The little girl had become much thinner than before. Her palm-sized face made her eyes appear even more striking. At this moment, standing beneath the exquisite lotus lamp with a radiant smile, she seemed so approachable that those who saw her forgot worldly concerns.
But Sanniang knew that this young lady was far from as pure and adorable as she appeared. She stepped back, lowered her head, and bent her waist respectfully in the standard posture of a servant, raising her spirits fully: “Looking for me? Surely Sixth Miss jests. I—”
Having followed Old Madam Su for so many years, she might lack other skills, but keen observation was her only strength. She had long ago noticed this Sixth Miss’s special nature—she possessed none of the spoiled willfulness and naivety typical of young ladies from noble families, and instead displayed a composure and intelligence inappropriate for her age. What role this Sixth Miss had played in her own miss’s affairs, Sanniang could more or less discern.
For such a perceptive and exquisite person to suddenly come calling, it surely couldn’t be just to reminisce about old times, nor could it be for the sake of her miss who had long lost all spirit.
Thinking of the Su family’s eldest matriarch who had come the other day, her heart seized. She couldn’t help but raise her head to glance at Song Chuyi’s expression—this Sixth Miss had such keen instincts, could she have guessed something?
“When we promised Old Madam Su to care for Miss Chen, it came from a sincere heart.” Song Chuyi looked at Sanniang standing under the tree, her expression obscured by shadows of leaves and light, her tone steady: “In this world today, how difficult those two words ‘sincere heart’ are—I believe after experiencing the Su family’s affairs, you and your miss both understand this well.”
Sanniang still kept her head lowered, looking at the dappled light and shadow swaying with the wind beneath her feet, her heart uneasy.
“I also hope…” Song Chuyi paused, seemingly with a trace of melancholy: “That Miss Chen and Sanniang can remember this sincerity, and moreover, not betray it.”
What a formidable tongue! What an eloquent Sixth Miss! Sanniang chewed on the deeper meaning in her words, feeling as though all the little schemes hidden in her heart had been seen through. She couldn’t help but raise her head toward the moonlight and lamplight.
Song Chuyi was also looking at her. Though she was so much shorter, even looking up, she seemed to be gazing down from above.
Sanniang lowered her head again, her voice unconsciously dropping: “Miss and this servant have always been grateful to the Earl’s household.”
“If that’s the case.” Song Chuyi suddenly changed tack: “Then can Sanniang truthfully tell me—your family’s eldest matriarch is so fixated on Miss Chen, are there other reasons?”
As expected, it was because the Su family’s eldest matriarch’s attitude had been too resolute, arousing the Song family’s vigilance! In her heart, Sanniang cursed the eldest matriarch a thousand times, wishing she had died in prison like Su Yi.
She remained silent for a while, until several other maids ran out saying Miss Chen refused to eat without seeing her. Only then did she give Song Chuyi a bitter smile.
“I know Sixth Miss is a clever person.” She said, filled with worry and resentment: “If our miss had possessed even half your intelligence back then, she wouldn’t have fallen to this state. Much less become fish on someone else’s chopping block now.”
Song Chuyi, seeing she seemed willing to cooperate, waved her hand to have Luyi and Hong Yu go into Miss Chen’s room to help, while she herself brought Sanniang to a cluster of flower shadows in the corner of the courtyard.
“Sanniang, you’re a clever person, and I don’t want to talk in circles with you. The timing and motive of the Su family’s eldest matriarch’s visit were far too coincidental. If she hadn’t connected with Chen Xiang, I might have believed she truly came for your miss’s dowry. Who Chen Xiang is—I don’t need to remind you of that, do I, Sanniang?” Song Chuyi touched the swing frame beside the flower shadows: “Now it’s not just Chen Xiang who has designs on you. Even the Princess Consort of Zhennan and Duke Yingguo’s household are somewhat implicated. You’re in the Earl’s household with such a special status—they can’t find you, so they can only turn their attention to me, the person who has had the most contact with you and is deeply connected to your affairs.”
Song Chuyi didn’t continue the rest, but Sanniang understood her meaning—it was precisely because she had concealed things that the Earl’s household was now being targeted. They didn’t dare directly set their sights on Old Madam Song, so Song Sixth Miss, who had participated in these matters, had obviously become the one who stuck her neck out.
“Sixth Miss…” Sanniang bit her lip and sighed with some difficulty: “We have wronged you.”
“There’s no need for talk of wronging or not wronging. I just want to know—why exactly have they come?” Song Chuyi glanced toward Chen Jingxin’s room before turning back: “Surely when people are swarming here, we can’t be kept ignorant of what they’re after? That way, when something happens, wouldn’t I be too unjustly wronged?”
Sanniang fell silent again for a long while before finally making up her mind. She looked at Song Chuyi and asked somewhat hesitantly: “This matter is of great importance. Don’t you think you should also inform Old Madam?”
Song Chuyi nodded: “Rest assured, when the time comes I will naturally report everything to grandmother word for word.”
“Then I won’t hide it from Miss.” Sanniang curtsied: “You probably already know about how our eldest master formed factions for private gain back then. But actually, our eldest master had some connections with Commander Chen and Superintendent Xing. Superintendent Xing had correspondence with the Tartars beyond the frontier. Usually these letters and funds were distributed to both sides through our master’s hands. Later, our old matriarch discovered this and knew it would bring destruction to the entire household. She properly collected the remaining secret letters and silver from around eldest master and mixed them all into Miss Chen’s dowry.”
So that’s why Chen Xiang had been extremely hesitant when facing Old Madam Su’s pleas, and only finally agreed after thoroughly checking the inventory.
“Our old matriarch reported eldest master, yet hid away all these life-threatening items.” Sanniang’s tone gradually began to tremble: “Because she knew that if these letters were turned in, probably not a single person in the entire Su household would survive. Commander Chen and Superintendent Xing would be the first to not spare us. She thought that by hiding these things away, it would serve as a talisman for staying alive.”
It was a talisman for staying alive, but sometimes it could also be a death warrant!
No wonder Chen Xiang had been keeping such close watch on the Earl’s household lately. No wonder Duke Yingguo’s Princess Consort and the Princess Consort of Zhennan had been frequently coming and going recently.
Now that censorial official at Zijing Pass had already pledged allegiance to His Highness the Grand Prince. Presumably, he was also the one who revealed the matter of Xing Fu’s correspondence. But everyone had found nothing in the Su household, and Chen Xiang’s raid of their home hadn’t discovered this fatally crucial item either. So everyone had turned their attention to Chen Jingxin, the only one from the Su family who had brought anything out.