Chapter 3 Cui Linghui and Lu Bingzhi only gave her a cold look, and...

Yingyueyuan

The head maid Yulan came out to pick up the empty medicine bowls. As the curtain was opened, a strong smell of medicine filled the room.

Yue Yin, who was standing in the corridor, saw that there was still half a bowl of medicine left on the tray. She unconsciously glanced into the room, pulled Yulan aside and whispered, "Young lady, why don't you drink it again? Do you think this medicine is too bitter?"

In her impression, although the girl was spoiled since childhood, she knew the seriousness of the matter and would never joke about her own body.

She remembered the day when she accompanied the girl to the lake to relax. The girl felt a little cold and asked her to get a cloak. She turned around and took a few steps when she heard a soft cry. It turned out that the girl accidentally fell into the lake. She was frightened at the moment.

The girl had a fever for two whole days before she woke up, and she kept talking nonsense. She was really scared.

The old lady punished her with twenty lashes of the board for failing to take good care of her master. She lay in the room for two days and then hurried back to serve. How could she dare not show any negligence in her work?

Now the girl only has half a bowl of medicine left, and she is so worried that she doesn't know what to do.

"Good medicine tastes bitter. The girl refuses to take the medicine properly. She must be feeling uncomfortable." Yulan said with some concern.

After hearing this, Yue Yin naturally knew what Yu Lan meant.

Ever since Weiguo's son, Lu Bingzhi, was poisoned at a palace banquet and his personality changed drastically, a promising marriage was now shrouded in a shadow. Not to mention the daughters of the wealthy families in the capital, even the daughters of the Ningshou Marquis's mansion were probably waiting to see her daughter's face turned into a joke.

No matter how glorious and envied the girl was in the past, now many people are mocking and sympathizing with her.

Hearing Yulan's words, Yueyin said anxiously, "No matter how bad your mood is, you must take good care of yourself. If anything happens to the young lady again, we who serve her closely will not know how to punish her."

Yue Yin hesitated for a moment, then leaned close to Yulan's ear and whispered a few words.

As soon as she finished speaking, Yulan's expression changed. She scolded him lightly, "What nonsense are you talking about? The girl slipped on the grass by the lake and fell into the water. How dare you come up with such an assumption?"

Seeing Yueyin was about to say something, Yulan said sternly, "No matter what the truth is, it can only be that the girl accidentally fell into the water. You should say this to others, and you should also think this way in your heart, otherwise you will die without knowing how. Do you understand?"

Yue Yin's body stiffened, her face paled slightly, and she said with a trembling voice, "Yes, I understand. The girl fell into the water accidentally."

Yulan saw how frightened she was. They had served together for many years and had some affection for each other. Thinking that she was injured, her heart softened and she said, "You can't come in to serve me because you're injured. Don't stay here. Don't catch a cold and get sick. If a servant like us is seriously ill, we have to move him out."

Yue Yin nodded, thanked him, and turned to go to the back room where she lived.

Yulan watched her leave, then went to the small kitchen and got a bowl of stewed bird's nest back into the house.

When I entered the room, Aunt Xie was talking to the eldest daughter Cui Linghui.

"My aunt is bringing the third young lady to the capital and they will arrive in two days. The old lady felt that it was a disgrace to the Marquisate because the lady didn't send someone to the south to pick her up, so she scolded her a few times. However, the third young lady went to live with her parents when she was six years old and didn't grow up with the old lady. Naturally, the old lady didn't have much affection for her. She just mentioned it briefly and didn't seem to care much about the third young lady's return."

As Aunt Xie spoke, she looked at Cui Linghui's pale face and said with a hint of contempt, "Although the third young lady is Madam's biological daughter, she has no place in Madam's heart. She is not worthy of your attention. You should take your medicine well and take good care of yourself."

"The young lady and she have been worlds apart since childhood. Her return is nothing more than having one more person in the mansion. It's no different from before."

Seeing Yulan approaching, Nanny Xie took the bird's nest from the tray and handed it to Cui Linghui. She did not mention Cui Lingyan's return to the capital, but said softly, "This top-grade blood swallow was a reward from the old lady. On weekdays, only the old lady is qualified to enjoy it. The young lady has always been filial, so you must take good care of yourself so that the old lady can be at ease."

Cui Linghui picked up the spoon and stirred it gently a few times, then scooped a spoonful into her mouth. After drinking half a cup, she said, "Third sister must have suffered a lot of grievances outside since she was a child. Now she is returning home. As the eldest sister, how can I not take it seriously? Go to the storehouse and see if there are any good things. Bring them to her room."

"Mother is in charge of the household chores, so it's inevitable that she might be a little neglectful of my third sister. As the elder sister, I must always do my best to serve her."

Hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across Aunt Xie's eyes. She had been serving the young lady since she was a child, so she knew that the young lady had a grudge against her stepmother Qi. How could she really love her younger sister, the third young lady Cui Lingyan?

Aunt Xie looked at her daughter in confusion, but Cui Linghui rubbed his brows and said with a bit of fatigue, "You go down and do it. It would be bad to let people think that I, as the elder sister, am not looking forward to the return of the third sister."

Although Nanny Xie was still somewhat suspicious, she had no choice but to obey the order and leave.

After the girl's illness, her temperament has become a little different from before.

After Cui Linghui finished eating the bird's nest, he waved his hand and asked all the maids serving in the room to leave. The room suddenly became quiet.

She looked at the familiar furnishings in the room, her eyes still a little dazed. Even though she had been back for many days, she couldn't believe that she could be reborn, back to her unmarried time, and it was exactly when Lu Bing was poisoned and his mood changed drastically.

After Lu Bing was poisoned in her previous life, she was also conflicted about this marriage. She could not let go of her lofty status as the wife of the Prince of Weiguo, and she was also afraid that it was true as the rumors outside said that Lu Bing had a hidden illness. The drastic change in his temperament was a minor matter, and the inability to have children was the root cause of his drastic change in temperament.

At that time, she was shaken, but everyone around her persuaded her that Lu Bingzhi was the eldest princess's biological son, and was valued by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor in the palace, and that they would always find a famous doctor to remove the toxins from his body.

Once the tormenting illness is gone, the prince's temper will surely improve.

By then, she would have taken care of him and supported him, and she would naturally be the first in Lu Bingzhi's heart, and no one would be able to surpass her.

She took those words to heart, and was afraid that if she refused to marry at this time, she would anger the empress dowager and the emperor in the palace, and ruin her life. So, she married to the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion with trepidation and anxiety.

The wedding was arranged in a hurry, a full three months earlier than originally scheduled. Although there were many rewards from the palace and a generous dowry from the mansion, Cui Linghui still heard some unpleasant words, saying that she was marrying like this just to bring good luck.

She also said that Lu Bing was poisoned and useless, and that being the Crown Prince's wife was just a facade, and she didn't know how to cry behind his back.

Not to mention that men with hidden illnesses are the most unpredictable in their moods, and their temperaments are the most gloomy over time. For example, those eunuchs in the palace who have been castrated have bought houses and kept women outside, but none of them would know how to be gentle with women when they are tormenting them.

In the sedan chair, listening to the crackling sounds of firecrackers and banging sounds outside, she did not feel as happy as she had imagined countless times before.

Not only did she not have the joy and shyness of a newlywed bride, but her heart was filled with shame, anger, anxiety, as well as a bit of regret and helplessness.

She tried hard to suppress the uneasiness and shame in her heart, but her eyes turned red and she felt extremely wronged.

When the veil was lifted and she saw Lu Bing, she shrank back reflexively, looking at him with a hint of wariness and disgust.

All the emotions in her eyes fell into Lu Bingzhi's sight. Lu Bingzhi just looked at her coldly, and didn't even drink the wedding wine with her. He walked straight out of the bridal chamber without giving her any face.

As soon as he left, she regretted it. She subconsciously wanted to chase him, but she only saw Lu Bingzhi's back as he walked away. She was also a little worried that after Lu Bingzhi's personality changed drastically, he would really humiliate her as his wife as those gossips said, so she did not chase him.

She sat on the bright red mattress, her eyes full of red light, and heard Aunt Xie's scolding words in her ears: "What's wrong with you, young lady? How can you look at the prince like that? What should I do?"

Lu Bingzhi stayed in the study that night, and this matter soon spread throughout the Duke of Wei's Mansion.

One can imagine what the scene was like the next morning when the newlywed couple went to visit their elders.

The elders didn't know the specific circumstances, but simply assumed Lu Bingzhi was ill and couldn't consummate the marriage. However, Lu Bingzhi stayed in the study on the wedding night, which made Cui Linghui, the new bride, lose face. Others looked at her with either ridicule or sympathy.

Cui Linghui felt regretful, but was also annoyed that Lu Bingzhi was too stingy, forcing her, a newlywed bride, to stay alone in an empty room, which was humiliating.

Because of this incident, the newlyweds have been very distant from each other. She was worried, but the arrogance she had developed since childhood made it impossible for her to admit her mistake to Lu Bingzhi.

But as time went by, her arrogance was worn away a little. She mustered up the courage to humble herself and please him, but when she took the initiative to approach him, even undressing in the study in front of him, she was met with Lu Bingzhi's mocking gaze.

She didn't understand why he couldn't be more considerate of her, why he couldn't forgive her nervousness and anxiety on her wedding night, and why she didn't understand her desire for support and security in the future.

She resented Lu Bingzhi's coldness and her innocence, even after years in the palace, and the sympathy and contempt she felt for those within. Due to these grievances and resentment, the Second Prince showed her favor, and she grew closer to him, eventually leading to a situation that spiraled out of control. This scandal was then discovered at a palace banquet, causing widespread public outcry, and she was ordered to be beaten to death by the Emperor.

When she closed her eyes, she was filled with resentment, not understanding how she, a legitimate daughter of a marquisate, could have ended up like this. She was filled with hatred and regret, feeling that she should not have continued with this marriage with Lu Bingzhi.

Maybe God heard her heart and gave her a chance to be reborn.

This time, she would never marry a heartless man like Lu Bingzhi.

Letting Cui Lingyan, her good sister, experience such a hard life can be considered as a gift from her as an older sister to her for a good future.

Cui Linghui's eyes showed a hint of pride and calculation, and he was thinking in his heart how to make this happen.