Xiang Mingzi immediately sat up straight, her eyes bright and shining as she stared at Song Chuyi, full of joy. “Is there news from my aunt and aunt-in-law?”

Recently, Old Madam Song had been nearly driven frantic after learning about Song Chuyi being given her fate reading by Master Yuanhui. Earlier, when she heard from Song Jue that Song Chuyi had deliberately had people fan the flames, she became angry with Song Chuyi for the first time, blaming her for using her own future and entire life as the price. Later, she came up with the idea of asking another eminent monk to give Song Chuyi another fate reading.

Master Yuanhui had read Song Chuyi’s fortune, and immediately afterward Song Chuyi truly had an incident and saw blood. This made her reputation as having a lone star fate that brings calamity spread even more widely. Old Madam Song had specially taken Song Chuyi to Huangjue Temple to see Master Yuankong, Master Yuanhui’s senior brother, hoping that Master Yuankong could clear Song Chuyi’s name. Unexpectedly, Master Yuankong also said the same thing as Master Yuanhui—that Song Chuyi indeed had two fate patterns, one extremely inauspicious and one extremely noble, but both were truly star-illuminated fates that portended bloody disasters.

Now even Old Madam Song was at her wit’s end. She and Madam Cui and Yu Shi had been sighing endlessly, worried sick about this matter.

Now hearing Song Chuyi say there was a turning point in the situation, her first thought was whether there had been a turning point regarding the fate reading.

If Xiang Mingzi hadn’t mentioned it, Song Chuyi would have almost forgotten about this matter—at the time, she had thought that either Master Yuanhui spoke so convincingly because Song Chuning had revealed information to Prince Duan, or it was actually true. She had prepared herself mentally for both possibilities. Later, when Master Yuankong also said the same thing, a weight actually fell from her heart. Because of this fate reading matter, the Shen family hadn’t even been visiting recently. This could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Xiang Mingzi felt somewhat disappointed and also somewhat worried. She held her hand for a long while, not knowing what to say. Anything she said felt dry and ineffective.

Song Chuyi couldn’t very well tell her that this fate reading could actually ward off many troubles—at least it could temporarily put off Han Zhi and Shen Qingrang, otherwise these flies buzzing around constantly would truly be unbearable. She could only smile and talk about other matters. “I heard my grandmother wrote saying that three months ago a wandering Taoist priest stayed at Qingxin Abbey in Jinzhong and was very efficacious. They’ve already sent someone to find him. Don’t worry, we’ll think of a solution. If you get anxious, won’t Grandmother get even more anxious and upset?”

Xiang Mingzi was still somewhat worried. After saying a few words to her, she was about to go to Ningde Courtyard—Old Madam Song had been anxious and upset about Song Chuyi’s matter these past few days. If Third Madam couldn’t read the situation and came to plead with her at this time, there would likely be quite a scene.

But Song Chuyi knew that Third Madam absolutely couldn’t make a scene now. Recently everyone in the Song family, from top to bottom, had been cautious with their words and actions, keeping their tails between their legs, afraid of catching the Emperor’s eye or displeasing His Highness the Crown Prince and Prince Gong. Third Madam had surely been warned repeatedly by Third Master. Hearing Song Chumi say such things, she would be too shocked to react, probably already scared out of half her wits. How could she dare go before Old Madam to ask for trouble? Some matters could be pleaded for, but some mistakes, once made, could not be so easily forgiven.

After Qing Ying saw Xiang Mingzi off, she came forward quietly with the letter, her face full of confusion. “Miss, what does this letter say?”

This letter had been slipped to her at the hunting grounds by a little kitchen maid when she went to fetch water. The girl had insisted she must give it to Song Chuyi. At the time, Qing Ying had been afraid the letter was from someone with ill intentions trying to frame her young lady—after all, Song Chuyi had just offended the Ninth Princess, and they were at the hunting grounds. If she were framed with the crime of improper correspondence, it would be impossible to clear her name. Her heightened suspicion was understandable.

Later, when nothing happened quietly, and they were almost ready to depart, that little maid appeared again from who knows where. Taking advantage of moving flowers, she came over begging her to definitely give the letter to Song Chuyi, and only then did she take it seriously.

Now seeing Song Chuyi seem very happy after reading this letter, she was somewhat confused. Could it be from His Highness the Grand Grandson or Second Young Master Ye? But if either of these two wanted to send a letter, they had plenty of methods—there was absolutely no need to have a little maid deliver it.

Song Chuyi took the letter but didn’t read it again. With a wave of her hand, she tore it into tiny pieces, throwing them all into the copper ladle used for ironing clothes, saying softly, “The letter isn’t important. What’s important is the person who wrote it.”

This was truly an unexpected delight. Even with Song Chuyi’s foreknowledge from rebirth, she hadn’t anticipated that someone from the Zhang family was still alive—and not just anyone, but Zhang Yuan’s biological son.

The Yangzhou corruption case could no longer be investigated further. Emperor Jianzhang had lost one son and couldn’t risk losing another. Now even the northern frontier connection had been temporarily sealed off, let alone the Yangzhou matters. That was also why so many people recently had been scheming to fill those vacant positions in Yangzhou.

But this didn’t mean Zhang Run was useless.

On the contrary, if it was truly as he said in his letter—that Han Zhi had saved him and even forged his identity documents—then this was very interesting indeed. Zhang Yuan could be said to have died at the hands of Han Zhi and Zhou Weiqi. They were the ones who caused Zhang Run’s family to be destroyed and him to be displaced. Yet now Han Zhi had actually saved Zhang Run.

Thinking of Han Zhi’s preferences for men, a mocking smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. No wonder Han Zhi had no reaction to the deceased Miss Zhang—he liked Miss Zhang’s brother.

If he didn’t like Zhang Run, even if Han Zhi’s brain had been kicked by a donkey, he wouldn’t save Zhang Run—they had killed his entire family, and now they wanted to save him. What person with a sound mind would do such a thing? If Zhang Run had any backbone at all, he couldn’t possibly not want to avenge his family, especially now that even Zhang Yuan was dead. Speaking of which, Han Zhi had squeezed out Zhang Yuan’s last bit of remaining value, forcing him to expose all of Prince Duan’s people. With Han Zhi’s personality, he probably threatened Zhang Yuan with Zhang Run, didn’t he?

He could do such things. This person’s actions couldn’t be deduced by common sense.

Song Chuyi’s intuition told her this was a point that could be exploited. Han Zhi doing something so unwise must surely be hiding it from Zhou Weiqi and Grand Madam Fan. In the future, she might be able to use this to make them fight among themselves.

More importantly, this was a long-lasting handle on him. Just sheltering a criminal and forging documents would be enough to give Han Zhi serious trouble.

“This is a pledge of allegiance.” Song Chuyi watched those fragments slowly turn to ashes, then turned to look at Qing Ying. “Prepare yourself. Tomorrow we’re going out.”

To go meet this Young Master Zhang who should have been on his way to exile long ago.