"Well... you can't say that, can you?" Chu Ping secretly decided to teach Zhi Yue a lesson later to vent her anger, but for now, she obediently looked up, blinked her seemingly harmless big eyes, and stammered.
Chu Yuan remained calm and watched quietly to see what other tricks she might pull.
Madam Chu asked, puzzled, "Ping'er, what...are you trying to say?"
Chu Ping sat up, looking as if she was considering Chu Yuan's best interests. "Mother, sister, I think that instead of blindly searching for medicine with no end in sight, we should consider taking a concubine."
Of course, one cannot take a concubine casually; one must know her background, be loyal, and not have any disloyalty to her sister even if she becomes pregnant.
After the baby is born, we can take it to my sister's room to raise and register it under her name. Wouldn't that be better?
I've heard my aunts say in private that pregnancy is very tough. In the early stages, there's morning sickness, and in the later stages, there's edema and weight gain. The worst part is that after giving birth, you'll have a strange smell and your appearance will become ugly... In short, you can never go back to how you were before giving birth.
By then, wouldn't someone as picky as my brother-in-law find fault with me? And after ten months of pregnancy, can my sister guarantee that my brother-in-law won't find someone else?
Rather than living in constant anxiety and worry, it's better to accept it now and take control of the situation.
Chu Ping believed that her words were very convincing. What woman wouldn't be afraid of becoming ugly and old?
Why give birth yourself when you can have someone else help you have a baby?
Besides, Chu Yuan has already had three miscarriages, so whether she can get pregnant again is still a question!
Madam Chu frowned slightly, and began to ponder what Chu Ping had said. She felt that although her daughter was young, many of her ideas made sense.
Chu Yuan raised an eyebrow and said "Oh," then smiled and said, "I haven't seen my sister for almost half a year, and I never imagined that she would become so thoughtful."
Yes, what my younger sister says makes sense, but I've always been blind to the truth. Please, younger sister, think about it for me: who would willingly take my place, bear my child, be honest and kind, without any fuss, and be fit for such a great responsibility?
Seeing that Chu Yuan was wavering, Chu Ping couldn't contain her fervor.
He was just short of shouting "Me!"
She lowered her head, feigning shyness. "Sister, you overestimate me. How would I know? I was just offering a suggestion casually."
"Just saying?" Chu Yuan sneered. "I'd be a fool to believe you."
Seeing that Chu Yuan wasn't pressing the matter, Chu Ping became anxious again. After a pause, she spoke again, "If you ask me, we can't trust outsiders. In this kind of matter, it's best to rely on our own sisters. It's a pity that our family doesn't have any concubine daughters to help my sister."
"My father and mother had a very close relationship, and there wasn't even a concubine in the family, so where would a concubine's daughter come from?"
Chu Yuan neither said it was good nor bad, deliberately keeping Chu Ping hanging.
Chu Ping's heart was soaring high one moment and plummeting low the next.
Madam Chu thought for a moment and waved her hand, "Forget it, you've said nothing all this time!"
Chu Ping suddenly looked up, her large eyes filled with both struggle and determination. "I...I've always loved my older sister the most since I was little, and she's been very good to me. If I really can't find someone suitable, I..."
"Chu Ping, shut up!"
Just as Chu Ping was hesitantly about to say the crucial words "she is willing," Chu Yuan suddenly interrupted her sharply.
She pushed the chair away and stood up with a great movement, her tone resolute and stern, "Chu Ping, even if I can't have children in my whole life, and even if I end up divorcing your brother-in-law, I will never sacrifice your happiness!"
My sister isn't that kind of person.
You're not allowed to say that again, or people will misunderstand that the Chu family has no manners and that your parents don't know how to raise their children!
In short, this completely eliminated any possibility of Chu Ping marrying into the Song family.
Madam Chu was shocked. After regaining her senses, she joined Chu Yuan in educating Chu Ping.
“Ping’er, your sister is right. No matter what, your parents will always treat you sisters the same.”
You each have your own life and your own opportunities. Your parents will never interfere or force you to do anything shameful for the sake of wealth and status.
"Don't say that again! If your father hears you, not only your sister, but your mother will be punished too!"
Chu Ping had no words to express her suffering.
She didn't feel wronged at all. As long as she could become her brother-in-law's woman, she would be willing to be a concubine or even a mistress without any status!
Unfortunately, no one understood her.
Chu Ping gritted her teeth and squeezed out a tear, "I understand."
Deep down, however, he was seething with hatred.
It seems that persuading Chu Yuan is not an option; she must think of another way!
After Chu Yuan finished doing this and ruined Chu Ping's chances of taking the throne, she strolled back to her own courtyard in a good mood.
Enjoy the flowers and grass along the way, and breathe in the fresh air.
Suddenly, Lan Yue tugged at her, "Madam, aren't those the Second Miss and Zhi Yue? They seem to be arguing about something?"
Chu Yuan had a sudden idea. She pulled Lan Yue behind the artificial hill and whispered a shushing sound to Lan Yue's lips, "Don't make a sound, let's listen."
Lan Yue was a second-class maid recently transferred to Chu Yuan's service. She was honest and kind, much better than Zhi Yue.
Upon hearing this, he didn't ask any further questions and stayed with Chu Yuan to eavesdrop.
Not far away, Chu Ping slapped Zhi Yue hard across the face. "You self-righteous brat, are you so eager to flaunt your charms in front of men? We clearly agreed that after I replaced Chu Yuan, I would make you my concubine. Why didn't you keep your promise and deliberately try to get ahead of me?"
Zhiyue's head was violently turned to one side after being hit!
Zhiyue, who was Chu Yuan's head maid and had never been beaten like this before, was stunned for a moment.
Coming to her senses, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She covered her cheeks in grievance, "Second Miss, why did you hit me as soon as you came in? What did I do wrong?"
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