Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Retribution Cui Lingrong was forcibly brought to the Su family. When First Young Mistress Su saw the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law arrive, she initially tried to maintain her composure, but upon learning that Cui Lingrong already knew everything, she immediately broke down. "Good sister, you're close with Second Young Mistress Jiang—please go and plead for Yunfei." After learning at the Duke of Dingguo's residence that her daughter had spoken arrogantly, First Young Mistress Su had immediately gone to see the Duchess of Dingguo, but the Duchess refused to receive her. After returning home, she scolded her daughter, but the girl wouldn't listen to a single word and cried, refusing to apologize. Seeing Cui Lingrong arrive, First Young Mistress Su clung to her as if grasping at a lifeline. But Cui Lingrong shook her head. "I am close with Second Young Mistress Jiang, but this matter has little to do with the Jiang family—it's mainly between the Yuan family and the Duke of Dingguo's residence." "Second Young Mistress Jiang is the sister of the Heir's Wife. If she steps in, surely the Heir's Wife will calm down for her sake?" First Young Mistress Su and Cui Lingrong had an ordinary relationship—their families interacted frequently, but in her heart, she had always secretly compared herself to Cui Lingrong. All along, First Young Mistress Su believed she outranked Cui Lingrong—whether in family standing or her husband's official position, she was superior to Cui Lingrong. Now having to humble herself and plead with Cui Lingrong was already a rare concession. "Cousin-in-law, don't misunderstand—it's not that I'm unwilling to help. I know Second Young Mistress Jiang's temperament well. The more critical the moment, the less others should try to persuade her. What matters is how the Su family chooses to apologize." Just as Cui Lingrong finished speaking, Old Madame Song eagerly pressed for what the Su family should do. Cui Lingrong thought for a moment. "The Duchess of Dingguo is famously protective of her own, but she holds a high position. If the Su family adopts a humble posture and offers commitments, the Duchess probably won't hold on relentlessly. After all, the current Duke of Dingguo's residence..." She deliberately paused, not saying it outright. As for Su Yunfei, Cui Lingrong had never particularly liked her—the girl tried to outshine Yu-jie in everything and had provoked Yu-jie at several banquets. She had long wanted to teach Su Yunfei a lesson, and this was the perfect opportunity to make the Su family realize that spoiling a daughter is as harmful as ruining her. Seeing Cui Lingrong stop, First Young Mistress Su pressed anxiously, "Good sister, just say whatever you need to say. I'm like an ant on a hot pan, my heart in turmoil, terrified that the Duke of Dingguo's residence will send someone to question us." She deeply regretted neglecting her daughter's upbringing. In the past, she had indulged her daughter as long as she didn't cause trouble, never imagining it would shape such a character. "As they say, harsh words wound. Yunfei is no longer young—if this gets around, her reputation will be utterly destroyed. Cousin-in-law, why not show sincerity by promising the Duke of Dingguo's residence that you'll send Yunfei back to the ancestral home for discipline and bring her back after a year." Cui Lingrong said, "If the Su family does this, even if others bring it up, they'll praise you for strict parenting. After a year, once Yunfei has mellowed out, you can hold a Ji-pin ceremony for her and give her a fresh start." First Young Mistress Su hesitated. "Are you certain this will appease the Duke of Dingguo's residence and the Yuan family?" "That I wouldn't know, but it's better than doing nothing. You can't let one child drag down the entire Su family's reputation, wouldn't you agree, cousin-in-law?" Cui Lingrong said she had done her best, and she would also try to persuade Second Young Mistress Jiang. Whether her persuasion was genuine or not—only she and Yuan Mingzhu would know. First Young Mistress Su feared the entire Su family would be implicated. The Duke of Dingguo held immense power, and her son still had to sit for the Imperial Examination. What if... no, there could be no "what if." A son was far more important than a daughter. She agreed on the spot. By the time Cui Lingrong and Old Madame Song returned to the Marquis's residence, it was already evening. Old Madame Song was exhausted. With the Su family in trouble, she also lost face, and she emphasized, "Go to the Jiang residence tomorrow. Don't delay." Cui Lingrong acknowledged with a simple "yes." The next day, when she went to see Yuan Mingzhu, she did not urge her to let the matter go. "Old Madame insisted on dragging me along, so I had no choice but to offer the Su family a suggestion. As for how the Yuan family and the Duke of Dingguo's residence wish to handle it, that's entirely up to you—no need to consider me." "So it's that little girl Su Yunfei. So young, yet how can her heart be so vicious?" Yuan Mingzhu was so angry her teeth itched. "First Young Mistress Su dotes on her son and doesn't pay much attention to Su Yunfei, letting her do as she pleases—that's how she developed this personality." Cui Lingrong said, "It's good to let her suffer for a year at the old estate, so she'll stop making Yu-jie miserable every time they meet." "Exactly." Yuan Mingzhu said that when she returned yesterday, her mother-in-law had punished her by making her kneel for two hours. "Luckily my husband has me in his heart and knelt right alongside me. It was only when Old Madame took pity on her son that she let me go. My knees still ache terribly. This time I was too impulsive—Old Madame punished me by making me copy the Buddhist scriptures a hundred times, and I'm not allowed to leave the house until I finish." She hated writing more than anything, and she hugged Cui Lingrong with pitiful pleading. "Good sister, you can't bear to see me suffer, can you?" Without Yuan Mingzhu even saying it, Cui Lingrong knew what she meant. She flicked Yuan Mingzhu's forehead. "You've got some nerve—wanting me to copy scriptures for you, even daring to deceive the Bodhisattva?" "If the Bodhisattva is truly merciful, she'll surely pity how hard it is for me to copy them. So—are you copying them or not?" "I'll copy them, I'll copy them for you. I'll have Zeyu slip them in between cloth when he delivers them. Alright?" "Mm-hmm, you're the best to me." While Cui Lingrong and Yuan Mingzhu were talking, over at the Duke of Dingguo's residence, the Su family came to apologize as Cui Lingrong had instructed. Seeing that the Su family had lowered their stance, the Duke of Dingguo agreed without much thought. But the Duchess was not pleased. She stormed into the room and smashed the inkstone and writing brushes on the Duke's desk. "Lu Zhong, are you now thinking only of finding that wench's son, with no regard for my son at all? For something this important, you didn't even consult me before giving the Su family your answer?" "Madam Qin, why are you carrying on like a shrew!" The Duke slammed the table and rose to his feet. "What else would you have me do? The Su family has already promised to send Su Yunfei away from Bianjing immediately. If we keep harping on this trivial matter, what will others think of our ducal residence?" "Trivial? You call this trivial?" Tears streamed down Madam Qin's face as she pointed at the Duke in disappointment. "Fine, Lu Zhong. You've never had me and my son in your heart—that's why you think this is trivial, isn't it?" With that, she wailed on the spot, "My son! Why didn't you take your mother with you too, leaving me here to be looked down upon? Lu Zhong, I'm telling you, you'll never find that bastard in this lifetime. Even if you do find him, as long as I draw breath, I will never allow him onto the Lu family registry!" "Shrew! You're acting just like a shrew now!" The Duke looked at Madam Qin as if she were beyond reason. He had grieved over his son's death, but Madam Qin's behavior was grating on his nerves, and it made him all the more determined to oppose her. "Then let me tell you—I will find my son, and I will have him inherit the family estate. Just you watch!" "I forbid it!" "I am the master of this ducal residence! Your forbidding means nothing!" The Duke walked toward Madam Qin with hatred in his eyes. "Back then, I wanted to marry your elder half-sister. It was you who secretly swapped the marriage, forcing me to wed a poisonous woman like you. All these years, you've only disgusted me. If Kang'er hadn't been born prematurely, he wouldn't have been so frail—this is all your retribution!" Lu Zhong had fallen in love with Madam Qin's elder half-sister at first sight and had barely managed to persuade his parents. But on their wedding night, he discovered the bride had been swapped. In his youth, he had an explosive temper. He grabbed Madam Qin by the throat and forced the Qin family to tell the truth. Only then did he learn that Madam Qin had taken a fancy to him and insisted on having her family make the swap. And since Madam Qin's parents doted on her more, they went along with the exchange. By the time anyone realized what had happened, it was already too late—Lu Zhong had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill. But Lu Zhong refused to accept it. He insisted on divorcing Madam Qin, and it was only when his own parents intervened that he was persuaded to back down. Thirty-some years of marriage, and the couple had been like bitter spouses, spending most of their time arguing. The word "retribution" struck Madam Qin like a knife to the heart. Watching Lu Zhong walk away, she bit her lip until it bled, her whole body trembling. "Fine, Lu Zhong. After all these years of my sincere devotion, you still pine for my half-sister and that wench. The more you loathe me, the more I'll make sure you never get what you want!" Madam Qin summoned her trusted confidant and ordered him to find Lu Zhong's hidden-residence son first. "Find him and kill him outright. Bring his head back to me. I want to see Lu Zhong's despair and utter collapse." On the other side, Lu Zhong also summoned his capable subordinates. "I want him alive, or I want his corpse. If you still can't find him, then you're all incompetent. And mind you—don't let that wench find him first!" As long as his son was still alive, he would make sure the boy was restored to the family name. This vast estate of his must not fall into the hands of those clansmen.