Elder Chen had schemed and calculated everything. At this moment, he was probably at most sighing at home, lamenting his ill fortune that Cui Shaoting had such good luck to dodge this trap. Yet he didn’t know that while he was casting a net toward the Cui clan, someone was likewise casting a net over his head—and this net was even more meticulous and careful than the one he had woven himself, sufficient to catch them all in one sweep.

A thousand-mile dike collapses from an ant hole; changes often occur from the most inconspicuous places. Song Chuyi choosing to start with Fang Xiaoru seemed incomprehensible, but was actually an extremely clever approach.

Song Jue raised his hand to touch Song Chuyi’s head, sighing softly, not knowing whether he was sighing at her excessive cleverness or at the Chen family’s future fate.

Yushu soon led Song Yan to them and smiled upon seeing them: “How fortuitous—Fourth Young Master went to Guanju Courtyard but couldn’t find Sixth Miss and was getting anxious. Now haven’t we run right into each other?”

Song Yan first greeted Song Jue, then came over to stand beside Song Chuyi. He no longer pulled Song Chuyi’s hand at every turn as he had in childhood, but the habit of standing close to her remained unchanged.

Song Chuyi entered Ningde Courtyard with them. Madam Cui and Madam Yu were both accompanying Old Madam Song in conversation. Seeing Song Yan, they first pulled him to their side to look him over carefully. Seeing Song Yan’s handsome brows and eyes and courteous manner, they joyfully held him and asked about his circumstances these past years—though they had frequently sent people to check and inquire, now that he was before them they still couldn’t help having endless questions to ask.

Old Madam Song just smiled, beckoning Song Chuyi to sit beside her: “Coming from your grandfather’s side? Is he still in the study at this moment?”

Song Chuyi nodded, glanced at Madam Cui, and told Old Madam Song what Old Master Song had instructed, then softly informed her: “Uncle said that Vice Minister Wang specifically instructed him to receive and entertain the Dongying envoys tomorrow. Besides teaching them etiquette and rules, he also asked him to emphasize Ninth Princess’s virtues to the Dongying envoys.”

Some words didn’t need to be broken down and analyzed thoroughly; a brief mention was enough for intelligent people to understand the meaning. The smile on Old Madam Song’s face stiffened slightly. Understanding Song Chuyi’s meaning, she nodded: “Ninth Princess is naturally excellent.”

She and Song Chengru had been husband and wife for many years, and the two had long developed an understanding in their actions. Encountering such a good thing, there was naturally no reason to refuse. Moreover, recently Consort Song had indeed been worrying intensely about Eleventh Princess. Eleventh Princess after all carried Song family blood; if in the future she truly fell into Dongying or into the hands of a family with ulterior motives, it would ultimately be an additional trouble.

Hearing them vaguely mention the matter of marriage, Madam Cui looked at Old Madam Song with some surprise, then at Song Yan before her, hesitantly asking Old Madam Song: “Old Madam, have you already decided on a candidate? I thought you wouldn’t settle on someone so quickly and hadn’t had time to inform Xiao Yi and Ayan yet.”

This time it was Old Madam Song’s turn to be surprised. Seeing Song Chuyi and Song Yan both look toward her, she shook her head somewhat helplessly: “Thirteenth Lady, your mouth is just too quick. I’ve looked through all those registries, but to truly settle on someone—how could it be so easy? This isn’t picking radishes or selecting cabbages where you can succeed just by finding one pleasing to the eye.” Having gone through the affair with Li Shi, she deeply knew that upright character was most important. How could she be so careless in selecting a second wife for Song Yi? Though Song Yi had done many foolish things, he was ultimately Song Chuyi and Song Yan’s father. This awkward situation couldn’t continue indefinitely. She might as well find him a capable, sensible wife who could hold things together. This way, it could ease the relationship between Song Yi and his children, and also prevent Song Yi from focusing too much attention on Song Yan and Song Chuyi—these two children ultimately had grown distant from Song Yi. The more he managed, the more the children would resent it.

Song Chuyi was first to understand—this was about selecting a second wife for Song Yi. When one thought about it, it made sense. The Song family had too many matters these past years. First there were several girls of marriageable age who needed to wed, then there was national mourning that prohibited marriages. Song Yi’s household had several well-behaved concubines, so this matter that should have been handled long ago had been delayed until now.

If Song Yi hadn’t done something as foolish as privately accepting tokens from Duke Yingguo’s mansion, Old Madam probably wouldn’t have thought to find him another wife—not out of anger, but truly because Song Yi was weak-willed. If they brought back someone like Li Shi, there would genuinely be no peace in the household. Old Madam could only be extremely cautious.

Madam Yu patted Madam Cui’s shoulder. Seeing Xiang Mingzi sitting on Old Madam Song’s left with a completely flushed face, she couldn’t help but feel exasperated as she reminded Madam Cui: “Mentioning such things in front of the children—what kind of talk is that?!”

Madam Cui opened her mouth, only belatedly realizing she had misspoken. Though Song Chuyi was extremely independent-minded, it still wasn’t appropriate to mention selecting a second wife for her father in front of her, not to mention Xiang Mingzi was also in the room.

Though everyone felt Song Chuyi hearing this wouldn’t cause problems, and even having her help select someone would be fine, ultimately they hadn’t actually done this yet and hurriedly shooed all the children out.

Xiang Mingzi held Song Chuyi’s hand as they looked at each other. After thinking for a moment, she couldn’t help but comfort her: “Sooner or later there will be such a day. My father, being as he is, still thinks about drawing beautiful women to his side one after another. How much more so for Second Uncle?”

Song Chuyi wasn’t troubled by such matters at all. Old Madam Song, having suffered at Li Shi’s hands, would only be extremely cautious about Song Yi’s second wife. Even if they were truly unlucky enough to bring back someone like Li Shi, such a person couldn’t make waves now.

Compared to this matter, she was more worried whether Song Yan might take things too hard and get stuck in a mental rut. After all, he had suffered so much at Li Shi’s hands, and in the end had nearly been burned to death by Li Shi’s daughter Song Chuning. It was inevitable that he would have no good feelings toward the concept of a stepmother.

But Song Yan was even more open-minded than her. During his three years in Shu, what he learned was not merely the words of sages. Tang Mingzhao was not merely confined to knowledge from books; in his spare time he frequently took them through streets and alleys to observe the people’s conditions. He had long since thoroughly understood the ways of human relationships and social propriety.

Moreover, regarding Song Yi, this father who existed in name only, he had long since given up hope. As long as the stepmother they found wasn’t like Li Shi, treating them siblings as thorns in her eyes and flesh, wishing to eliminate them as quickly as possible, Song Yan wouldn’t even want to lift an eyelid. Furthermore, bringing back a stepmother would actually be a good thing for them siblings, especially for his sister. The reputation of a widower’s eldest daughter was never pleasant to hear.