Chapter 174

Chapter 174: The Eunuch Song Shulan was naturally delighted to receive the invitation, and eagerly rushed off with County Princess Rongjia to offer his congratulations. Since Cui Lingrong wouldn't help him maintain relations with the Duke of Dingguo's household, he'd simply accept Madam Qin's invitation on his own. He returned half-drunk, and County Princess Rongjia brought him back to Wutong Courtyard, personally helping Song Shulan bathe. County Princess Rongjia hadn't been intimate with Song Shulan in a long while, so she shed her outer garments and stepped into the bath tub as well. The two embraced tightly, Song Shulan wrapping his arm around County Princess Rongjia's slender waist. "The County Mistress smells wonderful." "My Master Song, I've missed you so much." County Princess Rongjia's repeated calls of "Master Song" brought the atmosphere to its peak. The arrow was nocked on the string—there was no turning back now. The water surface rippled and churned, splashing onto the floor with a splatter, quickly soaking a large area. The impact sounds within the tub were urgent and fierce. Yet in an instant, they stopped. County Princess Rongjia had barely tasted a hint of sweetness when she felt Song Shulan's passion fade, a flicker of disbelief passing through her eyes. Song Shulan, meanwhile, turned away in embarrassment. He hadn't drunk the medicinal wine today, and as a result, it had ended in a single moment. Faced with County Princess Rongjia's silence, Song Shulan was mortified beyond measure. He stepped out of the tub first, telling the County Mistress to rest, then went to find the medicinal wine and downed two large bowls in succession. He'd already had alcohol, and with the two bowls of medicinal wine on top, by the time he lay down he was burning with restless heat and went to find the sleeping Huadie. But whether the medicinal wine was too potent or the properties clashed, Song Shulan couldn't finish until well past midnight. Zhuqing in the adjacent room hadn't slept all night. The next morning, she went cursing to find Huadie, only to see a physician rushing in urgently while she was blocked outside the door. "What on earth is going on?" Zhuqing asked Caiyue at the doorway. Caiyue ignored Zhuqing. Zhuqing said irritably, "You really think you're the young mistress of the Duke of Dingguo's household? You're just a mistress on the side—who do you think you are?" "What did you say?" Caiyue was furious. "I said, everyone knows about you and Young Master Yu. Otherwise, why would you be so smug? I'm just asking what's going on inside, and look at how high and mighty you are. If you've got the ability, actually get Young Master Yu to take you as his proper wife. Why put on airs in front of us?" Zhuqing scolded. Caiyue had heard some rumors lately, but this was the first time someone had said it to her face. "Young Master Yu and I are completely innocent—don't you spout nonsense! You're the one who's unclear, and everyone knows who's the cheap one!" "Caiyue, even if you're the eldest mistress's person, I'm still a concubine. How dare you speak to me like that?" Zhuqing was displeased and immediately began quarreling with Caiyue. "A concubine is still a servant—you're no more noble than I am!" Caiyue couldn't bear anyone speaking ill of Qiushuang Zhai, and certainly wouldn't allow anyone to ruin Young Master Yu's reputation. "You listen to me—I will never marry in this lifetime. Stop slandering me!" As the two argued, Nanny Qiu came out and said the Marquis had awakened, asking them to keep quiet. Hearing it was about the Marquis, Zhuqing was even more determined to go in, but Nanny Qiu blocked her way. "Concubine Zhuqing, the eldest mistress and the County Mistress are both inside—there's no need for you to enter. You should go back and rest. The Marquis's affairs need not concern you." Nanny Qiu patted Caiyue's arm, signaling her not to take it to heart. Zhuqing was deeply unconvinced. "I'm still carrying the Marquis's child—how is it not my concern?" She insisted on going in, and only when two matrons moved to restrain her did she reluctantly step back, though she still refused to leave. Not until the eldest mistress came out. "If you don't want this child, I don't mind helping you get rid of it!" Cui Lingrong gave the order, and the two matrons walked over to Zhuqing's side. Zhuqing's face went white with fright, and she returned to her room unwillingly. Inside the room, Song Shulan had already woken up. The intense pain in his lower body made him cry out involuntarily. Huadie knelt on the ground. "It truly has nothing to do with me, ma'am. The Marquis only came in the middle of the night. He was already like this when he arrived—I truly don't know what happened." She'd thought the Marquis had grown more vigorous, but he couldn't finish, and eventually she couldn't bear it anymore, begging him repeatedly. County Princess Rongjia slapped her across the face. "If it weren't for you, you vixen, how could the Marquis have ended up like this?" Thinking of how Song Shulan had left her last night only to come find Huadie, County Princess Rongjia was deeply resentful. Could it be that she couldn't even compare to a Huadie? Thinking of the scene with Song Shulan in the bath tub, County Princess Rongjia was heartbroken—Song Shulan had never been like this before. Huadie was aggrieved from the slap. She truly hadn't done anything. Even with eight times the courage, she wouldn't dare drug the Marquis. Seeing the eldest mistress return, Huadie hurriedly appealed for help. "The eldest mistress must believe me—I truly, truly did not drug the Marquis." "I know." As Cui Lingrong spoke, Qingshan had already retrieved the medicinal wine Song Shulan had drunk. After careful examination, the physician said the problem was that the medicinal wine was too potent. "The Marquis seems to have drunk too much at once, and combined with possibly having consumed cold-natured things beforehand, the two clashed. His body couldn't handle it at once, which caused prolonged inability to release... and consequently, rupture of the member." Song Shulan, hearing the words "rupture of the member" from his bed, immediately fainted. County Princess Rongjia's brows furrowed even deeper. "How could this be? It's just some medicinal wine—others drank it and nothing happened to them, did it? Qingshan, who gave the Marquis the medicinal wine? Who?" County Princess Rongjia was about to explode with rage. She had no children yet, and it was unknown whether Zhuqing carried a boy or a girl—how could Song Shulan become a eunuch? And if Song Shulan was incapacitated, wouldn't she be left to live as a widow in all but name? Qingshan, trembling, said it was Master Gao who had given it. "But Old Master Gao drinks it year-round, and nothing ever happens to him." Cui Lingrong picked up the thread. "Didn't the physician just say the Marquis drank too much at once? And besides, what exactly did the Marquis eat? You're the one who serves him personally—how could you not have urged him to be more careful?" Qingshan stammered out a few things in his anxiety, but the more flustered he grew, the less coherent he became. "This servant doesn't know either, Eldest Young Madam. You know how the Marquis is—even if this servant urged him, it wouldn't have done any good." County Princess Rongjia kicked him, not caring that the physician was still present. "If urging him wouldn't have worked, couldn't you have come to report it to us? The Old Madame is still here, you fool! Now the Marquis has ended up like this, and you... what is the Marquis's household supposed to do?" This matter with Song Shulan struck the household like a bolt from the blue, with no warning whatsoever. Even Cui Lingrong hadn't expected Song Shulan to end up like this. She had only wanted to prevent Song Shulan from having more children—but then Song Shulan drank the medicinal wine Gao Jingzhi had given him, and that part of him was ruined. It saved her the trouble of administering her own drugs later. Still, she needed to clean up after herself and make sure no one could trace anything back to her. Cui Lingrong turned the focus toward County Princess Rongjia. "I'd also like to ask the County Princess—yesterday, it was you who took the Marquis back with you. What did you feed him, and what exactly did you do in the Wutong Courtyard?" "I..." County Princess Rongjia certainly couldn't say they had frolicked in the bath together, nor could she admit that Song Shulan had finished all too quickly. She glared at Cui Lingrong, unable to find words for a long while. Cui Lingrong pressed on. "The physician also said the Marquis may have consumed something else. Surely the County Princess didn't slip him some kind of stimulant?" "Don't you slander me! How could I possibly have filthy things like that?" County Princess Rongjia retorted immediately. "Huadie's room was searched thoroughly, inside and out—no suspicious items were found." Cui Lingrong said in a low voice. "If the County Princess claims to be innocent, then why not have people search the Wutong Courtyard as well—"