Night had fallen completely, stars dotting the canopy of heaven. The lanterns in the covered corridors of Ningde Courtyard all lit up at once. Gardenia petals danced intermittently on the breeze, and from afar, the sea of flowers and sea of lights converged into a long dragon—a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
Nanny Huang stood in the corridor for a while. Seeing several lanterns emerge from the direction of the covered porch in the distance, she smiled and lifted the curtain to enter. Looking at Old Madam Song, she laughed: “Here she comes now—it’s just that you couldn’t contain your impatience, Old Madam.”
Ziyun had recently become increasingly valued by Song Chuyi. Returning the favor, she naturally knew how to speak on Song Chuyi’s behalf before Old Madam Song: “Don’t you always say that Sixth Miss is a blessed person who only remembers kindness and not grievances? She’s a good child, it’s just that this matter concerns her birth mother after all—when one cares deeply, one becomes confused. You’re her grandmother; you just need to guide her properly, don’t you?”
Song Chengru had said the same thing. Old Madam Song nodded with a smile.
Sure enough, after just a moment, Yushu lifted the curtain with a smile and reported that Song Chuyi had arrived.
Having not properly observed her for all these days, now seeing her suddenly, Old Madam Song realized that the little girl who had still had some baby fat on her face had become so thin she barely had any flesh left. Her originally fair and rosy complexion now showed traces of pallor. Old Madam Song felt somewhat pained—during that half month in Tongzhou she must have suffered many frights and grievances. Upon returning there was Li Shi’s matter, and then Song Yan had nearly frightened her half to death.
Old Madam Song sighed heavily. Suddenly she felt that her previous worries had been completely unnecessary. She had thought she would harbor resentment toward Song Chuyi for her deliberate concealment and guarded heart, but now, seeing this young granddaughter, all her previous heartache and self-pity dissolved into nothing.
“Come here quickly.” Old Madam Song pulled her to sit beside her, with a trace of worry: “How have you become so haggard? I’ve already sent a calling card to request Imperial Physician Sun. In a few days I’ll have him examine you thoroughly. Although they said the mouthful of blood you coughed up the night before last was due to qi rushing to the heart from extreme anger, one still cannot be at ease with a child.”
Seeing Song Chuyi lower her head without speaking, Old Madam Song felt both pained and relieved—having resentment was normal. If she could immediately harbor no grudges, such depth of heart would be frightening instead.
“Are you resenting your grandmother?” Old Madam Song took her hand and held it, her tone somewhat low: “Regarding Li Shi’s matter, you’re right to blame me. Back then I clearly knew her reputation was damaged and she had relations with your father, yet I still allowed her to marry into the family. And I left you in her care.”
Old Madam Song was advanced in years. The wrinkles covering her face appeared even more aged at this moment, and combined with the white hair at her temples, it made Song Chuyi feel pained as well. She blinked, forcing the tears from her eyes back down, and looked directly into Old Madam Song’s eyes with open candor: “If I hadn’t had that dream, I don’t know what would have become of me. Would I have lived in a muddle just like in that dream, offending you and grandfather, being despised by father, forcing marriage unto death with someone who didn’t like me at all?” A tear finally fell from Song Chuyi’s eyes with a splat, her tone growing increasingly agitated: “And then watching helplessly as my son died while I was powerless to do anything, handing over my husband and everything else, watching brother Yan being driven to death by them? Grandmother, I don’t intentionally resent you, but every time I think about how all your kindness to me stems from guilt toward my mother, I don’t know how to face my mother.”
An eight-year-old girl, shrouded by nightmares for more than half a month, clearly knowing that those around her harbored ill intentions, living as if treading on thin ice, ever cautious and careful.
Old Madam Song embraced her, gently patting her back as she had when Song Chuyi was small, unable to help but speak with a choked voice: “I know—in the past, grandmother wronged you. But Xiaoyi, do you still remember grandmother admonishing you that in the future, no matter what happens, you should think about what you have, and not always dwell on what you don’t have?”
Seeing Song Chuyi nod, Old Madam Song felt comforted and stroked her hair: “In this world, inevitably some will wrong you. Getting angry and seeking revenge are both natural. But you must never let yourself become trapped in hatred and transform into the very person you once detested. In the past, grandfather and grandmother have neglected you in many ways, leaving you frightened and afraid all alone—it’s natural for you to resent us. But you must believe grandmother, if I had known back then that Li Shi was also connected to your mother’s death, I would never, ever have agreed to let her marry your father. Not only would I not have agreed, I would have joined with the Cui family to seek justice for your mother!”
Distance tests a horse’s strength; time reveals a person’s heart.
Song Chuyi was someone who knew right from wrong. Old Madam Song believed that as long as she treated Song Chuyi sincerely, she could eventually mend their past estrangement.
Nanny Huang felt both comforted and relieved, and couldn’t help but wipe the corners of her eyes as well.
Song Chuyi nodded, then suddenly remembered the purpose of this visit, breaking the tender moment between grandmother and granddaughter: “By the way, grandmother, this time the Princess Consort of Zhennan and Duke Yingguo’s Princess Consort seemed somewhat overly enthusiastic toward me.”
At the mention of this matter, Old Madam Song also furrowed her brow: “Speaking of this, I also found it rather strange. They were not only excessively ardent toward you, but also showed too much enthusiasm regarding the Su family’s affairs.”
The Princess Consort of Zhennan and Duke Yingguo’s Princess Consort had always merely maintained surface cordiality, yet this time they were in complete accord—it truly made one suspicious.
“The Su family originally had one charge of colluding with foreign enemies.” Song Chuyi couldn’t help but feel a surge of alarm and suddenly stood up: “But I heard that even Chen Xiang couldn’t substantiate this charge. Since Old Madam Su was able to predict this great disaster early and went to the Censorate beforehand to report, ensuring that the weak women and other male members of the Su family were all spared the death penalty, it shows she had made preparations long in advance. Could she have hidden something with Miss Chen?!”
Old Madam Song was also startled by this statement, and then began to tremble slightly—hadn’t her eldest daughter-in-law discovered that the Su family’s eldest matriarch had gone to Yujing Tower? And Yujing Tower was Chen Xiang’s property!
Could it be that Old Madam Su harbored ill intentions toward the Song family and planned to use these things to frame them?!
But then she shook her head, dismissing this possibility. If that were truly the case, the Su family’s eldest matriarch and Chen Xiang needn’t go to such trouble—they could simply make a scene and storm into the household to cause a commotion.
Old Madam Song recovered her senses: “But what does this have to do with you?”
Song Chuyi also couldn’t quite figure it out, but she soon had some clues—the Su family’s affairs, the Xiao family’s affairs, and Fang Deng’s matter, plus the chaos in Tongzhou—all these incidents vaguely bore traces of Chen Xiang’s shadow. Perhaps because she saw her own involvement in each incident, Chen Xiang wanted to probe for information?
But what was there here that Chen Xiang, Duke Yingguo’s Princess Consort, and the Princess Consort of Zhennan all needed together?
She vaguely sensed that some crisis was pressing toward her, but where exactly this crisis was coming from remained somewhat unclear.