“No, I’m afraid now it’s not merely about eloping.” Song Chuyi’s tone was icy cold, her expression indifferent: “If Fourth Sister hadn’t caused this incident, we might have truly fallen into someone else’s trap without knowing it.”

She rarely spoke in such a tone. In her memory, it was only that time facing Li Shi and the Li family that her tone had been so cold and detached.

Old Madam Song recalled Song Chumi coming to find her tonight and seemed to sense something: “Is it that Little Four came to find you today and told you something?”

Song Chengru and First Master Song also immediately looked toward her.

Outside, cool breezes blew in waves. The rustling of bamboo shadows could be heard. Song Chuyi pressed her lips together and, without any concealment, repeated almost word-for-word her conversation with Song Chumi.

At the end, she summarized with a somber face: “If I’m not mistaken, Fourth Sister is merely a chess piece. The Zhang family, together with the Yun family—or at least with Old Madam Yun and Uncle Yun—have set up a scheme, a trap prepared to destroy our entire Earl Manor.”

Old Master Song’s normally expressionless face showed deep shock. He glanced at Old Madam Song, unable to react for a moment.

The Yun family had actually known all along about Song Chumi and that illegitimate son of the Zhang family. Not only that, they had even reached an understanding with the Zhang family!

First Master Song stood frozen in place, never having imagined this matter could be complicated to this degree. The Yun family had single-handedly orchestrated the affair between Song Chumi and that illegitimate son of the Zhang family, and throughout the entire process pretended not to know, staying above it all. Yet secretly they had received tokens from the Zhang family, even warning Song Chumi’s maids not to leak anything to the Song family.

To say there was nothing fishy about this—only a ghost would believe it.

Elder Chen was part of the Crown Prince’s faction and had contributed greatly in the Xingfu incident. Elder Du had always been one to smooth things over and was usually happy to do Prince Duan favors. Chief Minister Chang was deeply calculating with vast influence that Prince Duan couldn’t touch, so he wanted to deal with him first and install someone else in the Cabinet?

Indeed, and conveniently there was also someone in the palace watching like a tiger eyeing its prey—Empress Dowager Rongxian, who harbored resentment over Wang Jinsi’s death and had been in league with Prince Duan all along like snakes and rats sharing a den.

Song Chengru was even thinking beyond all this. He raised his head to look deeply at Song Chuyi, then lowered his head as if talking to himself: “I even feel that the Crown Prince’s poisoning was a sharp sword aimed at our Song family.”

Old Madam Song and First Master Song were shocked with alarm, feeling goosebumps instantly rise all over their bodies. When they connected all these causes and effects together, they all felt a thick net had been cast over their heads, just waiting for them to dive in.

“I’m afraid the Empress Dowager has already pointed her spear at us.” Song Chuyi analyzed the current situation mercilessly: “The Zhang family went to such great lengths to establish a connection with Fourth Sister—they couldn’t possibly truly be looking to find a secondary wife for their illegitimate grandson, could they? Then why would they risk offending the Earl Manor to do this? There must be another purpose. Fourth Sister said they even gave tokens, and the tokens were personally given by Fourth Master Zhang to Old Madam Yun…”

Without pausing for a single word, she continued in one breath: “Grandfather, First Uncle, if Empress Dowager Rongxian and Prince Duan truly want to use this palace visit to completely destroy our entire Song family in one fell swoop, I’m afraid Fourth Sister is that very blade.”

But when it came down to it, it was just a matter between a man and woman—at most it would just damage the reputation. Old Madam Song hesitated for a moment before saying: “Is it really that serious? At most this would just mean our family failed to properly educate our daughter and we’d receive a few reprimands…”

Old Master Song waved his hand at Song Chuyi, indicating she should continue.

“No, it has nothing to do with any of that. I’m only afraid that this time the Crown Prince’s poison was the work of Prince Duan and the Empress Dowager.” Seeing all three of them startled with alarm, Song Chuyi’s own voice inevitably took on several degrees of gravity: “Then when we enter the palace, they’ll frame us for it, even implicate Consort Song…”

This was truly Empress Dowager Rongxian’s style. Apart from herself, anyone could be sacrificed casually. Moreover, her last living relative had died at their hands.

Song Chengru felt his eyebrow twitch violently, then immediately nodded to Old Madam Song: “Highly possible.”

“These tokens from the Zhang family are arriving rather strangely. They didn’t give them to us, didn’t honestly come to explain to you, Grandfather and Grandmother. Instead they ran to the Yun family to curry favor and even gave tokens…” Song Chuyi pulled up the corner of her mouth in a cold laugh: “It’s as if Fourth Sister doesn’t have the surname Song, but surname Yun instead.”

The Song family knew nothing about what those tokens were. If something truly happened on the fifteenth day when they entered the palace, if Empress Dowager Rongxian accused Consort Song of poisoning the Crown Prince, then the Yun family could very well produce the tokens and say they were items from the Song family.

And this was merely one possibility among many.

First Master Song clenched his fists, feeling his heart and eyes full of fury: “Such vicious scheming! They actually want to put us to death!”

Song Chengru’s anger reached its peak and he laughed instead. The angrier he became, the more clear-headed he was. It seemed they couldn’t wait for Yun Shi to return before dealing with Song Chumi’s matter.

He instructed First Master Song: “Go immediately tonight and seize Fourth Girl’s wet nurse, along with those two head maids who have already been confined—interrogate them all together. You and your wife go personally and question them thoroughly. Every detail, no matter how small—everything related to the Zhang family and Yun family must be asked about clearly.”

First Master Song acknowledged with a sound and immediately stood up, pushing through the door and rushing into the night.

“Xiao Yi, you go see your fourth sister in a bit.” He looked directly into Song Chuyi’s eyes, each word articulated clearly: “Tell her you’ve agreed to speak on her behalf. Ask her how she plans to help you avoid the Empress Dowager’s trap, and what trap the Empress Dowager has set.”

He wasn’t worried that Song Chuyi wouldn’t gain Song Chumi’s trust, nor was he worried she couldn’t extract information. With Song Chuyi’s current skill at understanding people’s hearts, Song Chumi was no match at all.

He himself turned to look at Old Madam Song with a bitter smile: “I’m afraid the killing move is still with Consort Song. The palace is ultimately the Empress Dowager’s territory. If she wants to make any moves, it would be extremely easy.”

But the problem was they couldn’t interfere with palace matters. Old Madam Song lowered her head, her two hands involuntarily clenching tightly: “Then are we just supposed to sit here waiting for death?!”

Hand over the entire Song family to Empress Dowager Rongxian and Prince Duan?!

No!

Song Chengru’s gaze was sinister. For the first time, he displayed killing intent on his face, revealing an extremely mocking cold smile: “Since they think so highly of us, targeting us again and again, we might as well not disappoint them.”

Let them understand the principle that even a cornered rabbit will bite.

“The Changning Earl Manor has been passed down through six generations to the present. If I let it end in the hands of women and hungry wolves, I would have no face to meet our ancestors below.” He stood up, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed at the moonlight in the sky, his back resolute.

Watching the Olympics, I almost forgot to update! Today Fu Yuanhui made me laugh until I cried. Starting from this chapter, we enter a new story arc, and the pace will quicken. I hope everyone enjoys reading it! Kisses, love you all.