matter earlier, as he'd been busy with the ceremonial preparations by the Ministry of Rites for the title conferment of the Prince of Commandery. Now, a sudden flash of insight hit him as he recalled something that had been mentioned today by Assistant Minister Wang, and he shared it with his father, Old Master Song: "By the way, Father, today Assistant Minister Wang instructed me to visit the guest residence to meet with the Japanese envoys and to draft the protocol for their court presentation."

In principle, such matters indeed fell within the duties of the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and since Song Ren held a position in the Ministry of Rites, it appeared perfectly reasonable for him to handle it. There was nothing out of the ordinary at first glance. Song Chengru raised an eyebrow. "If you were assigned to do it, then go ahead. What seems off to you?"

"It's not that anything seems wrong, but Assistant Minister Wang has always been the one handling the liaison with the Japanese envoys, including managing all the gifts and tributes they brought. Yet now, he suddenly pointed me out for this task and even asked me to speak with the Japanese envoys..." Song Ren furrowed his brow and quickly explained, "He wants me to praise the Ninth Princess to them, mentioning that she's currently the most beloved princess in our Great Zhou and that she was born to Noble Consort Xian..."

This powerful daimyo, who had temporarily outmaneuvered other lords and amassed significant influence, was seeking to marry a princess of Great Zhou to secure his position through its backing. Naturally, he hoped to marry a princess highly valued by Emperor Jianzhang. So why would Assistant Minister Wang have Song Ren say this?

Song Chengru remained silent for a moment.

Song Jue and Song Chuyi exchanged glances, also feeling unsure. "Why would they suddenly assign Father to negotiate with the Japanese envoys? And why specifically ask him to say that?"

Song Chuyi looked at Song Chengru and, seeing that he too was looking at her, couldn't help but smile knowingly. "Isn't this conferment ceremony of the Prince of Commandery something Assistant Minister Wang has a particular interest in?"

It was as if enlightenment dawned on Song Ren; all his previous confusion suddenly made sense.

This was clearly a gesture of goodwill from the Prince of Commandery toward the Marquis of Changning's family—Noble Consort Xian and the Ninth Princess had recently been frequently associating with the Shen family of Shangqiu and were at odds with Noble Consort Song and the Eleventh Princess. The Prince of Commandery planned to use this matter to send the Ninth Princess away in marriage, all while securing a favor from the Marquis of Changning's family and Noble Consort Song.

Consort Fan and the Prince of Commandery were indeed clever. On one hand, they were protecting the Chen family from being completely trampled by the Song family, while on the other, they were not giving up on the Song family either. They straddled both sides of the conflict without fear of losing their balance.

If Zhou Weizhao had truly died at the hands of this mother and son in the previous life, it wouldn't have been entirely unjustified. With their skillful maneuvering and ability to play all sides, they had once had the Crown Prince wrapped around their fingers, even going so far as to put them on a pedestal, casting aside the Crown Princess and her son. Later, they had even thrived under Prince Duan's rule—it was undeniable that they were skilled.

But in this life... at least they wouldn't be able to play the wolf in sheep's clothing. A wolf remains a wolf, no matter how it's dressed. Thinking they could bait her and the Marquis of Changning's family, along with the Cui family, to serve as their vanguard with a few favors? Wishful thinking!