Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Returning to the Capital Early autumn brought a slight chill, and the pier was crowded and noisy. Nanny Qiu stepped onto the deck with a furrowed brow. Recalling the words the page boy had brought, her heart was filled with stifled indignation. Before entering the cabin, Nanny Qiu took a deep breath and smoothed her expression into a smile. "Elder Young Madam, Ershun has returned with a message. He says the Marquis’s manor is busy and couldn’t spare anyone to pick you up for the time being. How about we rent a separate carriage to head back?" She thought the Elder Young Madam would be furious. After all, the letter announcing their return had been delivered several days ago. Yet, they had waited at the pier all day, and not only did no one from the manor arrive, but there wasn't even a message sent. It was only when the Elder Young Madam dispatched someone to inquire that they received any word at all. However, the Elder Young Madam merely replied composedly, "I see." This Elder Young Madam of theirs truly was, at all times, as placid as a chrysanthemum, never showing a hint of a ripple in her demeanor. "Nanny Qiu, please find two people to rent a carriage. Yu-jie is suffering from seasickness and feels unwell; we should return home sooner." Yu-jie was Cui Lingrong's eldest daughter, currently resting her head on the table for a nap. Nanny Qiu voiced her assent, took some silver, and went to find a driver. Only then did Song Yu lift her eyes. "Mother, are you not angry?" In her memory, her mother never lost her temper and could handle everything perfectly. She was like a clay Bodhisattva, forever maintaining the poised air of a noble lady from a prestigious family. "What is there to be angry about?" Cui Lingrong had her own set of survival rules. "Your father is busy with official duties; such a trivial matter is not enough to occupy his mind. Your grandmother is elderly, and during the time we were away, the household affairs must have been handed over to your Second Aunt." At this, Cui Lingrong arched an eyebrow and gave a shallow smile. "As you know, she has coveted the household management for a long time. It’s only natural she would want to use this matter to spite me. But so what? I am the primary wife of the first branch. She may trip me up a little now, but once I return to Bianjing, won't she still have to obediently hand over the keys to the household?" Cui Lingrong finished speaking calmly and urged her daughter to get up and wash. "Alright, go wash your face and have Qiutang help you redo your hair. After the New Year, you will be fourteen—a young woman already." Song Yu rose reluctantly. After her daughter left, Cui Lingrong methodically arranged for the servants to pack their luggage. Watching the maids and older servants finish their tasks one by one, she sent someone to fetch Nanny Qiu. Three months ago, her aunt had fallen critically ill, and Cui Lingrong had to take her daughter south to attend to her. Logically, her aunt was a collateral relative, and it shouldn't have been her turn as a niece to serve her. However, the Cui family’s situation was complicated. Cui Lingrong’s mother was a successor wife who had passed away shortly after giving birth to her. Her father remarried quickly, and as she was a daughter, she was not valued by the Cui family. The servants had neglected her, leaving her to eat sporadically, and by age three, she still could not speak clearly. Later, it was her aunt who returned to the family home for a visit. Coincidentally, her aunt’s own daughter had died young; seeing how small and thin Cui Lingrong was, she felt pity and took her back to be raised. Her aunt had a gentle temperament but placed great importance on a girl’s upbringing. Since she had no other children, she devoted herself to Cui Lingrong, raising her as the apple of her eye. Before Cui Lingrong’s coming-of-age ceremony, fearing the Cui family would hastily betroth her to an unsuitable match, her aunt spared no effort in taking her north to Bianjing. Only after building a reputation there did the marriage proposal from the Song family arrive. Before she was sent far away to marry in Bianjing, her aunt had held her hand, her eyes reddening for the first time. "I originally wanted to pick a match of equal standing for you in Suzhou, but those people were blind and could not see your worth. Fortunately, the Song family’s matriarch is a sensible woman who values your character and upbringing. The journey to Bianjing is long and distant; from now on, if anything happens, your aunt will no longer be able to help you." "Aunt, I..." Cui Lingrong had barely started speaking when her tears fell. "My dear Lingrong, do not cry. I have taught you that crying only shows others your weakness; it solves no problems. I will have Nanny Qiu accompany you to Bianjing. With her there, I can be much more at ease." She knew that once her niece married, their meetings would be few and far between. Cui Lingrong wiped her tears. "Don't worry, Aunt. Lingrong will definitely not disappoint you." "Mm, I believe you. My Lingrong has been intelligent since childhood; there is no hardship you cannot overcome." She had been held tightly in her aunt’s embrace, and to this day, she still remembered the faint scent of gardenia on her aunt’s clothes. When Nanny Qiu entered again and saw the Elder Young Madam lost in thought, she said softly, "Elder Young Madam, the carriage is ready. We can depart now." Cui Lingrong sent someone to call her daughter, and after the group boarded the carriage, they slowly headed toward the city of Bianjing. She had been married into Bianjing for nearly fifteen years, and this was the first time she had been away for so long. Her thoughts were still lingering on the matters in Suzhou, unable to be pulled back all at once. Song Yu, however, became lively as soon as she got into the carriage. "Mother, we haven't been back for so long. Father and my brothers must be looking forward to it. I’ve prepared gifts for Xuan-ge and the others; they will definitely love them!" "Mother, why aren't you speaking?" Song Yu leaned toward her mother. The mother and daughter looked very much alike, their skin as white as snow. In the past two years, when she accompanied her mother to social gatherings, she had already gained quite a reputation. "Are you truly angry?" "No." Cui Lingrong snapped back to reality and gave her daughter a smile. "Don't worry, even if the Marquis’s manor didn't send anyone to pick us up, Xuan-ge and the others will surely be waiting at the entrance." Xuan-ge and Jin-ge were her brothers from the same mother. Though they bickered daily, the siblings’ bond was very strong when it mattered. Having been away from home for three months, Song Yu had long since missed them. Cui Lingrong felt the same. She had given birth to two sons and a daughter since marrying into the Song family, and all three children had been carefully raised by her. she missed her sons as well. The carriage entered the city before dark, but by the time it stopped in front of the Marquis’s manor, night had already fallen. Yet, the gates of the Marquis’s manor were tightly closed, as if no one knew Cui Lingrong was returning. Nanny Qiu knocked on the door with a frown. The gatekeeper was slow to come and greet them. Nanny Qiu said crossly, "Did Ershun not tell you that the Elder Young Madam was returning today? Even if the main gate isn't open, why wasn't even a side gate left unlatched? What exactly is the household so busy with that you've forgotten all sense of rules?" The gatekeeper took the scolding, and catching a glimpse of the Elder Young Madam approaching, he could only suppress the frustration in his heart. He said with a forced smile, "There are simply too many matters in the manor. This lowly one forgot for a moment; please do not blame me, Elder Young Madam. It is getting late, please enter the manor quickly." If it weren't for the fact that scolding someone at the main gate was unsightly, Nanny Qiu would not have let the gatekeeper off so easily. One didn't even need to think to know that this was ordered by the Second Young Madam to give their Elder Young Madam a show of authority! Cui Lingrong glanced at the gatekeeper and said calmly, "Forgetting my return is of little consequence, but what if it were some other vital matter? Since you cannot perform your duties well, let someone else do them. The Song manor has no use for you anymore." The gatekeeper immediately fell to his knees. "Elder Young Madam, have mercy! This lowly one will never dare again! I beg the Elder Young Madam to give me another chance, it really was... it was..." He couldn't finish his sentence. Cui Lingrong asked, "From the very beginning, you've said the manor is busy. What exactly are you busy with?" The gatekeeper's back was drenched in sweat. He truly did not dare to say. His forehead was pressed tightly against the ground as he repeatedly begged the Elder Young Madam for a chance. Seeing that she could get no answer, Cui Lingrong’s suspicions grew. She led Nanny Qiu and the others toward her residence, the Qiushuang Study. However, before she reached the Qiushuang Study, someone came from the Old Madam’s quarters, requesting that she go there alone, without Yu-jie. At this, she knew that something extraordinary had happened in the Song manor.