Liu Miantang was momentarily stunned, staring directly at Cui Xingzhou without speaking.
Cui Xingzhou, without hesitation, entered the courtyard as if it were his own. He waved off Li Mama, who was greeting him, then fiddled with a string of sausages hanging on a rack. He instructed Li Mama to steam two for dinner.
Leaning on his crutch, he inspected every corner of the courtyard with interest before heading towards the house.
By then, Miantang had come to her senses. She quickly stood at the doorway, using a formal greeting as an excuse to block his entry.
Cui Xingzhou finally looked at her properly, lowering his head close to hers. “Has your value gone up so much that you won’t even let me in now?”
Miantang found his words odd and just stood there, face taut, refusing to move.
Finally, Cui Xingzhou abandoned his crutch, scooped Miantang up in one swift motion, and carried her into the room.
Miantang struggled, not wanting to be carried, but he deposited her on the bed and wouldn’t let her up.
Cui Xingzhou leaned down, greedily inhaling her unique, sweet scent. “We’ve been apart for so long. Don’t you miss me?”
Miantang turned her head away, not letting him kiss her. Annoyed, she said, “It’s been less than a month. How is that long? Why are you here? Get up and talk properly!”
Seeing her truly upset, Cui Xingzhou pecked her cheek before helping her up and sitting with her at the table.
As they sat, the Prince of Huaiyang casually mentioned that the furniture arrangement in the room was awkward and inconvenient.
Miantang rolled her eyes hard but still poured him a cup of freshly made sweet soup with white fungus, red dates, and longan.
“Your Highness hasn’t said why you suddenly came here,” she asked while respectfully offering the cup.
In truth, Cui Xingzhou had set out not long after Miantang’s departure. However, leading his troops back to the capital slowed his journey, so he had only arrived a day ago.
Miantang’s letter of “confession” had truly angered Cui Xingzhou. He had merely allowed her to return home for a few days, yet it had stirred up trouble with the Marquis of Zhennan and Prince Sui. Prince Sui, in particular, had become so brazen that even after being warned by Li Guangcai, he had openly tried to abduct her.
Cui Xingzhou shuddered to think what might have happened if he hadn’t arrived in person. Miantang might have been taken to Prince Sui’s private residence. If that had occurred, her virtue would have been compromised. With her stubborn nature, she would have resisted, but how could her limited strength match Prince Sui’s?
Unable to bear the thought, Cui Xingzhou gripped Miantang’s hand tightly.
Miantang winced at his grip and softly said, “Why are you squeezing so hard?”
Cui Xingzhou honestly expressed his thoughts: “If you were to be with another man… I would kill…”
Remembering the beheaded men at her family’s doorstep, Miantang knew he wasn’t joking. She looked at him calmly and asked, “Kill who? Me? Or my family?”
Cui Xingzhou glared at her and said coldly, “You’re so infuriating, yet have I ever laid a finger on you? Of course, I’d kill the adulterer…”
Looking at his handsome face filled with murderous intent, Miantang suddenly felt like laughing. She chuckled, “Where would you find this adulterer? If we’re being honest, you’re not exactly from a proper background either…”
As soon as she said it, she realized she had overstepped. How could she speak to a prince like that?
But Cui Xingzhou didn’t pull rank. Instead, he picked her up and spun her around, saying, “I’m unmarried, you’re unwed. At most, we’re secret lovers right now.”
Miantang, annoyed by his use of “lovers,” retorted, “I told you early on that I wanted to end things completely. Why are you still pestering me? You’re going to the capital this time, right? Take Li Mama and your people with you. As you can see, I’ve established my household. I can live without marrying. If you’re jealous and don’t want others to marry me, I’ll never marry. You can go live your merry life without worry.”
Cui Xingzhou looked down at her and drawled, “You really won’t marry for life? Didn’t you want children? How will you have them without marrying?”
His words reminded Miantang of the shameless things she had said as “Mrs. Cui.” She immediately tried to get up, refusing to say another word to the Prince of Huaiyang.
Knowing she was upset, Cui Xingzhou held her close and said softly, “Don’t be angry. Leave everything to me. When the time comes, you can have as many children as you want…”
Miantang, already troubled by all the talk of becoming a concubine, couldn’t take it anymore. She pushed the prince away forcefully and said, “I know my lowly origins and have no intention of climbing the social ladder. There are many ways to live in this world. Are those who don’t bear children in royal or noble households all lowly and worthless? I’m quite content with my life now. Even if I end up begging on the streets, I’ll still be free and happy! Don’t mention making me a concubine again! Whoever wants to be your mistress can go ahead! If I ever think of you again, I’m a tortoise and a bastard!”
As she spoke, Miantang’s alluring eyes were wide open, like a fierce little tigress about to devour someone, completely disregarding Cui Xingzhou’s princely status.
After being apart for so long, Cui Xingzhou understood Miantang all too well. He knew that if she said this, she could indeed forget him completely one day, just as she had forgotten that Ziyu gentleman.
This thought ignited an uncontrollable fury in Cui Xingzhou’s heart, and he had a faint, mad idea of locking this woman away, hiding her in a golden house where no one else could see her!
In truth, during their days and nights apart, Cui Xingzhou had been contemplating far more than Miantang, who had been solely focused on making money.
He too had wanted to forget her, to never again mention that ridiculous false life on North Street. But he just couldn’t let go. The thought of Miantang being with someone else felt like his intestines were being ripped out.
Recently, however, his late father’s image and voice had been lingering in his mind.
The old Prince of Huaiyang had been fond of women, taking numerous concubines. But upon closer inspection, all those concubines bore a resemblance in their eyes, eyebrows, and noses. Later, he learned that in his youth, his father had loved a woman of humble origins but couldn’t be with her due to her low status. He later married the Princess of Chu, and that woman had married someone else far away.
From then on, everything he saw reminded him of her… He became unrestrained and absurd in his behavior.
When Cui Xingzhou was young, he once heard his drunken father say to a friend, “Even if you’re granted the title of a marquis of ten thousand households, if you can’t marry the one you truly love, it’s all for naught. You’d be better off as a common man in the marketplace…”
In the past, whenever Cui Xingzhou recalled his father’s tearful words, he felt deeply disgusted, believing them to be a pathetic excuse for his father’s indulgence in women and neglect of his mother.
How could a great man standing between heaven and earth be so entangled in petty romance?
But now that he found himself in the same situation as his father, he realized he had fallen into the same predicament.
However, he did agree with what his father had said later. To be a prince yet unable to marry the one you most want to marry was truly pathetic!
That Ziyu gentleman had abandoned Miantang for the sake of power. If he were to do the same, how would he be any different from that ass-kissing, good-for-nothing imperial grandson?
Having made up his mind, it was as if he had unblocked his vital energy channels. Cui Xingzhou had already made his decision before coming this time.
Just as Miantang was glaring at him angrily, Cui Xingzhou said leisurely, “Who said I wanted to make you a concubine?”
Miantang hadn’t expected him to take the attitude of “You’re not even fit to be a concubine.” She was so angry that she couldn’t breathe, and the usually sharp-tongued beauty was left speechless. She just stared at him with slightly reddened eyes and a heaving chest, tears about to fall at any moment.
Cui Xingzhou immediately regretted angering her again. They hadn’t been together for so long; he should have been sweet to her. Now that he had made her cry, he’d have to comfort her himself.
So he quickly embraced her and said softly, “Not as a concubine. If I’ve come to you again, it’s natural because I want to marry you as my wife! Then, if you don’t have children, there will be people urging you to, won’t there?”
Miantang was still immersed in the anger of being looked down upon when she heard him say he wanted to marry her. She dismissed it as the sweet talk men use to deceive young girls.
By now, she had caught her breath and was trying to swallow her grievances, saying as calmly as possible, “Anyway, thank you, Prince of Huaiyang, for coming to my rescue today. I owe you another debt of gratitude, which I will find a way to repay double in the future… It’s getting late, Your Highness. Please leave!”
Cui Xingzhou had imagined various reactions from Miantang after he promised to marry her.
Coy, tearfully joyful… But he hadn’t expected this matter-of-fact response.
Seeing Cui Xingzhou’s handsome face darken, he raised his thick eyebrows and said, “Where would I go? I’m staying here tonight!” With that, he lay down on the bed, kicked off his shoes, and didn’t move.
Liu Miantang hadn’t expected him to be so shameless. Furious, she turned and left.
As she went out, the timber shop had just delivered two unpainted door panels. After comparing them with the door frame and attaching hinges, they could temporarily serve as doors. After all, it wasn’t proper for a woman’s household to have its doors wide open at night.
After watching Fan Hu and the others clumsily attach the door panels, Miantang went to the kitchen to check on Li Mama, who was cooking soup and steaming sausages.
Seeing Li Mama start to fry some small pieces of meat that Cui Xingzhou loved, Miantang said irritably, “You’re preparing food for him? Did I say he could stay for dinner?”
Seeing Miantang’s expression, Li Mama knew she must have quarreled with the prince in the room. She carefully said, “We have plenty of rice and flour, it’s not a big deal to feed one more. The prince’s meals in the army are irregular, and I heard he’s been having stomach problems lately… If he doesn’t eat now, he might get a stomachache on his way back…”
Miantang fell silent, her small face sullen. After pacing around the kitchen for a while, she asked, “Is today’s rice cooked with the same amount of water as yesterday?”
Li Mama thought her old habit of nitpicking had resurfaced and said softly, “Miss said she likes it firmer, so we used the same amount of water as yesterday…”
Miantang didn’t respond. After circling a few more times, she took a small clay pot, scooped in a little white rice and a large spoonful of golden millet, added water, and put it on a small stove to cook porridge.
As Liu Miantang exited the small kitchen, she heard snoring coming from her room. Realizing Cui Xingzhou had fallen asleep, she entered quietly.
Cui Xingzhou lay sprawled on her bed, his face buried in the pillow. His long limbs were stretched out, eyes tightly shut in deep slumber. Despite being tanned from his time in the Northwest, his handsome features exuded an irresistible rugged charm.
Miantang allowed herself to gaze at him for a moment. She had to admit, no man she’d met compared to his looks. His features and build perfectly suited her tastes. If she could forget his exasperating behavior and just look at his sleeping face, she could contentedly watch him all day.
Remembering his stomach ailment, she gently covered him with a blanket. Then she took another blanket from a chest and went to sleep in the maid’s room next door.
Cui Xingzhou woke around midnight, having slept deeply after several restless nights. Finding himself alone, he asked Li Mama about Miantang’s whereabouts.
“She ate dinner and went to rest in the side room,” Li Mama explained. “The Lu family is having an engagement ceremony tomorrow for their second daughter. Miss Liu needs to attend, so she went to bed early.”
Li Mama’s words subtly warned the prince not to disturb Miantang late at night. She felt bad for the usually calm young lady who always seemed distressed after his visits.
Cui Xingzhou had no intention of bothering Miantang. He was determined to marry her and needed to win over her family. He planned to accompany her to the Lu family gathering the next day.
After checking on Miantang and finding her door bolted, he returned to his room to avoid waking her.
The next morning, Miantang rose at dawn to prepare for the journey to West Prefecture. She dressed simply in a pale gray gown and styled her hair in a high bun adorned with two jade flower hairpins. Her makeup was minimal – just a light dusting of powder and a touch of rouge on her lips. She didn’t want to overshadow her cousin’s engagement celebration.
When she emerged, she found Cui Xingzhou ready and waiting. He cut an impressive figure in his jade crown with gold-threaded ribbons and a white robe embroidered with cloud and moon patterns. Even leaning on a jade cane, he exuded an air of scholarly refinement.
Miantang bit her lip and looked away, asking curtly, “Are you leaving now Your Highness? Have a safe journey.”
Cui Xingzhou frowned at her attempt to dismiss him. He knew that despite her claims of never marrying, her beauty would attract suitors. The thought irritated him.
“I’m going with you to the Lu family,” he stated calmly. “If you’re worried about your grandfather, I can follow in my carriage.”
Realizing his intentions, Miantang demanded, “Why are you coming along?”
“I told you yesterday – I’m going to ask for your hand in marriage,” Cui Xingzhou replied. “Naturally, I need to speak with your family.”
Miantang grew angry. “I already said I won’t be a concubine! If you upset my grandfather, I don’t care if you’re a prince – I’ll fight you!”
Accustomed to her outbursts, Cui Xingzhou took her hand and explained his plans to propose formally, obtain her family’s blessing, and then introduce her to his mother before holding a grand wedding ceremony.
Miantang stared at him in disbelief. “Have you gone mad?”
Cui Xingzhou smiled slightly. “I may have been a bit crazy after you left, but I’ve come to my senses now. Let’s get going – it’s getting late.”
As he moved towards his carriage, Miantang held him back. “Your Highness! I’m the daughter of a criminal. My brother is in exile. These are unchangeable facts. You’re a war hero and hereditary prince. Even if you don’t care about public opinion, your maternal relatives will be shamed by this marriage. You’ll face constant trouble, wearing away even the deepest love. I know my place and don’t wish to be your wife. Please, go back!”
Though Miantang spoke the truth – echoing Cui Xingzhou’s own earlier doubts – hearing it from her made the words grate on his ears. He now saw her low status as a challenge to overcome, not an insurmountable obstacle.
“I told you, leave everything to me,” he insisted. “I’ll ensure you enter the Cui family with honor.” He then described the gifts he’d prepared for her relatives.
Realizing Cui Xingzhou was serious, Miantang turned to Li Mama in desperation. “Li Mama, please talk some sense into your master!”
Li Mama pretended not to hear. Though she enjoyed giving advice, she knew better than to contradict her prince.
Amused by Miantang’s efforts, Cui Xingzhou scooped her up and carried her into his carriage, ordering the driver to depart.
During the journey to West Prefecture, it became clear that Cui Xingzhou was determined to marry Miantang, having already begun preparations without consulting her. Meanwhile, Miantang truly didn’t want to marry him, feeling she’d been tricked once and didn’t want to spend her life with a liar.
Understanding this, Cui Xingzhou grew angry, glaring at Miantang as she avoided his gaze. As they neared the city, she pleaded, “Your Highness, let me get out. Please turn back.”
“What are you thinking, Liu Miantang?” he said coldly. “You’re already my woman. By refusing to marry me, are you trying to make me beg forgiveness?”
Exhausted and developing a headache, Miantang leaned wearily against the carriage wall. Recognizing her recurring pain, Cui Xingzhou pulled her close and skillfully massaged her temples using techniques he’d learned from Zhao Quan.
As her discomfort eased, he spoke softly, “I know you’re angry, but I’ve been miserable without you. Hasn’t that punishment been enough? Your refusal might feel satisfying, but what about your family? Don’t you want your grandfather to see you married in grand style? Instead, you’ve set up your household and plan to never marry. Have you told him that? You’ll break his heart!”
Miantang knew Cui Xingzhou had a point. But was he truly worthy of a lifelong commitment? She feared this powerful man might deceive not just her, but her entire family.
As they approached the city gates, Miantang knew she had to exit his carriage. Being seen together would raise too many questions she couldn’t answer.