Chapter 61 Bullying "Why do you have to bully me, Prince?"
The carriage slowly drove towards the Duke of Weiguo's mansion.
Eventually, word of what had happened in Cuiwei Courtyard reached Old Lady Zhai. After hearing the maid's report, her expression darkened. She slammed her teacup down on the table and angrily asked, "What is she doing as a mother? Today, Miss Yan is coming home, and she's picking on her, isn't she? Does she still think Miss Yan is the same girl who lets her bully her and be driven out of the Marquis's Mansion whenever she wants? Miss Yan now has Lu Bingzhi, the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion, and even the Empress Dowager in the palace standing behind her!"
Bian happened to be talking to Old Lady Zhai, and she had heard everything. Thinking of the usual temper of her eldest sister-in-law Qi, how could she not understand why Qi had made such a fuss?
In her opinion, Qi, as a mother, is really ridiculous. She doesn't care about her own daughter, but finds fault with everything and always wants to use her status as a mother to suppress Yan Yatou.
If Yan had just returned home helpless, it would have been fine, but now she was the wife of the Duke of Wei's son. Seeing how Lu Bingzhi interacted with Yan today, if Qi Shi wasn't stupid, she would have understood that she should be more attentive to Yan from now on. She couldn't expect Yan to forget the past, but she couldn't continue to offend him, leaving mother and daughter with no chance of recovery.
Qi doesn't seem that stupid on normal days, but today she is so impatient. I'm afraid there will be more conflicts between mother and daughter in the future.
Thinking this way, Bian was also worried that the old lady would get angry and do something bad, so she quickly spoke to comfort her, "Perhaps sister-in-law is feeling bad too. Seeing Yan's closeness to Zhan, it's not right, and not close to Zhan, it's not right either. It's really a dilemma. I'm a mother too, and seeing her situation, I can't help but feel a little sympathy. But there's no medicine for regret in this world, and I'm afraid there will be a lot of trouble in the future."
Madam Zhai sighed heavily, "She doesn't act like a mother at all, and now that her daughter has become the Crown Prince's wife, she's become arrogant and has forgotten her filial duties."
Bian heard some of her mother-in-law's complaints about Cui Lingyan, perhaps unaccustomed to her assertiveness. Cui Lingyan was so assertive in front of Qi today, saying that even her own mother was unreliable, let alone her aunt. This showed how much she cared about the past. She was afraid that the Ningshou Marquis's Mansion would be in trouble if they relied on her as a married woman in the future.
Understanding her mother-in-law's thoughts, Bian Shi didn't respond to her words. She only said soothingly, "Yan girl is still young, and sometimes she acts on impulse and only cares about how much she has been wronged. As time goes by, she will understand how important it is to have a family to rely on. I don't believe that she can handle the Duke's Mansion alone and can really rely on Lu Bingzhi's favor to consolidate her position. Although I haven't had much contact with Cen Shi, I can see from the few times I have met her that she is not an easy person to get along with. With such a mother-in-law and a younger sister-in-law, if Yan girl thinks that marriage is just a matter between her and the prince, she is wrong. She will have plenty of time to rely on our Marquis' Mansion in the future."
After hearing so much, Mrs. Zhai felt a little tired and waved her hand to ask Mrs. Bian to leave.
Bian bowed and left the house.
As soon as she went out, a maid whispered a few words in her ear.
After hearing this, Bian frowned slightly and lowered her voice with a hint of displeasure, saying, "What an inflexible servant! Today, Yan girl is accompanying the prince back home, and they dared to cause such a commotion. If Yin girl disregards decency and makes a scene at Longcuitang, I don't know how I'm going to end it!"
"Also, didn't anyone see Qi Ruorou go to Yin Yatou? If they did, how dare she be so disrespectful? She's so stupid! I don't know what to say!"
The maidservant dared not argue after being scolded. Bian thought for a moment and said, "Tell the kitchen staff to go to Qi Ruorou to explain a few words and bring some apology. They should say that the kitchen was busy with work today because the young master and Yan girl returned home, and they were a little negligent. I already know about this matter and have punished the old woman in charge. Tell her not to take it to heart."
The maid nodded in agreement after hearing her order. After a moment's hesitation, she continued, "Madam, what about the second young lady?"
Bian scoffed lightly, "Forget it. Seeing that she's so ill, I won't continue to torture her. lest she really die from the torture, it would be bad luck for our Second House."
Hearing her say this, the maid replied "yes", bowed, and went downstairs to make arrangements.
After she left, a hint of ruthlessness appeared in Bian's eyes.
She was held hostage by Cui Lingyin, a concubine's daughter. Although there was no evidence, it would not sound good if it got out. She was especially afraid that it would cause resentment in her son Cui Shensi's heart and affect his character.
But this wasn't a long-term solution. After Cui Lingyin married into the Qi family, she would have to resolve this matter. She wouldn't kill Cui Lingyin; it wasn't that she was soft-hearted, but things weren't that easy to accomplish. Instead, it would be better to drag Cui Lingyin into this mess without her knowing, so that her mother, as her legal mother, would have something to hold against her. Then, she'd see if she dared to act so recklessly again!
Compared to her methods in the harem, Cui Lingyin, an unmarried girl, is still very naive.
Thinking of this, Bian walked back.
......
Duke Wei's Mansion
Cui Lingyan followed Lu Bingxia into the carriage and entered the gate of the Duke's Mansion. They went all the way to Madam Dou and reported to her about her return home today.
The old lady listened with a smile, a bit of kindness on her face. After talking for half a cup of tea, the old lady said to Lu Bingzhi: "You must be tired from going out. Go back to the courtyard and rest first."
Lu Bingzhi nodded, then took Cui Lingyan out and went to the courtyard where they lived.
After returning to the room, the two of them washed up. Cui Lingyan wanted to ask Bitao about what happened in the mansion today, but before Bitao came forward, Lu Bingzhi waved his hand and asked the maid in the room to leave.
Cui Lingyan looked at Lu Bingzhi with some confusion.
Lu Bingzhi said directly, "You just got married, what's the matter that you're so anxious to know? Didn't grandma say that you were tired after visiting your parents-in-law and asked us to come back and rest?"
Cui Lingyan couldn't help feeling a little awkward when he looked at her like this.
Lu Bingzhi continued, "I know you're a new bride, and you'd feel a little uncomfortable sitting idle. Or maybe it's because I'm here, and you can't just lie down even if you're tired. You have to behave like a Crown Prince's wife. Why bother? If my presence makes you so uncomfortable, I can go back to Songxue Hall and live there. That way, we'll both be more comfortable."
Cui Lingyan's face turned red after what he said. She wanted to say that she didn't want to show off, especially not in front of Lu Bingzhi. She just wanted to ask casually about the things in the Bitao Mansion.
But when Lu Bingzhi looked at her like this, she felt that she seemed to be a little restrained in her heart as Lu Bingzhi said.
If Lu Bingzhi didn't live here, the first thing she would do when she came back from outside would be to rest.
Cui Lingyan's cheeks flushed red, and after a long while she spoke, "Even if the prince saw it, it's not right for him to say it directly. I just got married, is there anything wrong with wanting to be a good wife?"
Hearing the complaint in her words, Lu Bingzhi couldn't help laughing.
With her personality, she could say such words at this moment, which showed that she still had a very good impression of me in her mind during the past two days of marriage.
Cui Lingyan didn't know why he was laughing, her cheeks getting redder. She couldn't help but reach out and push him, saying, "Why do you have to bully me, my prince?"
Lu Bingzhi was not someone she could push. He took her hand in his and said with a smile, "I didn't bully you at all. I was just speaking from my heart. I'm not the kind of man who doesn't understand his wife. How could I not say anything when I see you so restrained? You might not be used to it for a while, but you will get used to it slowly."
"Now that we're married, this Wutong Courtyard will be our home. Wouldn't it be nice for us to be more at ease with each other?"
Without waiting for Cui Lingyan to speak, Lu Bingzhi continued, "I'm tired. Would you like to go in and lie down with me? Or, after spending half a day at home, you don't feel tired at all. Would you like to go to the Peony Courtyard to pay your respects?"
Cui Lingyan felt that Lu Bingzhi's words contained a hint of sarcasm, which was somewhat different from his usual cold personality. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond to him.
Until Lu Bingzhi pulled her into the inner room and they lay down on the bed, Cui Lingyan felt that Lu Bingzhi, with his cold personality, should not have said those words.
Perhaps it was because she was really tired from going to the palace to pay respects and visiting her parents-in-law during the past few days after her marriage. Cui Lingyan felt sleepy soon after lying down on the bed and fell asleep quickly.
Outside the house, Bitao heard no movement inside, so she walked away.
She wanted the prince and her daughter to consummate their marriage as soon as possible, but she also knew that the prince had been poisoned, so nothing should happen.
However, it is a good thing that the prince is accompanying his daughter like this. At least if the people in the Duke's Mansion see it, they will know that the prince is satisfied with his daughter as his wife, and no one will dare to bully his daughter, the new bride.
......
Peony Courtyard
When Cen heard that Lu Bingzhi and Cui Lingyan had returned from the Ningshou Marquis' Mansion, visited the old lady, and then returned to their own residence, with no intention of coming to the Peony Courtyard to pay their respects to her mother, her face immediately turned unhappy.
Although she had guessed it, her mother-in-law, Madam Dou, had also mentioned that the Crown Prince and Cui Lingyan had been busy these days, visiting the palace to pay their respects and returning to their parents' homes, and asked her to be more patient and take better care of them.
Although she pretended to be magnanimous and agreed, only she knew how she felt in her heart.
The mother-in-law is deliberately praising Cui Lingyan, her granddaughter-in-law. Doesn't she feel it at all?
Cen glanced in the direction of Qingdeyuan and said with a bit of grievance, "Old Madam, if you want to honor your grandson's wife, you shouldn't step on my face! What's the matter? Is Lu Bingzhi's wife more precious than other people's? She doesn't even know how to respect her mother-in-law. I don't expect her to come to me and dictate the rules. But no matter what, I am still her mother-in-law and her elder. Does Old Madam have to humiliate me like this?"
As he was speaking, footsteps were heard outside, and soon his daughter Lu Danruo walked in from the door.
Feeling that the atmosphere in the room was a little strange, and Cen's mother's eyes were a little red again, Lu Danruo hurriedly asked what had happened.
The maid standing in the room also knew her daughter's temper, so she didn't dare to hide it and told her the whole story.
Lu Danruo was a hot-tempered person, always stubborn. Hearing this, she immediately flew into a rage and started to walk out. "Mother has the temper of a clay figurine, otherwise how could she allow Cui to humiliate her like this? I'll go ask Cui, my sister-in-law, why she hasn't come to the Peony Courtyard to pay her respects. Does she not respect her mother-in-law?"
Seeing her daughter like this, Cen hurriedly pulled her back and said angrily, "Enough, if you keep making a scene like this, not only will you not get an explanation, but you'll also be looked down upon."
"After all, Cui just married into our family. We met her at the old lady's on the first day, and the next day she went to the palace with Lu Bingzhi to pay her respects. Today is her return visit. Even if she doesn't take the time to come, we can't accuse her of being unfilial or having no manners, even if we feel uncomfortable."
"Your grandmother also said that they are very busy since they got married, and asked me to take more responsibility."
When Lu Danruo heard this, she became so angry that tears were about to fall.
"You can't bully me like that, right? It's clear that you don't take your mother seriously. You think you're just a stepmother with only a daughter and no son to rely on. That's why you look down on us mother and daughter."
Mrs. Cen sighed softly, "Alas, the old lady is partial to me. What can I do? It's also my fault that when I first entered the mansion, I was arrogant and wanted to establish my authority, so I found an excuse to punish that bastard. This made Lu Bingzhi and your grandmother unhappy. Even after all these years, they still remember that incident. Plus, you are my only daughter. Without a son to support me, I have no confidence in the mansion."
Lu Danruo's eyes were red, and she said with some indignation, "He's just a bastard born to a maid. How can mother, the legal mother, not punish him? How can they bully us mother and daughter for this matter?"
"In ordinary families, a sister-in-law would try to please her younger sister-in-law when she first entered the family. But in our family, Cui Shi didn't even bother to please me, her younger sister-in-law. She even neglected my mother, her mother-in-law. If this gets out, it will be a joke."
Cen sighed heavily. "Alright, what's the point of saying this? I heard they came to the palace to pay their respects yesterday, and the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and Princess Chun'an all gave them gifts. Lu Bingzhi is truly blessed. I wonder if all those gifts will be sent to Wutong Courtyard and left to Cui, the new bride, to look after them?"
Lu Danruo understood the meaning of Cen's words and frowned, but didn't know what to say.
Cen said, "Lu Bingzhi's monthly stipend comes from the public treasury, but he certainly doesn't need it. He's received countless gifts from the palace since he was a child, and even with the gifts Princess Shuning left behind, he probably has more than the entire Duke of Wei's mansion has. But who would dare covet them? Besides, he's not married, so his things are naturally his. No one would dare covet his private vault, so I wouldn't even think about it."
"But now that Cui has come into our family, it's time to change things. We can't just take the public share while our private treasury is overflowing and not giving anything away. For example, if Cui is a sensible and filial person, she should at least give some of the rewards from the palace to everyone in our house so that everyone can share in the joy."
Lu Danruo couldn't help but feel a little moved when she heard this. New sisters-in-law from other families always try to please their younger sisters-in-law by giving them jewelry or other gifts. Although Cui was the legitimate daughter of the Ningshou Marquis, she hadn't grown up in the mansion since she was a child. She wasn't the type to be so superficial as to covet the things in Cui's dowry.
But the rewards from the palace were different. Yesterday's event was so grand that everyone knew that the Empress Dowager, the Emperor and Princess Chun'an had all given gifts, which were sent to Wutong Courtyard one after another.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't envious and didn't want to see what rewards had been given. How could Cui, as a sister-in-law, be so unkind?
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