Chapter 8 Childhood Sweethearts' Deep Affection: The Love Potion They Spent a Fortune Searching For...
The cobblestone path echoed with the clatter of horses' hooves. Shops lined both sides, their vendors calling out their wares early in the morning. Peddlers, carrying all sorts of goods, wandered through the streets and alleys, shaking a rattle drum as the "dong dong" sound faded into the distance...
The Cui family's carriage soon arrived at Prince Gong's mansion. From afar, they could see Yan Jingshan with Zhao Jinghuan and a group of servants waiting at the mansion's gate.
Once the carriage came to a smooth stop at the entrance of the Prince's Mansion, Cui Shihai and Zhao Ying disembarked first, followed closely by Cui Fuyu. Yan Jingshan then led his men down the steps with a smile to greet the Cui family.
Cui Shihai and Zhao Ying bowed to Yan Jingshan. Zhao Ying smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you still look as beautiful as ever after all these years."
Yan Jingshan greeted the two of them and teased Zhao Ying, "Oh, I'm all white-haired and old and faded. I'm busy managing the palace all day, unlike you, Ying-mei, who is enjoying a life of luxury."
After hearing this, Zhao Ying maintained a polite smile on her face, thinking to herself that her sister-in-law was still the same as before.
After bowing, Zhao Jinghuan greeted his aunt and uncle.
Today was the first time Cui Shihai had met Zhao Jinghuan, and he exclaimed, "Jinghuan is so handsome now, he is both talented and good-looking."
Zhao Jinghuan declined, saying, "I dare not accept such praise, Uncle-in-law."
Cui Fuyu was the last to bow. Although she didn't want to come to the Prince's mansion, she still had to be polite when she was out. She said respectfully, "Greetings, Aunt and Cousin."
Yan Jingshan looked at her and thought to himself that she was a good match for Jing Huan. He warmly stepped forward to help Cui Fuyu up and looked her over again before saying, "Fuyu has grown up so much and has become more and more beautiful. Your aunt likes her very much."
Yan Jingshan was overly enthusiastic, and his words were rather strange.
Hearing this made Cui Fuyu uncomfortable, but she could only smile and reply, "Thank you for your kind words, Aunt."
Before long, Yan Jingshan invited people into the mansion to chat: "Look at me, I was so busy exchanging pleasantries that I forgot to invite you in."
Zhao Ying smiled gently as she listened to her words, then shook her head to indicate that it was alright, "We're all family."
Yan Jingshan hurriedly invited people in, and the servants took care of the gifts one by one. The three carriages from the Cui family were also led to the stables by the servants of the Prince's Mansion.
The group marched through the corridor and arrived at the main hall. After everyone was seated, maids brought tea and water to replenish their supplies.
Zhao Jinghuan sat opposite Cui Fuyu, who was smiling and staring at her. Cui Fuyu silently looked away, staring at her new, pretty tasseled, upturned shoes, unaware that the conversation had turned from catching up to discussing her marriage.
Yan Jingshan looked at Cui Fuyu with affection and deliberately said, "It's also our fault as parents. We originally wanted Jinghuan to get married after he achieved fame and success, but unfortunately we still delayed him. I wonder if Sister Ying's Fuyu is engaged to someone?"
She added, "I think Fuyu is very good. She is only sixteen years old this year and comes from a noble family. I imagine that suitors must be lining up to propose to her."
She deliberately steered the conversation towards Zhao Jinghuan and Cui Fuyu to see what the Cui family's attitude would be, so that she could bring up the engagement later.
Cui Shihai and Zhao Ying exchanged a silent glance. Yan Jingshan's words were all about Cui Fuyu, and the two of them guessed the implication: she was going to set her sights on Fuyu.
Cui Shihai was a man, so he couldn't interrupt the woman while she was speaking. He could only give her a look to signal that his wife should refuse.
After a brief exchange of glances, Cui Shihai was extremely anxious. He didn't want his beloved daughter to get married so soon. Besides, the emperor forbade marriages between ministers, let alone between a prince.
Although the Cui family is related by marriage, they cannot violate the taboo of the sage.
Moreover, Prince Gong's Mansion is a den of wolves!
He couldn't bear to let his daughter marry into that family.
Cui Shihai also believed that his wife would handle it well.
As expected, Zhao Ying first praised Zhao Jinghuan: "Jinghuan is now a handsome and talented man with a reputation for his abilities. I'm sure that many young ladies and noblewomen in the capital have already fallen for him. I estimate that good things will come to his door soon. Sister-in-law has been managing the Prince's Mansion for many years. After the Princess Consort enters the household, you can put down your burdens and enjoy a good life."
Yan Jingshan opened his mouth to say something, but Zhao Ying interrupted him with a smile: "Sister-in-law, please don't praise my good-for-nothing daughter. With Fuyu's reputation, I'm afraid no one will dare to marry her. As parents, we want to keep her for a few more years. There's no rush for marriage. The Cui family can afford to support her. At worst, we can find a son-in-law to live with us later. Her temperament is good in the eyes of her parents."
Zhao Ying's words cut off all of Yan Jingshan's words: "The Cui family is looking for a son-in-law to live with them. Can your young master even do that?"
Yan Jingshan knew that the Cui family wouldn't marry Cui Fuyu into the family; he was just thinking that the Cui family was still useful and that the prince had said something.
She then forced herself to speak again: "I know that Sister Ying is reluctant to part with her daughter, but she will eventually get married. I am Fu Yu's aunt, and I have liked her since she was a child. Why don't our two families become even closer through marriage? The Cui family lives nearby, and if I become her mother-in-law, would I make things difficult for her?"
Yan Jingshan gave Zhao Jinghuan a look and then earnestly advised, "Besides, Jinghuan and Fuyu are childhood sweethearts, why not bring them together?"
Zhao Jinghuan walked up between Cui Shihai and Zhao Ying and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing to them and saying affectionately, "Aunt and Uncle, I have long admired my cousin Yu'er. I beg you to grant me your blessing and give Yu'er to me in marriage."
Zhao Jinghuan's actions stunned the two men. Cui Shihai stopped drinking his tea, put down his teacup, and got up to help Zhao Jinghuan.
But he just wouldn't get up.
Zhao Ying was also helpless; she had already said so much, why did Yan Jingshan still bring it up?
Seeing Zhao Ying's appearance, Yan Jingshan thought it was probably about to be done, and his face showed joy.
Unexpectedly, Cui Fuyu, who had been listening to her arranged marriage, rebelled.
Cui Fuyu showed no mercy, knocking over a water glass with one hand, and said coldly with a stern face, "Aunt, did you ask for my opinion before arranging my marriage like this?"
Cui Fuyu was furious at this presumptuous act and disregarded all manners and face!
She's been set up.
Cui Fuyu said coldly, "Zhao Jinghuan, I don't like you, and we have no childhood friendship. I will not marry you! My mother has already politely refused, and you won't give up. Why do you still force me to marry? You say you don't want to torment me and that it's for my own good, but now you're forcing the Cui family like this. Who knows what kind of treatment I will receive after I actually marry into the family?"
Cui Fuyu said, word by word, "Aunt, I don't know what you're planning, but there's absolutely no way I'll marry Zhao Jinghuan. You can't even decide my marriage."
After Cui Fuyu finished speaking, she stared coldly at Yan Jingshan, who was in the superior position. She used polite language, but her attitude was tough and disrespectful to Princess Gong.
Seeing his daughter's straightforwardness, Cui Shihai couldn't help but chuckle to himself, secretly praising her behavior.
Yan Jingshan's face turned green after Cui Fuyu's words. He had praised himself too much, but he couldn't retaliate against Cui Fuyu.
When Zhao Jinghuan heard Cui Fuyu insult him and his mother, his eyes turned sinister, and he wanted to get angry, but he had not yet achieved his goal, so he had to endure it.
He muttered to himself, "Cousin~"
He tried to get Cui Fuyu to take back what she said, hoping to gain her sympathy and sympathy.
However, Cui Fuyu didn't even glance at him.
She thought to herself: No wonder my eyelids kept twitching this morning, they were waiting for me here!
Seeing that things had escalated, Zhao Ying seized the opportunity to act as a peacemaker: "Fu Yu, how can you talk like that?"
She first scolded Cui Fuyu for being such a child, then smiled at Yan Jingshan, trying to smooth things over: "Sister-in-law, don't mind, Fuyu is still young and doesn't think before he speaks."
"Why don't we go check on my brother's health first?"
Yan Jingshan could only maintain his smile and swallow his pride: "What are you saying, Sister Ying? Why would you hold a grudge against a child?"
She then looked at Cui Fuyu: "Fuyu, it's your aunt's fault for not considering your feelings. How about this, I'll take your parents to visit your second uncle, and you can go play in the garden with Jinghuan!"
Zhao Jinghuan immediately understood and invited Cui Fuyu to the garden: "Sister Yu'er, there are some early lotus flowers blooming in the garden. Let me take you to pick a few."
The relationship between the Cui family and the Prince's Mansion must not be allowed to sour.
So, at the urging of Cui Shihai and Zhao Ying, Cui Fuyu had no choice but to follow Zhao Jinghuan to the garden to see the early lotus flowers.
When the two arrived at the garden, Cui Fuyu was not interested and had no intention of paying attention to Zhao Jinghuan.
Zhao Jinghuan glared at Cui Fuyu with narrowed eyes, then suddenly said, "Yu'er, I have some private things I want to say to you, could you..."
He wanted everyone to leave so that he could make his move against Cui Fuyu later.
Cui Fuyu looked at him with a puzzled expression, as if asking if there was something he couldn't just say directly.
Zhao Jinghuan suppressed his anger, a troubled expression on his face, and looked around at the people around him.
"I wanted to explain to you."
Cui Fuyu remained silent, but still said to Zhu Jin who was following her, "You can go down first, and come back to find me later."
Zhu Jin nodded: "Then Miss, please be careful."
After Zhuxi left, the other servants also left, leaving only Cui Fuyu and Zhao Jinghuan in the garden for a while.
Cui Fuyu walked ahead, "Zhao Jinghuan, you speak, I'm listening!"
She didn't notice that Zhao Jinghuan hadn't followed behind, but instead tiptoed out the love potion, revealing a smug, wicked smile.
Zhao Jinghuan picked up the black insect and raised his hand to place it on the back of Cui Fuyu's exposed neck.
Cui Fuyu felt that Zhao Jinghuan's behavior was a bit strange, and he remained silent when the servants stepped aside.
Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest. Her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed slightly, and when she turned around, she saw a dark, wriggling worm that was absolutely disgusting.
She was terrified.
Just an inch away from her!
He succeeded by just one inch; how could he be content with that!
Zhao Jinghuan wanted to quickly put the love potion on her, but unexpectedly a fair and slender hand swatted the worm away.
The insect fell to the ground and was crushed to death by a sleek shoe.
The insect had just died. Its body suddenly turned into ashes and scattered.
Cui Fuyu's face was pale: "Zhao Jinghuan, how did you drop an insect from your hand?"
She added, "Luckily, I swept it away and stomped it to death."
Cui Fuyu patted her chest with a look of relief, not daring to imagine how terrifying it would have been if the bug had landed on her!
Zhao Jinghuan stared wide-eyed in disbelief. The love potion he had spent a fortune to find had been trampled to death by Cui Fuyu just like that?!
A love potion worth a fortune!
In an instant, Zhao Jinghuan's face turned deathly pale, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood before collapsing weakly.
Cui Fuyu stared at Zhao Jinghuan, who was vomiting blood, and quickly dodged to the side. Fortunately, the blood did not splatter onto her skirt.
Looking down at the fallen Zhao Jinghuan, he had no choice but to call for people to carry him away.
Cui Fuyu, however, no longer wanted to stay in the Prince's mansion.
Something's fishy going on!
A note from the author:
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Chi Yanzhou: I can, Mother! (Opens the door.) It's Chi Yanzhou, the son-in-law who's living with the family...
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