Chapter 161: The steps are even more disregarding of the Duke's Mansion's reputation and causing all this trouble...
More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye. When Cui Lingyan woke up that morning, she clearly felt that Bitao seemed to be hesitant to speak.
She frowned, washed and dressed under Bi Tao's help, and after having breakfast, she asked, "What happened?"
Bi Tao stepped forward and reported, "Young Madam, everyone outside is saying that the eldest daughter and Pei An's marriage is finalized, but this marriage was snatched from the second daughter. They even say that you, young madam, helped in this. You didn't consider the interests of the eldest branch, but instead helped an outsider. They also say that because of this matter, the madam and the second daughter were wronged and had to return to live in the Cen family, but our Duke's Mansion has not sent anyone to pick them up. They say that the mansion has long forgotten the madam and the second daughter and is eager to have them stay in the Cen family forever."
"They say that you, Madam, are favored by the Crown Prince, and that you don't get along with your mother-in-law, forcing her and your sister-in-law back to her family. Furthermore, you've become arrogant and jealous, bringing up the story of Qiu Zhi being sold off, intent on branding you as a jealous person. This incident has also implicated the Second House, accusing you, as a sister-in-law, of being closer to the girl from the next house than to your actual sister-in-law. They also say that Madam and the Crown Prince have been married for so long, but there's still no sign of pregnancy, and you're trying to stop him from taking a concubine, lest he end up like the Duke of Dingguo today."
"Not only that, they also said that if the second young lady married into the Duke Dingguo's mansion and gave birth to a boy, he would be adopted by Princess Chun'an. They also said that Princess Chun'an treated the young lady well, but the young lady didn't care about Princess Chun'an at all, and instead helped others to make things difficult for the princess."
As Bi Tao spoke, her voice became smaller and smaller. Her eyes were filled with dissatisfaction and anger. She felt that the rumors outside were clearly intended to ruin the young lady's reputation.
The young lady has a gentle personality and never argues with others. In her opinion, it was the young lady who was wronged, but now she was labeled as a bad person by people outside.
Cui Lingyan thought it was a big deal, but after hearing this, she breathed a sigh of relief and said nonchalantly, "I don't think it's a big deal. It's just some rumors. Let them talk. Can't we control what they say?"
Bi Tao felt sorry for her and said, "It's obvious that the eldest lady and the second young lady don't like the young lady, but now they are confusing right and wrong. I feel sorry for you, the young lady. I don't know who spread these rumors."
She lowered her voice a bit and asked nervously, "Could it be that the news came from the Cen family? How did it involve Princess Chun'an? How could the eldest lady and the others have the audacity to discuss Princess Chun'an's adoption or not? If these words were spread, the princess would have no objection to you, young lady. I'm afraid that if the second young lady married into the family, the princess would also be displeased, and the sisters-in-law would get even harder to get along with each other."
She had originally thought that since the eldest lady and the second young lady were staying at the Cen family and nothing had happened, nothing would happen. Without the eldest lady and the second young lady, the Duke's Mansion would be peaceful, and the young lady could have some peace and quiet. Who could have imagined that after just a few days of peace, these rumors would swirl. The first people she thought of were Cen and Lu Danruo.
But I didn't expect that this time the two of them were bolder and dared to involve Princess Chun'an. I hope the princess won't misunderstand the young lady because of these rumors.
Cui Lingyan glanced at her and said meaningfully, "It's not just me, your mistress, who's being talked about. It's also your aunt and the others and Princess Chun'an. Let's just listen to it and don't worry. In my opinion, the eldest lady probably doesn't want to live in the Cen family anymore, but she's unwilling to return to the mansion on her own. She was instigated into making this stupid move. It's one thing to offend the people in our mansion, but she's not afraid of offending Princess Chun'an and angering the Empress Dowager and the Emperor in the palace, right?"
Cui Lingyan felt that this was a stupid move, but that was probably the plan of the noble families. Didn't Concubine Shu also bring up this matter in front of the Empress Dowager when she entered the palace yesterday? So these noble ladies had similar thoughts. She was not surprised when she heard it, but was just surprised at how bold Cen and Lu Danruo were this time.
The Cen family is now becoming increasingly confused, and what they have done is truly despicable.
Bi Tao was stunned for a moment, then spoke with some confusion, "If Madam wants to come back, she can just come back. No one in the mansion is trying to drive her and the Second Young Miss away. Why bother with such a fuss? Is she planning to use these rumors to force the Duke to personally go to the Cen residence to pick them up?"
It's not that Bi Tao has a sharp tongue, it's just that the eldest lady has been married into the Duke's Mansion for many years, and it's not a quarrel between a bride and her husband. After such an incident, people are willing to cooperate and give her a way out. The eldest lady thinks how much weight she has in the Duke's heart. If she overestimates herself, wouldn't it be even more embarrassing?
By then, not to mention the Duke, even Madam Dou, the mother-in-law, would feel uncomfortable.
Even she felt that the eldest lady's little thoughts were a bit petty and not worthy of public display, not to mention that she had dragged the Duke Dingguo's Mansion and Princess Chun'an into it, especially the adoption, which was something that had no basis at all.
Because she was so confused, Bitao couldn't help but express her thoughts aloud.
Cui Lingyan said, "If you can think of it, how could the Madam not think of it? But people are greedy. She doesn't want to lose face and bring the second young lady back by herself. She probably thinks that even if the Duke doesn't go to pick her up personally but someone from the palace does, it will at least be less embarrassing."
"If these rumors really came from the Cen family, the eldest lady's concern is more about not wanting the eldest daughter to marry into the Duke of Dingguo's mansion without tarnishing her reputation. This person, when she's having a hard time herself, can't stand seeing others doing well, and always wants to find ways to make things difficult for others. Instead of leaving the poker table, she wants to overturn it, making life difficult for everyone, and that's when she feels relieved."
Bitao grew up in the Qi family's residence. After entering the capital and looking at the ladies from the wealthy and powerful families, she felt that not all of them were smart and capable. For example, the eldest lady, Mrs. Cen, made one mistake after another in Bitao's opinion. She refused to admit her mistakes and was unwilling to accept that she could not control her daughter-in-law, nor could she gain the upper hand among her sisters-in-law. So, as the young lady said, she wanted to overturn the table and make everyone unhappy.
Bi Tao felt that if the eldest lady could stop being unwilling to be content with being the wife of a duke, her situation would not become more embarrassing and she would not be laughed at by outsiders.
Cui Lingyan changed the subject and asked, "Did the prince get up early to eat?"
Bi Tao nodded. "I have. Guan Yan has had breakfast placed in the study. The prince saw that the young lady was fast asleep, so he didn't wake her up after he got up. He also told the servants not to disturb her and told her to get some more sleep. He also said that there was no need to pay respects to the old lady every day. If you are late, just send someone to Qingdeyuan to ask for leave. The old lady is kind to the young and won't mind such things."
After hearing what Bitao said, Cui Lingyan's cheeks turned slightly red, and she felt really touched by Lu Bingzhi's thoughtfulness.
Bi Tao asked, "The old lady must have heard the rumors and is furious. Does the young lady still want to go over and pay her respects?"
Cui Lingyan nodded. "When something like this happens, how can I, as the granddaughter-in-law, not show up? Besides, there aren't many women in our Duke's Mansion. As the Crown Prince's wife, I have to go and comfort the old lady. It's not right for me to hide in my own courtyard."
Bitao felt that what her daughter said made sense, so she said nothing more.
Cui Lingyan packed up again and took Bitao to Qingdeyuan.
When she entered, He and Lu Danyan were already in the room. Perhaps because of the influence of the rumors outside, Mrs. Dou had already known about it, and the atmosphere in the room was a little solemn.
Old Madam Dou was sitting on a soft couch. When she saw Cui Lingyan come in, she waved to her to come over and sit down.
Cui Lingyan slowly walked over and sat down next to Lu Danyan. Then she heard He Shi say to the old lady, "It's not that I'm petty and suspicious of my sister-in-law, but for others, this kind of thing is just a topic of conversation after dinner. How could they take it so seriously? And you've even told people about some old stories that only we know about. Those who don't know would think that the second branch is after the first branch's things."
"I gave birth to a son for the Lu family, but I'm not the kind of fool who's blinded by greed. Knowing that the title belongs to the eldest branch, and that Bingzhi is the daughter of Princess Shuning, I wouldn't dare to harbor any inappropriate thoughts even if I had the courage of heaven. Now that my sister-in-law is unhappy, she's blaming the second branch with all her dirty thoughts, saying that Yan is not on the side of the eldest branch but on ours. I feel really wronged. Is it true that as their aunt, I can't spend more time with the daughter-in-law of the eldest branch even though we live under the same roof? If that's the case, it would be better to separate the families now, so that my sister-in-law won't be unhappy and find fault with me, her sister-in-law, and Danyan, and even involve Princess Chun'an."
After He finished speaking, her voice was choked. After she finished speaking, she glanced at her daughter Lu Danyan. She couldn't help but shed tears because she felt sorry for her daughter.
She held her daughter's hand and said to the old lady, "It's fine for my daughter-in-law to suffer some grievances, and I'm not afraid of being criticized. But those rumors outside involve Sister Yan, saying that if we have no ulterior motives and don't want to steal Danruo's marriage, we shouldn't marry into the Dingguo Mansion. No matter which family we marry into, we can't have any connection with the Dingguo Mansion."
"Old Madam, although Sister Yan'er isn't from the eldest branch of the family, she's the legitimate daughter of the second branch and a daughter of the Duke's Mansion. Is it true that if Danruo herself isn't suitable, then Sister Yan'er, as her cousin, should stay away from her and always be inferior to her in order to satisfy my sister-in-law and Danruo?"
"What's the point of talking about adoption? It's clear that they want Yanjie'er to become a thorn in Princess Chun'an's heart. When Yanjie'er marries and becomes a sister-in-law to the princess, who knows how much torture she will have to endure from her. The sister-in-law is so cruel. After all, she raised Yanjie'er under her care. How could she have the heart to..."
He's tears were streaming down her face and she was unable to continue speaking. She was so excited that her shoulders were shaking slightly and her hand holding the handkerchief was clenched tightly.
Cui Lingyan sat there, listening to what He said, feeling secretly moved in her heart. Just from these heartfelt words, it was clear that He was much more capable than Cen.
After saying this, she felt angry in her heart. She felt that Cen and Lu Danruo were too bullying. They wanted all the benefits to be theirs, and if others got even a little bit of benefit, they would think that they were stealing their good things.
He sobbed for a long time before she finally stopped crying. The old lady glanced at Lu Danyan and ordered, "Take your mother to the side room to wash her face. It's not fair to cry like this."
Lu Danyan replied yes, stood up, and helped He out of the door and into the side room.
After the two men left, Madam Dou placed the teacup on the table. Seeing Cui Lingyan sitting below, her expression softened a bit and she asked, "Since you got up late today, there's no need to come and pay your respects. As your elder, I'd love for you to spend more time with Bingzhi."
Cui Lingyan was thin-skinned, but she had heard such words a lot after getting married, so although she felt a little embarrassed when she heard the old lady say this, her cheeks did not turn red as they did before.
Moreover, she knew that Madam Dou said this to ease the atmosphere. He's crying had touched Madam Dou's heart, and thinking about the rumors outside, she was probably even more upset.
"Grandmother, of course, knows that Grandmother is kind and loving. She wouldn't blame me even if I didn't come to pay my respects. But I've heard all the rumors outside and want to come and keep Grandmother company. Even if I can't help in any way, I can still comfort her. I don't feel at ease asking Grandmother to hide in her own yard."
Cui Lingyan sincerely thought so. Ever since she married Lu Bing, Old Madam Dou had treated her with great kindness. It could even be said that even before she married into the Duke of Wei's mansion, Old Madam Dou had already been protecting her. She was deeply grateful. For an old lady who had lived and experienced so much, the rumors might seem like a minor matter, not worth taking seriously. But she still wanted to come and keep the old lady company, to offer her some comfort.
Her eyes were clear and sincere, and her thoughts were written on her face. Seeing her expression, Old Lady Dou felt a warm feeling in her heart and said, "Cen has been here for so many years, but she's still not as sensible as a junior like you. What good has she done by causing all this trouble, other than making outsiders laugh at our Duke of Wei's Mansion? She was even foolish enough to involve Princess Chun'an and bring the adoption matter up in the open! I wonder if she's insulting the princess or Duke Ding!"
Cui Lingyan didn't know what to say. Madam Dou looked at her and asked, "Yan girl, how should we respond to those rumors out there?"
Cui Lingyan was stunned for a moment, thinking that the old lady should discuss this matter with He. After all, Cen was her mother-in-law, and if she, as a daughter-in-law, got involved, she would only be gossiped about.
However, since the old lady had asked, she thought for a moment and then expressed her thoughts. "If it's my granddaughter-in-law, just let outsiders talk about it. It'll just be a topic of conversation after dinner, and no one will talk about it again in ten days or so. The more you dwell on this kind of thing, the more outsiders will scrutinize it. In fact, whether it's a noble family, the royal family, or even an ordinary family, every family has these kinds of problems. If you have to explain every word and respond to every matter, it will only make you feel controlled."
"My granddaughter-in-law heard that Princess Chun'an has been living in Huang'en Temple for half a year these past few years, with Duke Dingguo accompanying her. The discord between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law has become known to everyone in the capital. If the princess cared about those rumors, she probably wouldn't be so self-indulgent."
When Mrs. Dou heard her words, she couldn't help laughing.
"You are more patient than your aunt. Look at the way your aunt just cried. She was asking me, her mother-in-law, to make the decision for her. She also didn't want me to send anyone to pick up Cen and Danruo."
Cui Lingyan glanced towards the wing room and said, "Aunt is also worried about affecting Sister Yan's marriage and that people will point fingers at her."
As they were talking, Lu Danyan walked in with He.
He's eyes were red, but she had now returned to her usual calmness. When she saw the old lady, she still felt a little uncomfortable after losing her composure.
But Cui Lingyan understood that He had her own calculations behind her behavior. Her crying was partly acting, partly real, and partly a need to express her grievances.
He told the old lady and the maids serving in the house, as well as everyone in the mansion, that the second branch had not done anything wrong to her cousin Lu Danruo in the marriage between Lu Danyan and Pei An, and had not done anything wrong at all.
This time, it was the sister-in-law Cen who disregarded the dignity of each other and the reputation of the Duke's Mansion and spread these rumors.
This attitude was the same as what Lu Danyan had said to her before. She did not feel any guilt at all. Even if it caused a rift between her and her cousin Lu Danruo, she just felt that it would be difficult for them to get along in the future, rather than having to bear the bad reputation of having snatched away her cousin's marriage.
Cui Lingyan felt that He and Lu Danyan were indeed mother and daughter, and were extremely similar in both temperament and methods.
Just as Cui Lingyan guessed, after sitting down, He wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said to Madam Dou, "Mother, there are so many rumors outside. If my sister-in-law continues to live in the Cen family, people will talk about it and add to the speculation. Otherwise, we can send someone to bring my sister-in-law and Danruo back. However, the matter has become so serious that sending servants will only make people think too much and confirm the rumors. If the Duke is free, why not bring my sister-in-law back in person? That way, my sister-in-law will feel less wronged."
After she said this, the room fell silent. Madam Dou looked at her for a moment before saying, "Don't pay attention to the rumors out there. If Cen wishes to stay at her parents' house, then let her do so."
He was stunned for a moment. The look Old Lady Dou had given her made her heart sink, as if she had seen through everything she was thinking. Her sobbing today was genuine, both out of grievance and a show. She knew in her heart that at least 70% of it was for the people in the mansion to see, to make them think that her sister-in-law, Cen, was being unreasonable and throwing dirty water on the Second House.
Cen couldn't get along with her, nor with Cui Lingyan. It couldn't be their fault, and Cen and Lu Danruo were completely blameless.
She guessed that Cui Lingyan would come today. The old lady valued the prince Lu Bingzhi the most. This matter involved Cui Lingyan. The old lady valued Cui Lingyan because of her love for her. Naturally, she would not give Cen this way out.
Hearing the old lady say this, she felt relieved. She wondered what her eldest sister-in-law was thinking and how embarrassed she must be, considering she was watching the Duke's Mansion from the Cen family while not even sending a servant.
By then, Cen will realize how stupid his move was. He has shot himself in the foot and not only failed to regain his face, but also made himself a laughing stock.
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