Since arriving in the capital, Mian Tang hadn’t noticed her prince becoming busier.
Compared to their time in the Northwest or in Zhen Prefecture, the Prince of Huaiyang now seemed more like an idle, unproductive aristocratic youth.
Because of the incident at Wangfeng Temple, Cui Xingzhou had even brazenly requested a long leave from the emperor, saying that the princess was greatly shocked and he needed to stay home to accompany her.
Since the emperor’s woman was the instigator of this mess, although Cui Xingzhou’s request for rest was improper, they couldn’t refuse to grant him leave.
So these past few days, the prince didn’t have to attend morning court or go to the office. He only spent his days accompanying Mian Tang, helping her apply makeup in the morning, appreciating flowers in the courtyard, and occasionally strolling through the markets.
Mian Tang stood with a straight face in front of a fried cake stall, watching as the bean-filled cakes slowly puffed up in the boiling oil, and then were flipped, sizzling… She couldn’t hold back anymore and finally said to the man beside her, “Your Highness, I feel that always sticking together isn’t the proper way for a married couple to get along.”
The Prince of Huaiyang took a bite of the freshly bought fried cake, finding it oily and sweet. He frowned slightly and answered irrelevantly, “When I wasn’t around before, did you always come to the streets to buy these to eat?”
Mian Tang glared at him and turned her head without speaking. Bicao cautiously said from the side, “The princess doesn’t always buy these. She preferred cold cakes a while ago…”
The Prince of Huaiyang’s eyes widened upon hearing this. He lowered his head and asked Mian Tang, “You mean the cold cakes you ate during those days when you had an upset stomach?”
This time, Mian Tang didn’t glare at the Prince of Huaiyang but at Bicao instead.
Cui Xingzhou frowned and said, “You should know that you’re heavily pregnant now. The street food isn’t clean, you should eat less. Today will be the last time. If you want to eat something in the future, we have pastry chefs in the mansion who can make it for you.”
Mian Tang patiently said, “Some snacks can’t be made with the same flavor in the mansion. For example, these fried cakes must have the taste of old oil to be delicious… This is very close to the Ministry of War. You haven’t been there for several days. Do you want to go and take a look?”
Cui Xingzhou’s face soured a bit as he glared down at Liu Mian Tang, “You don’t want me to accompany you?”
Liu Mian Tang guiltily took a bite of the fried cake, thinking to herself, maybe a little…
Compared to the perfect husband on North Street, of course, a husband who always came home was good, but having the prince constantly by her side was driving her a bit crazy.
Liu Mian Tang was used to being free. Even though she was now the Princess of Huaiyang and had to socialize with those noble ladies, she still had her things to do.
For instance, she needed to manage the four newly bought shops in the capital, check the accounts of the newly opened escort agency, and arrange the daily affairs of her old brothers from Yangshan.
Some of the brothers had met suitable girls, but unfortunately had no parents, so she had to arrange their marriages!
But with Cui Xingzhou by her side, wouldn’t many of these under-the-table matters be seen by him?
Seeing Mian Tang’s guilty look, Cui Xingzhou had already guessed her answer. He wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, “I rarely have a few days of leisure. In a couple of days, I might be too busy to see you. Yet you dare to be impatient with me!”
Seeing Cui Xingzhou’s displeasure, Mian Tang quickly went to hold his hand, swaying it like coaxing a child, “How could I be impatient? I just worried about delaying Your Highness’s important matters… Look, let’s go to the chess and painting shop later. I’ll buy you a set of jade chess pieces. Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I bought you anything!”
Bicao watched from the side, feeling that her mistress was like a smooth-talking swindler coaxing a young girl, always using gifts to placate people. Yet oddly enough, the tall and handsome prince seemed to fall for this trick. After being coaxed by the princess, the ice on his face seemed to melt, showing a hint of warmth.
So after visiting the fried cake stall, the carriage was about to head to the chess and painting shop.
But at this moment, someone came riding on horseback with servants, chasing after them. Upon seeing the prince, he looked as if he had found a long-lost relative, tears welling up in his eyes. He dismounted from his horse with a choked voice, “Your Highness, we’ve finally found you. The Ministry of War is in chaos. Please come and take a look…”
Cui Xingzhou replied unhurriedly, “Isn’t Minister Ma overseeing the Ministry of War? If there’s any issue, just ask him. I’ve already requested leave from His Majesty to stay at home and accompany the princess who has been frightened…”
The man was about to kneel on the ground, “Your Highness, you… you are after all the Grand Marshal of the Ministry of War. The chaos in the ministry now, how can Minister Ma make all the decisions?”
Cui Xingzhou’s handsome face wore a smirk as he coldly snorted, “Lord Ji, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten that I’m in charge of the Ministry of War! Go tell Ma Zhongming, that since he has such great ideas and can handle all matters big and small in the ministry, he might as well take care of everything. After all, I haven’t even looked at those documents you’ve been reviewing. Any mistakes made are from when I was resting at home.”
After saying this, he lowered the carriage curtain and ordered the driver to leave.
Mian Tang had heard everything clearly from the side. She began to understand why Cui Xingzhou had been so leisurely in accompanying her. It seemed that this prince had set some trap for those arrogant subordinates in the Ministry of War, then stepped aside. Now that the people in the ministry couldn’t handle it, they came looking for the prince. Cui Xingzhou, in turn, could vent all his previous frustrations.
Poor Ministry of War people thought the Prince of Huaiyang was just a brute who only knew how to fight on the battlefield. They tried to use such clumsy tricks to sideline the prince, not knowing that he had always been a master chess player and a vengeful person who was willing to put in effort. How could they be a match for the Prince of Huaiyang?
Back when they were on Yangshan, just because she had made this prince suffer a few setbacks, he never forgot it. He even had the patience to pretend to be her husband for a year to lure out “Lu Wen”. If he hadn’t mistakenly believed that Liu Yu was Lu Wen, he probably wouldn’t have given up until he caught Lu Wen!
But… if he knew that he had been sleeping with Lu Wen for so long, and even married Lu Wen… Based on Liu Mian Tang’s understanding of Cui Xingzhou, this prince who loved to hold grudges and had a small heart might be furious beyond measure… At that time, his methods of revenge might be endless.
Thinking of this, Mian Tang’s face immediately turned sour again. She sighed and hugged Cui Xingzhou’s waist, using her long fingers to trace his straight nose and thin lips, looking at him wistfully—such a handsome person, she couldn’t always sleep with him for free. She shouldn’t have been impatient; she was truly unaware of her good fortune…
However, this act of repentance appeared to Cui Xingzhou as teasing!
His princess, although not a noble lady from an aristocratic family, was still from an official household.
But sometimes when she teased him, she was even bolder and more alluring than the courtesans from the red-light district. Her maternal grandfather was also a proper person, so he didn’t know who this girl took after, making him uneasy and wanting to lock her by his side to feel at ease.
Just like now, her slender fingers were setting fires all over his face, yet her eyes showed a worried and dreamy look, her big eyes misty, as docile as a cat.
Cui Xingzhou’s throat tightened, but unfortunately, they were in a carriage, not in the inner chambers of the prince’s mansion. No matter how fired up he was, there was no way to take her immediately. He could only lower his head and capture her red lips, savoring them thoroughly…
Mian Tang also tightly embraced his neck, responding passionately. Sometimes, these wonderful moments couldn’t wait!
During this market trip, Mian Tang bought many things for her dear husband. After all, she was in the wrong now, so she could only try her best to please her husband. This way, when her secret was revealed in the future, she might be able to salvage the situation somewhat.
She couldn’t be like those fools in the Ministry of War who offended people completely, leaving no room for reconciliation!
Besides doting on her husband, Mian Tang also bought many things for her sister-in-law, Cui Fu.
These past few days, Cui Fu had been somewhat depressed, grieving for her lost child. Along with the pain of separation, everything seemed to have come together at once.
After returning to the mansion, she was first carried to the inner chamber by Cui Xingzhou, who had been holding back the entire journey. They indulged in intimacy for an entire afternoon before finally settling down.
Li Guang came looking for them at dinner time, apparently intending to freeload a meal at the prince’s mansion.
Since they both had official matters to discuss, they ate and drank in the study.
Mian Tang, meanwhile, accompanied Cui Fu for dinner.
Mian Tang had bought many toys for Jin’er during her trip to the market today, but when she arrived at Cui Fu’s room, she found Jin’er happily unpacking several large paper packages spread out on the thick mat on the floor. Upon inquiry, she learned that they were bought by Lord Li Guang for Jin’er.
Mian Tang took a look. They were all new and interesting items from the old brand Qibao House in the capital. There were sets of jointed soldier figures that could move and change weapons and even a small wooden horse with wheels. They were expensive.
In comparison, the things Mian Tang bought seemed a bit less novel. The big cloth tiger and wooden weapons didn’t attract the child as much as Lord Li’s gifts.
Jin’er even pointed at the cloth tiger and said, “Aunt, this can be for the baby in your tummy to play with. I’m a grown-up now, I can’t play with this!”
Mian Tang clicked her tongue and said, “If you’re such a grown-up, then don’t wet the bed tonight! You’ve already soaked your aunt’s mattress!”
Jin’er blushed and burrowed into his aunt’s fragrant embrace to act coquettishly.
After teasing Jin’er, Mian Tang let him go play with the maids on the side. Then she asked Cui Fu, “Sister, you hadn’t completely cut ties with the Guo family before, so I didn’t feel right asking. But now I have to be nosy and ask, did you… and Lord Li ever have a childhood sweetheart relationship?”
Cui Fu was drinking soup and nearly spat it out at Liu Mian Tang’s inappropriate question. She always paid attention to etiquette while eating, but now she was so angry that she put down her chopsticks and pinched Mian Tang’s soft cheek, “How dare you say such things! I’ve never even met him alone, how could we have been childhood sweethearts?”
Although her cheek was pinched, Liu Mian Tang still wouldn’t give up. She turned her face to offer the other cheek to Cui Fu and asked, “Then why has Lord Li never married? And why is he so generous to you, sister? Don’t you know, Lord Li is usually the type of person who tries to split a coin into four parts to spend?”
Cui Fu was stunned, “How would I know why he hasn’t married? He’s just buying some toys for the child out of respect for the prince. How did you come up with all this… Why are you offering your face?”
Mian Tang said considerately, “I’m afraid you’ll get angry and want to pinch my face again. I’m offering it early to save you from straining your waist!”
Cui Fu, who had been depressed for several days, finally burst into laughter at her sister-in-law’s joke. She tapped Mian Tang’s forehead and said, “My brother is the most proper person, how did he end up with such a mischievous monkey like you? Stop saying such nonsense, and I won’t pinch your face. I don’t dare hope to remarry now. I just want to raise Jin’er to adulthood, and then I’ll have no regrets.”