First Madam was going over Song Chumi’s trousseau list with Third Madam. Previously, with the mindset of not offending anyone unnecessarily, she had always been too lazy to interfere in other branches’ affairs. But after these years, she had also learned how to sympathize with others. Seeing Third Madam’s brow perpetually furrowed and empathizing with her motherly devotion, she closed the account book and had the servants bring up soup.

After a long while, she asked: “Is Little Fourth unhappy about today’s palace visit?”

Third Madam started, then came to her senses and smiled bitterly as she nodded: “Though she was confined at the estate for several years, somehow her temperament is still about the same as three years ago. At the slightest misstep, she easily becomes stubborn.”

She didn’t mention Song Chumi’s words about Song Chuyi. After returning these few years, if she understood nothing else clearly, one thing was certain—Song Chuyi had won people’s hearts in the household. With Song Chuyi currently so favored and the Cui family’s fortunes now rising with the tide, opposing Song Chuyi was obviously inappropriate.

First Madam didn’t need her to spell it out. Knowing what she worried about, she smiled and comforted her: “After all, it’s because she’s young and doesn’t understand matters. Once she’s married, everything will become clear.”

Third Madam naturally hoped this would be the case. Otherwise, with such a temperament, even if she had the Earl’s household backing her after marriage, her days would probably be a complete mess.

After busying herself for a while, she remembered Song Chumi’s undergarments still hadn’t been sent to Ningde Courtyard—after finding a teacher to match the birth characters, they still needed to find a Daoist priestess to alter a small garment for her. She hurriedly had the servants ask if dinner had been served at Ningde Courtyard. If not, she could attend to Old Madam Song during the evening meal.

After a moment, someone came back reporting that dinner had already been served at Old Madam’s place, with Song Chuyi and Xiang Mingzi accompanying her. Third Madam could only have a maid send the items over.

After the palace trip, both Song Chubin and Xiang Mingzi were extremely exhausted, looking listless and lacking energy. Old Madam Song knew Song Chubin had been frightened. Even Xiang Mingzi, though she had always been carefully raised by Song Linlang, had never imagined having a day to enter the palace and see the Empress. She had worried the whole day, afraid of making some error. Though her complexion still looked well now, she was somewhat dispirited. Old Madam Song laughed for a while before having Yulan and Ziwei personally escort them back.

“I was afraid of frightening them earlier, so I didn’t ask you. Today’s imperial summons by the Empress surely wasn’t just about exempting you from companion reader selection, was it?” Old Madam Song reclined on the couch with a thin blanket over her knees, pulling Song Chuyi to sit beside her while watching her take small sips of water mixed with locust flower honey.

If it were truly for this matter, there was no need to personally summon them to the palace. Even including Xiang Mingzi and Song Chubin, anyone clever enough could guess upon reflection that the matter couldn’t be so simple.

Song Chuyi set down the soup bowl in her hand and nodded: “Though she said in the Ninth Princess’s presence that I wouldn’t be made a companion reader, afterward Her Majesty separately asked me about the Han family.”

The teacup lid in Old Madam Song’s hand made a sharp clinking sound. Her expression darkening, she watched the tea leaves floating up and down in the cup. After a long moment, she came to her senses, furrowing her brow as if somewhat incredulous: “She asked about the Han family?”

Though the Han family had acted swiftly and efficiently in severing ties with the Zhang family, there were no walls in the world that didn’t let wind through. The matter had now spread throughout the teahouses and theaters outside, saying the Han family was ungrateful—seeing the Zhang family’s misfortune, they kicked them aside with one foot, acting truly too heartlessly.

People had always loved hearing such gossip, especially since it contained plot elements just like in theatrical plays—the Zhang family daughter, upon hearing of the broken engagement, hanged herself with a rope. A virtuous woman versus a heartless man—who wouldn’t enjoy telling such a story? Now not only in distant Yangzhou, but even in the streets and alleys of the capital, the news had spread everywhere with everyone knowing.

At this juncture, every family avoided the Han family like the plague. Why would the Empress suddenly ask Song Chuyi about the Han family at this time?

Song Chuyi knew Old Madam Song was shocked. She lowered her voice somewhat and sighed: “I also felt this question came too inexplicably. But the Empress truly did ask me how I became entangled with the Han family.”

Old Madam Song had already set her teacup on the table, looking deeply at Song Chuyi.

The Empress had asked how Song Chuyi became entangled with the Han family, not why the Song family became entangled with the Han family—meaning it wasn’t about Han Zhi traveling from Qingzhou to the capital together with them.

But aside from that, what other connection could Song Chuyi have with Han Zhi? Old Madam Song recalled how Song Chuyi had fallen ill after seeing Han Zhi and his cousin at the villa, and thought of how Song Chuyi had frequently mobilized people from the Cui family’s side these two years. Furrowing her brow, she asked: “Then how did you answer?”

Song Chuyi knew she and Old Madam Song were thinking along the same lines. She looked up into Old Madam Song’s eyes: “I said aside from traveling to the capital together that one time, there was no connection with the Han family. The Empress didn’t say anything more, only saying she was asking casually. But looking at the Empress’s manner, it didn’t seem as simple as asking casually.”

If it were just asking casually, why would there be any need to specially summon someone to the palace to ask? Not even bothering with the superficial courtesy of going through Consort Song’s mouth.

Old Madam Song grasped Song Chuyi’s hand and held it, giving a cold laugh: “The Han family has set their sights on us.”

To be precise, it wasn’t the Han family—it was Grand Consort Fan and Zhou Weiqi standing behind the Han family.

Minor Consort Fan wasn’t good at socializing, and with her less-than-stellar reputation from years past, she had always kept a low profile. Even for palace banquets, nine times out of ten she would claim illness and not attend.

The only one in the Han family who could speak before the Empress was Grand Consort Fan.

“I thought earlier that Han Zhi coming to see me was far too coincidental. Now thinking about it, indeed it was.” Old Madam Song’s tone carried considerable sarcasm: “Without even coming to build rapport with us first, they directly sought out his good aunt to go through the Empress’s channels. How accomplished of them.”

Perhaps these two years had made him clearly realize the Song family wasn’t an easy bone to gnaw, so he simply skipped the opportunity to be rebuffed and went straight to Grand Consort Fan, wanting to forcibly arrange an imperial marriage decree.

Thinking back to the Yangzhou Weaving Bureau’s Zhang family affair this time, it did seem like something Zhou Weiqi and Grand Consort Fan would do together with the Han family.

Was this planning to bring the Eastern Palace’s discord to the surface? The Song family had clearly sided with Zhou Weizhao. Zhou Weiqi making this move—wasn’t it forcibly snatching people from Zhou Weizhao? But what was the Empress’s meaning in this? Zhou Weizhao was not only her grand-nephew but also her own grandson. Could she really stand on Zhou Weiqi’s side? Or was she today purely just testing whether Song Chuyi knew of the Han family’s intentions or not?