After losing their daughter-in-law Cui Fu, the Qing Guogong Manor suddenly realized she wasn’t as undesirable as they had previously thought. They began to entertain the idea of reconciliation.
After all, the former couple still had a child together. If Cui Fu felt nostalgic for their past, and if the Guo family offered some gentle words and apologies, perhaps they could win her back.
While the Qing Guogong Manor was busy calculating their next move, Dowager Princess Chu was rushing to the Capital.
Cui Xing Zhou, always one to make his own decisions, had concealed Cui Fu’s separation from them. It wasn’t until midway through her journey that the steward sent to escort her gradually revealed the situation.
The Dowager Princess was stunned. She regretted staying in Zhenzhou and allowing her children to cause such chaos in Capital. Had she been there, she wouldn’t have allowed her daughter to separate so impulsively… But Liu Mian Tang’s background… was it as outrageous as reported?
“Sister, didn’t I tell you? Now you see I wasn’t lying,” said Lian Chu Shi.
Her son-in-law, Fifth Master Cui Xing Di, had purchased farmland and businesses in Qingfeng Town near Capital. He had partnered with friends in various ventures and was doing quite well.
So, not long after Cui Xing Zhou went to Capital, Cui Xing Di also left Zhenzhou for Qingfeng Town to manage his businesses, leaving his newlywed wife Lian Si Lan alone at home.
After marriage, the fifth son had established his household, separate from the main estate. With the vast manor left to the Dowager Princess alone, she felt lonely and began attending various tea parties to socialize.
Gradually, the nearly severed sisterly bond with Lian Chu Shi was somewhat mended.
The Dowager Princess had always found it hard to be harsh with her sister, though now she was no longer as compliant as before.
Recently, Lian Chu Shi had mysteriously come to tell her that Cui Fu had separated from the Guo family in Capital. The Dowager Princess, thinking her sister was gossiping as usual, didn’t believe her and scolded her severely.
Later, the rumors became even more outrageous. Lian Chu Shi claimed that the daughter-in-law, Liu Mian Tang, was the bandit leader Lu Wen! She spoke with such conviction that the Dowager Princess became angry with her sister again.
However, people returning from Capital seemed to corroborate these stories.
As the saying goes, “Three people reporting a tiger makes it real.” Gradually, the Dowager Princess began to feel uneasy. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to write directly to her son asking if Cui Fu had indeed separated, or if Liu Mian Tang had truly been a bandit.
Cui Xing Zhou’s letters lacked any such details.
Finally, unable to contain herself, she insisted on going to Capital. After several letters urging Cui Xing Zhou, the journey was arranged.
Seeing the opportunity to travel with an official military escort, Lian Chu Shi also wanted to visit Capital and reunite her daughter with her son-in-law.
The Dowager Princess saw no issue in bringing them along, so Lian Si Lan and Lian Chu joined the boat journey to Capital.
To be honest, Lian Chu Shi came along hoping to witness some drama.
Initially, Cui Xing Zhou had rejected her well-raised daughter, insisting on marrying the lowborn Liu Mian Tang.
Lian Chu Shi had thought Liu Mian Tang being Cui Xing Zhou’s former mistress was scandalous enough, but to learn she had been a bandit was beyond imagination.
Lian Chu Shi did not doubt these rumors. After all, she had once felt Liu Mian Tang’s blade at her own throat.
Sometimes in nightmares, Lian Chu Shi could still see Liu Mian Tang’s murderous glare, like two daggers pinning her in place.
Now, she reasoned, what proper lady would be so fierce and skilled? It made perfect sense if she had been a bandit from Yangshan.
Shuddering at the memory, Lian Chu Shi also looked forward to seeing her sister’s regretful expression. This anticipation gave her the strength to endure the long journey, eager to witness her sister’s shock upon hearing the scandalous news about the Prince’s household.
As the large boat docked, carriages from the Prince’s manor were already waiting.
Although the Fifth Master Cui Xing Di had his residence in nearby Qingfeng Town, it was proper for Lian Si Lan, as a sister-in-law, to pay her respects to her brother and sister-in-law upon arriving in the capital.
So the Lian mother and daughter accompanied the Dowager Princess to the Prince of Huaiyang’s manor.
Liu Mian Tang was due to give birth any day now, experiencing contractions daily. Several doctors had examined her and concluded that the baby was quite large due to her excellent prenatal care, which might lead to a difficult delivery.
As a result, Liu Mian Tang’s diet had been reduced, and she spent her days walking around the courtyard, worried about the baby growing even larger.
When the Dowager Princess’s party arrived at the manor, Mian Tang, supported by Cui Xing Zhou, went to greet her.
Despite having countless questions, seeing Mian Tang’s heavily pregnant state, the Dowager Princess couldn’t bring herself to interrogate her. Instead, she focused on Mian Tang’s belly, exclaiming at its size and expressing concern about the impending birth.
Cui Xing Zhou, who had stayed home to welcome his mother, also looked worried upon hearing about the size of Mian Tang’s belly.
Mian Tang, however, smiled and assured everyone that all was well.
Contrary to Lian Chu Shi’s expectations of a tense atmosphere due to Liu Mian Tang’s exposed bandit past, she was surprised to see Cui Xing Zhou staying close to his wife, even massaging her wrists as they spoke.
Women who had given birth knew that hands and feet often swell near the due date. The Prince’s skilled technique suggested he frequently massaged his wife, showing no signs of marital discord.
They appeared as loving as ever, hardly resembling a couple who had quarreled over a scandalous past.
As for Cui Fu, she looked even more radiant than she had in Zhenzhou, not at all like a woman struggling with a failed marriage.
The Dowager Princess had only heard about Cui Fu’s separation, unaware of the details.
As Cui Fu recounted her experiences, especially the miscarriage caused by the Madam of Qing Guogong’s mistreatment, even the usually gentle Dowager Princess trembled with anger.
Her husband had many concubines, so she understood her daughter’s suffering all too well. It was only thanks to her daughter having a capable brother that she wasn’t left at the mercy of the Guo family, narrowly escaping with her life!
As Liu Mian Tang had said, her daughter came from a noble family. Even if she wanted to remarry, she could find any number of suitable men. Why should she endure mistreatment from Guo Yi?
Lian Chu Shi, who had traveled from Zhenzhou expecting drama, was disappointed to find none. Seeing the Dowager Princess failing to address the core issues, she grew impatient. Disregarding her daughter’s warnings, she spoke suggestively: “Your Highness, secluded in Zhenzhou, naturally lacks the latest news from Capital. We heard such alarming rumors that frightened you greatly. Just think how unreliable these rumors are – some even claimed the Princess was once a bandit… Oh my…”
Before she could finish, Lian Si Lan suddenly spilled a bowl of hot tea on Lian Chu Shi’s leg, causing her to jump up in pain.
Lian Si Lan apologized to her mother, calling for maids to help her change clothes, effectively cutting off Lian Chu Shi’s tasteless revelation.
Liu Mian Tang observed this clearly, noting that her sister-in-law seemed to have become more tactful, certainly more so than the shallow Lian Chu Shi.
Liu Mian Tang wasn’t one to hold grudges. She believed in returning kindness tenfold.
Now that Lian Si Lan had married Cui Xing Zhou’s half-brother, if she could live honestly, Mian Tang was willing to maintain cordial relations.
With Cui Xing Zhou now a pillar of the court, the family already had enough scandals. Any rumors of mistreating a half-brother’s relatives would only damage Cui Xing Zhou’s official reputation.
So, as Lian Si Lan showed understanding, Liu Mian Tang naturally played the role of a good sister-in-law, smiling and inquiring about her well-being and her husband’s health.
Thus, when the feast was laid out, the family dinner proceeded harmoniously.
Aunt Lian Chu Shi, possibly advised by her daughter in private, though still looking displeased, refrained from making any more troublesome comments.
Mian Tang briefly inquired about the Fifth Master’s situation, learning that he was currently away from Qingfeng, selecting shops to purchase in other areas.
Since establishing his household, the Fifth Master, despite his illness, had become much more ambitious. Rather than relying solely on the lands given by Cui Xing Zhou, he started his business ventures.
Given his disability preventing him from taking the imperial exams and his status as a secondary son barring him from inheriting the princely title, running his own business seemed a good choice beyond living off his inherited assets.
After the family dinner, Lian Si Lan didn’t plan to overstay. She again interrupted her mother’s suggestion of staying at the Prince’s manor for a few days to tour Capital, insisting that the Fifth Master would return soon and she needed to prepare their home in Qingfeng Town for his arrival.
Given this, Mian Tang naturally didn’t press them to stay. She had Madam Li ask the steward to prepare some household items, bedding, and fabric for Lian Si Lan to take with her, ensuring she wouldn’t lack necessities when settling in.
As the Lian mother and daughter left, Lian Chu Shi looked displeased: “Xing Di’s shabby residence is tiny and hasn’t been renovated or expanded. Why rush there? Wouldn’t it be better to stay at the Prince’s manor for a few days, making it easier to shop around?”
Lian Si Lan now looked at her mother as if she were a simpleton, her eyes full of disdain. She coldly replied, “Didn’t you see Liu Mian Tang is about to give birth? Why linger here?”
Lian Chu Shi asked confusedly, “Her giving birth has nothing to do with us. There are midwives and doctors to handle it. What’s the connection?”
Lian Si Lan spoke softly, “If her delivery goes smoothly, it indeed doesn’t concern us. But if something goes wrong, wouldn’t we, as outsiders, be the first to fall under suspicion? How would we explain ourselves?”
Lian Chu Shi found her daughter’s words strange: “What do you mean we’d be suspected if her delivery doesn’t go well? It sounds as if someone might intentionally cause complications…”
Lian Si Lan didn’t respond, turning her gaze toward the carriage window. Inwardly, she smiled coldly, thinking that in this vast Capital, there might be quite a few who would wish for the Countess of Huaisang to die in childbirth!