Outside the room, annoying cicada calls gradually began to sound. First Madam waved her fan somewhat irritably and ordered those servant women to get poles ready to catch these troublesome cicadas.

Nanny Zou noticed that her thoughts were scattered and quite different from usual. After considering briefly in her heart, she guessed the reason and couldn’t help speaking up to advise: “In this matter, we just need to follow Old Madam’s wishes. Why must Madam trouble herself over this?”

Old Madam’s requirements were rather difficult to handle. First Madam sighed heavily.

“We must send people everywhere to announce the death, yet also say that the feng shui master declared that those who die violently are inauspicious and cannot enter the ancestral tomb, nor can the body lie in state. This will naturally arouse suspicion.” First Madam felt somewhat apprehensive: “Moreover, not only are we not setting up roadside memorial services, but we’re also not setting up a mourning hall in our own household for people to pay respects. This clearly violates proper protocol.”

Nanny Zou stepped forward to massage her shoulders, speaking with complete loyalty and sincerity: “Whether it follows protocol or not is just a matter of what Old Master and Old Madam say. How have you walked yourself into a dead end? Li Shi committed countless evil deeds. If she hadn’t died so quickly, the divorce document would probably have already arrived. She could no longer be considered a madam of our Earl’s household. Precisely because of this, not only is the Cui family disgusted, even our Old Master and Old Madam feel as though they’ve swallowed flies. Moreover, given the Cui family’s involvement, how could we possibly hold a grand funeral for her? She died under suspicious circumstances. If we made a big affair of it, wouldn’t we be forcing people to notice something is wrong?”

First Madam closed her eyes and nodded, asking her: “She’s been sent to Qingliang Temple outside the city? They say the body will lie in state for one day before being buried on the mountainside of Qingliang Mountain. Alas, after all, we were sisters-in-law for some time. I find this somewhat unbearable.”

Nanny Zou was alarmed in her heart. She quickly sat on the brocade stool beside her, leaning forward to advise: “You mustn’t say such things again! Right now, everyone in the household from top to bottom who knows about these matters knows that Old Master and Old Madam have thoroughly turned against Li Shi. If you express sympathy at this time, first, Old Master and Old Madam will be unhappy, and second, with Sixth Miss and Fourth Young Master…”

She didn’t voice the rest of her words. Now Song Chuyi was no longer the person she once was. She had thoroughly pulled down even Li Shi and had bitten off a piece of flesh from the Li family. Offending her was not a good thing.

First Madam opened her eyes and glanced toward Ningde Courtyard, then closed her eyes again expressionlessly.

When it came down to it, she herself was somewhat panicked. At that time, Li Shi had pointed at her nose and cursed in the main hall, saying that she clearly knew everything but sat by and watched Song Chuyi suffer.

She had just closed her eyes when someone came from outside to report that the Su family had sent someone.

The Su family? First Madam couldn’t immediately recall which Su family. It wasn’t until Nanny Zou reminded her: “It should be the Su family of the former Loyal and Righteous General’s household who will be leaving the capital soon.”

The men of the Su family were all to be exiled, and the female relatives were all returning to their ancestral home in Taiyuan. For them to come at this time, it could only be to take advantage of old connections to gain some benefit.

First Madam originally wanted to refuse directly. Nanny Zou reminded her that Old Madam Su and Old Madam did have some friendship after all. Moreover, right now there was still a Miss Chen staying in the household.

First Madam sighed and led people to ask Old Madam for instructions.

Old Madam naturally could not refuse to see this former old friend. After thinking it over, she had the person brought to the Self-Reflection Hall next door.

But the person who came was not Old Madam Su. When Old Madam Song saw First Madam Su looking haggard as she knelt on the ground, she frowned and asked: “Where is your family’s old madam?”

Upon hearing these words, tears streamed down First Madam Su’s face like a broken string. After sobbing for a long time, she finally cried out: “Our old madam… she passed away the day before yesterday!”

During this period, matters at home had come one after another. Old Madam Song had no time to attend to other affairs. Social calls and visits were originally managed by First Madam anyway, so she had never heard of this matter. She couldn’t help freezing in place.

Seeing that Old Madam Song said nothing more, First Madam Su cried even more sorrowfully: “In a few days we’ll be escorting the coffin back to Taiyuan. It’s just that thinking of how Miss Chen is still here with you, I came specifically to fetch her.”

Old Madam Song couldn’t help being stunned again. When Old Madam Su had entrusted Chen Jinxin to her, she had spoken clearly, saying to give her a bowl of rice to eat in the future. If that truly wasn’t possible, send her back to the Chen family, but absolutely never hand her over to First Madam Su.

“After imposing for so long, it was originally quite thick-skinned of us…” First Madam Su wiped her tears, speaking haltingly: “Back then I truly was blinded by greed and didn’t treat her very well. Now before Old Madam passed away, she specifically told me to bring her back. After all, she is my future daughter-in-law…”

At this point, Old Madam Song finally understood First Madam Su’s purpose in coming.

Where was she here for Chen Jinxin? She was here for Chen Jinxin’s substantial dowry!

Now that the Su family had fallen and been raided, with all the males exiled, First Madam Su had set her sights on the niece she had previously disdained.

Old Madam Song looked at her heavily for a long while: “By rights, you are her maternal aunt. If you come to fetch her, I cannot refuse.” She watched as First Madam Su’s face showed delight, then suddenly turned her words: “But your family’s old madam had clear instructions before, saying that unless someone from the Chen family came, she couldn’t be released no matter who came asking for her.”

In this world, the same rice feeds a hundred different kinds of people. There were those like Madam Cui who regarded nieces and nephews as precious as their own eyes, and there were also those like First Madam Su who didn’t regard anyone as human except for her own children.

First Madam Su’s crying voice caught. Then she suddenly stood up and cried even louder: “Old Madam! Please grant us this convenience! I know your household is powerful now, but there’s no reason to completely swallow up another family’s wealth! Miss Chen has been betrothed to my son since childhood. Now that I’m taking my daughter-in-law back, what’s wrong with that?”

Clearly she had come to make trouble.

First Madam was made somewhat dizzy by the commotion and couldn’t help speaking out: “First Madam Su, watch your words! Back then, your family’s old madam knelt before our old madam and begged us to take in this Miss Chen. Dozens of eyes witnessed it.”

First Madam Su laughed coldly. Tears had smudged her makeup somewhat. The red rouge mixed with crude powder smeared across her entire face, making it look somewhat distorted. She stretched out her hands, already roughened from time in prison, and pointed at Old Madam Song and First Madam: “So what?! Our family has indeed been raided and fallen into ruin, but how do you know the Changning Earl’s household won’t face such a day? Why must you be so ruthless! In this Tongzhou affair, how many people were implicated? Chen Xiang is investigating with all his might. Do you think you can escape from this muddy water?”

First Madam Su must have heard from somewhere the news that the Song family also had people in Tongzhou. Clearly she had been watching the Earl’s household for some time. Not knowing exactly how much she knew, Old Madam Song became even more angry and laughed coldly.

Back then, Su Yi had intended to commit improper acts, wanting to drag the Earl’s household into the mire and pull them into Prince Duan’s faction. She had endured it considering that the Su family had already been destroyed and its members killed. Now First Madam Su had come again without knowing her limits to cause trouble, which was even more unbearable.