Chapter 64 Sister-in-law's behavior is really not giving Cui Lingyan this...
The room was filled with the faint scent of frankincense. Cen sat on a soft couch, wearing a lake green kesi jacket embroidered with peony flowers, showing the grace and elegance that a duke's wife should have.
Cui Lingyan walked forward slowly, bowed, and said, "Daughter-in-law greets mother."
Cen nodded with a smile, "Get up quickly. Why bother coming all this way to pay your respects to me? I'm going to Qingdeyuan anyway, so I can just meet the old lady there."
Cen said, pointing to the embroidered cushion below: "Sit down."
Cui Lingyan thanked him and walked forward to sit down.
The maid brought tea and snacks. Cen smiled and said, "This is the best cloud tea. Would you like to try it?"
She asked casually, "You and the prince just got married, why didn't he come with you? Is there something important?"
Cen smiled as she spoke, but Cui Lingyan suspected she wasn't entirely happy. After all, Lu Bingzhi's decision not to come personally was a disservice to his stepmother.
If he were the legitimate son of an ordinary family, even if he disliked his stepmother, he would bring his new wife to pay his respects in person.
No matter what, you have to show filial piety on the surface to avoid being talked about by others and being labeled as unfilial and disrespectful to your stepmother.
But Lu Bingzhi happened to be the son of Princess Shuning, of noble status, and was valued by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Others would be criticized for doing this, but his behavior was blameless and even considered natural.
On the contrary, Lu Bingzhi was too respectful to his stepmother Cen, which made outsiders feel that he had lost status, and the Empress Dowager in the palace would also be unhappy.
Cui Lingyan smiled as she thought this and explained, "Yesterday, Guanyan reported to the Crown Prince some matters, seemingly concerning the palace. The Crown Prince didn't elaborate with his wife, but he went to Songxue Hall after breakfast this morning."
A hint of surprise flashed in Cen's eyes. She wanted to ask, but she also knew that Cui Lingyan had just married into the family, and even if Lu Bingzhi gave her some respect, he would not tell her every detail of important matters.
She nodded with a smile: "The matters in the palace are more important. We can't help the prince, but we can't cause trouble for him."
Mrs. Cen didn't continue the conversation and started talking about other things with Cui Lingyan. After a while, Mrs. Cen hesitated and finally asked, "Is the prince still feeling well? I've been wanting to ask about what happened on the wedding night, but I'm afraid there are some things I can't say. As his mother-in-law, I have to ask, have you and the prince not consummated your marriage yet? As newlyweds, has the prince explained this to you?"
Cui Lingyan's face showed a hint of embarrassment when she heard Cen ask about this. She whispered, "Mother, you're joking. The Crown Prince has only been poisoned for a short time. How can he be so anxious to consummate the marriage? The Crown Prince is of noble status. I cannot bear the responsibility of having to explain him. Mother, you are making me feel ashamed."
Cui Lingyan continued, "Before I married in, my grandmother told me that taking good care of the Crown Prince was the most important thing. I have followed her instructions and will not, and dare not, harbor any dissatisfaction with him. Regardless of his health, we are still husband and wife. All I can do is get along well with him and not embarrass him."
Cui Lingyan's few words blocked Cen's words, and she even felt a little embarrassed and aggrieved in her heart.
But Cui Lingyan acted as if she was wholeheartedly thinking about Lu Bingzhi, and she was very respectful when she replied. Even though she felt aggrieved, she could only suppress it and said, "The old lady of the Marquis' Mansion is a sensible person. It is a blessing for our Duke's Mansion that you can marry into our family."
"Forget it, let's not talk about this for now. Although having children and spreading the family is the most important thing for a family like ours, you've only been married for a few days, so there's no rush."
Cui Lingyan did not respond, but she heard the deeper meaning in Cen's words. Cen had no good intentions at all. It was obvious that she wanted to make her feel uncomfortable and make her particularly concerned about the issue of offspring.
If Cui Lingyan had not had that dream, perhaps the most important thing in her mind would be offspring. But after having that dream, she felt like a new person, and her views on many things were different from before.
Right now, getting along well with Lu Bingzhi and developing a mutual affection for him was the most important thing. As for the rest, it all depended on Lu Bingzhi's thoughts. If she got anxious, it would only consume the slightest bit of closeness they had just developed.
For many things, trying too hard is not good. It is better to be relaxed and take it one step at a time.
As they were talking, they heard footsteps outside, followed by the voice of a maid greeting them.
"This servant pays respects to the young lady."
When Cui Lingyan heard the voice, she knew it was the second girl Lu Danruo coming, and she subconsciously looked towards the door.
Although she had just married into the Duke's Mansion and had not interacted much with the two girls in the mansion, Lu Danyan and Lu Danruo, she felt that Lu Danruo did not have any good feelings towards her sister-in-law. After all, when they met in Old Lady Dou's room that day, there was a hint of disdain and contempt in Lu Danruo's eyes when she looked at her.
Cui Lingyan has been a sensitive person since she was a child, so she naturally noticed the contempt.
Fortunately, if Lu Dan was born to Cen, she would not be Lu Bingzhi's biological sister even in name, so she didn't need to worry too much.
Just as I was thinking about this, the curtain was opened by the maid and Lu Danruo walked in from outside.
As soon as she came in and saw Cui Lingyan sitting there, she said something with a hidden meaning, "I was wondering who came to the Peony Courtyard so early. It turned out to be you, sister-in-law. It's rare that you still remember your mother-in-law. I thought that in your heart, you only need to respect your grandmother and don't care about others."
Lu Danruo made the atmosphere awkward with just a few words, and the air was filled with a sense of solemnity.
Cen frowned and said lightly, "What nonsense are you talking about? Come and meet your sister-in-law."
Cen gently rebuked her, then smiled at Cui Lingyan and said, "Danruo has always been this outspoken since she was little. She doesn't have any bad intentions. You should not take her nonsense to heart."
Lu Danruo curled her lips, walked forward and bowed slightly to Cui Lingyan, and without waiting for Cui Lingyan to speak, she went straight to the soft couch and sat down next to Cen.
Her behavior was really disrespectful to her sister-in-law Cui Lingyan.
The face of the maid Luo Mei who was standing beside her also changed, and she felt worried. The lady only had one daughter, the Second Daughter, so how could she raise her like this?
In the past few days since the young lady came into the house, everyone in the mansion has noticed how much the prince likes his new wife. Why is the second young lady so anxious to find fault with the young lady and make things difficult for her as her sister-in-law?
She glanced at Cui Lingyan's face discreetly, expecting her to be either embarrassed or forced into a smile, pretending nothing had happened. But when she looked over, she saw that the young lady, Cui Lingyan, had a calm expression and was sipping her tea, appearing to be taking things in stride.
Her behavior put her mother-in-law, Cen, in a difficult position. If Cui Lingyan had just ignored her daughter's words to her new sister-in-law and let it go, it would have been fine. But now, it was obvious that she was taking it to heart.
A flash of anger crossed Cen's mind. She knew her daughter's temper best. She didn't stop her daughter before she opened her mouth to offend Cui Lingyan because she wanted to test Cui Lingyan's temper. She wanted to use her daughter to intimidate Cui Lingyan, the new bride, and see if Cui Lingyan would be so cautious about her, the mother-in-law, and Danruo, the sister-in-law. Now she regretted not stopping her daughter. At the same time, she also felt that Cui Lingyan was so presumptuous. She didn't care about filial piety at all. She wouldn't give anyone a way out and actually put her, the mother-in-law, in a difficult position.
Mrs. Cen naturally couldn't show these thoughts on her face. She glared at her daughter and ordered, "There's almond milk tea brewing in the small kitchen. Go and see if it's ready."
Lu Danruo was somewhat reluctant, and she felt even more uncomfortable because of the condescending attitude of her sister-in-law Cui Lingyan.
She glanced at Cui Lingyan and wanted to say something but didn't open her mouth to continue offending her. She got off the couch and walked out of the house.
After seeing her leave, Cen said to Cui Lingyan with some apology, "Danruo is the only daughter in our eldest branch. She is somewhat willful and spoiled. I apologize to you on Danruo's behalf. You are her sister-in-law, so you will have to give her more guidance and guidance in the future."
Cui Lingyan couldn't help but give Cen a way out with her attitude. She smiled, glanced outside, and said, "Mother, you're joking. The second young lady has been taught by Grandmother and you since she was young, so she's certainly well-versed in etiquette and rules. It's probably because the daughter-in-law just married into the family, so she's a little uncomfortable for now. I think she'll get used to it as time goes by."
Cui Lingyan said this in a light tone, and Cen Shi didn't know what to say, so she started chatting about other things.
After a while, Lu Danruo returned to her room. Perhaps because Luo Mei had just gone out to persuade her, she didn't say anything unpleasant when she came back.
After talking for a while, they went to Qingdeyuan where Mrs. Dou lived.
When Mrs. Dou saw that Cui Lingyan did not come early today, she sent someone to inquire and found out that her granddaughter-in-law had gone to the Peony Courtyard to pay her respects. She thought that her granddaughter-in-law was sensible.
Seeing several people coming together, her face was even more smiling. Although Cen was a step-wife and had little affection for her stepson, Lu Bingzhi, she was old and always hoped that everyone in the mansion could get along harmoniously. Even if she had her own thoughts, she had to maintain a harmonious appearance to avoid being laughed at by others.
Old Madam Dou smiled and asked everyone to sit down. After a while, Second Madam He came over with the eldest daughter Lu Danyan.
The room suddenly became more lively.
......
At this time, Cining Palace.
The Queen Mother looked at the tear-stained Concubine Shu kneeling on the ground and sighed softly in her heart. She said, "Alright, get up. I have agreed to this matter. Ze'er is also my grandson. It's okay for me to worry about his marriage."
"As for the Emperor, I have no say. Go back and persuade Ze'er to reflect on himself and not tarnish the reputation of the imperial family. First, there was the poisoning incident, and then not long after, he drunkenly beat a palace maid to death. No wonder the Emperor was furious and ordered him to be beaten with thirty sticks. If he continues like this, who knows how much more trouble he will cause in the future."
Concubine Shu's face changed. She didn't expect the Queen Mother to directly mention Lu Bingzhi's poisoning. Thinking of the Queen Mother's love for Lu Bingzhi, she couldn't help but feel a little flustered. She opened her mouth to explain: "The Queen Mother..."
She had just opened her mouth when the Queen Mother interrupted her: "Alright, if there's nothing else, please leave. Discipline Ze'er well and control his temper after you get married."
"Since you wish to choose a princess for Ze'er, please write down the name and family history of the one you like so that I can take a look. However, a marriage must be mutually agreed upon. I can host a flower viewing banquet, but I won't ask about other matters. If you want to grant a marriage, please ask the emperor for permission."
Concubine Shu was disappointed, but she had not received any favor in these years and did not dare to expect too much. This time, she swallowed her pride and came to the Cining Palace to beg for help. She was sure that the empress dowager still cared about the royal bloodline. Otherwise, her son had someone poison Lu Bingzhi. Given the empress dowager's love for her grandson Lu Bingzhi, how could she dare to beg for help before the empress dowager.
If the emperor had not ordered Ze'er to be beaten with thirty boards in anger yesterday, and things had not turned out like this, the empress dowager would probably not even meet her if she begged him to come.
Concubine Shu kowtowed to the Empress Dowager, then stood up and walked out.
After she left, the Queen Mother's face darkened and she said unhappily, "How dare she come to me and beg for mercy. If Ze'er wasn't of the Xiao family's bloodline, I wouldn't have let her mouth go. Do you really think I'm old and confused, believing her lies that it was the palace maid who seduced Ze'er with the intention of getting close to her, and that's why Ze'er accidentally beat someone to death when he was drunk? They are mother and son, with the same nature. Why did the emperor..."
The Queen Mother did not continue speaking. She sighed heavily and stood up to go to the inner room.
On the second day, news came from the palace that the empress dowager was going to hold a flower-viewing banquet in the palace to select a princess for the second prince Xiao Ze. The news quickly spread throughout the capital. What followed was that Xiao Ze killed a palace maid while drunk and was punished by the emperor.
Not long after, rumors began to spread, saying that the palace maid had the intention of climbing up and seducing Xiao Ze, which angered him. Xiao Ze kicked her in the heart, causing her to vomit blood and die.
When Cui Lingyan heard this, she couldn't help but think of Cui Linghui who was not yet married. She remembered the dream in which Cui Linghui and Xiao Ze had a beginning and an end. She wondered whether Cui Linghui would be interested in the position of the second prince's consort at this time.
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