Chapter 210

Chapter 210: The Resentful Infant When Princess Consort Rong came calling, she brought along Madam Qian and her husband from the Second Branch. They first paid their respects to Old Madame, then went to the Wutong Courtyard. None of them had any intention of acknowledging Cui Lingrong. Upon learning of this, Cui Lingrong, following proper protocol, sent someone to make a perfunctory appearance. She was in Qiushuang Zhai, giving Caiyue instructions about going out. "I'm having Er Shun accompany you. I've prepared a bundle of silver for Caixia. Tell her that once she gives birth, I'll go see her." Caixia had become pregnant after marrying, and she was due in a little over a month. Caiyue, as a close sister, would visit Caixia whenever she had free time each month. After all, Caixia's husband had gone off to war, leaving only Caixia and a young maidservant at home. Caiyue herself had no intention of marrying. She and Caixia were as close as sisters, and over these days, she had made some dudou for the baby and other children's clothing to bring along. Nanny Qiu added from the side, "Go early and come back early. Don't linger on the road, understand?" "Nanny Qiu, I'm a grown woman now. Why do you still treat me like a child?" Caiyue said with a giggle as she left. Nanny Qiu watched Caiyue's retreating figure and sighed to her mistress, "That girl Caiyue is so flighty. She's this old and still hasn't settled down. I wonder who she takes after?" "Certainly not me," Cui Lingrong had just said when Yu-jie, who was doing needlework, chimed in, "Caiyue's personality is wonderful. And even if she doesn't marry, with Mother protecting her, she'll have more freedom than she would in a marriage." Song Yu said that if it weren't for her father and grandmother watching over her, she wouldn't marry either. In the past, Cui Lingrong would have certainly thought such an idea was wrong, but now seeing Caiyue living freely, she thought it was acceptable too. However, Caiyue didn't heed the advice after all, and played until nearly dark before returning, earning a lengthy scolding from Nanny Qiu. "Oh, Nanny Qiu, stop scolding me. How often do Caixia and I get to see each other?" Caiyue wrapped her arm around Nanny Qiu's, acting coy. "Today I saw that Caixia's belly is so big, and that little maid by her side is all thumbs, so I stayed to help with the work." Then she turned to the Eldest Young Madam to beg a favor. "When Caixia is about to give birth, could this servant go attend to her?" Otherwise, with Caixia's husband away, Caiyue wouldn't feel at ease. But Cui Lingrong said, "You've never given birth before. If I send you, what could you possibly do?" With that, Cui Lingrong looked at Nanny Qiu. "Better to have Nanny Qiu go first. Nanny Qiu is steady and experienced, and knows what needs to be prepared for childbirth. Once Caixia has given birth, Caiyue, you can go and relieve Nanny Qiu." She always needed to keep someone trustworthy by her side. Caiyue praised, "The Eldest Young Madam's arrangement is best. I have no experience, so let Nanny Qiu go first." Caiyue counted the days as they passed, hoping Caixia would have a safe delivery. But before that, Jin-ge fell ill first. For several consecutive days, Jin-ge's body broke out in cold sweats. When a physician was called to examine him, the physician couldn't explain the cause either. Cui Lingrong went to watch over him every day. Cui Zeyu even invited an imperial physician, but no illness could be detected. After several days of this, Cui Lingrong had grown noticeably haggard. "Every last one of you—how are you attending to him? If you can't care for your young master properly, then send Jin-ge to Shouan Tang!" Old Madame Song had barely entered the courtyard before she began her scolding, her words aimed at one person while insulting another. When she reached the room and saw Cui Lingrong rise to greet her, Old Madame Song was even more displeased. "My son has only two sons in total. You insisted on having Jin-ge practice martial arts. Now look—Jin-ge is sick like this. You, as his mother, may not feel heartbroken, but I do!" Song Mingjin, lying in bed, heard his grandmother's scolding and hurriedly propped himself up. "Grandmother, I... I'm not seriously ill." After speaking, he collapsed weakly back down. Old Madame Song watched anxiously. She didn't care for Cui Lingrong, but her love for her grandchildren was genuine—especially now that she knew her eldest son couldn't father more children, she valued the Eldest Branch's three children even more. "My precious child, lie down quickly and don't talk." Old Madame Song tucked the blanket around Jin-ge, then turned to glare at Cui Lingrong. "On ordinary days, I can't be bothered to criticize you, but when it comes to matters concerning the children, how can you be so useless?" Nanny Qiu couldn't bear to listen any longer. "Old Madame, the Eldest Young Madam has been caring for Jin-ge day and night these past days, attending to every detail." "Shut your mouth! When the mistress is speaking, what right do you have to interrupt?" Old Madame Song had just finished speaking when Song Shulan also arrived. Seeing her son, Old Madame Song began to wail, "My poor Jin-ge! So young and already suffering such torment. What are we to do?" Song Shulan was also worried about his son and asked Cui Lingrong, "What did the physician say when he came?" "He's taken the medicine, and he improved a bit in the first two days, but he still has no strength." Cui Lingrong couldn't understand it—the physician said there was nothing serious, but her son simply had no energy or spirit. "How can this be?" Song Shulan looked at Jin-ge's pale little face and furrowed his brow. "Where are the servants attending to Jin-ge? Every last one of them—how are they caring for their young master?" Old Madame Song said they should be punished, then looked at Cui Lingrong again. "In my opinion, we should just take Jin-ge to Shouan Tang. That way, we avoid certain people whose minds are on others. One day it's raising a younger brother, the next day it's a cousin—when would they ever have time to care about our Jin-ge?" "Old Madame, is what you're saying quite right?" Cui Lingrong couldn't help but speak up. "I am Jin-ge's mother—how could I not care about his matters?" "Then let me ask you—why has Jin-ge been like this all along?" Old Madame Song asked. Cui Lingrong frowned in deep thought. Just then, Mama Xu whispered, "Old Madame, in this old servant's view, could Jin-ge have run into something unclean?" At the mention of spirits and the supernatural, Old Madame Song suddenly had a revelation. "Yes! Why didn't I think of that? Jin-ge is young and bold—perhaps he went somewhere and collided with some evil spirit, which is why he's like this." Old Madame Song hastily ordered, "Go—quickly find an experienced Daoist priest. Don't let my Jin-ge suffer any longer!" Since the physician's treatment had been ineffective, Old Madame Song insisted on summoning a Daoist priest. When Mama Xu brought the Daoist priest, he first examined Song Mingjin's pupils, then asked for his birth date and time. As the priest's brow grew increasingly furrowed, Old Madame Song's nerves grew ever more taut. "Immortal, what exactly is wrong with this child of mine? Has he run into something unclean?" The priest let out a sigh and suddenly asked, "In your household, did an infant die in the womb some days ago?" "No, there wasn't." Old Madame Song answered naturally. Song Shulan, however, was greatly alarmed—he thought of the child in Zhuqing's womb. No one in the room spoke. The priest continued, "You must tell me the truth if I am to help your young master through this calamity. Otherwise, not even the gods could save him!" Old Madame Song still hadn't thought of Zhuqing and continued to say no. It was only after Mama Xu whispered a few words in her ear that she suddenly realized. "Yes, yes, there was! Great Immortal, how did you know?" "Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed." The priest began counting on his fingers and pacing in circles. Cui Lingrong, however, found it strange. When she was young, her aunt had told her that if spirits and gods truly existed, her deceased mother would have long since devoured the Cui family one by one. Thus, she had never placed much faith in the divine. Later, when her younger brother traveled for trade, he would tell her strange tales and stories of the various charlatans he encountered upon his return. In truth, most of these so-called mystics were merely spinning fabrications—who could truly understand the ways of ghosts and gods? "This resentful infant died with eyes unclosed, and now it has been reborn into your household." The priest suddenly opened his eyes, then tossed out a talisman paper, sticking it to the headboard. "Urgent as the law commands—evil spirits, begone at once!" Upon hearing this, Old Madame Song immediately thought of the child in Madam Li's womb. The fact that the priest could divine such a thing made her even more certain he was an immortal. She hastily pressed on, "The Immortal's divine calculations are truly remarkable! Then tell us—what should we do now?"