Lady Sun’s usually calm face could barely hold its composure as she hesitantly raised her head to glance at Song Chuning.

Before coming here, she had heard from Madam Qin Senior and Madam Fang about the peculiarities of this Eighth Miss Song. However, after these recent days spent together, she had nearly forgotten Madam Qin Senior and Madam Fang’s warnings—this was a vicious wolf capable of tearing people apart and devouring them whole.

Song Chuning felt the dizziness growing more and more severe. She exhausted all her strength pressing on her temples, but it had no effect. Unable to help herself, she reached up and pulled out a hairpin from her hair, then ruthlessly stabbed it into the top of her own foot.

She had always been capable of being cruel to herself, especially since she feared this feeling of not being able to control everything—this illness had come strangely and suspiciously. She had already sensed something was wrong a few days ago, but the ingredients and medicinal herbs sent from the Earl’s estate always had maids test them for her first, and none of these maids had encountered any problems.

Since there were no issues at the Earl’s estate, then the only possibility was that someone close to her had made their move.

Cuiguo and Lüshan didn’t have the capability, and besides, their families were all in her hands—they were grasshoppers tied to the same boat as her, so they couldn’t possibly make a move.

That left only this Lady Sun sent by Madam Qin Senior. After all, she had both the skill and the opportunity to act.

“Don’t think I wouldn’t dare do anything to you,” Song Chuning said, watching Lady Sun’s face dramatically change color as she extended the hairpin in her hand toward her. “When I can be so cruel even to myself, do you think I would show mercy to someone who betrays me? My patience has limits. If you don’t speak now, something might happen to your daughter.”

Although Lady Sun hadn’t been with Song Chuning for very long, she had gained some understanding of how Song Chuning handled affairs. She knew that if Song Chuning said something, she would definitely do it. Terrified, her legs went weak and she dropped to the ground with a thud, both hands trembling. “No, no! It really wasn’t me. I only found out after entering the estate that you had already been poisoned long ago…”

So it wasn’t as simple as an illness after all. Song Chuning’s brows knitted together, her expression fiercer than ever before. “You’re saying you only discovered I was poisoned after entering the estate?!”

Lady Sun was badly frightened. Looking at Song Chuning sitting up on the bed with her terrifying appearance, she instinctively backed away, so nervous her tongue was getting tied. “Yes… I only noticed the signs of poisoning on you, Miss, after I entered Prefect Song’s estate.”

So she had already been poisoned before coming to the capital, and it happened in Changsha where she had always thought she was safe and nothing could go wrong?! But who could have done it?

Only someone close to her could have managed it. The only people she never guarded against were Song Yi and Madam Fang.

Although she had always looked down on Song Yi and felt he was unworthy as a father, based on her understanding of him, Song Yi wouldn’t do something like poisoning her—he was still counting on her being selected as a study companion for the princess. Besides, he didn’t know her true nature, so how could he poison a daughter he had always doted on for no reason?

Then it had to be Madam Fang?

Madam Fang… Song Chuning’s hands gripped the bedsheets tightly, her fingers slightly deformed from excessive force. She turned her head to look at Lady Sun, her face somewhat twisted from extreme anger. “Then why didn’t you say anything before?!”

Lady Sun was held in place by the servants and couldn’t move. Shouted at like this by Song Chuning, her mind was thrown into complete chaos, and her voice unconsciously took on a sobbing tone. “It’s not that I didn’t want to say—at the time, Madam Fang stopped me and wouldn’t let me speak…”

It really was her!

No wonder despite her tight precautions, something still went wrong. Indeed, you can guard against outsiders day and night, but family traitors are the hardest to prevent. But then Song Chuning immediately felt something wasn’t right—Madam Fang was Prince Duan’s person, and she normally took direct orders from Madam Qin Senior.

Now Prince Duan clearly wanted to protect her, and Madam Qin Senior still had something to ask of her because of Lady Rui’s matter. They had no reason to make a move against her at this time. So why exactly…

Only now did she realize that the previously agreed-upon method of contact had also failed. The messages she sent out received no response whatsoever, and no messages could get through to her either.

She had become deaf and blind at the Changning Earl’s estate, completely ignorant of the outside situation.

Madam Fang had clearly cut off all her routes, but why exactly?!

Song Chuning thought until her scalp ached and her vision darkened. After a long moment, she came back to her senses and coldly asked Lady Sun, “Is there a way to detoxify?”

Before Lady Sun could respond, she cast another cold glance at her, her voice devoid of any warmth. “If I can’t survive, don’t expect to live either, and don’t even think about your family surviving.”

Lady Sun was stunned by her question. Only when someone roughly grabbed her hair and yanked it back did she cry out in a shrill, mournful voice that she could try her best.

Song Chuning waved her hand, ordering people to take Lady Sun to the adjoining room. Her gaze darkened as she looked toward the door, then turned to ask Cuiguo, “Have you gained anything from getting close to them these past days?”

She was referring to the nannies sent out from the palace by Consort Song. Cuiguo shook her head with difficulty. “Those nannies are impervious to persuasion and very difficult to serve… Moreover, we’re all trapped in this courtyard unable to leave. It’s hard to gather information, let alone find out these nannies’ preferences.”

The courtyard where she lived had been surrounded like an iron fortress—not even a mosquito could fly out.

The Song family really thought highly of her, guarding against her so tightly.

But Song Chuning had never been one to sit idly waiting for death. She rubbed her dizzy head and sat on the bed, taking a long moment to recover before asking coldly, “Where are those pigeons I raised?”

Before returning to the Changning Earl’s estate, she had brought ten pigeons. Now it seemed they could indeed come in handy. She had her unusually keen sense of vigilance and precaution to thank for this.

Cuiguo quickly pointed to the adjacent room. “They’ve been kept there all along, lively and energetic.”

“Tomorrow morning after breakfast, when those nannies come over, release them all,” Song Chuning said as Lüshan helped her lie down. She turned her head to instruct Cuiguo, “Not one left behind—release them all.”

Cuiguo somewhat understood what Song Chuning wanted to do, but asked hesitantly, “Release them all? If it doesn’t succeed the first time, we won’t be able to send messages out in the future.”

Song Chuning coolly curved the corner of her mouth, propping her head up on the pillow with one hand. “Do you think releasing them one at a time means one will eventually get out?”

The Song family was guarding against her so tightly and had even brought nannies from the palace—clearly they had prepared well in advance. Song Chuyi had definitely already instructed Old Madam Song and Song Jue on how to deal with her. Forget ten pigeons—even a hundred wouldn’t have a single one manage to fly out in the chaos.

Her purpose was never to use the pigeons to deliver messages in the first place.