Chapter 671 - 449: Dog Bites Dog

Chapter 671: Chapter 449: Dog Bites Dog

"The Empress Dowager was furious. She said Qin Wan Yi had ill intentions and sent Nanny Yao to give her a harsh scolding."

Song Yunzhao was amused. The Empress Dowager was sticking up for An Shutong, unwilling to let Qin Xiyue ruin her reputation.

For them to suddenly have a falling out was a genuine surprise to Song Yunzhao. ’What happened?’

"Qin Wan Yi and An Xiaoyi were on decent terms. Why did they suddenly have a falling out? Have you heard anything?"

"We haven’t found out yet. However, this servant has heard news from Changsheng Courtyard that recently, when Qin Wan Yi goes to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, she is only granted an audience once out of every five visits."

Song Yunzhao grew thoughtful. It seemed the rumor Feng Yunjin had spread earlier was taking effect, making the Empress Dowager suspicious and wary of Qin Xiyue. An Shutong would naturally stand with the Empress Dowager.

The key was still Xu Ji.

The Empress Dowager had taken a huge fall because of Xu Ji back then, and her reputation had plummeted. If she were to find out now that it was all a trap, how could she not be furious?

Song Yunzhao’s mood lifted. She just had to wait for Song Qinghan to make her move.

Feng Yi had apparently also heard about the incident during the scenic outing, but he didn’t pay it any mind. Since nothing had happened to Yun Zhao, he didn’t mention a single word of it in her presence. He simply had a meal with her and left.

While things were very calm on Song Yunzhao’s end, the Empress Dowager was in a terrible mood.

An Shutong sat there obediently, listening to the lecture.

"How many times has this Dowager told you not to get too close to Qin Wan Yi? You just don’t listen! Look at what happened today—you nearly became someone else’s stepping stone again." The Empress Dowager was about to die from anger. The moment she recalled Nanny Yao telling her that the past incident with Xu Ji might have been a set-up, she seethed with a suppressed fury.

An Shutong said softly, "I have always remembered your words, Aunt. It was a coincidence that I was walking with Qin Wan Yi today. The mountain path was difficult, and I was planning to part ways with her once we found a flatter spot. Who knew something like this would happen?"

"I call you a fool, and you still won’t admit it." The Empress Dowager grew even angrier, her hand trembling as she pointed at An Shutong. "Consider today’s events a reminder. I don’t think you should live with her in Pingyun Pavilion anymore. Who knows what other trouble might arise. I’ll have someone pack your things. Move over here and live in the rear hall."

An Shutong agreed, a bright glint flashing in her downcast eyes.

With the Empress Dowager’s order, An Shutong’s belongings were moved over quickly. She didn’t even go back to Pingyun Pavilion, settling directly into the rear hall of Changsheng Courtyard.

When Song Yunzhao found out, she had her people keep a closer eye on Qin Xiyue. ’An Shutong is no innocent little flower. For her to move out, she must have discovered something.’

’They were living under the same roof. No matter how careful Qin Xiyue was, she must have left some trace behind. An Shutong isn’t a fool; she surely noticed something amiss.’

’So, what did An Shutong discover that made her so eager to move out?’

Thinking this, Song Yunzhao suddenly felt that Qin Xiyue’s fall on the mountain might have actually been An Shutong’s doing. Her goal was to move out of Pingyun Pavilion.

With that thought, something she couldn’t figure out before suddenly became clear. She hadn’t been able to understand what Qin Xiyue’s goal was in pretending to fall to frame An Shutong.

But what if it was the other way around?

’This really is a case of dog-eat-dog. Ah, Empress Dowager, still so naive. She thought An Shutong was being bullied and hastily moved her away, not realizing that her own niece was the one who struck first.’

Song Yunzhao watched the fire from across the river, simply waiting for news from Song Qinghan.

Over on her side, Song Qinghan was supposed to accompany Marchioness Wu Xin to the Imperial Awakening Temple the next day. But as luck would have it, the Marchioness came down with an upset stomach after eating something that night, so the trip was delayed for a few days.

When Marchioness Wu Xin finally recovered, she took Song Qinghan to the Imperial Awakening Temple. This time, she even called her son along, making Xu Anxing clear the way for the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Song Qinghan was inwardly smug. Seeing Xu Anxing’s dark expression was as refreshing as eating a bowl of iced dessert on a hot summer day.

When the nobility of the Capital City wanted to visit the Imperial Awakening Temple to burn incense, they always had to make arrangements in advance. Marchioness Wu Xin had sent people from her residence to handle this a few days ago, but due to the delay, she just so happened to run into Lady Yue today.

Strictly speaking, the Yue Family was not qualified to visit the Imperial Awakening Temple. However, Lady Yue’s sister-in-law was Princess Zhenbei, and now her own eldest grandson was a playmate for the Eldest Prince. The Yue Family’s status in the Capital City had shot up overnight.

Lady Yue and Marchioness Wu Xin had no prior friendship. The two rarely interacted, at most exchanging greetings when they met at banquets.

Although the Yue Family held no title of nobility, the men of the family all held official posts with real power, so they had a solid foundation.

Marchioness Wu Xin was, indeed, a marchioness, but she couldn’t help that the men in her family were disappointments. Her sons were not particularly outstanding either, so while she appeared glamorous on the surface, there was little substance underneath.

When the two met, they were more or less evenly matched.

The person accompanying Lady Yue was none other than Song Yexi. The cousins couldn’t avoid greeting each other upon meeting. Before she was married, Song Yexi would have definitely rolled her eyes at Song Qinghan. But now that she was married with a child, had experienced more of life, and met more people, she had perhaps learned how to be superficially polite. She could even act warmly towards Song Qinghan.

Seeing this, Marchioness Wu Xin immediately suggested their two parties join together, and Lady Yue did not refuse.

The two madams chatted at the front, while Song Yexi and Song Qinghan walked together behind them. It had been a long time since they had seen each other. Song Yexi looked at Song Qinghan and smiled. "I didn’t expect to see you looking so well this time, Eldest Cousin. It seems that moving out to your own residence was a good thing after all."

How could Song Qinghan not hear the sarcasm hidden in Song Yexi’s words? She paid it no mind. She had already lost all her face long ago; what were a few words like these?

"You’re right. Being the mistress of one’s own house is indeed a more comfortable life. I wonder when you’ll have such good fortune, Younger Cousin. When that time comes, I’ll be sure to visit and offer my congratulations."

"There’s no need for that. My mother-in-law treats me like her own daughter. I’d rather serve my elder for a few more years."

After the two exchanged a few barbs, they both felt much more comfortable.

Song Yexi couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Why did the Marchioness bring you to the Imperial Awakening Temple today? That’s a rare sight. You haven’t run into some kind of trouble, have you?"

It wasn’t that Song Yexi was worried about Song Qinghan being wronged. She was afraid that Song Qinghan would stir up more trouble, and then her own parents would have to clean up the mess. Because of the incident with Yan Liu last time, she had even been mocked by her sisters-in-law, which had infuriated her.

She couldn’t count how many times she had been made a laughingstock because of Song Qinghan.

This time, because Yue Guanlan had been sent to be with the Eldest Prince, her sisters-in-law no longer said anything hurtful to her. Even her eldest sister-in-law, who was living away with her eldest brother-in-law, had personally written a letter and sent a gift back to her.

’Most of the standing I have in my husband’s family now is thanks to Yun Zhao. I can’t let Song Qinghan drag everyone down again.’

’She’s already moved out on her own. If she still can’t make a decent life for herself, then she’s truly just rotten wood. Might as well just burn her to ashes and be done with it.’