Their plan was quite easy to understand—straightforward and direct, aimed solely at making them leave. Unfortunately, they absolutely couldn’t leave now. Taking one step back, Xibei would probably be unable to hold on.

Song Chuyi massaged Zhou Weizhao’s neck, lowered her head and remained quiet for a moment, then continued: “Let’s fight a quick battle to a quick resolution. We’ve been here so long, and on the road we could only read the court gazettes. Although recently Xibei has been transmitting good news… as long as the hostilities continue for one more day, there’s still one more day of change. I heard the fighting has reached Taiyuan? Although Uncle and the Prince and Marquises are capable, even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice. Once grain and provisions can’t keep up, Xibei, which has only just stabilized, will probably descend into chaos again—these people are too skilled at making issues out of nothing and too good at exploiting openings. We can’t afford to delay.”

Recently Song Chuyi had been resting poorly, constantly traveling, constantly on boats. Her pale complexion carried traces of haggardness. The face that previously never needed rouge to be rosy and fair as snow now couldn’t hide her weariness even with rouge applied. His heart aching, he cupped her face and looked at her for a while. Only when he’d looked until her face flushed did he hold her in his arms and sigh: “But I don’t know what they’ll do… I’m not at ease.” Ever since departing the capital, he’d been saying these three words—not at ease. Actually, he hadn’t wanted to bring her along originally. All along this journey, even with the ceremonial procession displayed, even with officials along the route receiving them, the exhaustion was still frighteningly severe. He’d long been prepared and knew Song Chuyi wasn’t accustomed to boats, so he’d been very reluctant to have her come suffer this hardship.

Song Chuyi shook her head slightly, twirling a lock of stray hair with a smile. At this moment she truly had somewhat of a playful mood: “But letting you come alone, I’m also not at ease.” As she spoke, she straightened up from his embrace, pulling a little distance from him to look at him seriously: “Rather than passively waiting for news at home, I’d rather experience these things together with you. Waiting anxiously at home is truly too unbearable. Just look at the Princess Consort of Zhennan, and look at Madam, the Marquis Consort of Dingyuan—it’s very clear. Even with me right in front of you, you still worry every day, let alone leaving me at home? Only seeing with my own eyes that you’re safe can I feel somewhat better.”

Feeling Zhou Weizhao’s hand grip a bit tighter, Song Chuyi smiled faintly and gripped his hand in return: “Although it’s somewhat difficult, it’s not difficult to the point of being irresolvable. Besides, their tricks actually aren’t hard to guess. Just as you said, it’s nothing more than holding me hostage to use me to threaten you.” As she spoke, she suddenly smiled slyly, thoroughly like a little fox: “Since that’s the case, why don’t we together send them a gift? It would also properly thank them for being so open and aboveboard in expressing their uncooperative attitude all along.”

Zhou Weizhao had just been moved to the point of reddening eyes, but now her words made him laugh aloud: “I knew you’d already thought of a plan. Tell me, how do you plan to send them this gift?”

“Actually it’s quite simple. They’re dealing with us so openly and aboveboard, I was thinking—using schemes and plots would be rather unfair to them. Better that everyone play the scoundrel together.” This phrase “play the scoundrel” was something Chen Dezhong had taught Song Chuyi by chance, saying that those wealthy households in Jinling were simply playing the scoundrel—constantly claiming hardship while the silver they gave wasn’t even enough to pick one’s teeth with. Now Song Chuyi was applying what she’d just learned: “No matter what happens outside, you absolutely mustn’t worry about me. I guarantee they won’t get to see this good show.”

Zhou Weizhao scraped her nose lightly and said nothing more.

The next day, once Song Chuyi had finished dressing and preparing, carriages and sedan chairs from the prefect’s office had already arrived to receive her. When the carriage smoothly entered through the second gate of the residence and she saw the prefect’s wife smiling brilliantly like blossoming flowers, she too revealed an extremely gentle smile. Watching as the prefect’s wife introduced each of the other magistrates’ wives and wealthy households’ madams one by one, only then did she smile and call for them to rise.

The prefect’s wife hadn’t expected Song Chuyi to be so easy to invite. Just after the incident with the ceremonial procession outside the city gate, she’d agreed to attend the gathering without any fuss on this end. Taking one look at her in person and discovering Song Chuyi’s age was about the same as her own daughter’s, seeing how pretty and delicate she looked, her heart became even more at ease—such a fragile young girl would be much easier to deal with.

She smiled at her mother, Madam Liang, and gave her a meaningful look. All along the way she laughed while flattering Song Chuyi with compliments. Talking round and round, she finally brought up the matter of the ceremonial procession from before: “I heard they were refugees from nearby areas affected by flooding. I’m afraid they heard the news in advance. It’s also that our lord handled the matter improperly and startled you.”

Qing Tao found it somewhat laughable—this prefect’s wife could lie without even blinking an eye.

Song Chuyi didn’t laugh though. She actually nodded along with the prefect’s wife’s words: “Indeed, it gave me quite a fright.” After finishing, she used her eyes to look at the prefect’s wife, stood still and examined the flowers blooming extremely well before her. After waiting a long while, waiting until these madams had finally collected their hearts and listened seriously, only then did she begin to smile: “I came today not only to appreciate flowers, but also to ask you madams whether there’s some matter that’s difficult for you.”

The prefect’s wife didn’t understand, looking at Song Chuyi with a face full of bewilderment, then looking toward her mother.

Madam Liang had a smile on her lips. She turned her head to look at the flowers following Song Chuyi’s gaze: “Your Ladyship’s meaning…”

Song Chuyi turned around and laughed with a mocking note: “I just want to ask whether you madams feel that our coming is very untimely, very difficult for you all.” She watched as everyone’s expressions changed somewhat, and the smile on her face gradually withdrew completely, bit by bit: “Otherwise, why is it that those so-called refugees ended up going to estate manors outside the city?”

When facing intelligent people, sometimes lying is useless. What’s more, Song Chuyi had already spoken this clearly and plainly—it was almost to the point of nakedly pointing at their faces and asking them why they’d sent people to disguise themselves as refugees.

The laughter and conversation from just before instantly vanished. The garden became frighteningly quiet. The prefect’s wife had already lost her ability to smile. She hadn’t expected Song Chuyi would so directly and bluntly speak of this matter. She looked toward Madam Liang seeking help.

But Madam Liang instead felt reassured, as if she’d taken a calming pill. In her view, even if one knew about this matter, it couldn’t be brought up openly for discussion. Very likely this Crown Princess Consort couldn’t bear grievances and had listened in on matters the Crown Prince was privately discussing with people from the Chancellery Office, then rushed over excitedly to condemn them.

Since the Crown Princess Consort had spoken this way, then she roughly understood this Crown Princess Consort’s depth of scheming.

She adjusted the Guanyin Manchi Jiao hairpin on her head that had already tilted somewhat, made a sound of surprise with a very astonished appearance: “Who told Your Ladyship this? Such words can’t be spoken carelessly. What estate managers—I really don’t quite understand. Could it be Your Ladyship misheard? How has this been dragged onto us? This is truly wronged, wronged to death…”