Chapter 170 Returning to the Position I accidentally heard Bingzhi and Chunan talking, Bingzhi...
The incident at the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion caused a huge uproar and spread throughout the capital in just half a day.
Ningshou Marquis Mansion
Upon hearing this news, Madam Zhai's expression changed several times. She put down her teacup and looked at her eldest daughter-in-law, Qi, who was sitting below her. She said, "I wonder who Yan inherited this personality from. She could have used this injustice to manipulate Cen and Lu Danruo, and even earned a reputation for being magnanimous and kind. But why is she so stubborn and unforgiving, sending her own sister-in-law to the ancestral temple? She's young after all, and she only follows her own impulses without any consideration."
Qi was also surprised. Ever since she used Qiu Zhi to plot against Cui Lingyan last time, her daughter had become increasingly alienated from her. Now, after hearing all this, she didn't know what to say. No matter what she, as a mother, thought, Yan would never listen to a word she said. Instead, she treated her like a bad person.
So after hearing what Old Lady Zhai said, Qi could only helplessly say, "She's already married. We, her family, are afraid Yan won't listen even if we want to give her some advice. So, let's just let her be."
Old Madam Zhai also knew that her granddaughter was not close to her natal family, so she just sighed softly and said nothing else.
Palace
Concubine Shu's face turned grim as she slammed the teacup in her hand to the ground. "Useless thing, you can't even handle such a small matter. If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have chosen Lu Danruo. If I had tried to get Cen to do it, Cui and the child in her belly might have been killed by now!"
After Shupin finished speaking, she added with a hint of displeasure, "Cui is truly lucky. She's only been married to Lu Bingzhi for so long, yet she's already pregnant so soon. Not to mention Lu Bingzhi was previously poisoned. God truly favors this couple."
Seeing her madam so enraged, the nanny beside her hurriedly soothed her, "Madam, calm down. After all, we've only used Second Miss Lu this time, leaving no evidence. Even if the Duke of Wei investigates or suspects us, we have no evidence. Cui may have escaped, but sending her sister-in-law to the ancestral temple doesn't necessarily bring her a good reputation. Even if Madam Dou favors her granddaughter-in-law now, she'll eventually regret it, and won't be able to vent her anger on Cui. Not to mention, Cen only has Lu Danruo as her daughter. After this incident, there's no room for reconciliation between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. Living under the same roof, they see each other every day. As the mother-in-law, Cen will always find a way to make Cui unhappy. Don't you agree?"
After listening to the nanny's words, although Shupin still felt aggrieved and thought that Lu Danruo was too stupid to handle such a small matter, she also knew that this was the only way to think about it.
She took a sip of the teacup in her hand and said, "Forget it, don't make any moves for now. I don't believe that God will always be kind to Cui. Maybe when she's about to give birth, there will be two deaths. Then I won't need to send anyone to harm her."
She changed the subject and instructed the nanny, "By the way, send a nanny who's proficient in pharmacology to Cui Linghui. Didn't they say she's pregnant? With her condition, I'm afraid the child she'll give birth to won't be healthy, which would bring shame to Ze'er. Tell the nanny to take good care of her, and have the imperial physician prescribe some nourishing soups and medicines. I want the child to be healthy in her womb."
A few days ago, Cui Linghui was diagnosed with pregnancy. Although Shupin was happy, she thought of the fact that Cui Linghui had fallen into the water and caught a cold. Thinking that she got pregnant so quickly, it was obvious that she had used a lot of fertility-aiding medicines. Shupin's happiness was mixed with some worries, fearing that the child would be unhealthy and sickly.
She had been in the palace for so many years and had heard a lot about what happened in the harem. During the previous emperor's reign, a concubine gave birth to a deformed prince, who was hated by the previous emperor. The child died within a month, and the mother's future was also ruined by the previous emperor.
"Tell someone to take good care of her. When Ze'er comes to the palace next time, I'll tell him to visit Zheng's room more often. After all, the legitimate son is the most important. Cui is pregnant and inconvenient, so tell him to be more respectful to Zheng. This will also prevent rumors of marital discord between them, which will also cause complaints from the Kangshou Marquis's Mansion."
......
After Lu Danruo was sent to the ancestral temple, Cen fell seriously ill and spent her days in the Mudan Courtyard, only visiting Qingde Courtyard to pay respects to Old Madam Dou on the first and fifteenth day of each month. In just a month, her presence in the mansion had faded. Even on the day of Lu Danyan and Pei An's wedding, Cen, the eldest aunt, didn't even bother to send a gift of dowry for the sake of appearances.
With Lu Danruo being sent to the ancestral temple, Lu Danyan getting married, and Cen no longer taking care of household affairs, the mansion suddenly became quiet.
Cui Lingyan's belly grew bigger day by day. One day, Lu Bingzhi told Cui Lingyan that he wanted to stay in Huang'en Temple for a few days to pray for the late Princess Shuning.
"If you are not feeling well, please stay in the mansion."
Cui Lingyan nodded, but she had some guesses in her mind. The anniversary of the late queen's death would be in a few days. She didn't ask any more questions, but just held his hand tightly and said, "Well, I will take good care of myself and the child."
As she spoke, she instructed Birou to take the copied sutra and hand it to Lu Bingzhi: "This is a token of my appreciation. Please enshrine it in the Buddhist temple for me. I am not feeling well and cannot accompany you personally this time."
Lu Bingzhi was stunned for a moment, but quickly suppressed the emotions in his eyes, hugged the person in his arms and nodded.
The next morning, just as the sky was getting light, Lu Bingzhi left the house.
Cui Lingyan also got up early, feeling a little uneasy, because she knew that the anniversary of the late queen's death would be in a few days. Judging from Lu Bingzhi's personality, he would not go to Huang'en Temple simply to chant scriptures and pray for blessings. She felt a little nervous and uneasy.
Birou had been serving her for so many days, and seeing that she was a little uneasy, she comforted her, "The prince will be back soon. If the young lady feels bored, I will read you a storybook to cheer you up."
Cui Lingyan smiled slightly and heard Birou's joke, but she didn't say anything and just nodded in agreement.
Lu Bingzhi had been gone for a few days, and Cui Lingyan wasn't used to it. It was fine during the day, but at night, with no one around, she felt a bit lonely. She suddenly realized how much she couldn't leave Lu Bingzhi. He'd only been gone a few days, and she missed him so much, longing for his return.
Early that morning, just as the sky was getting light, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside. Birou pushed the door open and woke Cui Lingyan up: "Young Madam, wake up quickly! The old lady sent her maid over and said that she wants you to go to Qingde Courtyard."
Cui Lingyan's heart skipped a beat, and she felt that something had happened. Old Madam Dou was the one who sympathized with her the most, and she was pregnant now. If it wasn't something important, Old Madam Dou would not have asked her to go to Qingdeyuan so early.
"It's snowing outside, and the young lady is not feeling well. The old lady has ordered her to take a sedan chair."
Cui Lingyan nodded, ate two pieces of dim sum, supported Birou's arm, walked out of the yard, and took a sedan chair to Qingdeyuan.
When she entered the room, she immediately saw Old Madam Dou sitting on the couch with a serious expression on her face.
The atmosphere in the room was a little strange. All the maids and old women were sent out by Old Madam Dou, leaving only Nanny Sun in the room to serve.
Old Madam Dou was lost in thought, not knowing what she was thinking about. She only came to her senses when Cui Lingyan bowed and greeted her. She hurriedly asked Cui Lingyan to sit down in front of her.
Madam Dou looked at Cui Lingyan for a moment before she spoke, "A few days ago, on the anniversary of the late Empress's death, Princess Chun'an went to Huang'en Temple to pay respects to the Buddha. Bingzhi also went there. Coincidentally, the Emperor was incognito that day and overheard Bingzhi and Chun'an talking. Bingzhi addressed Chun'an as 'Imperial Sister.'"
Even though Cui Lingyan had had that dream and knew Lu Bingzhi's life experience, she still opened her eyes wide in surprise when she heard what Old Lady Dou said.
Madam Dou continued, "Yan girl, Bingzhi is not Princess Shuning's biological son, but the late Empress's son. Back then, the late Empress fell out of favor, Imperial Concubine Shu gained power, and the Emperor and Empress were alienated. The late Empress was worried about keeping the child in the palace, so she asked Princess Shuning to raise the child under the Princess' name. The Princess had a miscarriage and could no longer conceive. Her will stated that once Bingzhi was recognized as a legitimate child, Cong'an would register him under her name. The Emperor has carefully investigated everything and summoned your father-in-law to the palace to report the events of that year. Bingzhi still has the same birthmark as the Emperor. This morning, according to ancestral rules, the Emperor recognized Bingzhi as a Crown Prince and made him the Crown Prince."
Seeing Cui Lingyan standing there in a daze, not saying a word for a long time, Madam Dou took her hand and continued, "Your father-in-law and the eldest princess kept it a secret. This is about the crown prince, and even I, as a mother, was kept in the dark. It was only yesterday when the emperor summoned your father-in-law to the palace that he told me all this. I couldn't easily tell you this while you were pregnant, and I was also afraid that your worries would harm the child in your belly. This morning, the emperor recognized Bingzhi and made him the crown prince. Only after the news came out did I think I had to tell you this."
Cui Lingyan knew Lu Bingzhi's life experience, but now that Lu Bingzhi had become the crown prince, she had an indescribable feeling in her heart. She was happy for him, but she also felt that he had suddenly become distant from her.
Even though he'd only been gone a few days, and she knew he wasn't as heartless as the current emperor, she still felt a sudden distance between them. It was like knowing something was going to happen was one thing, but when it actually happened, the feeling and the impact were different.
Under Madam Dou's gaze, Cui Lingyan said, "My grandson's wife will certainly be more cautious and won't cause any trouble for the Crown Prince or His Highness."
Madam Dou was very pleased to hear her say this, but there was also a hint of worry in her eyes.
It would be a lie to say that this incident did not hit her hard. It turned out that her most beloved grandson was not of the Lu family bloodline, but the son of the late queen. Old Madam Dou was shocked and felt uncomfortable and reluctant, but she also hoped that the child would have a good future and could sit in that position smoothly.
Because of this child, the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion was also involved in the fight for the throne. It is not known whether it is fortunate or unfortunate, but since things have happened, the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion is Bingzhi's greatest helper. They must protect the child well and help him ascend to the throne. Otherwise, not only Bingzhi, but also the entire Duke of Weiguo's Mansion will not have a good ending.
She was worried that Cui would suddenly become the Crown Princess from being the Crown Prince's wife. She didn't know how many people would be watching her, so how could she not feel pressured?
Madam Dou patted Cui Lingyan's hand and soothed her, "Don't be afraid. The Emperor once let down the late Empress, and he feels guilty about it. It was because of this guilt that he quickly appointed Bingzhi as the Crown Prince. This is a good thing. Now that you're pregnant, this is also a good thing."
Listening to Madam Dou's words of comfort and reassurance, Cui Lingyan nodded and suppressed the uneasiness in her heart.
.......
After the morning court session, news that Lu Bingzhi, the late empress's son, had been recognized as the crown prince and accepted into the imperial family quickly spread throughout the capital, causing a huge sensation. No one could have imagined Lu Bingzhi's true identity. Furthermore, considering the emperor's years of favoritism and favoritism towards Lu Bingzhi, even to the point where Second Prince Xiao Ze, jealous and resentful, had Lu Bingzhi poisoned at a banquet, Lu Bingzhi's recognition as the late empress's son quickly spread throughout the capital, causing a huge stir. Looking back on these past events, it's hard not to conclude that the emperor's special fondness for Lu Bingzhi stemmed from a blood relationship, as well as from his guilt and longing for the late empress.
Knowing that Lu Bingzhi was the son born to him by the late queen, she wanted to give all the good things to him. This desire for compensation was truly shocking.
Amidst this huge commotion, even the air in the capital city had a different feel.
In the palace, with Lu Bingzhi taking over the East Palace, the rhythm of both the front court and the harem seemed to be suddenly disrupted.
Shupin's face was pale, and she was shaking as she held her son Xiao Ze's hand, almost fainting.
"How is this possible? I don't believe it. I don't believe it. The late queen did indeed suffer a massive hemorrhage during childbirth, resulting in two deaths. From afar, I saw the child's body covered in bruises. He died shortly after birth. How could he still be alive and well, being raised by Princess Shuning?"
"You're lying! How could he be the Emperor's biological son? It's obvious that the Duke of Wei has ulterior motives and wants to confuse the royal bloodline! How could the Emperor believe it and even make him the Crown Prince and let him rule the Eastern Palace? That position should clearly belong to you, Ze'er!"
"If he becomes the crown prince and takes that position in the future, how could he spare us, mother and son?"
Shupin's voice trembled, and she fell to the ground, her eyes filled with fear.
Xiao Ze took a deep breath and looked at Concubine Shu and said, "We can't touch him now, but isn't Cui still living in the Duke of Wei's Mansion? Cui is pregnant. Mother, tell me, if Lu Bingzhi suddenly becomes the Crown Prince, what will Cui think? Will she be frightened? Isn't it said that she grew up in the Qi family and didn't learn much about the things that a lady of a noble family should learn. How can she be worthy of the status of the Crown Princess? If Cui's fear and anxiety cause her to have a miscarriage and two lives, I think Lu Bingzhi will lose half his life too!"
Shupin understood the deep meaning of her son's words. Her shoulders trembled, her face turned paler, she closed her eyes and opened them again, then she stood up, went into the inner room, took out an exquisite purse, and handed it to Xiao Ze.
"This Baizhuxiang comes from the Western Regions. It can bewitch the mind and cause restless sleep and nightmares. Lu Bingzhi has just entered the Eastern Palace and should have a lot of things to do. The decree for Cui to be canonized as the Crown Princess will definitely not come down so soon, so we should take this opportunity to make Cui feel uneasy and doubt whether she is worthy of being the Crown Princess. Will she be forced to demote her wife to a concubine and give the position of Crown Princess to someone else? Even if she doesn't worry about these things and feels that she will definitely be canonized as the Crown Princess, doesn't she know that if Lu Bingzhi was just the Prince of Weiguo, he wouldn't have taken concubines, but now that he has become the Crown Prince and entered the Eastern Palace, his backyard is destined to be more than just Cui, and he will have to take concubines."
"I wonder how many people are thinking of giving their daughters to the Crown Prince as concubines or as imperial concubines. It's said that Cui is jealous and intolerant. If she hears all this and is disturbed by Baizhuxiang, what will happen?"
Xiao Ze tightly grasped the purse in his hand and looked through the window towards the East Palace, with coldness and ruthlessness in his eyes.
Concubine Shu thought for a long time and reminded Xiao Ze, "No one can easily see Cui these days, but the Ningshou Marquis' Mansion was originally estranged from Cui. Now they will definitely go to accompany Cui even if it means sacrificing their reputation to ease the relationship. You should find a way to use the Baizhuxiang in this purse on Qi. If Qi goes to the Weiguo Duke's Mansion to accompany Cui Lingyan, it will definitely affect Cui Lingyan."
"Isn't it said that Lu Bingzhi values Cui Lingyan the most as his wife? He has snatched the crown prince position from you, Ze'er. Then, mother and son will make him lose his beloved and create a rift between him and his wife."
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