Chapter 138: There is no need to be so cautious in this Duke's Mansion...
The maid's expression changed slightly, and she unconsciously glanced in the direction where Lu Bingzhi and Cui Lingyan were leaving. Then she lowered her voice and whispered, "Young lady, please stop saying these things. It would be bad if the prince heard about it."
"Besides, you're not going out to greet them, but are subconsciously hiding. If that gets out, it won't look good. Didn't Madam tell you to try to befriend the Crown Prince and the Young Madam? How can you be friendly with them if you're hiding like this?"
Lu Danruo's face flushed and then blued. She glanced at the maid and said, "Don't tell anyone about what happened today, understand? Not even to mother."
The maid knew that she felt a little embarrassed, so she naturally did not dare to go against her wishes and quickly nodded in agreement.
Lu Danruo no longer had the mood to appreciate the flowers and went straight to the yard where he lived.
Halfway through the journey, she happened to meet someone sent by Cen, who said that the lady wanted to see her for something and asked her to go to the Peony Courtyard.
Lu Danruo frowned and said casually, "What's so important? Mother, can't you talk about it tomorrow?"
The maid knew her temper and said with a smile, "Young lady, you're joking. If I hadn't brought you with me, I wouldn't have been able to explain to Madam. Besides, you're young and energetic, so just think of it as a visit to Madam to show your filial piety and spend some time with her."
Although Lu Danruo was a bit willful, she had depended on the Cen mother and daughter for so many years. Even though she felt that if her mother had something to say, she should just ask the old woman to explain it clearly, she still obediently went to the Peony Courtyard.
When I entered the room, I saw Cen sitting on a soft couch with a large red scroll painted with gold next to her.
She bowed, walked to the couch and sat down next to Cen, and asked casually, "Whose invitation is this? Did mother ask me to come here for this? Could it be that there is a banquet going on recently?"
As Lu Danruo spoke, she thought of the scandal caused by her grandfather. Because of this, the noble ladies she had recently made friends with rarely sent her invitations to go out and play, and no one came to visit her house. It was as if the dirty things caused by the Cen family could even defile her, a legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion.
Lu Danruo felt depressed. She blamed Lu Bingzhi for being so ruthless. Even if he wanted to support Cui Lingyan, he should not have ignored the relationship between the two families, and he did not care about her dignity among her best friends.
Now that an invitation has been sent to Cen, she thought that the matter was over and someone invited her to visit their home.
Seeing the joy in her daughter's eyes, how could Mrs. Cen not know what she was thinking.
She smiled and said, "If it was a letter sent to you, the concierge would have delivered it directly to you, not to me."
As she spoke, she explained, "This is an invitation from the old lady of the Duke Dingguo's Mansion. She said that the mansion is holding a flower viewing banquet and invited us mother and daughter to come over as guests."
Hearing it was from the Duke Dingguo Mansion, Lu Danruo was a little surprised and asked with some confusion, "When did our mansion become so close to the Duke Dingguo Mansion? I haven't seen such a post before."
Although she was raised in seclusion, she knew that the old Duke Dingguo had fought alongside Taizu in his conquests, achieving remarkable military success. He had even shielded the late emperor from an arrow to save him, suffering from a lifelong, incurable illness that tormented him greatly. For this feat, he had earned the title of Duke Dingguo, a hereditary title, and Taizu had bestowed upon him a special iron scroll and red seal to honor his loyal and devoted service.
The Duke of Dingguo's family has few descendants. Currently, there are only Duke of Dingguo Pei Xun and his younger brother Pei An. Pei Xun married when he was over 30 years old. His wife was none other than Princess Chun'an, the most favored by the Emperor and the current wife of Duke of Dingguo. His younger brother Pei An had been married twice, but both of his fiancées had problems before they could get married. One died of a cold, and the other was abducted by robbers while visiting a temple, ruining her reputation. Although she was rescued, she also became insane and could only spend the rest of her life in seclusion. Although these were coincidental, Pei An was known for his unlucky marriage. No noblewoman in the capital dared to marry him. He only had one concubine and a daughter.
Thinking of this, Lu Danruo raised her eyebrows slightly and said with a bit of nitpicking, "Why did the old lady of the Duke of Dingguo think of inviting us mother and daughter there? I heard that the old Duke of Dingguo committed too many murders during the war, and the murderous aura in the mansion is so strong that Princess Chun'an has been childless for many years after entering the mansion, and Pei'an's two fiancées also met with accidents before they got married. We should not go to such a dangerous mansion if we can."
After she finished speaking, Cen's expression suddenly changed, and she glared at her fiercely: "Where did you hear this nonsense? The old Duke Dingguo had great military achievements and was known for his contributions to the emperor, yet how can you say it so unpleasantly? If this gets out, even our Duke Weiguo Mansion won't be able to protect you."
Lu Danruo grabbed Cen's arm and said coquettishly, "I'm not the only one saying this. People outside are saying things that are even more unpleasant than what I'm saying."
"If the murderous aura in the mansion wasn't so strong that even Princess Chun'an, a noble lady from the royal family, couldn't suppress it, why would Princess Chun'an go to Huang'en Temple to worship Buddha every year and stay there for half a year?"
"Because of this, Duke Dingguo rarely attends the court, and even less so participates in court affairs. Who doesn't know what goes on in the Duke's Mansion? It's said that Duke Dingguo accompanies Princess Chun'an like this, firstly to show the Emperor, and secondly to chant sutras to dispel the murderous aura within him, so that Princess Chun'an can conceive sooner."
Seeing that she knew so much and explained it so clearly, Cen stopped scolding her. Instead, she said with a mixture of helplessness and amusement, "You girls actually talk about these things in private. Aren't you afraid of violating taboos? How can you make up stories about Princess Chun'an and Duke Dingguo in private? You little kids just don't know the seriousness of the matter. You don't even worry about someone eavesdropping and causing trouble."
Lu Danruo smiled and said, "But let's talk about this privately. The story that the old lady of Duke Dingguo sent someone to Duke Dingguo and was beaten to death in front of the old lady by Duke Dingguo found fault with her has been circulating in the capital for a while. Although we are concerned about Princess Chun'an and can't say anything to her face, everyone is watching the Duke Dingguo's mansion privately, wondering when the princess will be pregnant. After all, the Pei family has few descendants, and Pei An only has one daughter. Even the inheritance earned by the ancestors needs an heir to inherit. Otherwise, is it possible that the title will be given to an outsider through adoption?"
Lu Danruo spoke casually, not noticing the slight change in Cen's expression. She only muttered, "It's not a big deal. Just ask Madam to tell me. It's not like I haven't attended banquets before. I made this trip for nothing. I'm a little tired after wandering around the mansion today. I want to go back and rest early."
Cen restrained her expression, smiled and reached out to pat her on the back, saying, "You only know how to act like a spoiled child in front of me. I don't have anyone to talk to here. Don't you want to spend more time talking to me?"
Cen invited Lu Danruo to have dinner in the Peony Courtyard. After dinner, Lu Danruo left, the maid came forward to clear away the dishes and chopsticks on the table. Cen took the teacup handed to her by the head maid Luomei, frowning.
Luo Mei knew what her mistress was thinking. After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Why don't you tell the young lady the truth so she can show off at the flower viewing banquet and win the old lady's favor?"
Cen sighed softly, "Although the old lady of Duke Dingguo has this idea, I have thought carefully that if Danruo can marry Pei An, it would be a good match. But I am still a little worried. After all, the two before her had problems before they even got married. I only have Danruo as my own daughter. If she is harmed by this marriage, I will have no place to cry."
Luo Mei knew Madam's thoughts. It was just that the Second Miss wasn't favored by her elder brother, the Crown Prince. There wasn't much affection between them, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was just a misunderstanding. While no one in the mansion had intentionally spread rumors about this, anyone who visited the mansion regularly would know the state of affairs within. Furthermore, the Second Miss and the Cen family had previously had a rift with the Young Madam. Even a few rumors would undoubtedly affect the Second Miss's marriage.
After finally hearing that Pei An of the Duke of Dingguo's Mansion had agreed to get married, the Duke of Dingguo's old lady held a flower-viewing banquet and secretly sent a message saying that she heard that the second young lady in the mansion was very good and it was a good opportunity to let her take a look at her during the flower-viewing banquet.
Anyone with a reasonable mind would understand what the old lady meant. Luo Mei simply thought marrying into the Duke Dingguo's mansion would be a good option. Madam, though she had her concerns, couldn't the second young lady find a better family? If she had a choice, Madam wouldn't be so worried these days, sighing and fretting all day.
Seeing Luo Mei hesitant to speak, Cen knew what she was thinking.
If it weren't for the mishaps that befell her two previous fiancées, this marriage would have been impossible for anyone else to ask for. She also knew that the old lady of Duke Dingguo had sent someone to convey the message not because she was particularly satisfied with her daughter being the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Weiguo Mansion, but because of the relationship between the Duke of Weiguo Mansion and the late Princess Shuning, which had inspired the old lady of Duke Dingguo to do so.
Although she felt a little uncomfortable, when she thought about it carefully, if her daughter could marry safely into the Duke Dingguo's Mansion, it might not be a bad marriage.
I heard that Pei An wasn't a playboy. Although he had a concubine and a daughter, he loved traveling and wasn't obsessed with women. My daughter's claim that no one in the capital dared to marry Pei An was nonsense. There were many people who wanted to take a chance and become Princess Chun'an's sister-in-law. If Princess Chun'an couldn't give birth, the adopted child would naturally be a child from the second house. If that was the case, marrying him wouldn't be a great fortune.
Therefore, although Cen had many concerns, she was finally moved.
If this marriage could happen, she and Danruo would both have someone to rely on, and they wouldn't have to be so cautious in the Duke's Mansion. Even the newcomer Cui Lingyan couldn't control them.
Cen made up her mind and instructed Luo Mei, "Tell the embroidery room to make a new dress for Danruo, using the best material. Also, go to the storehouse and select some expensive jewelry. Don't let Danruo be outdone at the banquet."
Luomei responded with a yes and went downstairs to give the order.
Qingdeyuan
Old Madam Dou frowned when she heard Nanny Sun's report.
"Did you just send a letter to Cen, asking her to take Danruo with her? Did you not mention Yanyatou?"
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