Fifth Madam stood in Old Madam Song’s room with an unruly expression on her face, not showing the slightest trace of guilt.

Old Madam Song hurled her bracelet at Fifth Madam’s face, laughing coldly: “Wang Jinsi, people must have a conscience! After all these years, you know perfectly well how we’ve treated you. Normally everyone gives you leeway no matter how many wrongs you do, but you actually harbor such vicious thoughts—you don’t deserve to be human!”

Fifth Madam’s head jerked to the side from the blow. Red marks quickly appeared on her fair, delicate face. She touched her face, then picked up the bracelet without hurry and put it on her wrist, looking at Song Chuyi standing behind Old Madam Song with a smile: “This bracelet? Isn’t this bracelet quite good? The patterns and carving are all first-rate. The tortoiseshell pieces embedded on it are so hard to find nowadays—how could Little Six not appreciate it?”

She wore a completely indifferent expression, looking like someone who couldn’t care less about consequences, which made Old Madam Song’s heart burn with rage.

However, Song Chuyi knew well that Fifth Madam was cold-hearted by nature. She didn’t have even half a measure of maternal love for her own biological children, let alone for the Song household. No amount of scolding would be of any use to her.

She held Old Madam Song’s hand and whispered in the old lady’s ear: “Never mind, Grandmother. There’s no reasoning with someone like her.”

How could one communicate with someone who had no conscience at all?

Old Madam Song closed her eyes, then turned to look at the two maids following Wang Jinsi—Tang Yuan and Yuan Bao.

“From now on, you will stay in my quarters, and the servants attending you will also be assigned by me. You two will be arranged by the First Madam to serve elsewhere.”

Tang Yuan and Yuan Bao were both bewildered and uneasy, but didn’t dare ask anything. Suppressing their inner fear, they kowtowed and left.

Fifth Madam suddenly flew into a rage. She strode forward several steps and pointed at Old Madam Song: “The servants attending me were all personally selected by the Empress Dowager. I’ve been with them since childhood and am used to their service. They cannot be changed.”

From the corner of her eye, Old Madam Song glanced, and Ziwei stepped forward to forcefully knock down Fifth Madam’s hand, laughing with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes: “Fifth Madam, please be careful. Old Madam’s health isn’t good. With you glaring and raging like this, be careful not to frighten her.”

Old Madam Song also stared at her with apparent puzzlement: “I remember that back when you knelt before the Empress Dowager to bid her farewell, you said you would henceforth regard the Song family as your heaven. It’s only been a few years—have you forgotten already?”

Fifth Madam’s face alternated between pale and flushed. She bit her teeth and finally exploded: “Don’t mention back then?! Back then?” She swept her wide sleeves with none of the bearing of a proper lady: “You dare bring up back then with me?! If you hadn’t been so clever and agreed to the imperial marriage decree—” As she spoke, she choked up.

If the Song family hadn’t agreed to the imperial marriage, the Duke Yingguo household would have agreed instead.

Duke Yingguo’s household had always been extremely close with Duke Chengguo’s household. The two families interacted like relatives. She and Shen Xiaohai had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, and had long since pledged themselves to each other with their parents’ tacit approval.

But at that moment, the Song household agreed to His Majesty’s marriage decree. She had knelt before the Empress Dowager for over half a month, not eating, not drinking, hunger striking—she tried everything, but couldn’t make the Empress Dowager relent.

Thinking back to those dark days, intense hatred flashed in Fifth Madam’s eyes: “You ruined my entire life! Yet you still fantasize that I would regard the Song household as my heaven? You’re dreaming!”

Old Madam Song coughed incessantly from anger. After a long while, her fury turned to laughter: “So this is how you’ve been thinking… No wonder you’ve turned our household upside down since marrying in. I originally thought you’d at least gain some descendants for Duke Chengguo’s household, but now it seems you’re nothing like Wang family blood at all. The Wang family has never produced someone so ungrateful and shameless.”

Seeing Fifth Madam about to interrupt, she could no longer endure it and waved at Nanny Huang: “Bind this stupid donkey for me!”

Nanny Huang indeed stepped forward as ordered and grabbed Fifth Madam, directing Nanny Wu and the others to tie Fifth Madam up.

“Raise rice for kindness, fight rice for enmity—our Earl household was blind.” Old Madam Song watched Fifth Madam still twisting and turning with cold eyes, her voice unprecedentedly cold: “Do you know that back then your elder brother first went to beg Duke Yingguo’s household? Do you know that Duke Yingguo’s household submitted a memorial impeaching your father? And do you know that back then in the entire capital, only our Song family didn’t go before Her Majesty the Empress to kowtow and weep to decline you, this ill-omened star?!”

Wang Jinsi struggled to lunge at Old Madam Song but was held back desperately by Nanny Huang.

She glared with wide eyes as if to devour someone, humming and grunting with beast-like roars from her mouth, showing her inner fury.

Old Madam Song no longer wanted to look at her and had people drag her away.

“Who knows what sins we committed to bring back such a calamity.” Old Madam Song collapsed wearily on the couch, heavily exhaling a breath of stale air.

Song Chengru only returned to the household after nightfall. Though his expression was still relatively calm, his eyes revealed gravity.

“The Crown Prince volunteered to go to the suburban hunting grounds, leading two thousand military guards from the Three Residences to clear the area in advance.” He stroked his beard with a grave expression: “The thirty thousand taels of silver that Prince Duan requested earlier to expand his household guards was also approved by His Majesty today. These two matters together make me feel something is amiss.”

Old Madam Song’s heart also tensed: “Little Yi once said that in her dream, after the northwestern deserters implicated you, there would be a joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices, and the Crown Prince would be assassinated while overseeing it—”

“This time Prince Duan will likely pull another trick of the golden cicada shedding its shell and calling a deer a horse.” Song Chengru spoke the words Old Madam Song dared not say: “The Crown Prince leaving the capital this time certainly isn’t simple. If something happens to him outside, the dirty water can still be poured on our heads through Fifth Daughter-in-law. We cannot give anyone an opportunity to exploit.”

There was still the Empress Dowager Rongxian in the palace, whose true thoughts were unclear. The Song household couldn’t afford this risk and absolutely couldn’t take it.

“Check all of Wang Jinsi’s correspondence thoroughly. Keep anything suspicious. As for her dowry and other items, there were lists made back then—organize everything according to the lists and destroy anything extra. Also, the servants she relies on daily cannot be overlooked either. Interrogate them all first.”

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly said: “Have Little Yi handle this matter.”

Old Madam Song was startled at these words. Seeing Song Chengru had no intention of changing his mind, she hesitated: “She’s still quite young after all—”

“Her eyes are sharp.” Song Chengru waved his hand: “And she has her own methods for judging people. Entrusting it to her won’t be wrong. You just carefully organize Wang Jinsi’s dowry. Also have First Daughter-in-law enter the palace on the first day of the month to be sure to remind Consort Song to be careful of Consort Xian.”

This was the disadvantage of not aligning with any particular faction. The Crown Prince’s faction couldn’t figure out their strategy, and Prince Duan’s faction, unable to win them over, regarded them as enemies.

Old Madam Song felt a chill run down her spine. She looked up and solemnly agreed, personally summoning Song Chuyi to give her instructions, then taking Nanny Huang and First Madam to organize Wang Jinsi’s dowry.