Chapter 205

Chapter 205: Cousin Entering Qiushuang Zhai and seeing the maids at the door, Song Shulan snapped irritably, "Can't you see your master has arrived?" The maids dared not even breathe loudly. Song Shulan stomped up the stairs, and upon entering the room, curtly ordered the servants to withdraw. Caiyue glanced toward the First Madam, but it was only when Nanny Qiu came over that she left. With no one else in the room, Cui Lingrong set down the book in her hand. "If the Marquis has come to speak of Second Master's matter, I've already sent people to inquire. Many people saw Second Master being arrested—there's no way he can get out of this." "When did this happen?" Song Shulan asked. "Right after the Old Madame arrived, I sent people out, so you can't say I showed no consideration for family. Last time Second Master gambled, the Marquis should have punished him more severely, but out of brotherly affection, you spared his dignity. This time he's brought about a great disaster—what ability does a woman like me have?" Cui Lingrong preemptively silenced Song Shulan. Song Shulan frowned deeply. "From the very start, Cui Zeyu shouldn't have had people arrested. We're family after all—out of consideration for you, he shouldn't have let Second Brother be taken. Yu-jie is in the middle of marriage negotiations. With this kind of scandal spreading from the Marquis's household, do you think things will go well?" He said indignantly, "And about County Princess Rongjia—since you'd already found out, couldn't you have given a heads-up in advance?" Upon learning that County Princess Rongjia was being detained in the palace, Song Shulan thought to himself that it was over—if the County Princess was implicated, who else could he rely on? "The Marquis speaks lightly. Zeyu is only so high an official—how much can he cover up?" Cui Lingrong sneered. "Why don't you go talk to County Princess Rongjia? If she hadn't done such things, how would she have been investigated? Instead you blame Zeyu. The Marquis is truly blinded by greed—such double standards!" Cui Lingrong scolded Song Shulan without the slightest mercy. Song Shulan was stunned for a long moment. Realizing he'd been berated, he stared at Cui Lingrong, stammering "you" several times. "The Marquis must see it that way too—the matter was the County Princess's doing. Surely you don't think I forced her to invest in the gambling den?" Cui Lingrong said with exasperation. "Since it has nothing to do with me, what fault is mine? I've made all the inquiries I could. I don't have some extraordinary ability to petition the Emperor in person and beg for the County Princess's pardon." The Old Madame had come to scold her during the day, and now Song Shulan was here too. These people were ridiculous. It wasn't as if she had committed the crime, nor had she encouraged it—yet they all came pointing fingers at her! If you have the guts to do something, you should have the guts to bear the consequences. "Lingrong, why are you so fierce?" After holding it in for a long while, that was all Song Shulan could manage. "The Marquis says I'm fierce, but you should also see things from my perspective. What did I do wrong? This morning the Old Madame came to scold me, and now you've come too. Why don't you go blame Second Master for being a wastrel, or the County Princess for being greedy?" Cui Lingrong struck first to keep Song Shulan from launching his own accusations. Song Shulan was momentarily speechless. Indeed, it wasn't as if Cui Lingrong had told his younger brother to gamble, and as for the County Princess's investment in the gambling den, there was no way Cui Lingrong could have known. Song Shulan softened his tone. "I didn't mean to blame you. I just thought—since the matter was handled by Zeyu, you could help make some inquiries. If the Marquis's household as a whole prospers, then everyone can truly do well, don't you agree?" Seeing that Cui Lingrong wasn't responding, Song Shulan continued, "Yu-jie's marriage negotiations are imminent. With the County Princess as her mother, she can secure a better match. Don't you want what's best for Yu-jie? Why can't you see that right now?" At this, Cui Lingrong's heart ached even more. "I do want what's best for Yu-jie, but my daughter doesn't need some so-called 'mother.' The Marquis shouldn't forget how the County Princess treated Yu-jie before. Do you truly believe the County Princess will be good to Yu-jie?" She didn't know whether Song Shulan thought she was easy to fool, or whether Song Shulan had simply grown stupid. The fact that she and County Princess Rongjia were irreconcilable was hardly a secret. "You... why must you keep harping on the past?" Song Shulan's expression darkened. "The County Princess can't bear children, so naturally she'll treat our child as her own." "Was the County Princess only just now unable to bear children?" Cui Lingrong was exhausted from the argument. "The Marquis values nothing more than the Rong Prince Mansion's power and influence, which is why you want me to go to Zeyu. But you want too much. From the moment you hid from me your marriage to an Equal Wife, you should have known that the scales can never be balanced. I, Cui Lingrong, am no pushover." Cui Lingrong called out, "Nanny Qiu," and when Nanny Qiu entered, she had her see the guest out. This was the first time she had spoken so directly about the state of her relationship with Song Shulan. The wound had already been left behind—it could never return to how it was. Song Shulan valued his official career, and Cui Lingrong had her own bottom line. Once again, the two parted on bad terms, Song Shulan leaving with a darkened face. Cui Lingrong rubbed her temples with one hand. "Nanny Qiu, I feel so tired, as if my body is carrying a burden of a thousand pounds." "First Madam, don't dwell on it. It's none of our business anyway—let them say whatever they want," Nanny Qiu consoled her. "This time, the County Princess is bound to take a fall." "What a pity. She's a County Mistress. Even with all the evidence, as long as she doesn't commit treason or murder, she'll live out her days in peace." Cui Lingrong said with a long sigh. "If it weren't for the three children, I wouldn't be stirring up trouble in the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion at all. Even if the Cui family can't tolerate me, I could always return to Suzhou and seek refuge with my cousin." Speaking of her cousin, Cui Lingrong asked about his travel plans. Nanny Qiu said that if all went well, he would arrive within the next two days. Cui Lingrong nodded and dropped the matter of County Princess Rongjia and Song Shucheng. Over the next two days, not only was Song Shulan pulling every string he could find, but Old Madame Song was also seeking help. Madame Jiang even returned to her natal family, but her stepmother received her and made excuses that she couldn't intervene. With no other recourse, Madame Jiang could only return in dejection. Seeing He Pingping peeking around the doorway, Madame Jiang's anger flared anew. "What are you looking at? Missing men again?" "No, cousin, I—" "Don't call me cousin. I don't have a cousin like you." Madame Jiang said. "A concubine should know her place. I think Second Master was led astray by you. If he hadn't married you, how would he have taken up gambling?" With that, Madame Jiang ordered someone to slap He Pingping's face. She was full of pent-up fury, and He Pingping had just walked right into it. "He Pingping, I treated you with all my heart back then, yet you insisted on seducing my husband. Let me tell you this—you'd better pray that Second Master comes back safe and sound. Because if he doesn't, with no one to protect you, neither you nor your son will have an easy day ahead!" It wasn't until He Pingping had been slapped ten times that Madame Jiang finally stopped. Only then did He Pingping realize that without Song Shucheng, her days ahead would be very difficult indeed. Madame Jiang hated her to the bone, and as a concubine—even a Noble Concubine—she would still have to live at the mercy of the principal wife's moods. At that moment, no one wished more fervently than He Pingping that Song Shucheng would return safely. But she also had to think of herself. Leaving the Second Branch, she went to Shouan Tang. Old Madame Song was already vexed enough. Even seeing the slap marks on He Pingping's face, she had no mind to help her. When He Pingping began to sob a couple of times, it only grated on her nerves further, and she had her sent away directly. After thinking it over, He Pingping wanted to go to Qiushuang Zhai next. But Cui Lingrong wasn't in the mansion. Her cousin's family had returned, and Cui Lingrong had taken Yu-jie and Jin-ge to the docks to receive them.