Chapter 117: How could such a blind heart give birth to such a clever and thoughtful daughter. ...
Madam Zhai thought this, but she said, "Don't worry, little girl Yan. Even if Concubine Liu gives birth to a boy after ten months of pregnancy, the eldest son will only be your brother Bo'er, and no one else can surpass Bo'er."
After she said this, her eyes fell on Cui Lingyan.
Cui Lingyan smiled gently, took the teacup the maid brought, and sipped gently. She said, "Grandmother, what you said is certainly correct. My granddaughter and I are not the kind of people who would begrudge a concubine giving birth. It's just that something like this happened today, and there are so many gossips in the mansion. Concubine Liu is of such status. Since Grandmother values her unborn child so much, why not bring her to Xilan Court and have the nanny take good care of her? It's better than having Concubine Liu constantly worrying about someone harming her unborn child."
"This way, Father will be able to rest assured and won't be suspicious of Mother's jealousy, or even harm Concubine Liu."
Cui Lingyan said this seriously, without any hidden meaning at all. However, as soon as she said this, not only was Mrs. Zhai stunned, but even the maids serving in the room looked at her in surprise.
They thought that the Marquis had attacked the First Lady today. Even though the Third Lady was not close to the First Lady, she must have been extremely displeased with Concubine Liu because the First Lady had lost face. It would have been fine if she had not helped the First Lady to secretly harass Concubine Liu and even harmed the child in Concubine Liu's belly, but she actually came up with such a plan, asking the Old Lady to bring Concubine Liu to live in Xilan Courtyard.
If this matter were to reach the ears of the First Madam Qi, she would probably faint from anger.
Madam Zhai gave Cui Lingyan a deep look, pondered for a moment, and nodded. "This idea, little girl Yan, is not bad. Our Cui family is indeed a little short of descendants. Although Concubine Liu's family background is not good, since your father dotes on her, she will naturally give birth to a child for our Cui family safely. Although I am old, I have some energy to take someone in to look after her. It will only take the maids and servants below to do their best."
Madam Zhai agreed and casually asked about Cui Lingyan's situation in the Duke's Mansion. During the conversation, they naturally mentioned Cui Linghui, who had now entered the palace and became the concubine of the Second Prince Xiao Ze.
Madam Zhai sighed softly and said, "This child has been arrogant and stubborn since she was young. Not long after entering the palace, she sent her maid Yulan to sleep with Xiao Ze, and she did it through the hand of the concubine Qiu Ning. This shows how difficult her life in the palace is."
"Come to think of it, Concubine Shu has now become a mere concubine. It's hard for her to blame her own son, so naturally she can only vent her anger on Hui girl. Who could have thought that Hui girl would end up in such a situation? It's also because I, as her grandmother, didn't teach her well, causing her to be blinded by greed and do such a ridiculous thing as becoming Xiao Ze's concubine."
As Old Lady Zhai spoke, she noticed Cui Lingyan's calm expression, clearly showing no sympathy for her stepsister, Cui Linghui. She couldn't help but feel that her granddaughter, Cui Lingyan, was too cold-hearted. She didn't know who she resembled, a young woman who had only recently married, yet possessed such a hard heart.
However, thinking about Cui Lingyan's suggestion just now, she felt that this granddaughter was not only cold-hearted, but also extremely cunning. She didn't know how a girl with such a personality could be liked and valued by Lu Bingzhi.
Perhaps this was just a matter of having similar personalities. Wasn't Lu Bingzhi also a cold-hearted person? He probably disliked the gentle and virtuous ladies raised by the aristocratic families in the capital, and instead preferred a temperament like Yan Yatou.
Old Lady Zhai didn't mention Cui Linghui any further. She continued, "Your grandmother has now come to the capital and is living in the Qi residence. Even though you've become the Crown Prince's wife, you must remember filial piety. Even if you don't visit her often, at least send someone to bring her some gifts. Don't let others say anything critical. For the wives of noble families, reputation is a very important thing."
Cui Lingyan nodded and said, "My granddaughter knows about this and will definitely not let anyone find fault with it."
The two chatted for a while, and soon it was time for lunch. Old Madam Zhai invited Cui Lingyan to have lunch in Xilan Courtyard. After drinking some tea to help digestion, she said to Cui Lingyan, "The Duke's Mansion must be busy too. You've only just married and are still a new bride. You'd better go back early to avoid causing any dissatisfaction between your mother-in-law and the old lady."
Cui Lingyan nodded in agreement, stood up and walked out of the house. Without going to Cuiwei Courtyard to say goodbye, she took Birou out of the Ningshou Marquis Mansion and took a carriage to the Weiguo Duke Mansion.
As soon as she left, Madam Zhai sent someone to clean up a side room and asked someone to bring Concubine Liu over to live in Xilan Courtyard.
The news quickly spread throughout the entire Marquis' Mansion, and even the news that Cui Lingyan had spoken and proposed to the old lady spread.
For a moment, some people were surprised and some were puzzled, and they all felt it was really rare.
How could anyone in this world help a concubine, despised by her biological mother, to keep her child safe? Not to mention, today Qi Shi had lost such a huge amount of face.
The Third Aunt didn't return home to comfort her mother, the First Lady, but clearly to make her upset.
When the eldest lady heard the news, she was so angry that she couldn't believe it.
Just as the people below thought, after Qi woke up from a nap and finally calmed down and had a small meal, she saw the maid walk in with a strange look on her face, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
She was already unhappy, and when she saw the maid hesitating like this, her face immediately darkened and she scolded her, "If you have something to say, just say it quickly. How can I, your mistress, guess what you are saying if you keep hesitating like this?"
The maid shuddered, not daring to hide it, and could only tell Qi that Concubine Liu had moved to Xilan Courtyard.
Upon hearing this news, Qi's face turned livid. She slammed her fist on the table and said angrily, "Is this how the Marquis's Mansion bullies its daughters-in-law? The master has embarrassed me, the principal wife, today because of Concubine Liu. It would have been fine if the mother-in-law didn't help me, but she actually disregarded my dignity and took Concubine Liu to live in Xilan Courtyard."
"Why, is she afraid that I won't be able to control myself and harm the piece of flesh in Aunt Liu's belly?"
Qi felt that the slap from the Marquis before was humiliating and embarrassing, but now her mother-in-law, Old Lady Zhai's behavior made her even more embarrassed, and she almost fainted from anger.
Who could have thought that the old lady could do such a thing.
Seeing that the maid seemed to have something else to say, Qi said in a deep voice, "Tell me everything you have to say. Why are you hesitating and hiding half of what you are saying?"
The maidservant then whispered, "Everyone in the mansion is saying that this idea was proposed by our Third Aunt. The old lady prioritized the heir of the Cui family, so she listened to Third Aunt and sent someone to bring Concubine Liu to live in Xilan Courtyard. Everyone in the mansion is discussing this matter right now."
After the maid said this, she saw that Qi didn't move for a long time, her face turned ashen with anger, which was really scary.
She felt a chill in her heart and fell to her knees on the ground without daring to say a word, for fear that the lady would vent her anger on her.
"This evil creature! She really wants to piss me off to death!"
Qi was so angry that she staggered and almost fell to the ground. Nanny Jiang was quick to step forward and support her.
She waved her hand, telling the kneeling maid to get down, and then, with a choked voice, she said, "Third Aunt is like this, it's obvious that she still holds a grudge against you for sending her to the Qi family. I was puzzled by the Third Aunt's personality, and how she and Madam were so distant, that she rushed back to the mansion upon hearing the news. I thought she was only returning for her own reputation, but now I understand that she has other motives, wanting to legitimately cause trouble for you, Madam."
After saying this, Nanny Jiang revealed a hint of regret and uneasiness. She knelt down and apologized, "Madam, please forgive me. I spoke carelessly in a moment of desperation. Please don't take my words to heart. Perhaps, perhaps my aunt was truly thinking of you. How could a daughter in this world embarrass her own mother like this? My aunt must have had good intentions but ended up doing something bad."
When Qi heard her say this, she became even more angry. She was convinced that Cui Lingyan had come back with ulterior motives and was taking this opportunity to humiliate and take revenge on her as her biological mother.
For a moment, Qi was both angry and aggrieved. She felt that Cui Lingyan was born to be her unlucky daughter, otherwise why would she side with an outsider and deliberately humiliate her as a mother?
"You've served me for so many years, so naturally you've been thinking about me. These words may sound harsh, but they're also true. How could I possibly blame you? If anyone should be blamed, blame that evil creature. He's simply an ungrateful person who can never be tamed!"
Nanny Jiang didn't say anything to comfort her. She stood up and helped Qi into the inner room, feeling a little pleased. When she went to the Duke of Wei's mansion, the Third Young Lady had hurt her reputation, and she wanted to make sure the Madam and her daughter weren't close at all, or even if it was better, she would resent her.
If the Madam started to make a fuss, or was so angry that she ended up bedridden, Cui Lingyan would probably be accused of being unfilial and of helping her aunt to avenge her biological mother.
This was the reaction in Cuiwei Courtyard. When the news reached the ears of Second Madam Bian and Third Madam Gao, they felt that Cui Lingyan was not humiliating or taking revenge on Madam Qi, but was clearly handing the hot potato of Concubine Liu to the old lady to help Madam Qi, her mother, out of the predicament.
This child looks cold and doesn't care about his biological mother Qi, but in fact, when encountering problems, he still wants to help Qi.
What is even more regrettable is that despite Qi's personality, she actually gave birth to such a thoughtful daughter.
Fortunately, she was raised in her maternal family since she was a child. Otherwise, the old lady would probably have doted on this granddaughter the most since she was a child. It is possible that because of this granddaughter, the eldest house would increasingly suppress the other two houses.
Sister-in-law Qi is also blind and insane. Why doesn't she love and care for such a good, sensible and insightful daughter, but instead blames and dislikes her everywhere?
......
Bilanyuan
Second Miss Cui Lingyin heard about this from her maidservant. Her expression changed for a long time before she said, "Among my cousins, it's Third Sister, who didn't grow up in the Marquisate, who's the most cunning and resourceful. She was able to come up with this idea and even dared to mention it to Grandmother without fear of being reprimanded by First Aunt. As her cousin, I have to admire her."
"Neither Cui Linghui nor I can compare to her. No wonder Cui Lingyan is the most respectable and the wife of the Crown Prince."
Luo Xue listened to her daughter's words and couldn't help but say, "The young lady is no worse than the third young lady. The third young lady has been raised in the Qi family since she was a child. The fact that she is so successful now is just a blessing from God. It just happened that she was asked to take over the marriage that the eldest young lady didn't want. If the young lady wasn't..."
She originally wanted to say that if the girl was not born out of wedlock, but was born of a legitimate wife like the third girl, the prince might like her if she got married.
Cui Lingyin's lips revealed a hint of bitterness and self-mockery. Her gaze fell on Luoxue, and when she felt a pang of fear in her heart and her face turned slightly pale, she spoke, "Don't say such things from now on. We don't even have a chance to please her now, so why bother saying such offensive words? If Third Sister hears about this, it will definitely offend her again."
Luoxue's face turned even paler, and she regretted having said such blunt words.
She nodded and said seriously, "Don't worry, young lady, I won't dare to say these things again."
Cui Lingyin nodded and said with some emotion, "Just remember it. No matter what, I may not be as good as my third sister now, but I am more respectable than my eldest sister. I should be content."
"If I were to end up like my elder sister, a concubine who had to rely on other concubines to send her maidservant to a man's bed, that would be truly shameless and a cause of ridicule and sighing."
......
The carriage came out of the alley of the Marquis' Mansion and returned to the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion about half an hour later.
Cui Lingyan first went to see Old Madam Dou. The old lady guessed that something had happened in the Marquis' Mansion, but she did not ask her for details. She only asked her a few questions about Old Madam Zhai's health and then let her go back to Songxue Hall.
When she entered, Lu Bingzhi was sitting on a soft couch, reading a book in his hand.
He looked up when he heard footsteps, and seeing her come in, he asked casually, "Did something important happen in the Marquis' Mansion? Why did they specially send someone to ask you to go back?"
Cui Lingyan didn't want to hide it, so she briefly explained the matter and told Lu Bingzhi her own method.
After hearing this, Lu Bingzhi was stunned for a moment, then he curled his lips and said, "That's a good idea, but I'm not sure if your mother will appreciate your filial piety."
After all, with Qi's temper, she probably wouldn't think that Cui Lingyan's suggestion was good for her. Instead, she would think that Cui Lingyan was taking revenge on her as her biological mother by using the matter of Concubine Liu.
Cui Lingyan heard him say this and smiled nonchalantly, "Given Mother's personality, if I hadn't suggested that Concubine Liu move in with Grandmother, who knows what kind of trouble she would have caused. If Concubine Liu plotted against me, I wouldn't be able to explain myself at all."
Qi has been in the harem for many years, but she doesn't have many tricks up her sleeve. She always feels that as the principal wife, she should suppress Concubine Liu and won't allow Concubine Liu to give birth to the child in her womb.
But in her opinion, everyone in the mansion is now staring at Concubine Liu's belly, not only her father but also her grandmother, Madam Zhai. Today, Concubine Liu was punished by Qi and had a miscarriage, and the treatment given by her father and grandmother was enough to prove that even if Qi wanted to take action, she had lost the opportunity. Concubine Liu and the baby in her belly really became a hot potato.
If anything went wrong with Concubine Liu, the first person to be suspected would be Madam Qi.
Therefore, her actions were the best solution she could think of as a temporary solution.
It doesn’t matter if Qi doesn’t understand her, as long as she doesn’t cause any big trouble to upset her.
Ever since she came to Beijing, she has been tired of the Marquis's family and now just wants to live her own life in peace and quiet.
Although this thought might seem somewhat unfilial to outsiders, she did not feel guilty. After all, the Marquis' Mansion had never educated her, let alone loved her in the slightest. Otherwise, she wouldn't have died so tragically and so early in that dream.
Because of the grace of carrying her for ten months, she was willing to help Qi come up with this plan. If she didn't appreciate it, she would only be angry and blame her, and she would never interfere in these matters again.
Thinking of this, Cui Lingyan said calmly, "It's fine as long as the fuss doesn't bother me as a daughter. I don't want to cause trouble for myself, so I suggested this first. Fortunately, Grandmother agreed."
It was a bit hot outside today. Cui Lingyan felt a little uncomfortable after being out for most of the day, so she went to take a shower and wash up. When she came out, she changed into a willow yellow jacket embroidered with small peony flowers. Her hair was simply tied up and pinned with a mutton-fat jade magnolia hairpin. She looked particularly refreshed.
She leaned over to look at the book in Lu Bingzhi's hand, revealing her fair neck. The faint fragrance after bathing filled the air, and a few strands of hair brushed across Lu Bingzhi's profile.
It was a casual and unintentional action, but Lu Bingzhi's eyes darkened. He closed the book in his hand, stood up, hugged her around the waist and walked towards the inner room.
Cui Lingyan felt her feet drop to the floor, and she couldn't help but let out a low cry. Seeing Birou and Bitao, who had already retreated with a wink, her cheeks flushed. She wondered if she'd just showered again. Lu Bingzhi hadn't shown any empathy for her. Before the marriage consummation, he'd been such a cold and reserved person, reminiscent of Liu Xiahui. But after the consummation, he seemed like a completely different person, unafraid of being laughed at.
One night, she couldn't help asking him, and he shamelessly said, "If I were Liu Xiahui Yan'er, I would be worried."
The whole person was placed on the soft bed. Cui Linghui withdrew his thoughts, but soon lost them again.
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