Yulan took scissors to trim the candle wick. The firelight flickered slightly, making a faint crackling sound that startled people into snapping back to attention.

“The Tartar people actually have such audacity, directly charging through Zijing Pass into Tongzhou City!” Old Madam Song’s voice was low, carrying worry and trepidation. “This matter was encountered by Little Yi again. I don’t know how it will be resolved.”

What she meant by “encountered” was not encountering the Tartar people, but rather encountering Ye Jingchuan who had brought troops.

Song Chengru was much calmer than her. He stroked his beard, thought for a moment, and actually had the mood to smile. “No matter how it will be resolved, in any case it won’t implicate our family.”

He was somewhat looking forward to how this matter would ultimately be resolved.

Especially after receiving a letter saying that Song Chuyi had taken time to rescue Elder Chen’s grandson and granddaughter, and had even schemed to deal with the Tartar violent soldiers roaming the Dougezhuang and Dingfu Estate area.

Now Elder Chen not only owed the Song family a favor, even the Prince of Zhennan owed the Song family a favor.

As they spoke, First Madam and Second Madam entered together to pay respects to Old Madam Song and to discuss the banquet matter.

Old Madam Song furrowed her brows, glanced at Old Master Song, and sighed. “This banquet should not be held recently.”

After the Tongzhou affair came out, there might be censors who would seize upon this banquet to criticize. It was better to cancel it. Moreover, Song Chuyi was still in Tongzhou. Although she knew the girl was clever and had Ye Jingchuan by her side, she still felt uneasy.

First Madam had already anticipated this. Upon hearing these words, she put away the gift list and register, nodding. “Since it’s like this, fortunately the invitations haven’t been sent out yet. Then this daughter-in-law will first put everything away.”

Upon hearing this, Li Shi was clearly somewhat alarmed and confused. The banquet had long been arranged—how could they just not hold it?

But she also knew this matter was not hers to question. She could only suppress her doubts and turn to speak of other matters. “Old Master, Old Madam, there is something this daughter-in-law wants to discuss with you both.”

She was very attentive to Song Yan, personally overseeing every detail large and small. This had caused Old Madam Song’s impression of her to improve somewhat again. Hearing this, she asked, “What matter?”

“Brother Yan has reached the age to begin his education. This daughter-in-law was thinking that since Second Master is not here, I wanted to find him a teacher…” Li Shi, seeing that Song Chengru and Old Madam Song were both looking over, became even more cautious in her wording. “It just so happens that my father has a fellow graduate who recently resigned from office. I was thinking, why not invite him to begin Brother Yan’s education?”

Li Ruqi was the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. Anyone he said was good was naturally good. Old Madam Song hesitated for a long while and was about to nod when she heard Song Chengru say, “No need. I have my own plans for Brother Yan’s matters.”

Li Shi hadn’t expected that after laying groundwork all day she would receive such a result. She immediately widened her eyes somewhat incredulously.

“Old Master…” Li Shi struggled to explain for herself. “My father also said that teacher is very learned…”

“I have plans in my heart for the studies of those brothers.” Song Chengru waved his hand to interrupt her, frowning. “You need not concern yourself with it.”

Li Shi returned to her room carrying an uneasy and deeply humiliated heart, tears in her eyes. She had prepared for this day for so long—even the candidate was personally arranged by her mother through her father—yet it was dismissed by Song Chengru in just a few words.

She was unwilling. The dissatisfaction she had suppressed for so long finally erupted again. She fiercely swept the crystal display plate that had just been set out onto the floor. The longan fruits in the plate scattered all over the ground.

Nanny Yu sighed as she tried to persuade her, pulling with all her might to finally calm her down.

Only just calmed down, Su Zhi from outside lifted the curtain with a troubled expression. “Miss has arrived.”

Upon hearing that Song Chuning had come, Li Shi immediately first wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, then with a sobbing voice directed the young maid, “Quickly clean up all these things on the floor!”

Toward this biological daughter, she now felt more fear than love, afraid of being looked at by her own daughter with the kind of gaze used for an unreasonably troublesome child.

However, Song Chuning had already entered and took in the mess all over the floor with a single glance.

She didn’t know what had angered Li Shi again. She sneered inwardly but didn’t show any other emotion on her face. Instead, she looked at Li Shi with extreme calmness. “I wonder if Madam knows where Sixth Elder Sister went?”

Li Shi was slightly stunned. She had only learned the day before yesterday that Song Chuyi had gone out, but truly hadn’t gotten around to finding out where. To her, a Song Chuyi she could no longer grasp was naturally not as substantial as a Song Yan she could grasp.

Now hearing Song Chuning ask this, she instinctively asked back, “Where did she go?”

She didn’t notice that Song Chuning’s form of address was somewhat wrong. She didn’t know from when Song Chuning had stopped calling her “Mother” and changed to calling her “Madam.”

Song Chuning sat leisurely in a chair looking at her. She first didn’t answer her question, but instead stared at her for a long while before saying, “Previously when I had Madam do things, Madam didn’t believe me. But I hope this time, no matter what, Madam will listen to me once. Otherwise, incidents like today when you were humiliated by the Old Master and Old Madam will be unavoidable in the future.”

Li Shi’s face alternated between red and white.

Song Chuning didn’t look at her expression, staring at her own toes as she said, “She went to Tongzhou. And now Tongzhou just happens to have had an incident.”

“An incident?” Li Shi’s voice suddenly rose sharply. “What incident?”

Song Chuning was somewhat impatient. She didn’t like how Li Shi always spoke to her in this interrogating tone. “You haven’t forgotten who sold the people by Cui Shi’s side back then, have you?! Song Chuyi is so clever now—aren’t you worried she discovered something wrong and deliberately went to Tongzhou to find clues? Otherwise why would she go to Tongzhou?!”

Li Shi was shocked with alarm, feeling all the pores on her body open up, her voice so shrill it became somewhat distorted. “What are you talking about?!”

Having the ugly deeds of her youth known by her own biological daughter, and having her say it directly without leaving any face—the shame and anger in Li Shi’s heart surged up all at once. She couldn’t help but stand up, walk a few steps, grab Song Chuning, and say sternly, “Where exactly did you hear such nonsense?! Are you trying to harm me to death before you’ll be satisfied?!”

Song Chuning was violently thrown to the ground by her. The skin on her neck was somewhat scraped. It was only when Nanny Yu rushed over to pull Li Shi away that she was saved.

Her face was also scraped, adding two bright red wounds to her fair and tender face. Nanny Yu’s heart ached terribly. While helping her wipe with a handkerchief, she turned back to look at Li Shi with some disapproval. “Madam, speak properly if you have something to say. Miss is still young after all…”

These two mother and daughter increasingly didn’t seem like biological mother and daughter, but rather like enemies.

Clearly what was being discussed were important matters. Clearly both were dealing with Song Chuyi and her brother. But somehow, whenever they started talking, they would start fighting.