CH 35

However, Liu Miantang has always been straightforward. If it is not necessary, she can’t say anything false and against her heart.

At this time, Lady He was speaking to her privately. If she spoke against her heart, it would be bad if she delayed her future.

After thinking for a while, she said directly, “I don’t know what Lady Lian is thinking, but you have become intimate with her at the first meeting, and both of your relationships are as close to serving one husband together… Forgive me for being ignorant, I don’t understand the meaning in it.”

He Zhen followed her father out since young, and her experience was no less. But once people have greed in their hearts, it is inevitably hard to see the forest through the sleaze.

She fell in love with Prince Huaiyang at first sight, and since then, she has only loved him. Originally, because of the barrier of identity, she thought she had no chance in her life. But God seems to pity her, and unexpectedly opened a window for her.

This is enough to make people ecstatic. How will she care whether the abyss in the window a vast?

She had intended to show off to Lady Liu that her original obsession was not a mirage. However, after hearing Miantang poured a basin of cold water over, she can’t help but feel a little disappointed, and said, “People like Lady Lian and other aristocratic family ladies’ field of insights and knowledge are not like the women in the streets. They were born to be the main lady of the house. How can they only care about immersing in love? Maintaining the harmony of the Royal Residence and letting The Prince be able to devote himself to state affairs are most important…”

Miantang also felt that she was talking too much thus, she just laughed and said, “Yes, that’s right. Vulgar women like me are not expected to be the main lady of the house. Fortunately, my husband is a normal citizen. I don’t have to look for sisters or bosom and crack my head into squeezing them beside my husband for him to focus on world affairs… Here is the list I sorted out in the past two days. The deficiencies you mentioned to me last time have been improved. If there is still something that needs to be changed, you can send a message to my shop’s cabinet.”

Without further ado, she said that it was not good to delay the third daughter of the He’s family time any longer, and left the carriage without hesitation.

After she left Lady He’s carriage. For a moment, Lady He was angry and anxious, but she couldn’t help feeling that Liu Miantang’s words were reasonable… It was difficult to decide for a time, and she didn’t bother to continue to be annoyed at Lady Cui but went right into her thoughts.

On the other hand Liu Miantang, after a busy day, at night, everything in the North Street house is still the same.

Servant Li bought delicious venison from the hunter, sliced it thinly, and smoked the venison rolls with fruitwood. The soup broth is boiled with beef bones and deer tendon and it was boiled into milky white color and is very delicious after being sprinkled with scallions.

Because of the soup, Servant Li baked eight-inch pancakes today, crisping them layer by layer, just to eat with fresh soup.

When eating, the two young servant girls stood by The Master’s table with books on their heads and served.

This is a new way that Servant Li came out with for disliking them for not standing straight.

Miantang looked at the unstable appearance of the two servant girls, which was very pathetic, so she asked them to withdraw their books and eat at the small table next to them first, and place them back again after eating.

The two servant girls carefully looked at Servant Li’s face. Servant Li looked at The Prince’s face.

Finally, it was Cui Jiu who said, “This is not the courtyard deep in The Palace, Just learn the rules like they are.”

After this sentence, Servant Li finally loosened her face, and the two young servant girls went to dinner with a relieved faces.

During the meal, Miantang remembered that in the daytime, He Zhen talked about the anecdote in the carriage in which two sisters were to serve a husband together, so she gossip it with her husband.

Cui Xingzhou was initially puttered along with her story, but the more he heard it, the more dignified his face became, and it looked vaguely black, which had the potential of Servant Li’s true biography.

Miantang was concentrating on eating the venison with side dishes thus, she didn’t pay attention to her husband’s face at all. She just continues to say, “I was happy spitting words at that time, but I regretted it when I came back. If the third daughter of the He family really entered The Prince Residence, the He family would be the real Royal relative of the State of Zhen. I was on the bad side with the He family before, but I didn’t think that their family would soar so fast in rank. Do you think I should mend the relationship with the He family again, husband?”

“Ridiculous! How can Lady Lian act like this? Is it that the third daughter of the He family has hysteria and is full of wishful thinking?” Cui Jiu put down his chopsticks and said unhappily.

Liu Miantang took a large piece of venison for her husband and said, “Hysteria? That’s not true. I think Lady He Zhen is normal. But I wonder what those noble ladies are thinking? Even if they want to stabilize their position as the main lady of the house, isn’t they being too eager?”

Cui Xingzhou’s thick eyebrows were about to tie. After a little thought, he also understood his cousin’s mind. It must be the last time he went back and inquired about He Zhen. Somehow, it spread to his cousin’s ears, and she misunderstood his meaning and eagerly wanted to take a concubine for him…

Liu Miantang still said, “But The Prince is also kind of pitiful too. People say that he and his cousin were childhood friends. I thought they were attached since young and have a deep affection for each other. It turned out to be just a balanced marriage.”

Cui Jiu dragged a long tone and said, “You’re not from The Prince’s Residence. How do you know?”

Liu Miantang said while drinking soup, “She has yet to get married into The Prince Residence, and here she is rushing to find her husband’s a concubine. What’s the difference between such behavior and those flattering officials under high-ranking officials? I can’t see the true feelings in it. I am just wondering that with The Prince being flattered like this every day, doesn’t his ass hurt?”

Before she finished speaking, Cui Jiu banged and smashed the bowl in his hand.

Miantang was stunned and looked up at her husband’s livid face, being a little confused. It was just a private and casual chat just now between the husband and wife. Why was he suddenly angry?

Cui Xingzhou was exasperated and broke the bowl in his hand. His face was fairly normal, but his tone was very blunt, “The sound of you drinking soup is too loud, I think you should learn some rules from Servant Li!”

With that, he got up straight, lifted his clothes, and strode out.

Mo Ru couldn’t care if he were to choke on the pancake again, he quickly ran after The Prince all the way.

Only leaving Miantang alone holding a bowl being speechless, a pair of eyes staring dazedly, and she turned to look at Servant Li.

It’s a sin! Servant Li, who had been on the battlefield for a long time, has now a good ability to cope with situations like this. She only sighed and said to Liu Miantang, “Madam, your sound just now when you were drinking soup… was indeed a little loud…”

……

Prince Huaiyang was fed up with being scolded by an ignorant young woman in front of him. He only wore a cold face and rode across the river back to the Royal Residence in the State of Zhen.

It was not the beginning of the month this time, but The Prince suddenly rushed back in the middle of the night, and a bunch of people in the house were unprepared. Servant girls and nannies were going in and out of the yard, preparing water for The Prince, helping him to change his clothes, making his beds, and lit up the incense.

But The Prince waved a bunch of people away, only leaving Senior Steward Gao here.

Steward Gao has been working in The Prince Residence for a long time. Seeing that The Prince’s expression was not right tonight, he was also very nervous for a time. Thus, he diligently listened to The Prince’s slowly questioning him with his hands on his side.

As a result, what The Prince asked was some daily affairs in The Residence. For example, did Lady Lian hold a tea party recently, who are the visitors, and so on…

Steward Gao answered the questions one by one, thinking that The Prince seemed to be paying attention to the third daughter of the He family, and he especially emphasized that Lady Lian and Lady He had a good talk.

Unexpectedly, The Prince’s face became more and more expressionless. Finally, he taps on the desk while giving a head-on to Steward Gao, “Ever since my father, you have been the steward of this residence. Do you know why?”

Steward Gao looked respectfully waiting for The Prince to make it clear. Prince Huaiyang then said, “This is because my father and I both value you for this point, knowing the proper limits and the weight of importance, and never spread anything without the instructions of The Masters. What’s more is that you are clear on who is in charge of the Royal Residence, and you never did be associated with people with power.”

Steward Gao is scared and sweating cold after hearing this. He knew that The Prince was talking about the Old Prince. Many people in The Residence bullied the current Old Princess Consort and The Prince. Thanks to his father’s warning at that time, he didn’t follow suit. So later, when The Prince was in charge, a group of slaves was purged away from the residence, but he got a high promotion and became the steward of the residence.

Cui Xingzhou saw his expression and understood that he understood his meaning. He then said faintly, “Go and check when you head down. When I talked with you the last time, who was there and said something that shouldn’t be said.”

Steward Gao step away after being ordered by The Prince, and his mind turned quickly. Thinking about these two conversations previously, his heart was immediately clear.

People who can have a foothold in the residence, who isn’t worldly-wise people? After pondering carefully, the backbone of Steward Gao began to sweat again.

Why would others speculate on The Prince’s words? Moreover, why would Lady Lian suddenly make friends with a merchant woman who is not related in any way? Did this… Flow out from him, which made The Prince unhappy?

Having figured this out, Steward Gao couldn’t sleep this night, and immediately interrogate the young servant boys that were there individually. These people have always kept a lookout at each other and step on top of each other normally. Therefore, in less than two hours, he had gotten the result.

At the order of Steward Gao, only the slaves who spread rumors in the inner court were tied up.

This night, the sound of flogging in the outer courtyard far away from the inner courtyard continued. For fear of disturbing The Masters, those lackeys who leak information and love to talk were gagged with rags. After a beating, they were all dismissed.

The next morning, when Cui Xingzhou came to greet her mother, only then did the Old Princess Consort Chu get to know from the mouth of her nanny that there was a disturbance last night.

“How can you make the yard full of mess, Steward Gao? Even if the servants did something wrong, you don’t have to interrogate them at night. People who are not clear of the situation might think that our residence was the Yamen of cruel officials!” While serving vegetables for her son, the Old Princess Consort Chu scolded Steward Gao standing aside.

Steward Gao didn’t sleep all night and was called to the front by the Old Princess Consort early in the morning. His heart was also bitter, but he had to smile on his face, thinking about how to reply, but Prince Huaiyang said, “Although this is not the Yamen, some people can spy on your son’s situation unknowingly. If it was matters of some daily hobbies and meals, I still can turn a blind eye. But in case someone with ulterior motives comes to spy on the military situation through the people around your son, it’s going to be a big deal. So it’s better to bound the servant boys to be strict and know the rules.”

Cui Xingzhou’s face hasn’t laughed since yesterday. It’s not until he sees his mother that he relaxes a little. When he said this, he kept his eyes on the dishes in the bowl without looking elsewhere.

But Lian Binglan, his cousin sitting at the table, couldn’t help looking up at him.

However, she was calm. After a quick look, she just lowered her head to continue eating and didn’t talk, but her face seemed white again.

The Old Princess Consort didn’t know about the reason inside. After listening to everything her son said, she didn’t bother to reprimand Steward Gao anymore and only talk about the fun of visiting the garden a few days ago.

Cui Xingzhou also listened with a smile. After having finished breakfast with his mother, he went out of the dining room with his cousin Lian Binglan.

This cousin of his is a clever one. Although someone saw the servant girl beside her listening to the sound at the foot of the wall of the outer courtyard yesterday when he was punishing the servants with the flogging, she didn’t ask a word today, as if she was not curious.

Cui Xingzhou originally wanted to warn his cousin. As his future Princess Consort, her mind should be on the right path. She hasn’t passed the door yet, but she wants to draw people into The Residence, earning a favor from the concubine. What is this behavior like?

Unexpectedly, he didn’t say, but his cousin said first, “These days, I’m upset and in a hurry to get our wedding porcelain for decoration, so I followed my family to Lingquan Town…”

Cui Xingzhou gave a dry “hum”, and then she continue to speak, “I don’t have other meaning, but I met some ladies and felt like old friends at first sight, so I invited them to visit The Residence… I wonder if I had disturbed the Old Princess Consort.”

Cui Xingzhou looked back at her and said, “My mother loves liveliness. It’s good for you to hold more banquets, but after all, you are the daughter of an official. You should make friends with more young ladies with the same interests. You don’t have to be too friendly and make some irrelevant ones.”

Lian Binglan understood her cousin’s warning and became more convinced that Cui Xingzhou had a secret relationship with Lady He. Otherwise, how could this word spread so fast that it suddenly came to her cousin’s ears?

“Cousin, my mother has always taught me to respect my husband. The thought of you being alone outside with no one to look after bothers me. But it’s hard for me to follow you to the military camp. So I just hope to have a good lady who can serve you when you are outside and I lost my sense of propriety for a moment. Please forgive me, cousin.”

With these words, Lian Binglan’s eyes were moist but they just wouldn’t fall off. She was only weak and helpless, like the Old Princess Consort Chu when she was young.

If it had been before, Cui Xingzhou would not have pointed it out to his cousin about these things. At that time, he would be thinking about his cousin’s good intentions with a heart of gratitude.

However, he was ridiculed by the young woman in North Street yesterday, asking whether his buttocks were hurt, so now when he listens to his cousin’s “intimate” words, he can only hear the sound of “Pak Pak”.

If his cousin really loves him, how can she take a concubine for himself so wholeheartedly? For a time, he wasn’t moved by her, he just felt extremely boring and didn’t want to say a word.

He had never considered himself a sage and virtue.

Now that he has made up his mind to set up an outside mistress to settle Lady Liu down, it is unreasonable to criticize her cousin and scold her for taking concubines for himself. Now that Steward Gao has taken care of the matters and dismissed those servants with a big mouth, it’s good enough to put an end to people secretly spying on him in the future.

His cousin is also a smart person. After today’s warning, she should think it over and rest her mind.

Thinking of this, he replied faintly, “You didn’t do anything wrong. There’s nothing for me to forgive about. Don’t think too much about it.”

The two people were separated by a few steps, and after a period of silence, they said goodbye to each other.

Lian Binglan looked at the back of Prince Huaiyang, and suddenly felt a burst of sadness in her heart. She had done it with all her heart, but she didn’t know where she had offended He Zhen. She even ordered her cousin to hit her in the face like this!

So when Lian Xiang held the third daughter of the He family’s invitation post and carefully ask Lian Binglan, Lian Binglan grabbed the post, tore it to pieces, and said coldly, “Say that I’m sick and I won’t be going!”

……

Cui Xingzhou went home, stopped his cousin from gathering concubines for himself expanding his courtyard, and then took a turn around his Military camp.

The Imperial court’s military ban order has been issued. All localities should present their troops’ weapons to the Imperial court. Except for the necessary defense troops, the rest of the soldiers should be demobilized and returned to the fields, and no illegal troop stationing is allowed.

The reduction of troops in the State of Zhen is also imminent. As long as the anti-bandit of the Mountain of Yang starts their offer of amnesty and enlistment to rebels, the elite soldiers he has carefully cultivated for many years will be dismissed.

However, Cui Xingzhou now has a bottom line in his heart and only lets the civil servants follow the prescribed order and report his authorized weapons, which is a scene of great cooperation with the Imperial court.

After handling the routine of some official business in the Military Camp, Cui Xingzhou thought of going back to North Street for a lunch break.

But as soon as he went back to the North Street Mansion, Cui Xingzhou felt that the atmosphere was wrong.

The house yard is still that house yard. Dried peppers were spread on the courtyard wall, and under the grape vines are gourd shreds ready to dry in the shade, which is permeated with the flavor of everlasting and unchanging life. But only Lady Liu, who always warmly welcomes him each time was missing.

Cui Xingzhou looked up at Servant Li and was about to ask if Liu Miantang is not home. It happens that the maid Bi Cao has just come out of the house. When she saw Cui Xingzhou, she immediately shouted inside the house, “Madam, The Master is back!”

But after this sound, there’s still no one coming out to welcome him.

Cui Xingzhou only walked into the house and found Miantang practicing calligraphy by the porch window.

Maybe she was feeling tired and lazy when she got up. She didn’t use head oil to sip her hair, her hair was fluffy, and the long hair at the back of her head was tied in a bow with a green scarf. Because she was in the house, she only wore a short-sleeved narrow waistcoat, with a wide skirt that is suitable to wear at home under it, an outer coat on her shoulder, her slender arm extending out, holding a brush and writing slowly. She was permeated with the flavor of the tired and lazy dressing.

But she looks too good to have the sloppy feel. Instead, she looks so casual that it has a unique taste to it.

Cui Xingzhou enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the beauty who sit at the side for a while and walked over.

Miantang is tracing big characters with thin tracing paper. The calligraphy used was not the “Li Quan Ming” written by Cui Xingzhou a few days ago, but a popular post bought in a calligraphy and painting shop.

Cui Xingzhou looked down for a while, and thought that although the font was a little trembling, after seeing the appearance, he said, “It’s well written, you have made some progress…”

If on usual days, when he complimented her, Lady Liu would surely lift her head gently, raise her eyebrows high, with a surprised look, and said, “Do you mean it, husband?”

But today, Liu Miantang is like a beauty carved in frost. She didn’t even look at Cui Xingzhou.

Cui Xingzhou naturally noticed the abnormality and stood slightly for a while. Seeing that she ignored him, he frowned and said, “What’s the matter? Why are you not talking?”

He always speaks and acts according to his will. In the past, when he was angry with people in The Residence, there were always people who wait for his anger to dissipate and immediately come to flatter him. Who dares to show face to The Prince?

After Cui Xingzhou went out for a day, he forgot all about his actions of throwing bowls in the courtyard of North Street.

But Miantang, after her husband threw his bowls, complained about her loudly drinking soup, and didn’t return all night. It simply means that he doesn’t want to live with her anymore and is about to give her a letter of divorce!

So after Cui Xingzhou left, she closed the door and cried silently for a while. She thought about her husband taking out his anger on the matter of past events. In the end, he refused to forgive her previous dealings with the Young Master Ziyu.

If it’s anything else, it’s easy to ask her husband for forgiveness. But these matters where men can’t even solve the heart knot by themselves, she is unable to do anything about it. It’s better to face it calmly, so as not to have a rough relationship when they are getting along in the future.

So when her husband Cui Jiu dissipated his anger and came back as if nothing had happened, she didn’t want to see him throw bowls and scold her again in the future. Therefore, she just ignored him and did her own thing.

But Prince Huaiyang couldn’t stand this. He stood quietly behind Miantang for a while, and then his face sank and brushed his sleeve out.

At this time, Servant Li was waiting at the door. Seeing that The Prince came out unhappily, she hurriedly straightened her face and waited for The Prince’s orders.

“What happened to her?” Cui Xingzhou asked unhappily with thick eyebrows.

Servant Li could understand The Prince’s forgetfulness, so she said cautiously, “Ever since you left, Lady Liu may have been frightened by your anger, crying for a while, and she has not been very talkative.”

Cui Xingzhou paused for a moment, which reminded him of the situation when he was out of the yard. To be honest, when he recalled it now, by reprimanding Miantang for her poor eating appearance in front of the servants, which woman can tolerate losing face like that?

After all, she is also the hostess on the surface of the North Street Mansion. For a moment, he can forgive her for being thin-skinned and being at odds with him. Servant Li said that she was crying. He indeed saw that her eyes were a little red earlier on…

Cui Xingzhou frowned. He originally wanted to turn around back to the Military Camp, but he walked to the gate of the mansion, paused, and walked back to the house again.

It’s not that he didn’t want to coax the woman. In fact, Cui Xingzhou hasn’t coaxed any woman except his mother since he was this big.

But he didn’t like that she was not talking to him. And… At present, the matter of the Mountain of Yang is not over, and he still needs to use her. After finding a good reason, Cui Jiu’s turning step is naturally lighter.

But how to persuade Miantang is also a very tricky matter. He lifted the curtain again and came to the inner house. After thinking about it, he stretched out his hand to hold Miantang’s slender wrist, pulled her into his arms, and whispered, “Have you cried?”

Miantang didn’t speak, but pursed her pink lips, like petals after the rain, which were seductively red…

Cui Xingzhou looked down and said, “I was in a bad mood at that time. It wasn’t your fault. Did I scare you?”

Miantang looked up at him at this time and said, “You have always been gentle and polite, and never spoke loudly to me. Yesterday, I… I think you were angry with me. But I don’t know what did I do wrong and how to change it. You didn’t come home all night, and I didn’t sleep all night. I’m always worried about whether you have a warm place to sleep outside, so…”

Miantang said this, paused, and then thoughtfully said, “Next time if you don’t like me, I’ll go out instead and you stay at home. It also saves me from worrying about your well-being and lack of care…”

Cui Xingzhou thought what she said was funny. Where is she going, a lonely and helpless foreign woman? Stay in an inn?