As Chen Mingyu walked, she let her senior maid Chuixue remove her thin pale white brocade cape embroidered with orchids, revealing a consort-yang-colored long jacket embroidered with lotus leaves and the white silk skirt tied underneath. Her face was full of anxiety.
“How is it? Has she arrived?” She reclined on the soft couch in the private room, supporting her chin with one hand, clearly somewhat vexed: “We agreed on a time. Why hasn’t this Fourth Miss Song arrived yet? If it gets any later, someone from home will come looking for me.”
Getting to know Song Chumi had been quite accidental. This Fourth Miss Song was different from the typically shrewd Song family members—she was rather foolish. During an incense offering, after being slightly coaxed with a few words, she dared to muddle-headedly agree to matters—not ordinary matters either, but affairs concerning filling vacancies in Yangzhou. Chen Mingyu wasn’t unaware of Old Master Song’s attitude. At home, Elder Chen had already cursed Song Chengru countless times behind closed doors as an old fox. He could have clearly taken this opportunity to advance triumphantly with overwhelming momentum, securing this fat piece of meat called Yangzhou for the Eastern Palace. Yet he had gotten sick at precisely this time and requested quite a long leave with great ceremony. Elder Chen had sneered coldly then, saying that by doing this, he clearly wanted to withdraw from the Crown Prince’s ship and return to being the old Earl of Changning who sided with no one. Now that Prince Duan’s matter was settled, this old fox was clearly afraid of getting involved in imperial power struggles again, lest Earl Changning’s Manor find it difficult to extricate itself in the future. He planned to distance himself now.
Yet Old Master Song desperately wanted to extract himself from such major affairs as the appointment of Yangzhou officials, even pretending to be ill to avoid these troubles. Song Chumi actually dared to casually agree to it—this fully demonstrated she was a fool, a fool who wasn’t particularly favored in the Song family. Otherwise, how could she not know the family’s intentions and actually sing the opposite tune?
However, Chen Mingyu didn’t mind her stupidity, because stupid people had their advantages. A few words could stir them up, and when stupid people developed malicious intentions, they actually had a much greater success rate than clever people.
Without much effort, she had struck up a conversation with this former Fourth Miss Song, now the new bride Song Chumi, and they had hit it off immediately with pleasant conversation. When girls got together, they inevitably mentioned sisters at home. She had watched Song Chumi’s expression and seemingly casually praised Sixth Miss Song: “Beautiful, favored by the Imperial Consort in the palace. At the hunting grounds, even Princess Duanhui protected her. When she won the horse race against the princess, even the Ninth Princess didn’t lose her temper for the first time.”
Song Chumi then crashed the cup in her hand to the ground with a clang, seemingly unable to calm herself.
Chen Mingyu immediately confirmed another point—this Fourth Miss Song was truly not very favored at home. Of course, this could be seen from the fact that she had married a mere scholar, which counted as marrying down.
For someone of equal status to have such a distance from other sisters in marriage was obviously not something easy to accept. Any normal person would find it humiliating and feel wronged. Obviously, Fourth Miss Song felt very wronged indeed.
What followed was logical and natural. She didn’t need to say anything at all—just continuing this topic with a few more words drew out Song Chumi’s truest inner thoughts: “What’s so great about her? No matter how glib and silver-tongued she is, she still has the fate of a Heavenly Calamity Lone Star. With this fate, she won’t fare any better in the future!”
This was also why she was in the mood to come to this temple with her mother-in-law to offer incense. Seeing someone who might fall from the clouds to the ground just like her—regardless of whether this person was Song Chuyi or not—made her very happy. Moreover, it really was Song Chuyi, who had previously been greatly favored and had harmed her.
Chen Mingyu smiled and gently guided her: “Fourth Sister’s words are somewhat off the mark. I heard that Princess Duanhui was already arranging at the hunting grounds to have Zhang Tianshi come again to read Sixth Miss Song’s fortune. If Zhang Tianshi says a word, inauspiciousness could turn into auspiciousness. How could such matters truly affect Sixth Miss Song’s marriage prospects?”
Song Chumi’s eyes reddened with anger. With a blink, tears slid down along her lashes. She hastily rushed forward and grasped her hand: “Sister Chen! Help me with something!”
She really was a fool. After others sympathized with her a few times, she truly took them as intimate confidants. If such a person wasn’t used as a blade, then what kind of person would be suitable?
The door creaked open. A figure moved slightly, and a corner of green clothing flashed in. Immediately after, Chen Mingyu’s other personal senior maid, Rushuang, entered with lowered head to report: “Fourth Miss has arrived.”
Chen Mingyu’s train of thought was interrupted. An irrepressible pride rose in her heart—she hadn’t said anything from beginning to end, hadn’t given Song Chumi any advice. The day before yesterday at Chongyin Square when meeting with Song Chumi, she had even advised her not to be impulsive and to think it through carefully. Yet Song Chumi had followed her thoughts step by step into the trap. Her whole being seemed possessed—she was determined to destroy Song Chuyi.
She looked toward Rushuang. Seeing Rushuang with her head lowered and trembling slightly, she frowned: “Since she’s already arrived, just welcome her in, won’t you?”
Rushuang’s face was deathly pale. Sweat actually seeped from her forehead. Clenching her fists, her legs went soft and she collapsed to her knees on the ground: “It’s not just Fourth Miss Song who came.”
Before her words had fallen, a slightly aged yet particularly forceful voice came from outside: “And me!”
Chen Mingyu turned her head in shock and saw Old Madam Song being supported on the left and right by Xiang Mingzi and Song Chuyi as they entered the room. Behind them followed Song Chumi with her head lowered, not saying a word.
This incompetent fool! Chen Mingyu’s heart skipped a beat. She knew the matter must have been exposed. After the initial panic, she quickly forced herself to calm down and once again put on a gentle, amiable smile: “So it’s Old Madam Song. This great-niece pays her respects.”
After saying this, she looked toward Song Chumi with a gratified smile and decided to seize the initiative. Like a string of firecrackers, she began speaking: “Fourth Sister has talked things through with the elders, hasn’t she? This is right. How can there be irreconcilable enmity between sisters? At the time, I advised Sister that she absolutely must not do such a sinister deed. Fortunately, Sister listened to my words and didn’t make a grave mistake.”
That medicine—she had only mentioned a place, and Song Chumi had gone to buy it herself. She hadn’t touched it at all. Even if the Song family wanted to come demanding answers, they couldn’t find any fault with her. Moreover, the true culprit of this affair was originally someone from the Song family themselves. If they really pursued it, it would only damage the Song family’s own reputation. Sisters turning against each other, a younger sister being framed by an older sister—if such matters spread, Earl Changning Manor’s reputation wouldn’t sound good either. Song Chuyi’s fate issue had already caused quite an uproar. At this moment, they could only maintain peace and suppress the matter.