Chapter 29: Unwillingness may not necessarily lead to jealousy and resentment from others, such as Cui...
Bilanyuan
After hearing Daimao's words, Cui Lingyin subconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand. After calming her thoughts a little, her eyes reddened and she said with a hint of regret and uneasiness, "Sister Daimao, I really didn't mean it. I just happened to overhear my aunt and cousin talking. Since it concerns our mansion, I happened to go to mother's place and told her about it. I'm just a concubine's daughter. How could I have the guts to plot against anyone?"
"Now that this matter has spread throughout the mansion, I am also feeling uneasy. Even if Grandmother doesn't punish me, I will personally go to you to apologize and accept the punishment. So, Grandmother, I am willing to accept this punishment."
As Cui Lingyin spoke, she went to the screen and knelt down in front of a room full of maids and servants.
Daimao was stunned for a moment, a hint of surprise in her eyes. She said, "It's great that the Second Young Lady thinks this way. The Old Lady was only angry in the moment, and punishing the young lady to kneel for an hour was for her own good. In reality, the Old Lady knew very well that this matter was the fault of the Madam and the Cousin from beginning to end. However, they were guests after all, and even if the Old Lady was dissatisfied, she couldn't show it to the Madam and the Cousin."
Cui Lingyin nodded and whispered, "I know. I'd also like to ask Sister Daimao to apologize to Grandmother for me when we get back. I'm sorry for causing this incident out of carelessness and causing Grandmother so much worry. If Grandmother gets sick from being angry, it will be my fault as her granddaughter."
Cui Lingyin's words were very sincere, and Daimao couldn't help but think highly of her. Her adaptability really surprised even a maid like her. If the eldest daughter Cui Linghui could also have such a character, she might not have fallen out with the Weiguo Mansion, and the marriage would not have fallen on the third daughter.
However, their identities are different. The second girl is born out of wedlock, while the eldest girl is born out of wedlock. She also has the support of the Duke of Zhenguo's family, so it is not easy to compare the two girls.
Thinking of this, Daimao said a few more polite words and then took his leave and left.
Only after she left did the atmosphere in the room suddenly become solemn.
The head maid Cai Ling also had an ugly look on her face, and signaled all the maids and servants serving in the room to leave.
The maids and old women did not dare to stay in the room to watch their daughter lose face, and they filed out.
Only Cui Lingyin and Cai Ling were left in the room.
Cai Ling's eyes were red, and she complained with a hint of dissatisfaction and heartache, "The old lady is really confused. How can she blame this on the young lady? Those nonsense were said by my aunt and cousin, and it was our lady who sent people to spread this matter, making it known to everyone in the mansion. Even if the old lady was angry, how could she only vent her anger on the young lady and punish her?"
Cui Lingyin listened to her words and smiled bitterly, saying with a hint of self-mockery, "Why punish me alone? Of course, it's because punishing me, the illegitimate granddaughter, won't cause any trouble. That's right, my aunt and cousin are guests, and grandma has no control over them. Mother, your daughter-in-law, has always been favored by grandma, and considering my eldest brother's reputation, how could grandma lose face with her? Even with my eldest aunt, my third sister has a share of face. My third sister's marriage to the Duke of Wei is imminent, and grandma is even more unlikely to let my eldest aunt lose face."
"After all this picking and choosing, isn't it just your daughter, your illegitimate granddaughter, who's left to vent your anger on? Cai Ling, it's such a simple truth, can't you understand it?"
Hearing her daughter say this, Cai Ling was stunned for a moment, and said with some resentment, "But the daughter is also registered under Madam's name, and the old lady has been kind to the daughter over the years. She would prepare a portion of whatever the eldest daughter has. Why is she suddenly so harsh on the daughter?"
Cai Ling couldn't understand it. Although the girl was born out of wedlock, she had lived a respectable life over the years. She was not like some illegitimate daughters of wealthy families in the capital, who lived a life worse than the maid in their mother's room.
Cui Lingyin sighed and began, "In the past, my eldest sister's marriage went smoothly, and Grandmother was happy. There were no worries in the mansion, and the family was naturally harmonious. Now that my eldest sister has called off the engagement and returned to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, relatives from the Qi family have arrived, and the marriage has fallen to Third Sister. With so many people involved, there are naturally many concerns. For example, when I heard those words today, wasn't I also calculating? I told Mother about them. Didn't I know that Mother had always wanted to compete with my eldest aunt? It was just out of selfish motives. She resented that my eldest sister had rejected the marriage, and that Third Sister, who had just returned home, had been offered it instead. Because I was born out of wedlock, I didn't even have a chance to compete. That's why I wanted to embarrass my eldest aunt and, by extension, Third Sister. So, even though I knew Mother would spread the news, I told her anyway. Now that I've received this punishment, I can't say I'm innocent. If I feel any resentment, it's simply because my status isn't high enough to warrant Grandmother's scruples."
Cai Ling felt more and more upset when she heard what her girl said, and she felt sorry for her girl.
The young lady was right, but the old lady was clearly picking on the weak. This matter could have been a big deal or a small one. After punishing those gossipy maids and driving the whole family out, no one in the mansion dared to mention it anymore. The old lady could have pretended nothing had happened, but she punished the young lady. The young lady didn't complain, but she felt sorry for her.
This is clearly bullying?
The news of the young lady's punishment would surely spread throughout the entire mansion tomorrow. Even if the servants felt bad for her, they wouldn't dare show it in front of her. But wouldn't the Third Young Lady look down on her illegitimate cousin from now on?
Moreover, after the old lady's punishment, the third lady must have known that the rumors came from her, and she would definitely vent her anger on her. If she becomes the prince's wife in the future, would she create obstacles for her and make her lose face?
Cai Ling was worried and couldn't help but say, "Miss, if the old lady punishes you, everyone in the mansion who knows what's going on will know what's going on. This will clearly ruin your reputation. Moreover, if the first lady and the third lady hold a grudge against you because of this, how will you cope with it in the future?"
If she had known this would happen, she should have advised the girl not to meddle in other people's affairs, and to just pretend not to hear what her aunt and cousin said in private.
It would never be like it is now. Not only did I not end up with anything good, but I got myself into trouble and will even be hated by others in the future.
Cui Lingyin naturally thought of what Cai Ling could think of. She frowned and thought deeply for a long time before she spoke out, "If it weren't for Grandmother's concerns about Third Sister's marriage to Master Lu, this punishment wouldn't have fallen on me. Given Grandmother's usual temper, she would have been more likely to punish my eldest aunt. After all, it was my eldest aunt's family who were so careless and arbitrary in making up stories. I didn't take Third Sister's return home seriously before, thinking that she wouldn't be loved by my eldest aunt, and even if she did return, she wouldn't be able to surpass me, her half-sister. Now it seems that I was wrong. Third Sister is the legitimate daughter, and now with this marriage, she will have to suppress me in everything. Of the three cousins, I am the only one who can be manipulated."
"What do you think if we think of a way to ruin our third sister's reputation?" Cui Lingyin suddenly asked.
Cai Ling's face changed when she heard what her daughter said. She said with some disbelief, "Miss, be careful with your words!"
She lowered her voice and said, "Young lady, please don't think about this. Not to mention how difficult it is to do, even if you succeed, if someone suspects you, will you be able to escape unharmed?"
"Miss, don't forget. The eldest girl accidentally fell into the water and then caught a cold, so this marriage fell on the third girl. The Queen Mother and Old Madam Dou saw all this. Don't they understand at all? The eldest girl has offended the Queen Mother and the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion. Now that she hasn't gotten angry, she has given the mansion dignity by letting the third sister marry. This is just for the sake of the Crown Prince's reputation and the mutual respect of the Duke's Mansion and the Marquis' Mansion. We don't want this marriage to be troubled anymore."
"At this juncture, the girl is thinking about ruining the third girl's reputation. Even if she succeeds, unless the girl is never found guilty, she will not end up well. Don't you agree?"
Cai Ling wasn't usually the talkative type, even a bit tongue-tied, always deferring to her master, Cui Lingyin. But Cui Lingyin's bold idea had Cai Ling panicking, fearing she might cause a major incident. She might survive and be sent to a nunnery to suffer, but she, a personal servant, would surely be beaten to death by the old lady's orders.
Cai Ling felt that although her service to the second young lady was not as respectable as that of the maidservants serving the eldest young lady, it was still something that those outsiders envied and jealous of. She was very content and did not want the second young lady to take risks because of her resentment and jealousy, and thus sacrifice her maidservant.
Cui Lingyin lowered her head in thought. She was not moved by Cai Ling's kind words of advice. Instead, she felt a little annoyed.
Didn't she know why Cai Ling said this? Now even this maid looked down on her and no longer put her first in everything.
For a moment, the room was extremely quiet. After a while, Cui Lingyin finally said, "I know the seriousness of the matter. I was just saying it casually. How could I really do anything?"
After hearing her say this, Cai Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief.
......
The next morning, Cui Lingyan had just woken up when she heard Bitao telling her that Cui Lingyin was punished by the old lady to kneel for an hour last night.
She frowned slightly: "Second sister is just a concubine's daughter, how could she have the courage to spread those words and let everyone know?"
"Most likely, Second Aunt wanted to use this incident to embarrass Mother, so she spread these rumors."
"But my second sister isn't innocent either. I'm afraid if I get married, she'll hate me like crazy."
As Cui Lingyan spoke, she unconsciously recalled the dream in which Cui Linghui had schemed against her, ruining her reputation. She felt a surge of caution. While Cui Linghui might not scheme against her anymore, her marriage might still spark jealousy and resentment in others, like Cui Lingyin.
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