Chapter 74: Strategy "What's going on? What's the point of bullying? ...
When Mrs. Mei heard her daughter's words, her expression immediately turned grim.
"What? Is there such a thing? Cui, a newlywed bride, doesn't know how to behave in a low-key manner and curry favor with her sister-in-law. Instead, because her old mistress punished Danruo, she even forced Danruo to offer her tea as an apology."
Her daughter had been married into the Duke of Wei's mansion for so many years, and while she knew her daughter only had Danruo and was inevitably insecure without a son, her daughter was the eldest daughter-in-law in the eldest house, in charge of the household affairs. Although she knew her daughter must have felt somewhat wronged because her previous husband was the late Princess Shuning, she could never have imagined that Cui, the newlywed bride, would dare to disrespect her daughter's mother-in-law and actually bully Danruo, her younger sister-in-law.
Regardless of whether this matter is right or wrong, even if Danruo is ignorant, Cui, as his sister-in-law, should be more generous and not embarrass her mother-in-law like this.
Hearing Old Madam Mei's question, Cen Shi also felt ashamed. She supported the old lady and said, "It's hard to explain in a few words. I will report everything that happened in the past few days to you in detail when we return to the Peony Courtyard."
Mrs. Mei also knew that it was not appropriate to discuss these matters in detail since they were outside, so she nodded and followed her daughter all the way to the Peony Courtyard.
Because she had something to say in private and didn't want her granddaughter to hear it, Mrs. Mei asked someone to take her granddaughter to Lu Danruo's courtyard and let them talk to their cousins.
After entering the house, Mrs. Mei looked around and saw that there was not a single piece of men's clothing or anything else in the house. She knew that her son-in-law must not often visit her daughter, otherwise why would the house be so deserted?
Madam Mei held her breath, walked to the couch, sat down, and asked directly, "Let me ask you, how many times a month does the Duke come to your room?"
Cen's expression suddenly changed, her eyes turned red, and she hesitated and refused to speak.
Seeing her like this and looking at the layout of the room, how could Mrs. Mei not know how much her daughter had been neglected? She was afraid that she didn't even have the dignity that a wife should have.
"You, you've been married for so many years, how come you can't even win over a man? You don't have a son, so even if you were to take charge of the household, who would you be working for? Will you own the family business when the time comes?"
Cen sat down next to Old Madam Mei. She couldn't hold back her tears any more. Her eyes reddened and she cried, "Mother, I'm so miserable! If he doesn't come to my room, should I go to your house to beg him, or ask the maids and nannies to go find him? To be honest, I've been humble and modest before, but now it's clear that he's deliberately refusing to give me a son. Back then, I only punished that lowly bastard Lu Cong'an, but how could he have been so angry? He said that I, as his stepmother, was unkind and was deliberately mistreating Lu Cong'an. Ever since that time, he's had a grudge against me. After Danruo was born, he rarely came to my room. In the past two years, I've lost all my dignity. I dare not say such a shameful thing, let alone write back to the mansion. I'm really afraid of being ridiculed."
Madam Mei was furious and said, "You are truly unique in the capital as the Duke's wife. What can I say about you? If he doesn't come to your room, is he going to that Qiongzhi's room just because she is an old friend of Princess Shuning and they have some kind of relationship?"
Mrs. Cen shook her head. "Not really. Madam Qiong is a quiet person. She's usually very quiet and doesn't seem to be vying for favor. I asked someone to find out, and when the Duke visits her, he just chats with her and asks about Lu Cong'an. He rarely stays overnight."
Madam Mei was a little surprised and blurted out, "He doesn't want anyone in the mansion. Could it be that he has someone outside? Otherwise, why would he be so plain?"
Mrs. Cen shook her head. "If that were the case, it wouldn't be so bad, but there isn't any. These past few years, he's been fond of worshipping Buddha, copying Buddhist scriptures and wearing Buddhist beads on his wrist. He's become a little less interested in women. Because of this, I'm truly unhappy and have no words to express my suffering. Others just say he can't let go of Princess Shuning, and everyone who hears it praises his deep affection and says something nice about him. But has anyone ever thought about me, his successor? What can I do about his behavior? Do I deserve to be a widow without a son to support me? Sometimes I even feel like he's doing this on purpose, deliberately avoiding me, his successor."
Old Madam Mei was at a loss for words. She had asked her daughter to marry into the family out of a desire to marry someone of higher status. Although she had long known the deep love between the Duke and Princess Shuning, and she certainly couldn't forget Princess Shuning, what man in the world could truly remain loyal? After a few years, the new bride would forget the old one.
She had planned everything well, but who could have expected that her daughter, just to establish her authority, punishing a bastard would cause the Duke to lose his good impression of her as his second wife, and later even make her lose face.
Madam Mei sighed softly and said, "Alas, if you had known this would happen, you shouldn't have gotten so angry with that bastard!"
Cen said bitterly, "I regret this, but I'm also wronged. As a legitimate mother, am I not supposed to discipline the illegitimate son of the mansion? I think it must be that Lu Bingzhi who is slandering me in front of the Duke, saying how bad I am. Otherwise, why would the Duke be so cold to me? I've gradually lost my dignity over the years, and it's also related to Lu Bingzhi. He is of noble status, and everyone in the mansion has to flatter him and give in to him. He, the stepson, and I have a distant relationship. The Duke knows he doesn't like me as his stepmother, so naturally he comes to see me less often."
"If it weren't for Lu Bingzhi, Danruo and I would never be in this situation! It would be fine if he didn't love his sister Danruo, but he cared about that bastard Lu Cong'an, which made Danruo feel wronged. She has disliked him as a brother since she was a child. People in the mansion said behind her back that Danruo didn't know how to please her brother and that I had made her spoiled and willful! Only I know how much Danruo has suffered since she was a child. The Duke and my mother-in-law have always sided with Lu Bingzhi. How could they ever truly love my Danruo? Now that Cui has come into the family, she is even more willing to bully my Danruo!"
As Cen spoke, there was unconcealable resentment in her eyes.
Madam Mei patted her hands and said, "Look at the bright side. Your letter said that the Crown Prince and Cui Shi haven't consummated their marriage yet, which means that the Crown Prince is indeed not feeling well. If that's the case, even if Cui Shi seems to have the upper hand now, she may not be able to maintain her status in the future."
"What matters most to you now is to give birth to a son." Old Madam Mei said, and gestured to Nanny Ruan who was following her. Nanny Ruan then took out a sandalwood box from her sleeve.
Madam Mei opened the box and took out a box of incense. She lowered her voice and said, "This incense has aphrodisiac effects. Find a way to invite the Duke to dinner and use the incense. As long as it's not useless, it will naturally stay in your room."
Cen's pupils tightened and her face turned red.
Madam Mei glared at her. "You've been married for years, why are you so arrogant? A woman should humble herself and use some tricks, and there's no time she can't keep a man. A few years ago, I was concerned about your reputation and didn't want to tell you this. I thought it would be better for you, the Duke's wife, to be more dignified and stable. But at this juncture, having a son is the most important thing. The Duke and you are husband and wife after all. You invited him over for dinner, drank some wine, and said some sweet words. Do you think he would really offend you?"
"They say wives should be reserved and respectful, but honestly, men respect their wives and treat them with dignity, but most of their preferences are for those beautiful women outside. The Duke has few people in his backyard, and without those troublesome ones, which is already good enough. As a wife, you have used some tricks to win her over."
Madam Mei thought for a moment and then spoke again, "If he still blames you for punishing the bastard, then at worst you can be more magnanimous and ask to register the bastard under your name. Then we'll see what other faults he can find."
Cen frowned, not expecting to hear her mother say that.
How could Lu Cong'an, a bastard born to a maidservant, be registered under her name? Moreover, Lu Cong'an was already so old that he couldn't be raised well even if he was registered under her name. Why bother giving him the respectability of having the status of a legitimate son in name only?
Isn't this a compliment to him? She couldn't bear to see this bastard gain respect in the mansion and live better than her Danruo, so why did she have to help him and let him be an eyesore in front of her?
Seeing her expression, Old Madam Mei said unhappily, "I told you you're confused, and you really are. Didn't you say that Lu Bingzhi treated this half-brother very well, but ignored his sister Danruo? Then you register Lu Cong'an under your name. Wouldn't this cause some discord between the two brothers? Moreover, if a bastard is registered under your name, he must remember the kindness of you, his legitimate mother. Whether he's truly filial or pretending, he'll always be biased towards you. Then, he'll naturally become estranged from the Crown Prince."
"They're not brothers from the same mother. They're only related by blood. Why are you asking them to gang up on you? Don't you think you could win one over to your side? At least you'd have some help."
Mrs. Cen hesitated for a moment and asked hesitantly: "I have punished Lu Cong'an before. How could he be thinking..."
Before she could finish, Madam Mei interrupted her, "Ask the illegitimate sons of the noble families in the capital. Is there anyone who doesn't want to be registered under his mother's name as a legitimate child, to have a more respectable status? Furthermore, you only have Danruo now. If he is registered under your name, he will only benefit from it and not suffer any loss. Would he refuse?"
"Whether you want to sow discord between him and the Crown Prince, or whatever, you must first register him as your own son. If you are unlucky, use this illegitimate son first. If you have your own son, ignore him, or marry one of our Cen family's daughters to him. This will strengthen the relationship, won't it? In this way, your position in the mansion will be more secure, and it will not be worse than it is now."
Cen slowly tightened her grip on the teacup. As she listened to Madam Mei's calculated words, she felt a sense of wonder and enlightenment, as if a blocked path had suddenly been cleared. At least it wasn't like before, when she didn't know how to move forward, unable to move a single step, and could only stand still, enduring the helplessness that threatened to overwhelm her.
She nodded and said, "Hearing what mother said, I have some idea in my mind. Although I am reluctant to have such a bastard in my name, you are right. Before I get pregnant, I can't be without a helper around me. Even if he is not my biological son, I can still use him."
When Old Lady Mei heard her say this, she couldn't help but feel distressed. She knew her daughter's temper very well. She must have suffered a lot of grievances in the Duke's Mansion, which was why she took her words to heart.
She sighed softly and said, "Who wouldn't feel wronged as the mistress of a high-ranking family? Even the future Second Prince's consort, with her noble status, will certainly endure no shortage of grievances. Although Cui Shi has won the Crown Prince's favor with her beauty and given her some respectability, as long as they don't consummate their marriage and have no children, there will always be quarrels and quarrels. When that happens, Cui Shi will have no place to cry! For now, don't worry about Cui Shi. Focus on the illegitimate son first. Register him in your name so that you can help him more."
"You've been married for many years, you have to change. If you don't, it will become a stagnant pool of water. How can you revitalize it?"
After hearing what her mother said, Cen was even more determined to register Lu Cong'an under her own name, and nodded heavily at that moment.
......
Cui Lingyan took Birou back to her own courtyard and told her what had happened to the old lady.
Bi Tao's face immediately turned grim upon hearing this, and she couldn't help but say, "Old Madam Mei is so old, yet she only knows how to say such harsh words to bully a junior like the Young Madam?"
"She clearly deliberately brought up the former wife of the Kangshou Marquis's Mansion and used her affairs to poke the young lady's heart!"
Bi Tao was so angry that she picked up the bracelet Cui Lingyan had placed on the table and said unhappily, "Don't leave the gift she gave you here to get in the way. I'll put it under the box and never take it out again."
As he was speaking, a familiar cold voice came from the door: "What's going on? What's the matter with bullying?"
As the voices were heard, Lu Bingzhi came in from outside, his brows slightly furrowed, obviously unhappy.
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