Chapter 151 The guests didn’t know Cui Lingyan had come to the Second Prince’s residence today…
Because Princess Chun'an had a gloomy expression and her words were full of unhappiness, the atmosphere in the palace suddenly became solemn.
The head maid Pei'er gave a look and told all the maids and nannies serving in the hall to retreat.
Seeing that she and the princess were the only two people in the palace, Pei'er finally spoke to comfort her, "Princess, calm down. Given the Crown Prince's wife's personality, even if the old lady did this intentionally, she probably wouldn't take it to heart."
"As for Cen and the second young lady, there wasn't much affection between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and the sister-in-law and aunt. Everyone in the capital knew that. Even if Cen went out and spread rumors, the accusation of being unfilial wouldn't be placed on the Crown Prince's wife. Besides, they weren't really mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to begin with."
Yes, my younger brother is a prince, but he is raised in the Duke's Mansion as the prince of Weiguo. How can Cen be qualified to be Cui's mother-in-law?
Princess Chun'an's expression softened slightly, but she also guessed why her mother-in-law, Madam Yin, had bothered Cui Lingyan to deliver the apology. It was simply because she was taking her anger out on her daughter-in-law, Cui Lingyan. But Cen, too ignorant of etiquette and the importance of things, was truly a fool. She didn't dare to offend Madam Yin, but instead took her anger out on Cui Lingyan, which was truly infuriating.
Princess Chun'an scoffed lightly, saying with a hint of sarcasm, "Let them do whatever they want. Bingzhi doesn't take Cen and Lu Danruo seriously, so I don't think this will affect their relationship as husband and wife."
"As for the old lady, the more she makes trouble, the more her son will become estranged from her. Only then will she regret it."
Pei'er smiled and said, "That's right. The Crown Prince and his wife have a good relationship. Perhaps the Crown Prince's wife will be pregnant soon. The princess will be very happy then."
When Princess Chun'an heard this, the last bit of unhappiness in her heart disappeared.
She nodded. "Of course, I also hope that Cui can get pregnant soon, but things like this depend on fate and can't be rushed. Bingzhi now has such a caring person by his side, and I am already grateful. There is no need to rush for anything else in the next year or two."
Princess Chun'an then instructed, "Send someone to keep an eye on the Cen family. The Cen family isn't a smart person, and smart people are prone to doing stupid things. While they might not be particularly harmful, they are still very disgusting."
Pei'er nodded and said yes.
......
Cen Mansion
Moonlight Hall
Old Madam Mei sat on the couch, looking at Cen and her granddaughter Lu Danruo sitting below. She sighed softly and instructed her daughter-in-law Xue, "My aunt will be staying in the mansion for a while longer this time. Ask them to arrange a spacious courtyard for her and open the storehouse to buy some furnishings."
Xue Shi felt a little unhappy when she heard the old lady's instructions. It was not common for a married woman to bring her daughter back to her parents' home to live permanently. With Cen Shi staying here, would she be completely in charge of the household affairs of the Duke of Weiguo's mansion? Could she really stay at her parents' home forever?
She opened her mouth to say something, but firstly, she had just received five thousand taels of silver from her sister-in-law, and secondly, her sister-in-law and niece had already returned. What else could she say now? She couldn't let anyone hear her, as the sister-in-law, trying to drive them away. So, after hearing Madam Mei's instructions, she replied with a "yes" and turned to go down with her personal maid to make arrangements.
As soon as she turned around, Old Madam Mei said to her granddaughter, Cen Yuexi, "You should also accompany your mother to work. You can choose what decorations you girls like for your cousin. I will talk to your aunt and cousin."
Cen Yueying knew that her grandmother had something to ask her aunt in private, so she nodded tactfully, stood up, and walked out of the house with her mother, Xue.
Old Madam Mei waved her hand and sent the serving maids and servants away, leaving only her trusted confidante, Madam Ruan, in the room.
After seeing the people leave, Mrs. Mei looked at her daughter and asked, "Your sister-in-law has left now. Please tell me why you brought Danruo back without even a message. Seeing you come back so suddenly makes me feel very nervous. Did something happen in the mansion? I have been ill these days and I don't know a lot of things going on outside. Your sister-in-law is afraid that I will be worried, so she doesn't dare to tell me many things."
Cen was already feeling aggrieved, and she couldn't say anything during the meal just now. Now that she had some free time, and her mother had sent her sister-in-law Xue away, how could she bear it? When she heard her mother ask this, tears immediately welled up in her eyes, and she told Madam Mei in detail about the grievances she had suffered in the past few days.
Mrs. Cen choked up and said, "The Duke doesn't like me as his wife, and I have given up on seeking any marital love. I just want to find a good marriage for Danruo. It just so happened that the second master of the Duke's Mansion, Pei An, returned to the capital after traveling, and Mrs. Yin also hinted at this idea. I also thought this marriage was good, so I took Danruo to the flower viewing banquet. The marriage was almost settled, but who would have thought that later there would be a fortune-telling by a high monk. That would have been fine. Even if Danruo was not suitable, she should have chosen from another family. But today, Mrs. Yin came to our house in person and changed the candidate for the marriage to Lu Danyan from the second house. She also asked Mrs. Cui to come to the Peony Court to apologize for her. This is disgusting to Danruo and me. I am so angry that I don't want to stay in the Duke's Mansion for a moment, so I want to go back to my parents' home for a while."
Cen's words were somewhat incoherent due to her grievance and anger, but Madam Mei still understood everything that had happened recently. Her face was ashen at first, then turned dejected. She sighed heavily and said, "In this kind of situation, your mother-in-law didn't side with you and Danruo, but instead sided with the second wife. Even if our Cen family is resentful, what can we do?"
"You, after being the Duke's wife for so many years, haven't been able to coax your mother-in-law to your side. How can He Shi compare to you? It's just that she has a son, and your mother-in-law's heart is biased to the limit."
"If you want to blame someone for this, blame yourself for not being able to conceive. If you had a son, who would dare to treat you badly? Even your son-in-law would have treated you with some respect for the sake of his son."
Mrs. Mei sighed and asked, "How long do you plan to stay at your parents' house?"
Cen didn't expect that her mother not only did not pity her but instead said such hurtful words.
Cen's face turned pale, her throat tightened, and she couldn't say a word.
Lu Danruo was accompanying Cen, and her expression also looked somewhat grim.
When Mrs. Mei saw her daughter's pale face, she realized belatedly that her daughter had just returned, and as a mother, she was a little anxious to say such words.
She took Cen's hand and patted it gently, explaining, "Mother asks this, not because she thinks it's inappropriate for you to return to your parents' home, but because you are the Duke's wife after all. If you return to your parents' home, won't the household expenses go to He for free? Don't worry, if you return to the Duke's Mansion in a few days, there will be no place for you as the Duke's wife in the mansion."
"Besides, you know your sister-in-law's personality. Even if I, as your mother, protect you, she'll be unhappy if you stay at the Cen family for too long. Ever since I fell ill, she's been quite filial, always by my side. But sometimes she can't hide her temper, and her thoughts are written all over her face. Although I'm old, I know she blames me for offending Cui Lingyan because the Jiang family broke off your nephew's engagement, causing Lu Bingzhi to expose that scandal to vent his anger on Cui, which affected her son's marriage. She's really angry with me."
"Mother doesn't want you to live in the Cen family for long. It's not that I dislike you, but since ancient times, your mother's family can only be a support for married women. How can it be considered a real home? Unless you are my only daughter, you and Danruo can live here happily."
Mrs. Mei's words made Mrs. Cen feel sad, aggrieved, and a little angry.
Even if this was the truth, and her mother was thinking about her as a married girl, she had just returned to her parents' home. Why couldn't she say these words at any other time? Why did she have to say them today?
Seeing her daughter like this, Madam Mei said gently, "Alright, Danruo doesn't look well. Let her stay in the Yuezhao Courtyard wing for now. Once your sister-in-law has arranged the courtyard, she can move in with you."
After Old Madam Mei said this, she glanced at Nanny Ruan and instructed, "Take Auntie and Danruo to the side room to rest. Danruo is ill, and I've brought the prescription written by the imperial physician. Send someone to the pharmacy to get the medicine, so as not to disturb Danruo's medication."
After hearing the order, Nanny Ruan quickly asked someone to do the job. She took Cen and Lu Danruo to the side room and asked someone to change the bedding and some tea sets.
Only after Nanny Ruan left did Mrs. Cen's face darken.
Lu Danruo's face also showed some resentment and dissatisfaction: "We just arrived at my grandmother's house, and my grandmother asked when we would leave. It's clear that she doesn't welcome her granddaughter, mother and daughter."
"Aunt, you're right. She just begged for five thousand taels of silver from you, and it's not even warm in her hand yet, but she's already forgotten about it. She looks so friendly and warm today, but I don't know what she's thinking. Just now, when my grandmother asked her to build a spacious courtyard, she hesitated. It's ridiculous. We have so many grand courtyards in the Duke's Mansion, so why would she want one from my grandmother's family? Aunt, you're treating me and my daughter like relatives, without even considering our social status or her own!"
Cen knew that she was angry, and also knew that she felt sorry for her as a mother. But she heard her words become more and more outrageous. Her words did not show any respect for the Cen family, her maternal grandparents' family. Instead, they were full of disdain and disgust. For a moment, she felt a little suffocated. But she had known her daughter's temper for a long time. Moreover, just now, Madam Mei and her sister-in-law Xue did not have much welcome for them and their mother to come back to live. She was also angry, so she swallowed the scolding on her lips and just said, "No matter what they think, let's stay here first. Didn't you say that your sister-in-law just asked mother for five thousand taels of silver? No matter what, mother is the wife of the Duke of Wei. To put it bluntly, according to the current situation of the Cen family, the Cen family will have to rely on mother, a married woman, in the future. It will not benefit anyone to completely tear their faces apart."
"Your aunt does have her own little thoughts and calculations, but she's not stupid enough to offend us mother and daughter by showing her displeasure."
After she finished speaking, she saw Lu Danruo's cheeks flushed, and she was obviously feeling a little uncomfortable. She sighed softly, "Go lie down quickly. I'll wake you up after the medicine is ready in the kitchen."
Lu Danruo nodded, went into the inner room and lay down to rest.
Cen tucked the corner of the quilt for her and then came out.
Madam Qi poured a cup of tea and handed it to Cen, saying gently, "Madam, don't think too much about it. The old lady said those words out of consideration for you, not because she disliked you staying at your parents' house for too long."
Cen nodded, and thought of the way her sister-in-law Xue looked at her from time to time while she was having dinner, and her hesitant look on her face, she felt very upset. She thought of how her daughter's good marriage was snatched away by Lu Danyan from the second house, and how Cui even came to her, the mother-in-law, with an apology gift to watch the show, and her face looked even uglier.
After taking a few sips of tea, she instructed Madam Qi, "Go spread the news that I brought Danruo back to the Cen family, and also tell them about how the marriage was snatched away by the second wife. Tell them that I, the Duke's wife, have been forced by my sisters-in-law to hand over much of the household expenses, and that my daughter-in-law is also turning her back on me, her mother-in-law, and is instead close to the aunt from the second wife."
Madam Qi was stunned for a moment, and she opened her mouth to offer some advice, but then she heard Cen continue, "Only by making a big fuss can people know about the injustice Danruo and I have suffered. If Lu Danyan were to marry into the Duke Dingguo's mansion, her reputation wouldn't be completely unscathed. She'd have to let everyone know that she snatched this marriage from her own cousin."
"Also, mention the adoption issue. Say that when Lu Danyan gives birth to a son, maybe that son will be adopted into the eldest house and call Princess Chun'an his mother. I want Princess Chun'an to be disgusted and angry with her before she even enters the house. I want to see how Lu Danyan lives under the control of Princess Chun'an, her sister-in-law. I want to see if Mrs. He will feel sorry for her daughter and regret it when she finds out about her situation!"
"Don't try to persuade me. Are Danruo and I simply to be bullied? If we don't fight back, I'm afraid Danruo and I will have no place in the Duke's Mansion in the future."
Nanny Qi had no choice but to agree and secretly find someone to spread the news.
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the wedding of the second prince Xiao Ze and Zheng Suining, the eldest daughter of the Kangshou Marquis's Mansion.
The Duke of Wei's residence and the Second Prince were not close; Xiao Ze had even previously poisoned his cousin, Lu Bingzhi, creating a rift between them. However, Xiao Ze was, after all, a prince, holding a different status, so Lu Bingzhi and Cui Lingyan had to be present at his wedding. So, after breakfast and paying their respects to Madam Dou early in the morning, the two of them took a carriage to the Second Prince's residence.
Because of the wedding, the Second Prince’s mansion was decorated with lights and red silks everywhere, and the whole yard was filled with wedding characters, exuding a festive atmosphere everywhere.
When Lu Bingzhi and Cui Lingyan arrived, many guests had already arrived.
Everyone had heard that Lu Bingzhi liked Cui very much. In fact, less than a year after Cui got married, she moved to Songxue Hall where Lu Bingzhi had lived since he was a child.
This kind of respectability wasn't just satisfaction, it was extraordinarily caring. Which noblewoman in the capital didn't envy Cui Lingyan's good fortune? They thought that if they had taken the risk and married Lu Bingzhi instead of worrying about his poisoning, perhaps they could have won his favor and achieved the dignity of a Crown Prince's wife.
But as it happened, the one who married Lu Bingzhi at that time was Cui Lingyan, the daughter of the Ningshou Marquisate who had just returned to Beijing and was not favored. It can only be said that Cui's helplessness at the time actually made it possible for Cui Lingyan to get such a good marriage. Now she is qualified to appear at the second prince's wedding.
However, no matter how envious and regretful they were, they felt less aggrieved when they thought of Cui Linghui, who had now become Xiao Ze's concubine, and that after Zheng Suining came in today, Cui Linghui would have to serve tea to the mistress.
No matter what, they are better than Cui Linghui.
I heard that Cui Linghui and the concubine named Qiu Ning had moved into the Second Prince's Mansion before Zheng. I don't know where they are now, listening to the commotion here and waiting for the mistress to come in.
Cui Linghui and Cui Lingyan, these cousins are now in a completely different situation, which is really sad.
Thinking of this, the looks these women gave Cui Lingyan became more meaningful.
I wonder if Cui Lingyan thought of her cousin Cui Linghui, who is a concubine, when she came to the Second Prince's Mansion today.
If the two could meet today, it would be quite a spectacle. However, the palace has many rules, and given Cui Linghui's current lowly status, it's unlikely that he would show up and slap the future mistress, Zheng Suining.
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