Chapter 36: Implications

“That’s still your fault!” Ever since Madam Li learned that Su Yun had won the Third Prince’s favor, she had become far less accommodating toward Song Xirui. She pressed on relentlessly. “You are the one managing the household now. If you had done your job properly, how could Yun’er have come down with diarrhea? Tell me, was I, as your mother-in-law, wrong to accuse you?”

Song Xirui, however, replied unhurriedly, “In that case, why not summon the woman in charge of purchasing and ask her?”

Before long, Madam Wang, who was responsible for buying food, hurried over.

The moment she saw the scene before her, she dropped to her knees and began wailing, “Old Madam, Madam, spare me! I, Madam Wang, have always served the Su household faithfully. Please, show mercy!”

Madam Li ground her teeth in fury and shouted, “We haven’t even said what you did yet, and you’re already howling! Madam Wang, tell me—was it because the Madam failed to manage the household properly that you served spoiled food to the young master?”

If the woman admitted it even once, Madam Li would make Song Xirui pay dearly today.

Unexpectedly, Madam Wang shook her head again and again. She glanced at Song Xirui and said softly, “Old Madam, you’ve misunderstood. The Madam herself is so frugal that she can hardly bear to eat. Money has been tight in the household lately, and every morning she has only two small dishes. The young master, on the other hand, has four. I believe the bamboo shoots must have been sitting for two days and were no longer fresh.”

“If they weren’t fresh, how dare you serve them to the young master?” Madam Li’s eyes bulged. “Were you trying to kill him?”

Madam Wang immediately burst into tears. “Old Madam, you wrong me! There truly wasn’t enough money to buy vegetables, yet we couldn’t reduce the young master’s meals. I had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. Please, Old Madam, do not punish me!”

Song Xirui then spoke up. “Mother, the family has been struggling lately. I had intended to sell some calligraphy, paintings, and antiques to raise money, but who could have known that my husband would take every penny I had to cultivate his connections? I truly had no other choice.”

She perfunctorily dabbed at the corner of her eye and said, “If you must blame someone, Mother, then blame your daughter-in-law and spare Madam Wang.”

Madam Wang was instantly moved to tears.

Of all the masters in the courtyard, the young madam was the only one with any sense!

The Su household had already become this poor, yet they still insisted on putting on airs every day. If it were up to her, they could simply buy some greens and radishes and be done with it.

“I don’t care!” Madam Li snapped. Her confidence had grown considerably now that she had found support. “Song Xirui, any mistake is your responsibility. If the household has no money, why don’t you think of some way to solve the problem?”

Hmph! Yun’er now had the Third Prince backing him. Things were no longer as they had been before.

In the past, she had endured Song Xirui only because the girl was the sole daughter of the Marquis. But did she still need to reason with her now?

Seeing Madam Li’s spiteful and harsh expression, Madam Wang secretly cursed her luck.

How had a shrew like this become one of the household’s mistresses?

Song Xirui, however, remained perfectly composed. In a gentle voice, she said, “Mother is right. Rest assured, from now on, my husband’s meals will certainly be made with fresh ingredients.”

Her attitude left Madam Li with nowhere to vent her anger. She nodded stiffly. “It is good that you understand. Do not let this happen again!” With that, she stamped her foot and walked away.

After she had gone, Song Xirui smiled faintly at Madam Wang. “Madam Wang, get up. I know this matter was not your fault.”

Madam Wang scrambled to her feet, flattered and alarmed at once. She hurriedly defended herself. “Madam, it isn’t that I’m cold-hearted. It’s just that the money really was far too little…”

“There are ways to manage even with little money,” Song Xirui said softly. “What the Old Madam truly wants is appearances. As long as everything looks acceptable on the surface, the rest can be arranged. Don’t you agree?”

Madam Wang blinked in confusion and murmured, “As long as appearances are maintained, everything else can be arranged.”

Her eyes suddenly lit up. “The Madam is truly clever. That is exactly right!” Anyone could put on a show for the sake of appearances.

Tomorrow, she would make all kinds of steamed buns and see what the cousin miss had left to complain about!

Song Xirui nodded. “Good that you understand. Do not spread this around, lest you anger the Old Madam.”

“Yes, yes, of course I understand. I will not tell anyone,” Madam Wang said, nodding vigorously.

She had already pocketed quite a bit of money. What she feared most was that the Old Madam would use her as a scapegoat.

Madam Wang had originally been brought into the household by the Su family. Yet over this matter—small, but not entirely insignificant—she became estranged from Madam Li and grew somewhat closer to Song Xirui instead.

***

Two days passed.

Su Yun had suffered such humiliation that day that he remained in bed for half a day before finally returning to court.

That night, as usual, he went to Luo Yuner’s room.

As for Song Xirui, he absolutely would not visit her. How could he endure losing face like that again?

After the two of them exchanged tender words and affection, they began attending to more serious business.

Beneath the embroidered mandarin-duck quilt, just as matters reached their most heated point, neither of them noticed the candle stand falling over. The flames traveled along the curtain beneath it and soon reached the bed.

“Ah—ow!”

At the cry of pain, Su Yun and Luo Yuner crawled out from beneath the bedding and ran into the courtyard, frantically calling for the maids and servants to put out the fire.

Madam Li hurried over. When she heard that Su Yun had been burned, she immediately began berating Luo Yuner.

“Tell me, how have you been attending to the young master? He was burned, while you look perfectly fine, as though nothing happened!”

Luo Yuner was deeply aggrieved. “Old Madam, I don’t know what happened either. The candle stand was reinforced only a few days ago. How could it suddenly topple over?”

It was truly bizarre.

Afterward, Su Yun’s health, which had barely recovered, soon deteriorated once more.

The civil and military officials of the entire court came to believe that the new scholar laureate was simply frail and unfit for any important position. Even the Third Prince repeatedly complained about him in private.

When Song Xirui heard about it, however, she found the matter suspicious.

The frequency with which misfortune had befallen Su Yun lately was rather beyond her expectations.

Perhaps she should go and take a look.

Song Xirui acted at once. Using the excuse of caring for Su Yun, she brought Hongdou with her to his room.

“Husband, I have come to see you,” she said with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

Though she spoke to him, her gaze swept over the room.

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. She sensed a trace of shadowy energy passing through the air. It seemed almost afraid of her, as though it wanted to hide.

Song Xirui was now certain that Su Yun had attracted a ghost.

“Have you looked enough?” Su Yun asked impatiently. “Did you come to see me, or are you here to look at something else?”

Seeing his attitude, Song Xirui did not grow angry. Instead, she smiled. “Husband, do you know why disasters keep finding you?”

Su Yun was impatient. “Is this another one of your theories? How annoying.”

Song Xirui pressed her lips together. “Husband, the table in this room should be moved to the south, while the screen should be moved to the west. Only then can the danger be resolved.”

“All right, I know. You may leave now.” Su Yun waved his hand.

He could not take in a single word she said. His mind was filled with the image of all his beautiful dreams falling apart.

Song Xirui remained where she was, surveying the room once more.

Given his temperament, he had clearly stopped listening to her. Judging by the arrangement of the room, he was bound to suffer another misfortune today.

Wasn’t that just perfect?

She would simply wait and enjoy the spectacle.