Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Husband and Wife "Eldest Young Madam, the Commandery Princess has left." Nanny Qiu couldn't help but sigh. "Don't sigh, Nanny. Things have come to this—whether I rage or wallow in self-pity, it will only make Princess Rongjia more pleased with herself," Cui Lingrong said. "Also, send word to Old Madame that I am unwell and cannot pay my respects recently. And send two people to wait at the academy gate for Xuan-ge and Jin-ge." Since returning home, she had not yet seen her two sons. "And what about the Marquis?" Speaking of her husband, Cui Lingrong felt resentment, confusion, and disappointment. The Emperor's betrothal decree had been issued under duress, but she refused to believe the Emperor would act without cause. Someone must have said something, done something, for the Emperor to pair Princess Rongjia with Song Shulan. "I remember when we first married, I was scolded by Old Madame for being late to pay my respects, and the Marquis secretly bought me a rose hairpin to cheer me up. Have Caixia deliver that rose hairpin to the study, and say nothing else." Cui Lingrong had been married to Song Shulan for over a decade. She knew him well—slippery, afraid of trouble, offending no one. Thanks to that, his official career had gone fairly smoothly, and he was now a Vice Minister of the fourth rank. "You and the Eldest Young Master are childhood sweethearts—your bond must be deeper. We still have to live in the Song household, and the affection between you and the Eldest Young Master cannot be broken." In Nanny Qiu's view, compared to Princess Rongjia, who had remarried after widowhood, the Eldest Young Master surely loved the Eldest Young Madam more. Cui Lingrong sat by the window in contemplation. Was that really true? Then why had Song Shulan not come last night to offer an explanation? As evening approached, Cui Lingrong prepared a full table of dishes, hoping her two sons would come after finishing their studies. She waited and waited, but no one came. Nanny Qiu grew anxious. "Caixia, go to the front courtyard and ask whether the two young masters have returned." Caixia had just left when Er Shun, who had been sent to the academy to fetch the boys, returned with his report. "Eldest Young Madam, this servant waited at the academy gate until it was empty before daring to go inside to look for them. The master said our two young masters are no longer studying at Ling'an Academy—Princess Rongjia arranged for them to transfer to the Guozijian." Had there not been so many people in the room, Nanny Qiu would have cursed the princess for meddling in others' affairs. The Eldest Young Madam's children were hers to arrange for—when did it become Princess Rongjia's place to interfere? The Guozijian only allowed two days off per month, and students were not permitted to leave the academy at other times. No one had left word for Cui Lingrong yesterday, so naturally the two boys had no idea she had returned. No wonder they had not come to pay their respects this morning. Not just anyone could enter the Guozijian. Xuan-ge was only twelve, without even a xiucai degree, let alone eight-year-old Jin-ge. Song Shulan's official rank was not sufficient to secure his sons' admission through hereditary privilege. Princess Rongjia truly had formidable influence. Being admitted to the Guozijian was a good thing—Old Madame and the Marquis would certainly not object, and would even praise Princess Rongjia for her kindness. Cui Lingrong's usual composure crumbled somewhat in that moment. Her face expressionless, she turned and said, "Yu-jie, let us eat first." Song Yu could feel her mother's disappointment. "Why don't we go to the Guozijian tomorrow to see Xuan-ge and the others? If they've lost all conscience and sing praises of Princess Rongjia, I won't acknowledge them as my brothers!" "Still speaking like a child." Cui Lingrong placed food on her daughter's plate. "After dinner, remember to go pay your respects to Old Madame. You are the eldest legitimate daughter of the Song family, and Old Madame dotes on you. You are grown now—you must learn to hide your displeasure with others in your heart." "If you're dissatisfied, shouldn't you speak up? Keeping it all bottled up will just suffocate you," Song Yu said, puzzled. Only when facing her daughter did a hint of a smile appear on Cui Lingrong's face. "Would speaking up do any good? If Princess Rongjia were not a princess, I could haughtily demand she hand over control of the household, and even point at her and call her a hen crowing at dawn—it wouldn't matter. But she is a princess, and I have no powerful family behind me. In comparison, I am at a disadvantage. When you know the situation is against you, you should stay hidden and silent, wait for the right moment, and then strike to kill." In the past, Cui Lingrong's greatest trouble in the Song household had been Madame Jiang's occasional petty provocations. She had sometimes offered her daughter a few words of guidance. But now things were different—Princess Rongjia was not easy to deal with, and her daughter was growing up. Seeing that her mother was still smiling faintly even when speaking of striking to kill, Song Yu thought that her mother must have her own plans. She nodded and agreed to go see her grandmother. After her daughter left, Cui Lingrong sat alone behind the window, gazing at the cluster of green bamboo in the courtyard, her expression revealing neither joy nor anger. Song Shulan arrived at the hour of xu. He was tall, dressed in a pale moon-white robe, carrying an air of refined elegance. Nanny Qiu wished she could spit at him, but she forced a smile of welcome. "Marquis, the Eldest Young Madam has been waiting for you a long while." The door was closed behind him, leaving only Cui Lingrong and Song Shulan in the room. Song Shulan paced over, his eyes darting as he appraised Cui Lingrong. "My lady, your husband has come." "For a moment, I thought the Marquis was addressing someone else as his lady." Cui Lingrong said softly. "Do sit, Marquis. This is the first time I've seen you since I returned home. With a beautiful new wife in your arms, the Eldest Young Master's complexion is indeed excellent." "Lingrong, you never used to speak so harshly." "Nor did I ever know that the Marquis would take an Equal Wife." The steam from the tea curled upward, brushing against Song Shulan's cheeks and dampening the corners of his eyes. He hurried to explain, "The betrothal came suddenly—I can swear to heaven that I knew nothing of it beforehand!" He and Cui Lingrong had been married for years, from the initial formality and distance, to falling for Lingrong's delicate beauty and gentleness, and gradually growing weary of it. All in all, through these years of marriage, they had gotten along harmoniously, with genuine feeling and sincerity. After studying Song Shulan carefully, Cui Lingrong could see he wasn't lying, and she relaxed slightly. "Very well, I believe you, Marquis." "Lingrong, we've been husband and wife for over a decade—do you not know what kind of man I am?" Song Shulan sighed deeply. "Princess Rongjia was betrothed to me by the Emperor. She and I are a marriage of convenience—how could that compare to the bond between you and me? Yesterday was my fault, but I was truly afraid—afraid you would blame me, reject me, or even demand a Mutual Divorce." He took her hand. "You must believe that you are what matters most to me." Cui Lingrong lowered her gaze. Song Shulan was a handsome man—Nüwa seemed to have favored him especially, even giving him long, elegant fingers. But did Song Shulan truly value her most? If so, when he didn't come to her last night, he shouldn't have stayed with Princess Rongjia either. She didn't call out his sweet words. "With those words from you, Marquis, that's enough for me. However..." Cui Lingrong paused deliberately, rising and pulling her hand back. "Taking an Equal Wife is a rare affair, and with the Emperor's betrothal no less—countless eyes in Bianjing must be watching the Marquis's household. Yesterday when I returned home, the gates were shut tight; I fear word outside is already spreading that the Princess and I are at odds." Song Shulan: "How could that be?" The last thing he wanted was discord among his wives. The affairs of the court were trouble enough; when he came home, he only wanted to be comfortably attended to. "The Marquis may think so, but others won't necessarily agree. I'm not insisting on contending with the Princess for control of the household, but I am the first wife, and the Princess is younger than I. If she takes over the household the moment she steps through the door, in others' eyes, it will look like she's using her status to suppress me, the rightful wife." Seeing Song Shulan about to interject, Cui Lingrong pressed on. "The Princess marrying you is already settled. I may feel some grievance, but I will still put your honor first, Marquis, and I hope to live in peace with the Princess. I imagine you wish for that as well?" Song Shulan said yes. "This morning, however, the Princess kept calling me 'younger sister' and even said she wanted to build a wall down the middle of the main courtyard. I wouldn't take it to heart myself, but I fear how it sounds to outsiders." Cui Lingrong turned her back, eyes half-lidded. "I am half a year older than the Princess. If those 'younger sister' remarks fall on attentive ears, what will they think?" She paused, then came to the crux of the matter. "In the days ahead—if we're to live together, who will be mistress of the main household? And if we're to live apart, will the Marquis truly heed the Princess's words and build a wall in the courtyard?" Song Shulan valued his face above all—he could never agree to building a wall. But then who would run the main household—Cui Lingrong or Princess Rongjia—or even manage the entire marquisate? Song Shulan's face clouded with worry. Cui Lingrong retreated to advance. "I'm perfectly willing to let the Princess manage the household—it would give me some leisure. As long as the censors don't accuse the Princess of bullying her superior, our entire household can remain as harmonious as before." She walked to the door. "It's getting late, Marquis. Do go discuss matters with the Princess quickly. And please tell her this from me: whether by precedence or by age, I am worthy of being called her 'elder sister.' She must not forget it next time."