On the third day, it was time to return to the bride's family home. Since there was no need to go to the palace to express gratitude to the Imperial Concubine, Lin Yuqiao went to pay her respects to the Princess Consort early in the morning and was then able to return to the Chenliang Marquis's residence.
"In the end, it's because we're not as prestigious as others."
Sitting in the carriage on the way home, Lin Yuqiao sighed softly.
Once inside the Prince's residence, regardless of one's mood, one had to get up early to pay respects to the Princess. Even the travel time and gifts for returning home had to be arranged by the Princess, making one feel truly inferior.
From the modern era of equal human rights to the legitimate daughter of a marquis in the Qin Dynasty, she had never truly bowed her head. But now, having entered the Huaiyang Prince's Mansion, she could no longer raise her head.
"Concubine, be careful what you say."
Even when no one else was around, Granny Jiang quickly reminded Lin Yuqiao not to say anything carelessly.
Rank and status were determined the moment the imperial decree was issued, so what's the point of dwelling on it? Sometimes you just have to accept your fate.
Jiang Mama brought Lin Yuqiao a cup of milk that had been kept warm in the car. Watching her sip it, Jiang Mama felt a pang of sadness.
When she first arrived at the Chenliang Marquis's residence, the concubine was still a young girl, already a beauty even before she had fully grown up. She was also clever and knew the household management and accounting like the back of her hand. At that time, she also felt that the third young lady would have a great future. Whether she married into a noble family and became a widow, or married into an earl's family, as long as she lived a good life, she would surely be granted an imperial title in the future.
However, she ended up becoming a concubine. Not only did the Prince of Huaiyang already have a first wife, but he was also almost a decade older than her, so the rest of her life was going to be more difficult.
"You didn't remind His Highness last night. If His Highness could accompany you on your homecoming today, that would be wonderful."
Granny Jiang was also somewhat regretful. Over the years, she had become familiar with the affairs of the Marquis's mansion. If the Prince had been willing to accompany the concubine on her return visit today, both the concubine and the Marquis's wife would have been able to maintain some dignity.
Hearing what Granny Jiang said, Lin Yuqiao pouted, even more unhappy.
How could she not remind her? She didn't even try to probe indirectly; she just said it directly.
Over the past two days, Lin Yuqiao felt that Liu Heng seemed to like her quite a bit and treated her well. Although there wasn't any particularly intense romance between them, they got along harmoniously.
She felt that Liu Heng was a good-tempered person who would agree to her requests as long as they weren't excessive.
So she directly used her charm to ask Liu Heng to take her back to the mansion with her the next day.
But Liu Heng gave her a deep look and told her that according to the rules, he could not accompany the concubine back to her parents' home.
“But I’ve heard before that Prince Yu’an accompanied his concubine back to her parents’ home.”
Don't think she didn't know; she had already found out. Prince Yu'an was Liu Heng's uncle and a member of the imperial clan. She was even better off than Prince Yu'an's concubine, so why couldn't she agree?
Lin Yuqiao continued to whine and plead, trying to get Liu Heng to agree, because in her opinion it really wasn't a big deal.
"You have no manners! Now that you're in my Huaiyang Prince's mansion, you must follow the rules of the mansion."
Lin Yuqiao was furious when she was harshly reprimanded by someone she considered to have a good temper. However, since they were newlyweds, she didn't want to argue, so she stopped bothering him.
Does Liu Heng think she is just a lowly concubine, not worthy of his respect?
Fueled by anger, Lin Yuqiao ignored him all night until she went to bed. Unlike before, she no longer clung to him tightly, but kept an arm's length distance, silently expressing her dissatisfaction.
As a result, Liu Heng simply ignored her and went to sleep, leaving her alone in silent resentment.
Even now, Lin Yuqiao still feels that breath is stuck in her throat, unable to be swallowed.
Upon arriving at the Marquis's residence, Lin Yuqiao, supported by Granny Jiang, alighted from the carriage and sat in the waiting sedan chair. After taking a few steps, she discovered that she had actually entered through the side gate.
Her anger flared instantly. She had been wronged at the Prince of Huaiyang's residence, and now she was being wronged again at home. No matter what, she was the legitimate daughter of a marquis, yet she couldn't even enter through the main gate to go home.
"It must have been my sister-in-law! How could she be so despicable!"
If it weren't for Granny Jiang holding her firmly in the sedan chair, she was prepared to get out and stay there until they opened the gate.
"Consort, please bear with it. Madam is still waiting for you in the courtyard. You should go over there quickly."
Although Granny Jiang was also angry about their actions and stopped Lin Yuqiao from causing a scene, she couldn't entirely deny that they were wrong. Lin Yuqiao was now a concubine, and according to etiquette, a concubine could no longer enter through the main gate.
However, doing so would be too unseemly, and most families who dote on their children wouldn't strictly adhere to this rule. Besides, within the household, Lin Yuqiao is still the legitimate daughter; she can't truly be treated as someone of low status.
Remembering Li's worries and concerns, Lin Yuqiao angrily wiped away her tears, making her face red, and tried hard to control her emotions.
She secretly vowed to make a name for herself. Having been humiliated by Jin today, she would not easily let go of past grievances!
Upon arriving at the inner courtyard, Lin Yuqiao first went to Zhang's place.
Originally, Zhang had some expectations for her, but ever since she became a concubine, she has not liked her much, feeling that she has brought shame to the Marquis's mansion.
Therefore, Zhang didn't say much to her, just asked a few simple questions and then let her leave.
Zhang didn't want to talk to her, and she didn't care either. Wouldn't it be better for her to spend that time talking to her mother?
After leaving Zhang's place, Lin Yuqiao went straight to Li's courtyard.
Mrs. Li had been craning her neck and waiting in front of the door for quite a while. When she saw Lin Yuqiao, she quickly went to greet her.
"My Joel!"
Holding Lin Yuqiao's hand until they sat down inside, Li Shi didn't let go. She carefully examined Lin Yuqiao's complexion, trying to tell whether she was doing well or not.
Like most mothers, the first thing Li said to her children after a long separation was, wiping away her tears and saying with heartache, "Qiao'er, you've lost weight."
Although Lin Yuqiao had only been married for three days, she had never left Li's side before, and in Li's eyes, it felt like three years.
Recalling her humble status at the Prince of Huaiyang's residence, Liu Heng's coldness towards her, the princess's haughtiness, and the humiliation Jin Shi inflicted upon her return, Lin Yuqiao threw herself into Li Shi's arms and couldn't help but sob.
She knew she should be strong, and before getting married she had sworn that it would be the last time she would cry, but in the end she still couldn't do it.
"Have you been wronged? Is the prince treating you badly? Is the princess being harsh on you?"
Seeing Lin Yuqiao like this, Li's heart jumped again, and she hurriedly asked questions.
"No, I just miss my mother. Now that I'm married, she'll have no one to keep her company. She must be lonely."
Swallowing back all her complaints and grievances, Lin Yuqiao felt that Li Shi had already gone through a lot, and she couldn't let her worry any more. Besides, Li Shi couldn't help her in any way anyway.
“You silly girl, I’m so much more at peace without you. I still have Daoyun and Daolan to keep me company.”
Daoyuan and Daolan are the daughters of Lin Yuqi's third brother. Her third brother is currently serving as the Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, while her fourth and fifth brothers are still studying at the academy, preparing for the autumn imperial examinations.
After talking for a while, Li was still worried about her and couldn't help but keep talking about her.
"You must be careful in the Prince's mansion. Keep your head down so you won't suffer any losses. Remember to be respectful to the Princess Consort. If you are respectful to the Princess Consort, the Prince will value you more."
Hearing Li's words, Lin Yuqiao felt somewhat indignant.
"Why?"
“You silly child, the Prince of Huaiyang has always valued his wife. Besides, she is his principal wife and has given birth to a prince. Her position is secure. How can you go head-to-head with her? Your background is already comparable to that of the Princess. If you become more flamboyant, it will easily cause instability in the inner quarters. If a fight breaks out, how will the Prince look good?”
Seeing that Lin Yuqiao was listening, Madam Li continued, "If you take the initiative to be tolerant and gentle, the prince will remember your good deeds. Then, if you have a few more children, you will be able to live peacefully in the manor."
"Since the princess's position is secure and she has the crown prince, shouldn't she be fearless? Why should I bow my head again? I've compromised so much, and in the end, I gain nothing. Why should I?"
Hearing Lin Yuqiao's words, Li Shi became increasingly anxious. This was exactly what she feared! She slapped the back of Lin Yuqiao's hand with some force, and Li Shi's voice rose with anxiety.
"Why are you acting so foolishly! Weren't you quite clever at home? Now that you're married, has your brain stopped working? You're a concubine, and you've only just entered the household. How can you be so stubborn!"
Li suffered from pride in her past life, and she couldn't bear to see Lin Yuqiao stumble again.
Lin Yuqiao knew what Li was thinking, but she felt that Li had gone too far in her life. In the first half of her life, she was like a timid wife, always cautious and never raising her head in front of Chen Lianghou and Zhang Shi. In the end, her situation never really improved.
She would rather take a risk and try her luck than have her future life stagnant like still water.
Moreover, Liu Heng's actions last night really broke her heart. She thought she would have some place in his eyes, but who knew he had no heart at all.
Her love was probably nothing to Liu Heng; it was all just her own one-sided infatuation.
After repeatedly admonishing Lin Yuqiao, Madam Li looked at the sky and arranged lunch. She then leaned closer to her and whispered, "Have you used the pills I prepared for you? Remember to take them once a month. You're still young, and it's not easy to get pregnant. Wait until you're older next year before you stop taking the medicine."
Lin Yuqiao was very attentive to this point without Li's instruction. Although women in this era tend to have children early, getting pregnant too early not only makes it easier for the mother to have a difficult labor, but also makes it easier for the child to die young.
After lunch and a short rest, Madam Li arranged for Lin Yuqiao's carriage and gifts to take her back. Fearing that her allowance at the mansion might not be enough, she also brought her fifty catties of the finest bird's nest.
Just as Lin Yuqiao was reluctantly preparing to leave the mansion, Marquis Chen Liang suddenly sent someone to summon her to his study.
After the ceremony, Lin Yuqiao sat down below Marquis Chen Liang and listened to him say a few words about being respectful in the Prince of Huaiyang's residence.
After listening patiently, she watched Chen Lianghou pick up his teacup and take a sip, and knew that the main event was yet to come.
Judging from Chen Lianghou's usual behavior, it's impossible that he's genuinely concerned about his daughter. Although he gave Lin Yuqiao a shop and a estate as part of her dowry, he's still far from being a proper father.
"Your second brother will be back from his post soon, right?"
Upon hearing Chen Lianghou mention Lin Yucheng, Lin Yuqiao felt she already knew what was going on. Sure enough, Chen Lianghou's next words made her feel even more upset.
“Now that you’re married and an adult, you should have the ability to distinguish right from wrong. The Prince of Huaiyang has become too famous in recent years, and now he doesn’t even respect the Crown Prince anymore, wanting to get involved in everything. His behavior is not a good thing. I never approved of you marrying into the Prince of Huaiyang’s household, but you all insist on looking down on the Marquis of Yongle’s household.”
"Now that you have become a concubine, I will not say anything more. However, your second brother is still following the Prince of Huaiyang and working for him. You must consider this carefully and think more about your second brother. You should also pay more attention to things in the Prince's residence. If the Prince of Huaiyang does anything disloyal in the future, you must come to the residence to report it immediately, so that you will not be unable to extricate yourself and implicate your second brother as well."
These words were ostensibly meant to persuade her to think of Lin Yucheng, but in reality, they were meant to be a message she would pass on.
Lin Yuqiao found it funny. Did Chen Lianghou think she was a fool?
Not to mention that she has no access to Liu Heng's core political affairs, and he doesn't need to tell her what he wants to do, just consider how Chen Lianghou was so sure that she would listen to his opinion and not hold a grudge against him for wanting to marry her off to the young marquis of Yongle.
Is that little bit of dowry enough to impress her?
"Father really went to great lengths for my eldest brother, not only using my second brother as a cover, but even scheming against his own daughter. I guess I was adopted by my mother? That's why Father didn't care about me at all."
"Even if the Prince of Huaiyang does something wrong, and I inform on him, what good will happen to my second brother and me? Father, you should put your mind at ease and tell my eldest brother not to worry about my second brother anymore. In any case, even if my second brother doesn't inherit the Marquis's mansion, he's still a hundred times better than him! Even if the Prince of Huaiyang loses in the future, we won't benefit from it, but we'll still make him suffer!"
Chen Lianghou was both surprised and annoyed that Lin Yuqiao, whom he had always thought was well-behaved and innocent, would say such a thing. He casually threw a teacup at her.
"You wretched child! What are you saying! Just because you're a servant doesn't mean you can act with impunity!"
Indeed, that's what Lin Yuqiao thought. Lin Yucheng couldn't leave the Marquis's mansion and had to be mindful of Marquis Chen Liang's feelings. But she was a married daughter, and Marquis Chen Liang couldn't do anything to her. Anyway, she didn't expect Marquis Chen Liang and Lin Yuqi to support her at all.
Lin Yuqiao slowly took out a handkerchief to wipe her skirt, which was splashed with tea.
“Father has always favored the eldest brother and regarded us as worthless weeds. Since you look down on us from the bottom of your heart, why pretend to care about the second brother now?”
Chen Lianghou's face was already flushed with anger, and even his beard was trembling.
"You wretched children, how have I wronged you! Look at yourself now, do you even have a semblance of humanity left!"
"Leaving aside other matters, does Father know that the young Marquis Yongle is a homosexual?"
Lin Yuqiao vented all her pent-up resentment in one go. Before Chen Lianghou could speak, she continued, "Even if you know, Father is determined to marry me for my elder brother's sake, right? As long as it involves my elder brother, Father wouldn't even bat an eye if it cost us all our lives. But now that my elder brother is so useless and hasn't made a name for himself in the Eastern Palace, you've turned your attention to me again? Do you really think I'm some kind of saint? Won't you hold a grudge? Let me tell you the truth, Father, even if I marry into the Yongle Marquis's household and am unhappy, I will definitely not let my elder brother and the others have an easy time!"
"Get out! Don't ever come to the Marquis's mansion again. Just consider me a piece of livestock!"
Feeling that Lin Yuqiao's words were becoming increasingly inappropriate, Chen Lianghou's temples throbbed, and he roared at her, his face flushed red, looking somewhat ferocious.
After venting her anger on Chen Lianghou, Lin Yuqiao felt better.
On the way back, she was making plans for herself, determined to carve out a path for herself in Liu Heng's backyard.
In the evening, Liu Heng felt a little aggrieved that he hadn't accompanied Lin Yuqiao on her homecoming visit that day, so he decided to coax her.
Before he could even start comforting her, Lin Yuqiao rushed over and started talking about what happened on her way home that day.
When Liu Heng heard that Marquis Chen Liang had asked Lin Yuqiao to deliver a message for him, he couldn't help but frown, feeling somewhat puzzled.
"Since the Marquis told you this in private, why tell me it like this?"
"Once I entered the Prince's mansion, I belonged to the Prince. How could I betray you! My feelings for the Prince are sincere, truly sincere!"
After emphasizing her sincerity to Liu Heng, Lin Yuqiao puffed out her cheeks and began to talk about how Chen Lianghou had always favored his children since they were children.
“In my father’s eyes, only my eldest brother is a son. My second brother and the others, including me, are nothing but weeds and rubble, worse than those who were picked up. Besides, my second brother and the others have suffered so much injustice since childhood, and they have long been at odds with my eldest brother. My eldest brother and sister-in-law are even scheming against my marriage. Today, when I returned to my parents’ home, my sister-in-law actually made me go through the side gate because the prince didn’t come with me. With the family like this, how could I want them to have a good time?”
Holding Liu Heng's hand, Lin Yuqiao looked at him firmly and said, "Most importantly, I have confidence in my husband. With the Prince by my side, my second brother will definitely be better off than my eldest brother!"
Hearing Lin Yuqiao's words, Liu Heng chuckled, "The more you talk, the more absurd it becomes."
Despite saying this, he actually pulled her into his arms and sat down on the couch with her, clearly in a good mood. In fact, he had known for a long time that the Crown Prince had suddenly become quite fond of Lin Yuqi recently, and that he was probably planning something.
Liu Heng felt a sense of contempt for him, realizing he was harboring such intentions. The Crown Prince was known for his debauchery and lechery, and his reputation had been steadily declining in recent years. Especially after the death of his uncle, Lü, the Crown Prince had lost all support in court and was now focused on dealing with them.
Chen Lianghou probably never expected that his daughter would tell him everything.
"Your Highness, you must not be like my father and show favoritism towards your children! Even if he is a son born out of wedlock, he is still Your Highness's son. How can you only favor the eldest son and treat everyone else like weeds!"
Lin Yuqiao turned around and hugged Liu Heng's neck, her face full of worry as she spoke.
This is what she fears most. If her child is born into a world where the father doesn't love him, she would rather not have the child at all. She can't bring an innocent little life into this world to suffer.
"What nonsense are you talking about! I value Yan-ge'er just as much as I do every day."
When Liu Heng first met Lin Yucheng, he knew that Lin Yucheng had never been favored by Marquis Chen Liang. After hearing Lin Yuqiao mention it today, Liu Heng also felt that Marquis Chen Liang was being far too biased. Even if someone were biased, they wouldn't go this far.
As for himself, although he devoted the most effort and expectations to his eldest son Liu Kang, he also liked his second son Liu Yan, born to Consort Jiang, and would never ignore Liu Yan because of Liu Kang.
"If I have a son in the future, Your Highness must dote on him!"
Lin Yuqiao grabbed Liu Heng's hand, wanting a guarantee.
Liu Heng wasn't impatient and earnestly promised her, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of him."
Even if he's an illegitimate son, he's still his son. How could he not love him? Liu Heng thought Lin Yuqiao was overthinking things.
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