Chapter 49: Tea Offering: You are his wife, so he will naturally be on your side.
When the sky was slightly bright, Cui Lingyan woke up from her sleep. She opened her eyes and stared at the bright red hanging curtain embroidered with double happiness, bats and gourd patterns for a while. Only then did she feel a sense of reality. She had married Lu Bingzhi and was now the wife of the prince of Weiguo Mansion.
She blinked and turned to look at the people around her.
This sight scared her. She didn't know when Lu Bingzhi woke up.
The two of them slept on the same bed last night. They originally had two brocade quilts embroidered with dragon and phoenix patterns, but now she was very close to Lu Bingzhi and seemed to be able to feel his body temperature.
Cui Lingyan's cheeks flushed slightly. She suddenly sat up and whispered to Lu Bingzhi, "I usually sleep very peacefully. Perhaps I was too tired after the wedding yesterday."
She felt a little embarrassed. She had clearly been considerate of Lu Bingzhi's illness last night and wanted to sleep on the beauty bed outside, but now she was so close to him.
With Lu Bingzhi's temper, I wonder if he feels annoyed.
She was too embarrassed to continue, she just felt her cheeks burning and her neck slightly warm.
Seeing Lu Bingzhi stand up, she said to him with some embarrassment, "Let me help you change your clothes."
As Cui Lingyan spoke, she got off the bed and picked up a red gold-woven brocade dress hanging on the rosewood clothes rack beside her.
Lu Bingzhi watched her movements and knew that she was fulfilling her duties as a wife. However, she had just gotten married and was perhaps not used to her current status, so she seemed a little unfamiliar and uneasy. When she took off her clothes, the corner of her clothes got caught on the carved scroll patterns. Seeing her standing on tiptoe, Lu Bingzhi sighed softly in his heart, walked up to stand behind her and raised his hand to take off the clothes.
The two of them were very close, Cui Lingyan's back was pressed against his chest, almost held in his arms, and she could smell the familiar scent of Canaan incense on him.
Thinking of how close she was to Lu Bingzhi on the bed just now, her heart couldn't help but beat extra violently.
Seeing him take off the clothes, she mustered up the courage to turn around, took the clothes he handed over, and thanked him.
Then she stepped forward and helped him put on his clothes. She lowered her head, her eyebrows curved, her eyelashes trembling slightly with nervousness, and her white and delicate fingers buttoned the buttons on his clothes.
As she moved, her fingertips slid gently down Lu Bingzhi's body, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became more charming.
This was the scene that Birou and Bitao saw when they heard the noise in the house and pushed the door open.
Birou was stunned at first, then a hint of joy appeared in her eyes.
She brought Bi Tao forward and greeted Lu Bingzhi and Cui Lingyan: "This servant greets the Crown Prince and the Young Madam."
Seeing the maids outside holding basins and handkerchiefs, Lu Bingzhi ordered, "Help the young lady wash up."
After he finished speaking, he turned to Cui Lingyan and said, "You don't have to worry about me. Just ask Guanyan to serve you."
Last night, Cui Lingyan knew that there were two bathrooms at the back of this room, and she thought they were where Lu Bingzhi and her washed and dressed.
Cui Lingyan knew that Lu Bingzhi had a cold personality and didn't have any concubines around him. He always had his personal servants watching over him and serving him. When she heard him say this, she nodded.
Just now, he asked her to fulfill her wifely duties and help him put on his clothes. I think he wanted to reassure her and not let her feel uncomfortable and dislike him.
Cui Lingyan knew last night that Lu Bingzhi gave her the respect she deserved as a wife, so she didn't want to disturb Lu Bingzhi too much and make him feel uncomfortable.
So, after hearing what he said, he smiled and nodded.
She recalled the time when Lu Bingzhi sent Guanyan to the mansion to give her jewelry and helped her bring evidence to her grandmother, Old Lady Zhai. She said, "Your Highness helped me last time, but I haven't thanked you in person yet."
Hearing this, Lu Bingzhi looked up at her and said, "You are my wife. It is my duty to protect you. No need to thank me."
Hearing the seriousness in Lu Bingzhi's words, Cui Lingyan knew that given his personality, he wouldn't lie to her, nor would he need to. He was helping her because she was his future wife.
Although they had only been together for a short time, Cui Lingyan had already figured out some of Lu Bingzhi's temperament. As long as she acted well as the Crown Prince's wife, he would give her the respect she deserved.
Thinking of this, Cui Lingyan smiled and watched Lu Bingzhi go behind the screen before looking at Birou and Bitao.
Birou had a somewhat happy look on her face, and said to Bitao, "You help the young lady wash and dress, and I'll go make the bed."
Although Bitao is young, she grew up in the back house since she was a child, so how could she not know the implication of Birou's words.
Suddenly, his cheeks turned red and he subconsciously looked at his girl.
Cui Lingyan's face showed no trace of embarrassment. She whispered, "Don't overthink it. The prince was poisoned not long ago and is not feeling well. They didn't consummate their marriage last night."
Birou felt a little disappointed when she heard her say that, but when she saw the two quilts on the bed were in a mess, it was obvious that the girl and the prince slept on the same bed last night, and she became happy again.
It didn't matter that the prince wasn't feeling well. There were so many doctors in the palace, couldn't they cure him? Besides, she saw that the prince didn't look sick at all.
Birou said nothing more and started to tidy up the bed.
Bi Tao helped Cui Lingyan change into a crimson jacket embroidered with peony patterns in gold thread, and styled her hair in a flowing bun. Cui Lingyan was already extremely beautiful, and after dressing up, she looked truly picturesque, even more beautiful than she had been in her wedding dress the previous night.
"Young Madam, you will accompany the Crown Prince to pay your respects to the Old Madam and the others. I have already prepared the gifts, so please follow the proper etiquette. From what I have seen, the Crown Prince treats you very well. As long as he maintains his attitude, no one in this mansion should dare to trouble you."
"Besides, the old lady also has some feelings for the young lady."
Birou glanced at the red gold and ruby hairpin on Cui Lingyan's head and chuckled softly, "Young lady, wear this today. The old lady will be happy to see it."
Cui Lingyan's side was cleaned up, and Lu Bingzhi's side was also ready.
The two of them left the yard and headed towards Qingdeyuan where Old Madam Dou lived.
On the way, the maids and servants met Lu Bingzhi and her and bowed to them. Perhaps they were curious about Cui Lingyan, the new young lady, and they couldn't help but look at Cui Lingyan with some curiosity and scrutiny.
Cui Lingyan had a faint smile on her face, her back straight, and followed Lu Bingzhi a small half step without showing any fear.
She knew Lu Bingzhi's character. Lu Bingzhi treated her as his wife, so she had the confidence to stay in the Duke's Mansion. She couldn't show any timidity and let others look down on her, saying that she didn't grow up in the Ningshou Marquis Mansion since she was a child, but grew up in the Qi family, her maternal family, and was not as good as the noble ladies in the capital.
Although she was marrying up by marrying Lu Bingzhi, she also felt that it was so, especially since she knew Lu Bingzhi's true identity and that he would enter the Eastern Palace in the future and become the high and mighty Crown Prince.
But now Lu Bingzhi is still the prince of Weiguo, and has not returned to the palace. She is his legally married wife, and she has no guilt in being the young lady.
When the new bride came in to offer tea and recognize her relationship, Old Madam Dou had also gotten up early and prepared everything to wait.
Duke Weiguo, the second master, the first lady Cen, the second lady He, and the young ladies and young masters in the mansion also came to the old lady early.
The room was bustling with activity. When Madam Dou heard the news that the Crown Prince and his young mistress had come to pay their respects, her smile widened. She said hastily, "Bring them in quickly. Let Bingzhi get married. As a grandmother, I can finally feel at ease."
Cen sat there, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Although she knew since she got married that her stepson Lu Bingzhi was the first in the mansion, every time she saw her mother-in-law like this, she felt that her mother-in-law loved her grandson Lu Bingzhi too much.
I don’t know whether the mother-in-law was more satisfied with her daughter-in-law because of her relationship with the man in the palace, or because she was more satisfied with the late Princess Shu Ning.
Unlike her, although she was born in a marquis's mansion, she could not compare with the noble status of the eldest princess. She used to be proud and arrogant, but now she is nothing compared with Princess Shu Ning.
In fact, she only had one daughter, Danruo, and not even a son.
Otherwise, my mother-in-law would probably be a little different.
Cen was thinking about this and looked towards the door.
Seeing Lu Bingzhi and Cui Lingyan coming in, a talented man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match, the smile on the corner of her mouth could hardly be maintained.
Especially when she saw Cui Lingyan's good looks, Cen had a bad feeling in her heart.
Having lived in the mansion for many years, she knew her stepson Lu Bingzhi's temperament: he wasn't interested in women and was aloof and aloof. She had originally thought that Lu Bingzhi might not even stay in the bridal chamber after their wedding night. After all, Lu Bingzhi was unwell, and Cui Lingyan and her cousin Qi Shaozhang had started those rumors. Even if Lu Bingzhi didn't stay in the bridal chamber, no one would find fault.
Even Cui Lingyan, the new bride, would only feel sad in secret, resentful of her cousin from her natal family for spreading rumors that ruined her reputation, which made her husband Lu Bingzhi feel resentful and he disliked her as soon as she got married.
But she also sent someone to inquire, and found out that Lu Bingzhi did not return to Songxueyuan where he lived before last night, but stayed in the new house.
Seeing the two of them coming in together, Lu Bingzhi did not show any coldness towards Cui Lingyan. He even helped Cui Lingyan when entering the door. Cen felt that asking this Cui Lingyan to come in might not be as good as asking Cui Linghui to come in before.
At least, Lu Bingzhi was not close to Cui Linghui, and even if Cui Linghui came in, it should not be the case.
Cui Lingyan had no idea what her mother-in-law Cen was thinking. She followed Lu Bingzhi to serve tea to Old Madam Dou and Duke Weiguo. The elders gave her gifts, and she also took the gift that had been prepared long ago from Birou and presented it to them.
She then met the young masters and young ladies in the mansion and received them as gifts of purses, handkerchiefs or study treasures embroidered by her own hands.
Duke Weiguo and the second master did not stay in the room for long and got up and left.
Old Madam Dou invited Cui Lingyan and Lu Bingzhi to dine together, and also asked Cen and the younger generations to join them.
As a newlywed, Cui Lingyan should have stood up and served the dishes according to the rules of a large family. However, just as she was about to stand up, she was stopped by Old Madam Dou: "We have plenty of servants in our house, so there is no need to bother a newlywed like you."
She patted Cui Lingyan's hand, glanced at Lu Bingzhi with a smile, and said, "Grandmother only hopes that you and Bingzhi can get along well. Although Bingzhi may seem a bit cold, he is very protective of his people. You are his wife, so he will naturally side with you."
Cui Lingyan smiled shyly, glanced at Lu Bingzhi, and then quickly lowered her head.
As Mrs. Dou looked at him, the smile on her face grew even wider.
After the meal, Cui Lingyan had a better understanding of the situation in the mansion. There were two branches in the Weiguo Mansion, and theirs was the eldest branch. The Duke of Weiguo married Princess Shu Ning and gave birth to the crown prince Lu Bingzhi. In addition to the eldest princess, the Duke of Weiguo also took in an old woman who served the eldest princess as a concubine, and gave birth to a bastard son. Three years after the eldest princess passed away, the Duke of Weiguo married Cen as his second wife and gave birth to his second daughter, Lu Danruo. The master of the second branch was a brother of the Duke of Weiguo from the same mother. He married He and had a son and a daughter. The son was two years older than Lu Bingzhi, and the daughter was only one year older than Lu Danruo. The second branch also had two concubines, but they had no children.
After the meal, Madam Dou smiled and said, "You don't have to stay here with me, your grandmother. Follow Bingzhi to the ancestral hall and kowtow to the eldest princess so that she can meet you, her daughter-in-law."
Madam Dou said this, smiling at Lu Bingzhi, "Now that you're married, and Yan seems so sensible and good-looking, if the princess knew about this, she'd be happy in her grave."
After Mrs. Dou gave such an order, the smile on Cen's face froze for a moment, and her hands under the table subconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt.
She opened her mouth to say something, but Lu Bingzhi had already nodded and stood up with Cui Lingyan.
Madam Dou continued, "Take Yan back to rest after returning from the ancestral hall. She must have been much more tired than you were from yesterday's wedding. Go back and have a good rest. When you have time, Bingzhi, you can accompany Yan to walk around the mansion and show her how to get familiar with this Duke's Mansion."
"She's a new bride, so she must be having some trouble adapting to life. As her husband, you should be more considerate and not let Yan suffer any injustice."
Lu Bingzhi listened to the old lady's nagging and felt helpless, but he obediently answered yes and left with Cui Lingyan.
Cen watched the two of them leave, with a hint of embarrassment in her eyes.
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