Qu Ling retraced her steps back to the main hall, where Sushang was already waiting.
“Young mistress, rest assured, the matter you entrusted me with has been settled.”
As the mistress and maid entered the hall together, they discovered the Song Family had already arrived.
Old Madam Song seemed to be saying something to Old Madam Qu, whose complexion didn’t look well.
“You’re back,” Qu Lianjia subtly signaled to Qu Ling with his eyes, lowering his voice, “…they were just discussing the Marquise’s affairs…”
Qu Ling blended into the crowd, not wanting to draw anyone’s attention.
But then a voice as clear as an oriole’s chirp rang out, “Miss Qu has returned. I thought you’d been so captivated by the scenery outside that you couldn’t find your way back.”
Now everyone’s attention focused on Qu Ling.
Even Old Madam Song looked up.
“I wonder who this young lady is…” Qu Ling feigned confusion, “You seem to know me, though the scenery outside is indeed lovely. Would you like to go see it too?”
She spoke with composure, but the young lady’s expression turned unpleasant.
“With all the elders present, how could you not attend to them, instead indulging your own whims?”
Qu Ling looked directly at her, “I went out with Grandmother’s permission. Since Grandmother hasn’t said anything, you’re being rather meddlesome.”
“Where are your family elders? Didn’t they come? Letting a junior like you lecture another family’s young lady about manners without knowing propriety yourself.”
Her words left the hall in complete silence.
“This is my Song Family’s young lady,” Old Madam Song spoke calmly.
She sat upright in her chair, her hair impeccably styled with a phoenix hairpin shining brilliantly among it – though it violated sumptuary regulations.
“So it’s my cousin…” Qu Ling paused, “Are you my elder cousin or younger cousin?”
Old Madam Song frowned.
“She’s your younger cousin,” Old Madam Qu introduced, “Your elder cousin Song is accompanying Her Majesty the Empress in the palace.”
She had been suppressed by Old Madam Song’s words earlier, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
Yet the Song Family couldn’t be easily offended.
Fortunately, Qu Ling’s return diverted everyone’s attention.
“Oh, so it’s my younger cousin. Pleased to meet you.” Qu Ling curtsied.
Song Yujin glared at her irritably, “So you do know to call me cousin? Your mother is bedridden, yet you have the leisure to wander about.”
“With Mother ill, Second Sister is attending to her, so naturally she’s fine.”
“She fell ill because of you, yet you can stand by and do nothing!”
Qu Ling’s eyes turned cold, though a faint smile curled her lips, “Her illness does indeed relate to me.”
Old Madam Song, who had been observing, narrowed her eyes, “So you admit to disrespecting your legal mother?”
Old Madam Qu thought this was bad.
“Elder sister…”
Her words were directly interrupted.
Old Madam Song pointed at Qu Ling, her gaze icy, “Six years ago you stabbed your mother, and now six years later, you dare to stab your mother again.”
The hall erupted in murmurs.
So the Dingxiang Marquise fell ill because she was injured.
“Truly I don’t know how Hou Manor raised you,” Old Madam Song’s words cut Old Madam Qu’s face like knives, “If Hou Manor won’t teach you, I’ll teach you properly on behalf of my daughter!”
Old Madam Song was choking on her anger.
As the mother of the current Empress, she commanded respect throughout the capital.
When news of her youngest daughter’s hanging attempt reached the manor, she nearly fainted from rage.
How useless!
The wife of a prestigious marquis manor, forced by a motherless bastard to resort to such despicable methods.
She had said back then—if you dislike Qu Ling, just have her killed outright.
Harming oneself, taking such a roundabout path, only to end up failing to eradicate the root of the problem.
“Guards! Drag her out and slap her face!” Old Madam Song was already scheming in her heart to find a suitable opportunity to kill Qu Ling.
No one dared to plead for mercy.
Such was the authority of the Song Family that even the Princess Consorts present did not dare to speak up in her defense.
Old Madam Qu inwardly blamed Qu Ling—why did she have to run out and give others a reason to pick faults? In the end, it was the Dingxiang Marquis Manor’s reputation that suffered.
“A-Ling, kneel and apologize to Old Madam Song at once!”
She pushed Qu Ling forward, her tone severe.
“Grandmother, what have I done wrong?” Qu Ling asked earnestly.
Pinned by such a gaze, Old Madam Qu felt somewhat guilty, yet her cane swung out regardless. “How dare you talk back?”
Qu Ling had no intention of standing there to be beaten and sidestepped the blow.
Sushang shielded her from behind. “Might I ask the two Old Madams, what crime has my young lady committed?”
Old Madam Song recognized Sushang, and a flicker of contemplation crossed her eyes. It seemed her daughter was right—the Princess truly did protect this girl.
“Disrespecting her legal mother, harming others and endangering lives—beating her is lenient. If we were to judge this properly, she ought to be sent away to shave her head and reflect,” Song Yujin declared, chin raised, her voice clear and ringing.
She disliked Qu Ling.
She had six years ago, and she still did now.
The Qu Ling of the past had been gloomy and unsettling to behold.
But now, Song Yujin detested even more that strikingly beautiful face of hers.
Instead of retreating, Qu Ling stepped forward, speaking unhurriedly, “Six years ago, when I stabbed her, it was because she had bribed my wet nurse to feed me a drug that drives people mad…”
“Silence!” Old Madam Qu snapped. “No nonsense!”
Such matters should not be spoken of openly.
If the marquis manor’s reputation were ruined, how would any of the young ladies in the household ever marry?
“This time she fell ill—it wasn’t me stabbing her. She hanged herself,” Qu Ling paid no heed to the others’ expressions. Since they didn’t want her to have peace, then none of them would. “Why did she hang herself? Doesn’t Old Madam Song know?”
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Qu Ling enunciated each word clearly, “Because she tried to poison my grandmother—her own mother-in-law.”
The hall erupted in murmurs.
“Dear cousin Song, don’t you think your aunt should also be sent to shave her head and reflect?”
Qu Ling watched with amusement as Song Yujin’s expression stiffened.
“You…” Old Madam Song was furious, hating her unrestrained tongue. “Spouting nonsense! I see you’ve truly gone mad. Guards, drag her out and beat her to death!”
“If Old Madam does not believe me, then summon the Court of Revision to investigate,” Qu Ling replied calmly and firmly. “I saw the Vice Minister was also in the temple earlier—it would be convenient to report the case.”
She added, “I cannot lose my life simply on Old Madam’s word.”
Among the crowd, Jingwei Marquis’s Wife stirred slightly upon hearing that Chi Yuan was also present, but soon regained her composure.
Like everyone else there, she thought Qu Ling was quite the sharp-tongued girl.
Yet she also felt a sense of satisfaction—it was rare to see the Song Family so enraged.
“What does your life matter?” Old Madam Song, beside herself with anger, lost all decorum. “Would this old woman have to pay with her life for you?”
She issued a ruthless order, “What are you waiting for? Drag her out!”
At that moment, a dignified female voice came from outside the hall, “This is a sacred Buddhist sanctuary. What is the meaning of this clamorous disturbance?”
Everyone turned to see Hengshan Grand Princess, dressed in resplendent robes, approaching slowly amidst her entourage of palace maids.
Her gaze swept indifferently over Old Madam Song. “I was unaware that the Song Family would so recklessly disregard human life outside these walls, presuming to hold power over life and death. Could it be that this empire no longer bears the Zhao surname, but has instead adopted the name Song?”