Having received this promise, Madam Cui smiled and stood up without hesitation, saying to Old Madam Song: “Very well, I’ll wait for them to arrive. For now, I’d like to go see Little Yi first… Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her for three or four years.”

First Madam thought of how Song Chuyi had just exposed Li Shi’s hiring of assassins to kill her, and looked at Old Madam Song with uncertainty. In just one night’s time, it was as if heaven and earth had been turned upside down, with all kinds of news coming one after another, leaving people overwhelmed and exhausted from rushing about.

Now, with Madam Cui in a fury, if she were to hear about Song Chuyi being attacked, she would likely be even more enraged… If Madam Cui in her rage really did request an audience with the Emperor and Empress through the palace, exposing this matter before Their Majesties, then things would truly spiral out of control.

However, Old Madam Song wearily waved her hand, signaling First Madam to take her.

In the current situation, continuing to cover things up would only embarrass the Earl’s household and add more resentment from the Cui family toward the residence. It was better to lay everything out in the open.

It was Li Shi who had done this, not the Earl’s household. The household had no need to take the blame for Li Shi and bear the Cui family’s fury.

Yet at the same time, immense sorrow and unease rose in her heart. If Cui Shi’s death was truly orchestrated by Li Shi as Madam Cui claimed, then in the future, what would Song Yi be in the hearts of Song Chuyi and Song Yan…

She closed her eyes and took a deep, heavy breath, utterly exhausted.

First Madam accompanied Madam Cui to the side hall, but tactfully did not follow inside. She merely greeted Song Chuyi with a smile before leading people out.

Steward Lin’s wife came to inquire, saying that the kitchen had heard news of guests arriving and was asking how to prepare the banquet.

Jin Huan was rubbing First Madam’s temples when she heard this. Somewhat displeased, she smiled at the old servant woman: “What kind of talk is that, Sister? Our household has established rules for whenever guests arrive. Just follow the established rules, won’t you? Could it be that just because someone comes to cause trouble, we must worship them like ancestors?!”

The old servant woman mumbled incoherently, laughed a few times, and repeatedly agreed.

Jin Huan laughed again, then turned her head to see that First Madam, who had been resting with closed eyes, had already opened them and was staring fixedly at her. She couldn’t help but be startled.

“So it turns out that not only can I make decisions in this household, but even the senior maids under me can point fingers about how to receive guests,” First Madam laughed coldly: “Follow the old rules? Which old rules? The old rules from when your Nanny Zhao arrived, or the old rules from my mother’s side? Why don’t you explain it clearly to me, so I can learn how to receive guests properly!”

Nanny Zhao was Song Ren’s wet nurse, while “that side’s madam” referred to First Madam’s mother. Jin Huan felt her legs go weak and collapsed to the floor. In no time at all, she was drenched in sweat: “First Madam, spare me! I was only thinking that Madam Cui came to cause trouble…”

“Foolish!” First Madam looked at her coldly: “Madam Cui is the Emperor’s own niece, a princess with her own fiefdom. Is she someone you can show disrespect to?! If you anger such an honored guest, how many lives do you have to fill the gap?!”

As she spoke, she had already lost patience with talking to Jin Huan any further and personally summoned the kitchen stewards and servant women to discuss the menu.

Although she held evidence and had Lianyi with her, Madam Cui still felt somewhat uneasy. She held Song Chuyi close and sighed intermittently. She wasn’t worried that the Earl’s household would dare show favoritism toward Li Shi; what she worried about was how Song Chuyi would conduct herself in the Earl’s household in the future.

Although Li Shi was detestable and wouldn’t deserve pity even if she died a hundred times, this matter unfortunately didn’t involve only her—Song Yi, who had carried on a secret affair with her, also bore some responsibility.

Though this man was hateful for his wandering affections, he was after all Song Chuyi and her brother’s biological father. Once this matter was exposed, how could Song Yi maintain his fatherly dignity before his children in the future? And how could Song Chuyi and Song Yan ever forget that it was their father’s illicit affair that had indirectly caused their mother’s death?

Song Chuyi knew what Madam Cui was worried about. In fact, from the moment she discovered the clues, she had been constantly planning escape routes for herself and Song Yan.

That was why she had helped Song Chengru with every detail, wholeheartedly helping the Song household resolve various crises, mending relations with the first branch, and even single-handedly protecting Song Jue.

Moreover, adding her relationships with Zhou Weizhao and Ye Jingchuan, plus this incident with the Tartar soldiers causing trouble in Tongzhou, it was enough to make Song Chengru regard her even more highly.

“Maternal Aunt, don’t worry about me,” she shook Madam Cui’s hand: “I no longer need to rely on Father’s favor to maintain my position. As for Yan’er, he doesn’t need to either.”

As long as Song Yan lived, he would remain Song Yi’s only and most legitimate heir for that one day.

Although that was what she said, Madam Cui still sighed heavily.

She stroked Song Chuyi’s head, feeling anger toward Li Shi and the Li family surge within her heart once more—they must be made to pay a price!

The two had only been talking for a short while when Luyi came in from outside to say softly: “Maternal Aunt, Miss, someone from the Li family has arrived.”

It had been less than two hours in total, yet the Li family had certainly come quickly.

Madam Cui straightened her clothes and stood up with a cold laugh, beckoning her trusted confidante Nanny Niu: “Go inform the Master that someone from the Li family has arrived.”

Old Madam Li kept a stern face, scolding her still-chattering daughter-in-law with slight displeasure: “You shut your mouth!”

The Li family’s First Madam wouldn’t tolerate this from her. She still turned back to look at her husband with dissatisfaction: “Your sister was spoiled by all of you. Am I wrong?! She even dares to hire assassins to kill someone, yet you still want to help her escape punishment! You’re helping a tyrant commit evil—”

Old Master Li’s face darkened as he let out a heavy, cold snort, causing everyone to fall silent. Only then did he speak in a deep voice: “We’re not in our own household—if you want to lose face, go home to do it! We still don’t know exactly what the situation is. Who says Jingshu hired assassins? Are you the one convicting her?!”

First Madam of the Li family laughed coldly with indignation, then turned her head away without speaking further. Did it even need to be said whether this sister-in-law dared to do such a thing as hiring assassins? Yet here were her father-in-law and mother-in-law acting as if they’d come to seek justice. She truly didn’t know how they would be proven wrong in the future.

Hearing Old Master Li speak this way, Old Madam Li felt somewhat guilty and lowered her head to cough a few times. She had only told her husband that their daughter had been wrongly accused and that the Cui family was bullying them with their power, but she hadn’t mentioned actually bribing thugs and ruffians to go to Tongzhou to assassinate Song Chuyi…

But then she hardened her resolve again. If it really became unbearable, she would just push Li Gui and the others forward to block for a while. First, extricate Li Shi from this, and at worst, she could ask Old Master Li to speak with Old Master Song later to plead for leniency. For now, the proper thing was to turn major issues into minor ones and minor ones into nothing.

The Cui family had actually sent people to the capital specifically to cause trouble? Old Madam Li laughed coldly, deeply regretting that she hadn’t advised her daughter back then to go all the way and directly drown Song Chuyi.