Xiang Mingzi waited for Song Chuyi at Ningde Courtyard. Having finally managed to await her arrival, she first recited a Buddhist prayer, then poked her forehead with a finger, both angry and resentful: “These past few days you’ve been running out constantly. Where on earth have you been going? I couldn’t even find a trace of you!”

She had already completed her mourning period and had formally gone to the temple to remove her mourning clothes some time ago. Today she wore a begonia-red dress trimmed with gold edges, with a jade and glass hairpin in her hair, making her face appear like a peach blossom. She looked completely different from that dull and wooden Miss Xiang from Qingzhou three years ago.

Song Chuyi reached out to take her arm, pulling and shaking her hand with some intimacy and playfulness: “I went to see An’an. She’s been feeling unwell recently and only started showing improvement after changing physicians several times. I had to pay close attention.”

Xiang Mingzi anxiously inquired about how serious the illness was and how she had fallen ill, before finally sighing and shaking her head: “I should have known to go visit her too. To think that An’an calls me little aunt, yet I didn’t even know she was sick.”

Song Chuyi was especially close to Xiang Mingzi precisely because Xiang Mingzi was a good person. Having suffered hardships herself, her heart was always softer than ordinary people’s. She understood empathy and also understood not doing unto others what one would not want done to oneself.

“I didn’t see her either. The physician said she was frightened during her illness and shouldn’t see people. So I only stayed outside.” Song Chuyi patted her hand: “Next time I’ll take you along to visit.”

Xiang Mingzi walked arm-in-arm with her around the covered walkway. Standing beneath the corridor, she teased the thrush bird for a while, lightly nodded, then turned her head to tell her: “Today the household received the imperial decree about the hunt. Grandfather and eldest uncle are both on the hunting party list. I hear that because the Empress will also be attending this year, the female family members also have a share. Just from our family alone, the Empress specifically named you and me.”

Sure enough, upon entering the room, Old Madam Song first scolded her for coming to Ningde Courtyard less frequently these past few days, then asked her: “Did your cousin tell you about accompanying them to the spring hunt? The Empress even specially bestowed several sets of clothing for you. They’re all kept here with me. Take them back later to look at—you must wear them on that day.”

Thunder, lightning, rain, and dew are all imperial grace. How could there be any reason not to wear clothes personally bestowed by the Empress? Song Chuyi smiled and nestled into Old Madam Song’s embrace, responding with agreement.

The few traces of anger that Old Madam Song had originally harbored disappeared. She held Song Chuyi and talked with her for a while, then instructed her: “Go to your grandfather’s study in a bit. Your grandfather is looking for you. Your fourth sister’s happy day is the day after tomorrow. These next two days you must behave yourself for me—you’re not permitted to go anywhere. Tomorrow there will be ladies and young misses coming to add to the dowry. You must stay home properly.”

Busy dealing with Han Zhi these past days, she had almost forgotten such an important matter. Song Chuyi widened her eyes and nodded. After eating dinner together in Old Madam Song’s room, she headed toward the study at the front.

Old Master Song had just finished dinner with First Master Song and the others. Seeing her, he laughed: “This little girl is quite busy—even busier than your grandfather who serves as an Elder.”

Song Chuyi stuck out her tongue and quickly stepped forward to grind ink for him.

Old Master Song chuckled and shook his head, waving his hand to stop her: “Sit down, you little trickster. Where’s the need for you to offer such attentiveness? You should sit properly and honestly.”

Song Chuyi sat in the yellow rosewood rose chair by the window. Her eyes rolled as she reported her whereabouts of the past few days to Old Master Song, half-truthfully: “I was busy instructing people to go to Shu to receive A’Yan.”

Old Master Song nodded, then sighed: “These past two years, grandfather hasn’t asked you about many things. According to what you said, you’ve already told me almost everything you knew from your dreams. But now there’s one matter that I’ve thought over repeatedly and still want to ask you about.”

Song Chuyi mentally reviewed all recent events, then nodded thoughtfully: “Is grandfather asking about how to handle the fact that His Majesty insists on having you serve as chief judge for the Yangzhou embezzlement case?”

Old Master Song had completed the disaster relief funds matter reasonably well. Even if it was muddling through, he had conscientiously muddled through that mess. Although the silver collected couldn’t be called abundant, it wasn’t much different from previous years either. Fang Xiaoru and Elder Chen couldn’t find fault with it.

But having dodged that matter, he hadn’t dodged the Zhang family affair. Who knew that just as he was about to return to the capital, the textile bureau embezzlement case would break out, and His Majesty would specifically assign him to adjudicate it.

He had steeled himself to fathom the Emperor’s intentions and ferreted out the Zhang family. Having barely tremblingly thought he could complete the assignment, who knew that upon Zhang Yuan’s return to the capital, he would somehow develop some perverse obstinacy and actually in one breath expose several even bigger fish.

Since ancient times, the Maritime Transport Office and the Salt Administration had been well-known places overflowing with profits. Zhang Run had clearly and explicitly revealed how these people delivered goods and how they sent palace tribute items overseas to sell, shocking the entire court.

But not many people were willing to take on this mess either.

Everyone clearly knew in their hearts whose people sat above—Zhang Run was Prince Gong’s man, but the people at Maritime Transport were Prince Duan’s people.

This was biting into each other. Which son did the Emperor want to protect more, or rather, whose face did he want to undermine more? Who could guess accurately? No one had the courage to guess either.

Old Master Song nodded heavily, rarely showing some hesitation: “His Majesty has named Elder Chen, Elder Du, and me. This is clearly to test and probe us.”

Yet Old Master Song had indeed grown close with the Crown Prince. Emperor Jianzhang just wanted to know how far the Crown Prince wanted to trample Prince Gong and Prince Duan, didn’t he?

The Crown Prince really was trying to run before learning to walk. Instead, he was harming those beneath him.

Song Chuyi asked Old Master Song in gentle and careful words: “Has Elder Chen already approached you about this?”

Elder Chen was determined to board the Crown Prince’s ship and hadn’t left himself any escape route at all—indeed, he couldn’t leave himself an escape route. After all, he had formerly been the Crown Prince’s tutor and had long been branded with the Crown Prince faction’s mark. This was precisely why he had never wavered from beginning to end.

Old Master Song nodded: “Originally when I went to Jiangnan, we were like fighting cocks—even on the same boat, we insisted on dividing ourselves by distance and rank. But this time he’s desperately urging me to take on the case. Naturally, he hopes I’ll join forces with him to adjudicate this case as extensively as possible, involving as many people as possible.”

But feigning illness wouldn’t work. Old Master Song had claimed physical discomfort several times, yet Emperor Jianzhang hadn’t let him off. The chief judge candidates had been selected back and forth, and not once had Old Master Song been left out.

Song Chuyi lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, her tone still steady: “Grandfather may have been led astray by me. When we initially drew close to the Crown Prince, ultimately it was also to show loyalty to His Majesty. His Majesty dislikes factionalism—whether at the Eastern Palace or Prince Duan’s side, we never truly aligned with either from beginning to end. The only time we did align, wasn’t it to help His Majesty and the Crown Prince detoxify and eliminate a threat?”