Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

"I know that everyone has their own little thoughts."

As she spoke, Old Madam Song glanced around the room. Cui sat upright, Jiang suppressed a laugh, and Li kept her head down. Finally, she looked at Princess Rongjia, paused, and said, "People all want to live a good life, that's normal. But don't forget, we're all part of the same family, we all rise and fall together. Anyone with ability can go out and earn fame and fortune, but those without should stay within their means and not think they're clever."

Every word she uttered implied that Princess Rongjia was unworthy of her position.

Princess Rongjia was getting restless. How could this happen?

How could Cui Lingrong, the daughter of a minor official, possess such methods and cunning?

Princess Rongjia lost to Cui Lingrong. She cautiously glanced at Song Shulan beside her, her heart pounding. If the old lady were to take away her power as the head of the household, would Song Shulan refuse?

"Remember my words today, or don't blame me for being impolite." Old Madam Song dismissed everyone else, leaving only her eldest son and Princess Rongjia behind.

Upon hearing that the old lady had specially asked her to stay, Princess Rongjia's heart skipped a beat, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Old Mrs. Song had the door closed and sent all of Wang Shanxi's family members away.

There were only the three of them inside.

"Does the princess know why I want to keep you here?" Old Madam Song stared intently, her face serious.

Princess Rongjia's voice trembled at the end, "Mother, please speak."

Song Shulan still spoke up, "Mother, no one is perfect. We should give the princess some opportunities to improve."

"Yes, everyone makes mistakes, which is why I kept the two of you here instead of saying it in front of everyone. What we say in this room will be known by no one else, and it won't embarrass the princess."

Old Madam Song took a deep breath. She didn't want to be too direct, but if she didn't speak up, the princess wouldn't acknowledge her, so she had no choice but to be blunt, "Princess, since you took over the household affairs, I haven't interfered in any matters of the manor, nor have I restricted you, have I?"

Princess Rongjia said yes.

Princess Rongjia was particularly happy at that time, thinking that the old lady must be very satisfied with her to believe in her abilities.

"But look at all these things lately, which one have you handled well?" Old Madam Song's eyes showed disappointment. A princess of high status was not as capable as the daughter of a minor official.

Princess Rongjia immediately knelt down, tears welling up in her eyes, "But...but Mother, before Sister Cui returned, everyone in the Marquis's mansion was fine. These things only happened after she came back."

"So, you want Shulan to send her away? Never to return to the Marquis's mansion?" Old Madam Song was even more disappointed. "Cui is Shulan's first wife. She has been married into the Marquis's mansion for fourteen years without ever making a mistake, and she has even given birth to three children. If the Marquis's mansion kicks her out, what will people say about the mansion? And how will Shulan establish himself in the officialdom?"

Princess Rongjia quickly shook her head, "That's not what I meant."

"So what do you mean? You mean she secretly used underhanded tactics to deliberately ruin your reputation?" Old Mrs. Song took a deep breath. Fortunately, she wasn't senile and could still make sense. "Regarding the gatekeeper, she didn't even know you existed at that time. How could she have made arrangements? When Aunt Zhang wanted to call a doctor, didn't she contact you first, and only went to Cui Shi after you refused? Besides, when the tenant farmers caused trouble this time, didn't Li Fugui contact you first?"

Grandma Song said so much in one breath that she coughed from anxiety, and it took her a while to catch her breath before her breathing calmed down. "Even if she really did something, you didn't handle it well, which means you're not as good as her."

The phrase "not as good as her" made Princess Rongjia's head spin.

She is a princess, of noble birth, and may even have a younger brother who is the crown prince.

How could she be inferior to that slut Cui Lingrong?

Song Shulan also knelt down, "Mother, you are too kind. We are all family. Cui is an honest person, and the princess is also trying her best to get along with Cui. Neither of them has bad intentions; it just takes time for them to adjust to each other."

Grandma Song looked helplessly at her eldest son. Men really don't understand the affairs of the household. Everyone knows that two tigers cannot share one mountain, let alone one husband with two wives. If two women share one man, and the man can't treat them equally, one woman will inevitably harbor resentment. Even if they are treated equally, the women will still be dissatisfied and want more.

Forget it, there's no point in talking to my eldest son about this.

She said so much today not because she was afraid Princess Rongjia would resent her, but because she couldn't let her eldest son become a bad person, since he still needed the Rongwang Mansion's influence to get promoted. She also couldn't stand by and watch the Marquis's mansion fall into chaos; she had to be the one to keep Princess Rongjia in check.

"Mother, I will try my best to manage the Marquis's mansion. Please... please give me another chance." Princess Rongjia knew that the old lady was really thinking about it, so no matter how proud she was, she had to bow her head and beg.

With the autumn banquet approaching, what will people think of her if the Marquis's mansion were to change its steward at this time?

Realizing this, Princess Rongjia pleaded again, "I know there are many things I haven't done well, but my intentions are always for the good of the Marquis's mansion. If you replace the manager now, how... how will I face anyone?"

After thinking it over, Old Madam Song realized that she really couldn't embarrass Princess Rongjia, so she gave her eldest son a wink.

Song Shulan went to help Princess Rongjia up. "Princess, please get up quickly. Mother is not a mean or ungrateful person. She has seen all your efforts."

"Yes, Princess, I didn't mean to punish or scold you. I was just considering the bigger picture. Can you understand me?" Old Madam Song looked at Princess Rongjia, and seeing that Princess Rongjia couldn't speak, she continued, "After the Autumn Banquet, you should claim to be ill for a while, and then send the account books and keys to Qiushuangzhai. This way, you can save face and recuperate in peace. I'm hoping you can give me a grandson."

Princess Rongjia's face turned pale and then red. When she was brought back to Wutong Garden, her limbs seemed to have lost all strength, and she lost all her spirit.

Song Shulan comforted her, "Don't blame your mother. She just wants you to feel better. You've been managing the household these past few days, and you look visibly haggard. Since it's all just troublesome stuff anyway, wouldn't it be better to let Madam Cui deal with it?"

He didn't understand why women all wanted to manage the household, since it didn't affect who he treated better.

Princess Rongjia almost burst into tears. Men didn't understand the intricacies of the inner quarters, but she did. Without power, she would have to go to Cui Lingrong's place to ask for a few extra dishes before going out, and she would have to be mindful of Cui's attitude.

How can one be happy if they can't make their own decisions and have to be arranged for them in every aspect of their life?

Women are not like men, who can go out whenever they want. Most of the time, they still spend their time in the mansion.

"Song Lang, I..." Princess Rongjia wanted Song Shulan to plead for her, but when she saw Wang Shanxi's wife shake her head, she swallowed her words.

That night, Princess Rongjia was held in Song Shulan's arms, and her eyes were swollen the next day.

Meanwhile, Old Madam Song called Cui Lingrong over.

The Marquis's mansion had wronged Cui Lingrong for a while, and now that Cui Lingrong was to take charge, Old Madam Song naturally wanted to curry favor with her.

She took out a set of jewelry that came with her dowry and deliberately said, "The princess is not as capable as you. I have already spoken with the princess and we have agreed that you will be in charge of the household after the autumn banquet."

Do we have to wait until after the autumn banquet?

Cui Lingrong sneered inwardly; the old lady was really giving Princess Rongjia face.

Back at Qiushuangzhai, Qiu's mother and daughter were very happy to hear what the old lady had said.

Especially Song Yu, "Mother is still a cut above the rest. The princess must be furious and will probably say a lot of bad things about you behind your back. She deserves it!"

Cui Lingrong was not so happy. The old lady specially called her over and asked about the cloth shop's business. The old lady's meaning was very clear: since she was being put in charge of the household again, if she knew what was good for her, she should give the dividends to the Marquis's mansion as before.

In the past, Cui Lingrong might have done things according to the old lady's wishes.

But now, looking at her daughter who was so devoted to her, Cui Lingrong wanted to plan for herself and her children even more. "Your grandmother, to save face for the princess, told her to give me the account books and keys after the autumn banquet. She knew that if she handed over the power now, the princess would lose face at the banquet. And what about me?"

Isn't this also the first banquet that Cui Lingrong attended after returning home?

The fact that the Marquis's family had taken a concubine as their second wife has caused a great deal of gossip among the outside world.

This banquet will be the first time she and Princess Rongjia appear together. Whoever is in charge will have more face.

The old lady was concerned about Princess Rongjia, but did she ever think about her?

Song Yu's thoughts weren't that deep. She only realized her mother's embarrassment after that, and her smile vanished instantly. "Grandmother is still biased. Even if she regains control of the household, she's not that happy anymore. Why didn't you pretend to be sick that day and not join in the fun?"

"If I'm not around, people will speculate whether I've fallen out of favor or something, and I'll just become a laughingstock." Cui Lingrong made up her mind, "I not only have to show up, but I also have to let everyone see that I'm doing great."

At this point, she smiled deliberately, "As for the steward's matter, let's just leave it at that. Your grandmother has already spoken to the princess, but I refuse to take over. It's them who will suffer."

Song Yu was still puzzled. "Why? What if Grandmother changes her mind and lets the Princess continue managing the household? Wouldn't all your efforts have been wasted?"

"No, your grandmother must have thought this through carefully before making this decision. In her opinion, the princess is simply not as capable as me, and she only hopes that I will take over as soon as possible. I have to get back the face I lost, put them on the hot seat, and wait until your father can't withstand the pressure and comes begging me before I take over. Only then will they value me and not treat me as a tool for managing affairs." Cui Lingrong explained all her thoughts to her daughter. She hoped that her daughter would learn more skills, but also hoped that her daughter would not have to use them.