Chapter 345

Chapter 345: A Lesson Xie Yunting was practicing his swordplay bare-chested. When Cui Lingrong was brought in, she saw his sword moving like a rainbow, crystal beads of sweat glistening on his wheat-colored skin. Even Nanny Qiu beside her had blushed at the sight. Cui Lingrong immediately turned around. Xie Yunting walked over with a towel, "Sister Cui, what brings you here today?" "General Xie, let's talk after you've put on your clothes first." Cui Lingrong dared not turn her head to look. Xie Yunting smiled and said alright, ordering tea to be served first. Only after Xie Yunting had dressed and come out did Cui Lingrong mention the autumn hunt. "I've already arranged for people to handle it. These past days, Song Shulan has been suppressed quite heavily, and he's been hoping for a chance to show his face before the Emperor. He's privately sent gifts to many people, but none of it has worked." Xie Yunting said. Song Shulan still refused to give up, but with Xie Yunting and the others around—especially Xie Yunting, who had directly declared he would have nothing to do with Song Shulan— Most people wouldn't offend Xie Yunting for the sake of a Song Shulan. Adding to that, Cui Zeyu had also made it clear that he and Song Shulan were at odds, and with the connection to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, even more people distanced themselves from Song Shulan. As a result, Song Shulan, who had already been demoted once, found that everyone understood the situation clearly—even if Song Shulan sent lavish gifts, no one dared to accept them. "General Xie, what do you plan to do?" Cui Lingrong asked. "As long as Song Shulan steps into the hunting grounds, I'll be the one calling the shots. Sister Cui, rest assured—I'll make sure both his legs are ruined." Xie Yunting smiled brightly. "Sister Cui, have you heard any cats meowing lately?" Cui Lingrong didn't understand why Xie Yunting was asking this. "I've heard it a few times, but the servants quickly shooed them away." "Poor little stray cat—just looking for a mate, yet chased away everywhere it goes." Xie Yunting narrowed his eyes, then changed the subject. "Once Song Shulan's legs are broken and Sister Cui's wish is fulfilled, could you also help me with a favor?" "What is it that I can do?" Cui Lingrong asked. "Don't worry, Sister Cui. It's something very simple—I'm sure you can help me." Xie Yunting didn't say what it was for now. "Since Sister Cui rarely comes by today, why not take a look around this residence and see what's missing? I always feel like something's lacking—it doesn't feel like home." His words hinted at it in every way—that the residence was missing a mistress. Cui Lingrong was a clever woman; she couldn't have missed the implication. She stayed to look around for a while. On her way back, Nanny Qiu glanced at her several times. "If you have something to say, just say it." "Are you developing feelings for General Xie?" Nanny Qiu asked. "There have been several times when General Xie overstepped his bounds, but you didn't get angry, nor did you refuse." Cui Lingrong said nothing. "I know you, mistress. If you truly didn't like him, you would have kept him at arm's length long ago—you would never have given General Xie the chance to come calling." Nanny Qiu thought for a moment, then lowered her voice a bit. "Actually, Mrs. Luo said something right—life is short, and it's better to seize the moment and enjoy yourself. She's a free-spirited person, which is why she can do things most people wouldn't dare, but she also lives life on her own terms." Nanny Qiu sighed. "You're a proper young lady from a good family, raised strictly by the old mistress since childhood. Many times, you've kept yourself confined, never once thinking about what you yourself truly want." Cui Lingrong was indeed that kind of person. Nanny Qiu had always been by her mistress's side. She had watched her mistress grow from a child, to a young woman who married with girlish hopes, to now being divorced and living alone. Sometimes Nanny Qiu wondered—could someone as good as her mistress have a better ending? But no matter how she pondered it, she couldn't think of a perfectly happy ending. "You know, mistress—now that you've left the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion and aren't under the Cui family's control, you can actually be a bit more free and easy." Nanny Qiu wasn't necessarily encouraging her mistress to take up with General Xie; she just felt that if her mistress had any thoughts, she should be free to act on them. Whether it was General Xie or the cousin from the Zhuang family, both were worth considering. No wind stirred in the room, and no one spoke for a while. After a long moment, Cui Lingrong let out a very soft sigh. "Nanny Qiu, I understand what you mean. It's just that I've been this way for so long—it's too hard for me to step outside my original way of thinking." She needed someone to push her from behind. Perhaps one day she would take that step. It was late at night, and Cui Lingrong said she was going to sleep. Nanny Qiu knew her mistress didn't want to talk more, so she attended to her mistress's rest. Meanwhile, at Song Shulan's place, he had no desire to sleep. The candlelight in the room flickered, mirroring his troubled thoughts. "Today Prince Rong sent someone again, saying I should think about the matter with Madam Zhao. He knows full well that Cui Lingrong has me pinned down, yet he still wants me to find a way to make her agree. But Cui Lingrong is so stubborn—I can't even see her now." Qingshan stood to the side, unable to hold back. "Marquis, you're doing the same thing as before. Before, you wanted to have both sides, and in the end, you lost both. It's the same now—either you go all out against the First Lady, or you ignore Prince Rong's words. You can't afford to be muddle-headed again, trying to keep both sides satisfied." "But I—" "Marquis, please think this over carefully. The Eldest Madam is currently considering the three children. If you truly cross her bottom line and she makes a scene, do you think our marquis household will still have any face left?" Qingshan shouldn't have said such a thing, but he simply couldn't bear to watch any longer. If he let his master remain muddle-headed, the marquis household would truly be finished. Song Shulan, however, still didn't want to go against the Rong Commandery Prince Mansion. He thought about it all night, and just as Xuan-ge returned the next day, he pulled him aside and said, "You know that I've reached a Mutual Divorce with Madam Zhao, and there will be no further ties between us. But the pressure from the Rong Commandery Prince Mansion is too great. Madam Zhao has already suffered torment in Jing'an Hall. Why don't you go and persuade your mother?" Song Mingxuan frowned deeply. "Father, the Rong Commandery Prince Mansion can barely protect itself now. What can they possibly do to you?" "A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if The Emperor now has a crown prince, Prince Rong is still The Emperor's own brother." Song Shulan said he simply didn't want to offend people too severely. "We're all in Bianjing. Give people a way out, and perhaps they'll be able to help you in the future. Xuan-ge, when you become an official, you must do the same. If you're not tactful in handling matters, sooner or later someone will catch hold of your weaknesses, and you won't last long." Song Mingxuan didn't want to speak too bluntly, but seeing his father's stubborn obsession, he took a deep breath. "Then Father, you're tactful in everything, trying to avoid disaster—and what's the result? You still leave weaknesses for others everywhere. Doesn't your current position and status prove that your way of handling things doesn't work?" "You... how dare you lecture me?" "It's not that I want to criticize you, Father, but please wake up. Instead of trying to cling to the powerful, why not accomplish something real? Perhaps The Emperor might even find a use for you then." Song Mingxuan had been thinking lately—how had his mother endured so many years with a father like this? Song Shulan had wanted his son to help him, but instead his son had given him a thorough scolding. And he couldn't even argue back. Song Shulan stormed out of the house in a huff, intending to drink alone in melancholy, only to be cornered by Prince Rong and his son. Song Shulan had just sat down when Prince Rong and his son appeared on either side of him, dragging him toward a private room. His heart pounded wildly—"thump, thump." "Prince Rong, if you have something to say, just say it. There's no need for this. I can walk on my own." But the two didn't stop. Song Shulan grew afraid. "I really can walk on my own. Let's not do this. Let's talk things through properly..." Bang! Song Shulan was thrown into a room. Then Prince Rong slammed the door shut with force, glaring at Song Shulan with murderous intensity.