Chapter 57 "If Yuanyuan only has me, then she will never..."
As soon as Meng Yuanxiao returned to her room, a maid came to fetch her. Annoyed and not wanting to trouble her brother Tang, she came anyway.
Who knew that as soon as I arrived, I was almost hit by a teacup and heard what Wu said.
The hall fell silent for a moment. Cui Xintang frowned. "Yuanyuan?"
Madam Wu also sneered, "Yuanyuan is here?"
When Meng Yuanxiao came to her senses and looked up at Cui Xintang, her eyes welled up with tears.
The maidservant beside her lowered her head and didn't dare to breathe. She quickly stepped forward to clean up the mess on the ground and hurriedly retreated.
Then Madam Wu said, "What did Yuanyuan hear? It was just a few angry words between me and Dalang. Yuanyuan, you don't need to take it to heart."
Meng Yuanxiao seemed not to hear Wu's words. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at Cui Xintang, her eyes filled with disgust and disbelief.
Cui Xintang looked grim, his brows furrowed, and strode up to Meng Yuanxiao.
When he got closer, he instinctively reached out to take Meng Yuanxiao's hand, but Meng Yuanxiao avoided him with disgust.
Cui Xintang reached for her hand again, but Meng Yuanxiao abruptly shook it off, "Don't touch me!"
Several lamps were lit in the hall, making it as bright as day. Wu's somewhat pale face revealed a sinister and cold expression under the lamplight, completely unlike her previous gentle demeanor.
Meng Yuanxiao glanced at Madam Wu, then at Cui Xintang, his mind replaying Madam Wu's words.
He didn't want to marry the princess, nor did he want to get involved in the new policies, which is why he wanted to marry her.
A surge of nausea rose in her chest, and she felt disgusted by everything in the Cui residence. She couldn't bear to stay there any longer, so she lifted her skirt, turned around, and strode out.
Once outside the main courtyard, Cui Xintang pulled the person back.
Meng Yuanxiao struggled a few times but couldn't break free. Cui Xintang tried to hug her, but Meng Yuanxiao cried out, "Let me go!"
Lanterns hanging from a nearby tree illuminated the disgust in her eyes clearly.
Cui Xintang swallowed hard, then reached out to wipe away her tears. "There are many things your mother doesn't know, Yuanyuan, you don't need to take your mother's words to heart..."
Meng Yuanxiao didn't want to hear another word he said. She disgustedly tried to shake off his hand. "Yesterday, my mother-in-law summoned Granny Cao, wanting to trap me in the Cui residence. Are you going to do the same thing, Brother Tang?"
Cui Xintang paused, his expression growing even more unpleasant. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Meng Yuanxiao didn't want to say another word to him. She forcefully shook him off and ran quickly towards the front yard without looking back.
Upon reaching the front yard, Meng Yuanxiao headed straight for the carriage. As Cui Xintang was about to board, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded behind her.
Soon a servant came over anxiously and said, "Young Master, the Madam has suddenly fainted. Granny Cao has already sent someone to fetch a doctor!"
The two people in the carriage were both taken aback. Cui Xintang's face was grim, and he frowned as he asked, "Weren't you perfectly fine just now?"
"This servant didn't know either. The First Madam hasn't been feeling well these past few days. Today, the doctor said that the First Madam needs to rest and recuperate, and should avoid overexertion and anger..."
Meng Yuanxiao pursed his lips and remained silent, while Cui Xintang closed his eyes, his forehead veins bulging.
A moment later, he turned around and looked at Meng Yuanxiao in the carriage.
Meng Yuanxiao's face remained expressionless as she stared at him blankly. Tears still clung to her long eyelashes. Cui Xintang paused, then reached out to wipe them away from her face.
His fingers were icy cold and trembling slightly, which startled Meng Yuanxiao.
The Tang brother she knew was always calm and composed; she had never seen him look so tired and panicked.
In her daze, Cui Xintang leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.
"Although Brother Tang's marriage to Yuanyuan is partly due to the Princess, it's not as Mother says. Brother Tang doesn't like anyone else; the only person he wants to marry is Yuanyuan."
His expression was complicated, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Yuanyuan, don't go back to the Meng family. I'm begging you, please don't abandon me, okay? I'll come find you when Mother wakes up."
Meng Yuanxiao was stunned for a moment.
Just now, she did want to go back to the Meng family mansion regardless of everything, and tell her mother and her two older brothers that she wanted a divorce.
Even if her mother and eldest brother scolded her, her second brother would help her.
But she also knew that if she really returned to the Meng family today, she and Brother Tang would never be able to turn back.
Meng Yuanxiao quickly came to her senses. She did not answer Cui Xintang's question, but instead called Hongshao to get into the carriage. Then she turned her head away and instructed the driver to drive.
Once they left the Cui residence, the coachman spoke up, and Meng Yuanxiao realized that the driver was actually Qingzhu.
Qingzhu said, "Young Madam, it's getting dark. I'll drive the carriage a little slower, so please sit tight."
Meng Yuanxiao didn't want to pay attention to him, but Qingzhu continued, "Young Madam, Master has angered you, so you should be angry. But I know that Master has it tough too."
“Madam…Madam is not good to Master, and the Second Master doesn’t like the Eldest Young Master either. Master has suffered a lot. I know that Master has always disliked the Cui family, so when Master had free time before, he preferred to go to the Meng family rather than stay in the Cui family.”
"Even so, the master has never had the thought of leaving the Cui family. The old lady handed the Cui family over to the master. The second master is not reliable. After the first master left, the master has been the one holding the Cui family together. So the master would not easily have the idea of leaving the capital."
"But after marrying you, my master gradually had the idea of leaving the capital. My master rarely asked about the second young master's affairs before, but after returning from Yunping County, he specially hired the best teacher for the second young master, hoping that the second young master could pass the imperial examination as soon as possible, start a family and establish a career, and support the Cui family."
"The second young master's marriage is almost settled. It's a young lady from the Wang family. The second madam will be going to the Wang family to propose marriage in a few days."
"Furthermore, the master is spending day and night at the yamen because he wants to finish the tasks assigned by his superiors as soon as possible, get out of there, and take you away from the capital."
"As for Miss Lin, she's no pushover. Before the Lin family's downfall, she had already taken advantage of our master quite a bit, and he's always disliked her. If it had been you in her place, our master certainly wouldn't have broken off the engagement and abandoned you..."
Sitting in the carriage, Meng Yuanxiao listened to Qingzhu's incessant chatter, feeling extremely annoyed, yet his eyes couldn't help but redden.
Hongshao glanced at her young mistress's expression, then turned to the front of the carriage and said, "Qingzhu, you're so talkative, should I find a snare for you too?"
After Hongshao said that, Qingzhu finally shut up.
After a while, he was about to speak again, but Hong Shao stopped him.
Qingzhu, driving the carriage, naturally wouldn't take Meng Yuanxiao back to the Meng residence.
The carriage stopped at Meng Yuanxiao's residence, but Qingzhu refused to leave. He said, "Young Madam, I will stay in the front yard. Please feel free to order me around as you please."
Meng Yuanxiao frowned and glared at him, while Qingzhu smiled obsequiously and said, "Master instructed me to obey your orders. Don't worry, Madam, if you forbid Master from entering, I will absolutely not let Master in."
With such a thick skin, Meng Yuanxiao didn't bother with him and went back to the backyard on her own.
She was still angry and tossed and turned in bed all night until she finally drifted off to sleep at dawn.
The next day, Hongshao woke up and said, "Miss, a report came from the front yard early this morning that the young master arrived in the middle of the night and stood in front of the door for half the night. When the gatekeeper opened the door this morning, he saw the young master and was startled."
"The gatekeeper did not let anyone in as you instructed. The young master only asked you a few questions and learned that you were still asleep in the house. Then he went back, presumably to change his clothes and go to the yamen."
Meng Yuanxiao's pretty face was slightly pale, and she ignored her.
For two nights in a row, they kept people out of the door. This morning, Hongshao excitedly brought over a strange little thing, saying that the young master had asked her to bring it to the young lady to play with.
Meng Yuanxiao only glanced at it, showing little interest, but he didn't let Hong Shao get lost.
After taking a bath in the evening, Meng Yuanxiao lay on the couch reading a storybook while Hongshao sat beside her, attentively massaging her shoulders and legs.
As she continued kneading, Hongshao glanced at her and said, "Miss, the young master is still outside!"
Meng Yuanxiao ignored her, and Hongshao clicked her tongue again: "It's strange, there are so many mosquitoes this year. I only stood in the courtyard for a short while and I got two bites. The young master already has a wound on his forehead. If he stands outside the door all night, I'm afraid he'll be bitten so badly that he won't be able to go to court."
Meng Yuanxiao was taken aback, and then remembered that Cui Xintang did indeed have a wound on his forehead that night.
Hong Shao was still muttering to herself when Meng Yuanxiao came to her senses and felt that she was even more noisy than a mosquito.
She got annoyed, threw down the storybook, and went to bed.
I was lying in bed, but I just couldn't fall asleep.
I couldn't sleep, and suddenly I remembered the injuries I had occasionally seen on Brother Tang.
She was young then and asked him out of curiosity, but Brother Tang never said anything, only covering the bruises on his arm with his sleeve.
At the time, she thought he was just like her second brother, who had caused trouble and been beaten by her, Lord Cui. Because of this, she even teased him a few times.
But later, Lord Cui left with that woman, and one time she saw bruises on Brother Tang's arm again, like the marks left by a ruler hitting him hard.
She had never heard of her brother Tang fighting with anyone in the school or outside, and the servants in the Cui family naturally dared not disobey him, so she was a little surprised at the time.
But knowing that he wouldn't tell her even if she asked, she didn't ask him.
But now, thinking about all this, Meng Yuanxiao suddenly remembered Wu's forced smile.
Her heart pounded, and she couldn't help but think of what her brother Tang had said that day: he didn't like his mother-in-law either.
In shock, Meng Yuanxiao tossed and turned for a long time before finally putting on his coat, pushing open the door, and running out.
Only a few lanterns were lit in the courtyard, and the servants had already retired for the night. Meng Yuanxiao ran all the way to the front yard, startling the old gatekeeper.
The old man came out of the gatehouse, saw her and was stunned. "Miss, what's wrong?"
Meng Yuanxiao remained silent, his eyes fixed on the tightly closed black lacquered door.
The old man understood and quickly went to open the door.
Cui Xintang stood outside the door. Hearing the noise, he turned around and saw Meng Yuanxiao by the light of the lantern in front of the door. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled at her.
Meng Yuanxiao had impulsively run out, but now that he saw the person, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
She pursed her lips and said in a muffled voice, "Old man, go and rest."
The old man glanced at the two of them and chuckled, saying, "Young master, come in quickly, this old servant is about to close the door!"
Cui Xintang didn't stand on ceremony and followed suit, entering the room.
The old man bolted the door shut, not wanting to disturb the two of them, and quickly returned to the gatehouse.
Meng Yuanxiao was furious, but she couldn't kick him out again. She stood there glaring at Cui Xintang, her eyes red with anger.
She had rushed out and only threw on a coat haphazardly, forgetting even to put on her shoes.
The May night was still a bit chilly. Cui Xintang glanced down at her feet, which were hidden under her skirt and only revealed a bit of her snow-white socks. He frowned and, without saying a word, stepped forward and picked her up.
"Why are you still so reckless?" he said, carrying the person inside.
Meng Yuanxiao tried to break free and get down, but Cui Xintang said, "The Li family has already divorced Meng Xu and set off for Fengzhou yesterday."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yuanxiao felt a lump in her throat, clung to his neck, buried her face in the side of his neck, and didn't want to say anything more.
Cui Xintang lifted her up a little, "The Li family seems to be enlightened people. They don't think that Li Shi's divorce is a shameful thing. So when Li Shi sent a letter to Fengzhou, the eldest brother and sister-in-law of the Li family came very quickly. Li Shi will not be wronged when she returns to the Li family. Perhaps she will really become a female general in the future."
Meng Yuanxiao sniffed and after a long while, he finally hummed in agreement.
"They're escorting the Li family's bodyguards. The Li family's dowry alone stretched for a long line of carriages and horses," Cui Xintang sneered. "With such ostentation, I'm afraid Meng Xu will lose face."
Meng Yuanxiao was a little annoyed and snorted twice, not wanting to pay him any attention.
Cui Xintang paused and then said, "Brother Tang went to the outskirts of the city yesterday and happened to run into Madam Li riding a horse about to leave the city. Madam Li glanced at Brother Tang a few times, probably thinking of Yuanyuan."
Meng Yuanxiao couldn't help but shed tears.
Cui Xintang said, "I'll take you to Fengzhou sometime in the future."
Back in the room, Cui Xintang closed the door behind him, laid the person down on the couch, and looked down at her.
Meng Yuanxiao's eyes were still red. The courtyard had been dimly lit, and she could see the bruise on his forehead at a glance.
Two days have passed, and the bruises have faded somewhat, though they are still noticeable despite being partially covered by her sideburns.
Meng Yuanxiao pursed her lips and asked hesitantly, "The injuries you had earlier..."
Cui Xintang paused, then remained silent.
He refused to say, so it must have been Wu's doing.
Meng Yuanxiao frowned, about to speak, but Cui Xintang asked first, "Is Yuanyuan still angry?"
Meng Yuanxiao choked and remained silent.
Cui Xintang seemed to consider for a moment before saying, "Back then, the Eldest Princess did indeed want to marry Princess Langyue to me in order to win me over to work for her. I didn't want to marry the princess, so I turned around and got engaged to you instead."
Meng Yuanxiao's eyes welled up with tears again.
Cui Xintang looked at her and said, "Although there is a reason why Brother Tang married you, if it weren't for Yuanyuan, Brother Tang wouldn't have had this idea. If I married someone else, Brother Tang would never be willing to accept it."
"Does Yuanyuan want Brother Tang to marry someone else?"
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
She didn't speak. Cui Xintang sighed softly and said, "Yuanyuan must have heard it that day, my mother..."
He frowned slightly, as if he was having some difficulty speaking, "Before the Lin family's incident, I saw Steward Lin in my mother's room."
He spoke tactfully, but Meng Yuanxiao immediately understood his meaning, and her almond-shaped eyes widened involuntarily.
Cui Xintang smiled. "Yuanyuan also thinks it's absurd, right?"
He paused for a moment, then said, "Steward Lin is quite good-looking. He is Lord Lin's cousin and works as a steward in the Lin family. At that time, Cui Zhen had just had two children outside the family, and his mother was traumatized. She probably wanted to use Steward Lin to get revenge on Cui Zhen."
"As a son, I shouldn't interfere in my parents' private affairs, but I can't help but feel disgusted. So when the Lin family had their troubles, I went along with it and broke off the engagement. When Miss Lin came to my door, I ignored her."
"If it weren't for your mother-in-law and Steward Lin's affair, would you have married Miss Lin in the first place?" Meng Yuanxiao asked.
Cui Xintang paused slightly, then raised an eyebrow and said, "Probably not."
After saying that, he ruffled her hair and said, "Didn't Brother Tang tell Yuanyuan that before?"
Meng Yuanxiao didn't know if he was just trying to comfort her, so she pursed her lips and remained silent.
Cui Xintang paused for a moment, "Brother Tang has always wanted to keep it from you, but Yuanyuan still found out about these sordid things in the Cui family."
“Yuanyuan despises the Lin family, and Brother Tang despises them even more than you. That’s why I’ve always wanted you to stay out of the Lin family’s cloth business and to keep you from knowing about these unpleasant things.”
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
“As for my helping the Lin family,” Cui Xintang paused before saying, “At the Princess’s birthday banquet that day, the Princess suddenly noticed you, and I was very scared.”
“If I marry you, the Princess can also win over the Meng family and won’t touch you. But Princess Langyue is arrogant and domineering. I offended her, and I’m afraid she will hold a grudge and make things difficult for you.”
“I didn’t care how my mother took care of the Lin family before, but later I started to help the Lin family intentionally or unintentionally, and I also met with Miss Lin a few times in private.”
"After losing face, the princess had to vent her anger. Sure enough, she started to frequently cause trouble for the Lin family and Miss Lin. Miss Lin suffered several times at the princess's hands."
"But my thoughts can't be hidden from the princess. She deliberately made things difficult for the Lin family to warn me. If I don't work for the princess, she's not afraid to make things difficult for you."
"The Lin family is being made difficult because of me, so I can't just ignore it."
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
Thinking of what Miss Lin had said that day, she subconsciously felt that it couldn't be just what he had said.
But Cui Xintang said no more. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "Brother Tang is not a gentleman,"
He paused for a moment, then added, "With Brother Tang here, it's always better for others to suffer injustice than for Yuanyuan to suffer injustice."
"Also, Yuanyuan said earlier that Brother Tang deliberately spoke ill of his mother-in-law and Meng Xu... Brother Tang thought about it later and it seems to be true."
After saying that, he gave a bitter smile, "Brother Tang wanted to take you with him to be transferred out of the capital, but Yuanyuan refused. So, Brother Tang had other ideas."
He stared intently at Meng Yuanxiao with his phoenix eyes and said slowly, "Brother Tang only has Yuanyuan, so I was thinking, if Yuanyuan only has me, would she never leave Brother Tang again?"
Tears welled up in Meng Yuanxiao's eyes as she stared at him in a daze upon hearing this.
Cui Xintang was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "In Yuanyuan's eyes, is Brother Tang particularly despicable?"
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