Chapter 52: Princess Chun'an, since you think Cui is good, please protect her more...
After leaving the ancestral hall, Lu Bingzhi accompanied Cui Lingyan back to Wutong Courtyard. After sitting for a while, he said, "You rest. I'll go to my father's place."
Cui Lingyan knew Lu Bingzhi's true identity and guessed that he had something to discuss privately with the Duke of Wei. She nodded with a smile and walked Lu Bingzhi to the door before asking, "Prince, can you come back for lunch?"
Lu Bingzhi saw her looking at him with a smile on her face, her beautiful eyes filled with a hint of nervousness and anticipation. He paused, then nodded and said, "Of course you will come back. There's a kitchen in the mansion. Tell someone to pass on what you want to eat."
Cui Lingyan smiled and agreed, "I understand. Prince, please go quickly and don't keep father waiting."
Lu Bingzhi nodded and walked straight out.
Cui Lingyan watched him leave Wutong Courtyard before returning to the house.
The room still brimmed with the festive atmosphere of a newlywed couple, the air carrying a faint scent of Canaan. Cui Lingyan walked over to the couch, sat down, took a sip of her teacup, and looked at Birou, who stood below. She said, "I've only just married into the Duke's Mansion, so there are many things I can't ask directly. You're a daughter of the Marquis's family, so you're most familiar with the affairs of this prestigious family. So, pay more attention and see if you can familiarize yourself with the situation there as soon as possible."
Birou was her maidservant who came with her as a dowry, and had originally come from the old lady's room. Hearing Cui Lingyan's words, she understood what she meant and bowed, "Young Madam, don't worry. I understand. Actually, today, the young lady and the prince went to Qingde Courtyard to pay their respects to the old lady. We were waiting outside, and someone took the initiative to talk to us."
Cui Lingyan thought about what happened at the old lady's place today and guessed, "Is it someone close to the second lady?"
Birou nodded: "It's Feicui, the maidservant beside the Second Madam."
"Fei Cui was very polite, and seemed to be interested in visiting Wutong Court more often. She also said that their mistress was very hospitable and kind to the younger generation, and that if the young lady had time, she could visit the second mistress more often. She also said that the eldest daughter of the mansion loved reading and had a large collection of books in her study, many of which were rare copies. Some were gifts from the old lady, and some were sent by the prince. If the young lady was interested, she could borrow them to read."
Cui Lingyan laughed when she heard this and couldn't help but say, "Just now at Grandmother's place, I saw that Grandmother was closer to the Second Madam, but was more polite to the First Madam, the eldest daughter-in-law, and less affectionate."
"Now it seems that not only does Grandmother like Second Aunt, but she also likes the eldest daughter. Even the Crown Prince is closer to the eldest daughter. Otherwise, given the Crown Prince's personality, why would he send someone to deliver the book?"
"And just now, when we were dining at Grandmother's, the Crown Prince treated the illegitimate Third Young Master quite warmly, showing no disdain. But now, it seems he's only become more distant towards the First Lady and the Second Young Lady."
The atmosphere quieted down for a moment. A wealthy and powerful family is not simpler than an ordinary small family. When there are more people, things become complicated. What's more, the current first lady Cen is the second wife, and the biological mother of the prince is the late Princess Shu Ning.
Birou's face also showed a bit of worry. "Although I knew that this woman was the second wife, I didn't expect that the Crown Prince and this woman would be so cold and distant. He also felt very distant towards the second young lady, his stepsister. The affection between them is even worse than that between the eldest lady in the next room. In this way, the young lady will be neither close nor distant to the eldest lady in the future."
If she got too close, she was afraid that the prince would feel uncomfortable. If she got too far, she might upset Madam Cen and give her daughter a reputation of being unfilial.
The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is really difficult to get along with.
Cui Lingyan knew Lu Bingzhi's identity and was well aware that Cen was not Lu Bingzhi's stepmother, and naturally not her mother-in-law either.
Now that Lu Bingzhi is still the prince of Weiguo, she just fulfills her duties as a daughter-in-law according to the rules.
She should go and pay her respects, but she didn't need to be too close to her to curry favor. In her opinion, it would be better to please Madam Dou than to please Cen.
The granddaughter-in-law who just came in would often walk into her grandmother's room and show her filial piety. Even if Mrs. Cen had some dissatisfaction in her heart, it would be difficult for her to accuse her of being unfilial.
Besides, today she and Lu Bingzhi went to the ancestral hall to kowtow to the late Princess Shu Ning. How could Cen not feel ashamed? She must have been dissatisfied with her for a long time.
In this case, it is enough to just show filial piety and respect. There is no need to force anything else.
If she bothered to please others, but ended up being looked down upon, what was the point? If Lu Bingzhi heard about it, with his temper, he might think that she had made him lose face, which would be a loss.
After figuring this out, Cui Lingyan said to Birou, "Don't overthink it. Just get along slowly. We just need to keep up appearances and avoid people finding fault with us."
"Yes." Bi Rou responded, then asked, "Since Young Madam is saying this, does that mean we don't have to go to the Peony Courtyard to pay our respects today?"
Cui Lingyan nodded. "Grandmother, didn't you tell me to rest after returning from the ancestral hall? As a new bride, I naturally follow the instructions of the elders. I dare not make any mistakes right after entering the mansion and let others point out my mistakes."
Birou smiled, knowing that Cui Lingyan was using Old Madam Dou's influence as a banner. Even if the First Madam was unhappy, she couldn't show it. So she smiled and said, "Young Madam, you know what's going on. While we have some free time, I'll help you go inside and rest so you don't feel tired later."
Cui Lingyan had been on edge since yesterday and only had some free time now. After hearing what Birou said, she felt a little tired, so she nodded in agreement and got down from the couch and went into the inner room.
Lying on the bed, Cui Lingyan smelled the familiar Canaan fragrance, her eyelids gradually became heavy, and she fell asleep soon.
......
Lu Bingzhi came out of Wutong Courtyard and went to the study of Duke Weiguo.
The Duke of Wei was over forty years old and had a very elegant demeanor.
Seeing Lu Bingzhi come in, he put down the memorial in his hand, raised his hand, and motioned Lu Bingzhi to sit on a chair beside him.
Lu Bingzhi did not hesitate to sit down. He saw that Duke Weiguo, his nominal father and actual uncle, looked at him meaningfully, with a hint of teasing in his eyes. He did not show any embarrassment on his face, and remained calm and indifferent. He reached out and picked up the teapot on the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and began to taste the tea by himself.
Finally, the Duke of Wei pointed at him angrily and said helplessly: "Your personality, I don't know who you resemble. Your mother is not like this, your father..."
Duke Weiguo uttered a word, his expression changing slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he changed the subject and asked, "Looking at how you treated Cui today, are you satisfied with her?"
When Lu Bingzhi heard him ask this, he understood the deep meaning behind his words and looked at the Duke of Wei. "Cui is my legitimate wife. If she is innocent, she will naturally remain my wife forever."
Duke Wei was stunned for a moment, then his brows softened a bit. He sighed deeply and said, "You appear cold and aloof, but deep down you are very much like your mother."
"Your mother was also deeply infatuated with that man back then, but it's a pity that her love was misplaced. She couldn't compare to the fate of the current imperial concubine in Zhaoyang Palace. She ended up like that, and you were raised under your aunt's name since you were a child, never having the title of a legitimate son."
"Now that I think about it, I wonder whether your mother's arrangement back then was good for you or not. You now bear the title of the Crown Prince of Weiguo. Although he favors you a little more because of your aunt, he ultimately only sees you as his nephew. In his heart, how can a nephew like you compare to the other princes?"
"Take your poisoning this time, for example. He only beat a few eunuchs from the imperial kitchen to death with a stick. He didn't investigate further, nor did he intend to give you an explanation. It's a waste of your life to take such a risk and make a fuss about your own body."
Lu Bingzhi's eyes revealed a hint of sarcasm. "Uncle is wrong. A three-foot-thick ice doesn't form overnight. Ever since my mother passed away, he has rarely been to Zhaoyang Palace. My aunt may seem glamorous, but how much favor does she actually have? If he really cherished her dearly, it would be my good aunt living in Kunning Palace now!"
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat solemn. Duke Wei took a sip of tea and said, "Let's not talk about this. You are a steady person and you know what's going on."
"By the way, Chun'an returned from Huang'en Temple yesterday and is now staying in the palace. Tomorrow, you should bring Cui to the palace to pay your respects, and have your sister meet Cui as well."
Lu Bingzhi raised his eyebrows slightly: "Did Duke Dingguo accompany the imperial sister back?"
Duke Weiguo nodded. "It's always been like this. Duke Dingguo is over ten years older than Chun'an, and he's always been very protective of her. But they've never had a child. Although Duke Dingguo's wife didn't dare complain about it in front of your sister, she's been playing tricks on him behind his back. This time, she tried to get someone in front of Duke Dingguo, but before your sister could even say anything, Duke Dingguo found a fault and dragged the person to the Duke's Mansion, where he beat her to death in front of the old lady. Later, fearing that your sister might think too much, he accompanied her to the Huang'en Temple. During that time, the old lady claimed to be ill many times, but Duke Dingguo, as a son, was a hard-hearted person. He went to the palace to ask for an imperial decree and invited the director of the Imperial Hospital to come to the mansion to take her pulse. The old lady knew that Chun'an was favored by the emperor, so she didn't dare to make a big fuss and let it go."
Lu Bingzhi's face was a little serious. "I shouldn't have let my sister marry into the Duke of Dingguo's mansion back then. She said it wasn't because of me, but because she loved the Duke of Dingguo. But I know what she's thinking. She's clearly doing it for me, her brother."
The Duke of Wei saw through his thoughts. "You don't have to think that way. Chun'an has always been very opinionated and has been the Emperor's favorite in the palace for many years. She wants to fight for you, and she wants you to win in the end and seek justice for your mother. How can you stop her from doing this?"
"You should think about how to explain this marriage to Chun'an when you go to the palace tomorrow. Chun'an is worshipping Buddha at Huang'en Temple, and she will probably hear those rumors when she returns to the capital. Since you think Cui is good, you should protect her more. Chun'an is a person of character, and she will think everything she likes is good. If she doesn't think she is compatible, no one will be able to catch her eye."
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