Chapter 80: She doesn't want you to take care of her when she's sick, so listen to her as her daughter-in-law...

Cui Lingyan listened to this and nodded, "I understand."

Seeing Birou bow and leave, Cui Lingyan said to Lu Bingzhi, "Yesterday, Madam and the Duke had an argument. I think it was because of Third Brother. Now Madam is too ill to get up. If this gets out, I wonder how the people below will frame it."

Lu Bingzhi raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically, "It's just some petty tricks that aren't worthy of public display. Since she sent someone to tell you not to go and pay your respects, just listen."

Cui Lingyan was still thinking about going to pay her respects to Old Madam Dou first, and then showing up in the Peony Courtyard after coming out, at least to follow all the formalities.

Hearing Lu Bingzhi say this, and thinking that based on Cen's dislike for her as a daughter-in-law, if she went there, it would only make Cen even more annoyed, thinking that she came to laugh at her as a mother-in-law. It would be bad if people misunderstood and got angry and became sick.

Thinking of this, Cui Lingyan nodded and said, "I will obey you, my lord. Otherwise, if any misunderstanding arises, it will be my fault as your daughter-in-law."

Lu Bingzhi smiled lightly and placed a bowl of soup in front of Cui Lingyan.

"I went to the palace to pay my respects to the Emperor today. I think I'll have lunch there. You don't have to wait."

Cui Lingyan nodded, and felt a little happy and sweet in her heart as she listened to Lu Bingzhi telling her where to go.

After seeing Lu Bingzhi off, Cui Lingyan took Birou to Qingdeyuan to pay her respects to Old Madam Dou.

Perhaps Madam Dou had already heard about the quarrel between Cen and the Duke last night, so the atmosphere in Qingdeyuan was not very good early in the morning.

When Cui Lingyan entered, she saw Second Madam He and the eldest daughter Lu Danyan were already in the room, but the atmosphere was a bit dull and not as lively as usual.

Old Madam Dou sat on the soft couch, drinking a cup of tea, and she did not look very well.

Cui Lingyan walked forward slowly, bowed politely, and said, "Granddaughter-in-law pays her respects to Grandmother."

When Madam Dou saw her come in, her expression softened a bit and she said to her, "Get up."

Madam Dou asked again, "I heard your mother-in-law was ill this morning. Did you know about this?"

Cui Lingyan hesitated for a moment before replying, "Grandmother, when I was dining with the Crown Prince this morning, someone from the Peony Courtyard came to inform me. I had wanted to go visit and tend to him, but the messenger told me not to go and pay my respects today. I didn't know whether to go or not, so I decided to come here first to pay my respects and ask for your instructions."

Madam Dou had lived to such an old age, so how could she not know that Cen Shi definitely disliked Cui Lingyan as a daughter-in-law? So much so that she didn't even want to see Cui Lingyan, and didn't want to use the matter of attending to her illness to trouble her daughter-in-law.

It can be seen how much he hates Cui Lingyan and dislikes Prince Bingzhi.

Thinking of this, Madam Dou's eyes revealed a hint of sarcasm, and she said calmly, "Since she doesn't want you to attend to the sick, you, as her daughter-in-law, should just listen. There are plenty of servants in the Peony Courtyard anyway, and Danruo can also help out a bit."

Madam Dou's words clearly showed that she didn't give Cen any face at all, and she didn't hide the dissatisfaction and disappointment in her tone at all.

Cui Lingyan responded with a yes and sat down on a chair beside her.

He was secretly happy in her heart, thinking that she didn't know whether Cen was really sick or faking it. Maybe she had a big fight with the Duke last night and was too embarrassed to see anyone this morning.

After all, she had just come up with the idea of ​​registering the illegitimate son Lu Cong'an under her name as the legitimate son, and she even spread the news to put pressure on the mansion, making people think that she, as the second wife, is virtuous and generous. Even if the old lady had some concerns, she would not directly slap her daughter-in-law in the face, and would most likely agree to register Lu Cong'an under her name.

But who would have thought that before the old lady even opened her mouth, the Duke had already gone to the Peony Courtyard last night.

Since there was a dispute, it must be that the Duke did not agree with this matter. No wonder Cen felt humiliated and became sick with anger.

If it were her, she would probably claim to be sick, otherwise she would lose face and be laughed at.

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat depressing. Madam Dou thought for a moment and then said, "There's no need to visit Cen. Since she's ill, just let her rest and recuperate. It would be bad for her health if she were to toss around while she's ill."

"Besides, she has been very tired from managing the household affairs for these years. It's time for her to rest for a few days."

After saying this, Madam Dou glanced at He, who was sitting below, and instructed, "From now on, you will help manage the groceries for the kitchen and relieve some of the pressure on your sister-in-law."

He was delighted when she heard this, but she managed to hide her smile. She couldn't help but say, "Of course, my daughter-in-law is willing to help my sister-in-law manage the household expenses, but if this makes my sister-in-law unhappy, then..."

Before she could finish her words, Madam Dou spoke up, "That's fine. In a prominent family like the Duke of Wei, it's common for sisters-in-law to help each other manage the household. She's the boss, and you're the assistant. You can't surpass your sister-in-law. Besides, I've seen you do a pretty good job of managing the little things over the years. I'm giving you more responsibilities now because I, as your mother-in-law, think you're capable. Please don't let me down. Don't worry about anything else."

He knew that the job of purchasing food for the kitchen was a lucrative one, and she had been tempted for years, especially by the prospect of Cen as her successor. Now that the old lady had finally agreed, how could she refuse? Hearing the old lady's words, she bowed solemnly and replied, "I, your daughter-in-law, will not let you down and will take good care of the kitchen."

Madam Dou nodded, but did not give any further instructions. A look of fatigue appeared on her face, and she waved her hand to signal the two to leave.

Cui Lingyan, He, and Lu Danyan emerged from the room. He couldn't hide the smile on her face. She glanced at Cui Lingyan and said, "Since the old lady said you're not going to the Peony Courtyard, just go back to your own courtyard. But as the old saying goes, 'Many gifts are appreciated.' Bingzhi has quite a few excellent supplements bestowed by the palace. You can take some out and have your maids take them to the Peony Courtyard. At least no one will find fault with them."

"Mother-in-law and the prince may not take this matter to heart, but you are a new bride after all. You should be more careful when you marry in."

Cui Lingyan thought the same thing. After hearing what He said, she also accepted her kindness. She nodded with a smile and said, "Thank you, Second Aunt, for your advice. If it weren't for your advice, I really wouldn't have thought of it so carefully. It would be bad if I offended my mother-in-law even more because of this."

He nodded, took Cui Lingyan's hand and said, "Good child, from now on, if you want to eat something, just ask the maidservant beside you to tell the kitchen. It doesn't matter what the portion is. Just tell them what you want to eat. As your second aunt, I am also willing to be kind to the younger generation."

Cui Lingyan agreed with a smile, watched He and the eldest daughter Lu Danyan leave, and then looked away.

Birou couldn't help but say, "It seems that the quarrel between Madam and the Duke last night has upset the old lady. Otherwise, she wouldn't still be ill, and the old lady wouldn't have handed over the shopping for the kitchen to the second lady."

Cui Lingyan nodded. "A family this size naturally values ​​rules above all else. The scene between Madam and the Duke was a breach of protocol and disrespect in the eyes of the Old Madam. Furthermore, the husband is the head of the wife, and the Duke's reluctance to have the Third Young Master married to Madam was a simple matter. Madam, however, was so clueless, causing such a scene that she not only lost face but also her dignity. Now, she's angered the Old Madam, who's handed over all the kitchen duties to the Second Madam. This is truly a loss."

"I think the old lady has been somewhat dissatisfied with her daughter-in-law for a long time, but she just gave her some respect out of consideration for her status as a duke's wife and didn't let the second wife interfere in the housekeeper's affairs. Now that she's relented, I think she can't stand her behavior and is determined to teach her a lesson."

Birou had been serving in the Ningshou Marquis's mansion since she was a child, and was well versed in the survival methods of this aristocratic family. Hearing Cui Lingyan's words, she couldn't help but sigh, "If the First Madam hadn't used the Third Young Master's illegitimate son to establish her authority when she married into the family, which nearly cost him his life, she wouldn't have ended up in this situation. It's really one wrong step that leads to another. Now, no one believes her even if she tries to show goodwill."

"Although the Cen Mansion is also a high-ranking family, it is far inferior to the Weiguo Mansion. If this matter happened in another family, perhaps they could be perfunctorily dealt with and give the First Madam some respect. After all, who would really care about a bastard's son? But in the Weiguo Mansion, it's another matter. Concubine Qiong is an old friend of Princess Shuning. Even if her son is born out of wedlock, he will be treated more respectably than an ordinary bastard's son. Not to mention that the Crown Prince, the legitimate brother, treats the Third Young Master, the illegitimate brother, very well. Whatever the First Madam, the second wife, wants to do, it is likely that she will not be able to succeed."

"This commotion and this commotion have been known to everyone in the capital. The eldest lady has overestimated her status and brought shame upon herself by listening to Madam Mei's words."

Cui Lingyan nodded after hearing this, but she secretly thought to herself that the reason Lu Cong'an, a bastard, was so favored wasn't simply because of Birou's analysis. It was because Lu Cong'an was the only male heir to the Duke of Wei's mansion, the eldest son. Lu Bingzhi would eventually be recognized as a member of the royal family. Therefore, Lu Cong'an would be even more unbearable to be looked down upon.

It now seems that the Duke does not like his step-wife, Cen, and he may favor this illegitimate son even more in the future.

In the future, the Duke of Wei's Mansion might be headed by Lu Cong'an, the illegitimate son.

Cui Lingyan hid these thoughts in her heart and took Birou back to Wutong Courtyard.

Peony Courtyard

Cen was leaning on a large lake green pillow embroidered with peonies, with a headband on her forehead. Her face was pale and she looked extremely haggard.

Lu Danruo, who was sitting nearby, seemed to have been frightened yesterday. She had lost some weight overnight. She said with a hint of grievance, "Father's attitude towards me last night really scared me. I'm your biological daughter, so how could he say that to me? He said that once I got married, I'd be a married lady in the mansion, and it would be up to me whether I wanted to interact with the brothers in the mansion or not. I haven't even gotten married yet, but father has already treated me as an outsider."