Chapter 170

Chapter 170: The Useless One The atmosphere inside the carriage instantly dropped to freezing point. Cui Lingrong had blurted out the impulsive question in the heat of the moment, and Song Shulan looked at her in disbelief. Their eyes met—one wondering how she could have asked such a thing, the other pondering how Cui Lingrong dared to ask it. After thinking it over, Cui Lingrong concluded that she had grown too impatient listening to Song Shulan speak. Perhaps this thought had been lurking in her subconscious all along, and now she simply couldn't hold it back any longer. Song Shulan, however, quickly averted his gaze. "I was talking about the Meng couple's matter. Why would you ask me that? Lingrong, have you also learned to make unreasonable scenes?" "I'm not making an unreasonable scene. Don't you think what you just said was your true feelings, Marquis?" Cui Lingrong had already regained her composure, looking at Song Shulan with calm ease. "You said Madam Meng was of no help to Hanlin Ye's official career. Compared to County Princess Rongjia, I indeed don't have such a powerful natal family as the Rong Prince Mansion. With that comparison, haven't you ever considered divorcing me and marrying another?" Song Shulan furrowed his brows tightly and said "no" with displeasure. "When did I ever say I wanted to divorce you? The Emperor's marriage decree came suddenly, and you weren't in Bianjing at the time. I..." Divorcing a wife would require thinking about the wife, but Song Shulan hadn't thought about Cui Lingrong at all. He was too busy rejoicing in currying favor with the Rong Prince Mansion, never considering whether Cui Lingrong would accept it. Moreover, in his view, Cui Lingrong followed his lead in everything. As long as he said it was for the sake of his future, Cui Lingrong would surely understand. "I have never once thought about divorcing you!" Song Shulan emphasized his tone. "Don't bring this up again. You've always been reasonable—don't become like some shrew from the marketplace. That would lose your original gentleness and loveliness." The carriage fell silent once more. Nanny Qiu very much wanted to speak a few fair words for the Eldest Young Madam, but nothing she could think of was appropriate to say. When the carriage stopped at the Marquis's mansion gate, Cui Lingrong and Song Shulan stepped over the threshold—one going left, one going right. Two directions. Nanny Qiu sighed softly. "Is the Eldest Young Madam truly angered today? Even if you no longer hold the same affection for the Marquis as before, you are still husband and wife. If the relationship becomes too awkward, how will you get along in the future?" "I didn't think much at the time. Hearing him say that, I just wanted to ask whether he'd ever considered divorcing me." Cui Lingrong took a deep breath. "Nanny Qiu, it turns out I don't have as good a temper as I thought. I have my moments of throwing a tantrum too." Speaking of this, she suddenly laughed. "But it felt quite satisfying—much more refreshing than when I used to hold it all in." Nanny Qiu watched the Eldest Young Madam laugh, frozen for a moment, then her expression relaxed. She no longer tried to persuade the Eldest Young Madam to ease things with the Marquis. The former Eldest Young Madam had too good a temper, and precisely because of that, she wasn't valued. Since whether she spoke up or not, the Eldest Young Madam's status and position wouldn't change, why worry so much? The group returned to Qiushuang Zhai. It was nearly dark, and Cui Lingrong freshened up before dining together with Yu-jie and Jin-ge. After practicing martial arts, Song Mingjin's appetite had grown larger—bowl after bowl. "Slow down. Did you not get enough to eat at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion?" Song Yu couldn't help asking her younger brother. "I ate my fill, but I get hungry quickly." Song Mingjin said. "Besides, the food at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion isn't as good as ours." Song Mingjin was served by a cook that the Duke of Dingguo had specially arranged. The Duke was a man who didn't think much about such details—as long as the cook was trustworthy, he never considered how good the food tasted. "By the way, Mother, when will I take the Imperial Examination?" Song Mingjin asked. Cui Lingrong looked at her younger son in surprise. "Aren't you someone who doesn't like studying? Why are you concerned about this?" "It's Lu Weijie—he always wants to compete with me. Relying on his better grades, he mocks me openly and secretly, calling me a brute. Hmph, now that he can't beat me in fighting, he uses academics to get at me. I don't want to lose to him, or I'll be furious!" Song Mingjin was someone who really disliked studying, but recently he had been especially serious at the academy. Every time he wanted to slack off or let his mind wander, the moment he thought of Lu Weijie's smug expression, he would unwillingly pinch his own thigh to stay alert. Cui Lingrong hadn't expected that sending her son to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion would have this benefit. "Wait another two years. Your foundation isn't solid yet right now. Going to take the exam too early might easily affect your mentality. When you're around your eldest brother's age, you can go. Lu Weijie is jealous of your martial arts skills. The Duke of Dingguo is a military official, yet his martial arts aren't as good as yours—someone who just started practicing not long ago. That's why he feels unbalanced." Song Mingjin nodded in agreement. "No matter how hard he tries, he'll never match me!" Back at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, Madam Qin was scolding Lu Weijie with similar words. Madam Qin had been upset at the Jiang family. She happened to run into the martial arts instructor hired by the Duke of Dingguo, asked a few questions, and learned that Song Mingjin already knew more than Lu Weijie. Her face immediately turned stern. When Lu Weijie returned from his studies, she summoned him at once and made him kneel in the courtyard in front of everyone. "Have you really been working hard? Then why does the martial arts instructor say you're still slightly behind Song Mingjin?" Madam Qin glared at Lu Weijie. She didn't look at him like a son, but rather like a tool that failed to meet her expectations. "I think no matter how hard you try, you'll never surpass Song Mingjin. How did I end up with such a useless one like you?" Lu Weijie's small frame trembled slightly. He really had been trying his hardest. Every day, he arrived at the training grounds a full hour earlier than Song Mingjin, and at night he would return to burn the midnight oil studying. He kept this up day after day, all in hopes of earning his mother's approval. Yet time and again, his martial skills still couldn't match Song Mingjin's quick comprehension. He was anxious too, but the more anxious he became, the more useless it proved. "Mother, I—" "Don't call me mother. I am not your mother. Don't think that just because you've been adopted into the Duke of Dingguo's household, you're my child. I have no need for a useless waste as a child!" Madam Qin deeply regretted not being more selective. "You will kneel right here, and you are not to rise until I say so!" There were maidservants and rough laborers in the courtyard. They all heard the word "waste." With the mistress treating him this way, who would still hold Lu Weijie in any regard? Lu Weijie struggled desperately to hold back his tears. When he had learned that the Duchess of Dingguo had taken a liking to him, his father and mother had been overjoyed, saying his future would be boundless and he could rise above others. He had been excited too, believing he had always outshone his peers and would surely satisfy the Duchess of Dingguo. But upon arriving at the Duke of Dingguo's estate, despite giving his utmost effort, he still had to tread carefully and read people's expressions. Lu Weijie's nose stung with bitterness, and before he knew it, tears had already fallen. He began to miss his own mother—in her eyes, he was outstanding, and she would often praise him and care for him. At that moment, he regretted ever coming to the Duke of Dingguo's estate.