When Song Chuyi received the news, it was already evening. She sat by the south window, her expression severe. After a long while, she let out a cold laugh and turned back to ask Qing Ying, “They seized the carriage? On the main street?”
When Zhou Weizhao had reminded her earlier, she had immediately sensed something was wrong and ordered Ma Wangkun and the others to chase after it again. Ma Wangkun and his people had always been reliable in their work—they had almost never made any mistakes.
Qing Ying responded affirmatively and carefully replaced the tea that had already gone cold in front of her. Bending down, she explained, “They must have been keeping watch outside from the beginning. By the time Ma Wangkun and the others caught up, they had already succeeded. And since it was on the main street, making too much commotion would be bad for us. Ma Wangkun was hesitant to act. The carriage was later found outside the city—it had been burned until only the frame remained, nothing left. We don’t know what they actually found.”
The discovery of Chen Mingyu’s corpse wasn’t particularly important. After all, without evidence, no one could prove that this person’s death was related to Song Chuyi. Moreover, if it really was Fan Liangdi’s people who did this, they should know even better that it would be best if not even a whisper of Chen Mingyu’s death leaked out—Fan Liangdi had died but could still have her funeral arranged according to the protocol for a Crown Prince’s secondary consort precisely because this matter hadn’t been exposed. What was crucial was the item on Chen Mingyu’s body. If that seal truly had been found by Prince Dongping, that would truly be a troublesome matter.
Song Chuyi frowned, turned to walk to the table, took up paper and brush to write a letter, and handed it to Qing Ying. “Have Luo Gui deliver this to Commander Lai.”
After returning from Jinzhong, Lai Chenglong had clearly risen even higher in Emperor Jianzhang’s favor. Some things didn’t need her to say—he also knew to pay attention. With such a major incident occurring in the Eastern Palace, as the head of the Imperial Guard, there was no reason he shouldn’t catch wind of it.
Qing Ying turned to go out. After a short while she came back in and told her that Qing Zhuo had sent in a message saying that Miss Lu had already been sent back to the palace. She hadn’t suffered any injuries from the fall, nor was she angry. She also said she would seek another opportunity in the future to have a good chat with Song Chuyi.
Song Chuyi raised her eyebrows. She had only managed to meet this Miss Lu briefly, but as for friendship, there truly wasn’t any yet. Moreover, given the Lu family’s thoughts, they should view her as a stumbling block, a thorn in their eye. Yet this Miss Lu showed not half a trace of hostility toward her. Thinking about it, she smiled. As long as she wasn’t here to compete for her husband, having a chat was no great matter.
However, while Lu Chonghua herself had no desire to compete, there were those who insisted on forcing her to fight and seize. She had just returned to the palace and finished paying respects to her aunt the Empress when, not long after, her mother, First Mistress Lu, came in. Upon meeting, she first asked what she had gone out of the palace to do today.
Lu Chonghua was holding a book, about to open it. Upon hearing this, she set the book back in its place, withdrew her smile, and turned back to look at her mother. She seemed somewhat puzzled as she asked in return, “If Mother didn’t know where I went, why would you come hurrying into the palace at this hour?”
Although the Empress was surnamed Lu and was a Lu family person, there was still no reason for natal family members to enter the palace every other day. First Mistress Lu had been coming far too frequently. Lu Chonghua furrowed her brows and let out a soft sigh.
First Mistress Lu’s face flushed with embarrassment. She knew her daughter had always been clever. Forcibly suppressing the shame and annoyance in her heart, she stepped forward several paces to grasp her daughter’s hand. She pressed her lips together and sighed with some difficulty. “Then do you know that today the imperial edict bestowing marriage on Sixth Miss Song has already been issued? Sixth Miss Song is now the Grand Imperial Grandson’s Consort. The Imperial Observatory and the Ministry of Rites have now already begun…”
Lu Chonghua’s brows knitted together. She called out “Mother,” and seeing First Mistress Lu stop speaking and look toward her in astonishment, light flashed in her eyes. “What does Mother think I went to do? Curry favor with that favored son of heaven, my cousin?”
The astonishment on First Mistress Lu’s face deepened. She had thought her daughter had been persuaded by her husband and mother-in-law, that she was of one mind with her husband.
Lu Chonghua lowered her head, coldness seeping into her eyes. “I thought Mother was different from Father. When Father repeatedly instructed me to climb upward, Mother always remained silent.”
First Mistress Lu smiled with delight, as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart. She pulled her daughter to sit on the couch, slowly let out a breath, and her tone was tinged with joy. “Regarding your father, you know I am powerless…” First Mistress Lu first finished this sentence before raising her head to look at her daughter again. “Your grandmother makes the decisions about inner household matters, and your father decides everything outside. Even your grandfather’s words—nowadays your father is unwilling to listen much. He wants you to become the Grand Imperial Grandson’s Consort. He feels he failed to successfully bind himself to the Crown Prince, so he must bind himself to the Grand Imperial Grandson instead. He cannot let go of the Grand Imperial Grandson, such a valuable commodity. But I, naturally I only want you to live well. Your father is confused, but I am not. I know very clearly what kind of place the palace is.”
Lu Chonghua smiled and grasped her mother’s hand, shaking it. With intimacy and closeness, she rested her head on her shoulder. “So the Empress and my aunt both chose Sixth Miss Song. Speaking of it, the women of our family can see much more clearly than Father can. In the current situation, Father is still dreaming of pushing me to His Highness the Grand Imperial Grandson. I don’t know whether he’s truly doing this for the Lu family and the Grand Imperial Grandson’s good, or to make the Crown Prince detest our family and my aunt even more.”
Speaking to this point, she couldn’t help but sigh again, somewhat helpless about her father’s stubbornness. “Did Father hear some rumor and force you to come instruct me, so that I would go cry before the Empress and the Crown Princess?”
He was already such a grown man—how could his thinking be inferior to her own brother’s? If the position of Grand Imperial Grandson’s Consort could be obtained through a bit of family affection, some crying and stirring up trouble, then matters in this world would be far too simple.
Her tone in saying this was not respectful, and even carried a trace of mocking smile. First Mistress Lu patted her hand and looked at her before nodding with some worry. “Some time ago I already told him the intentions of the Crown Princess and the Empress, but he wouldn’t listen. Now that the matter is already settled, he still won’t give up. He’s still thinking about the idea of Ehuang and Nüying…”
Lu Chonghua’s brows furrowed even tighter, almost forming the character for “river.” Father’s notion was truly laughable to the point of absurdity—Ehuang and Nüying, how could he even think of such a thing?
Her eyes looked intently at First Mistress Lu as she asked softly, “Then what about you, Mother? Do you share this intention?”
First Mistress Lu immediately shook her head. “Ehuang and Nüying—what kind of notion is this? Moreover, the Grand Imperial Grandson’s Consort has already been decided. Could she possibly become a secondary consort?”