Chapter 83: Cui Lingyan whispers to the prince...
Nanny Jiang walked out of Old Lady Zhai's room and then took her maid Qin'er back to Cuiwei Courtyard where Qi lived.
Nanny Jiang detailed everything she had been unable to say to Old Madam Zhai. Finally, she sighed softly and said, "My aunt still resents Madam for sending her to the Qi family. She's even taken her anger out on the maid Qiuzhi. When I went there, Qiuzhi was standing outside in the corridor, not serving in the house like Birou and Bitao. She looked like she'd lost a lot of weight. It's obvious that she's not happy being with my aunt. It's not as good as being in our Cuiwei Courtyard."
Upon hearing this, Madam Qi's face immediately darkened. With a sullen expression, she slammed the teacup in her hand to the ground and said indignantly, "I do bear a grudge against her. Although she was wronged in that incident, the Qi family is also her maternal family, and with her grandmother's love, what hardship could she have endured? At most, she suffered the pain of separation from me because she wasn't raised by me. But nothing is perfect in this world. I had to take care of Bo'er back then, and even if there hadn't been those rumors about her horoscope forcing her to curse her brother, I wouldn't have had the time to care for her daughter. Now she's married, the wife of a high-ranking prince, and yet she holds such a grudge against me, even going so far as to humiliate Qiuzhi, a maid from Cuiwei Courtyard. What an ungrateful person! She has no filial piety at all, and her knowledge is like a dog's stomach!"
Qi was furious, thinking that Qiu Zhi could only stand and serve in the corridor of the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion. How would those who knew that Qiu Zhi came from her Cuiwei Courtyard look at her, the wife of the Marquis of Ningshou's Mansion?
If Madam Dou, the stepmother Cen, and even Madam He from the second house, as well as the young ladies and gentlemen in the mansion, knew about this, I wonder how they would discuss and fabricate this matter behind their backs.
She had never taken Qiu Zhi, a maid of lowly status, seriously. She had sent Qiu Zhi to Chuyun Courtyard to serve Cui Lingyan, her daughter who had just returned home, because Qiu Zhi was not as popular as the other maids in Cuiwei Courtyard, so she sent her there. Later, when Cui Linghui's marriage fell to Cui Lingyan, she felt that there was nothing wrong with it, and sent Qiu Zhi's indenture to her, thinking that if Qiu Zhi was included in the dowry, she would at least be able to use it, and she would have an extra spy around Cui Lingyan in the future.
But she had no idea that Qiu Zhi would be so unappreciated after marrying into the marriage, and her daughter Cui Lingyan didn't even give her the slightest bit of face.
Seeing her wife so angry, Nanny Jiang should have said some words of comfort and said a few good words for Cui Lingyan to prevent the rift between mother and daughter from getting worse.
But today, Nanny Jiang felt that she was neglected by Cui Lingyan, and her maid Qin'er saw it, which made her look even more ashamed. She also blamed Cui Lingyan a little in her heart, so how could she defend her?
Not only did she not defend herself, Nanny Jiang took the opportunity to fan the flames, saying, "In the final analysis, our aunt's status is different now. She is no longer the obedient and sensible Third Miss who was considerate of Madam as her mother when she first returned to the mansion. Now, our aunt has become the wife of the Prince of Weiguo. The Prince is quite fond of us, and because of his liking for us, he has even shown a little respect to the old lady in our mansion. When he heard that the old lady had a headache, he even sent someone to the palace to invite the imperial physician to our mansion. In the final analysis, our aunt's personality has changed because of her different status and position."
"This time, when I went to the Duke of Wei's mansion, I dare to say that if this marriage had fallen on our Third Miss, it would have been better if it had fallen on the Second Miss, a concubine. After all, no one would have thought that the Third Miss would not care about her family's reputation at all after becoming the Crown Prince's wife. If it had been the Second Miss, a concubine, given her personality, she would definitely be very close to our Marquis' Mansion."
"Now that the Third Miss has gained power, it's Madam who's in a difficult position. She constantly brings up that incident, making everyone laugh. If the Third Miss had married a man from an ordinary family, how could she dare to complain about being wronged? For the sake of her husband's family, she would naturally have to swallow her grievances and maintain a good relationship with you, her biological mother. If that were the case, Madam, why would she worry about all this and why would she be angry about it?"
If Nanny Jiang could think of these things, how could Qi, as a mother, not think of them? However, since she was Cui Lingyan's biological mother, it was difficult for her to say it directly.
When Nanny Jiang brought it up, she nodded and said, "That's right. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have let her marry Lu Bingzhi. Now that she's married into a wealthy family, she doesn't care about me as her mother anymore."
"If she gives birth to a child and secures her position in the Duke of Wei's mansion, I wonder how she'll bully me, the mother who wronged her. Even Bo Ge'er, her biological brother, might be the target of her sister's wrath."
When she thought of this possibility, Qi felt very aggrieved. She had finally become the wife of Ningshou Marquis, but now she was being suppressed by her own daughter. Even if she went outside and said that Cui Lingyan was unfilial and disrespectful to her as her biological mother, people in the capital would bring up the incident when she sent Cui Lingyan to the Qi family, saying that she had brought this upon herself and could not blame her daughter Cui Lingyan.
Madam Qi frowned and said, "Luckily, Lu Bingzhi is poisoned. She's probably unable to have children. I was so worried about her before, but now I think it's a good thing. If she has a child, she'll be so obsessed with it that she won't even notice me as her mother."
Madam Qi's gaze fell on Nanny Jiang and she asked, "By the way, when you met Master Lu, how did he look? Did he look healthy?"
Nanny Jiang replied, "I didn't dare look directly at him. The prince is of such noble status that even if he is poisoned, he has the imperial physician to diagnose and treat him. Even if he drinks expensive tonics every day, he can still maintain a good complexion. Just looking at this is not a good guide."
"However, our son-in-law is truly favored by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. When I saw him, the servant behind him was holding a long box wrapped in bright yellow satin. It looked like a gift from the palace. Ultimately, our aunt is truly blessed to marry Prince Lu. It's a pity that her heart isn't with our Ningshou Marquisate. No matter how many benefits she offers, I'm afraid she won't be able to think of her parents' family."
Upon hearing this, Madam Qi snorted coldly, "Whether she's lucky or not, we'll see after she gives Lu Bingzhi a child. Who knows, she might be so prosperous now, but she might fall from grace anytime. If Lu Bingzhi doesn't like her anymore and she doesn't have a child, I don't think she'll have anywhere to cry. If she gets wronged and comes home to complain to me, her mother, I'll definitely scold her back!"
Having said that, there is nothing more to say.
Qi waved her hand and told Nanny Jiang and the others to leave.
Nanny Jiang and Qin'er left the house. When they reached the corridor, Qin'er couldn't help but ask, "Madam, didn't you advise Madam and Auntie to get closer before, even for the sake of the Young Master, to ease the relationship between mother and daughter? Why did you bring up all the embarrassing things that happened at the Duke of Wei's Mansion today? Isn't this just adding fuel to the fire and making Madam dislike Auntie?"
Nanny Jiang glared at her and said, "What do you know, little girl? Although we are also servants, there is a difference between servants and servants. I am a close person to the Madam and came with the Madam as a dowry. The Madam should give me some face. But the aunt is so disrespectful and humiliating to me in public. It's like she's stepping on my face. Of course I have to fight back. Otherwise, if this matter gets out, anyone can bully me in the future!"
Qin'er lived under the care of Nanny Jiang, and felt that what Nanny Jiang said made some sense. However, when she thought about the situation of her aunt Cui Lingyan in the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion, which was so enviable, it would not be worth it if she offended her aunt because of this matter.
What if Madam regrets it in the future and thinks that it was Madam Jiang who instigated the rift between Madam and the aunt and her daughter, and therefore becomes tired of Madam Jiang as her confidante? What should we do then?
Although servants are divided into different ranks, in the final analysis, their deeds are in the hands of their masters, and their lives and property are not in their own hands. Nanny Jiang did not comfort the Madam and reconcile the relationship between the Madam and the aunt, but instead added fuel to the fire. I wonder if she will regret it in the future?
Qin'er only thought about this in her heart and naturally didn't dare to say it out loud.
Just as she was about to go downstairs to do her work, she saw her aunt, Mrs. Zhan, coming with her cousin Qi Ruorou and the second cousin Cui Lingyin.
A hint of surprise flashed in Qin'er's eyes. Thinking of the broken teacup that Qi had just smashed on the floor in the house and had not been cleaned up yet, she wanted to hurry into the house.
But before she could move, Zhan and the others had already approached.
Without waiting for her to pass on the message, he lifted the curtain and walked into the house, talking and laughing.
As soon as Zhan entered, she saw broken teacups all over the floor, and a look of surprise appeared in her eyes.
She had also heard that Aunt Qi had sent Nanny Jiang to the Duke of Wei's mansion today, and she had come to hear how Cui Lingyan was doing there. She had also been planning to take her daughter Ruorou and her future daughter-in-law, Yin, to the mansion tomorrow, but she hadn't expected to see this scene the moment she entered.
Knowing Madam Qi's temperament, she had some guesses in her mind. She stepped aside from the broken teacup on the ground and sat down beside her. She softened her voice and asked, "What's going on? Miss Yan can't spare the time to come back to the Ningshou Marquis's Mansion to visit the old lady? It's not a big deal. Miss Yan has only been married for a short time and she must be busy with many things. It's not a bad idea for her to come back later."
Qi wanted to say something but stopped herself, feeling a little embarrassed, but Zhan was her sister-in-law from her natal family, and Yin would marry Shaozhang in the future, so there was nothing to hide.
Besides, she also wanted to ask for justice and talk about how Cui Lingyan disrespected her biological mother. Thinking of this, Qi no longer hesitated and told her dissatisfiedly about how Cui Lingyan neglected Jiang Ma Ma when she went to the Weiguo Mansion. She also talked about how Qiu Zhi, a dowry maid, had no face and was not even allowed to enter the house to serve.
Her face was grim, and she said with some anger, "Tell me, isn't she deliberately trying to embarrass me and make things difficult for me? I can tolerate any quarrels we have in private. I feel that it was me, as her mother, who wronged her first, so it's okay for her to feel aggrieved and upset. But now she is the wife of the Duke of Wei's son, and she is using these little tricks to embarrass me as a mother. Who knows what the people in the Duke of Wei's mansion will think of her and laugh at us, mother and daughter?"
"Such unpresentable and petty tactics are truly shameful. Isn't she afraid of being laughed at?"
Zhan was a person with a sharp and insightful mind. How could she not be aware of the grievances Cui Lingyan had suffered over the years? She also knew that Cui Lingyan had become a different person since she came to Beijing, just like when she was in the Qi Mansion. Her temperament was no longer gentle and well-behaved, and she had a bit of toughness in her bones. She would not easily forgive anyone who bullied her.
She just thought that Cui Lingyan hid herself well when she was in the Qi family. She was a vengeful person. Now that she has gained power and become the wife of the high and mighty prince, it is natural that she will repay all the grievances she suffered in the past.
She couldn't directly confront her biological mother, Qi, so she naturally took her anger out on Madam Jiang, Qi's trusted confidant. As for Qiu Zhi, she had met her a few times. When she first came to serve at Chuyun Court, she looked at everyone with her eyes fixed on the top of their heads. Even when she saw her aunt, her eyes were filled with contempt and disdain.
She could sense that Cui Lingyan had been a sensitive person since she was young, so how could she not see that Qiu Zhi did not take her, a young lady from the Marquis' Mansion who had just returned home, seriously.
It is understandable that she is not valued now that she was brought with her as a dowry. There is really no need to get angry about this.
As for those people in the Duke of Wei's Mansion who knew that Qiu Zhi was originally the head maidservant beside Qi, they probably also knew about the rift between Yan Yatou and Qi, mother and daughter. At most, they would make up a few comments in private and would never ask about it in front of Yan Yatou.
Not to mention the wealthy and powerful families in the capital, even in the Qi Mansion, it was common for the master to dislike a maid for some reason. There was no need to make such a big deal out of it.
Qi was a shrewd and insightful person. She felt that since her son had entered the Imperial College and would stay in the capital in the future and seek an official position in the court, there would always be a time when Cui Lingyan, the wife of the Crown Prince of Weiguo, would be of use to him.
Cui Lingyan whispered some nice words to the prince, and maybe her son would have a good future.
Instead of becoming distant from each other, it is better to get along well with each other and bring the relationship closer.
After all, she had raised Cui Lingyan, and they had lived together in the Qi family for so many years. Even if there had been some friction, their relationship was genuine. In the final analysis, Cui Lingyan, the wife of the Crown Prince, owed the Qi family a debt of gratitude.
Even if she has some opinions about her aunt, she still has to maintain a good relationship with her on the surface.
Qi waved her hand, asking all the maids and servants in the room to leave. Then she spoke her mind: "I don't like what you're saying. How could you have a grudge against your own daughter over two servants?"
"Since you know you were wronging Yan girl back then, why not indulge her now? Once she vents her anger, she'll naturally feel less wronged, and you two can get along well."
"If you ask me, the fact that Yan-ya accepted Qiu Zhi's indenture and asked her to be included in the dowry was already a great honor for you as a mother. You don't know how much Qiu Zhi flatters the powerful and looks down on the weak. Even when she meets me, her aunt, she can't help but show her superiority."
"It's irritating even for me, let alone Yan, a young lady from the Marquis' Mansion who just returned home. To neglect a maid like this is the least of my worries. If I were Yan, I would definitely call in a human trafficker to sell her off to vent my anger. Even if it's for my reputation now, I will definitely not let her go in the future."
"You, even after all these years, are still as stubborn as you were when you were still married in the Qi Mansion. You don't know how to submit at all. Even if you say you submit, you still don't submit in your heart."
Zhan patted Qi's hand and said with a touch of intimacy, "Well, tomorrow I'll take Ruorou and Lingyin to the Duke of Wei's mansion. Firstly, I'll tell her in person that I've bought a house in the capital and have it ready. I'll invite her over to warm up the house the day after tomorrow. Secondly, I'll try to persuade her to say a few good words for you, and ask Lingyin, your future cousin-in-law, to get closer to her so that we don't have any previous grudges. I've raised Yan girl, and I think she'll give me, her aunt, some respect."
"When the time comes, go over there too. When you see Ling Yan, remember to say more soft words. Don't think that you, as a mother, should not care about the mistakes you made. If you do, it would be unfilial and disrespectful to your dignity."
Zhan was the sister-in-law and was usually very good at dealing with people. After a few words, she made Qi feel a little embarrassed, but what she said was reasonable and Qi could not say a word to refute it.
Qi Ruorou coaxed her aunt Qi with a smile, and the second lady Cui Lingyin said a few flattering words, saying that no matter how calculative the third sister was, she was now the wife of a high and mighty prince. Others wanted to have a daughter who was the wife of a prince and had to calculative with her every day, but it would be impossible for them to do so.
The atmosphere in the room finally relaxed, and soon the sound of laughter could be heard outside.
......
Cui Lingyan had agreed to serve Lu Bingzhi a medicinal bath after dinner, so naturally there was no reason to go back on her word. She helped Lu Bingzhi take off his outer clothes, leaving only a thin layer of moon-white undergarment underneath, and she didn't think anything of it. But when Lu Bingzhi entered the bathtub, the water soaked his undergarment, revealing his strong chest and arms, as well as his slender waist, her cheeks suddenly became hot, and she quickly turned her head away.
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