Chapter 334

Chapter 334: Hiding a Man Zhao Susu's heart skipped a beat. Then she thought of how she had instructed Du Cheng to go elsewhere if anything seemed off—surely he wouldn't have been spotted. "Don't worry. In my courtyard, what could possibly happen? It must be some little maid who didn't watch where she was going and bumped into something." Zhao Susu shot Wang Hechun's Wife a look, signaling her to go check. Lady Wu rarely spoke, but now she did. "Even if it is just a maid, Sister, you should still teach your servants properly. Making such a fuss would only damage your reputation, wouldn't it?" "Sister-in-law is right." Zhao Susu shot Lady Wu a glance. She didn't know why Lady Wu had come at all—perhaps Father had ordered it. Her presence was truly an eyesore. Lady Wu glanced to the side and had one of her own attendants go take a look as well. Zhao Susu immediately said there was no need. "Matters in my courtyard need not trouble Sister-in-law." "I am here on Father's orders, to see how you are faring. With such a loud scream, if I didn't send someone to check, what would Father think of me?" Lady Wu insisted. But Zhao Susu wouldn't yield. "Sister-in-law, why must you use Father to pressure me? You and I both know exactly what our relationship is. I won't be reporting anything to Father, so just enjoy your tea in peace." "Sister, you keep making excuses to stop me from checking. You wouldn't be up to something shameful again, would you?" Lady Wu thought of what her niece had said. If Zhao Susu truly was that foolish, she would need to clean things up. Though her own daughter was already married, she couldn't let Zhao Susu drag the Rong Prince Mansion down with her. "What are you saying, Sister-in-law? I conduct myself with complete openness and honesty. What shameful thing could I possibly be hiding? Rather, it's you—you claim to be visiting me, but really you just don't want to see me do well!" Zhao Susu shot back fiercely. The atmosphere between the two turned tense. Madam Qian, caught in the middle, found herself in an awkward position. Madam Qian didn't like Lady Wu, but now that the Consort had passed away, Lady Wu managed the entire Rong Prince Mansion. Madam Qian still had to live under her authority. After a moment's thought, Madam Qian chose to keep her mouth shut. But then the commotion from the back courtyard suddenly grew louder. Soon after, Wang Hechun's Wife came rushing back in a panic. "Bad news, Madam! The Marquis saw... saw..." Before she could finish, Wang Hechun's Wife noticed the two ladies from the Rong Prince Mansion and frantically signaled her mistress. Zhao Susu didn't catch on at first. Wang Hechun's Wife leaned in to whisper, but then Song Shulan's furious roar came from the wooden window of the inner room: "Zhao Susu, get over here now!" Hearing that tone, Zhao Susu's heart leaped into her throat. "What's going on?" "The Marquis saw him!" "Saw what?" Zhao Susu was about to ask when she spotted Qingshan entering. "Madam, the Marquis requests your presence. He'd like you to explain how you came to be hiding an unfamiliar man in your chambers." Qingshan then looked at Lady Wu and the others. "And the two ladies should come as well, so that no one can claim the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion is wronging the Madam." Zhao Susu's heart pounded violently at those words. She gripped Wang Hechun's Wife's hand. "What do I do? What do I do now?" How would Wang Hechun's Wife know what to do? She had told her mistress long ago not to keep the man in the Marquis Mansion. People came and went constantly—paper could never wrap fire. But her mistress wouldn't listen. Madam Qian finally snapped back to her senses. "Hid... hiding an unfamiliar man?" Lady Wu spoke first. "Could this be a misunderstanding?" "The ladies can go see for yourselves." Qingshan urged them. "Please, everyone. Today's matter must come to a resolution." Zhao Susu signaled Wang Hechun's Wife. He hadn't been caught in her bed—as long as there was no proof of adultery in the act, they couldn't prove anything. She took a deep breath and followed them to the back of the house. Du Cheng knelt on the ground, his face bruised and swollen. When he saw Zhao Susu approach, he looked at her with pleading eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, then lowered his head pitifully, which broke Zhao Susu's heart. "Marquis, what are you doing?" Zhao Susu asked. "You have the nerve to ask me what I'm doing? Didn't I tell you that Du Cheng was forbidden from setting foot in the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion again? Yet you hid him in Wutong Courtyard. Tell me—do the two of you have an illicit affair?" The very sight of Du Cheng infuriated Song Shulan. But Zhao Susu cried injustice. "He's a generation younger than me. How could I possibly be having an affair with him? Where did he even come from? How would I know?" "Ha! You say you don't know, yet here he is, barefoot, hiding behind your quarters. Zhao, do you take us all for fools?" Song Yu wasn't about to let this opportunity slip. Finally, she had a handle on Zhao Susu. "This is your Wutong Courtyard. Who else but you would have the ability to do this?" "Then how should I know?" Zhao Susu refused to admit anything. Madam Qian also spoke up for her. "That's right. He was only found behind the house—what does that prove? Marquis Song, even if Susu has lost her title as County Mistress, she is still a daughter of the Rong Prince Mansion. You can't just sling mud at her!" Adultery was a grave accusation. If it were proven true, the Rong Prince Mansion would lose all face from now on. Song Shulan looked at Zhao Susu, then at Du Cheng. "When I pulled him out just now, I saw love bites on his body. A grown man like him couldn't have just materialized out of thin air." Zhao Susu knew that today, someone would have to be thrown under the cart. As for Du Cheng, she could only protect herself first and then find a way to rescue him later. At this moment, Song Yu spoke again, "To answer Father, a few days ago, someone saw Du Cheng sneaking into the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. Father had already made it clear that Du Cheng was not allowed in the mansion. It seems Madam Zhao never took your words to heart!" "Song Yu, stop sowing discord!" Zhao Susu said sharply. "Du Cheng and I are completely innocent. If you slander my reputation, I'll make you pay!" Madam Qian also said, "Indeed, Yu-jie, you're a girl about to be married. How can you disregard a young lady's reputation? Speaking of such filthy things from morning to night—you may not be ashamed to say them, but we're embarrassed to hear them." "If someone dares to do it, why can't I speak of it?" Song Yu put on an imposing air. "Father, you are the head of this household. Think about it—in this entire mansion, who has that kind of power?" "Stop your nonsense!" As Zhao Susu spoke, she shoved Wang Hechun's Wife. Wang Hechun's Wife quickly knelt down. "It's all this servant's fault. I saw how pitiful Cheng-ger was. He said the Du family gave him no place to stay and cut off his allowance. This old servant's heart couldn't bear it, so I thought to give him a place to live." Song Shulan frowned deeply. He didn't quite believe it, but he couldn't find words to refute it. And when Wang Hechun's Wife stepped forward, Madam Qian immediately said, "So it was you, you foolish woman. Such a big matter, and you hid it from your masters. Besides, what's so pitiful about a son of the Du family?" With that, Madam Qian shook her head. "Enough, you're kind-hearted after all." Wang Hechun's Wife pressed her forehead to the ground. "It was all this old servant's momentary foolishness. Previously, Cheng-ger was quite considerate to this old servant, so this old servant felt compassion. I beg the Marquis to spare us. Cheng-ger is the Madam's stepson—how could they be having an affair? Besides, the Madam dislikes the Du family, as you well know!" "If she dislikes the Du family, then why is Madam Zhao arranging everything for them?" Seeing that Wang Hechun's Wife was about to smooth things over, Song Yu immediately challenged. "From arranging lodging to getting the Du brothers into the Guozijian—every single one of these was arranged by Madam Zhao." Wang Hechun's Wife said, "That was—" "If you say it was out of regard for Elder Master Du, then there's still affection, so how could she dislike them? If it's some other reason, then I must ask what leverage the Du family holds over Madam Zhao?" Song Yu argued with sound reasoning. Zhao Susu said resentfully, "Song Yu, I am still your elder, yet you address me as 'Madam Zhao' left and right. You keep splashing dirty water on me—where are your manners?" Zhao Susu ordered people to drag Song Yu away. "You have no right to speak here!" Madam Qian also said, "Indeed, you've already followed Lady Cui away—you're not a proper member of the Song family!" "Heh heh, if I'm not a member of the Song family, are you?" Song Yu was going all out. Her father lacked backbone, so she had to have it. "I think Du Cheng has been living in this mansion for more than a day or two. Since Wang Hechun's Wife says you arranged his lodging, then where does he stay? We'll know once we go look. It can't be that you've arranged for him to share your bed, can it?" Zhao Susu had been so intent on being with Du Cheng that she hadn't arranged any other lodging for him. This question left Wang Hechun's Wife momentarily unable to come up with an explanation. Song Yu seized the opening. "Father, look—Du Cheng is barefoot. Why don't we search the rooms and see if his shoes are there, and whether there are men's clothes in the rooms? Then we'll know where Du Cheng usually stays!" "Song Yu, how dare you?" Zhao Susu's eyes went wide. Her room was filled with countless traces of Du Cheng—if someone were allowed to search it, she would never be able to clear her name today. "I am your elder, and yet you're shouting and demanding to search my room. Who do you think you are, so arrogant? If you find nothing, what will you do?" Her voice rose with each word. Song Shulan was already thinking—if they had misjudged Zhao Susu, how would they salvage this? Madam Qian also chimed in, "Indeed, Yu-jie. If you earn a reputation for slandering your stepmother, do you think your own reputation will remain intact?" In Madam Qian's view, Zhao Susu was a bit willful, but not capable of doing something so outrageous. Having an affair with her stepson? That was a filthiness not even storybooks could write. Lady Wu, however, was thinking—surely Zhao Susu wasn't so stupid and so brazen as to actually keep Du Cheng in her room without preparing another lodging? But Song Yu was unafraid. "Fine! If Madam Zhao and Du Cheng are completely innocent, then today I'll cut off my hair and become a nun!" Afraid her father would waver, Song Yu glanced at Qiutang, then looked back at her father. "Father, you don't want to be kept in the dark for the rest of your life, do you? If we don't get to the bottom of this, how can you face the ancestors of this mansion?" Song Shulan clenched his fists. A man could not tolerate being cuckolded more than anything. "Fine, we'll do as you say. Let's go look in the rooms!" Zhao Susu panicked. "Marquis, you actually don't believe me?" "Then tell me, where does Du Cheng usually stay?" Song Shulan thought of more and more things that didn't add up. "Besides, Wang Hechun's wife is your person. If she wanted to keep someone, would you not know? You're the one managing the marquis's household now. With such a big person in the residence, do you dare say you know nothing about it?" With just a little thought, the holes in Zhao Susu's mistress-and-servant story became apparent. Song Shulan shoved Zhao Susu aside. Today, he was determined to search her room thoroughly!