Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

Cui Lingrong was forcibly taken to the Su family. When Grandma Su saw the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law coming, she initially pretended to be fine, but when she learned that Cui Lingrong already knew, she immediately couldn't hold back anymore.

"Good sister, you have a good relationship with Second Madam Jiang, go and plead for Yunfei." After learning that her daughter had spoken arrogantly at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, Madam Su immediately went to see the Duchess of Dingguo, but the Duchess of Dingguo refused to see her.

When she got home, she scolded her daughter, but her daughter wouldn't listen to a word and cried, refusing to apologize.

When Grandma Su saw Cui Lingrong arrive, she felt as if she had found a lifeline.

Cui Lingrong shook her head, "I do have a good relationship with Second Madam Jiang, but this matter has little to do with the Jiang family. It mainly involves the Yuan family and the Duke of Dingguo's mansion."

"Second Madam Jiang is the younger sister of the Crown Prince's wife. With her intervention, the Crown Prince's wife should be able to calm down for her sake, right?" Madam Su and Cui Lingrong had a casual relationship, though their families interacted frequently. However, she had always secretly compared herself to Cui Lingrong.

Grandma Su has always believed that she is superior to Cui Lingrong, whether in terms of family background or her husband's official position.

The fact that she is now pleading with Cui Lingrong is already a rare instance of her bowing her head.

"Sister-in-law, please don't misunderstand. It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but I understand Grandma Jiang's personality. Especially in times like this, it's harder for others to offer advice; it depends on how the Su family apologizes." As soon as Cui Lingrong finished speaking, Old Madam Song couldn't wait to ask the Su family what they would do.

Cui Lingrong thought for a moment, "The Duchess of Dingguo is known for being fiercely protective of her own, but given her high position, if the Su family lowers their stance and makes promises, the Duchess of Dingguo shouldn't hold a grudge. After all, the current state of the Dingguo Duke's Mansion..."

She paused deliberately, not saying it directly.

Cui Lingrong had never liked Su Yunfei, always trying to outdo Yu Jie'er and making things difficult for her at banquets several times. She had long wanted to teach Su Yunfei a lesson, and this was a good opportunity to make the Su family realize that spoiling their daughter was like harming her.

When everyone saw Cui Lingrong stop, Madam Su anxiously pressed her for an answer, "Good sister, just say what you have to say. I'm like an ant on a hot plate, my heart is pounding, I'm afraid someone from the Duke of Dingguo's mansion will come and ask me questions."

She deeply regretted neglecting her daughter's upbringing. She had always let her daughter have her way, thinking that as long as she didn't cause trouble, she never expected her daughter to develop this kind of personality.

"They say harsh words hurt people, and Yunfei is no longer a child. If this gets out, her reputation will be completely ruined. Cousin, why don't you show your sincerity and promise the Duke of Dingguo's mansion that you will send Yunfei back to her hometown to be raised, and then bring her back after a year?" Cui Lingrong said. "If the Su family does this, even if others mention it, they will praise you for your strict upbringing. After a year, Yunfei will have calmed down, and you can hold a coming-of-age ceremony for her, so she can start over."

Grandma Su hesitated, "Are you sure that doing this will appease the Duke of Dingguo's mansion and the Yuan family?"

"I don't know about that, but it's better than doing nothing. We can't let the reputation of the entire Su family be ruined for the sake of one child, don't you think, sister-in-law?" Cui Lingrong said that she had done her best, and as for Grandma Jiang, she would also try to persuade her.

As for whether the advice was genuine or not, only she and Yuan Mingzhu know.

Grandma Su was afraid that the entire Su family would be implicated. The Duke of Dingguo held a high position and wielded great power, and her son was about to take the imperial examination. What if... there couldn't be any unforeseen circumstances. After all, her son was much more important than her daughter.

She immediately agreed.

By the time Cui Lingrong and Old Madam Song returned to the Marquis's residence, it was already evening.

Old Mrs. Song was exhausted. The Su family had gotten into trouble, and she was also embarrassed. She emphasized, "Go to the Jiang family tomorrow. Don't delay."

Cui Lingrong agreed, but when she went to see Yuan Mingzhu the next day, she did not persuade Yuan Mingzhu to let the person go. "The old lady insisted on dragging me there, so I had no choice but to give the Su family a suggestion. As for the Yuan family and the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, they can do whatever they want with me. They don't need to give me face."

"So it was that little girl Su Yunfei. How could she be so vicious at such a young age?" Yuan Mingzhu was so angry that she gritted her teeth.

"Grandma Su values ​​her son and doesn't care much about Su Yunfei. She lets Su Yunfei do whatever she wants, which is why she developed this kind of personality," Cui Lingrong said. "It's good to let her go to the old house and suffer for a year, so that she won't make Yu Jie'er unhappy every time she runs into her."

"That's right." Yuan Mingzhu said that she returned yesterday and was made to kneel for two hours by her mother-in-law. "Fortunately, my husband cares about me and knelt with me. The old lady felt sorry for her son and let me come back. My knees still hurt a lot. I acted impulsively this time. The old lady punished me by making me copy Buddhist scriptures one hundred times. I'm not allowed to leave the house until I finish copying them."

She hated writing the most, and she hugged Cui Lingrong, pleading sadly, "Good sister, you can't bear to see me suffer, can you?"

Before Yuan Mingzhu could even speak, Cui Lingrong knew what she meant. She flicked Yuan Mingzhu's forehead and said, "You're really bold. You want me to copy Buddhist scriptures for you? You even dare to fool the Bodhisattva?"

"If the Bodhisattva is truly compassionate, she will surely feel sorry for the difficulty I went through copying this. So, tell me, will you copy it or not?"

"Copy it, I'll copy it for you, okay? I'll have Zeyu slip it in a cloth and bring it over, alright?"

"Yeah, you're still the best to me."

While Cui Lingrong and Yuan Mingzhu were talking, at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, the Su family went to apologize as Cui Lingrong had instructed.

Seeing the Su family's humble attitude, the Duke of Dingguo agreed without much thought.

As a result, the Duchess was displeased. She stormed into the room and smashed the inkstone, paper, and brush on the Duke of Dingguo's desk. "Lu Zhong, are you now only thinking about finding that slut's son, completely disregarding my son? Such an important matter, and you didn't even inform me, but went directly to the Su family to report it?"

"Qin, why are you acting like a shrew!" The Duke of Dingguo slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "What else do you want? The Su family has already promised to send Su Yunfei away from Bianjing immediately. If we keep harping on this trivial matter, what will others think of our Duke's Mansion?"

"A trivial matter? You're calling this a trivial matter?"

Tears welled up in Qin's eyes as she pointed at Duke Dingguo in disappointment, "You, Lu Zhong, you've never cared about us, mother and son, that's why you think it's a small matter, isn't it?"

As she spoke, she burst into tears, "My son, why didn't you take your mother with you? You left me here to suffer scorn. Lu Zhong, let me tell you, you'll never find that bastard in your life. Even if you do, as long as I'm alive, I will never let him be added to your Lu family genealogy!"

"You shrew! You're acting exactly like a shrew now!" Duke Dingguo looked at Qin Shi incomprehensibly. He was saddened by his son's death, but Qin Shi's behavior annoyed him even more, and he wanted to antagonize her even more. "Then let me tell you, I will definitely find my son and make him inherit the family business. Just you wait and see!"

"I won't allow it!"

"I am the rightful master of the Duke's mansion! Your 'no' is useless!" The Duke of Dingguo walked towards Qin Shi with hatred in his eyes. "Back then, I wanted to marry your half-sister, but you secretly switched the bride, forcing me to marry a poisonous woman like you. Over the years, I've only felt disgust towards you. If Kang'er hadn't been born prematurely, he wouldn't be so weak. It's all your retribution!"

Lu Zhong fell in love at first sight with Qin's half-sister. After much persuasion, he finally convinced his parents, only to discover on their wedding night that the bride had been replaced.

When he was young, he had an explosive temper. He grabbed Qin Shi by the neck and forced the Qin family to tell the truth. Only then did he realize that Qin Shi had taken a liking to him and insisted on getting married to him in exchange for a dowry.

Qin's parents loved her more and thought about switching between the two, but by the time they realized it, it was too late, and Lu Zhong could only swallow his anger.

But Lu Zhong refused and insisted on divorcing Qin Shi. In the end, it was only through the intervention of Lu Zhong's parents that he was persuaded to give in.

Married for over thirty years, the couple is like a resentful pair, spending most of their time arguing.

The word "retribution" pierced Qin Shi's heart. Seeing Lu Zhong leave like that, Qin Shi bit her lip until it bled, her whole body trembling. "You, Lu Zhong! I've given you my heart for so many years, and you're still thinking about my half-sister and that bitch! The more disgusted you are with me, the more I'll make sure you don't get what you want!"

Qin summoned her trusted confidant and instructed him to find Lu Zhong's mistress first. "Kill her as soon as you find her, and bring her head back to me. I want to see Lu Zhong in despair and collapse."

Meanwhile, Lu Zhong summoned his capable subordinates, saying, "I demand to see him alive or dead. If you still can't find him, then you're all incompetent. Remember, don't let that bitch find out first!"

As long as his son is alive, he will make sure his son is recognized as part of the clan. He cannot allow his vast fortune to fall into the hands of those people in the family.