Chapter 17: Taboo Bingzhi: Shouldn’t this marriage continue?
The carriage headed towards the Ningshou Marquis Mansion.
When Mrs. Zhai heard that Cui Linghui and the others had returned home, a smile appeared on her face. However, when she heard from the nanny who brought the news that Mu Zhen, the cousin of the Duke of Zhenguo, had also come to the mansion, and that the girls all looked a little unhappy, the smile fell on her face.
Qi and Bian happened to be in Xilan Courtyard. Seeing their mother-in-law's expression, they couldn't help but feel a little nervous and their eyes unconsciously looked towards the door.
After a while, Cui Linghui and the others arrived at Xilan Courtyard. When they walked in slowly from outside, they saw Cui Linghui's pale face and their expressions changed.
Madam Zhai was the first to ask, "What happened? She was fine before entering the palace."
When Cui Linghui was asked this by the old lady, his face turned even paler and he couldn't help but shed tears.
Madam Zhai's expression inevitably darkened as she looked at Cui Lingyan who was following behind Cui Linghui.
"Yan girl, tell me, what happened?"
Cui Lingyan subconsciously glanced at Cui Linghui, then explained, "Big sister had unbearable abdominal pain today, so she called the imperial physician. The imperial physician said that Big sister had a cold. Perhaps, perhaps it was because of the accidental fall into the water before."
As soon as Cui Lingyan finished speaking, the room suddenly became solemn.
Madam Zhai swayed, unable to hold back her scolding, "Why did you alarm the imperial physician? If you were feeling unwell, you could just file a complaint and leave the palace. Now that you've alarmed the imperial physician, I wonder what the Empress Dowager will think."
If a girl has a cold, she must not be able to get pregnant. Lu Bingzhi is in that situation now, so it is even more impossible for the Empress Dowager to let Lu Bingzhi marry a woman who is not suitable for getting pregnant.
Madam Zhai's face turned pale and her eyes fell on Cui Linghui.
Perhaps because her eyes held a rare reproach, Cui Linghui trembled and his face turned even paler.
She was the most beloved by Old Lady Zhai, and she was the future wife of the Crown Prince of Weiguo. Even the Queen Mother was very kind to her. She was unique in the Ningshou Marquis's residence. She had never been treated with such a questioning attitude by her elders, and how could she bear it?
What's more, with his cousin Mu Zhen around, Cui Linghui felt even more embarrassed.
Seeing this, Mu Zhen couldn't help but sigh inwardly. She mustered up the courage to say to Madam Zhai, "Madam, my cousin is feeling unwell. Zhen'er, please accompany her back to Yingyue Courtyard first."
Mu Zhen was the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, so when she spoke like this, Old Lady Zhai had to give her some face. Moreover, Old Lady Zhai had loved Cui Linghui for many years. Seeing her pale face and anxious eyes, she suppressed her anger and nodded, saying, "Well, you can accompany your cousin back."
After saying this, Madam Zhai directed her instructions to the eldest Madam, Madam Qi, who was sitting below her: "Tell the kitchen to prepare a bowl of brown sugar ginger tea and send it to Yingyue Courtyard. Also, make a bowl of tranquilizing soup for Miss Hui to calm her nerves."
Qi nodded in agreement, unable to tell whether she felt more happy or disappointed. Ever since she became a stepmother, she had always had to flatter her stepdaughter, Cui Linghui. Although Cui Linghui showed respect for her, she didn't realize that her stepdaughter actually looked down on her.
Although she thought that Cui Linghui would be able to help her younger brother Cui Shenbo after becoming the wife of the Prince of Weiguo, she felt a little relieved when she saw Cui Linghui in such an embarrassed state.
Mu Zhen accompanied Cui Linghui out of the house, and everyone's eyes fell on Cui Lingyan.
Madam Zhai asked, "Tell me in detail what happened today. Why did your sister suddenly have a stomachache? Also, besides sending the imperial physician to take her pulse, did the empress dowager have any other instructions? Has this matter spread widely and all the ladies in the palace know about it?"
The series of questions was enough to show how anxious Madam Zhai was at the moment. Qi and Bian's eyes also fell on Cui Lingyan.
Cui Lingyan replied cautiously, "When I entered the palace today, my elder sister and I first went to the Cining Palace to pay our respects to the Empress Dowager. Afterwards, we went to the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers. While we were there, the Prince of Weiguo arrived and spoke with the Empress Dowager for a while. The Empress Dowager then sent him off to pay his respects to the Emperor. Afterward, everyone left to admire the flowers. Miss Mu seemed to have something to say to my elder sister, so she left. I took Bitao somewhere else, and when we returned, I heard something had happened to my elder sister, and it was even reported to the Imperial Physician."
Cui Lingyan thought for a moment and continued, "The Empress Dowager said that my eldest sister should stay in the palace for a while longer and leave before the palace keys fall. However, we felt that something was not right and were afraid of attracting criticism, so we left the palace first."
Cui Lingyan explained the situation in detail. Old Madam Zhai frowned and asked first, "What did you think of Master Lu's attitude towards your elder sister?"
Old Madam Zhai had lived to such an old age and was well versed in the ways of the world. She felt that unless Mu Zhen had some other reason, she would not have ignored Cui Lingyan, the third daughter of the Marquis's Mansion, and talked to her cousin Cui Linghui alone.
Could it be that Master Lu treated Hui Yatou badly, causing Hui Yatou to lose face? That's when Mu Zhen thought of comforting Hui Yatou a little.
As Mrs. Zhai pondered in her heart, her expression became increasingly grim.
Cui Lingyan hesitated for a moment and said tactfully, "With the Empress Dowager here, and the Crown Prince being the most respectful of rules, he will not get too close to Big Sister."
It's just that he is not close and has a cold attitude, which is seen as distant and indifferent by others.
When Mrs. Zhai heard her say this, she understood a little bit.
She sighed heavily and said, "It seems that because of Hui girl's fall into the water and the attitude of ignoring the prince, the prince has a grudge against her."
"Indeed, with the status of the Crown Prince, even if he was poisoned, he would not tolerate others' neglect. Now that Hui girl has caught a cold again and alarmed the Empress Dowager, I don't know if this marriage can go ahead."
Madam Zhai's expression was extremely solemn.
Mrs. Qi remained silent, so Mrs. Bian, the second wife, spoke to comfort her, saying, "Miss Hui is just not fully recovered from her last drowning. It's not that serious. Besides, it's normal for a girl to have abdominal pain during her period. How can you conclude that she won't be able to get pregnant in the future?"
"As long as you take good care of yourself, can you still recover?"
Madam Zhai closed her eyes and said with some uneasiness, "I'm afraid the Queen Mother has some reservations about this."
The marriage between Cui Linghui and Lu Bingzhi was originally a marriage of high status for the Ningshou Marquisate. Now that he is ill, it is not good for his offspring. Add to that the previous incident of falling into the water, the empress dowager is afraid that she will be very unhappy with Cui Linghui, the future granddaughter-in-law.
Madam Zhai had a lot of thoughts in her mind and was having a real headache.
At this moment, Bian suddenly asked in surprise, "Yan girl, where did you get this bracelet on your wrist?"
Bian asked this question abruptly. Madam Zhai initially wondered why this second son's wife, whom she had always liked, was so ignorant that she still cared about what jewelry Cui Lingyan was wearing at such a late hour.
As she thought of this, her gaze unconsciously turned to Cui Lingyan's wrist.
Upon seeing this, Madam Zhai was stunned.
This is a purple jadeite bracelet. Even though Old Lady Zhai is used to seeing fine things, she was still a little surprised. She knew that this jade bracelet must be quite valuable. How could Cui Lingyan, the third daughter of the Marquis' Mansion who had just returned home, have it?
Cui Lingyan explained, "Grandmother, this bracelet was a gift from the Empress Dowager. She probably gave it to her granddaughter out of respect for her eldest sister."
A hint of surprise flashed across Old Lady Zhai's eyes, and then she said to Cui Lingyan with a hint of relief, "Good, good, the fact that you received this reward shows that the Empress Dowager thinks you are a good person."
Because of this reward, Madam Zhai's expression softened a bit. She asked Cui Lingyan a few more questions and then ordered, "You should go back and rest. You must be frightened by what happened. Ask your mother to have someone prepare a bowl of calming medicine for you."
Cui Lingyan nodded to thank the old lady, bowed to Qi and Bian, and then took her leave.
Cining Palace
The imperial physician replied, "Miss Cui fell into the water earlier. Although she was treated with medicine, she still has a cold in her body. She needs more care in the future, and she should take medicine to nourish and warm her uterus. This will help alleviate the abdominal pain she will experience when her period comes."
The Queen Mother frowned and asked directly, "Will it affect future pregnancies?"
The Queen Mother asked directly. The Imperial Physician knew that Cui Linghui would be the future wife of the Duke of Wei's son, so he didn't dare to hide it. He replied, "Women are naturally weak, and a cold will naturally make them even weaker. Although there are nourishing and warming medicines, they are all toxic. If taken for a long time, they will harm the body. Even if the cold is cured, other symptoms will develop."
"If it damages your body and your foundation, maybe... maybe it will be difficult to get pregnant."
"But everyone has different physiques. Miss Cui might be a lucky one."
The imperial physician's words were flawless. He had been an imperial physician for many years and knew best how to respond.
The Queen Mother took a sip of tea and waved her hand for him to leave.
After the imperial physician left, the empress dowager pondered for a moment before turning to Nanny Yan beside her and saying, "Do you think Bingzhi's marriage should not go ahead?"
Nanny Yan knew that the Queen Mother had long been somewhat displeased with Cui Linghui. Now that Cui Linghui had caught a cold and everyone knew about it, the Queen Mother must have felt even more annoyed.
Nanny Yan thought for a moment and said, "Since the Queen Mother has said this, I dare to reply. Seeing the Crown Prince's cold attitude towards Miss Cui, I also feel that this marriage is unnecessary. The Crown Prince has such a cold personality, he needs a woman who understands his feelings and is willing to give. Even if I have to make these sacrifices because of my status as a wife, it is still better than marrying Miss Cui. After all, how can I be willing to understand the Crown Prince if I am unwilling?"
"By then, the relationship between husband and wife will be cold, and even if the Queen Mother appoints a concubine, it will be a laughing stock. Now that there is this opportunity, why doesn't the Queen Mother cancel this marriage? The Crown Prince is of noble status. If he cancels the engagement for such a reason, will the world still blame him? Not to mention, Miss Cui has brought this upon herself. She fell into the water, and everyone knows what happened. If this marriage is canceled, Miss Cui will have gotten what she wanted."
The Queen Mother listened to this, a trace of sadness on her face. She sighed softly and said, "It's easy to cancel this marriage, but if we do, which noble lady in the capital would be willing to marry Bingzhi? I love my grandson, but the remaining poison in his body is not yet cleared, which is not good for his offspring. We are concerned about Miss Cui's cold, and others are also concerned about the remaining poison in Bingzhi's body."
"Besides, Cui Linghui's intentional fall into the water is just our speculation. She didn't explicitly say she was going to break off the marriage. If I knew she had a cold and wanted to cancel the engagement, I'm sure no one would think our royal family was cold-hearted, and it wouldn't be good for Bingzhi's current reputation either."
"Forget it, there's no need to rush this matter. Let me think about it."
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