The next day, after paying her respects to Old Madam Song, Song Chuyi detoured to Chuzhou Hall to see Song Yan—several of his senior fellow students had once sat in on classes under Tang Mingzhao for a few days, and they had repeatedly urged him to inform them when he returned. These past few days he had been taking gifts to visit them one by one. Having finally said he would be free today, Song Chuyi planned to ask him about what Old Madam Cui liked.
Who knew she would come up empty-handed again. Yushu looked somewhat troubled, sighing as he told her: “These days Fourth Young Master hasn’t had a moment’s rest. He often goes out during the day and doesn’t return until the middle of the night… Even the Old Madam has sent people to ask several times, and the Old Master often can’t find him either. Although socializing with classmates is a good thing, everything must have limits. If this continues…”
Song Yan was only about ten years old. Having passed the child student examination and now preparing for the provincial examination, both Old Master Song and Old Madam Song held great hopes and expectations for him and were somewhat more lenient with him than with Song Jie, Song Ren, and the others.
But Song Yan had always been a measured child. Although he was young, because he had lost his mother early and grew up at the Cui family’s, he had always been sensitive and knew how to read people’s expressions. For him to be out carousing like this for so long was truly unprecedented.
Song Chuyi’s face was grave as water. She looked Chuzhou Hall up and down before slowly nodding: “When he returns, have him come to Guanju Courtyard.”
Song Yan carried all the hopes of her present life. She hoped he would live peacefully and smoothly, ideally spending his entire life without disaster or illness, easily and contentedly. Although she couldn’t walk the path he had to walk for him, she still wanted to help him walk more steadily and better.
Qing Ying saw her worry and quickly comforted her: “Fourth Young Master has always been obedient and sensible. Even if he’s socializing outside, he won’t do anything excessive…”
Those who stay near vermillion become red, those near ink become black. Learning virtue is as difficult as ascending to heaven, but learning vice is as easy as turning one’s hand. The capital was such a dye vat—one moment of inattention and you’d be dyed in garish colors, unable to distinguish whether you were originally human or ghost. She closed her eyes and instructed Qing Ying: “Go out and have Luo Gui investigate who Fourth Young Master has been spending time with recently. Tell him to come see me.”
Qing Ying nodded. After serving Song Chuyi back to her room and just about to leave, she turned back into the house and said hurriedly: “Miss, someone has come from the palace. The Old Madam requests you come over.”
The last time people came from the palace was to deliver rewards after the hunting ground incident, nearly three months ago. Song Chuyi thought of the hints the Prince of Dongping had given the Ministry of Rites, and her heart couldn’t help but tighten with alarm.
But when she arrived at Ningde Courtyard, she discovered she had indeed been overthinking things. Recently she had truly been too on edge, like a startled bird fearing every sound, unable to help but let her thoughts run wild at every incident. Although the visitor was indeed from the palace, it wasn’t a stranger—it was Zhuying from Consort Song’s side.
Compared to the last time, Zhuying was much calmer. Upon seeing Song Chuyi, the smile on her face was three parts more genuine. Breathing a sigh of relief, she quickly indicated that Song Chuyi needn’t be overly formal, then sat down to discuss the main matter: “Last night at the palace banquet, the Eastern Sea envoy petitioned His Majesty to bestow a princess in marriage, specifically requesting the Ninth Princess… We had already received notification from the manor about this matter beforehand, so it wasn’t unexpected. But His Majesty was clearly moved, and just when it seemed the matter was about to be settled, the Ninth Princess returned and fell ill…”
A proud daughter of heaven, naturally unwilling to travel thousands of miles away from home and abandon family and career—moreover, this marriage alliance was originally one she had prepared to foist upon the Eleventh Princess, to humiliate and take revenge on the Song family and the Eleventh Princess. Now that the tables had turned and it fell upon her own head, with her arrogant temperament reaching beyond the heavens, it would be strange if she could calmly accept it.
Old Madam Song raised her eyebrows and sneered coldly: “This is a major matter concerning diplomatic relations between two nations. Can she be allowed to make a fuss and do as she pleases? If she’s fallen ill, does the palace lack court physicians and imperial doctors to treat her? What does the Empress’s side say?”
Since the Eastern Sea envoy had personally made this request, and Eastern Sea was sincerely seeking peace, would Emperor Jianzhang really be stingy with one daughter? As for Qingning Palace’s attitude, it went without saying—although Empress Lu had always been virtuous and magnanimous, the undercurrents between her and Noble Consort Xian were not without trace. How could she indulge the Ninth Princess to do as she pleased?
Zhuying’s face involuntarily paled somewhat, with some indignation: “This is exactly why the Consort sent me out of the palace. The truth is that Noble Consort Xian and the Ninth Princess are bullying people too much. Just last night she claimed to be too ill to rise from bed, and today she advised His Majesty and Her Majesty, saying that last time at the hunting grounds Master Yuanhui read the Ninth Princess’s fortune and said she was unsuitable for a distant marriage…”
If she was unsuitable for distant marriage, then naturally someone else would be suitable—and this someone else could only be the Eleventh Princess, who was close in age. What a clever calculation. Although Noble Consort Xian had suffered great damage after the hunting ground and Prince Duan incident, her mind hadn’t been affected in the slightest.
Old Madam Song pondered for a long while, then asked: “So what exactly does Noble Consort Xian mean? Is she just suggesting His Majesty and Her Majesty substitute someone else?”
A political marriage wasn’t like selecting radishes and cabbage—the Eastern Sea envoy had requested the Ninth Princess in marriage, yet Great Zhou insisted on giving them the Eleventh Princess instead.
Zhuying shook her head with a trace of bitter smile: “Old Madam doesn’t know—Noble Consort Xian’s meaning is to invite Master Yuanhui into the palace once more to see whether the Ninth Princess’s illness is related to the marriage alliance. Additionally, she advised His Majesty to invite all the princesses’ study companions of marriageable age and young ladies from noble families into the palace to have Master Yuanhui examine them, to see if there’s anyone whose fate can suppress the Ninth Princess’s destiny, so as to fulfill the Ninth Princess’s devotion to the people of Great Zhou.”
Old Madam Song couldn’t help but gasp, instinctively gripping the hands of Xiang Mingzi and Song Chuyi beside her tightly, unable to suppress a cold laugh: “What exquisite scheming indeed! On the surface she appears so selfless and eager to relieve the sovereign’s worries, but beneath it all she clearly wants to use this opportunity to transfer the burden of the marriage alliance to someone else!”
Who didn’t know about the relationship between Master Yuanhui and Prince Duan? In the end, wasn’t it all up to whatever came out of his mouth?
Although Master Yuankong had also read Song Chuyi’s fortune and said much the same as Master Yuanhui, Old Madam Song simply had no good feelings toward this Master Yuanhui who declared Song Chuyi to be a star of solitary fate. At this moment, her disgust for him deepened another layer.
Xiang Mingzi also paled, gripping Old Madam Song’s arm tightly and glancing at Song Chuyi in alarm.
Zhuying sighed and continued through gritted teeth: “Noble Consort Xian has even prepared the list—our Sixth Miss and Young Cousin are prominently on it!”
In other words, after all this circling around, at the end of the day Noble Consort Xian and the Ninth Princess were determined not to let the Song family go. Even at this stage, they still hadn’t forgotten to drag the Song family down with them.