Second Uncle seemed like such a straightforward person, and his two wives—regardless of who was better—both came from good backgrounds with respectable educations. So how did they manage to raise daughters who were all somewhat strange?
Song Chuning she had never met, but from what the Grand Madam said, she could already glimpse the many oddities within. As for Song Chuyi, she was standing right before her in the flesh—wearing a pine-wave red round-collar jacket on top, a primrose yellow eight-panel skirt below, with a few scattered pearls adorning her hair. She looked like a perfectly well-bred young lady from an aristocratic family. Looking at her outward appearance, who wouldn’t like such a young girl? And who could possibly imagine that she was actually intelligent and quick-witted to such a degree?
“If that’s the case, then I’m even more concerned about how Eighth Sister’s matter should be handled.” She sighed and looked at Old Madam Song. “She committed such a serious crime as arson. Given Grandmother’s nature, there’s no way you should have let her go to Changsha.”
Arson and murder—even if the perpetrator were an adult, people would find it utterly deranged. How much more so when the culprit was just a little girl of a few years old? For a young girl’s mind to be so deeply sinister at such an age was truly chilling to the bone.
Moreover, the one she burned was Song Yan, her own flesh-and-blood elder brother from the same father. That she could bring herself to do such a thing—after the Song family’s property dispute, they had always taken the family tradition very seriously. They had even established a rule of not dividing the family estate because of it, teaching that cousins were to be treated exactly the same as full siblings, always instructing the children to love their brothers and sisters. For Song Chuning to do something so unconscionable, given the temperaments of Old Master Song and Old Madam Song, there was no reason they would let her off so easily. Unless—unless this little brat had used some trick herself. From Grand Madam’s tone, it was clear she too was extremely dissatisfied with Song Chuning. Since the Song family was so displeased with her, and Song Chuning could burn Song Yan, it at least proved that she harbored deep resentment toward the Song family. Having such a poisonous little brat outside was like placing a ravenous wolf at their doorstep, making it impossible to eat or sleep in peace.
Old Madam Song glanced at the chiming clock on the wall, her tone growing even more somber than before. “To be honest with Your Ladyship, your grandfather and I truly did not intend to let her go, but she managed to manipulate your Second Uncle into making it happen. Afterward, we weren’t without ideas, but the several households that went with your Second Uncle to Changsha were either won over by her or driven away—not a single one could accomplish anything. Even when the Cui family sent people, they couldn’t achieve anything either. This little brat is truly not simple.”
The more extraordinary and capable she was, the less they could allow her to remain outside as a threat.
Consort Song propped her chin with one hand, contemplating for a moment, then raised her head to look directly at Old Madam Song and said softly, “Old Madam, several princesses in the palace have reached the age where they need playmates. By all rights, it’s time to find them reading companions.”
Having spent so many years immersed in the deep palace, Consort Song’s sixth sense was often so accurate it frightened even herself. A few words from Grand Madam had allowed her to almost fully comprehend how terrifying Song Chuning was. At only six years old, she could manipulate the forty-year-old Song Yi with complete control and even outwit the Song family elders. What kind of deeply calculating mind must one possess to accomplish that?
She was a thousand miles away, and there wasn’t a shred of news about her here in the capital. Who knew when she might turn her attention to others? By the time they noticed, the disaster would likely already have occurred.
Consort Song was unwilling to take that risk—whether for the Song family or for herself, it was out of the question.
Since even the Cui family had no way to deal with her, and the Song family elders, always concerned with appearances and Song Yi, couldn’t act freely, then it could only be her who made the move.
The married princesses had all found female reading companion officials back in the day. These officials were mostly selected from the maternal families of the princesses’ mothers, or were young girls of similar age from other aristocratic families who entered the palace to serve as playmates for the princesses. Now that the several princesses below Ninth Princess were gradually growing up, it was time to make selections.
Taking this opportunity to transfer Song Chuning away from Song Yi’s side—after that, whether Song Chuning’s future prospects in the deep palace would be life or death, wouldn’t it all be in her own hands?
For some reason, Grand Madam felt her heart trembling with fear. She instinctively shook her head to reject this proposal. “Your Ladyship, she’s not an ordinary little girl. To place her beside Eleventh Princess…”
If she harbored ill intentions, how could Eleventh Princess possibly guard against her at such a young age?
However, Old Madam Song curled her fingers and tapped quietly on the table. After deep deliberation, she asked Consort Song, “That’s not a bad idea. Your Ladyship’s methods—I trust them.”
This palace was full of traps at every step, requiring constant vigilance. Even if Song Chuning entered the palace wanting to become a princess’s reading companion, she would first have to be selected by the princesses. There were many intricacies involved. Consort Song, who had been in the deep palace for so many years, could manipulate things here without the slightest effort.
Consort Song smiled, revealing the deep dimples that most Song family members possessed. “I wouldn’t dare place her beside Eleventh Sister. I just need to first get her into the capital, and then everything will be easier to handle. If she happens to catch some cold in the palace and falls gravely ill… Second Uncle shouldn’t blame me too much then, should he?”
Yes, as long as they could get Song Chuning into the capital, everything else would work itself out.
After Consort Song finished speaking, she looked at Song Chuyi. “Little Sixth, about what happened last time… you also know of Eldest Sister’s difficulties. This time Eldest Sister is helping you deal with this terrifying sister of yours. Can it be considered atoning for past offenses?”
“Eldest Sister, don’t say such things.” Song Chuyi caught sight of Grand Madam opening her mouth to speak and quickly jumped in to respond to Consort Song first. “There was no offense to begin with, so how can there be talk of atonement? As for Eighth Sister, if Eldest Sister is willing to step forward, naturally that would be best.”
With such a heavy responsibility pressing down from above, and the notification being sent through the Palace Eunuch Service, Song Yi would probably be too pleased about Song Chuning to even process it—after being excluded by Old Master Song and Old Madam Song, surely although he wouldn’t say it aloud, he must already harbor tremendous worry about Song Chuning’s future prospects. At this time, news from the palace about selecting reading companion officials for the princesses would be like a gift falling from heaven for him. He had no reason to refuse.
Even Song Chuning, based on Song Chuyi’s understanding of her from the previous life, couldn’t possibly remain unmoved by this—even if she knew this was likely a trap, given Song Chuning’s nature, she would definitely want to take the gamble. Moreover, even if she really had changed her temperament and had no desire to gamble, wanting only to rest and recover her strength, it wouldn’t be up to her.