Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

At this moment, Song Shulan was in the room where Princess Rongjia was staying.

Seeing Princess Rongjia enter, Song Shulan looked over nervously, "What...what did Princess Rong say?"

"Song Lang cares a lot about what Sister Cui thinks, doesn't he?" Princess Rongjia walked to Song Shulan's side and put her arm around his shoulder.

A hint of unease flashed across Song Shulan's face. "She is my wife and the mother of three children. It's only right that I show her some respect."

"Look at how hastily you're explaining. I never said you couldn't care about her. If I were that petty, would I have married you as a secondary wife?" Princess Rongjia said softly, sitting on Song Shulan's lap. "Don't worry, Sister Cui is perfectly fine. It's just that things happened so suddenly, she's a little overwhelmed. I'll personally go to apologize to her tomorrow to put her mind at ease, okay?"

In front of men, one must be humble and submissive. Even though Princess Rongjia is of noble status, she will still be gentle and considerate towards Song Shulan. After all, she is someone who suffered greatly in her previous marriage.

"I'm sorry to trouble you." With the beauty in his arms, Song Shulan thought that it was indeed a disservice for Princess Rongjia to be his concubine. He tightened his grip on Princess Rongjia's waist.

"It is my honor to be able to help Song Lang and relieve his worries. I will do anything you ask me to do." Princess Rongjia stroked Song Shulan's chest. Just as she expected, Song Shulan couldn't control himself and hurriedly carried her to the bed.

After the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, Song Shulan lay panting heavily on Princess Rongjia's chest, when Princess Rongjia suddenly sighed, "If only I hadn't been so stubborn with you when we were younger."

They met when they were young. At that time, Princess Rongjia, being of noble birth, liked Song Shulan, but she was very domineering and forbade Song Shulan from associating with anyone.

After an argument, Princess Rongjia reluctantly agreed to the marriage arranged by her family. When Song Shulan regretted it and came to beg for forgiveness, she never saw Song Shulan come to the Prince's Mansion until her marriage.

She was not happy after marriage. Her husband was unrealistic and his character and appearance were not as good as Song Shulan's. She became more and more resentful.

Fortunately, fate gave her a chance. Her ex-husband died from drinking, which allowed her to return to Bianjing and rekindle her romance with Song Shulan.

"Why."

Two sighs, unanimously expressing their regret and remorse.

In her youth, Princess Rongjia was radiant and lively, and Song Shulan genuinely admired her. However, things had changed. When they met again, Princess Rongjia had returned to Bianjing as a widow. He never expected that the Emperor would bestow a marriage upon them, allowing them to rekindle their past romance.

"I'll go to Qiushuangzhai with you tomorrow," Song Shulan said.

"No need. If Song Lang and I go together, wouldn't it look like I'm taking you there to show off?" Princess Rongjia said softly. "Let us women resolve our own affairs. I think Sister Cui is reasonable and will understand."

Song Shulan felt a little uneasy thinking about Cui Lingrong. Hearing that Princess Rongjia had taken the matter upon herself and that he wouldn't have to face Cui Lingrong's probing and questioning, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

The next morning, Song Shulan deliberately avoided Qiushuangzhai when he went to court.

Princess Rongjia leisurely finished her breakfast, and then led her entourage in a grand procession to Qiushuangzhai.

Meanwhile, Choi Young-yong also received the message and told her daughter to go out first.

"Mother, you said I'm not a child anymore, so let me stay with you. If she bullies you, I can speak up for you." Song Yu refused to leave. This morning, she learned that her father had taken a concubine, and she came running in a huff to stand up for her mother.

Cui Lingrong had clashed with Princess Rongjia last night and knew that Princess Rongjia was cunning. She didn't say a word herself, but instead used Jiang Shi as a pawn. Jiang Shi couldn't hold back and was manipulated, yet she was secretly pleased with herself.

"I have the same status as her in the Song family. We can compete and argue. It's a fact that she married your father, so she's your elder. If you say anything disrespectful or let any rumors leak out, wouldn't all the reputation I've built for you be wasted?" Cui Lingrong took a deep breath and looked at her daughter earnestly. "Yu'er, you should never do things that harm others without benefiting yourself, especially since you might not even be able to harm her. Qiutang, take the girl back to calm down. The sky hasn't fallen yet."

Qiu Tang is Qiu Mama's daughter. She is as composed as Qiu Mama in her dealings with people. As soon as Cui Lingrong finished speaking, Qiu Tang pulled her master away.

A moment later, the curtain was lifted, and upon seeing Princess Rongjia, it was as if a cold wind had entered Cui Lingrong's collar, chilling her from head to toe.

She didn't get up and continued pruning the crabapple branches.

Cui Lingrong didn't sleep all night. She not only knew that Song Shulan had stayed at Princess Rongjia's place last night, but also found out that Princess Rongjia had returned to Bianjing as a widow.

"Sister, you have a good eye. This begonia is beautiful yet elegant, just like your temperament, refined and unconventional." Princess Rongjia sat opposite Cui Lingrong. As soon as she raised her eyebrows, all the maids around her withdrew, leaving only her trusted servant Wang Shanxi's wife.

"If I'm not mistaken, the princess is half a year younger than me. I don't deserve your repeated calls of 'sister'." Although she is called a secondary wife, how can they truly be on equal footing? Who is in charge? Who is in charge? There needs to be an explanation.

Cui Lingrong was the first wife, so no matter what, Princess Rongjia should call her "elder sister".

The room fell silent. Princess Rongjia had also inquired about Cui Lingrong. She was not valued by her family in her childhood, but became famous in Bianjing for her calligraphy, painting and tea ceremony. All the women and young ladies who had come into contact with Cui Lingrong had the same impression of her: she was unhurried and seemed to never get angry.

Both were waiting for the other to make a move, neither wanting to show any impatience. The room was quiet for a while before Qiu Mama came over to refill the tea and said, "When the eldest mistress came back yesterday, the gatekeeper and servants had completely forgotten to close the main gate and side gates tightly. The second mistress said that the prefectural steward is very capable, and it's true. Anyone who wants to take advantage of the Marquis's mansion can't even squeeze through a crack in the door."

Aunt Qiu represented the eldest mistress, and her words reflected what the eldest mistress wanted to say. Upon learning that the eldest master had taken a concubine, Aunt Qiu was initially furious. However, after calming down, she thought about the imperial decree of marriage and began to worry for the eldest mistress. If they couldn't divorce Princess Rongjia, would her eldest mistress relinquish her position and divorce?

Pooh!

That is impossible!

The eldest mistress has been working hard in the Song family for more than ten years. Why should she be the one to benefit others?

Mother Qiu was holding back her anger, and when she became sarcastic, she showed no mercy.

"Is that so?" Princess Rongjia looked puzzled, then turned and her face darkened. "Wang Shanxi's wife, go and ask what happened. Such a big thing as Cui's return, not only did no one tell me, but I'm being made to take the blame. It's outrageous!"

Cui Lingrong chuckled softly, "So the princess didn't know I was going home. Where did the letter I sent go?"

She thought about it all night. Her mother advised her to stay calm and not to act impulsively and cause trouble with the Marquis. If she were to divorce him, the Cui family would definitely not accept her. Moreover, if she left, her child would become Princess Rongjia's child. Just thinking about it made her heart ache.

She had been in charge of the Song family for over a decade. If she were afraid of the newly arrived Princess Rongjia, she would have wasted her aunt's upbringing.

Princess Rongjia still said she didn't know, "My marriage to Song Lang came suddenly, and I had no choice but to agree. I feel guilty towards you. If I had known you were returning home, I would have personally gone to the dock to welcome you, apologize, and offer you tea. How could I have just sat there in the Song residence?"

She spoke earnestly, leaning forward, "Good sister, if you have any grievances or resentments, feel free to vent them to me. We are both Song Lang's women, and we shouldn't make things difficult for him. If you really don't want to see me, you can build a wall in the courtyard, and we can live separately."

The Marquis's mansion hasn't divided its property, yet the eldest branch wants to build a wall to separate the two houses. This is to let the whole of Bianjing know that Cui Lingrong is jealous and can't tolerate anyone, right?

Look at these words, they don't take any responsibility at all, and they push all the blame for stirring up trouble onto her.

Cui Lingrong laughed, "If the princess really insists on building the wall, then I can't stop her. Today, as the first wife and having managed the Marquis's residence for over a decade, I'll say a few more words to you. It's normal for you to want to establish yourself and gain prestige after just arriving at the Marquis's residence, but things should proceed with caution. I've held the keys to this Marquis's residence for over a decade without any mishaps. Yet, as soon as you took over, the gatekeepers and servants caused this kind of trouble. Those who don't know the inside story will say we're fighting like dragons and tigers, making the Marquis's residence a laughing stock. Don't you think so?"

Princess Rongjia had no intention of returning the power of managing the household to Cui Lingrong after she seized it from the Jiang family. Now that Cui Lingrong was using the gatekeeper as an excuse, Princess Rongjia had to give a reasonable explanation. Otherwise, rumors would spread that Princess Rongjia had usurped the position and then humiliated Cui Lingrong, the original wife.

Everyone here is a smart person, so they didn't say it outright. Cui Lingrong placed the trimmed crabapple blossoms into the mouth of the vase. "I'm not feeling well yet, so I won't send them to the Princess. Regardless of whether it's a misunderstanding or not, since the Princess is in charge of the household, she should investigate thoroughly. This is not only to give me an explanation, but also to ensure that all the other servants in the Marquis's mansion are watching. Since my second sister-in-law praised the Princess in charge of the household, I'll take a few days off to rest and recover before asking you for the account books and keys."

After saying that, she coughed softly and called for Mama Qiu to take her to the inner room, leaving Princess Rongjia with her lips pursed for a while before leaving.