Chapter 212

Chapter 212: The Abbot "Very well, Master Song, so you suspect me!" County Princess Rongjia pushed Song Shulan away, feigning anger. "Isn't it just about me supposedly wanting to take Sister Cui's child? What would I do with him if I took him? Xuan-ge and Jin-ge are both so grown now—even if they were registered under my name, would they listen to me?" Song Shulan quickly apologized and coaxed County Princess Rongjia for quite a while. "That's not what I meant. I just came to say that Old Madame is determined to listen to the Taoist priest. I'm asking whether you'd be willing?" "Unwilling. I wouldn't do such a thankless task. If he were truly transferred to my name, Sister Cui would really say I stole her son." County Princess Rongjia's stance was firm—she refused. No matter how Song Shulan pleaded, it was useless. After Song Shulan left, County Princess Rongjia narrowed her eyes and sipped her tea. Wang Hechun's Wife came in. "The County Mistress is clever. By refusing the Marquis, you appear all the more genuine." "Yes. If I'd agreed right away, Old Madame isn't one to be trifled with either." County Princess Rongjia had grown much more cautious. As for Jin-ge's matter, she'd never appeared personally, nor had her people done the deed. No matter how they investigated, it could never be traced back to her. "Isn't Cui Lingrong most protective of her children? Let's see how she resolves this matter with Song Mingjin." County Princess Rongjia curled her lips, looking like she was watching a show. Her ultimate goal wasn't actually to have Song Mingjin transferred to her name. Just as she'd said, Song Mingjin and his brother were already so grown, and Cui Lingrong was still alive. Whether he was registered under her name or not made little real difference. This was only the beginning. "The Eldest Young Madam must be at her wit's end. If she refuses, and Jin-ge never recovers, Old Madame will truly force the Marquis to write a letter of divorce." Wang Hechun's Wife smiled. "And as for the Third Young Madam—if she learns that the child she carries is the reincarnation of Zhuqing's child, I wonder if she'll be able to sleep soundly?" Wang Hechun's Wife didn't know how Zhuqing had died. The news that came back was that there had been a fire at the estate. But why would a fire break out for no reason? Perhaps the Marquis had hated Zhuqing to the core and had someone set the fire. And since Zhuqing had done such a disgraceful thing, neither the Zheng family nor Zhuqing's own natal family would say anything. It was just that the Marquis was a bit too ruthless—Zhuqing had already been several months pregnant when she died. Even the Eldest Young Madam and Old Madame would have said to wait until Zhuqing gave birth before dealing with her. "Her?" County Princess Rongjia also disliked Madam Li. She had no abilities whatsoever—just giving birth, as if that made her so capable. "Whether she can carry it to term depends on her own ability." Wang Hechun's Wife glanced at her mistress, reading her thoughts, and said, "Such an ill-fated seed is better off not coming into this world." County Princess Rongjia smiled but said nothing more. Meanwhile, in the Third Branch's quarters, when Madam Li learned what the Taoist priest had said, she nearly fainted on the spot. "How could this be?" Madam Li touched her still-flat belly. Just thinking about it was deeply unsettling. While Madam Li was still in a daze, her maid announced that the Eldest Young Madam had arrived. Madam Li frowned nervously. Just as she was about to rise, her elder sister-in-law came in. "Elder Sister-in-law, I—" "Don't be afraid. I imagine someone from Shouan Tang already told you about Jin-ge's matter." Cui Lingrong had thought it over and come to reassure her. "We are both mothers. Carrying this child hasn't been easy for you—don't overthink it. As for Jin-ge's matter, I've already sent people to investigate. I will get to the bottom of it." "But Elder Sister-in-law, my child..." Madam Li's thoughts were scattered and chaotic. "How could my child be connected to Zhuqing's child?" Cui Lingrong said coldly, "When others insist on fabricating nonsense, can you really make sense of it?" "Fabricating?" "Anyone with clear eyes can see it. County Princess Rongjia cannot bear children, and the Marquis... the Marquis cannot either. That's why County Princess Rongjia wants to take my child." Cui Lingrong took a deep breath. "I simply wasn't formidable enough, which is why Jin-ge has to suffer this ordeal." Everyone around Jin-ge was someone Cui Lingrong trusted completely. Ever since Jin-ge fell ill, all his food had been prepared in her private kitchen. No outsider could touch a single thing. So what Cui Lingrong couldn't figure out was—how had County Princess Rongjia made her move? Madam Li realized her own child had also been targeted. No matter how this matter was resolved, some people would believe what the Taoist priest said. Once her child was born, if the matter of Zhuqing were brought up again, wouldn't that be a curse? Madam Li also felt hatred in her heart. She and Third Master had never participated in the mansion's power struggles. She had endured County Princess Rongjia again and again, yet she was still being schemed against. To be born under the label of a reincarnated resentful infant—how could life be good after that? "Elder Sister-in-law, have you considered that perhaps Jin-ge's condition isn't from something he ate?" Madam Li's thoughts began to wander. "Or perhaps it's something that doesn't exist in Bianjing at all. If you're certain County Princess Rongjia did it, then it must be someone from the Rong Prince Mansion who acted—after all, County Princess Rongjia is under house arrest. Only people from the Rong Prince Mansion could accomplish this." Cui Lingrong said she had already considered that. "Old Madame believes the Taoist priest, so I can also invite a renowned eminent monk. But Jin-ge's health—if we can't find the cause, he won't recover." Cui Lingrong was still most worried about Jin-ge's condition. She thought that once Jin-ge was better, he should stay permanently at the Duke of Dingguo's residence, to avoid coming back and being schemed against. "Yes, we still need to find out exactly what medicine County Princess Rongjia used," Madam Li said with a sigh. "Tell me, wouldn't it be wonderful if the Marquis's household were still the same as before, without County Princess Rongjia marrying in?" Everyone in the room shared the same thought. But they also knew there was no medicine for regret in this world, and even if it happened again, Song Shulan would still marry County Princess Rongjia. Still, with Cui Lingrong's reassurance, Madam Li felt somewhat better. That evening, the Duke of Dingguo invited the abbot of Fahua Temple to calculate Song Mingjin's fortune based on his birth chart. The abbot said Song Mingjin's chart was extremely auspicious. "A monk does not speak falsely. If Old Madame Song does not believe what I say, you are welcome to invite others to verify." Fahua Temple held considerable standing in Bianjing, not to mention its abbot—even princes and princesses would treat him with respect. Old Madame Song was momentarily confused. One person said one thing, another said something else—who should she believe? The Taoist priest wanted to argue in rebuttal, but Mama Xu tugged at his sleeve. If it had been an ordinary monk, they could have accused him of talking nonsense, but this was the abbot of Fahua Temple. "Then, Abbot, what exactly is wrong with my grandson?" Old Madame Song asked. "In my view, the young master seems to have been poisoned with some slow-acting toxin. According to legend, there is a poison from the Western Regions that can make a person listless. It need not be ingested—merely keeping it close to the body is enough," the abbot said, adding that he had only heard of it and never seen it himself. "The world is vast, and there are many things beyond our understanding. Perhaps the young master wandered into some place by accident, which brought about this misfortune." Cui Zeyu spoke up from the side, "Then we must see who is so vicious as to poison Jin-ge." He swept his gaze across everyone in the room. County Princess Rongjia was not present at the moment, so she did not know what the abbot had said.