As soon as the Princess Consort of Prince Sui arrived, Lady Taihou immediately went to greet her. Smiling, she led the Princess Consort to the seat of honor and introduced her to Duchess Chu and County Lady Huaisang.
Prince Sui had been married for many years, but his Princess Consort rarely appeared in public. The Prince had maintained a low profile for years, dedicating himself to spiritual cultivation and becoming a Buddhist ascetic. As his consort, she felt it inappropriate to be ostentatious and seldom attended social gatherings.
Finally, Prince Sui completed his mourning period and “returned to secular life.” This allowed the Princess Consort to socialize more freely. However, her visit today had a hidden purpose. Zhao Quan was renowned for his medical skills, and although the Princess Consort already had one son, she wished to bear more children. Unfortunately, she had been diagnosed with a cold constitution by other physicians, and her previous pregnancy had weakened her foundation. She hoped to seek Zhao Quan’s diagnosis and obtain an effective prescription.
She had long been on good terms with Lady Taihou, so she used this family banquet as an opportunity to visit the Marquis’s residence. This way, she could discreetly seek medical advice and receive treatment to improve her health.
Despite her long absence from social circles, the Princess Consort was still a well-bred lady. Upon seeing Duchess Chu and County Lady Huaisang, she smiled and nodded, exchanging polite greetings.
Liu Miantang held a strong opinion against Prince Sui, viewing him as a voracious wolf in sheep’s clothing. Consequently, her sudden encounter with the Princess Consort caused her some discomfort.
However, this Princess Consort appeared quite amiable, like a delicate orchid swaying in the breeze. She spoke softly and seemed frail and thin, lacking the appearance of prosperity and good fortune.
Rumor had it that while Prince Sui didn’t have many noble concubines, he kept numerous serving girls and concubines in his household. The Princess Consort appeared not to interfere. Given Liu Miantang’s knowledge of Prince Sui’s wolfish nature, she doubted this delicate Princess Consort could control such a fickle man.
Miantang noticed that the Princess Consort barely glanced at her, suggesting she was unaware of the enmity between Miantang and Prince Sui.
She recalled when Prince Sui had sent a matchmaker to the Lu family to propose marriage, claiming his Princess Consort was virtuous, gentle, and accommodating. Now, it seemed those words weren’t an exaggeration; she did indeed appear gentle and mild-mannered.
As they sat casually, Lady Taihou naturally inquired about Prince Sui’s well-being.
The Princess Consort smiled and said, “His Majesty has just ascended the throne and has summoned Prince Sui to the capital for government duties. Before long, our entire family will have to move to the capital. The journey is long, and I’m unsure if my health can withstand it…”
Upon hearing this, Lady Taihou naturally congratulated the Princess Consort on Prince Sui receiving such imperial favor and the opportunity to serve in the capital.
Perhaps out of gratitude for Zhao Quan’s medical consultation, the Princess Consort mentioned that she had a niece who was a suitable match for Zhao Quan in both character and appearance. The niece was exceptionally beautiful, and her father currently served as the prefect of Yuanzhou, a promising official with a bright future.
Lady Taihou found this young woman quite promising. Her eyes lit up, and she engaged in increasingly enthusiastic conversation.
Lian Chu Shi, listening nearby, grew increasingly displeased. Despite her daughter having many princely and noble cousins, she had failed to secure a match with any of them!
Feeling both ashamed and annoyed, Lian Chu Shi didn’t know whom to blame and found the situation utterly frustrating. Finally, she excused herself, citing a headache, and left with her daughter Lian Silan.
Lian Silan clearly understood that her prospects of marrying her other cousin were also hopeless, leaving her feeling lost. She was now too old, and her options for marriage were limited. She might even have to become someone’s second wife, entering a household as a stepmother.
At this point, her greatest regret was listening to her mother’s urging to postpone her marriage to the Prince of Huaiyang. Otherwise, she would now be a proper princess consort, engaging in leisurely conversation at tea parties. Instead, she faced setbacks at every turn, her future uncertain…
But it was too late for such thoughts now. As Lian Silan dejectedly followed her mother out, she bumped into another young lady leading a little maid.
Lian Chu Shi, still angry, walked quickly. Lian Silan, however, paused briefly and glanced at the young lady opposite her.
“Miss Lian, it’s been a while. What a surprise to meet you here…” The young lady immediately curtsied upon seeing Lian Silan.
Lian Silan looked closely, realizing why the young lady seemed familiar. It was none other than Miss He San from Lingquan Town, whom she had once considered as a potential concubine for her cousin!
She had initially thought her cousin liked Miss He San and had deliberately befriended her, intending to fulfill her cousin’s wishes. However, after being reprimanded by Cui Xingzhou, Lian Silan assumed she had offended He Zhen, who had complained about her. So she had cut off contact, never expecting to meet her again here.
But now, whoever Cui Xingzhou loved was no longer Lian Silan’s concern. She nodded coolly to Miss He San and prepared to leave.
Miss He San had come to the Marquis’s residence to deliver some specially crafted porcelain bowl sets.
This was a common practice for the He family. Whenever there was a banquet at a noble household, their friendly stewards would inform the He family. They would send someone to walk around the outer courtyard under the pretext of delivering porcelain. If the hosts were willing to receive them, they could showcase their wares and potentially gain more noble patrons, enhancing the He family’s reputation.
Today’s tea party was full of distinguished guests, so Miss He San was sent to present a set of bone china teaware. The kiln had only produced one such exquisitely thin and translucent set today, which the tea-loving Lady Marquis had purchased at a high price.
Lady Marquis, wanting to show off her new acquisition, had invited Miss He San to personally present the tea set in the front hall.
Unexpectedly, she encountered Lian Silan at the courtyard entrance.
Miss He San now felt that she and Miss Lian were kindred spirits, both having missed their chance with the Prince of Huaiyang. So she didn’t take offense at Lian Silan’s coldness.
However, as she was about to enter, she glimpsed Liu Miantang sitting next to the Duchess through the latticed window and exclaimed, “Oh! Why is Mrs. Cui here too?”
Lian Silan, for some reason, stopped again and casually asked, “Mrs. Cui? Which Mrs. Cui?”
Miss He San, seeing Liu Miantang there, immediately assumed she was a competitor who had come to curry favor and gain wealthy clients, just as the He family did. Although she was on good terms with Liu Miantang, she knew her methods and felt anxious. So she tried to get information from Miss Lian, who had just left the garden: “The one sitting next to the Duchess, isn’t that Mrs. Cui from the Yushao Porcelain Shop? I wonder… what kind of porcelain she presented today?”
Lian Silan, now rooted to the spot, slowly asked, “Yushao Porcelain Shop? You mean… Mrs. Cui from North Street in Lingquan Town?”
Miss He San, seeing Lian Silan speak so confidently, became even more convinced that Liu Miantang was there to compete for business. She hastily confirmed, “Yes! She does live on North Street!”
“Then… what’s her husband’s name?”
“I believe he’s the ninth son, known as Mr. Cui the Ninth…”
Lian Silan’s body swayed slightly. She suddenly turned and peered through the latticed wall, glaring fiercely at the smiling woman.
So that was it!
She wondered how this County Lady Huaisang had suddenly appeared. It turned out she was the former mistress from North Street who had been elevated to the position of proper princess consort!
Her cousin had used the excuse of her being unfaithful to break off their engagement, making her a laughingstock! In reality, he had long been living with his mistress, blinded by lust, disregarding propriety, and intending to make her his official wife!
To think that she, a noble daughter from an official family, had always been well-behaved, diligently serving the Duchess, never daring to speak out of turn or show disrespect. In the end, she couldn’t compare to a seductress whose father was a criminal official, who behaved wantonly and lived with a man before marriage!
At this thought, all the grievances Lian Silan had suffered in recent days surged up violently. She blamed all her misfortunes on that delicate woman.
Seeing Lian Silan’s eyes suddenly turn red with tears streaming down her face, Miss He San was bewildered and asked what was wrong.
Lian Silan slowly turned her head and said, “I remember you once mentioned having a close friend. Is it this Mrs. Cui?”
Miss He San nodded slowly. When she was on good terms with Miss Lian, she had indeed spoken about Mrs. Cui’s capabilities to make conversation.
Lian Silan smiled faintly, wiping away the tears from the corner of her eyes. She leaned close to He Zhen’s ear and asked, “Do you know that the man your dear friend sleeps with every night is none other than your beloved Prince of Huaiyang, Cui the Ninth?”
Having said this, she didn’t wait for He Zhen’s reaction but quickly turned and hurried after her mother, who had already walked ahead.
Lian Silan prided herself on being smarter than her mother, never foolishly taking action herself. She knew of He Zhen’s infatuation and was certain that if she learned her supposed close friend had been sleeping with the Prince of Huaiyang, she would surely explode.
If she were to publicly reveal that Liu Miantang had been the Prince of Huaiyang’s mistress, it would completely ruin both the reputation and dignity of the Prince’s household!
It was a pity that to avoid suspicion, she couldn’t stay to watch this spectacle…
He Zhen, upon hearing Lian Silan’s whispered words, felt as if struck by lightning. She stood frozen, staring in disbelief at Liu Miantang through the wall opening—dressed in fine silks and adorned with pearls and jewels, she looked nothing like someone there on business. Instead, she appeared every bit a noble lady, nestled beside the Duchess, smiling charmingly…
It was only when the steward standing at the garden entrance grew impatient and said, “Miss He San, please hurry. Don’t keep Lady Taihou waiting!” that she was jolted back to reality.
He Zhen slowly moved her feet, following the steward into the garden. She approached the group of chattering noble ladies step by step.
At this moment, Liu Miantang turned her head and saw Miss He San staring at her with reddened eyes.
In truth, after returning to Lingquan Town, Liu Miantang had intended to have a proper conversation with Miss He San. She had always prided herself on having a clear conscience, but she had been unknowingly deceived by a man and inexplicably became a mistress.
While she could explain this to others, He Zhen’s deep infatuation with Cui Xingzhou left Liu Miantang at a loss for how to explain without causing hurt.
She never expected to encounter Miss He San in such a setting today.
Judging by Miss He San’s expression, it seemed she had already learned about her situation…
Liu Miantang knew He San’s temperament. While usually clever, she was passionate when it came to matters of the heart. If she were to cause a scene at this tea party, not only would the Prince’s household lose face, but the He family would also be implicated.