Third Lady Chen was leisurely sipping tea, chatting with Lady Fang in a rexed and amused manner about the situation, as if it were some kind of joke.

  “They’re talking about needing an extremely noble fate to suppress hers—what a ughable notion. Who has an 'extremely noble fate'? Those are the illustrious scions of the imperial family, the true children of the heavens. And they expect these exalted individuals to use their fates to suppress that of a twelve-year-old girl? Who does she think she is?! Those nobles value their lives dearly—do they really think anyone would risk being dragged down by her? I truly can’t understand what the Marquis of Changning’s household was thinking, coming up with such a ridiculous pn.”

  Lady Fang sipped her tea, watching the tea leaves rise and fall, and only gave a faint smile without responding. After a while, hearing some commotion, she signaled to Third Lady Chen with her eyes.

  Third Lady Chen immediately put down her tea, hastily took the box handed to her by a maid, and began flipping through the promissory notes inside. Only after a while did she breathe a sigh of relief, locking the box and holding it close to her chest with a broad smile.

  Turning to Lady Fang, she said, “I must have looked ridiculous, Sister-in-w. I truly ck experience... Everyone says lending money at interest is a fast way to earn, but it’s also risky and could end in nothing. I just didn’t have the courage, and it’s thanks to you that I found a proper path...”

  She had lent out 2,000 taels of silver and was earning 200 taels of interest monthly—far faster than any other means. Relying on her husband’s meager official sary, the family would practically starve.

  And to make matters worse, Old Lady Chen was incredibly stingy, hoarding the family wealth tightly and refusing to share.

  Lady Fang affectionately took her hand and ughed, “Why say such things? I saw how much you were worrying about money every day, and I simply wanted to help. Honestly, I knew you wouldn’t have done something as desperate as targeting the Marquis of Changning’s household unless you had no other choice.”

  At the mention of the Marquis of Changning’s family, Third Lady Chen coughed awkwardly. It wasn’t her idea initially; she had been persuaded by the wife of Secretary Wang. The wife had reminded her of the precedent of the former County Princess of Changning, and Third Lady Chen had foolishly thought that since Old Lady Xiang was Mingzi’s paternal grandmother, she could eventually extract some compensation.

  But who could have expected the Marquis’s family to be so unyielding?

  The memory made her grit her teeth in frustration, spitting on the ground. “Don’t bring it up anymore. That incident almost got me divorced...”

  Old Lady Chen had been genuinely furious, summoning her husband on the spot and demanding he write her a divorce letter. If it weren’t for her husband’s better sense, she’d have been ruined.

  Lady Fang sighed and mented alongside her, then gnced at the money box in her hands. “Still, even with this monthly interest of 200 taels, it’s not a long-term solution. You have two daughters who need dowries, not to mention three sons. While the old Lady might provide some allowances...”

  Before she could finish, Third Lady Chen interrupted with a bitter ugh. “Allowances? What allowances? In all these years, what has she ever given us? She treats the third branch like thieves. Outsiders think we’re living well because we’re the sons of a Grand Secretary, but only we know the bitterness of it. That old Lady of ours wouldn’t let a single coin slip through her fingers if she could help it.”

  Thinking about her daughters’ dowries gave Third Lady Chen a headache. “You’re right. If it weren’t for these burdens, I wouldn’t be dabbling in these superstitions like some vilge shaman. But what choice do I have? The few thousand taels allocated to us from the family barely cover decent furniture. I have to pn for them somehow...”

  Lady Fang, too, felt worried for her, shaking her head with a sigh. “At least for now, with this monthly income, you can catch your breath for a while.”

  Third Lady Chen nodded emphatically, gripping her hand. “Exactly...!” She gnced at the nearby hourgss and quickly stood up. “I need to get back. The old Lady has been watching me like a hawk tely. If I hadn’t used the excuse of visiting Huangjue Temple, I wouldn’t have been able to leave. We’ll talk more next time, but please, don’t tell anyone about this...”

  Lady Fang quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry, what kind of person would I be to gossip about this? Hurry along.”

  Once Third Lady Chen had left, Lady Fang finally let out a breath of relief and softly instructed a servant, “Go next door and invite Sixth Miss over. Tell her the visitor has left.”

  Just as she picked up her tea, Song Chuyi entered the room. Lady Fang immediately set her cup down and stood to greet her. “Sixth Miss, everything was done as you instructed. She’s tasted the sweetness now and is even pnning to pool another 1,000 taels to bring her total to 3,000 taels for lending...”

  This approach, she admitted, had been inspired by Han Zhi—bait them slowly, step by step, without rushing, until they were firmly trapped.

  Song Chuyi nodded. “Let her be. No matter how much she lends, make sure she gets her monthly interest. Three months ter, tell her all the money is gone, just like that.”

  Lady Fang, uneasy about Song Chuyi’s intentions, hesitated and asked cautiously, “And then?”

  This young girl, younger than her own daughter, had a mind so unfathomable and a manner so unpredictable that it kept Lady Fang on edge.

  “And then?” Song Chuyi gnced at her with a faint smile, picking up a white porcein teacup. “Then she’ll find herself in a sudden crisis. That money is likely meant for her daughters’ dowries. Without it, her life will become unbearably difficult.”

  A person who desperately needs money will do anything.

  Lady Fang shuddered involuntarily, forcing a smile as she stammered out a few words. Finally, she mustered the courage to ask, “What exactly does Sixth Miss want me to do?”

  “Just keep Third Lady Chen hooked for me,” Song Chuyi replied with a reassuring smile. “As for what my grandfather and elder brother will do, they’ll let Master Fang know.”

  Lady Fang, still without a clear answer, dared not press further and nodded reluctantly.

  Seeing that it was getting te, Song Chuyi bid farewell and exited through the back door. She first stopped by Ma Changjiang’s residence to instruct them to keep a close watch on Master Yuanhui of Huangjue Temple without overstepping. Then she switched to a carriage from the Marquis’s household and returned to the Marquis of Changning’s residence.

  As she stepped off the carriage, Qingtao, who had been waiting by the inner gate, hurried forward. “Old Lady is waiting for you. An imperial decree has arrived—there’s a summons for you to enter the pace.”

  A summons? This wasn’t a routine meeting with Noble Consort Song on the first or fifteenth of the month...