Chapter 104

Chapter 104: Grass That Bends with the Wind When she first married into Bianjing, Cui Lingrong would regret that her natal family wasn't there—that when she felt disheartened or sad, she'd at least have somewhere to go. Now she only felt grateful that the Cui family wasn't in Bianjing. Otherwise, given her father and stepmother's temperaments, it would be another heap of headaches. If she didn't reply to their letters, the Cui family couldn't do anything to her. Even if they came to Bianjing, she wasn't afraid. The Cui family had no residence in Bianjing; any visit would require relying on her. And since she still managed the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, if she was displeased, she could arrange the most inconvenient lodging and leave them with grievances they couldn't voice. That was the benefit of holding the household reins. "Alright, don't feel dejected for me. A person lives only once—you can't have everything. I never had my parents' affection, but I had my aunt's upbringing. Isn't that a kind of fortune in itself?" Cui Lingrong had never suffered any grievance at her aunt's home. Her aunt ruled her household strictly—there wasn't even a single gossipmonger among the servants. Song Yu deeply admired her mother's composure. No matter the circumstances, she remained steady and never lost her footing. "You still have me, and Xuan-ge and Jin-ge. Once Xuan-ge passes the Jinshi examination, you can hold your head high in the marquis mansion." Cui Lingrong smiled and agreed. The days of waiting stretched long. Cui Lingrong still hoped that Xuan-ge would sail smoothly from the county examination through the provincial exams. To earn the xiucai title at his age was remarkable—it showed a natural gift for scholarship. She took out paper to trace embroidery patterns. When one had something to do, time passed more quickly. When the county examination finally ended, Cui Lingrong prepared a meal at home early. But Old Madame, doting on Xuan-ge, ordered everyone to dine at Shouan Tang instead. So Cui Lingrong picked out a few of Xuan-ge's favorite dishes and carried them over to Shouan Tang. After returning home, Song Mingxuan first went to see his father, then came together with him to Shouan Tang. "Greetings to Grandmother and Mother. Greetings to Second Uncle and Second Aunt, Third Uncle and Third Aunt." Song Mingxuan had neither eaten nor slept well in the examination cell, and he looked utterly exhausted. Old Madame Song pulled her eldest grandson close with a flurry of fussing and spoke to him at length. "You've suffered so much, dear. Your body is still young—you must nourish yourself properly to recover. Tell Grandmother, were you able to answer everything?" Song Mingxuan said he could. "The county examination is fairly basic—it tests eight-legged essays and the like. My foundation is solid, so it should be no problem." Before putting brush to paper, Song Mingxuan had thought of Zhao Xu's threatening words and was all the more determined to distinguish himself. Thus, he approached every question with extra care. "That's good." Old Madame Song nodded with satisfaction, still gripping her grandson's hand with no intention of letting go. It was Cui Lingrong who noticed her son's exhaustion and went over to remind Old Madame that it was time to eat. Old Madame Song gave Cui Lingrong a cold look, glancing at her without expression. It was only when her second son said he was hungry that she finally told Mama Xu to serve the meal. Today, Old Madame Song paid special attention to Song Mingxuan, having him sit right beside her. Song Mingjin pouted with a huff. "Grandmother is biased—you only care about Eldest Brother. I want to sit next to you too." "You little imp. You don't know how hard your brother worked these past days. Wait until you take the county examination yourself—then you'll understand." Old Madame Song did indeed favor Xuan-ge more. The eldest legitimate grandson was the hope of the marquis mansion, and she held great expectations for him. Of course, she doted on Jin-ge too. Jin-ge was fair and plump, ate whatever was offered to him, and brought joy to all who saw him. But her feelings toward the two grandsons were entirely different. As for the two grandsons of the third branch, she never concerned herself with them. Madam Li sat with her eldest son across from Old Madame Song, at the farthest end of the table. Both remained silent, perfectly still. Madame Jiang, meanwhile, served food to Jin-ge. She had a favorable impression of the guileless boy. Having no children of her own, she always felt a bit more fondness when she saw a fair-skinned little one. "Jin-ge, eat up. Second Aunt will put some food on your plate." "Thank you, Second Aunt. I'll finish it all!" Song Mingjin looked at the dishes in his bowl with great delight, not forgetting to urge his mother and sister to eat as well. The meal passed without incident. After dinner, Old Madame Song still wanted to keep Xuan-ge for more conversation. Cui Lingrong couldn't bear it any longer. "Old Madame, Xuan-ge surely didn't sleep well in the examination cell. Just look at his complexion. Let him go rest first, and tomorrow morning I'll have him come keep you company." Old Madame Song snorted. "Listen to yourself—as if I don't know how to care for people. Fine, since you've said so, how dare I keep him. I'm old and useless now, and even my daughter-in-law dares to give me a sour face." In front of the entire family, Old Madame Song gave not an ounce of face. Song Mingxuan feared his mother and grandmother would quarrel over him, so he could only say he wasn't tired. But Cui Lingrong had Nanny Qiu take Xuan-ge back. She paid no heed to Old Madame's words, offered a bow, and left with Yu-jie and Jin-ge. Old Madame Song's punch landed on cotton, leaving her chest tight with frustration. "Look at her—does she behave like a daughter-in-law at all? If either of you two act the same way, you can both pack up and go back to your natal families!" Madam Li lowered her head and murmured that she wouldn't dare. Whenever Old Madame was displeased, she simply listened in silence. Madame Jiang smiled and went over to pour tea for Old Madame. "Don't lump us in with Eldest Sister-in-law, Grandmother. My heart belongs only to you. Since she's left, let me attend to you tonight." During this period, the relationship between Madame Jiang and Song Shucheng fluctuated between good and bad. Each time she would humble herself to please Song Shucheng, and the two would be affectionate for a while, but whenever the matter of He Pingping came up, Madame Jiang would immediately explode, and the two would quarrel again. She could no longer rely on County Princess Rongjia, and she understood that her affection with Song Shucheng would not last a lifetime. As for her and Cui Lingrong, they were not true friends either. After much deliberation, she decided that currying favor with Old Madame was the only way to make her life more comfortable in the marquis mansion. As she spoke, Madame Jiang kneaded Old Madame Song's shoulders. Old Madame Song was quite pleased, but when she saw Madam Li standing there like a wooden dummy, she impatiently waved her away, then turned her attention back to Madame Jiang. "You've been married into the marquis mansion for several years now, and your belly hasn't shown the slightest sign of movement. Don't say I don't value you—He's child is Shucheng's hope. A man only matures once he has a son, and only then can you enjoy the benefits. Do you understand?" Madame Jiang gritted her teeth and said, "Yes." "Don't just say the right words. When He's child is born, it will be your son. You must treat the child well for the second branch to prosper." Old Madame Song had always felt that Madame Jiang didn't see things clearly—so what if it wasn't her own child? A concubine's child still had to honor the legitimate wife. Madame Jiang left Old Madame Song's presence with a belly full of pent-up frustration, her wrists sore from all the kneading. Just as she stepped out of Shouan Tang, a maid from Wutong Courtyard called out to her, asking her to come to Wutong Courtyard. Entering Wutong Courtyard, she saw County Princess Rongjia reclining on a lounge chair in the corridor. Madame Jiang immediately put on a smiling face. "The County Mistress is well. You summoned me—is there something you wish to instruct?" "Why are you so nervous?" County Princess Rongjia opened her eyes to look at her for a moment, then closed them again. "Since you haven't come for so long, and I've been concerned about your health, the imperial physician is coming tomorrow to take my pulse for well-being. I'll have him examine you as well." This was to say that during her house arrest, Madame Jiang hadn't visited even once, and she was displeased. As for having the imperial physician see Madame Jiang, it was merely doing her a favor—she didn't want Madame Jiang to be won over by Cui Lingrong, so she was offering a small benefit. Fortunately, Madame Jiang had already seen through County Princess Rongjia. She muttered inwardly but appeared overjoyed on the surface. "Thank you, County Mistress, for remembering me. I'll come early tomorrow morning to wait. As for not coming before, I truly didn't know whether I should—after all, the palace matrons were watching over you, and I thought you wouldn't lack for people to talk to." "How could they compare to you?" County Princess Rongjia said. "Alright, that's all. You may go." She waved her hand, and Madame Jiang left with relief. After Madame Jiang departed, County Princess Rongjia's face darkened as she looked at Chen De's Wife. "I followed your advice to win over Madame Jiang, but is this kind of weathervane really useful?" "To answer the County Mistress, the Second Young Madam certainly won't be loyal to any one person. But a weathervane has its uses—it's still better than her helping the Eldest Young Madam at every turn." Chen De's Wife now spoke very cautiously, afraid of displeasing the County Mistress again, which would make it impossible for her to stay in the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. "True. That wretch Cui Lingrong is the most scheming of all. Her son is taking the county examination—she must be quite expectant, isn't she?" County Princess Rongjia gave a cold laugh. "Fortunately, Xu ger thinks of me. With his help, I don't believe Song Mingxuan can do well!" The private threat had no witnesses and no physical evidence. As long as Zhao Xu himself didn't admit it, no one could prove he had threatened Song Mingxuan. Even if Song Mingxuan still sat for the examination, he was young after all, and his state of mind would inevitably be affected. County Princess Rongjia waited to watch Song Mingxuan fail.