First Lady Song was momentarily stunned before she came to her senses. A smile appeared on her round, plump face. "Lady Fang is quite astute. With the Buddha's manifestation at Huangjue Temple and the Eleventh Princess's engagement settled, not only will we be going, but every prominent dy in the capital will be attending as well."

  If only the Song family were attending, Lady Fang's actions might seem too conspicuous, possibly alerting Old Lady Chen. But with Old Lady Chen herself attending, Madam Fang's presence would naturally seem justified.

  The mouths of the women in the inner court could sometimes be more reliable for spreading information than any letter. Old Lady Song nodded, "Since that's the case, be attentive that day and see what Lady Fang truly intends."

  Lady Fang was likely paving the way for Fang Xiaoru. If Lady Fang could indeed persuade Fang Xiaoru to join their side, then they would have the key to open the gates of the Chen family.

  After finishing her instructions, she further reminded the First Lady, "Take Mingzi and Chuyou along as well... Mingzi is no longer young. In the past, I considered keeping her a few more years. You know, I even thought of marrying her to one of our own family's boys..."

  However, to prevent a situation like today with Old Lady Xiang, Mingzi was instead registered under the name of Old Master Song. That way, the Song family boys were naturally out of the question for her.

  Though she had been reluctant before, thinking it would be nice to keep her by her side a few more carefree years, now it indeed seemed time to find her a match.

  The First Lady immediately understood and agreed, "I understand, Mother. Coincidentally, the two matrons from the Cui family will also be attending that day. With them there, Mingzi will have the chance to meet more people."

  Meanwhile, Song Chuyi reclined on her couch, listening as Qingying reyed the words brought in today by Ma Wankun through Luo Gui, "They say that a trusted servant of Secretary Qian personally left the city, supposedly going ahead to clean up the residence in Tongzhou. But Ma Wankun said the servant actually headed straight to Assistant Minister Wang's residence in Tongzhou..."

  Assistant Minister Wang of the Ministry of Rites had close ties with the Prince of Commandery. Song Chuyi pursed her lips. "Did we manage to pass this information to the Marquis of Jinxiang's household?"

  Ever since Zhang Run mentioned that the two Fan sisters were outwardly amicable but actually had a strained retionship, Song Chuyi had kept an eye on their retions. Originally, she had no intention of involving herself in the affairs of the Crown Prince's faction, even though she had leaned slightly toward Grandson Zhou Weizhao's side before. It was always kept at a minimal involvement. Yet, the Prince of Commandery was determined to drag them into the fray...

  The Prince of Commandery was well aware of the current retionship between the Song and Chen families, yet he still kept the Chen family dangling on one side and refused to let go of the Song family's support on the other. Such a rational yet greedy person—if he became her husband, the day the Song family lost its value, she would be the first sacrifice, just like Han Zhi now.

  "The Marquis of Jinxiang's household has been quietly inquiring as well. Ma San and the others are quite clever; they discreetly leaked the information," Qingying smiled slightly. "Additionally, Ma San said that the steward from the Marquis's household just went to Yuantong Escort Agency in the capital yesterday to escort a woman back..."

  Given the current circumstances, with the daughter soon to become a concubine after the Buddha's manifestation day, and the son now a wanted fugitive, and the Eastern Pace making it clear they would not intervene, Lady Fan should be scrambling right now. Yet, she still has the mind to have a woman escorted up to the capital with a steward personally seeing to her?

  Song Chuyi raised an eyebrow, feeling instinctively that something was off. She closed the book in her hands and instructed Qingying, "Have Ma San keep a close watch. Send someone to inquire at the Escort Agency as well about the woman's background."

  There was something suspicious about hiring an escort agent to escort a single woman.

  Lady Fan was so restless she couldn't even sit down. In half an hour, she had sent out four or five groups to gather information. When she finally heard that the person had arrived at the residence, she almost sprang from her seat, issuing orders quickly, "Bring her in, hurry!"

  Nanny Zhang hadn't expected to see Lady Fan again. The moment she entered and saw her, tears welled up in her eyes, and she dropped to her knees.

  Lady Fan gnced around the room, and Qiuju immediately understood, ushering everyone else out, closing the door, and setting a chair by the door herself. With no adult men to preside over the household and the heir involved in trouble, everyone had been on edge and in disarray recently.

  "Nanny, get up! Please, get up!" Lady Fan quickly stepped down from the couch and helped Nanny Zhang up herself, her hands trembling with emotion, "After so many years... I finally get to see you..."

  Nanny Zhang was tearful as well. She looked at Lady Fan, who, despite being younger than her elder sister, now seemed nearly her own age, and gasped, her heart aching, "I'm fine... I'm fine... But you, my dy, you've ended up..."

  Lady Fan dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and forced a smile, "Half-human, half-ghost?"

  "Don't say such things!" Nanny Zhang held her hand, pecked her on the back of her hand like she used to, and spat several times onto the floor, "It's bad luck to say that."

  Lady Fan, drawn in by Nanny Zhang's gestures, almost shed tears again, turning her head to hold back her sobs, "Talking about luck... my life these past ten years has hardly felt like living. Look at me, do I even look like a living person anymore? Nanny, didn't you know why I never went back home all those years ago?"

  Speaking this way on such a cold day made Nanny Zhang feel goosebumps rising all over her body, lowering her head, unable to respond.

  Lady Fan gathered her emotions and smiled at her, "I always thought that my sister and I were the same. But when we arrived in the capital, Mother always reminded me that I was different from her and should yield to her in everything..."

  As she spoke, rge tears suddenly rolled down and spshed onto the carpet, her voice choked as she whispered, "I yielded to her in everything... From hairpins and embroidered balls when we were young, to painting, chess, and music. And even when we grew up, I yielded to her in reputation and future..."

  Nanny Zhang's heart was pounding like a drum, feeling as though it was about to leap out of her throat. When she was young, Lady Fan was innocent and spoiled. Even though she didn't actively compete, she ended up competing nonetheless—back then, Master Fan and his wife treated her well... and, by extension, even the uninformed servants like them thought they had climbed up the social dder...

  "But what did I get in return?!" Lady Fan's voice suddenly rose, and Nanny Zhang nearly jumped out of her seat in a panic.

  Lady Fan pointed at herself, gring at Nanny Zhang. "What did I get?! My sister couldn't tolerate me... she... she did such things to me, wouldn't even let me return home... For these past years, I've been nothing but a walking corpse. If it weren't for the two children, if she hadn't used them to threaten me, I would have died long ago! Long ago!"