Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

"What does she mean by this?" Song Shulan grew angrier the more she thought about it. "I've already given her a way out, does she intend to stay at odds with me forever?"

After thinking for a moment, Song Shulan turned away with a flick of her sleeve, saying, "I was just too lenient with her!"

Qingshan thought to himself, how could he possibly guess what his grandmother was thinking?

He was just a servant and rarely saw the eldest mistress. In his opinion, it was the Marquis who had wronged the eldest mistress, which was why she was disheartened, but he dared not say such things to the Marquis.

Seeing that Qingshan remained silent, Song Shulan cursed "useless" and went to Wutong Garden in a huff.

Having not visited for quite some time, he felt a sense of desolation as soon as he stepped into the courtyard.

Princess Rongjia ran out barefoot, staring at Song Shulan in astonishment. "Song Lang, is it really you? Am I dreaming?"

Seeing that Princess Rongjia was barefoot, Song Shulan felt sorry for her and picked her up. "How could you be so silly, not even wearing shoes!"

"I heard from Chen De's wife that you came. I didn't believe it, but I hoped it might be true." Princess Rongjia's eyes were moist as she hugged Song Shulan's neck, her nose twitching, which made Song Shulan feel even more distressed.

Upon entering the house and seeing the portrait hanging there, Song Shulan felt even more guilty. "I should have come to see you sooner."

"I don't blame you. It was my own fault, so I'm willing to accept the punishment. As long as Song Lang remembers me, I can live on."

Song Shulan did not blame Princess Rongjia for her actions on several occasions, partly because of the Rong Prince's Mansion.

Another reason is that every time Princess Rongjia acted out, it was because she cared about him and wanted him to favor her more.

This actually gave Song Shulan a secret sense of satisfaction.

He couldn't get any attention from Cui Lingrong, but he could get the full love of Princess Rongjia.

Which man would make a different choice?

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, and like dry wood meeting a raging fire, Chen De's family members tactfully withdrew.

An hour later, Princess Rongjia lay on Song Shulan's chest, listening to him talk about Xuan-ge'er.

Her heart tightened, and she asked in disbelief, "Is Brother Xuan really that capable?"

"Who says otherwise? I never expected him to be the top scholar. It shows how hard he's worked. Speaking of which, he should thank you. If you hadn't helped him get into the Imperial Academy, how could he have achieved such a high ranking?" Song Shulan hugged Princess Rongjia. He felt that Princess Rongjia was the best. He regretted once again that he should have married Princess Rongjia from the beginning, so that he wouldn't have so many troubles now.

Princess Rongjia couldn't be happy, but fortunately Song Shulan couldn't see her forced smile. "It's all thanks to Xuan-ge'er's own hard work. As an elder, it's only natural that I should plan for the children."

"Since the county princess loves children so much, why don't we have one too?" Song Shulan patted Rongjia County Princess on the back. "I've always hoped that I could have a biological child with you. It would definitely be no less than Xuan-ge'er's."

He and Princess Rongjia had been married for some time, but Princess Rongjia had not gotten pregnant. He had wondered if it was because his health had deteriorated in recent years.

She could paint butterflies and had been pregnant.

Perhaps it's just not meant to be.

Princess Rongjia froze. She also wanted to have her own child, but she couldn't.

She gave a soft "hmm," and the two of them rested like that.

The next morning, Song Shulan went to court, where many colleagues congratulated him. Upon seeing Prince Rong, he quickly went up to greet him.

"Your son is quite good; he topped the list. If he can pass both the prefectural and provincial examinations, then he has a very bright future." Prince Rong said, then mentioned Song Shulan's other son, "What was his name again?"

"Replying to Father-in-law, call him Brother Jin."

"Oh, I remember now, that boy is chubby, cute, and very clever." Prince Rong gave Song Shulan a meaningful look. Last night, the Princess Consort had mentioned Cui Lingrong's two sons to him. The eldest son was already grown up and sensible, but the younger son was still clueless. Rather than waiting for the other children to be born, Song Mingjin was actually an option.

However, Prince Rong did not make a decision immediately. A child raised later in life is not as close as one raised from childhood. He simply said that raising Jin-ge'er was a last resort and he would not use this method unless absolutely necessary.

But if he speaks up, Song Shulan will likely agree.

Although Prince Rong verbally scolded his daughter for being useless and unable to defeat Cui Lingrong, he actually loved her dearly, perhaps because he owed her something in his past life.

"Jin-ge'er is still too young to understand, so he's just adorable." Song Shulan was in a good mood and didn't notice the other meaning in Rong Wang's words.

Along the way, Song Shulan received many congratulations, which kept him smiling.

Song Mingxuan, however, did not become arrogant because of this, but immediately picked up his books and began to study diligently.

The prefectural examination is in two months, so he doesn't have much time left.

He not only read it himself, but also read it with his two younger brothers.

Song Mingjin, who rarely gets a break, didn't want to read and instead drooled while lying on the table.

Five-year-old Song Mingzhou was even more patient, but being young, he couldn't recognize all the characters and read haltingly. Song Mingxuan would stop from time to time to give him some pointers and tap Jin Ge'er on the head to remind him not to be lazy.

"My elder brother is already the top scholar, he can easily pass the prefectural examination, why should he make me study so hard?" Song Mingjin was thinking about the crickets in the garden, his mind was not on studying at all.

"Who said I'm guaranteed to pass the prefectural exam?" Song Mingxuan retorted angrily. "The county exam is just the first step in the imperial examinations. The prefectural exam is twice as difficult, and there are many more talented students taking the exam. Do you think I'm some kind of reincarnation of the God of Literature, able to pass the county-level exam without any effort?"

As he spoke, seeing that Jin-ge was still lazy, he pulled Jin-ge's ear and made him stand up to read.

Song Mingjin covered her ears, daring not to speak out in anger, and reluctantly began to read aloud.

Cui Lingrong and her daughter walked to the window and saw this scene.

She handed the food box to the nanny, didn't go in to disturb her, and turned and left with her daughter.

Song Yu asked, "Jin-ge'er doesn't like to study, why doesn't Mother go in and talk to him?"

"With Xuan-ge'er keeping an eye on him, his studies will be doing reasonably well. If I push him too hard, the child is likely to become rebellious," Cui Lingrong said. "Besides, I don't think Jin-ge'er has much talent in studying. Forcing him to study won't necessarily yield good results; it will only lead to resentment. I've already spoken with your Aunt Yuan, and in a few days, Jin-ge'er will leave the Imperial Academy and go to the Jiang family to practice martial arts."

Cui Lingrong always kept in mind the principle of teaching according to aptitude.

Song Yu worried that the old lady and her father would disagree. "Jin-ge'er is healthy and strong. But the Marquis's family has been scholars for generations, and I'm afraid the family won't agree. Can Mother persuade them?"

"It's all up to people. As long as Jin-ge'er is willing, I have ways to persuade your father and the others." Although her son had finally managed to get into the Imperial Academy, after observing him for so long, she realized that Jin-ge'er's talent in studying was indeed only average. In the past, Cui Lingrong would not have thought of letting Jin-ge'er learn martial arts, but now, the more she felt she had no control over her own life, the more she wanted her children to make the choices they liked.

In the evening, Cui Lingrong called Jin Ge'er over and, as soon as she mentioned martial arts training, Jin Ge'er's eyes lit up immediately.

"Really, Mother? I don't have to go to the Imperial Academy to study? I can go and learn martial arts from Uncle Jiang?" Every time Song Mingjin went to the Jiang family, she would play with the Jiang brothers and was particularly envious of them.

"You still need to study. Whether you pursue a literary or martial career, you need a certain level of knowledge to develop strategic thinking. If you've made up your mind, I'll discuss it with your father," Cui Lingrong said.

Song Mingjin said he didn't like reading, so he didn't need to consider it.

Cui Lingrong then sent someone to find Song Shulan.

Song Shulan thought that Cui Lingrong had come to her senses and was willing to make amends with him, so he deliberately delayed for half an hour before heading to Qiushuangzhai.