Seeing that she had already been swayed, Madam Fang stroked the rose-shaped golden hairpin made of pure red gold on her head that had tilted slightly askew. The several gold-inlaid jade rings on her hands dazzled Third Madam Chen’s eyes. She smiled and said, “Well, I’ve told you what I needed to say. Whether you want to save up a dowry for Qing’er is entirely up to you. I have an appointment this afternoon at Qianbao Pavilion to look at hair ornaments. My little girl is also going to attend the prayer ceremony, so I need to dress her up properly first, lest she stand among all those noble young ladies that day and be taken for someone from the countryside.”
Seeing Third Madam Chen biting her lip with her eyes shining brightly, she patted her shoulder again: “But I’m only telling you this method because I consider you a friend. If you let slip even half a word of this to your family, I’ll be finished. It would also implicate my husband before the Old Master, so please don’t harm me.”
Right now Third Madam Chen didn’t have a penny left in her hands, and she still needed to borrow the deposit for the furniture from Madam Fang. How could she possibly think of betraying Madam Fang? She hurriedly shook her head and made a firm promise to Madam Fang: “How could I? Sister-in-law treats me so kindly that you would even tell me about such matters. I didn’t reveal a single word about the interest rates before either, though they don’t have the mind to concern themselves with us anyway.” She laughed mockingly: “It’s better that no one pays attention to us—I’m actually hoping they won’t notice us right now.”
Madam Fang smiled, waited for Third Madam Chen to leave, and watched from the street as Third Madam Chen’s carriage turned a corner. Only then did she sit for a moment before standing up and going to the adjacent room, gently knocking on the door.
Song Jue and Song Chuyi both looked toward her at the same time. She stopped in her tracks, and the arrogant and superior attitude she had just displayed before Third Madam Chen instantly vanished. Smiling, she first greeted them before saying, “Everything has been said to Third Madam Chen according to what you instructed, Sixth Miss. From the look of her, eight or nine times out of ten she will definitely reach her hand in.”
A person lacking money who has been pushed to the point of having no way out will be willing to do anything for money. What’s more, Third Madam Chen originally felt that the Chen family had treated their entire third branch unfairly. Watching her daughter fall short of the young ladies from other branches in every way, watching her son’s clothing and accessories inferior to those of other young masters, the discontent in her heart had accumulated bit by bit over the years to this point—enough to drive her to make decisions that harmed the Chen family while benefiting herself.
Back when Old Master Song had given Old Madam Song a thousand warnings and instructions to properly manage the inner household, it was precisely to prevent the day when someone like Third Madam Chen might appear in their family. That’s why even though Li Shi had been capable back then, she hadn’t been able to extend her reach outside, and despite being favored by Song Yi, she had no way to scheme with the Li family against Song Yi. The Song family truly was extremely strict about this point.
However, speaking of it, this really was thanks to Old Madam Xiang serving as a touchstone that allowed her to detect something wrong with the Chen family, which led to finding such a huge flaw in the Chen family.
She nodded and looked toward Madam Fang, smiling quite genuinely: “Then I’ll have to trouble Madam to pay extra attention, so that we don’t fail at the last moment.” After a pause, she asked Madam Fang again, “The Chen family hasn’t noticed anything suspicious, have they?”
Old Madam Chen was still manageable, but Old Master Chen was an old fox long versed in official circles with an extremely keen sense of smell. Even the slightest disturbance could easily startle the snake in the grass, so they had to be careful and then more careful.
Madam Fang knew this wasn’t asking about Third Madam Chen on her end. She assumed that Third Madam Chen had already mentioned before that Old Madam Chen had recently been busy with Chen Mingyu’s attendance at the prayer ceremony and had no time to pay attention to their already easily overlooked third branch. Song Chuyi’s question was asking about her husband Fang Xiaoru. She hurriedly shook her head: “Please rest assured, Sixth Miss. My husband is very cautious. He’s followed Old Master Chen for so many years and understands Old Master Chen’s temperament well. All his dealings with your side go through me—he doesn’t touch any of it. Old Master Chen won’t suspect him.”
Speaking of this, Madam Fang’s expression inevitably became somewhat unpleasant. The Great Zhou Dynasty placed great importance on teacher-student relationships, which was why Song Chuyi had thought of using the promise of becoming a formal disciple as a trick to set up Elder Chen and dig a pit for him. But similarly, if in the end Fang Xiaoru truly had to turn against Old Master Chen in a decisive blow according to the plan, he would likely be despised by others afterward.
However, although she worried about this point, her calculations in her heart hadn’t changed in the slightest. Being despised by everyone under heaven was still better than following Elder Chen, charging into battle for Elder Chen, and ending up with an utterly disastrous fate in the end.
Song Jue said nothing. He had accompanied Song Chuyi out today firstly to hear how Madam Fang had actually spoken to Third Madam Chen, and secondly because he was uneasy about Song Chuyi. The closer it got to her departure for Jinzhong, the more anxious he felt in his heart.
Madam Fang glanced at him and, seeing him completely motionless, sighed inwardly once more at Sixth Miss Song’s formidability—even her father and brothers couldn’t control her. She then continued, “Sixth Miss, that day you told me to absolutely not seek a marriage with a young lady from the Chen family. I’ve now learned that lesson well. However, in your opinion, which family’s young lady should I seek for my son?”
The Song family was naturally out of the question. Never mind that it wouldn’t work now—even if the Chen family truly did fall in the future, if they rushed forward to marry a Song family young lady, that would be the end of it for their whole lives. Fang Xiaoru would have his spine pointed at for the rest of his life and definitely wouldn’t be able to continue as an official.
Song Chuyi thought for a moment, then said softly, “I’ve heard that Vice Minister Li’s family still has a daughter who is knowledgeable, reasonable, virtuous and dignified.”
Madam Fang frowned, somewhat puzzled and about to ask, when in a flash of inspiration she suddenly recalled this Vice Minister Li’s background—wasn’t this Vice Minister Li’s son precisely the one who had married Commander Lai Chenglong’s daughter?
She smiled, and the smile on her face became even more sincere: “In that case, thank you Sixth Miss for pointing out such a clear path.”
The son married Lai Chenglong’s daughter, and the daughter married into the family of Fang Xiaoru who would definitely betray Elder Chen in the future—wasn’t it quite obvious which side Vice Minister Li would lean toward in the future?
Song Chuyi shook her head to indicate this wasn’t anything important, then instructed Madam Fang: “Although she will definitely reach out her hand, Third Madam Chen can’t exactly be called shrewd in her actions. She might well attract the Chen family’s attention. Aunt should still have a plan in mind and properly cover for Third Madam Chen. If I haven’t miscalculated, after returning home tonight or by tomorrow noon, Third Madam Chen should come looking for you to make connections. When the time comes, you’ll follow the plan and introduce that clan uncle from the Lu family to her.”
Madam Fang didn’t dare not take this seriously either. These past days she had been unhurriedly leading Third Madam Chen step by step into the trap. Now that the person had already fallen into the pit and she could see success right before her eyes, how could she allow the prey in her grasp to escape? Upon hearing this, she nodded vigorously.