Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Real Power When the marriage decree arrived, Song Shulan had a moment of panic, followed by secret delight. The fate that had not been fulfilled between him and Princess Rongjia in their youth could now be continued. At that time, with a beauty in his arms, he completely forgot about Cui Lingrong, his original wife. It was only at this moment that he began to discern some nuances. The two women seemed gentle and agreeable on the surface, but in reality, both wanted the upper hand. Thinking that they were scheming over him, a slight thrill surged through Song Shulan's heart. When he reached the entrance of Wutong Courtyard, Song Shulan did not have the maids announce his arrival, and quietly appeared behind Princess Rongjia. "The Princess's beauty is heavenly—it truly makes your husband eager to return home." Princess Rongjia feigned surprise, her body trembling slightly as she leaned into Song Shulan's arms, playfully scolding, "Master Song is so naughty, you scared me." The person in his arms seemed to have known Song Shulan would come—she had bathed and applied fragrant powder. Song Shulan couldn't help but inhale the scent at Princess Rongjia's neck, "Nonsense, how could I bear to scare you?" Holding Princess Rongjia, he moved toward the bed again. The bed curtains swayed, and as the panting went from urgent to slow, Song Shulan lay limply atop Princess Rongjia, speaking of his meeting with Cui Lingrong. "She is half a year older than you and entered the Song family first. You should still address her as elder sister." "But... I knew you first." The aggrieved, choked tone—sour and bitter—made Song Shulan's heart clench tightly. Indeed, they were childhood sweethearts. By order of precedence, Princess Rongjia had known him first. Just as Song Shulan's heart ached with pity, Princess Rongjia said considerately, "I understand. From now on, I will call her elder sister. But regarding the household management, Song Lang, could you help me? I bear the title of Princess, but everyone knows I am a widow remarrying. It's not that I insist on fighting for the household authority—I just want to maintain some dignity. You know that since I married out, I have rarely returned to Bianjing. Once I establish myself in Bianjing, I will surely return the household authority to Sister Cui." Song Shulan had never seen Princess Rongjia humble herself like this before. The Princess Rongjia in his memory was spirited with a touch of willfulness; her noble birth gave her full confidence to act as she pleased. But now she was compromising and humbling herself in his arms. Song Shulan dared not imagine what kind of life Princess Rongjia had lived all these years. "If it truly cannot be done, then forget—" "Alright, I promise you." Song Shulan made up his mind. Princess Rongjia was also his wife, and letting her manage the household was not improper. As for Cui Lingrong, he would coax her tomorrow—surely she would understand. Princess Rongjia immediately beamed with joy, wrapping her arms around Song Shulan's neck to kiss him. "I knew it—Song Lang has me in his heart." The woman's initiative rekindled Song Shulan's vigor, and the room was once again filled with much commotion. The next morning before going to court, Song Shulan instructed his attendant to go to Cui Lingrong's quarters and inform her that he would come for dinner that evening. When the attendant arrived at Qiushuang Zhai, Cui Lingrong had just finished breakfast and was preparing clothes for her two sons. Nanny Qiu learned that the Marquis would come for the evening meal and was delighted for her mistress. "The Marquis must have persuaded the Princess—he's coming to give you an explanation." But Cui Lingrong shook her head. "If he had a conclusion, he would have sent word directly, not merely said he'd come for dinner. Nanny Qiu, I have been married to the Marquis for many years, and I know him well. The more contentious the matter, the longer he drags it out." "Not necessarily. You and the Marquis share over a decade of affection—how long has the Princess been married in? How could she compare to you?" Nanny Qiu, fearing her mistress would lose heart, urged again, "Men all like novelty. Once that fervor passes, it loses its appeal. You bore the Marquis's eldest legitimate son and have managed the household for years. As for what matters more, I believe the Marquis has a scale in his heart." But Cui Lingrong dared not be so optimistic. She packed up the new clothes she had brought back from Suzhou and ordered someone to deliver them to the Guozijian. Hearing that Old Madame had sent someone to inquire after her again, she hastily lay down and claimed to feel unwell. By evening, Song Shulan arrived on time. Nanny Qiu had just poured the wine when Song Shulan brought up the household management. "Lingrong, you are a virtuous and magnanimous person. The Princess has had a very difficult time these years. Can you yield to her on the household management?" Cui Lingrong's thin lips pressed together slightly. She sighed inwardly that she had not allowed herself to be happy too soon, then slowly spoke of her own experiences over the years. "When I first married into the Marquis's household, the people of Bianjing saw me marrying above my station and did not spare me their schemes. The worst time—in the twelfth month of winter—I was pushed into an icy lake. But to protect my reputation, I forced myself to climb out on my own. Since then, I have suffered terribly from the cold every winter. Later, when the old master passed away and Old Madame fell gravely ill, I tended her at her bedside for two months, and the child in my belly—Xuan-ge—nearly did not survive. During my pregnancy, I had to remain bedridden, yet I still had to manage the Marquis household's comings and goings." When it came to hardship, who had it easy? She had married into the Marquis household—outsiders saw the glamour, but only she knew the bitterness within. Up to Song Shulan's grandfather's generation, the Song family had produced nothing but mediocrity—not a single one capable of upholding the family's standing. By Song Shulan's time, the Marquisate was nothing but an empty title, yet Old Madame still had to maintain the dignity of a great family, and the annual expenses were considerable. Cui Lingrong had married above her station, and she held a stubborn determination not to be looked down upon. She personally reviewed every matter in the household, large or small, and had to find ways to generate income. It was only after several years of this that the Marquis's household finally enjoyed the comfortable days it now had. "After Xuan-ge was born, he was frail of body. He is our eldest legitimate son, and I pray for him to grow up healthy. Which time he fell ill did I not stay by his side all night, night after night?" At this point, Cui Lingrong let out a soft sigh. "Princess Rongjia wants dignity and respect. And me? Don't I need it too?" Over the years, Cui Lingrong had always appeared composed and lightly smiling before Song Shulan. Now, with tears welling in her eyes as she looked at him, Song Shulan found himself momentarily at a loss for words. Cui Lingrong took a deep breath, refusing to let the tears fall. Her aunt had once said that tears should only be shed when crying would actually help; otherwise, it was just giving others a show to laugh at, and it would ruin one's eyes to boot. The room fell silent. Nanny Qiu's body was tense, and she scarcely dared to breathe, fearing that the Marquis might lose his temper and start quarreling with her mistress. Just then, Song Yu, having learned that her father had come to dine with her mother, came running in. Thinking of Princess Rongjia's matter, she gave a coquettish huff and complained, "Father, you've finally come to Mother's place. You have no idea—with someone else managing the household now, the other day when Mother and I returned home, there wasn't even anyone to open the door for us. It's really most improper..." "Bang!" Before Song Yu could finish, Song Shulan slammed his wine cup down heavily. With a sweep of his hand, the chopsticks and bowls crashed to the floor with a clatter. "How insolent! What kind of upbringing is this? When am I speaking with your mother, since when is it your place to interrupt?" Song Yu was frightened, and tears burst from her eyes. Cui Lingrong rose to shield her daughter. "My Lord, don't take your anger out on Yu-jie. What she said is nothing but the truth. If you won't let her speak, can you really stop the mouths of everyone on the street?" Song Yu had never seen her father fly into such a rage. She trembled in her mother's arms. Cui Lingrong shot Nanny Qiu a look, and Nanny Qiu quickly led Song Yu out, comforting her as they went. "My good young miss, don't be upset. His Lordship's anger isn't directed at you. Adult matters are too complicated; you'll understand when you're older." "I don't need to wait until I'm older—I... I can see it clearly right now." Song Yu sobbed between hiccups. "Father has found a new love, his heart and eyes are full of someone else. Where does he have any thought left for Mother's dignity? Everything should follow the order of who came first, shouldn't it? Why should the Princess snatch Father away and still lord it over Mother? They call her an Equal Wife, but where is the equality in that?" Song Yu ran off crying. Nanny Qiu told her daughter to go after her. "Keep a close eye on Yu-jie. Don't let her go to the Wutong Courtyard—she's no match for the Princess." Watching the girl run off into the distance, Nanny Qiu worried about her mistress as well. As she turned back toward the main room, she encountered the Marquis coming out with a black expression on his face. "Madam, are you alright?" "Nanny Qiu, I'm fine." Cui Lingrong had already put on her calm and indifferent expression once more, picking up her chopsticks again. "Before I married, my aunt warned me not to expect a man's true heart. Even if he was infatuated with me at first, he wouldn't love me for a lifetime. Though I couldn't control myself at the start, now I..." She paused, then emphasized, "It's fine. Truly, I'm fine." Nanny Qiu knew her mistress was forcing herself to appear composed, and her heart was nearly breaking. "Madam, if you want to cry, then cry. There's no one here but this old servant." Cui Lingrong's hand holding the chopsticks remained motionless. She shook her head. "I won't cry. We underestimated how much the Marquis dotes on the Princess. In the end, the new is always favored over the old. Now that I see this clearly, holding real power matters more to me. Have Er Shun come see me—I have matters to instruct him on."