Chapter 113

Chapter 113: The Pursuit To understand what the Duchess of Dingguo meant, Cui Lingrong still went to see the Duchess of Dingguo. At the Dingguo Duke Mansion, Cui Lingrong followed the old servant woman to meet the Duchess of Dingguo. It had been some time since they last met, and the Duchess of Dingguo looked much more haggard, her temples now completely white. Madam Qin had someone offer a seat. Noticing Cui Lingrong's cautious demeanor, she gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes and spoke first, "You must be wondering why I called you here?" Cui Lingrong answered honestly that she was. "In the past, when Elder Yuan Shi was still around, she would mention you—saying you had a pure and intelligent heart, with a pair of eyes that could see through everything. So I wanted to ask your advice: when I choose a boy to adopt as my heir, what should I value most?" Madam Qin looked at Cui Lingrong, who indeed was as tranquil as the rumors said, and composed to boot. Cui Lingrong thought for a moment. "People's hearts are fickle, let alone a child who is not one's own flesh and blood. Ability and talent are secondary. A capable person without filial piety will eventually stab you in the back. This junior believes that when adopting an heir, one must look at character. If the character is good, being somewhat mediocre is fine—after all, the Dingguo Duke Mansion's standing is high enough that it doesn't need the younger generation to bring it glory." Madam Qin listened thoughtfully. She had originally wanted to find someone with excellent scholarship who could stand by her side in the future and bring her honor. Hearing Cui Lingrong's words, Madam Qin's stance wavered somewhat. However, she had called Cui Lingrong over today for another purpose. "You truly have deeper insights." As Madam Qin spoke, a servant woman beside her brought over a set of jewelry. "I suppose I'm just ill-fated—my son died young, the old burying the young. Otherwise, why would I need to adopt someone else's child? Enough of that; speaking of it only brings sorrow, and I wouldn't want to dampen your spirits. I heard you have an adopted younger brother whom you hold in high regard. If you ask me, commerce will never be respectable. Why not let me help find him an official post? Consider it repayment for the advice you've given me?" Faced with Madam Qin's sudden show of goodwill, Cui Lingrong's first reaction was not joy but suspicion. No one suddenly treats another person well for no reason. If they do, there must be an ulterior motive. "The Duchess honors me too much. It was merely a casual conversation—I wouldn't presume to accept such a great favor. Besides, my brother has no interest in officialdom. Even if you arranged a position for him, it would be of no use." Cui Lingrong deflected. "Is that so? How unusual. In this day and age, there are still people who don't want to be officials?" Madam Qin studied Cui Lingrong without showing it, eager to know whether Cui Lingrong was aware of what was happening in the Dingguo Duke Mansion. Cui Lingrong said everyone has their own aspirations. "I did send him to school before." "I see. Then I won't insist." Madam Qin said, "In a couple of days, our household will host a banquet. Bring the children and your brother along. The Dingguo Duke Mansion's standing is enough for him to make more connections for his business." Cui Lingrong said it was unfortunate. "My brother is not in Bianjing." "Then where is he?" Cui Lingrong said she didn't know. "People in business travel far and wide. I'm not sure where he is at the moment. Thank you for your kindness. When the opportunity arises, I'll bring him to pay his respects to you." Madam Qin said that was fine, kept Cui Lingrong for two cups of tea, and had someone escort her out. Once she was gone, Madam Qin narrowed her eyes. "Nanny Liu, tell me—could it be her brother?" "That's hard to say." Nanny Liu said she hoped not. "If it were an ordinary person, it would be easy to deal with. But this old servant has heard that when Cui Zeyu was arrested, the Marchioness Song and General Xie went to great lengths to get him out." "Indeed. They were willing to offend the Qian family to pull Cui Zeyu out—that shows how much Lady Cui values him." Madam Qin took a deep breath. She couldn't determine whether it was Cui Zeyu, so she would simply eliminate the problem. "Lady Cui said it herself—people in business travel everywhere, and anything can happen. Since it's difficult to deal with Cui Zeyu once he returns to Bianjing, then don't let him come back." She couldn't take the risk. That old fool Lu Zhong wouldn't buy cloth for no reason. If not for her informant, she would have been completely deceived. What her son couldn't have, she would never allow Lu Zhong's son to inherit the Dingguo Duke Mansion. Just thinking about it made Madam Qin's chest feel tight. "Have someone do it cleanly. If they get caught with evidence again, tell them not to come back—die out there." Nanny Liu understood her mistress's obsession and tried to counsel her, "It's still uncertain now. Perhaps the Duke of Guo really did pass by by chance. If we act rashly and happen to provoke..." "I'm not afraid of that 'perhaps.' I only regret that I wasn't ruthless enough back then, and let that little bastard escape!" Madam Qin was resolute. "Do you take me for a fool like Qian Jin? Since I'm the one making the move, there's no way I'll leave evidence behind!" Nanny Liu had no choice but to agree and withdrew to give orders for Cui Zeyu's elimination. Meanwhile, Cui Lingrong was still in the carriage returning to the mansion. She and Nanny Qiu had analyzed the situation for quite a while but couldn't figure out the Duchess of Dingguo's purpose. "The Duchess of Dingguo and Young Master Yu have no connection whatsoever. It sounded like a casual question, but her show of goodwill today is truly strange," Nanny Qiu said. "Indeed. The Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion's standing is far below that of the Dingguo Duke Mansion. The Duchess's behavior today is certainly baffling." Fortunately, Cui Lingrong had kept her guard up and hadn't shared everything with the other woman. She remained vigilant, and when she attended the banquet a few days later, she didn't even bring Yu-jie along. At the entrance of the Marquis's residence, Cui Lingrong encountered County Princess Rongjia and Song Shulan. She called out "Marquis" and then boarded her carriage. She knew Song Shulan would not get on her carriage. It was not until they reached the entrance of the Duke of Dingguo's residence that Song Shulan came over and said, "Today is the Duke of Dingguo's banquet, and all the guests are nobles and high-ranking officials. Why didn't you bring Yu-jie along?" His daughter would reach Ji-pin next year, at the age when she should start meeting people and gaining recognition. Song Shulan hoped his daughter could marry well. When the County Mistress had mentioned it earlier, he had been somewhat displeased. Now that they had finally managed to come to the Duke of Dingguo's residence, Cui Lingrong had actually not brought their daughter. "Yu-jie is feeling a bit unwell, so I didn't bring her," Cui Lingrong said. "Fine, but don't delay next time." Song Shulan did not ask what was wrong with Yu-jie. He turned and walked over to County Princess Rongjia's side, entering the Duke of Dingguo's residence together with her. There were many guests at the entrance, and some acquaintances cast scrutinizing glances at her—some sympathetic, some curious, and some mocking as if watching a show. Cui Lingrong pretended not to notice. Just as she was about to enter the residence, she heard a crisp call of "Sister Cui" and turned around to see Xie Yunting, who had dismounted from his horse and was running over. Because of the Qin family's connections, Xie Yunting had also received an invitation from the Duke of Dingguo's residence. He smiled, showing his white teeth. "What a coincidence, running into you at the Duke's residence entrance. Are you here alone? Shall we go in together?" Cui Lingrong did not say whether she was alone or not. She smiled and nodded at Xie Yunting. "How have you been lately, General Xie?" "Me? I've been great. But I'm about to leave Bianjing soon—The Emperor has sent me to suppress bandits. Don't worry, a few bandits are nothing. I'll be back before you know it." As Xie Yunting spoke, he kept his eyes on Cui Lingrong, not even noticing the Qin family members ahead. It was only when Madam Qin the Elder heard his voice and turned around that she noticed Xie Yunting walking alongside Cui Lingrong. She looked at Cui Lingrong, then at Xie Yunting. Though she felt uncomfortable inside, her face remained smiling as she waited for Xie Yunting to greet her first. But Xie Yunting walked right past Madam Qin the Elder without even offering a greeting. It wasn't intentional on his part—he simply hadn't recognized her. It was only when Qin Mengyao, standing behind Madam Qin the Elder, called out "General Xie" that he raised his brows and turned around. "You are...?"