Chapter 241

Chapter 241: Killing the Husband When Cui Lingrong saw Lou Wanxian hesitating, she dismissed the servants, leaving only Nanny Qiu behind. Only then did Lou Wanxian speak. "I'm truly embarrassed to say this, but my husband works in the Prince Wu's Mansion, so I had no choice but to come. Sister Cui, please don't be angry—I'm just here to go through the motions." Cui Lingrong had a foreboding feeling. "Feel free to speak plainly." "A few days ago, I went out with Princess Consort Wu and ran into Yu-jie and a young girl at a jewelry shop. Princess Consort Wu praised Yu-jie's beauty at the time, but I didn't think much of it—I assumed she simply took a liking to the girl." Lou Wanxian didn't dare look at Cui Lingrong as she spoke. Cui Lingrong watched Lou Wanxian silently. Lou Wanxian continued, "When Princess Consort Wu learned that Yu-jie had reached Ji-pin, she sent me here... to propose a match with Prince Wu's eldest son." "But didn't the Prince Wu's heir already take a wife?" Cui Lingrong frowned. "Surely she wouldn't expect a noble daughter of our marquis household to become his concubine?" Seeing Lou Wanxian remain silent, Cui Lingrong's expression immediately turned cold. "How could she even think of such a thing? Even an ordinary scholarly family wouldn't send their daughter to be a concubine, let alone the legitimate eldest daughter of a prestigious marquis household!" She was genuinely angered. "Who says otherwise? I told them you wouldn't agree, but Princess Consort Wu insisted I come, using the heir's wife's poor health as leverage—saying that if Yu-jie married in and bore a son, she could be elevated to the position of principal wife." Lou Wanxian knew this wasn't reliable. Even if the heir's wife was in poor health, she wasn't on her deathbed—who knew how many more years she might live? And she'd have to bear a son before there was even any hope. Cui Lingrong took a deep breath. Setting aside her own feelings, even Song Shulan would never agree. "Good sister, tell me—what is Princess Consort Wu thinking, trying to find a noble daughter to be a Noble Concubine?" "I don't know much about the affairs of Prince Wu's Mansion. But I have been in and out of the mansion for a while. The heir's wife was chosen by Prince Wu himself, and she doesn't have a good relationship with Princess Consort Wu. I think Princess Consort Wu needs another woman of status and beauty to compete with the heir's wife for favor, to keep her in check." Lou Wanxian explained clearly, and Cui Lingrong understood immediately. "Then go back and tell Princess Consort Wu that my Yu-jie is still young. I intend to keep her at home for a few more years and don't plan to marry her off so soon." Though angered, she still needed a polite excuse to refuse on the surface. Lou Wanxian was relieved to have Cui Lingrong's answer. "Sister, don't be angry. If you refuse, Prince Wu's Mansion can't force the matter." Cui Lingrong thanked Lou Wanxian profusely, but what she didn't expect was that Prince Wu himself would approach Song Shulan, also mentioning that the heir was in need of a suitable companion, and inquiring about Yu-jie's marriage prospects. "Do they really think I'm the type to play both sides? Clinging to Prince Rong's coattails while also trying to board Prince Wu's ship?" Song Shulan was indeed smooth in official circles, but he still had some sense. Prince Rong and Prince Wu were at odds. Song Shulan had enjoyed Prince Rong's patronage—if he also cultivated ties with Prince Wu, he'd end up pleasing neither side and die an even worse death. "And making Yu-jie a concubine?" Song Shulan grew angrier as he spoke. "Even if his daughter-in-law died and they wanted Yu-jie as a Successor Wife, I wouldn't agree, let alone as a concubine! How dare they even think of it—shameless!" Hearing Song Shulan say this, Cui Lingrong breathed a complete sigh of relief. "I never expected Prince Wu's Mansion to want Yu-jie so badly. If they wanted a Noble Concubine, there are plenty of suitable families in Bianjing. But Princess Consort Wu sent someone, and Prince Wu himself approached you, Marquis. I think there's something suspicious about this. Please be more vigilant in your daily affairs, Marquis, so we don't fall into their schemes." If Song Shulan were schemed against, that would be one thing, but Cui Lingrong feared Yu-jie would be dragged into it. This was why she wanted to settle Yu-jie's engagement early—otherwise, with a daughter sought after by a hundred families, constantly refusing would eventually earn her a reputation for being too picky. Song Shulan nodded. He noticed that ever since his relationship with Cui Lingrong had cooled, they could actually speak more calmly with each other. The two were less like husband and wife, and more like partners. It was late at night, and he rose to leave. Cui Lingrong hummed in acknowledgment and lowered her head to continue her embroidery. The matter of Prince Wu's Mansion's marriage proposal was set aside for now. In the days that followed, Cui Lingrong received many banquet invitations. She not only brought Yu-jie along but also Zhuang Qi. Zhuang Qi accompanied Cui Lingrong to various banquets and gained much experience. Every time she returned home, she would praise how capable Cui Lingrong was. Many people also mentioned marriage prospects for Song Yu to Cui Lingrong, but no matter how she looked, none were suitable. Either the family was too complicated, or the man wasn't good enough. To find a proper match for her daughter, Cui Lingrong exhausted herself, thinking about it every day. Until Cui Zeyu came to visit, bringing news. "I've learned something from my people." Cui Zeyu deliberately glanced toward the door as he spoke, and Nanny Qiu moved to stand behind it, guarding against eavesdroppers. Cui Lingrong leaned in slightly as her younger brother spoke. "He said that Elder Master Du was originally in good health, but after a few years, he suddenly began to decline. No matter what physician came, none could find the cause—Elder Master Du simply had no strength." Cui Zeyu said, "The way I hear it, it sounds very much like Jin-ge's condition during that period." Regarding Song Mingjin's illness, Cui Lingrong and Cui Zeyu had never been able to uncover how County Princess Rongjia had done it. According to what the abbot said, it was an extremely rare poison that ordinary people would not have access to. No matter how much effort the Cui siblings expended, they ultimately found no leads. Now that they learned Elder Master Du had spent several years in such a state, a thought suddenly struck Cui Lingrong. "Could it be that County Princess Rongjia poisoned Elder Master Du?" Cui Zeyu said it was highly likely. "They say that when they first married, their relationship was very good. Later, Elder Master Du kept a concubine in a hidden residence. As you know, sister, County Princess Rongjia is willful and domineering—how could she tolerate such a thing?" "That's true." Cui Lingrong nodded. "Although I don't know how the Du family dealt with that concubine, from that point on, the two of them quarreled constantly. Gradually, Elder Master Du's health began to fail. I suspect County Princess Rongjia may have had a hand in it." Cui Zeyu had spent considerable effort and money to uncover this information. As for County Princess Rongjia murdering her husband, Cui Lingrong believed it. Others might not dare, but County Princess Rongjia was willful and reckless—there was nothing she wouldn't dare do. "If County Princess Rongjia truly did commit murder, the Du family must not know about it. Otherwise, how could they have tolerated County Princess Rongjia leaving safely?" Cui Lingrong mused. The Du family was, after all, a prominent local clan. If their son had been poisoned, such a grave grievance—if the Du family could let County Princess Rongjia go, it could only mean the Du family was in complete disarray internally. "Whether they know or not, if you sound out the Du family, sister, you might find out," Cui Zeyu said. "If we can confirm that County Princess Rongjia murdered her husband, then even the Rong Prince Mansion cannot protect her title of County Mistress."