Chapter 70: The Abusive Female Lead is Pregnant
As if by prior arrangement, the Sixth Prince also turned his head to look over, and even sized up Cui Tingyue with great interest.
Today is the Sixth Prince's day, and his every move has been under everyone's scrutiny since he entered the venue.
Seeing his interest in the adopted daughter of the Jiang family, the women also looked over, some with a hint of seriousness in their eyes.
The Jiang family originally had no daughters, but they gained an adopted daughter, which reduced their chances of having a daughter.
With so many eyes on her, Cui Tingyue felt extremely uncomfortable, and she involuntarily straightened her back a little.
She wasn't intimidated at all; instead, she looked back, but her gaze was mostly fixed on the man beside the Sixth Prince.
The sixth prince glanced at it with interest before turning his gaze away and, together with Han Mu, paid his respects to the Empress.
"Your son (nephew) pays his respects to Your Majesty (aunt)."
The Empress smiled gently and raised her hand, saying, "Please sit down."
The two were positioned quite strategically, directly opposite Cui Tingyue and the others, within easy reach.
The sixth prince vaguely noticed something amusing: "Cousin, she doesn't seem to recognize you."
Han Mu also noticed that Cui Tingyue looked at him with unfamiliar eyes, probably because she didn't even know who he was.
That's normal. If the Sixth Prince hadn't told him the girl's identity today, and if they hadn't watched a play about her, Han Mu wouldn't have recognized her at first glance.
They had only met once before, on the first night of the lunar new year, when they played the game of pitch-pot. Even though there were lanterns to light the way, it was too dark to see their faces clearly.
Besides, two months have passed, it's no wonder he wouldn't remember. Han Mu glanced at him: "Whose fault is this?"
Sixth Prince: "...My mistake."
From the fact that both Han Mu and the Sixth Prince turned their heads to look at her, Zhao Xian knew that the Empress must have discussed it with them beforehand.
Zhao Xian felt like a mother-in-law scrutinizing her son-in-law, looking Han Mu up and down. He was quite handsome, with the demeanor and bearing of a noble young master, and his social status was also quite good.
But the empress said he was twenty-two years old, an age at which he could be a father in ancient times, so he shouldn't be unmarried yet.
Zhao Xian inquired with the Empress in detail, and the Empress only said that her nephew had been engaged to a man, but he remarried before the marriage, and thus wasted some years.
Although the Empress did not say it explicitly, Zhao Xian suspected that Han Mu was still unmarried at the age of twenty-two because he might still have feelings for his former fiancée!
"His Majesty has arrived."
Everyone rose to pay their respects, saying, "Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be well."
"Rise."
The emperor arrived, and the flower-viewing banquet officially began. The palace maids started serving dishes, most of which featured fresh flowers, and even the tea snacks were themed around flowers.
Next up is the talent show segment.
"This snack is good, try it." Zhao Xian enjoyed the delicious snack and recommended it to Cui Tingyue.
"Mom, this dish is delicious too. The flower has a slightly bitter taste with a sweet aftertaste."
"I'll try it."
Other families watched nervously as their daughters went on stage, observing the emperor and empress's expressions and trying to gauge their daughters' chances of being chosen.
The food and drink were not enjoyable.
The most relaxed ones were probably Zhao Xian and Cui Tingyue. Since they knew that Cui Tingyue was not there to find a prince's consort, and she was also injured, the stage performance segment could be skipped.
"What do you think of that young master Han? He's a bit too old, twenty-two, but he's never been married." Taking advantage of the music and dance, Zhao Xian asked Cui Tingyue privately, "If you two are compatible, I'll talk to Her Majesty the Empress and find some opportunities for you to spend time together and get to know each other."
You can't tell a person's character just by looking at their appearance. It's best to get to know them better and avoid an arranged marriage.
Cui Tingyue raised her eyes slightly and noticed that Han Mu was also looking at her while the noble lady playing the zither between them was standing there.
Her appearance was impeccable, and she also had the connection of being the Empress's nephew, something that would have been impossible for her in the past.
Cui Tingyue nodded slightly to Zhao Xian, "I will listen to my mother."
The meal was almost finished, and the performance was over.
The Emperor appointed Ye Zhilan, the granddaughter of the Grand Tutor, as the primary consort of the Sixth Prince; Xu Ci'an, the daughter of the Left Vice Minister of the Court of State Affairs, and the daughter of the General of Mingwei, a fourth-rank official, as secondary consorts.
Looking at the principal wife and concubines that the Emperor had chosen for the Sixth Prince, it seemed that these had probably been decided in advance. Inviting the ladies and young women from various families to the palace was just a formality.
Zhao Xian glanced at the Empress's nephew again. There were so many young ladies present today. Had the Empress only spoken those words to her, or had she also informed the other ladies?
The flower-viewing banquet in the palace has ended.
The Empress called Han Mu aside and said, "Madam Jiang said that you two could find an opportunity to meet and get to know each other. What do you think?"
"Nephew will listen to his aunt." Han Mu didn't react much, which gave him a chance to get back the keepsake his grandmother had given him.
The Empress looked at her nephew and hesitated, saying, "That Miss Cui is rather quiet..."
The sixth prince insisted on coming in, and upon hearing this, he laughed out loud: "Mother, that Jiang family's adopted daughter is not quiet at all, she's quite fierce."
The Empress looked at her son and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
The Sixth Prince began to recount with great interest, “...They didn’t hit her, but she threw stones at herself, scaring all three away. She wasn’t satisfied with that, so she chased after them and threw flowers. I thought she was going to attack, but she just threw flowers...Mother, this adopted daughter of the Jiang family is not simple. You should think more about your cousin.”
After hearing the Sixth Prince's words, the Empress's eyes lit up with interest. "So, it seems that Miss Cui is someone who doesn't like to suffer losses."
Previously, I thought Cui Tingyue looked weak and quiet, so she was bound to be easily wronged.
After hearing the Sixth Prince's description, it was clear that the girl was bold and ruthless, and that her subsequent actions were so reasonable and convincing that others believed she had suffered a great injustice and thus sided with her.
He is courageous, resourceful, and shrewd.
"Mu'er, this girl is not someone to be trifled with, and she is protective of others. Your aunt admires her, and it is fate that brought you together. Why don't you get to know her better?"
As the Empress spoke, her gaze lingered on Han Mu, her expression a knowing smile.
Han Mu lowered his eyes slightly, avoiding his aunt's gaze, and cleared his throat. "Okay."
The sixth prince looked around and asked, "Mother, what do you admire about that girl?"
Although he understood from Madam Jiang's explanation that Cui Tingyue was unhappy with Liu Pan'er's criticism of her sworn brother, he didn't understand why she would throw a stone at herself. Shouldn't she have hit the other person on the head or tried to embarrass her?
It's foolish to hurt yourself.
The Empress glanced at the Sixth Prince and said, "I admire her courage and decisiveness; she has the audacity to take revenge on the spot."
Sixth Prince: "???"
The Empress patted the Sixth Prince's head and said, "That girl is not suitable for you, but she would be very suitable for your cousin."
She knew her own son well and probably wouldn't approve of Cui Tingyue's methods, but these methods were the most effective in the inner quarters.
Her nephew is good in every way, but sometimes he's too soft-hearted, and in the end, he's the one who suffers.
"You're hiding something from me."
The sixth prince sensed a hidden meaning in the empress's words.
However, the Empress did not intend to explain. She waved her hand, her face showing exhaustion, and said, "Miss Cui was just injured. Let her rest for two days before I make further arrangements."
Qi An spoke up to remind the two, "Sixth Prince, Young Master Han, Her Majesty is tired."
The two bid farewell and left the central palace.
On Jin'an Street, inside the carriage after leaving the palace, Zhao Xian was also talking to Cui Tingyue about this matter. "I've been thinking a lot, and something feels off. There were so many noble ladies here today. Her Majesty the Empress wanted to choose a noble lady for her nephew. With so many people, why did she insist on choosing you?"
Come to think of it, she was the only one who had ever met the Empress alone. So many noble ladies were invited to choose a consort for the Sixth Prince, couldn't the Empress have chosen one from among them?
But they were the only ones I saw, and there was something implied about them.
Cui Tingyue was unaware that, due to the mourning period, she usually stayed at the Jiang residence and did not wander around, so she had never seen the Empress's nephew.
Zhao Xian said with some concern, "I'll have someone check this out. If they agree to meet, we'll go. There's no rush to get engaged, it's fine."
Cui Tingyue nodded.
Upon returning to the Jiang family home, Zhao Xian immediately instructed someone to fetch the family physician to examine Cui Tingyue's forehead injury.
Upon hearing the news, Li Lianniang arrived and saw the female physician remove the gauze, revealing Cui Tingyue's injured forehead. Her eyes were full of worry. "How did you get injured? What happened?"
When she learned that Li Lianniang had gotten into a dispute with someone because of the Jiang family and Jiang Wei's reputation, she really didn't know what to say.
Looking at the wound on her forehead, he frowned and said, "Even if it's to protect your reputation, you should protect yourself. What if it leaves a scar?"
Cui Tingyue whispered to Li Lianniang, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. I smashed it myself. I know what I'm doing."
"You...you're insane?"
Cui Tingyue pouted, "If we don't show any injuries, wouldn't our Jiang family and our sworn brother be scolded and misunderstood for nothing?"
Li Lianniang glared at her, but then said with concern, "You can't do that again next time, it's too dangerous."
She never expected Cui Tingyue to be so fierce, throwing stones at herself.
Li Lianniang turned around and instructed Chi Lan to pack some jewelry and fabric to send to Cui Tingyue. Zhao Xian also sent some things.
Today's events were for the sake of the Jiang family and Jiang Wei, and they did not disgrace the Jiang family in the palace. They deserve commendation.
The compensation gift from the Liu family arrived the next day.
The items were provided in a standard manner. After checking them and finding no problems, they were carried to Cui Tingyue's yard.
It was clear that the Liu family was dissatisfied, and the head of the household avoided coming forward to apologize, only sending the steward over.
No wonder Liu Pan'er stood up for others; her whole family is clueless.
--
The Empress sent someone to deliver a message three days later, informing them that a meeting could be arranged between the two.
After some thought, Zhao Xian decided on Guluo Temple as the location.
The scenery on Guluo Temple Mountain is beautiful, and the market at the foot of the mountain is also lively.
While Zhao Xian was instructing Shaoyao to have people pack their luggage, Jiang Shuxiu climbed onto the soft couch, grabbed Zhao Xian's arm, and said, "Go, I'll go."
He even patted his chest with his hand.
Granny He chuckled and teased, "Does Xiu'er also want to go to Guluo Temple?"
Jiang Shuxiu nodded repeatedly, making everyone in the room burst into laughter.
"Lianniang, come along too." Zhao Xian looked at Li Lianniang. Anyway, Jiang Wei hadn't been in the mansion these days, and her brother had gone out to visit friends after recovering from the imperial examination.
In ancient times, going out was neither easy nor convenient. It was difficult to decide whether to bring one person or not, so they all went together as if it were a spring outing.
Li Lianniang nodded: "Okay."
The next day, after everything was packed, Zhao Xian noticed Li Lianniang's tired face and asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Li Lianniang shook her head, "I've been feeling a bit sleepy early in the mornings these past few days."
Because they were going out, they all gathered at Zhao Xian's Begonia Residence for dinner.
When breakfast was served, Li Lianniang hadn't even taken a bite when she suddenly covered her mouth and started gagging.
The servants brought her a spittoon, patted her back gently, and brought her tea to rinse her mouth.
"Please summon the royal physician." Judging from Zhao Xian's experience reading novels and watching dramas, it's highly likely that she's pregnant.
The doctor from the Liu family came with his daughter.
This pulse diagnosis took a while, with the doctor alternating between both hands. After about fifteen minutes, the physician said, "Reporting to Madam, the young mistress's pulse seems to be slippery. However, since she is not yet a month pregnant, I am not entirely certain. It would be best to wait another half month before taking her pulse for a more accurate diagnosis."
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