Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

At this moment, in Shou'an Hall, Old Madam Song was lying on the bed. She had just finished drinking ginseng tea when the second wife and her husband started arguing again outside.

"Mrs. Xu, go and tell them to shut up!" Her head hurt so much, why wasn't Cui Lingrong here yet!

Outside, Song Shucheng's cheek was scratched. He angrily berated Jiang, "Why are you acting like a shrew? What's wrong with me and my cousin being together? You can't have children yourself, and now you've made a laughingstock of yourself!"

"I...why can't I have a child?" Jiang had cried several times, her eyes swollen. "Song Shucheng, can't you have any shame? You ruined my maidservant, and now you've gone and slept with my cousin?"

One was her most beloved cousin, and the other was her husband.

They betrayed her together.

"Why not?" Song Shucheng disliked Jiang Shi. The day he saw He Pingping crying, he thought of seducing He Pingping.

Actually, when they first got married, the two were deeply in love.

Jiang had a bit of a temper, but during their honeymoon, Song Shucheng found it to be a source of fun.

He would indulge Jiang, coax Jiang, and promise to treat Jiang well for the rest of his life.

When did he begin to feel disgusted with the Jiang family?

It seems that he took a fancy to a maid, and Jiang slapped that maid ten times. While he was away from home, she betrothed the maid to a servant.

One by one, they accumulated.

The gap between the two widened.

"Anyone will do, just not her!" Jiang shouted, and then Xu's mother came out to tell them to be quiet.

Jiang cried, "Please, old lady, do me justice! My father is a high-ranking official of the second rank; how can I suffer such humiliation?"

"Second Madam, please don't cry. The old lady said we should talk about it after the eldest madam arrives." Madam Xu shook her head at Second Madam. Second Madam was too unwise. She could have eased the tension with Second Master many times, but she insisted on confronting him head-on.

Upon hearing that Cui Lingrong was to handle the matter, Jiang shook her head vigorously, "This has nothing to do with my sister-in-law, why should she come? Mother can make the decision for me, can't she?"

Mrs. Xu thought to herself that the old lady had already fainted from anger once, so how could she have the energy to deal with this matter again? Hearing people talking outside, she learned that it was the eldest grandmother who had arrived, and Mrs. Xu breathed a sigh of relief.

When Cui Lingrong entered the house, she saw three people kneeling on the ground. She went into the inner room first to greet the old lady.

"How is the old lady? Is she still feeling unwell?" Cui Lingrong asked.

Old Mrs. Song waved her hand, "What a tragedy, how could I have given birth to such a rebellious son. Cui, you are now the mistress of the house, you should think of a proper solution."

Her idea was that since things had come to this point, her second son should take He Pingping as his wife, but Jiang disagreed.

But He Pingping has already lost her innocence. She's no longer a maid in the manor who can be sold off. If the Marquis's manor doesn't give the He family an explanation, what will happen to the Marquis's manor's reputation if things get out of hand?

Just thinking about it gave Grandma Song a headache.

Before Cui Lingrong could answer, Princess Rongjia arrived.

"Why are you here?" Old Madam Song asked Princess Rongjia to sit down quickly. "You're still pregnant. Cui Shi will take care of things here, so don't worry about it."

"I've come to visit my mother. I heard you fainted from anger, and I've been worried about you ever since. I can't sit still in Wutong Garden without coming to see you." Princess Rongjia sat down on the edge of the bed and asked the old lady with consideration if there was anything else that was bothering her.

Grandma Song was very pleased. "With your filial piety, I feel all my ailments have disappeared. Go and sit down quickly. That brat of a second son, I wish I could get up and slap him a couple of times."

Princess Rongjia told Old Madam Song not to be angry, "Men are like that, it's understandable. Miss He has always been in the second branch of the family, it's normal for her to develop feelings for the second master. If you ask me, since it's already a done deal, why not give Miss He a proper status? Otherwise, if word gets out, people will say that the Marquis's mansion is bullying her."

In Princess Rongjia's view, this was the only way to resolve the matter.

She had disappointed the old lady as a housekeeper before, and now she wants to prove herself useful.

"That's what I meant too, but the Jiang family is unwilling," Old Mrs. Song sighed.

Cui Lingrong understood Jiang Shi; she was extremely stubborn when angry. Since Princess Rongjia wanted to step in, she took the initiative and said, "My second sister-in-law often visits Wutong Garden, so she must have a good relationship with you, Princess. Since you also feel the same way, why don't you try to persuade her?"

Princess Rongjia had been waiting for these words, so she got up and went to the outer room.

Jiang could hear some of what was being said in the inner room. She shook her head vigorously, "Princess, I don't want to."

"Good sister, you're being foolish." Princess Rongjia reached out to help Jiang Shi sit down with her. "Second Master has never had a son, and the old lady will eventually arrange for him to take another concubine. Rather than letting someone else into the family, why not let Miss He follow Second Master? You sisters are close and know each other well. Wouldn't it be better if you shared a husband in the future?"

Wang Shanxi's wife chimed in, "Yes, Second Madam, Second Master and Miss He are already like this. If you don't agree, how will you explain it to the He family?"

Princess Rongjia continued, "If you're more magnanimous, the Second Master might be willing to ease tensions with you for the sake of this matter. Besides, what will the Jiang family think if things escalate?"

Jiang only has a stepmother, not her biological mother, so why would she care about her?

The more Princess Rongjia said this, the more pitiful she felt. She bit her lip until it bled, but still refused to agree. "No, anyone will do, just not that slut!"

"Why?" Princess Rongjia asked, puzzled.

"If the princess's closest person were to try and steal the marquis from you, would you be willing to do that?" Jiang said without thinking, and as soon as she finished speaking, Princess Rongjia's expression changed instantly.

However, Princess Rongjia quickly regained her smile, "As long as the Marquis is willing, I will naturally not stop him." As for secretly killing the other party, she would never allow anyone around her to betray her.

Jiang saw through Princess Rongjia's lie and smiled bitterly, "If what you're saying is true, then you are truly virtuous and generous, but I can't do that!"

Princess Rongjia talked herself hoarse, but still couldn't persuade Jiang Shi.

Inside the house, Old Mrs. Song was getting anxious and told Xu Mama to go find Cui Lingrong, "Tell her to stop watching the play. If she keeps making a scene, I'll be driven crazy." The princess was still a bit lacking in ability and couldn't persuade Jiang Shi.

After being prompted by Madam Xu, Cui Lingrong finally asked Madam Jiang, "So what are you going to do? Send Miss He away?"

Jiang said she never wanted to see He Pingping again.

Cui Lingrong thought for a moment and nodded, saying that it was okay.

Everyone in the room looked at Cui Lingrong in surprise. No one expected that Cui Lingrong, who had always been well-behaved, would say such a thing.

Even Jiang was stunned. "Really?"

"Yes, you are the second mistress of the Marquis's mansion. You should be given the respect due to you." Cui Lingrong disliked Jiang Shi, but as a woman, she was even more disgusted by Song Shucheng and He Pingping's behavior.

After all, the Jiang family had indeed treated He Pingping quite well.

Just as Jiang said, anyone is fine, but He Pingping is the only one who cannot be.

Princess Rongjia frowned and looked over. "Sister Cui, are you confused? Miss He won't agree to that."

Inside the house, Old Mrs. Song held her breath, unable to swallow. Could it be that Cui had really lost her mind?

Only then did Cui Lingrong look at He Pingping kneeling by the door. After taking a deep breath, she walked over and asked, "Miss He, is it true that you willingly had an affair with Second Master, as Second Sister-in-law said?"

He Pingping: "I..." She looked up at Cui Shi, then immediately lowered her head, biting her lip and remaining silent.

Seeing He Pingping's reaction, Cui Lingrong understood what was going on.