That evening, when they returned to the residence, Old Lady Song had specifically waited for them. As soon as she saw them, she asked, "I heard that Miss Tong gave you all a hard time?"

  The third Lady, standing beside her, expined, "Right after the banquet, the Shen family sent someone over. Between the lines, they admitted they couldn't control Miss Tong and that you were wronged. Old Lady has been so worried. If your aunt hadn't convinced her otherwise, she would've sent someone to bring you all back."

  Xiang Mingzi chuckled, gncing at Song Chuyi, and stepped forward to wrap her arm around Old Lady Song's. "Don't worry, Grandmother; we weren't wronged at all. Even if Miss Tong wanted to cause trouble for Xiaoyi, it would only work if Xiaoyi allowed it. When she tried to grab Xiaoyi's hand, she missed and took quite the tumble herself..."

  When Song Chuyi followed behind Song Jue recently, cmoring to learn some odd technique called the "Tendon Separation and Bone Dispcement Technique," it turned out she had a reason. Old Lady Song could no longer keep a stern face and let out a chuckle, gently tapping Song Chuyi on the forehead with a hint of exasperation. "You... A young dy, do you really want to become like Miss Tong or the Ninth Princess, whom everyone fears?"

  It would be better if everyone feared her; at least she wouldn't be targeted so often. Song Chuyi clung to Old Lady Song's other arm and softly told her about what had happened with Lady Fang that day. Seeing Third Lady had left, she continued, "The Chen family and the Fang family aren't as close as they seem. Even if Fang Xiaoru is willing to risk everything to follow Lord Chen, he can't ignore the well-being of his entire family... Over time, if Lady Fang keeps whispering things into his ear..."

  Old Lady Song had expected that Lady Fang would harbor resentment toward Lord Chen. After all, without any resentment, she wouldn't be human—she'd be a saint. She thought for a moment and nodded. "Since she's made her stance clear, I'll mention it to your aunt ter. When they meet at the temple, they should interact more."

  Even if Lady Fang said she would side with the Song family, this wasn't child's py. Words alone wouldn't suffice; sincerity was needed. Until Lady Fang could provide something of real value, it would be best to maintain a neutral distance. After all, the ones now living cautiously weren't the Song family, and it wasn't they who were in need.

  Song Chuyi nodded and told Old Lady Song, "I'll inform Grandfather too, so he can look for faults in Fang Xiaoru and his subordinates during the Imperial Assessment at the Ministry of Appointments. Fang Xiaoru is already a frightened bird; another investigation might just scare him even more. But Lord Chen is a seasoned pyer and will probably see that this assessment is all thunder and no rain... He won't take Fang Xiaoru's pleas seriously."

  With pressure from both sides, Fang Xiaoru would likely lose faith in Lord Chen. After all, no matter how shrewd he was, he was still human, with weaknesses and fears. When the tension reaches a breaking point, he'll naturally seek out a more reliable patron.

  And the Song family, which had subtly extended an olive branch to him before, would become his lifeline. To seize this chance at survival, he would cling to it desperately...

  Song Chuyi's ability to understand human nature had reached a new level, likely driven by the many recent challenges that forced her to grow once again. Old Lady Song remained silent, gently patting Song Chuyi's head over and over. After a long while, she let out a slow sigh. "Xiaoyi, in a little while, you should go back to Jinzhong with Yan'er. It's Old Lady Cui's seventieth birthday, and it's proper for you both to go and pay your respects."

  Wisdom is certainly an asset, but Old Lady Song had also heard the old saying that extreme intelligence can bring harm. The fate that seemed to hang over Song Chuyi was like a thorn in her heart. This girl had suffered too much in her dreams, so much so that even in a life where she could have been more carefree, she used every bit of strategy and calcution. This way of living wasn't sustainable.

  Old Lady Song would rather see her live a more rexed life, like an ordinary young girl.

  Song Chuyi looked up at Old Lady Song, staring bnkly for a moment before she softly agreed. In both her past and present lives, she had never met her maternal grandmother. She hadn't even realized that Old Lady Cui's seventieth birthday was already approaching so soon.

  But thankfully, this time, she wouldn't miss it. She shook her head to dispel her scattered thoughts, returned to her room, and removed her cloak, instructing Ziyun to pack for the trip to Jinzhong. "Have Luyi go to the manor in Tongzhou and inform Nanny Xu and Lianyi that we'll all be going back together this time."

  Qingying had just returned from outside. Hearing that Song Chuyi was pnning to go to Jinzhong, she was surprised and asked, "Going back to Jinzhong?"

  "Yes, to celebrate our old dy's birthday!" Luyi's face was flushed with excitement as she beamed. "It's true, the young miss hasn't even met our old dy yet." Being a servant born into the Cui family, she always spoke of Old Lady Cui as "our old dy."

  Qingying nodded, scratching her head as she handed something to Song Chuyi. "This is from the eldest young master. He said to be cautious."

  If Lai Chenglong's pn was to succeed, the defense map of the Yulin Guard was crucial. Fortunately, Song Jue, her elder brother, held the position of a commander in the Yulin Guard, making it easier for her to access such information.

  Song Chuyi unfolded the document and examined it closely before handing it back to Qingying. She instructed her carefully, "Tomorrow, you must deliver this personally to Ma San and ensure that he hands it directly to Lai Chenglong. Tell them that this matter is extremely important, and they must not disappoint me. If it comes down to it, it's better to destroy the map than let it fall into the wrong hands."

  By handing over the defense map to Lai Chenglong, the next steps would be entirely up to him—whether he could remove Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin and become a core member of the Jinyiwei or continue struggling under their shadow depended on this opportunity.

  Qingying nodded seriously, tucking the document safely into her bosom, then asked in a low voice, "Even if we help Master Lai this much, he may not necessarily become loyal to us..."

  Song Chuyi shook her head as she removed the hairpins from her hair, smiling at her reflection in the mirror. "I'm not doing this to win his loyalty but to secure our own future. Xu Liang and Jia Yingxin were once Chen Xiang's men, and now they serve as ckeys for the Prince of Commandery. It's very likely that Han Zhi could use them against me. Would you rather have the Jinyiwei led by someone who's done business with me or by two vicious dogs with powerful masters?"

  At the very least, Lai Chenglong would try to lend a hand as long as it didn't involve choosing between his life and supporting her and Cui Shaoting.