Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Transfer of Authority "I know that everyone has their own private thoughts." As she said this, Old Madame Song swept her gaze across the room. Lady Cui sat upright, Madame Jiang suppressed a smile, and Madam Li kept her head lowered. Finally, her eyes settled on Princess Rongjia. She paused, then continued, "People all want to live a bit better for themselves—that's only natural. But don't you forget: you can't write the character 'Song' twice with one stroke of the brush. We rise together and fall together. Those of you with real ability can go out and earn official rank and glory, but those without should keep to their proper place and not fancy themselves clever." Every word she spoke was aimed at Princess Rongjia's unworthiness for her position. Princess Rongjia could barely remain seated. How could this be? How could Cui Lingrong, the daughter of a minor official, possess such cunning and schemes? Princess Rongjia had lost to Cui Lingrong. She stole a cautious glance at Song Shulan beside her, her heart in turmoil. If the Old Madame stripped her of household authority, would Song Shulan refuse? "Today, mark my words well—otherwise, don't blame me for being harsh." Old Madame Song dismissed the others, keeping only her eldest son and Princess Rongjia behind. Hearing that the Old Madame had deliberately kept her, Princess Rongjia's heart gave a lurch, and tears threatened to spill. Old Madame Song ordered the doors closed, sending even Wang Shanxi's Wife and the rest of the servants away. Only the three of them remained in the room. "Does the Princess know why I kept you here?" Old Madame Song fixed her gaze upon her, her face stern. Princess Rongjia's voice trembled at the edges. "Please speak, Mother." Song Shulan interjected on her behalf. "Mother, no one is a sage—who can be without fault? We should give the Princess some room to improve." "Yes, everyone makes mistakes. That is precisely why I kept the two of you here, rather than speaking in front of everyone. What is said in this room will not reach a fourth person, and the Princess's dignity will not be harmed." Old Madame Song took a deep breath. She did not wish to be too direct, but if she did not speak plainly, the Princess showed no sign of acknowledging her faults. So she said outright, "Princess, since you took over household management, have I ever interfered in the affairs of this house, or placed any restrictions on you?" Princess Rongjia admitted that she had not. At the time, Princess Rongjia had been delighted, thinking that the Old Madame must be very pleased with her to trust her abilities so completely. "But look at the recent affairs—which single one have you handled well?" Old Madame Song's eyes held disappointment. A noble Commandery Princess, yet she could not match the capability of a minor official's daughter. Princess Rongjia immediately knelt, tears streaming down her face. "But... but Mother, before Sister Cui returned, the Marquis's household was perfectly fine. All these troubles only began after she came back." "And so? You want Shulan to send her away, to never return to the Marquis's household?" Old Madame Song's disappointment deepened. "Lady Cui is Shulan's rightful wife. She married into this household fourteen years ago and has never once erred, and she has borne and raised three children. If the Marquis's household were to cast her out, what would people say of us? And how could Shulan maintain his standing in officialdom?" Princess Rongjia hastily shook her head. "That is not what I meant, Daughter-in-law." "Then what did you mean? That she secretly schemed to ruin your reputation?" Old Madame Song took a deep breath. Fortunately, she had not grown senile and could still sort through the logic. "The matter at the gatehouse—she did not even know of your existence at that time. How could she have arranged it? When Concubine Zhang needed a physician, did she not first come to you? It was only after you refused that she went to Lady Cui. And this business with the tenant farmers—did Li Fugui not also approach you first?" Old Madame Song had spoken so much in one breath that she was seized by a fit of coughing. She paused to catch her breath, waiting until her breathing steadied before continuing, "Even if she truly did something, the fact that you failed to resolve it means you are inferior to her." The words "inferior to her" thundered through Princess Rongjia's mind. She was a Commandery Princess, of noble birth, and might even have a brother who would become the Crown Prince. How could she be inferior to that wretched woman Cui Lingrong? Song Shulan also knelt. "Mother, you speak too harshly. We are all one family. Lady Cui is a proper and dutiful woman, and the Princess has also tried her best to live in harmony with her. Neither of them bears ill intentions—they simply need time to adjust to one another." Old Madame Song looked helplessly at her eldest son. Men truly did not understand the affairs of the inner quarters. Everyone knew that one mountain could not harbor two tigers, much less one husband with two wives. When two women must share one man, and the man cannot hold the scales perfectly even, one of them is bound to harbor resentment. Even if he did hold them perfectly even, the women would still be dissatisfied, wanting more. Enough. There was no use explaining such matters to her eldest son. She had said all she needed to say today. She was not afraid of Princess Rongjia bearing a grudge against her—she simply could not let her eldest son play the villain, for he still depended on the Rong Prince Mansion for his advancement. Nor could she stand by and watch the Marquis's household fall into chaos. So she had to be the one to rein in Princess Rongjia. "Mother, I will work hard to manage the Marquis's household well. Please... please give me another chance." Princess Rongjia knew the Old Madame was truly considering a change. However proud she was, she had to lower her head and beg. The Autumn Banquet was fast approaching. If the household changed managers at this moment, what would people think of her? Realizing this, Princess Rongjia pleaded once more, "Daughter-in-law knows there are many things I have done poorly, but my intentions have always been for the good of the Marquis's household. If you replace the household manager now, I... how could I ever show my face again?" Old Madame Song thought it over. She truly couldn't afford to offend Princess Rongjia's dignity, so she shot her eldest son a meaningful glance. Song Shulan went to help Princess Rongjia up. "Your Highness, please rise quickly. Mother is not an unkind or ungrateful person. She has seen all your efforts." "Yes, Your Highness, I have no intention of punishing or scolding you. I am only thinking of the bigger picture. You can understand that, can't you?" Old Madame Song looked at Princess Rongjia, and seeing that she was at a loss for words, continued, "After the autumn banquet, you should claim illness for a while, then send the account books and keys to Qiushuang Zhai. This way, you preserve your dignity and can rest easy. I hope you can give me a fine grandson." Princess Rongjia's face alternated between pale and flushed. When she was escorted back to Wutong Yuan, her limbs felt drained of strength, and her entire spirit seemed to have left her. Song Shulan tried to comfort her from the side. "Don't blame Mother. She only wants what's best for you. During this time managing the household, you've visibly grown haggard. Since it's all a pile of troublesome matters anyway, wouldn't it be better to let Lady Cui deal with the headaches?" He didn't understand why women all wanted to manage the household. It didn't affect who he treated better, did it? Princess Rongjia opened her mouth and wanted to cry. Men didn't understand the intricacies of the inner quarters, but she did. Without power, she would have to go greet Cui Lingrong before going out in the future, and even eating two extra dishes would require reading someone else's expression. When you weren't the one in charge of your own life, everything was arranged by others—how could that be satisfying? Women weren't like men, who could go out whenever they pleased. Most of their time was spent within the marquis estate anyway. "Master Song, I..." Princess Rongjia still wanted Song Shulan to plead on her behalf, but when she saw Wang Shanxi's Wife shake her head, she swallowed her words. That night, Song Shulan held Princess Rongjia in his arms the whole time, and by the next morning, her eyes were swollen. Meanwhile, Old Madame Song summoned Cui Lingrong again. The marquis estate had made Cui Lingrong suffer for a while, and now that they wanted her to take over management, Old Madame Song naturally wanted to curry favor. She brought out a set of hair ornaments from her dowry and said deliberately, "The princess is not as capable as you. I've already spoken with her—after the autumn banquet, you'll take over managing the household." She still had to wait until after the autumn banquet? Cui Lingrong sneered inwardly. Old Madame really did favor Princess Rongjia's dignity. Back at Qiushuang Zhai, Nanny Qiu and her daughter were delighted to hear what Old Madame had said. Especially Song Yu. "Mother is still the more skilled one. The princess must be furious—she's probably badmouthing you behind your back. She deserves it!" Cui Lingrong wasn't so pleased, though. Old Madame had specifically called her over and even asked about the cloth shop business. Her meaning was clear: since she was being asked to manage the household again, if she were sensible, she would do as before and hand over the dividends for the estate's use. In the past, Cui Lingrong might have gone along with Old Madame's wishes. But now, looking at her daughter who was so devoted to her, Cui Lingrong wanted more than ever to plan for herself and her children. "Your grandmother, in order to protect the princess's dignity, had the princess wait until after the autumn banquet to give me the account books and keys. She knows that if she handed over power now, the princess would lose face at the banquet. And what about me?" Wasn't this also the first banquet Cui Lingrong would attend since returning to the estate? The marquis had taken an Equal Wife, and who knew how many people outside were gossiping about it. This banquet would be the first time she and Princess Rongjia appeared together. Whoever presided over matters would have more face. Old Madame was concerned about Princess Rongjia—had she ever thought about Cui Lingrong? Song Yu hadn't thought that deeply and only now realized her mother's awkward position. Her smile vanished instantly. "Grandmother is still biased. Even getting back the right to manage the household isn't so satisfying anymore. Why don't you claim illness that day and skip the festivities?" "If I'm not there, everyone will speculate even more—whether I've fallen out of favor, or what have you. It would only make us a laughingstock." Cui Lingrong was resolute. "I not only need to appear, but I need to let everyone see that I'm in excellent condition." With that, she deliberately smiled. "As for managing the household, let's drag it out. Your grandmother has already informed the princess, but if I refuse to take over, they'll be the ones feeling uncomfortable." Song Yu still didn't understand. "Why? What if Grandmother changes her mind and lets the princess keep managing? Wouldn't all your efforts be wasted?" "No, she won't. When your grandmother makes a decision, she's surely thought it through carefully. In her eyes, the princess simply isn't as capable as I am. She'll only be hoping I take over quickly. The face I lost, I need to win back. Put them over the fire and let them stew. When your father can't bear the pressure and comes to beg me, then I'll take over. Only then will they value me, rather than treating me like a tool for managing the household." Cui Lingrong laid out all her thoughts for her daughter to hear. She hoped her daughter would learn more skills, yet at the same time, she hoped her daughter would never need to use them.