Chapter 87

Chapter 87: Caring Huadie's mind was in complete chaos, with no thoughts at all. Cui Lingrong hadn't held any hope for Huadie to begin with. She leaned in close and said, "Do you know why Commandery Princess Rongjia wants to raise your child? Because she cannot bear one herself." "Shh." Cui Lingrong made a silencing gesture. "If you cry out, then you truly are mad. Huadie, you've lost your child. Old Madame will forgive you out of pity for your grief, even if you say a few crazed words in your delirium. The Marquis feels sympathy for you and won't press the matter too hard. Without evidence, everything you say is just raving." "Then what am I supposed to do?" Huadie was utterly helpless. "Huadie, you have no leverage because you weren't careful enough—but not everyone is like you," Cui Lingrong said. "If you make a scene with Commandery Princess Rongjia, do you have proof? If not, then lie low for now." Huadie still didn't understand until Cui Lingrong uttered the name Qingxue. Only then did Huadie suddenly remember that Qingxue existed. Cui Lingrong wouldn't act directly, just as she hadn't laid a hand on Huadie's child. Now everyone knew that it was only after Commandery Princess Rongjia met with Huadie that Huadie lost the child. "Huadie, whatever Commandery Princess Rongjia said to you, tell the Marquis exactly that. You're no good at lying, so if you tell the truth, the Marquis will believe you. And don't try to sow discord deliberately—your acting is far too poor." Cui Lingrong prepared to leave. "Instead, use this opportunity to get your and Baitao's indentures back, so you won't have to fear the Princess disposing of you at will in the future." By the time she returned to Shouan Tang, Song Shulan had come back. He had gone to see Huadie first, then arrived with an ashen face. "Marquis." Commandery Princess Rongjia felt a twinge of guilt instinctively. Song Shulan had just lost a child and was in the worst of moods. Having learned from Huadie that the Princess had shouted at her, causing Huadie to be frightened, he took a deep breath and looked at Commandery Princess Rongjia. "The Princess knew full well that Huadie was with child—why did you go and provoke her?" "I... I didn't." "Huadie said it herself. She didn't look like she was lying." Commandery Princess Rongjia panicked, shaking her head desperately. "I truly never intended to remove the mother to keep the child, nor did I—" "Remove the mother to keep the child?" Song Shulan frowned. "You said that?" "I did not!" Only then did Commandery Princess Rongjia realize that Huadie might have said other things in front of Song Shulan. "I was just angry—you had already said the child would be given to me to raise, yet she still suspected me. So I went to see Huadie to tell her not to overthink things. Perhaps my tone was a bit sharp, but I never meant to harm Huadie's child." Upon learning of Huadie's miscarriage, Commandery Princess Rongjia was angrier than anyone. She had finally seen a glimmer of hope, and then Huadie proved useless—she couldn't even hold onto the child. All she had done was scold Huadie a few times. What was that? It wasn't as if she had beaten or kicked her! Old Madame Song said, "Huadie is raving, insisting that the Princess wanted to remove the mother to keep the child. Didn't she tell you about this?" "She said she was confused—because the Princess shouted at her, she thought the Princess had harmed her." When Song Shulan looked at Commandery Princess Rongjia, he let out a silent sigh. "I know the Princess never intended to harm Huadie's child by nature, but this miscarriage did happen because of you. Huadie begged me for a favor—return her and Baitao's indentures to her." As long as Commandery Princess Rongjia held Huadie's and the others' indentures, she had no fear of Huadie causing trouble. Now that Huadie was asking for the indentures back, Commandery Princess Rongjia had grievances she couldn't voice. She didn't want to give them up, yet she had no choice but to. "Chen De's Wife, go fetch their indentures." Having said that, Commandery Princess Rongjia glanced toward Cui Lingrong. Huadie, who had been raving moments ago, was now shrewd enough to demand benefits—clearly Cui Lingrong had put her up to it. This Cui Lingrong was utterly detestable! Old Madame Song saw that her son had no intention of pursuing the matter further, so she declined to play the villain. She waved her hand and said she was tired. Cui Lingrong stepped out of Shouan Tang first, and Song Shulan followed. They hadn't crossed paths in some time. Song Shulan had assumed Cui Lingrong would be the first to soften, but she didn't. "Lady Cui, am I still your husband or not? Are you not going to speak with me?" Song Shulan caught up and asked. "The Marquis misunderstands. I only walked faster because I saw the Princess was also present—I assumed you would want to be close to her." Cui Lingrong said magnanimously. Just then, Commandery Princess Rongjia emerged, calling out plaintively, "Master Song." On any other day, Song Shulan would have gone to her. But today, thinking of the child Huadie had lost, he felt a measure of resentment. "Princess, go back and rest. I have matters to discuss with Lady Cui." Song Shulan took Cui Lingrong's arm and walked with her toward Qiushuang Zhai. Watching the two of them walk away, Commandery Princess Rongjia wished Cui Lingrong would drop dead on the spot. "Princess, let us return as well," Chen De's Wife said. Commandery Princess Rongjia refused to move. "Tell me—what exactly must I do to ensure Cui Lingrong can never compete with me again?" "Princess, this is not the place to speak of such things," Chen De's Wife reminded her again. Commandery Princess Rongjia's temper flared, and she could no longer care about such concerns. "Mother sent you to serve me, not to say things like that—but to think of solutions for me!" She shot a glare at Chen De's Wife before returning to Wutong Courtyard, where she began to curse. "Every single one of you is useless. If Wang Shanxi's Wife were here, why would I have been so humiliated?" "That waste Huadie—I only said a few words to her, and she lost the child, and it also made the Marquis and me grow apart!" "Cui Lingrong, always Cui Lingrong!" Princess Rongjia smashed several vases in succession, and Chen De's Wife tried to dissuade her multiple times without success. Wang Hechun's Wife arrived upon hearing the commotion. "Don't be angry, Your Highness. The Marquis still values you. Concubine Huadie lost the child, so the Marquis must be upset. His going to see the Eldest Madam doesn't necessarily mean it's about something good, does it?" "What else could it be about, if not me..." Princess Rongjia's rationality pulled her back before she could finish, but she grew even more panicked. If Cui Lingrong said something to the Marquis, what would she do? "What did you say, Your Highness?" Wang Hechun's Wife asked. "You may leave. I have matters to discuss with Chen De's Wife," Princess Rongjia said. Hearing this, Wang Hechun's Wife felt a knot in her heart. Again, this was happening. She needed to find a way to ensure Chen De's Wife could never overshadow her again! Once the door was closed, Princess Rongjia spoke. "If you can't come up with a plan, then return to the Rong Prince Mansion. I have no use for useless people here." Chen De's Wife frowned deeply. She truly didn't understand the Princess as well as Wang Shanxi's Wife did, and the Princess had expressed her dissatisfaction more than once. She thought for a moment, then stepped closer. "Please listen to this old servant..." On the other side, Cui Lingrong was pulled back to Qiushuang Zhai by Song Shulan. When Song Shulan released her, a red mark had appeared on Cui Lingrong's wrist. "What exactly is the Marquis angry about? Today's matter had nothing to do with me. Why don't you go question Princess Rongjia instead of taking your anger out on me here?" "I'm not talking about Huadie's matter. She's just a concubine—if the child is gone, it's gone. I'm not short on sons." What angered Song Shulan was that Cui Lingrong had given him no face. "We've been husband and wife for over a decade. Must you insist on this stalemate with me?" Cui Lingrong didn't understand where Song Shulan's fury came from. Her not competing for favor was a good thing for him, wasn't it? Their eyes met, and Song Shulan tried to find some trace of concern in Cui Lingrong's gaze, but her eyes were calm, revealing not the slightest ripple. "Cui Lingrong, besides matters of children, what else can possibly stir your emotions?" Song Shulan asked in bewilderment.