Chapter 75: Is this virtuous Cui too impatient?
When they saw Lu Bingzhi come in, Bitao and the others' faces changed and they hurriedly bowed to greet him.
Lu Bingzhi's gaze lingered on the bracelet in Bitao's hand, then he waved his hand and said, "Everyone, go away. There's no need to keep anyone here to serve."
The two of them understood and quickly retreated.
Lu Bingzhi walked to the couch and sat down, his eyes falling on Cui Lingyan, waiting to hear her explanation.
Cui Lingyan poured him a cup of tea and then, in a gentle voice, recounted what had just happened at Qingde Courtyard. She concluded, saying softly, "I had a falling out with the Mudan Courtyard, and the second young lady had just been punished to kneel in the ancestral hall and offer tea as an apology. Old Madam Mei naturally has a grudge against me. But she's old, and she wouldn't show her feelings openly. She brought up the story of Marquis Kangshou's late wife, which really upset me. Actually, it's not worth taking it to heart. After all, I got a bracelet for free, so it's not really a loss."
Cui Lingyan spoke lightly, without any sign of grievance between her eyebrows. She really didn't take Mrs. Mei's words to heart.
Qi's partiality has been going on for a long time. She has lived in her maternal grandparents' home for so many years, and she has had even more unbearable experiences in her dreams. She didn't take Mrs. Mei's words to heart at all.
When she said this, Lu Bingzhi's expression turned sour. He said with a hint of sarcasm, "Logically, she's my elder and I shouldn't bother with her. But she's disrespectful to her elders and doesn't give you, the Crown Prince's wife, any respect. Naturally, this matter can't be allowed to pass like this."
Cui Lingyan couldn't help but look at Lu Bingzhi. She felt particularly happy to see him protecting her like this. She couldn't help but curl her eyebrows and said, "Your Highness is right. If she bullies me, she is bullying you. It's not wrong for you to have a fight with her. But I wonder how you plan to deal with this Old Madam Mei?"
After spending these days together, Lu Bingzhi also knew Cui Lingyan's personality. She was not like those noble ladies in the capital who were always pretentious. Even when she felt wronged and uncomfortable, she pretended to be magnanimous. When she heard that he wanted to make a fuss about this matter, she also looked so concerned, which really didn't spoil the fun.
Lu Bingzhi placed the teacup in his hand on the table, and Cui Lingyan filled his cup with tea again. Her beautiful eyes looked at him with a hint of curiosity.
Lu Bingzhi said, "She's my elder, so I naturally can't argue with her directly. But the Cen family, who are of the same generation as us, are not without faults. I've ordered Guanyan to send someone to investigate, and I'll be able to give you an explanation in a day or two."
"This can be considered a warning to the Cen family and Mudanyuan."
Cui Lingyan nodded, with a hint of intimacy and gratitude in her smiling eyes.
Although she was used to digesting those negative emotions on her own and had no one to support her on weekdays, she was only happy that Lu Bingzhi was willing to protect her and support her.
Cui Lingyan felt warm in her heart when she thought about how Lu Bingzhi had protected her time and time again since she got married, and never felt annoyed. He even complained that she grew up in the Qi family and didn't understand the social ways of the noble ladies in the capital.
When Lu Bingzhi saw her like this, the coldness between his eyebrows disappeared, and he became a little more gentle.
After lunch, Lu Bingzhi ordered Guanyan to investigate the affairs of the Cen family.
After hearing his order, Guan Yan quickly agreed, but he felt in his heart that Old Madam Mei was also confused. Why didn't she give the prince any face?
How could the Cen family possibly have a good ending after offending the Crown Prince? I'm afraid the Cen family will be in turmoil in a few days, and Old Madam Mei will be worried.
Seeing Guan Yan accept the order and leave, Cui Lingyan couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth. She accompanied Lu Bingzhi to drink tea, walked in the garden for a while, and saw Lu Bingzhi go to Songxue Hall before returning to the house.
Bi Tao's face was full of smiles, and she couldn't help but say, "The prince is so protective of the young lady. I'm really happy for her. Before, when she was in the mansion, no one protected her. Now that she's married, the prince is so protective of her. It seems that even the heavens are protecting her, allowing her to find such a good marriage."
"The Crown Prince said he wanted to avenge the Young Madam, and I wonder how he'll mess with the Cen family. I'm afraid the Cen family won't have the confidence to stand up to the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion. Every powerful family in the capital has some dirty deeds going on behind the scenes. I think the Cen family will soon become the talk of the town. By then, the First Madam will be too embarrassed to even think about embarrassing the Young Madam."
Cui Lingyan pursed her lips and smiled. To say she was unhappy would be a lie. She smiled and said, "Alright, we just know about these things. Don't tell anyone about them, lest we get caught and cause trouble for the prince."
Lu Bingzhi could vent her anger, but he could only do it in private. Even if the Cen family could guess that it was done by Lu Bingzhi, the prince, they could not find any evidence, and they were too embarrassed to blame Lu Bingzhi, the prince of the Duke of Wei.
I am afraid that by then, some people in the Cen family will feel that Old Madam Mei has offended Lu Bingzhi for the sake of a daughter who has been married for many years, and they will feel unhappy and even vent their anger on Cen, the married aunt.
If Cen had a son, her position in the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion would be stable, but now Cen only has a daughter, Lu Danruo. I'm afraid no one in the Cen family doesn't know that she only has the empty title of Duke's Wife in the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion, and actually can't bring any benefits to the Cen family. In this way, when things involve the Cen family, the people in the mansion will not stand on the side of Cen, a married woman.
Hearing Cui Lingyan's instructions, Bi Tao quickly responded, "This servant knows the seriousness of the matter, Madam, don't worry."
Birou listened to Cui Lingyan and Bitao talking and laughing, with a smile on her face.
The next morning, when Cui Lingyan went to pay her respects to the old lady, she saw Cen already sitting in the room as soon as she entered. She was a little surprised, thinking that Cen had come a little early today.
Seeing Cui Lingyan come in, Madam Dou looked towards her and said with a smile, "Come and sit down. We have some milk and almond tea brewed in the small kitchen. You can have some too."
Cui Lingyan nodded with a smile, bowed to Madam Dou and Cen, and then sat down on the embroidered cushion below.
The maid followed the old lady's instructions and quickly brought over a cup of milk and almond tea.
This was not the first time Cui Lingyan had drunk this at the old lady's place. Knowing that it tasted good, she picked up the tea bowl and began to drink it in small sips.
Mrs. Cen and the old lady were talking, mostly about things in the mansion.
Cui Lingyan lowered her eyebrows slightly. She was a very thoughtful person. When she came in just now, she clearly felt that the atmosphere in the room was a little strange. Cen came so early to pay her respects to the old lady. She didn't know what she said to the old lady in private. The old lady didn't show it on her face, but her mood seemed not as good as usual.
Curious as she was, Cui Lingyan didn't stay with the old lady for too long. After sitting for a while, she stood up and said goodbye to her, giving an unmistakable excuse: "The imperial physician needs to check the prince's pulse today, and my granddaughter-in-law wants to go to Songxue Hall to check it out."
Hearing her say this, the old lady's smile brightened a little more. "It's as it should be. As his wife, you should pay more attention to Bingzhi's health. Bingzhi may look cold, but if you care about him, he will know it in his heart and will remember your kindness."
As the old lady spoke, she instructed the maidservant beside her, "Take a jar of Mengding Ganlu to the young lady and ask her to take it to Songxue Hall. This will save me from sending someone there again."
Cui Lingyan accepted the tea sent by the old lady yesterday. Now that the old lady gave her this instruction, how could she not know that the old lady was thinking of her?
The old lady was afraid that if she went over rashly, Lu Bingzhi would be unhappy. After all, there were all those rumors about Lu Bingzhi being poisoned. Although Lu Bingzhi seemed to be protecting her as his wife, he might not be willing to let her know the specific condition of his body.
Cui Lingyan was grateful and thanked the old lady before leaving the room.
Cen clenched the handkerchief in her hand, feeling quite unhappy. She had been married for so many years, but why didn't the old lady think so much about her?
She then thought about Cui Lingyan's announcement that the imperial physician would come to check Lu Bingzhi's pulse today and that she was going to Songxuetang, and a hint of sarcasm welled up in her heart. It seemed Cui Lingyan hadn't consummated her marriage in all these days, and even though she didn't say it, she felt uneasy inside. Otherwise, why would she care about this?
After all, Lu Bingzhi's poisoning had caused so much gossip. His former fiancée, Cui Linghui, was so disgusted with the prince that she even deliberately fell into the water and caught a cold to break off the engagement. With so many rumors, many of which focused on Lu Bingzhi's physical weakness, any man would have felt humiliated.
Cui was also an impatient person. It had only been a short time since she got married, but she was already so impatient.
It would be best if I could make Lu Bingzhi unhappy today, so that she can feel relieved.
Cen thought so, but did not show it on her face.
Madam Dou glanced at her and said, "Alright, go and do your thing."
Mrs. Cen hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Mother, I want to record the matter under my name..."
Madam Dou glanced at her and said, "Let me think about this matter again. Just wait."
Cen was a little unhappy, but she couldn't show it in front of the old lady, so she just replied "yes" and left.
The smile on Cen's face faded only after they left Qingdeyuan.
Seeing her wife's unhappy expression, Madam Qi, her trusted confidant, quickly spoke out to comfort her, "Although the old lady didn't agree, she didn't refuse either. Let's not rush into this matter."
Cen frowned, her tone tinged with sarcasm, "I, your virtuous daughter-in-law, am willing to register the illegitimate son under my own name, but the old lady doesn't seem very happy about it, and she hasn't agreed yet. It's obvious that she is worried about me, her daughter-in-law, and is afraid that I will have some schemes."
"It's really funny. I'm willing to give Lu Cong'an this respect. How can I treat him unfairly by registering him as a bastard son under my name?"
"If I hadn't had no son and my position in the mansion wasn't so precarious, I wouldn't have listened to my mother and actually thought about this. I really don't feel disgusted by having a bastard's son registered under my name."
Aunt Qi knew that her wife was unhappy, and she also felt that the old lady's refusal to agree was a slap in the face to her wife.
If this happened in another mansion, who wouldn't praise the Madam for her virtuous and generous behavior? But in the Duke of Wei's mansion, Lu Cong'an, a bastard, had never suffered any injustice since childhood and was even protected by the Crown Prince Lu Bingzhi. He didn't act like a bastard at all.
In this case, the lady's praise for him seems to be of little significance.
However, there is a difference between legitimate children and illegitimate children. If the news of the lady's thoughts reaches Lu Cong'an, he, a illegitimate son, may not be unmoved by the thoughts.
After all, who doesn’t want to have a higher status?
Thinking of this, Madam Qi said, "How about this servant of mine pass some information out? As long as they're interested, can the old lady, as a grandmother, disapprove and hinder the future of her grandson, Lu Cong'an?"
Cen thought about it and nodded: "Well, let's do it this way."
After Cen finished speaking, she looked towards Songxue Hall and said speculatively, "Tell me, isn't this Cui too impatient? If it were me, I would definitely pretend nothing happened. I wonder if her approaching like this will make Lu Bingzhi unhappy, thinking that she has the intention of prying into him, and is actually thinking the same as her stepsister Cui Linghui?"
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