When the news that Miss Tong had pushed Old Madam Shen down the steps, causing her to strike her head, reached the Earl of Changning’s residence, the household was in the midst of preparing for the wedding banquet on the nineteenth. Upon hearing the news, both Old Madam Song and First Madam Song failed to react immediately.

This truly couldn’t be blamed on their slow response—the matter was simply too sensational. Tong Shao was spoiled and willful; they had experienced this deeply over these past days. The Marquis of Wuning’s household was foolish; they had all witnessed this since the day Madam of Marquis Wuning had charged into the Earl of Changning’s residence without care or consideration. But no matter how they thought about it, they never imagined Tong Shao could be spoiled to such an extent, or that the Marquis of Wuning’s household could be absurd to such a degree.

Not only did Tong Shao fail to apologize and make amends after pushing someone’s old madam and causing her injury, she actually cried and went home to complain. Madam of Marquis Wuning then, just like before, chased over to Duke Yingguo’s residence and made a scene. The commotion drove Shen Xiaohai and He Shi past their limits of endurance, causing them to propose breaking off the engagement on the spot.

Xiang Mingzi had no favorable impression of Tong Shao, this spoiled young lady who always held her riding whip ready to strike at any moment. Moreover, after that time when they attended the banquet at Duke Yingguo’s residence and she had come to trouble Song Chuyi again, her dislike grew even stronger. At this moment, hearing this gossip, she couldn’t help but be dumbstruck. She knew Tong Shao had a bad temper, but she never imagined the bad temper had reached such a degree that she would even dare to strike out at an elder like an old madam. Just how terrible must her temperament be?

First Madam Song restrained herself again and again, but still couldn’t help commenting on others’ affairs: “Your daughter-in-law will say something she shouldn’t—no family spoils their child to this degree. Madam of Marquis Wuning isn’t doting on Miss Tong; this is simply ruining her.”

Whether she was ruined or not, she had already been raised this way—what solution could there be?

Old Madam Song surveyed the circle of young ladies with lowered heads and warned in a low voice: “You must all take this as a warning.”

Although Old Madam Song didn’t specify exactly what they should take as a warning, everyone in their hearts understood her meaning and hurriedly stood up to respectfully acknowledge.

Compared to Tong Shao, their own young ladies were simply beyond comparison—like heaven and earth. Old Madam Song was just giving a perfunctory admonishment. Seeing they had all stood up, she waved her hand telling them all to sit down, then turned to ask Nanny Huang, who had come to share the gossip: “And what happened after? With the matter having been made so serious that it reached the point of breaking off the engagement, there must be some resolution, right?”

Nanny Huang had gone to Earl Guang’en’s household today to deliver the New Year’s gifts for Earl Guang’en’s family. On the way back, she had witnessed the excitement. Hearing this question, she hurriedly smiled: “Old Madam doesn’t know—The Princess Consort has already entered the palace to request an audience with Her Majesty the Empress. Madam of Marquis Wuning didn’t dare make any more scenes. She brought gifts and went with Miss Tong to their door to apologize and make amends, but they didn’t even get through the door before being driven out.”

Since Shen Xiaohai had already made up his mind to use the excuse of the old madam being pushed and injured to sever ties with the Marquis of Wuning’s household, naturally he couldn’t possibly give the Marquis of Wuning’s household another opportunity.

“Madam of Marquis Wuning was so angry she nearly went mad.” Nanny Huang covered her mouth, then immediately frowned: “But Miss Tong seemed somewhat strange. If it were her usual temperament, she would certainly have already been hitting and cursing, but today she didn’t make any commotion at all.”

Old Madam Song and First Madam Song were just listening for the entertainment of it. Hearing this, they knew the marriage engagement would definitely be broken off. They couldn’t help exchanging smiles.

But when Xiang Mingzi went to Ningde Courtyard that evening to accompany Old Madam Song for the meal, she heard news that was even more shocking—Her Majesty the Empress had dispatched a heavenly envoy to the Marquis of Wuning’s household to rebuke the Marquis of Wuning and his wife for lax discipline, for indulging their granddaughter Miss Tong in injuring others.

This wasn’t exactly unexpected. Miss Tong had pushed an old madam with an imperial mandate and caused her injury. Even the censors were eagerly rubbing their hands together and scrambling to submit memorials denouncing the Marquis of Wuning’s household for strict instruction of daughters, improper family discipline, and bullying others with their power and influence. As Her Majesty the Empress was the model for all women under heaven, it was only proper and right that she should issue an imperial decree admonishing Madam of Marquis Wuning.

What truly made Xiang Mingzi unable to restrain herself from covering her mouth with a face full of shock was that Miss Tong had taken poison to end her own life.

The imperial envoy from the palace had just stepped out the front gate of the Marquis of Wuning’s residence when Miss Tong immediately swallowed half a catty of arsenic and died in the Marquis of Wuning’s residence, foaming at the mouth.

When Old Madam Song brought it up, her tone carried some disapproval: “At such a young age, having thoughts that are too deep is not a good thing.”

Old Madam Song was thinking of the Song Chuyi from the dream that Song Chuyi had spoken of. Her experiences, though not exactly the same as Tong Shao’s, indeed had similar aspects.

Tong Shao didn’t die for any other reason—she died because the Shen family resolutely broke off the engagement. Unable to marry Shen Qingrang, she would rather die.

But this Miss Tong truly was someone whose mood changed at the drop of a hat. One moment she wanted to beat Shen Qingrang until he fled with his head in his hands; the next moment she regarded Shen Qingrang as precious as treasure. She had probably truly been spoiled rotten by her family. Although she liked Shen Qingrang, her self-esteem was really too strong. Because she had a crippled leg, she was especially sensitive, which made her temper grow worse and worse.

Song Chuyi glanced at Old Madam Song and lowered her eyes, grasping Old Madam Song’s hand: “Grandmother, rest assured. I won’t walk the old path from before.”

Romantic love—this kind of mysterious and elusive thing that was fundamentally intangible—she had made up her mind never to touch again. What you strive for will always be lost, but if you don’t seek it, you won’t lose it.

Song Chuyi completely failed to understand Old Madam Song’s meaning. Old Madam Song let out a deep sigh and patted Song Chuyi’s hand.

Song Chuyi had already begun discussing the Shen family’s affairs: “From now on, the Shen father and son will no longer have the energy to scheme for any other glory and wealth. Originally, the Marquis of Wuning’s household might still have felt somewhat guilty about the old madam’s fall and wanted to make amends, but now that Tong Shao has died, this matter has become a deadlock that cannot be untied.”

Moreover, Duke Yingguo’s reputation was also completely ruined—ruined thoroughly and cleanly with nothing remaining. Everyone in the entire Great Zhou knew what kind of mess Duke Yingguo’s household had created, how they couldn’t even manage their family affairs properly, to the point where in the end a marriage alliance turned into enmity and a life was lost.

Master Yuanhui looked down upon such people who only knew how to drag others down—more hindrance than help, incapable of achieving anything yet more than capable of ruining everything. Prince Dongping was currently dealing with the Crown Prince and trying to regain the Crown Prince’s favor, so he would even less likely want to get entangled with Duke Yingguo’s household—a hot potato blackened all over.

No matter what prospects Shen Xiaohai wished to pursue in the future, he would be unable to achieve them.

Old Madam Song nodded along. This was the price the Shen family paid for scheming against Song Chuyi again and again.

Song Chuyi had merely stirred the flames in between. The Marquis of Wuning’s household and Duke Yingguo’s household each made decisions according to their own original natures, creating such an uproar that they now ended up in such circumstances.

No wonder Song Chuyi said she absolutely didn’t want Shen Qingrang to die. Death would indeed be letting him off too easily. Having him clean up this current mess—this was the greatest punishment for this dissolute young master, for Shen Qingrang who had never regarded women as human beings.