Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

Just after the snow cleared, Mother Autumn came to deliver materials to Huadie.

As soon as she entered the room, Qiu's mother saw Huadie sitting there blankly and asked softly, "Didn't you get enough rest, Auntie?"

"Huh?" Hua Die was stunned. "Aunt Qiu, what brings you here?"

"The cloth shop sent some fabric to the eldest madam. She said these two bolts of fabric have a delicate color that suits your skin tone, so she asked me to bring them to you." Mother Qiu put down the fabric. She noticed that Huadie's eyes were bloodshot, so she guessed that she had been crying.

Why are you crying?

Autumn's mother was a calm and collected woman. She didn't ask any questions and was about to go back when Huadie called her back.

"Aunt Qiu, is this fabric only available to me, or does someone else have it too?"

"Yes, Auntie, all three concubines receive one. The eldest mistress is a fair person and will not favor one over the other. However, only the concubines of the first wife receive one; the others do not." Madam Qiu said that the eldest mistress no longer manages affairs and, as the legal wife, only cares about the affairs of the first wife's family.

After Qiu's mother left, Huadie gave a mocking chuckle.

The princess is narrow-minded and cruel; how can she compare to the eldest mistress?

Even though he knew she was the princess's person, he still spoke up for her and didn't forget her when distributing the materials.

She hated the medicine she received this morning.

Just when happiness was within her grasp, a bowl of medicine from the princess brought her back to reality.

Hua Die looked at the fabric, pondering how to complain to the Marquis.

Meanwhile, Madam Qiu returned to Qiushuangzhai and said that Huadie seemed to have been crying. "This old servant found it strange. The Marquis stayed at her place last night, so there's no reason for him to cry. I asked around and found out that Qingxue took a food box to Huadie's place this morning."

"If it were food, Huadie wouldn't be upset." Cui Lingrong quickly understood what was going on. "That makes sense. The princess doesn't have any children yet, why would she let Huadie give birth?"

Princess Rongjia promoted Huadie so that Huadie could keep Song Shulan company when Princess Rongjia was unwell.

But Hua Die is pregnant. When Princess Rongjia has her period or gets pregnant, wouldn't Song Shulan have to be given another concubine?

Even Cui Lingrong couldn't be that magnanimous, let alone Princess Rongjia.

Autumn's mother nodded in agreement, "Hua Die is someone who speaks without thinking, so we can take advantage of that."

"There's no need to try to get close to her. Otherwise, such a stupid ally will only hold us back. We just need to know that Huadie is dissatisfied with the princess. We shouldn't deliberately distance ourselves from her on a daily basis, but we can say a few words when necessary." Cui Lingrong wasn't afraid of powerful opponents, but she was afraid of people around her who were too stupid.

Associating with idiots will bring you bad luck.

Before the master and servant could finish speaking, Song Yu arrived in high spirits. She was eagerly awaiting news from the estate, but since she had no one to ask, she came to her mother's place.

"Didn't I tell you to calm down? Why can't you keep things to yourself?" Cui Lingrong said this, but her expression was very gentle. "Since the old lady sent people, she will find out the truth. It won't be that quick, so let's just wait and see."

Two days later, Liu Zhuangtou returned with Li Fugui and the men sent by Shou'an Hall.

When Cui Lingrong arrived at Shou'an Hall, she learned that Song Shulan had sent Qingshan to help Princess Rongjia.

The couple sat facing each other, while Princess Rongjia sat next to Song Shulan; only then did they look like a real married couple.

Beneath Cui Lingrong's calm exterior, ripples of emotion stirred within her heart.

Song Shulan said he was unaware of the arranged marriage.

Song Shulan also said that he had no romantic feelings for Princess Rongjia, and that he was only interested in the Rongwang Mansion's promotion.

But Song Shulan knew how important her aunt was to her. After she left Bianjing, Song Shulan only wrote one letter. She didn't ask if she was feeling unwell or if her aunt was getting better. Instead, she asked when she would return home.

Looking back now, the day the letter was written was when Song Shulan was about to marry Princess Rongjia.

Later, she returned to Bianjing and waited at the dock for a day and a night, but Song Shulan did not send anyone to pick her up.

Still reeling from her aunt's passing, Cui Lingrong was now forced to accept Song Shulan's marriage to a concubine. Even the composed Cui Lingrong felt an urge to lash out.

"The Cui family?"

Only after Qiu's mother patted her on the shoulder did Cui Lingrong hear the old lady calling her.

She was actually lost in thought.

"Grandma, what do you need me for?" Cui Lingrong asked, standing up.

Grandma Song frowned slightly. "What's wrong with you? How can you be so lost in thought at a time like this?" Was she trying to embarrass her?

Cui Lingrong could only say that she hadn't slept well last night.

Old Madam Song gave a light snort, not having time to delve into the matter now. She continued, "This year's harvest was indeed poor, and according to tradition, the rent should be reduced somewhat. However, the Marquis's residence..."

Old Madam Song wouldn't say that the Marquis's mansion was short of money; she wanted to maintain appearances. If she were to say that the Marquis's mansion was broke, then Princess Rongjia would have to be frugal in the future, and she would have no reason to stop her.

"However, you know the situation of the Marquis's mansion best. Tell me, how should this matter be handled?" Old Madam Song was dissatisfied with the head of Rongjia County Household Management, so she wanted to take this opportunity to suppress the arrogance of Princess Rongjia. Therefore, she praised Cui Lingrong. "The tenant farmers are indeed having a hard time, but this matter has become too big and has indeed affected the reputation of the Marquis's mansion."

Cui Lingrong was waiting for these words: "The tenant farmers in the estate are employed by the Marquis's mansion year-round. If we were to change them just like that, it would be a loss of popular support. The Marquis's mansion is a high-ranking aristocratic family, and it should have the magnanimity it deserves. Since the poor harvest is real, we should reduce the rent as in previous years. However, this incident has affected the reputation of the Marquis's mansion, and it should be punished accordingly."

"Oh, how do you suggest the punishment?" asked Grandma Song.

"After the autumn harvest, the tenant farmers will need to cut firewood for the winter, and the Marquis's residence will also need to store firewood. The Marquis's residence has its own forests, so why not let the tenant farmers cut enough firewood for the winter, and then allow them to cut for three more days for their own use? In this way, the Marquis's residence will save money on firewood for the winter, the tenant farmers will do the work for the Marquis's residence, and they will still have firewood for the winter." Cui Lingrong spoke gently. The old lady cared about her reputation, so things had to be done beautifully. "In this way, the Marquis's residence will also have a reputation for generosity, and those previous rumors will be overshadowed."

The more Mrs. Song listened, the more satisfied she became. Back then, she didn't insist on choosing a daughter from a wealthy family because she valued Cui Lingrong's outstanding abilities.

At that time, the Marquis's mansion was just an empty shell. The old Marquis was a mediocre official and loved to squander money. Families of equal social standing were only willing to marry off a concubine's daughter, or an unappreciated daughter from the second or third wife, who actually had no skills whatsoever.

Old Madam Song had a keen eye. The first time she saw Cui Lingrong, she knew that this woman was extraordinary, resourceful, and had a great presence, no less than the daughters of noble families. That's why she decided to make Cui Lingrong her daughter-in-law to manage the household.

"Good, not bad." Only then did Old Madam Song smile, but Princess Rongjia did not see her change in attitude as a good thing.

Princess Rongjia couldn't help but interject, "Sister Cui calls it a punishment, but it's really a reward. After all, we've worked with Sister Cui for many years. Sister Cui is kind and reluctant to punish, but how can the Marquis's mansion establish its authority without making an example of someone?"

The way the old lady looked at Cui Lingrong made Princess Rongjia uneasy. She hinted again that Cui Lingrong was colluding with these tenant farmers.

However, her words only made Old Mrs. Song more annoyed.

When Old Madam Song sent someone to the estate, she learned that the tenant farmers' matter could have been resolved long ago; it was Princess Rongjia's mishandling that caused the disturbance.

Moreover, the estate would send wild game and mountain products every quarter. Only then did Old Madam Song realize that before the Mid-Autumn Festival, the amount of things sent from the estate to Wutong Garden was just as much as that to Shou'an Hall.

Even if the princess's status is different, she is not a princess, so how can she be on equal footing with her mother-in-law?

Old Mrs. Song was seething with anger, but since there were still some villagers present, she gave Princess Rongjia some face. "The princess is right. The people below are dissatisfied mostly because the managers are incompetent. Since you, Liu Zhuangtou, don't have the ability, then don't manage it anymore. Let the original people manage it."

Liu Zhuangtou was promoted by Princess Rongjia later. When Old Madam Song scolded Liu Zhuangtou for being incompetent, she was also referring to Princess Rongjia.

Princess Rongjia's face immediately burned, and she clenched her hands tightly in her sleeves.

Liu Zhuangtou hurriedly kowtowed and begged for mercy, "Please, old lady, give me another chance. I promise this will never happen again!" He was so unlucky. He had only been the manager for a few months when he encountered the tenant farmers causing trouble. He hated those tenant farmers to death.

Old Madam Song, annoyed by the noise from Liu Zhuangtou, had him dragged away. Once she made a decision, no one in the Marquis's mansion could object. Looking at Li Fugui, although somewhat displeased, he acknowledged that Cui Lingrong was right; the Marquis's mansion needed to restore its reputation. "Regarding Cui's proposal, do you agree?"

Li Fugui glanced at his madam, then kowtowed gratefully, "Agreed, I agree completely. I thank you both, Madam and Eldest Madam, for your kindness. We will remember this forever and are eternally grateful to the Marquis's Mansion!"

"I'm relieved that you're grateful." Old Mrs. Song was particular about doing things well, so she ordered someone to open her private storehouse and transport two cartloads of cotton back to the tenant farmers.

Hearing that the old lady had kindly given him some cotton, Li Fugui kowtowed even more sincerely.

But he knew it was all thanks to his great-grandmother, and also because of her kind heart. If it weren't for her helping them come up with a solution, they probably would have had to sell their children, not to mention the benefits they now received from chopping firewood and selling miscellaneous cotton.

Li Fugui kowtowed until his forehead was swollen before following the old woman to the old lady's private storehouse to collect miscellaneous cotton.

However, the crowd at Shouan Hall did not disperse.

"Mother." Song Shulan had just opened his mouth when he met the old lady's half-closed eyes. Thinking of what the old lady had said to him a few days ago, he thought for a moment and then shut his mouth.

Grandma Song was finally a little satisfied. "Now that there are no outsiders in the house, there are some things I need to make clear."