The matter of Song Chuyi being born under the Star Illumination fate spread throughout the entire hunting grounds in just one night. Even the Empress became quite interested and asked Princess Duanhui, “A young girl—how could she be so coincidentally fated to be the Death Star of Solitary Fate? Isn’t the master just fooling you all?”
Though she said this, the Empress ultimately didn’t agree to Princess Duanhui’s request to bring Song Chuyi to meet Zhang Tianshi—the Celestial Master wasn’t someone just anyone could meet. Even Emperor Jianzhang only saw him two or three times a year, and each meeting was one less opportunity. Emperor Jianzhang was also a devout believer in the Three Pure Ones, having burned countless prayer incantations. How could he be willing to give up a chance to meet the Celestial Master to a young girl? He was still waiting for the Queen Mother of the West to descend on her azure bird.
Princess Duanhui came out feeling rather disheartened and hurriedly began writing letters to Jinzhong—though Zhang Tianshi was difficult to invite, he wasn’t the only famous immortal sage in the world. There were still others who could examine Song Chuyi’s fate. The Cui clan had deep roots and flourishing branches in Jinzhong, and after searching everywhere, they might be able to discover the whereabouts of an expert. She couldn’t just give up like this, could she? Song Sixth Miss had finally seen the end of her suffering, and Princess Duanhui couldn’t bear for her to live her whole life bearing such an ill-sounding reputation.
The next day, as if the matter wasn’t causing enough of a commotion, the Ninth Princess at the palace invited Master Yuanhui to lecture on the scriptures. For a time, the news that Master Yuanhui had analyzed Song Chuyi’s fate and declared her fate pattern to be the Death Star of Solitary Fate under Star Illumination spread even more widely.
When Madam He heard the news, she became somewhat flustered. In a panic, she sent people to inquire about the situation. After learning the news was indeed true, she became completely dazed, even more distressed than Princess Duanhui. She slumped paralyzed in her chair in a daze for half the day before recovering her senses.
A woman’s fate pattern was a major matter. Since ancient times, there had been the custom of taking the birth charts of two people to place before the Kitchen God for three days before marriage. If anything happened during those three days, the marriage was not meant to be. Now Madam He felt that even this step could be saved. With a fate pattern like the Death Star of Solitary Fate, who could suppress it? No wonder wherever Song Sixth Miss went, misfortune followed—both her stepmother and stepsister had died under mysterious circumstances.
She took this reasoning to discuss with her husband and son: “What could be more important than one’s life?! If it’s truly as Master Yuanhui said, never mind that she’s a young lady from an Earl’s manor—even if she were a princess from the palace, we wouldn’t dare marry her! Otherwise, marrying her would bring endless disasters and no peace for the family.”
No matter how many benefits there were, one needed life to enjoy them for them to truly be in hand. Someone like this who would cause family ruin and personal destruction, even able to curse her own mother—even if they married her in, they couldn’t bear the consequences. Not only would they not enjoy her blessings, they would probably have to follow her into misfortune.
Shen Xiaohai scoffed, looking at Madam He as if looking at a fool: “You believe whatever people say? If I now say you have a widow’s fate and that I’m about to die, does that make it true? Words that can be fabricated just by opening one’s mouth—they can only fool ignorant foolish women like you in the inner chambers!”
The people of Great Zhou either believed in Buddhism or Daoism, but Shen Xiaohai believed in neither. If believing in these things was truly useful, his grandfather would have personally gone to be a Daoist at a temple, but the descendants never enjoyed any of his supposed blessings.
Moreover, he currently had no way out. The Chen Elder’s household clearly wanted to attach themselves to the Crown Prince. He didn’t dare harbor designs on Chen Mingyu nor had he ever had such intentions. The other young ladies of the Chen family were all betrothed, and Elder Du’s household had no granddaughters of appropriate age. All things considered, the most suitable match was none other than the Changning Earl Manor, where the girl had played together with Shen Qingrang since childhood and the two families had frequent exchanges.
Even Shen Qingrang gradually came to understand this principle. Seeing his mother rendered speechless and red-faced by his father’s words, he coughed and advised her: “Father speaks reasonably. Female nuns and female Daoist priestesses are the root of chaos in the inner chambers. How can their words be entirely believed? It could well be that someone bribed people to frame and entrap her. How could there be so many people with strange fate patterns in this world? I don’t believe it anyway.”
These words were spoken with some sophistication. Shen Xiaohai couldn’t help but look at him with new regard, and rarely praised him with a smile: “I like hearing these words. What Death Star of Solitary Fate—it’s clearly someone with ulterior motives wanting revenge, deliberately pinning this bad reputation on Song Sixth Miss. It can only deceive you ignorant women.” After saying this, he also instructed Madam He: “Don’t gossip with those people behind their backs. If you have that time, take some gifts over to comfort Song Sixth Miss. Adding flowers to brocade is easy, but sending charcoal in snowy weather is difficult—she’ll remember your kindness.” After finishing, he didn’t forget to tell Shen Qingrang to take advantage of this opportunity to get close to Song Chuyi: “When everyone pushes against a falling wall, this is exactly when you should show yourself. Find an opportunity to go visit. Grow some awareness—say what should be said, and don’t mention a single word of what shouldn’t be said. You’re going to comfort her, not to add to her troubles.”
However, Song Chuyi had no time to wait for their expressions of concern and inquiries. At this moment, she was sitting on a stone bench listening to Song Jue scold her: “Death Star of Solitary Fate? You’re quite capable, aren’t you—you’ve learned to splash dirty water on yourself! Why not go even bigger and conjure up a Mars Guards the Heart omen while you’re at it?!”
Song Chuyi honestly shook her head, hanging her head in a posture of accepting instruction: “Master Yuanhui probably wouldn’t dare. If he really spoke those four words, I’m afraid His Majesty would immediately behead both him and Prince Duan, wouldn’t he?”
Mars Guards the Heart presaged warfare. Speaking of it now would clearly be a response to Prince Duan’s situation, obviously handing Emperor Jianzhang a knife to stab Prince Duan to death. Chen Xiang and Master Yuanhui would never do something so foolish.
Song Jue was angered into laughter, and Zhou Weizhao couldn’t help but laugh as well.
“Don’t blame her.” He suppressed his amusement and glanced at Song Chuyi, who wished she could find a hole to crawl into after being mocked by Song Jue. The two dimples on his cheeks sank deeply: “Speaking of this matter, it’s actually my fault. If I hadn’t been talkative and mentioned it to Imperial Grandmother, things wouldn’t have blown up this big.”
So quickly, everyone already knew about it.
Song Jue looked at him rather strangely, wanting to be angry but not daring to direct his anger at him—he naturally knew that Master Yuanhui and Song Chuyi together didn’t have the capability to labor Her Majesty the Empress into opening her golden mouth to specifically ask such a question. It was obviously this Crown Prince Grandson who didn’t think the spectacle was big enough.
“Your Highness indulges her too much!” Song Jue held back and held back, but ultimately couldn’t restrain himself: “She’s a girl—how can such matters concerning her future reputation be casually spread about? She’s still young and doesn’t understand what this means, but does Your Highness also not know? I know this is to go with the flow and turn the tables, to draw out Chen Xiang, but the price paid is too great…”
Song Chuyi glanced at Zhou Weizhao. Seeing he wasn’t angry, she quickly waved her hands: “It’s not that big, not that big. I don’t plan to anyway…”
Song Jue reached out and heavily struck her on the head. She covered her head, gasping sharply, and never dared speak the second half of that sentence again.