First Lady Song, after dealing with her own household matters, instructed Nanny Qiu:

  “Take these silver notes and those young monks over to Lady Wei. Let’s see how Lady Wei expins herself. Their servants are utterly cking in discipline.”

  This move left no room for courtesy toward the Wei family—it completely tore the matter open, leaving no facade to protect their dignity. Lady Wei was certain to become the ughingstock of everyone present today, and the Wei family’s underhanded tactics would be id bare for all to see.

  The Marquis of Changning’s household was well aware that the Wei family had a son currently on the rise, serving as a companion to the Prince of Commandery. This son was soon to take part in the imperial examinations. Despite this, they made such a bold decision, clearly signaling their stance: they had no intention of aligning with any faction within the Eastern Pace, particurly not with the Prince of Commandery’s side.

  The Wei family’s actions, however, left them open to criticism. As word spread, outsiders would praise the Marquis of Changning’s household for their unyielding backbone and resolute manner. Furthermore, since the incident had been witnessed by both the county princesses of the Zhennan King’s household and the Crown Prince's heir, it was evident that Xiang Mingzi had been the victim of a deliberate scheme. However, the Wei family’s failed plot only brought shame upon themselves.

  Outsiders would also begin to reevaluate the status of Xiang Mingzi, originally a niece of the Song family who had been formally adopted under the name of the Song family’s patriarch. The Marquis of Changning’s household had chosen to openly defend her, making it clear that their family would never sacrifice their daughter’s dignity for the sake of reputation. Their actions conveyed a firm message: Our girl will not be wronged for anyone.

  Anyone who intended to target Xiang Mingzi in the future would now think twice. And those who had previously dismissed her due to her awkward familial background would need to reevaluate their stance.

  Lady Fang swallowed nervously, suddenly feeling a tension she hadn’t even felt when visiting Old Lady Chen.

  For some reason, she avoided looking at First Lady Song and instead fixed her gaze on Song Chuyi. Hesitantly, she called out, “Sixth Miss.”

  Song Chuyi met her gaze with a calm smile and nodded reassuringly, her jet-bck eyes shimmering like fine ink. “Don’t be nervous, Lady Fang. There’s nothing here that can’t be discussed. Lady Wei merely took a bit of misguided advice, which led her to such foolish thoughts… The real instigator of this mess isn’t Lady Wei.”

  Lady Fang had come with a clear goal and had prepared countless arguments, hoping to secure the Song family’s favor with minimal cost and attach herself to their influence.

  Yet, after barely a few words, she found herself cornered by the ambiguous attitudes of First Lady Song and Song Chuyi, forced to kneel and decre her loyalty outright. Now, Song Chuyi’s words left her feeling lost, as though she were trapped in a fog, watching the young woman with a mix of dread and bewilderment, afraid she might say something that would force her into an impossible position.

  “Lady Fang has always been close to the Chen family, so you must be aware,” Song Chuyi said, her tone soft yet pointed. “If not for Third Lady Chen and Old Lady Xiang coming to our house and making a scene, none of this would’ve happened. The Chen family has a knack for creating trouble…”

  Lady Fang’s heart raced, pounding so hard it felt as though it might leap from her chest. She pressed a hand to her heart, forcing a strained smile as she listened intently, not daring to miss a word.

  Song Chuyi sighed and adjusted the tasseled ornament hanging at her waist. “I once saved the life of a Chen family cousin, but she seems to have forgotten that entirely. Instead, she colluded with my Fourth Sister to ruin my reputation and my prospects with the Duke of Ying’s household. You must know about that, don’t you, Lady Fang?”

  The Chen family wasn’t foolish enough to broadcast such matters, so how could Lady Fang possibly know? Her first instinct was to shake her head and deny it, but after a moment’s hesitation, she inexplicably nodded instead.

  Given her ties to the Chen family, she needed to feign some knowledge; otherwise, what use would the Song family have for the Fang family’s allegiance?

  First Lady Song sipped her tea, using the moment to study Lady Fang, whose expression betrayed her discomfort despite her attempts to endure it. She couldn’t help but admire Song Chuyi’s ability to read people and push them step by step.

  Seeing Lady Fang nod, Song Chuyi’s smile deepened, her already striking features lighting up the room. The dimples on her cheeks only made her more charming, and even Lady Fang, who had been on edge, found herself momentarily rexing.

  “It was originally my intention to help your family, but Old Lady Chen ruined things…” Song Chuyi said, tilting her head slightly toward Lady Fang. “Tell me, Lady Fang, what do you think of the Chen family’s behavior?”

  A chill ran down Lady Fang’s spine. She realized that Song Chuyi and First Lady Song were finally getting to the point. Hastily, she replied, “Indeed, my husband often says, ‘The wily rabbit is cooked, and the hunting dog is sughtered; the birds are gone, and the fine bow is hidden.’…”

  First Lady Song smiled gently as she pced her teacup back on the table.

  Song Chuyi also smiled. “The tree wishes to remain still, but the wind won’t stop. We have no desire to confront the Chen family, but circumstances leave us no choice. Since Lady Fang has already made her decision, perhaps you could do us a small favor, so we can better understand where we stand.”

  So quickly, they’re already asking us to act? Lady Fang thought, her heart pounding. This was moving far too fast, and the Marquis of Changning’s household hadn’t even given her a definite answer yet. Covering her chest, she hesitated, her gaze flickering in uncertainty.

  “Don’t worry, Lady Fang. It’s nothing major,” Song Chuyi coaxed, her tone patient and reassuring. “Partnerships like this take time to build trust. For now, we only wish to teach Third Lady Chen a small lesson. I hear she’s quite fond of money?”

  Lady Fang nodded, then shook her head. “When it comes to greed, the true miser is the widow of the Chen family’s patriarch, First Lady Chen. However, Third Lady Chen isn’t far behind. If it weren’t for her husband’s status as a concubine-born son, her ambitions might be even greater.”

  Song Chuyi smiled faintly. “That’s where we’ll need your help, Lady Fang. Teach her some ways to earn money, guide her into lending at high interest…”

  People with ambition, once they tasted profit, would cling to it like leeches, draining every st drop until their host was dead. Third Lady Chen was exactly that type of person.

  Most importantly, as a concubine-born daughter-in-w, her voice held little weight in the Chen household. The pressure on her was immense. If she betrayed the Chen family for money, it would be entirely within reason.