Chapter 85: I can also give an explanation to the prince and the old lady in the mansion...
When Cui Lingyan heard that her aunt Zhan had come to the mansion, she showed a little surprise in her eyes. Thinking of her current identity as the wife of the prince of the Duke of Weiguo and that she was quite favored by Lu Bingzhi, her aunt, who was quite calculating and extremely shrewd, would naturally not miss the opportunity to benefit from her.
Cui Lingyan's eyes were filled with sarcasm. "I thought my aunt was too busy arranging my second cousin's and my cousin's marriage to come. It turns out I was wrong."
Birou also knew that the second daughter Cui Lingyin had plotted against her young mistress before, but her aunt Zhan first came to question the young mistress, thinking that it was the young mistress who had brought up her cousin Qi Shaozhang's reputation, and then for some reason she set her eyes on Cui Lingyin as her own daughter-in-law. With all these things going on, even though Zhan had raised the young mistress, there might not be much affection left between them.
Not to mention, ever since Birou came to serve in Chuyun Court, she has noticed that the young lady does not like her aunt very much, and even her affection for her cousin Qi Ruoruo is superficial. She looks at Wen Ruoruo with a smile on her face, but the smile has never reached her eyes. It seems that over the years in the Qi family, the young lady, the cousin who has been living in the mansion, must have suffered a lot of grievances.
So, hearing Cui Lingyan's words now, she wasn't surprised. She simply said, "My aunt is the elder after all. Since she's here, I should accompany the young lady to the hanging flower gate to greet her. Don't let people think that the young lady is arrogant because of her different status now."
Cui Lingyan disliked her aunt Zhan, but she wasn't the type to act solely on her own whim. Even if Birou didn't say anything, she wouldn't give anyone a chance to fabricate something about her. She closed the account book in her hand and nodded, saying, "That's fine. Tell Bitao to go to the kitchen and have them prepare some Jiangnan dishes. I think we'll have my aunt and the others have dinner at Wutong Courtyard today."
"Send someone to Songxue Hall to inform the prince that he doesn't need to come over at noon." With Lu Bingzhi's personality, he certainly doesn't want to deal with the Zhan family and the people from the Marquis' Mansion. Cui Lingyan can handle it by herself.
Birou knew what the young lady was thinking. Besides, the affairs of the women in the inner house were not something the prince should interfere with. If the prince came to see his aunt Zhan, it would be a loss of status. If Zhan had treated the young lady well when she was in the Qi family, it would be fine. It would be fine if the prince respected her as an elder because of her kindness to the young lady. But unfortunately, Zhan did not have this good relationship with him, so naturally, he could only use such etiquette.
As Birou spoke, she winked at Bitao and told her to go to Songxue Hall. She also instructed a maid to go to the kitchen to give instructions, and then followed Cui Lingyan out of Wutong Courtyard and went all the way to Chuihua Gate.
As soon as the two of them reached the Chuihua Gate, they saw several people coming towards them from a distance. The one walking in front was their aunt, Mrs. Zhan, and following behind her were their cousin Qi Ruorou and their second cousin Cui Lingyin.
Cui Lingyan's gaze first fell on Cui Lingyin. Today, Cui Lingyin was wearing a royal blue jacket embroidered with peonies. Her appearance was above average, but with careful dressing, she looked even more refined and graceful. Compared to the Cui Lingyin who had been exposed and embarrassed in front of the old lady, this cousin seemed a little gentler after not seeing her for so long. She often smiled and talked to Qi Ruorou, and the contempt and disdain she had shown when she thought Qi Ruorou, her cousin, was just asking for money was long gone.
When she walked with Zhan and Qi Ruoruo, it seemed as if they had been together for many years.
Cui Lingyan felt a little sad. At the beginning, Cui Lingyin was jealous of her getting this marriage, so she asked Madam Wen to make up those rumors about her and Qi Shaozhang. At that time, she also wanted to marry Lu Bingzhi, the prince of Weiguo Mansion. Now that she has become the future daughter-in-law of the Qi family, she quickly suppressed these thoughts and got along well with the Qi family.
Cui Lingyan felt that her cousin had a personality similar to her aunt Zhan. When they became mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the future, she would probably be able to adapt to the identity of the Qi family's daughter-in-law better than the one in her dream.
As she was thinking this, Zhan and the others had already reached the Chuihua Gate. Cui Lingyan put these thoughts aside and walked forward with a smile. She bowed to Zhan and said, "Yan'er greets my aunt. Why didn't you send someone to tell me earlier that my aunt was coming? I sent a carriage to the Marquis' Mansion to pick her up."
Zhan knew that her niece Cui Lingyan's daughter was not as obedient and docile as she was in the Qi family. Hearing her greetings, she was even more certain that although Cui Lingyan was young, she was a vengeful person and would not let anyone off the hook. She had come to her house without permission today, and she might not really welcome her as her aunt.
Why tell her earlier? As the young lady, she sent someone to the Marquis's Mansion to pick her up. When she didn't hear it, she felt that it was a bit abrupt for them to come to her house so suddenly.
However, Cui Lingyan's words were extremely clever, and even if Zhan Shi heard some other meanings, she could not find any fault with them.
Zhan smiled and said to Cui Lingyan in a friendly manner, "Why do you need to send someone to pick her up? The Marquis' Mansion has plenty of carriages. You've only just married into the Duke of Wei's Mansion, so you must have a lot of things to do. Your aunt wouldn't want to cause you any trouble."
"I came here today because I wanted to see you, and because I bought a house in the capital, and I wanted to invite you over the day after tomorrow to stay and have some fun. It would also be nice for you to relax and unwind."
Cui Lingyan smiled and took Zhan and the others to Wutong Courtyard. After entering the house, they sat down as host and guest, and the maid Birou served tea and snacks.
While drinking tea, Zhan looked around the elegantly decorated house with a low-key and noble atmosphere. When she saw Cui Lingyan's current dress, she couldn't help feeling a little emotional.
Who could have imagined that the cousin who lived cautiously in the Qi family would get such a marriage today, marry Lu Bingzhi, the prince of Weiguo, and become Lu Bingzhi's wife?
If I had known that she would be so successful, I should have treated my niece better when I was in the Qi family. If she had been nicer to Cui Lingyan and asked her to respect her aunt as her own mother, I wonder how much benefit she would have gained now.
Fortunately, although he hadn't been completely devoted to her, he hadn't openly offended Cui Lingyan. Even though he hadn't contributed much to her upbringing, he had certainly put in a lot of effort. As for the previous incidents where he'd questioned her and demanded an explanation for Shaozhang's reputation, and asked Cui Lingyan to be his future daughter-in-law, it was partly because she was too concerned, and partly because of the relationship between the two governments. He didn't want to hurt their feelings over one incident.
Yin's plan failed and she was punished. The position of the Crown Prince's wife in the Weiguo Mansion still fell on Cui Lingyan. In her opinion, if Cui Lingyan was a smart person, she should not continue to care about this matter.
They had such an awkward quarrel that they never had anything to do with each other again, which was not good for her reputation as the Crown Prince's wife.
Thinking of this, Zhan smiled and said, "Back then, at the Qi family, your grandmother and I privately discussed your marriage. We thought that with your beauty and high social status, you'd marry a wealthy young man in the future. At the time, your grandmother and I both thought you'd marry a well-matched young man of high social status after returning to the capital. We never imagined you'd be so blessed to marry Master Lu and become his consort. I've already sent a letter to your grandmother. If she knew, I wonder how happy she would be."
"When your grandmother comes to the capital to attend Shaozhang and Lingyin's wedding in a few days, you and your grandchildren will be able to meet and have a good chat."
Cui Lingyin raised an eyebrow. How could she not know that Zhan was using her grandmother's affection to smooth over their differences? Then there was the news that her grandmother was coming to the capital. If she, her granddaughter, and Zhan fell out, people in the capital would gossip and make things worse, which would really make her grandmother furious. Even if she knew she had a clear conscience, she would still be tarnished in the face of criticism and backstabbing.
My aunt is as smart as ever.
Cui Lingyan smiled and said, "I'm also very happy that Grandmother can come to the capital."
As she spoke, she looked at Cui Lingyin who was sitting below and said with a smile, "Congratulations, second cousin. When she and cousin get married, I will go to the wedding to have a drink. Then I will call her my cousin's wife."
Cui Lingyin blushed slightly when she heard the name "cousin-in-law." She glanced at Cui Lingyan, then stood up and bowed. "I was blinded by jealousy and nearly hurt Third Sister. I shouldn't have come here so rashly, but I wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to you, Third Sister."
As Cui Lingyin spoke, she actually knelt down in front of Zhan, Qi Ruoruo, and a room full of maids and servants.
"I'm not asking Third Sister to forget this matter, I just hope that Third Sister won't vent her anger on the Qi family because of me. When I marry into the Qi family, I'll be a Qi family woman. If I cause a rift between Third Sister and the Qi family because of me, how can I still have the face to be their daughter-in-law?
No one expected her action. Cui Lingyan was stunned for a moment, put down the teacup in her hand, and personally walked down from the couch to help the person up.
It is really surprising that Cui Lingyin has achieved this.
As expected, during these years as a concubine in the Ningshou Marquis's mansion, Cui Lingyin was more willing to sacrifice her reputation than Cui Linghui, the legitimate daughter of the eldest son.
Such flexibility is truly admirable.
"What are you doing, cousin? Get up quickly. Let's not talk about the past anymore. When you marry into the Qi family, you'll be my cousin's wife. I've been taken care of by my uncle and aunt for so many years, so I owe them a favor. If you feel bad about it, just consider this as repayment. I think my aunt loves you as her future daughter-in-law, and she won't think there's anything wrong with it to put your mind at ease."
Cui Lingyin stood up with the help of Cui Lingyan's arm. When she first saw Cui Lingyan's actions, she felt that although she had lost some face by kneeling, if she could ask Cui Lingyan to let go of the past in front of everyone, it would not be a waste of her face.
She always felt that Cui Lingyan did not grow up in the Marquis' Mansion and was not a very scheming person. She knelt down in public like this. Even if Cui Lingyan was unwilling to let the matter go, it would not be good to lose face for Zhan, her aunt who had raised her. After all, she was not only her cousin now, but also her future cousin-in-law.
Morally and logically, it was enough for her to apologize to this extent. Cui Lingyan couldn't make a fuss about it anymore, as it would make people think that she was narrow-minded and didn't remember the kindness the Qi family had shown her.
But she didn't expect that her cousin would help her up with her own hands. She spoke softly, but the meaning of her words was shocking.
She actually wanted to use her to erase the kindness the Qi family had shown her over the years of upbringing?
What a good idea and method!
Even she, a concubine's daughter who grew up in the Ningshou Marquis's Mansion, was not so calculating and scheming.
Shocked, Cui Lingyin couldn't help but open her eyes wide, her eyes full of surprise.
Receiving her gaze, Cui Lingyan smiled and said, "Don't worry, cousin. I grew up in the Qi family and I know my aunt's personality best. Now that my aunt likes you so much, she will naturally agree to it to put your mind at ease."
"Don't blame me for saying this. If it were just me, I wouldn't blame anyone, but even for my cousins, the word 'blame' is a bit harsh. But this matter has already involved my reputation. Although the Crown Prince and the Duke's Mansion are reluctant to argue with my cousin due to the relationship between the two families, there must be a reason for revealing it in public. By doing this, I can also give an explanation to the Crown Prince and the old lady of the mansion."
"Since my cousin is going to be my sister-in-law, we'll naturally get along as we please. This way, my cousin will feel at ease, and I'll have an explanation. Wouldn't it make us feel more comfortable with each other?"
Cui Lingyan half-pushed, half-helped Cui Lingyin to sit down, then sat back on the soft couch. Then she smiled at Zhan and said, "Aunt, do you think Yan'er is doing this?"
Zhan's mind changed several times, and the smile on her face was a little hard to hold, but she finally said: "Okay, of course it's good. From now on, you and your cousin's wife will completely put an end to the grudges and get along well. Isn't this what we elders want?"
Zhan's heart was bleeding, and she was so angry that she wanted to vomit blood. Was this the way the Qi family had nurtured Cui Lingyan? But Cui Lingyan had said this, and even brought up the old lady and the prince in the mansion, so what could she do even if she didn't agree?
Besides, the thing was done by Cui Lingyin, the future daughter-in-law. If she didn't give in, Cui Lingyin would have a rift with her, the mother-in-law, and the Qi family before she even got married. Even if she became the wife of the Qi family in the future, she might not be able to truly think about the Qi family.
Now that things have come to this, she has no choice.
Zhan took a deep breath and thought that she had never seen Cui Lingyan be so scheming when she was at the Qi family before. She thought she was simple-minded and easy to fool. Now, she thought that Cui Lingyan must be very clear about whether she was sincere as an aunt or not.
No wonder Cui Lingyan had become so distant from her aunt since returning to the Ningshou Marquis's residence in the capital. Zhan hadn't been sure before, but after visiting her today and witnessing Cui Lingyan's behavior at such a young age, how could she not understand that she had been a mean person in vain? Her subtle thoughts caught Cui Lingyan's eye, and she even tried to get her to remember the Qi family's kindness.
In Cui Lingyan's eyes, wouldn't she be considered a joke as her aunt?
Thinking about this, Zhan felt more and more uncomfortable.
No one had expected things to develop to this point. Cui Lingyin sat there with a slightly pale face and a hint of embarrassment. Qi Ruorou, who was sitting next to her, had a pale face and opened her mouth to say something, but the words turned around and she swallowed them back.
"My aunt said she bought a house in the capital. Where is it? Is the area around here lively?"
Cui Lingyan seemed not to notice that the atmosphere was wrong at all, and asked Zhan with a smile.
Zhan suppressed her thoughts and forced a smile, saying, "It's over in Hanjia Hutong. There are many scholars there, and buying a courtyard with four entrances isn't very expensive. I was thinking your cousin is studying at the Imperial College now, so it would be perfect for you to live there after you get married. The atmosphere is also very nice."
"There are also several neighbors who are from Jiangnan, so it's easy for us to get along with each other."
Cui Lingyan nodded with a smile: "Of course my aunt has arranged everything for my cousin, and it's very thorough."
The two chatted and the atmosphere eased a little, but the previous incident naturally could not be pretended not to have happened.
So, after sitting for a while and leaving the address of the house, Zhan thought about taking her daughter and Cui Lingyin back. She had also thought that if she could take this opportunity to pay her respects to the old lady in the mansion, her daughter Qi Ruorou could also show her face in front of the old lady, even if it was just a gift.
But Cui Lingyan's behavior made her, as her aunt, feel embarrassed and at a great disadvantage. How could she have the nerve to say that she wanted to pay her respects to the old lady?
If Cui Lingyan were to find an excuse to refuse, she, as an elder, would lose face.
So, without any thought for this matter, and even less interest in chatting with Cui Lingyan, Zhan thought about leaving early.
Before she could even say goodbye, Cui Lingyan said, "Yan'er has specially asked the kitchen to prepare dishes from Jiangnan. Aunt, please try them carefully when we have dinner and tell me how they taste. Is they as authentic as those made by the Qi family's chef?"
After Cui Lingyan said this, Zhan had no choice but to stay.
She forced a smile and said, "I'm just here to chat with you. You just got married, so shouldn't the prince accompany you for lunch? Please don't let it affect your relationship as a couple."
Cui Lingyan smiled and said, "I asked the maid to send someone to tell the prince that he has guests today and he can have lunch at Songxue Hall by himself. This is the first time my aunt and cousin are here, so I must eat with them. Otherwise, it would be a breach of hospitality."
Zhan was a little surprised at Cui Lingyan's casualness when she mentioned the prince Lu Bingzhi. Although she saw that Lu Bingzhi was very nice to his new wife Cui Lingyan when he returned home three days ago, she just felt that Lu Bingzhi, the prince of Weiguo, attached great importance to rules. Since Cui Lingyan had married him, he would give her the respect that a prince's wife should have. At most, Cui Lingyan was particularly good-looking, which made Lu Bingzhi, the prince, like her a little more.
But she really didn't expect that Cui Lingyan had only been married for a few days and she was already so close to her husband Lu Bingzhi? The casualness and intimacy in her tone were not what a newlywed bride should have.
If she didn't have this confidence, Cui Lingyan wouldn't dare to say this, for fear of being laughed at.
Zhan's gaze fell on Cui Lingyan, and she felt a little jealous. Her daughter Qi Ruorou had grown up with Cui Lingyan since childhood. Now that Cui Lingyan had become the Crown Prince's wife and was getting along so well with Lu Bingzhi, her daughter's marriage was still unsettled.
Comparing the two, Mrs. Zhan felt a little envious and a little jealous. She wished her daughter could have this blessing.
Soon it was lunch time. The kitchen sent over a lot of dishes, filling up the table. Several people sat at the round table and ate while talking.
During this time, the old lady sent her maid to deliver a mutton-fat jade hairpin with a peony flower, saying that the old lady heard that her aunt brought her cousin to the house, and according to reason, she should meet them, but the old lady had a cough when she got up this morning, so she disappeared. She only sent her maid to deliver this gift and asked the young lady to entertain the guests well.
As Zhan listened, she thought to herself that the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion was indeed the place that attached great importance to rules. It was a pity that her daughter couldn't ask for favors from the old lady.
She gestured to her daughter to accept the hairpin. Zhan thanked her with a smile. Seeing Bi Tao escorting the person out, Zhan said to Cui Lingyan with a smile, "Old Madam, you are so polite."
Qi Ruorou accepted the hairpin, but she didn't feel happy at all. The lunch seemed harmonious and lively, but in fact, everyone had their own thoughts and was a little absent-minded while eating.
After finally finishing lunch and drinking a cup of tea, Mrs. Zhan stood up and said goodbye.
Cui Lingyan personally escorted them to the gate of the courtyard, and then asked Bitao to escort Zhan and the others out, while she took Birou back to the house.
Birou pursed her lips and smiled, saying cheerfully, "My aunt is probably regretting her trip now. How did the Young Madam come up with that idea? The Second Young Lady suddenly knelt down to apologize to the Young Madam, and I was shocked. In front of so many people, it was a credit to the Second Young Lady that she was willing to sacrifice her dignity. I thought the Young Madam would have to completely cover up this matter for the sake of her reputation, but I never thought she was so clever and could come up with such an idea."
Cui Lingyan returned to the couch and sat down, saying with a hint of sarcasm, "She's forcing me to reveal this. If I agree to her, everyone will treat me like a soft persimmon and take advantage of me. If they offend me, I'll just have to apologize."
"I thought I didn't know that she had become a wife of the Qi family, and that Concubine Wen, who was sent to the farm, would eventually be taken back. My aunt and Cui Lingyin were actually relying on the Qi family's care for me over the years and thought I should remember this favor and not break up. Today's kneeling was also a retreat to advance. She wanted to ask me to agree in public just because she lost face. She was using my reputation to silence me. It was clearly disgusting to me."
"If I don't respond, and use this incident to cancel out the kindness the Qi family has shown me, I'll be disgusting myself. I'm afraid I'll be so angry that I won't even be able to sleep well."
Cui Lingyan added, "That's good too. It will save my aunt from talking about me living in the Qi family for so many years in public and behind everyone else's backs."
"Doesn't she like Cui Lingyin, her future daughter-in-law? If so, how can she feel she's being taken advantage of by using this favor to put Cui Lingyin at ease?"
Birou nodded. "That's right. After what happened today, Madam Auntie will be more cautious in what she does and says in the future. With the Young Madam's current status, it's not good for her to wrangle with her over this and ruin her reputation. If we use the Second Young Lady's matter to offset it, Madam Auntie will have nothing to say. After all, she's doing this for the future daughter-in-law of the Qi family."
"Also, although I used to serve in the old lady's room, I also know that the Marquis' Mansion sends a lot of annual gifts to the Qi family every year. The young lady's food, clothing and other expenses have never been spent by the Qi family. If the Qi family is a respectable family, after this incident, it is not appropriate for them to continue to use this favor to benefit the young lady."
Such relatives will have to stay in the capital in the future, so it is better for the young lady to handle it in this way.
After all, the young lady is not only the eldest daughter of the Ningshou Marquis's Mansion, but also the wife of the prince of the Weiguo Duke. If Zhan feels that the young lady owes the Qi family a favor, then whether the Duke's Mansion owes it or not, should they give Zhan and the Qi family some face?
......
In the carriage, Cui Lingyin's eyes were red, and she choked up as she spoke, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so careless and foolish before, this wouldn't have happened. I've wiped out all the kindness the Qi family has shown to Third Sister over the years. It'll be hard for the Qi family to bring this up with Third Sister from now on."
Zhan was furious, but she knew that venting her anger at Cui Lingyin would only affect their future relationship. She suppressed her irritation and anger, saying to Cui Lingyin gently, "It's okay. It's good enough that this matter is over. When you return, have someone bring Concubine Wen back to the mansion. If the old lady asks about it, tell her the truth. I'm sure she won't object."
Now that things have come to this, Mrs. Zhan naturally wants to do her future daughter-in-law Cui Lingyin some favors so that she will owe the Qi family more.
Cui Lingyin's eyes grew redder, and she nodded, "Thank you very much."
Qi Ruorou lowered her head, feeling quite complicated. Today's trip to the Duke of Wei's Mansion really frightened her. Cui Lingyan, who grew up with her, had become so arrogant now. Her behavior made her feel like a different person.
Qi Ruorou didn't think it was just because Cui Lingyan returned to the capital. She felt it was more because Cui Lingyan had married Lu Bingzhi and became Lu Bingzhi's wife.
Cui Lingyan is not giving face to her mother and the Qi family today. She is acting like this because her husband Lu Bingzhi is backing her up, right?
Lu Bingzhi was a young man from a noble family, and the son of the late Princess Shu Ning. He was loved by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, but he treated Cui Lingyan so well, which made her envious and jealous.
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