Chapter 292

Chapter 292: Stirring Hearts At Qiushuang Zhai, Cui Lingrong received the news from the palace and was momentarily taken aback, though not particularly surprised. Nanny Qiu sighed. "Who would have thought that Princess Consort Rong would treat County Princess Rongjia so well, even willing to take the blame herself?" "Princess Consort Rong must have been involved in the Mei family affair, but she stepped forward and took everything upon herself," Cui Lingrong said. "Who could have imagined it? No one could have." "Yes, this servant thought County Princess Rongjia was doomed this time, but she managed to escape unscathed." Nanny Qiu let out another sigh. "At least she's lost her status as County Mistress, so she'll always be beneath you now." Cui Lingrong smiled. "She still has the Rong Prince Mansion behind her. She's not so easy to topple." Nanny Qiu sighed again. "What a pity we couldn't finish off County Princess Rongjia this time. Still, the Rong Prince Mansion losing the Emperor's favor is a good thing for us." "Yes, regardless of what happens, Prince Rong will keep a much lower profile after this affair." As Cui Lingrong spoke, she instructed Nanny Qiu to send a bowl of lotus seed soup for clearing internal heat to Song Shulan. Nanny Qiu paused for a moment, then understood her mistress's intention. The Marquis would certainly be in a foul temper, and the Madam's gesture was quite provocative. "Just deliver it to the door and have Qingshan bring it in, so the Marquis won't take his anger out on you." After Cui Lingrong finished speaking, she called for Dongyun to prepare her washing water. Meanwhile, Song Shulan knocked the lotus seed soup to the floor the moment he received it. "Fine, fine, fine! She thinks she's clever!" Song Shulan paced back and forth in the room. "Does she really think she can rest easy now?" Qingshan stood nearby, not daring to speak. Only after a long while, when the Marquis asked for his opinion, did he venture quietly, "Actually, Marquis, since the County Mistress has fallen from favor, why not mend relations with the Madam?" One shouldn't lose both the sesame seeds and the watermelon, Qingshan thought. "Mend relations?" Song Shulan's eyes widened. If he were to go and appease Cui Lingrong, who knew how much effort it would take. But as for Zhao Susu... Sigh. Song Shulan was caught between a rock and a hard place. There was still the matter of explaining himself to Prince Rong, and he truly couldn't make up his mind. For now, though, he needed to seriously consider the future path of the Marquis's household. Prince Rong had told him not to neglect Zhao Susu, but Song Shulan found it hard to muster the energy to go smile at Zhao Susu. For several days in a row, he visited neither Cui Lingrong nor Wutong Yuan. At Wutong Yuan, Zhao Susu had clearly lost a great deal of weight. She only saw Song Shulan on the day of her mother's funeral procession. The two rode in the same carriage but sat in silence, facing each other without a word. After a long while, Zhao Susu finally stiffened and asked, "Now that I'm no longer County Mistress, has my dear Song come to despise me?"" "Susu, how can you say such a thing? When have I ever despised you?" Song Shulan said he hadn't. "Then why haven't you come to Wutong Yuan even once?" Zhao Susu looked at Song Shulan. Even though she now resented Song Shulan's inability to perform as a husband, there was still affection between them as a married couple. If Song Shulan were willing to comfort her and spend more time with her, these past few days would have been much easier to bear. But Song Shulan hadn't. Song Shulan said he was busy. "You know as well as I do that I only have my current official position because of your father. Now... sigh, the world kicks those who are down. You need to understand my situation." "I do understand you. That's why I haven't cried or made a fuss even though you didn't come. But I want you to know that this is the hardest time in my life, and I need someone to be with me." Tears streamed down Zhao Susu's face as she spoke. "If it weren't for Cui Lingrong and her brother, how could my mother have died?" Speaking of Cui Lingrong and her brother, Zhao Susu gnashed her teeth in hatred. If someone hadn't held her back, she would have rushed to Qiushuang Zhai and torn into Cui Lingrong with her bare hands. Song Shulan also blamed Cui Lingrong for meddling, but hearing Zhao Susu talk like this only irritated him further. "Ms. Cui shouldn't have done what she did, but Susu, if the Mei family affair had nothing to do with you all, your mother wouldn't have been dragged into it either." The implication of his words was: since you did it, stop being so obstinate—it's time to reflect. Zhao Susu hadn't expected Song Shulan to say such a thing. She looked at him in shock. "Young Master Song, don't you think Madam Mei deserved to die?" "Men taking multiple wives and concubines is perfectly ordinary." Song Shulan turned his head away, avoiding Zhao Susu's gaze. In his private heart, Song Shulan didn't see anything wrong with Du Shibei keeping a concubine's hidden residence. Zhao Susu couldn't bear children and was jealous to boot—if he didn't keep a concubine to produce heirs, was the Du family supposed to end its bloodline? Come to think of it, Du Shibei really had ended his line, since Du Cheng wasn't his flesh and blood. Thinking of Du Cheng, Song Shulan felt nothing but disgust. The carriage had already stopped. Not wanting to argue with Zhao Susu, Song Shulan got out first. Zhao Susu sat in the carriage for a long while. She hadn't expected Song Shulan to say she was in the wrong. And as for whether Mr. Mei deserved to die—Song Shulan actually didn't think so? In that moment, Zhao Susu finally felt the change in Song Shulan's attitude toward her. As she stepped down from the carriage, Zhao Susu didn't spare Song Shulan a single glance and walked straight into the Rong Prince Mansion. Seeing the shabby funeral arrangements, Zhao Susu found her sister-in-law in displeasure. "My mother treated you well when she was alive. How could you set things up so poorly? Are you doing this deliberately because you see the Rong Prince Mansion has lost its power?" Lady Wu and Zhao Susu had never gotten along, and now that Zhao Susu had lost her status as County Mistress, it was even worse. "Zhao Susu, who do you think you are now? Do you not understand how Mother died? Surely you don't still think of yourself as a filial daughter?" "Lady Wu, you... how dare you speak to me like this?" Zhao Susu said she would go find her eldest brother. "Then go ahead, and see if your eldest brother will still protect you at every turn like he used to," Lady Wu said. "If it weren't for you, Second Master wouldn't have died, and Mother wouldn't have come to harm. It was your willfulness that killed them, and now you dare to blame others?" Lady Wu stepped forward and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "But in truth, the one who deserves to die most is you!" Zhao Susu stepped back. The Lady Wu who had always been silent was now cursing her to die. Furious, Zhao Susu ran to complain to her father, but the moment she mentioned the mourning hall, he shouted at her to shut up. "You have the nerve to bring that up. If it weren't for your affair, would the Emperor have issued an edict forbidding a grand funeral and barring guests from paying their respects?" Prince Rong was filled with rage at the sight of his daughter. "If you feel any remorse, go kneel in your mother's mourning hall and reflect on your shame!" Zhao Susu hadn't expected to be rejected by everyone. "Fine, you all blame me. I'll leave!" She ran off crying, and Wang Hechun's Wife couldn't catch up with her from behind. Song Shulan noticed Wang Hechun's Wife chasing after someone and couldn't help but look over. After a moment's thought, he knew he still had to deal with Prince Rong, so he followed along. Zhao Susu hadn't actually intended to return to the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. She ran crying into the garden, but no sooner had she steadied herself than she was yanked with great force into the rockery. She was about to speak when a warm hand covered her lips. "It's me." Du Cheng wrapped his arms around Zhao Susu. "These past days, I've been longing to see you. But I couldn't get into the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, and you wouldn't come out. Day after day I waited for you to leave the house, afraid you might do something rash." His honeyed words were tender and lingering, and only then did Zhao Susu feel alive again. Everyone was blaming her, saying she was wrong, that she shouldn't have been so jealous, and that she shouldn't have brought misfortune upon her family. "It's not your fault. Du Shibei and Lady Mei deserved to die. You're so wonderful—how could Du Shibei have betrayed you?" Du Cheng spoke the words in Zhao Susu's heart. Zhao Susu's heart melted like snow in spring. If before she had been lost in physical pleasure with Du Cheng, this time she was truly moved. Just as Zhao Susu embraced Du Cheng, she suddenly heard Song Shulan's voice. Song Shulan had followed all the way and finally caught up with Wang Hechun's Wife. "Mama Wang, where is your mistress? Why are you here alone?"