Union

Chapter 86 What a bad fate!
The carriage soon arrived at the Marquis of Chang'an's residence. Lin Shuqing had already gotten off the carriage, but Ruizhu finally realized she was afraid.

She huddled inside the carriage. If it weren't for Liu Mama having two maids stand guard outside the carriage for her, she would have wanted to stay there longer.

But she didn't dare to cause any trouble in the end, and obediently got out of the car and followed behind Liu's mother.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the group entered the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, they saw the Heir Apparent's wife accompanying Aunt Ding as they came out.

When the young master's wife saw Lin Shuqing, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Then she smiled and said to Aunt Ding, "Look, Qing'er is back now. Yesterday, this girl said she felt depressed and wanted to go out to clear her head. My mother-in-law was busy dealing with matters in the manor and didn't have time to ask her much, so she let her go. Fortunately, this girl is quite sensible and only stayed outside for one night before coming back."

Aunt Ding seemed oblivious to the disgust on Lin Shuqing's face, as well as to Liu Mama pretending to be invisible, and Ruizhu trying as hard as a quail to hide herself. She calmly said, "It's good that Second Madam is back. It turns out that Ruizhi only returned to the manor this morning, and that's how we found out that Second Madam didn't stay overnight at the Marquis of Chang'an's manor yesterday. The manor was very worried, so they sent me to check on her. Since Second Madam is alright, I'll go back to the manor to report now. Please wait a moment, Madam, this old servant will take my leave first."

Aunt Ding made no mention of bringing Lin Shuqing back to the mansion. After bowing to her, she didn't say another word and hurried out the door.

The Crown Prince's wife would never treat someone so poorly.

Leaving aside the fact that Lin Shuqing ran back to her parents' home without even saying goodbye to the Duchess of Rongguo yesterday, she also went to the estate to spend the night without informing either side last night.

Although she had made excuses to help Shuqing make amends, they couldn't stand up to scrutiny.

Now, she, as the sister-in-law, can only act subserviently and say a few good words on behalf of the Marquis of Chang'an, so that Aunt Ding, out of respect for the Chang'an Marquis's mansion, can put in a good word for her when the Duchess blames her later.

The Crown Prince's wife also wanted Lin Shuqing to accompany her to see Aunt Ding off. Although Aunt Ding was a servant and they were the masters, since they had a request of her, they didn't need to care too much about these statuses.

Unfortunately, Lin Shuqing was arrogant and didn't think she had done anything wrong. The Crown Prince's wife's winks at her were like casting a flirtatious glance at a blind man—no, Lin Shuqing wasn't blind; she saw the Crown Prince's wife's winks clearly, but asking her to fawn over an old servant was something she'd have to wait for in her next life.

Lin Shuqing pretended not to see the Crown Prince's wife's gesture, passed by the two, and went straight to find the Lady of Chang'an Marquis.

The Crown Prince's wife's suffocation was visible to the naked eye.

Aunt Ding hadn't wanted to say much to the young master's wife, but now she felt sorry for her. Having such a sister-in-law was a real burden for the young master's wife, who had to fawn over her. The young master's wife was deeply aggrieved.

Aunt Ding sighed and said calmly, "You should go back and get back to work. Your wife has fallen ill again, and the whole household depends on you. If you're not here, who knows what kind of trouble might arise. You should go back now; this old servant must also go back to report."

Aunt Ding nodded slightly, and indeed stopped traveling with the young master's wife. Instead, she led her little maid and walked out of the gate in a few steps.

The Crown Prince's wife did not send any more gifts, because she knew that Lin Shuqing had gone to find the Lady of the Marquis of Chang'an.

Her mother-in-law had always treated her well, but now Shuqing had made her sick in bed. She dared not let that girl upset her mother-in-law any further, so she had to go and keep an eye on her.

Thinking of these things, the Crown Prince's wife hurried to the backyard.

However, she arrived too late.

The sound of shattering porcelain and Lin Shuqing's screams could be heard inside the room.

At the same time, the weak scolding voice of the Lady of Chang'an Marquis could be heard.

"You wretched child, you're really something, daring to leave the city on your own without telling anyone. Are you really tired of being the young mistress of the Rongguo Duke's mansion? If you're so fed up, why don't you cut your hair and go to a temple to become a nun?"

"What sins did I commit in my past life to have such an ungrateful and incompetent fool as my daughter! That Ruizhu fooled you with just a few words, and you actually believed her lies and let her go, which caused trouble with your in-laws. How stupid are you? How could I have raised such an idiot? If I had known you were so easily fooled, I should have strangled you when you were born."

Lin Shuqing was initially a little guilty, but the reckless words of the Lady of Chang'an Marquis stirred up all the resentment hidden deep in her heart.

"Go ahead and strangle me! Go ahead and strangle me right now if you dare. So what if I believed Ruizhu's nonsense? I know it's all fake, but I still want to believe it. I'm going to have a falling out with the Rongguo Duke's Mansion. I'm going to make sure none of you suffer."

"This is all what you owe me. If the Rongguo Duke's mansion hadn't proposed marriage, if you hadn't forced me to marry, I wouldn't have married a man I didn't love, and I could have been with the Second Prince..."

"what!"

Suddenly, Lin Shuqing screamed from inside the house, "Blood! I'm bleeding! You hit me! You're not my mother! I don't want you to be my mother! I'm going to find my father right now! I'm going to find my father!"

Lin Shuqing's nose was bleeding, and she ran outside in a disheveled state, covering her nose as she went.

She was acting erratically, and the noble and graceful demeanor of a young lady from a prestigious family was completely gone. At this moment, she was so frenzied and delirious that she was no less than a madwoman from the marketplace.

From inside the house came the harsh voice of Lady Chang'an, "Knock her out and throw her back into her courtyard."

With a dull thud, it was unclear which old woman had struck her, but Lin Shuqing collapsed shakily, her eyes closing as she fainted.

The Crown Prince's wife was terrified upon seeing this.

Fortunately, Lin Shuqing had indeed fainted, but there was no injury to the back of her head. Seeing this, she breathed a slight sigh of relief and quickly had someone carry Lin Shuqing to her own courtyard.

The Crown Prince's wife entered the room, and the Lady of the Marquis of Chang'an was being helped up by Liu Mama, sitting up with difficulty on the bed.

Lady Chang'an was always dignified and solemn. She was elegant and graceful, and was a well-known noblewoman in the capital.

But at this moment, her hair was disheveled, her face was sallow, and her lips were pale. Her eyes seemed to be blazing with fire as she stared sternly at Ruizhu, who was kneeling on the ground trembling. "Take this maid out and interrogate her properly. Make her reveal everything she has been hiding."

This is when torture will be used.

Ruizhu was terrified and kowtowed repeatedly until her head was red and swollen and bleeding.

But the more she acted this way, the more Lady Chang'an hated her.

It was this maidservant who hid a woman inside; it was all her nonsense and stirring up trouble that ruined Shuqing's life. Shuqing was forced to stay home and faced the risk of being disliked by the Rongguo Duke's mansion.

That maid deserves to die.

She could not atone for her sins even if she were to die a hundred times!
Ruizhu wasn't a particularly ambitious person, but she knew that if she spoke out on certain matters, the consequences would be fatal.

With her life at stake, Ruizhu gritted her teeth.

Even though all her fingernails were ripped off and she was forced to kneel on broken porcelain, her knees covered in blood and bruises, and she was in so much pain that her whole body was convulsing, she still stubbornly stuck to what she had said before.

It can't be said that they completely choked to death.

Ruizhu is very good at protecting herself.

She admitted that accepting gifts from others was indeed due to her greed for money; she was short-sighted and blinded by the allure of money.

This was her fault, she admitted.

However, Ruizhu was adamant about the Second Master's desire to have Yunying bear three to five children so that he could divorce Lin Shuqing on the grounds that she had not borne any children after many years of marriage. No matter how much the nanny in charge of punishments tormented her, even to the point of almost killing her, Ruizhu did not budge.

Lady Chang'an Marquis didn't get all the evidence until dark. She flipped through the pages and couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

Lady Chang'an only believed half of what Ruizhu said about Chen Yanzhou and Yunying.

Chen Yanzhou may have really fallen for Yunying, but the Lady of Chang'an Marquis didn't believe a single word of his claims that he wanted to defy morality, elevate Yunying to the status quo, and abandon his first wife.

Chen Yanzhou was none other than the son-in-law she had chosen.

This is also a renowned gentleman in the capital.

Not only was he outstanding in appearance, but his character was also flawless.

When Chen Yanzhou became the top scholar in the imperial examination, he enjoyed immense prestige in the capital. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that matchmakers practically wore down the threshold of the Rongguo Duke's mansion.

If Qing'er hadn't fallen into the water and Chen Yanzhou hadn't risked his life to save her, and if the two hadn't had an affair, Qing'er would never have been able to marry such a virtuous and upright gentleman who was both learned and skilled in martial arts.

Marrying their second daughter to the second legitimate son of the Rongguo Duke's mansion wasn't considered a step up for them. But marrying Qing'er to Chen Yanzhou was a step up for them by more than a little bit.

Lady Chang'an Marquis had absolute faith in Chen Yanzhou's character, not to mention that Chen Yanzhou aspired to a career in government. Such a person would be extremely upright and honest, and would not have so many sordid thoughts or treacherous schemes.

Lady Chang'an was convinced that Ruizhu was spreading rumors, but Qing'er ran away from the Duke's mansion without a word, which was ultimately her fault. Moreover, Qing'er had let Ruizhu off lightly after her son-in-law was almost poisoned, which was also excessive and disheartening.

If that's the case... then let's just pretend it's real.

They assumed that their daughter had been misled by Ruizhu's lies, which was why she harbored resentment towards her son-in-law, and that was why they did not "stand up for justice" for him.

Although this excuse could be used to deceive and manipulate her, it would make her daughter seem too foolish and stupid.

However, as long as we can get through this, it doesn't matter if we get a reputation for being "ignorant and stupid".

This is a thousand times better than being called ungrateful or cold-hearted.

Having made up her mind, Lady Chang'an's eyes instantly darkened.

The Marquis of Chang'an's household is a respectable family; they would never kill a maid without cause.

However, Ruizhu's acceptance of gifts from others was a grave offense; moreover, because of her actions, her son-in-law was almost harmed by the woman, and Ruizhu was determined to pay the price for her actions.

Sending Ruizhu to the authorities is the best course of action.

Based on the amount of money she received, she should at least be sentenced to exile. If the Marquis of Chang'an's household was involved, she could even be sentenced to death.

However, exile is sufficient.

This maid has already been tormented half to death; she'll never reach the end of that road of exile. She might collapse at any moment and never get up again.

This way of dealing with the girl so openly and honestly not only shows that the manor is fair and intolerant of underhanded tricks, but also completely eliminates any future troubles through legitimate means. Isn't this better than simply selling the girl far away?
Ruizhu's future was sealed, and he was sent to the government office early the next morning.

In court, Ruizhu was unaware that she had reached a dead end.

But when she was sentenced to exile and was about to depart that very day, Ruizhu suddenly awoke to the realization that she had already reached a dead end.

She naturally cried and made a scene, repeatedly proclaiming her innocence. She argued that although she had embezzled several thousand taels of silver, she hadn't spent a single penny and couldn't possibly have ended up in such a miserable state.

However, no matter how much she shouts, no one will stand up for her.

A few days later, Ruizhu embarked on her journey to exile, because her knees were already ulcerated and the wounds on her fingers had begun to fester and fester.

The hotter the weather, the more her wounds festered. Finally, one day, Ruizhu collapsed in a torrential downpour due to a high fever. She never got up again.

Leaving aside Ruizhu's fate, on the very day Ruizhu was sent to the authorities, the Lady of Chang'an, after taking her medicine, tried her best to cheer up and went to see her rebellious daughter who had come to collect her debts.

Lady Chang'an was indeed quite capable.

She was caught off guard a couple of days ago, which caused her to lose her usual composure and resourcefulness, and thus she failed to tame this troublesome creature immediately.

Now, Lady Chang'an had already made her plans. She had also seen into her daughter's mind and easily manipulated Lin Shuqing with just a few simple words.

She said that Lin Shuqing living at her parents' home like this was no different from being kicked out of the Duke's mansion.
It is also said that Chen Yanzhou is already plotting to make another woman take his place and kick her aside. Does she really want to give in to his wishes so easily?
These two points alone were enough to completely control Lin Shuqing.

Lady Chang'an told her daughter to behave herself for the next few days, and that once she recovered, she would personally take her back to the Duke's mansion to seek justice for her.

In this way, Lin Shuqing was appeased and settled down at the Marquis of Chang'an's residence.

However, during the few days she stayed at the mansion, no one from the Rongguo Duke's Mansion came to visit her, and even though they knew that the Lady of Chang'an Marquis was ill, the Duke's Mansion did not send anyone to visit her.

This signal was anything but good, which made Lady Chang'an Hou's heart leap into her throat.

She had originally planned to send Lin Shuqing back after she recovered from her illness, but now she dared not delay any longer and could only choose a clear and sunny day to take Lin Shuqing to the Duke's Mansion.

Sitting in the carriage, Lin Shuqing was still somewhat angry. Her face was long and her complexion was dark; she felt extremely ashamed.

Just imagine, she threw a huge tantrum, but instead of her in-laws coming to beg for forgiveness, they demanded that her own family send her back to "plead guilty," which was a complete loss of face.

Seeing this, Lady Chang'an was too tired to pay any attention to her daughter.

But she is, after all, her own daughter, and she also bears responsibility for failing to raise her properly.

Lady Chang'an said, "Don't keep a long face. Show me the demeanor of a lady from a noble family. It may not look good for us to send you back, but I will 'seek justice' for you later, and you will naturally be able to get back at us."

Lady Chang'an patiently persuaded Lin Shuqing, who thought about how her mother-in-law would soon be rendered speechless by her own mother, and her expression became much better.

The two soon arrived at the Rongguo Duke's Mansion.

Upon receiving the news, the Crown Prince's wife personally came out to greet them and escorted the two to the Duchess's courtyard.

The fact that Lin Shuqing couldn't stand her mother-in-law's favoritism towards Erlang's concubine, and that she beat the maid and ran back to her parents' home in anger, had long been known to everyone in the Rongguo Duke's Mansion.

The Crown Prince's wife was naturally aware of this as well.

Upon learning of this, the Crown Prince's wife's first thought was, "Wasn't this all Lin Shuqing's doing?"
Erlang was almost killed by her greedy maid, yet Lin Shuqing was able to let the matter pass by lightly and even kept the maid at her dowry estate afterward.

I'm asking you, if you go back several decades, who has ever heard of such an unreliable thing?

But now she has heard that it was her sister-in-law who did this reprehensible thing.

The Crown Prince's wife felt sorry for Erlang and couldn't help but complain to her maid about Lin Shuqing, saying that she was brainless.

Unexpectedly, Lin Shuqing's lack of common sense was not just a matter of not being able to distinguish between inside and outside.

After being reprimanded by her mother-in-law, instead of being humble and correcting her mistakes, she arrogantly and viciously injured her maid, leaving behind a mess and some resentful words before storming off.

If the Crown Prince's wife were her daughter-in-law, she would have divorced her long ago.

This is because the mother-in-law is kind-hearted, and she felt guilty towards Lin Shuqing since Erlang was not in the capital. She also considered that Lin Shuqing was young and wanted to give her a chance to correct her mistakes, so she was more lenient with her.

Lin Shuqing was so fortunate to have such a kind and tolerant mother-in-law. Unfortunately, she couldn't see the tolerance the household showed her.

Not only did she go back to her parents' home to seek help, but she also angered her own mother to the point of illness. Then, without any remorse, she took only a coachman and went to the estate that was part of her dowry to stay.

So willful, reckless, unruly, violent, and eccentric. If she were a man, he might have admired her temper, but she was a woman, and a married woman at that.

The Crown Prince's wife had nothing more to say. She simply greeted the mother and daughter politely and then led them to the Lotus Courtyard, where the Duchess of Rongguang lived.

In the Lotus Courtyard, Madam Feng had already received the news that the Lady of Chang'an Marquis had personally escorted Lin Shuqing back.

She was completely disillusioned with this daughter-in-law and didn't even want to see Lin Shuqing again for the rest of her life, lest she cause trouble again and anger herself to death.

She didn't want to see the Lady of Chang'an Marquis either. After all, this lady was known for her eloquence and fierce protectiveness of her own. Little Feng was too lazy to waste her breath on people, and she felt that seeing the Lady of Chang'an Marquis would be quite exhausting.

Unfortunately, one of them was her mother-in-law, and the other was her own daughter-in-law.

While her son and daughter-in-law's marriage was still in effect, she couldn't possibly keep Lin Shuqing from returning to the mansion indefinitely, nor could she keep avoiding her altogether.

After preparing herself mentally, Ms. Feng took a few steps toward the door to greet them.

Lady Chang'an felt uneasy seeing the distant smile on Xiao Feng's face.

But it was all her daughter's fault, so who can she blame?
Lady Chang'an felt a pang of guilt, then remembered the purpose of her visit. She naturally felt a little guilty, but for her daughter's sake, what could she do but argue and try to make things right?
As expected, upon entering the flower hall, Lady Chang'an first offered an apology. She even pressured Lin Shuqing into saying something conciliatory.

However, the Lady of Chang'an Marquis then added, "However, this matter cannot be entirely blamed on Qing'er. She was also angered, which is why she made one mistake after another."

"Are you furious? Who in this manor would dare to make her angry?"

Lady Chang'an was extremely displeased upon hearing Xiao Feng's barbed words. She forced herself to remain calm and gestured to Xiao Feng to dismiss everyone around them.

Little Feng didn't know what the mother and daughter were up to, but this was her territory after all, and they couldn't possibly do anything to her on her own turf.

Therefore, Madam Feng didn't think much of it and dismissed all the servants, leaving only the heir apparent and Aunt Ding by her side.

The hall fell silent, but soon, Madam Feng's angry voice rang out again, "Impossible. I know my son better than anyone. Erlang would never say such heartless and ungrateful things. Where did you hear these wicked words? Tell me who said them, and I'll send this person to the authorities."

Lady Chang'an said calmly, "It was none other than Ruizhu who said it. Please don't be angry. That girl accepted bribes, which almost led to my son-in-law's death. I have already sent her to the authorities for punishment."

Madam Feng immediately said, "Bring her back and interrogate her more carefully."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Ding's face was filled with rage, and she turned to leave.

Lady Chang'an Marquis quickly stopped her, saying, "It's already been interrogated. I had Liu Mama interrogate her personally, and she was even tortured. What I just said was what Ruizhu confessed herself. She also said that if there was even one false word, she would be killed without a burial place."

Before Madam Feng could speak, Aunt Ding, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up directly, "Madam, this matter is absolutely impossible. Let's not even mention that when I returned from Lingnan Prefecture, the Second Master hadn't yet taken any of the maids sent there into his household. Furthermore, our Second Master is an upright gentleman personally raised by Lord Tong. He is open-minded, virtuous, and talented; there is no way he would say anything like plotting against his first wife or elevating his concubines to the rank of wife."

Madam Feng also said, "This is slander! My second son is a man of great integrity and virtue, renowned both inside and outside the court. He would never say such a thing."

Lady Chang'an said, "I also believe in my son-in-law's character and think he wouldn't be so confused. Unfortunately, my daughter loves him deeply and is very strict with him. But when she heard that her son-in-law was very affectionate with another woman and had completely forgotten that she, his wife, was still in the capital, she became jealous and resentful towards him, which led to what happened later."

Lady Chang'an explained earnestly, repeating it over and over again, as if she were brainwashing everyone.

However, the person sitting there wasn't a brainless person either, so how could they be so easily persuaded by her?

According to her, Lin Shuqing was jealous of the Second Master's favor towards Yunying and his plot to seize her position, so she stood by and watched the Second Master being murdered without taking any action against the criminals involved.

She couldn't tolerate these things, so she could tolerate Ruizhu, who knew about this scandal but hadn't been informed beforehand, continuing to live a carefree life on her dowry estate.

This is simply too much to say.

Everyone felt that this reason was extremely far-fetched, and they all thought that this was probably just a "face-saving" excuse that Lady Chang'an Marquis had given to Lin Shuqing.

Only if this reason is valid can Lin Shuqing's previous actions be reasonably explained, allowing her to continue staying in the Rongguo Duke's Mansion.

Upon realizing this, everyone, including the Crown Prince's wife, fell silent.

But now that things have come to this, do you really think they can send someone to Lingnan Prefecture to thoroughly investigate this matter?
He had no choice but to swallow his anger and assume that Lin Shuqing's previous antics were all due to her caring too much, which led to her turning love into hate and making a mistake.

But even though she accepted the matter, Madam Feng was furious.

She didn't object to Lin Shuqing's return, but she hated these people for spreading rumors and ruining her Erlang's reputation.

Madam Feng immediately said, "For now, I think it would be best to let Shuqing go to Lingnan Prefecture to find Erlang herself. The young couple has been separated for a long time, and they are bound to grow apart, and they are bound to become suspicious and resentful towards each other. In that case, it would be better to let Shuqing stay by Erlang's side. At that time, I'm afraid no one will spread any more rumors."

Lady Chang'an also thought this was a good idea, but considering that her daughter wasn't the type to endure hardship, she decided to wait and persuade her daughter to agree to it later.

However, we cannot let Shuqing refuse outright right now.

Lady Chang'an was about to signal to her daughter, but before she could do anything, Lin Shuqing said decisively in a voice that sounded both mocking and sarcastic, "Impossible, I will not go to Lingnan Prefecture. It's a poor and barren place, I can't bear that kind of suffering."

Good heavens! You're just saying you're not feeling well and might not make it to Lingnan. What's wrong with that excuse?
If you insist on saying you can't stand that kind of suffering, then you let your husband suffer outside while you enjoy a life of leisure in the capital. If word gets out that you can't maintain a good reputation, how will you be able to do so?
Lady Chang'an hurriedly tugged at her daughter's sleeve, but Lin Shuqing was completely oblivious to the fact that her mother was sweating profusely with anxiety.

Looking at her mother-in-law, whose eyebrows were raised and lips were tightly pursed, she said righteously, "I will not go to Lingnan, nor will I give up my position as the second wife in this mansion. However, I can allow Chen Yanzhou to have one or two favored concubines, as long as they don't cause trouble in front of me."

Even Aunt Ding couldn't explain how this farce ended.

However, after seeing off Lin Shuqing and the Lady of Chang'an, Madam Feng collapsed.

She was barely breathing, and her chest was churning with uncontrollable turmoil.

She suffered from severe abdominal pain and couldn't drink a drop of water all day.

The Crown Prince's wife, who was tending to her ailing mother-in-law, couldn't help but sigh at the sight.

The mother-in-law is a rare and wonderful mother-in-law, and Erlang is a rare and outstanding young man. It's just a pity that he has a daughter-in-law like Lin Shuqing, who has turned the two of them into a mess.

Even the entire Rongguo Duke's Mansion became the subject of much gossip and ridicule because of the marriage of such a woman.

What a tragic fate!

(End of this chapter)