Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Family Shame Old Madame Song asked, "What do you want to call a physician for?" "To answer Old Madame, when Commandery Princess Rongjia had so many attendants around her, even if she twisted her ankle or lost her footing, with that many people around, anyone could have caught her and she wouldn't have fallen. But which of Wang Shanxi's Wife's people had that kind of foresight?" Cui Lingrong gave a cold laugh. She couldn't say that Commandery Princess Rongjia's pregnancy was false, because she had no solid evidence, but for now she could only investigate in this direction. "Old Madame and I have both been mothers. A pregnant woman does need to be careful, but it's not that easy to miscarry. I wonder if the princess offended her physician, and someone tampered with her medicine?" Hearing this, Old Madame Song found it quite reasonable. Wang Shanxi's Wife said that Yu-jie had bumped into Commandery Princess Rongjia, but how could a mere bump cause a miscarriage? She had given birth to three children herself, and the old Marquis had also had concubines who conceived. Once, she had administered abortifacients, and the concubine's child still hadn't been aborted. Looking at Commandery Princess Rongjia's usual demeanor, she was not someone of frail constitution. "Eldest Young Madam, don't speak nonsense. The one who prescribed miscarriage-preventing medicine for the princess is the Rong Prince Mansion's own physician—how could he possibly harm the princess?" Wang Shanxi's Wife said loudly. "If you want to exonerate Yu-jie by dragging innocent people down with you, is this what you call benevolence?" "Whether it's nonsense or not, just call a physician to take a look, and we'll know, won't we?" Cui Lingrong saw that Wang Shanxi's Wife was reacting strongly, which made her even more insistent on summoning a physician. She looked at Song Shulan. "Marquis, don't you want to get to the bottom of this? Even if we're to convict Yu-jie, it should be done with clarity, shouldn't it?" Before Song Shulan could open his mouth, Wang Shanxi's Wife hurriedly interjected, "Marquis, the princess just lost her child, and now she has to suffer this humiliation. You must consider the princess's feelings!" Cui Lingrong shot her a glare. "Who is humiliating the princess? Having an additional physician take her pulse is for the princess's own good. What if the princess was truly harmed by someone else, and Yu-jie ends up taking the blame—wouldn't that let the wicked get exactly what they want?" Summoning an additional physician was indeed not a bad thing. Sometimes when one physician couldn't find the problem, another might have the solution. Song Shulan frowned and looked at Wang Shanxi's Wife. "Eldest Young Madam is right. This is also for the princess's good." Even though Song Shulan had spoken, Wang Shanxi's Wife still tried to argue. "Marquis, won't you ask what the princess thinks?" "What do you mean by that? I'm summoning a physician for the princess—isn't that for her own good?" Song Shulan was growing impatient. This Wang Shanxi's Wife was eager to protect her mistress, which Song Shulan could understand, but repeatedly opposing what he said—did she even have any regard for him as her master? On several occasions in the past, Wang Shanxi's Wife had interrupted, and he had long been displeased with that. "This old servant knows you mean well for the princess, but..." "But what?" Song Shulan raised his voice. "Am I not the master of this marquis household? Can I not even make a decision on such a small matter?" Yes, the princess was of noble status, and he had given her all the respect she was due. But no matter what, it wasn't a servant's place to dictate to him. Wang Shanxi's Wife's brows were tightly furrowed. She absolutely could not let the Eldest Young Madam summon a physician, but the Marquis was angry, and she knew she couldn't object further—otherwise she would look too suspicious. She knelt on the ground, and only after the Marquis had entered the inner room did she rise and give Qingxue a look before following him inside. Cui Lingrong was also about to enter, but Old Madame Song stopped her to speak. "Lady Cui, you'd best persuade the princess to forgive. I don't want the marquis household to gain a reputation for internal strife." "This matter concerns Yu-jie's reputation. My people naturally won't speak loosely. If Old Madame is worried about the household's reputation, you'd best keep a closer eye on others," Cui Lingrong said. "What do you mean by that?" Old Madame Song didn't understand. "Daughter-in-law believes Old Madame is exceptionally clever—you'll be able to figure it out." Cui Lingrong entered the room and sat down, but did not go into the inner chamber. Old Madame Song watched Cui Lingrong sit up straight and proper, and only then did she realize there might be circumstances she didn't know about. What else could there be? Old Madame Song couldn't sort out her thoughts all at once. It was plain to see—Commandery Princess Rongjia would never use her own child to harm Yu-jie. It wasn't worth it. She didn't think Commandery Princess Rongjia would be that stupid. But Cui seemed to have an air of confidence about her. Old Madame Song's head was spinning. She was truly exasperated. Equal Wife, they said. In this world, the hardest relationship to manage was between Equal Wives! Old Madame Song was mentally exhausted, but she couldn't leave. She could only sit and watch Cui Lingrong. Meanwhile, in the inner chamber, Song Shulan sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Commandery Princess Rongjia's pallid face. His heart ached for her. "Princess, rest peacefully. Don't worry—I will give you a proper resolution." "Marquis, how do you plan to deal with Yu-jie?" Commandery Princess Rongjia's eyes were slightly red, her watery eyes brimming with tears as if a clear spring was about to burst its banks. She looked at Song Shulan with a pitiful, endearing expression. Song Shulan furrowed his brow and said nothing. It was very hard for him to make a decision. One was the woman he loved, and the other was the daughter he had watched grow up. Song Shulan's heart was troubled. This was the last thing he ever wanted to see happen. Seeing that Song Shulan did not answer, tears instantly rolled down Princess Rongjia's fair cheeks, her thin shoulders trembling. "I know, Yu-jie is still young, and it's normal for a child to have some temper. I also know that the Marquis dotes on Yu-jie, but what about my child? Isn't he innocent too?" The more Princess Rongjia spoke, the more sorrowful she became. "It is my misfortune in this life to have no luck with children. I still hoped that if it were a son, he would surely grow up to be as wise and mighty as the Marquis. If it were a daughter, that would be fine too—my daughter would surely be the most cherished young lady in Bianjing. But Marquis, he never even took shape, never had the chance to see this world." At this point, Princess Rongjia sobbed so hard she choked, barely able to breathe. Song Shulan's heart was nearly breaking. "Rest assured, no matter how Lady Cui tries to obstruct, I will give you justice." Princess Rongjia quietly looked at Song Shulan, waiting for him to continue. Outside, Cui Lingrong and Old Madame Song both heard these words, their expressions differing. Yu-jie was Cui Lingrong's first child, her daughter, naturally raised to excel in every way. The child she held in the palm of her hand was her greatest achievement in life, and yet... Cui Lingrong's hands clenched tightly within her sleeves. Princess Rongjia knew that she valued her child above all else, which was why she had struck at Yu-jie. Old Madame Song had a different thought. No matter what, this matter could not be made public, for it was after all a family scandal. She had already planned it out—they would say Yu-jie was ill and had been sent back to the ancestral home to recuperate. In a couple of years, they would find someone suitable in the local area to marry her off. As for Lady Cui, if she were wise, she should know to sacrifice the pawn to save the king, and not harm herself for the sake of a daughter. Everyone in the room had their own thoughts, and they all waited. Cui Lingrong was the first to receive news from Nanny Qiu and the physician. Nanny Qiu whispered in her ear, "Yu-jie is not seriously hurt. Also, Er Shun found some burned ashes at the spot where Qingxue had buried something. There was a bloody smell in them—it should be the Princess's sanitary cloth. Eldest Young Madam, Princess Rongjia was likely never pregnant." Since she wasn't pregnant, then it was easy to resolve. Cui Lingrong rose and said, "Old Madame, since the physician has arrived, let us go in together." Inside the inner chamber, Princess Rongjia and Wang Shanxi's Wife were stunned by the words, and Princess Rongjia grew even more panicked. She looked toward Wang Shanxi's Wife. They had to think of a way to delay things further—they absolutely could not let the physician take her pulse. Wang Shanxi's Wife also knew the situation was urgent, but her mind could not turn. She had anticipated that the Eldest Young Madam would have many tricks, but she had never expected the Eldest Young Madam to summon a physician. What to do? Watching as the Eldest Young Madam and the others stepped across the threshold, Wang Shanxi's Wife's heart rose to her throat.