Chapter 216

Chapter 216: Punished with Hunger Cui Lingrong brought Caiyue and went to the residence that Cui Zeyu had purchased previously. When Cui Zeyu had bought the residence before, he had said that if Cui Lingrong ever wanted a place to go, this would be her best choice. Caiyue followed the Eldest Madam closely. Having heard the harsh words Marquis Song had spoken, she said with self-reproach, "Eldest Madam, perhaps you should go back. Otherwise, Marquis Song really will be angry. This servant has dragged you into trouble—please don't worry about me anymore." But Cui Lingrong did not stop. "Caiyue, how old were you when you started following me?" "Eight years old." "Ten years have passed." Cui Lingrong turned back to look at Caiyue and smiled at her. "What fault do you have? I have no fault either. The fault lies with the Marquis. He should not have treated you like a plaything. You are my person, and by doing this, he shows that in his eyes, I am not that important either." Pausing, Cui Lingrong took a deep breath. "Caiyue, let's stay here for a few days. I need some time to catch my breath." In the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, she could indeed suppress County Princess Rongjia and had no fear of Old Madame Song. But living that way, day after day, was too exhausting. Cui Lingrong said she wanted to catch her breath, and so she truly stayed there for three days. It was only when Cui Zeyu learned of the news from Yu-jie that he hurried over. The moment he entered, Cui Zeyu began cursing, "That Song Shulan is truly shameless the older he gets! He has no ability of his own and always thinks of relying on others. If anything really happens and he lacks the capability to handle it, let's see if The Emperor will skin him alive!" Cui Lingrong listened to her younger brother curse for quite a while, then finally laughed. "Sister, you're still laughing?" "You curse so satisfyingly—am I not allowed to laugh?" Cui Lingrong asked. Cui Zeyu sat down beside her. "Sister, what are you thinking now?" "What do you mean?" Cui Lingrong glanced at her brother, saying she planned to have Caiyue go take care of Jin-ge. "And what about yourself?" Cui Zeyu had been worrying about this all along. "Song Shulan is not a good man, and he won't be dying anytime soon. What are you going to do? Are you going back to the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion?" Cui Lingrong looked at her brother helplessly. "Yu-jie is about to have her Ji-pin ceremony. If I'm not there, who knows what kind of marriage the Marquis might arrange for her?" Cui Zeyu fell silent, because what his sister said was the truth. Given Song Shulan's character, he would definitely use his children's marriages to curry favor with the powerful. While the two were silent, a servant came to report that Marquis Song had arrived. Cui Lingrong directly said she would not see him. "Tell him to go back. In a few days, I'll return on my own." When Song Shulan learned that Cui Lingrong refused to see him, his anger blazed even hotter. He raged at the courtyard, "Fine, you Cui woman! Don't think that just because you have someone backing you now, you can defy me!" Song Shulan returned to the mansion with a dark face. Having failed to bring her back, he was full of resentment. Seeing Yu-jie and Xuan-ge in the courtyard, he used them as targets for his anger. "None of you have anything proper to do?" Song Shulan scolded. "Especially you, Yu-jie. You follow your mother every day—what exactly have you learned? She's quite capable, running off to Cui Zeyu's place without caring what people might say!" Song Yu was also holding in her anger. "Father, why do you only blame Mother? If you hadn't done such muddled things, why would Mother have left with Caiyue?" "You... you dare talk back to me?" Song Shulan stared at his daughter in disbelief. Song Yu had wanted to say these things for a long time. "I'm not talking back—I'm just stating the facts. I actually think Mother did well to leave, rather than toiling away in the mansion only to be schemed against at every turn!" "Song Yu!" Song Shulan raised his hand, but seeing his daughter hold her chin up defiantly, he ultimately did not strike. "You really are your mother's good daughter! Go kneel in the ancestral hall right now. If you don't admit your mistake, you won't be allowed to eat!" Song Yu went to the ancestral hall without looking back. The remaining Song Mingxuan furrowed his brows. "Father, what are you doing?" Seeing his eldest son also questioning him, Song Shulan retorted, "I'm teaching your sister to respect her elders. Don't tell me you want to talk back to me too?" "Your son doesn't mean that, but the way you handled Caiyue's matter was truly unwise. Caiyue is Mother's maidservant. You agreed to the Rong Prince Mansion's request without Mother's consent—did you respect Mother at all?" Song Mingxuan said. "Your son knows you have difficulties, but no matter how difficult things are, decisions like this should not be made unilaterally." At that moment, he felt somewhat disappointed in his father's character. But Song Shulan only heard his children's defiance. "Get back to your room! All of you are like this—I'm your father, not your son!" After scolding both children, Song Shulan stormed off in a fury. As for Song Yu, Song Shulan gave orders that she truly be given no food at all. After a day passed, even Old Madame Song could not bear it and went over with Mama Xu. Song Shulan remained firm. "Mother, Yu-jie is grown now. If we don't temper her character, what will happen after she marries?" "But you can't starve her! Kneeling as punishment is one thing, but if you starve her until something goes wrong, won't you feel heartbroken?" Old Madame Song was anxious, having learned that Yu-jie had gone two meals without eating. "I've had someone send her water. After two days of hunger, she'll realize she was wrong. Don't worry, she won't die!" Song Shulan insisted on not sending food. When he woke up this morning, he too felt he had acted impulsively. He sent someone to the ancestral hall, only to learn that Yu-jie still refused to admit her mistake. This time, he was determined to make Yu-jie bow her head; otherwise, how could he establish his authority in the marquis household? Old Madame Song sighed. "Then at most you punish her for two days. Any longer and it could truly cost a life. Yu-jie has never endured hardship since she was little. Don't be so stubborn with her—handle things gradually." Song Shulan nodded. But neither of them expected that when Song Shulan sent someone to the ancestral hall the next day, Song Yu still refused to admit fault. Song Yu even said, "In the matter of Caiyue, Father was the one in the wrong. If Father wants to starve me to death, then I have nothing more to say. Consider this life of mine returned to Father!" When Song Shulan heard this, he grew even angrier. It happened that Song Shulan was at County Princess Rongjia's residence. After hearing the story, County Princess Rongjia shook her head. "Sister Cui really is something. Everyone says she has such a good temper—how did she raise Yu-jie to be like this?" Hearing County Princess Rongjia speak ill of Yu-jie, Song Shulan instinctively defended her. "Actually, Yu-jie is quite good. It's just that at her age, she still doesn't understand my difficulties." "Yes, indeed. My second brother only wanted a little maidservant—not someone of great importance. I really don't know what Sister Cui was thinking. Is a Caiyue really that important? More important than Master Song?" County Princess Rongjia steered the conversation back to Cui Lingrong. Comparing Caiyue with Song Shulan made Song Shulan feel even more keenly how little Cui Lingrong cared about him. Even up to today, Cui Lingrong had not returned. Song Shulan called for Qingshan. "Go to the ancestral hall and keep watch. Send in a bowl of sugar water, but as for food—no one is to deliver any, even if it's on Old Madame's orders!" Qingshan hesitated for a moment, then could only obey the marquis's command. Old Madame Song had indeed secretly sent food over, but it was intercepted. With no other recourse, she sent someone to find Cui Lingrong. "Tell Lady Cui that if she doesn't come back soon, Yu-jie will starve to death! I've never seen a mother like her!"