Perhaps because Song Chuyi had never given instructions with such urgent gravity before, Ma Changjiang and Ma Wangkun both threw themselves into the task with utmost diligence and dared not relax. By the time they had finished their evening meal, the information had already been delivered through Luyi—Nanny Xu was a hereditary servant of the Cui family, and now that she had finally returned to serve the Cui household, when she finished work late in the evening she would rest at her home in the back alley, which conveniently facilitated Luyi’s comings and goings.
Clutching that thin sheet of paper, Song Chuyi felt as if her entire body had been plunged into an ice cellar. Though she was so anxious that cold sweat broke out all over her body, her throat felt strangely itchy. She couldn’t help but wheeze and gasp for a while, but the moment she opened her mouth to call for someone, she couldn’t stop herself from coughing so violently it felt like the sky was spinning.
Hearing the commotion, Qing Luo rushed in to find her bent over, coughing so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. She immediately reached out to pat her back and handed her a cup of mint tea to drink before hurriedly placing her hand on Song Chuyi’s wrist to check her pulse.
“As expected, you’ve injured your lungs.” She sighed with a touch of helplessness. “Miss, please dissolve another one of the Yangrong Pills His Highness gave you and take it. I’ll go deliberate on a prescription and fetch medicine for you.”
Song Chuyi’s heart was now burning with urgency—how could she have the presence of mind to worry about medicine? She shook her head in refusal. “Let these matters wait. Right now I have an urgent task that requires you to do. Take this jade pendant of mine and deliver it to Commander Lai Chenglong. Tell him to go to an inn ten li north of Jinzhong, where a surprise awaits him.”
In all the time Qing Luo had been here, this was the first time she had seen this young lady in such a state of panic and extreme fright. She couldn’t help but hesitate, and her hand remained suspended in the air, not reaching out to accept the jade pendant that clearly had an extraordinary origin.
Song Chuyi’s head was throbbing terribly. She could only repeat herself. “Go quickly. Didn’t His Highness say that from now on I am your mistress?”
Left with no choice, Qing Luo finally accepted the jade pendant, returned to her room to change her clothes, and swiftly departed. Having trained in martial arts on Mount Longhu for years, avoiding the Cui residence’s guards was an easy matter for them.
After Qing Luo left, Song Chuyi summoned Luyi and instructed her, “When you return home, tell Luo Gui, and have Luo Gui relay this to Ma Changjiang and Ma Wangkun: they must not act rashly. Once Lai Chenglong arrives, they should truthfully tell him everything and wait for Lai Chenglong himself to make all decisions. Make absolutely certain they remember not to take matters into their own hands. No matter what happens, they must not disobey Lai Chenglong’s intentions.”
Luyi knew this must be a matter of utmost importance and dared not delay any further. She nodded, tidied up briefly, and headed back to the rear street.
When Qing Ying and Ziyun came in to help her change her clothes, she once again donned that sapphire blue cloak trimmed with gray squirrel fur and headed to Old Madam Cui’s Rong’an Courtyard. Old Madam Cui had been worried all day, not having seen her. This morning after discussing matters with Second Old Madam Cui and Third Old Madam Cui, she had heard Song Chuyi had returned and wanted to invite her over, but then learned she had gone to rest. In the afternoon she had gone out again. Now seeing her, Old Madam Cui’s face lit up with joy. She beckoned and pulled her to sit beside her, fondly stroking her hand for a moment before asking, “Why did you go out again this afternoon? If you go out alone, I’m afraid you won’t find any good places to enjoy yourself. If you want to have some fun, I’ll have your eldest cousin and the others take you out. The viewing platform at the Wuyang Temple on East Forest Mountain offers a spectacular view of the layered mountain ranges and clouds blanketing the peaks. Taking the ferry at Peach Blossom Crossing is also one of life’s great pleasures.”
But Song Chuyi was in no mood now to appreciate such beautiful scenery or visit these scenic spots. She lowered her voice and called out “Grandmother,” then glanced at the servants attending in the room, seeming hesitant to speak.
How could Old Madam Cui not understand her meaning? She immediately instructed Nanny Qian and Nanny Shi to lead everyone out, then turned to look at Song Chuyi. “Have you encountered some trouble?” Though she hadn’t spent much time with Song Chuyi, Old Madam Cui knew this granddaughter of hers was extremely intelligent. Just from listening to Madam Cui and Yu Shi’s accounts, she already knew Song Chuyi was no simple person. If it weren’t an urgent matter, she wouldn’t have come specifically when no one was around and made a point of having her dismiss all the servants.
Indeed, Song Chuyi didn’t beat around the bush. Once everyone had withdrawn completely, she let out a breath and gently asked, “Grandmother, in recent years, has all of the Cui family’s business been placed entirely in Second Uncle Ying’s hands?”
Why this sudden question? Old Madam Cui was somewhat bewildered but still nodded. “He is the clan leader—managing the clan’s ancestral property is his proper duty. Your eldest uncle pursues an official career. Your second uncle and third uncle aren’t the type to want to manage these matters either, and only oversee our first branch’s own fields. Your Second Grandmother came today precisely about this matter, saying that starting this year the dividends will double, and asking us to invest more silver.”
Song Chuyi keenly sensed something amiss and felt it was even less appropriate to continue speaking in riddles with Old Madam Cui. She told her straightforwardly, “Grandmother, this is exactly what I need to tell you about. Just please don’t panic yet—hear me out.”
In one breath she explained how Cui Shaoying had been secretly conducting copper mine business and had even used an escort agency today to send messages to the rebel army in Yangquan County. She concluded with a cold laugh, her tone heavy. “Right now without any dividends the entire Cui family is already in perilous danger. If we invest more silver into this, the entire Cui clan will be donating money to support the rebel army. Commander Lai Chenglong came to Jinzhong precisely for this matter. Grandmother, the Imperial Guard has already traced this to the Cui family. If not for the sake of Uncle’s past friendship with him, they would have already arrested all the uncles outright and sent them to the Imperial Guard Prison in the capital for interrogation. Right now Commander Lai is still willing to show leniency—”
Old Madam Cui stared at Song Chuyi in shock, feeling as if every word from her mouth was utterly fantastical. But to say Song Chuyi was lying—how could she fabricate such lies?
She was old now. Though her seniority in the Cui clan was of the highest rank, she truly managed very little. The Cui clan’s affairs were not under her control, and she had no idea what business the Cui family was currently running in Jinzhong. Every year the profit ledgers were sent by the second branch for Second Master and Third Master to review. Second Master and Third Master came from her own womb—she knew them and knew absolutely they would never do such things. But just because they wouldn’t do such things didn’t mean they couldn’t be deceived.
She felt her hands and feet suddenly turn ice cold, her jaw trembling. Looking at Song Chuyi, she couldn’t speak a single word. If Cui Shaoying truly had the audacity to reach out and grasp the copper and coal mines, and even had connections with the rebel army in Yangquan County, what would become of the Cui clan? The entire Cui family would be implicated by him! This was a capital crime that would result in the extermination of nine generations of kin!