Chapter 338

Chapter 338: Demotion "I won't go to Jing'an Hall!" Zhao Susu clung tightly to her father's arm. "Father, save me, I won't go to Jing'an Hall!" As for whether she was divorced or not, Zhao Susu didn't care. Being able to leave the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion was actually a good thing for her. But she couldn't go to Jing'an Hall. "Please, Father. I'll listen to you from now on and never cause trouble again, but I can't go to Jing'an Hall!" Zhao Susu begged tearfully. "If I go to Jing'an Hall, then... then I'll go mad!" Prince Rong didn't want his daughter to go to Jing'an Hall either. He looked at Cui Lingrong. "Lady Cui, must you be so ruthless?" "Ruthless? When your daughter committed heinous acts, why didn't you call her ruthless?" Cui Lingrong raised an eyebrow. "I don't have time to waste here with you. Either do as I say, or we make a scene. I'm already a divorced woman—however you want to play this, I'll see it through to the end. Then we'll see if you, Your Highness, can still sleep at night." With a smile, Cui Lingrong continued, "But I advise you, Your Highness, it's better to resolve this in one go. If you don't pluck a rotten fruit, it will spoil the whole basket. From your second son's death to the passing of the Princess Consort, all of it was caused by Zhao Susu." At the mention of Prince Rong's second son, Madam Qian's throat tightened with grief. If her husband were still alive, would she have to live under Lady Wu's thumb? As for Prince Rong, thinking of the Rong Prince Mansion's circumstances over the past two years, he too was at a loss for words. "Your Highness, make your decision quickly." Cui Lingrong urged. She refused to yield. Zhao Susu kept crying and begging, but Prince Rong could think of no other way. He could only do as Cui Lingrong said. Zhao Susu's face instantly turned deathly pale. "What? Father, you're abandoning me? I can't go to Jing'an Hall—I'll be tortured to death there!" Her eyes widened in terror, and she turned her fury toward Cui Lingrong. "This is all your doing, you damned wretch! If it weren't for you, why would I have done any of this? Cui Lingrong, you filthy whore, I'll kill you!" Nanny Qiu and the others restrained Zhao Susu, covering her mouth as well. "The Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion's servants have no sense of propriety. Allow us to handle it." Cui Lingrong said, "Your Highness, go to the palace and request the imperial decree. The moment you bring back the decree, Zhao Susu will be sent to Jing'an Hall." Prince Rong looked at his daughter, who was pinned down and unable to move, then coldly glanced at Song Shulan. "Follow me!" Song Shulan dared not speak. Today, he was nothing but a coward. Watching them leave. Madam Qian also wanted to leave. Lady Wu said, "Sister-in-law, go on back. Father still has Zhao Susu on his mind, so I'll stay and keep watch. But remember—you must not breathe a word of today's events, or you'll never set foot in Bianjing again for the rest of your life." Madam Qian had long wanted to leave this place of trouble. She had no ability to rescue Zhao Susu, so she hurriedly took her people and left. With fewer people in the room, Old Madame Song finally looked at Cui Lingrong. "Lady Cui, you really are something." "Thank you for the compliment, Old Madame. I am indeed capable—otherwise, my days wouldn't be so smooth." Cui Lingrong didn't look at Old Madame Song. "You should keep your scheming to a minimum. For the sake of how well you've treated Yu-jie and the others, you might live a bit longer." Cui Lingrong's main target was Zhao Susu. Once Zhao Susu was dealt with, next came Song Shulan. But Song Shulan posed no further threat now—after all, he was a eunuch and couldn't father more children, so he'd have to treat Xuan-ge and Jin-ge well. Old Madame Song couldn't contend with Cui Lingrong and didn't want to look at her either. She had Mama Xu help her rise. "You truly are something." After Old Madame Song left, Lady Wu looked at Cui Lingrong. "You've won today, but have you considered that even if Zhao Susu is sent to Jing'an Hall, my father will find a way to get her out? Surely you don't have people in Jing'an Hall too?" Cui Lingrong said she had no one there. "If she's swapped out, she can't return to the Rong Prince Mansion under her real identity—she'd have to live with a false one. Does the Hereditary Princess Consort think she'd be safer in Jing'an Hall, or safer out here?" If someone was caught with a forged identity, a woman would most likely be sent to serve as a military prostitute. Only then did Lady Wu realize that Cui Lingrong had another card up her sleeve. "Besides, Prince Rong was the one who begged for the marriage decree back then, and now he's asking for a mutual divorce. The Emperor will surely be furious. If Prince Rong can't give up Zhao Susu, he'll bring trouble upon himself and the Rong Prince Mansion. I'll give you one piece of advice, Hereditary Princess Consort—if you have people in Jing'an Hall, it's best to have Zhao Susu killed as soon as possible, to avoid future complications." Cui Lingrong spoke bluntly. Lady Wu was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "What a pity. If our positions weren't what they are, you and I would certainly have become good friends." "As long as we're not enemies, that's good enough." Cui Lingrong took a sip of tea and patiently waited for Song Shulan and the others to return. Meanwhile, at the palace. Prince Rong and Song Shulan knelt on the ground. The Emperor set down his expression. "Fourth Brother, when you came to beg for the marriage decree back then, I already disapproved. It was your plea as a parent that moved me. Now you come asking for a mutual divorce—do you take my imperial decree for a game?" Prince Rong pressed his forehead to the ground. "To answer Your Majesty, your brother truly has no other choice. During Susu's time in the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, she... she and Song Shulan no longer share any marital affection." "Just because of this, you want a Mutual Divorce?" The Emperor clearly did not believe it. "Song Shulan, you speak—what is the real reason?" Song Shulan trembled. "Your servant... your servant..." He stammered for a long while. Unable to form a single sentence. "Back then, Prince Rong said you two shared a bond of youthful affection, and asked me to take pity on you. Now you divorce your first wife, and then you want to divorce my daughter as well. Song Shulan, do you truly think yourself so important?" The Emperor's words carried obvious impatience. But Song Shulan could not say it. He was not Xie Yunting. He could not tell the Emperor that he was impotent. As for Prince Rong, to preserve his daughter's dignity, he too could not speak the truth. Prince Rong's plan was to first follow Cui Lingrong's arrangement—have his daughter enter Jing'an Hall—and then snatch her out when Cui Lingrong was not paying attention. Afterward, he would give his daughter a new identity and residence, so long as she could live out her life without want. Yet since neither of them spoke, the Emperor was clearly displeased. "Since it is so, I shall grant your request." Song Shulan was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard the Emperor demote Prince Rong to a Commandery Prince and also reduce his official rank by one grade. "Your Majesty, your servant..." "Song Shulan, my patience has its limits. Since you refuse to speak the truth, I have fulfilled your wishes—now get out of my sight!" The Emperor did not wish to hear their excuses any longer. Two eunuchs walked over, and Song Shulan could no longer speak. Prince Rong understood all too well—if he lingered and argued here, the Emperor would surely mete out even harsher punishment. He had lost even his princely title to protect his daughter. Was it worth it?