As Lady Hou listened, she began to sense something amiss. Although Duchess Chu’s words didn’t explicitly complain about her sister’s family, Lady Hou was perceptive. She quickly grasped the underlying issue and angrily remarked, “The Duchess is too kind. Your sister, however, seems to have little regard for you!”
Duchess Chu sighed, “She’s my only sister and our father always pampered her. As her elder sister, I can’t simply abandon her. How could I face our parents in the afterlife if I did? And Xingzhou, that child… he’s so slow to inform me about his aunt’s situation. I can’t help but worry, which is affecting my health.”
As she spoke, Duchess Chu glanced meaningfully at Miantang, clearly hoping she would relay a message to her son.
Miantang, however, ignored the Duchess and focused on eating her pastry. Lately, her appetite had been insatiable, often consuming two large bowls of food per meal.
She deliberately disregarded the Duchess’s hints. While she had previously thought her maternal grandfather’s second brother-in-law was troublesome, this Aunt Lian proved even worse. Not only did she spread malicious gossip behind Miantang’s back, but she also hindered others in times of crisis.
However, as Aunt Lian was Duchess Chu’s sister, Miantang felt it wasn’t her place to comment if the Duchess didn’t mind. Still, she had no intention of going out of her way to help the Lian family.
After chatting with Lady Hou, Miantang prepared to deliver a meal to the Prince of Huaiyang. He had been staying at the government office recently, where the food was less than ideal. So, Miantang had taken to bringing him lunch daily, along with dinner for later.
Though Li Mama wasn’t around, Miantang had learned some culinary skills. In her free time, she prepared meals, cooking her specialties and even cutting fresh sweet melon for the Prince’s after-dinner fruit.
As she packed the food and changed clothes, the Duchess summoned her again. This time, she directly asked Miantang to persuade her son to help rescue her aunt’s family quickly.
“I’ve noticed that Xingzhou listens to you. Please talk to him. How can he ignore his relatives when they’re in trouble?” the Duchess implored.
Miantang smiled, offering the Duchess a piece of sweet melon before calmly responding, “Your kindness is admirable, something we younger generation should learn from. But you know the Prince’s temperament well. He’s generous to those who treat him well, but he never forgets those who wrong him. I’ve tried to persuade him these past few days, but he coldly replied that Aunt Lian repeatedly disregards advice and endangers you. Most issues can be overlooked, but if you had been captured by bandits this time, becoming leverage against him, his position would be dire.”
Miantang’s words slowly sank in, and the Duchess, preoccupied with thoughts of her sister, finally began to understand the gravity of the situation. She had assumed her son was merely angry at her sister’s thoughtlessness, not considering the potential consequences if he had been compromised.
“But… I’m safe now. When I see my sister, I’ll speak to her…” the Duchess hesitated.
Miantang smiled faintly and continued, “The Prince says that while being an enfeoffed prince of a different surname sounds prestigious and is hereditary, the honor bestowed can be revoked at any time. One misstep could lead to the execution of the entire clan. That’s why noble families like the Prince of Huaiyang’s emphasize humility and propriety to their children from a young age, to avoid bringing trouble to the family. Yet, while their children are well-educated, some distant relatives rely on their connections, abuse power, and commit crimes, tarnishing the reputation of the cautious main family…”
Duchess Chu disliked hearing this: “Are these Xingzhou’s words or yours? My sister may be sharp-tongued, but she’s not a criminal. How has she tarnished our family’s name?”
Seeing the Duchess’s displeasure, Miantang remained calm and smiled, “I’ve spoken out of turn. The Prince should be the one telling you this. The Lian family has recommended numerous relatives for positions under the Prince. I don’t know how they usually perform their duties, but during the recent palace renovations, several Lian family members volunteered to take on projects. Considering they were relatives, I agreed. As you know, the renovation funds come from my dowry, so I paid close attention and noticed discrepancies in recent expenses. Upon investigation, the Prince discovered that Lian Daren’s nephew had embezzled funds. He manages the county’s granary, and further examination revealed he had been selling military rations privately. This infuriated the Prince, leading to what I just mentioned…”
Duchess Chu, who had lived a somewhat sheltered life and often overlooked complex issues, was startled by this revelation. “But… this isn’t my sister’s fault. Why should Xingzhou be angry with her?”
Miantang’s smile gradually faded. “I heard this nephew isn’t a first-time offender. He’s been involved in corruption before, but each time, Aunt Lian would plead with you, and you would reprimand the Prince, minimizing the issue. This repeat offender previously managed the state’s water and wood projects, which were even more lucrative. The Prince had no choice but to reassign him to manage grain, but he still couldn’t perform well. If Aunt Lian were here now, she’d probably be in the hall, crying to you about how pitiful her orphaned nephew is. The Prince is filial and often avoids confronting you, preferring to spend money to keep you happy. After all, you’re his mother, and he believes you wouldn’t side with outsiders against your son in serious matters. But if Aunt Lian can’t distinguish between family and outsiders and keeps causing trouble for the Prince, you might tolerate it, but I can’t! Why should my man be bullied by irrelevant people?”
As Miantang spoke, her eyebrows arched, and her eyes flashed with fierce determination.
Duchess Chu, remembering how Miantang had physically confronted Aunt Lian before, knew the young woman’s temper and her skill with throwing knives. She involuntarily shrank back, feeling uncomfortable. “You make it sound like I’d let outsiders bully my son,” she said defensively.
Miantang’s anger dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, and she smiled again. “That’s good to hear. So the Lian family indeed needs to be dealt with. The Prince surely knows how to handle this, so why pressure him? Aunt Lian has learned her lesson and shouldn’t keep recommending incompetent relatives to the Prince. When the Prince can work without interference, our family will prosper, don’t you agree?”
The Duchess, caught in Miantang’s logic, felt it would be unwise to bring up the Lian family matter with her son now. She sighed, “You young people think more thoroughly than this old woman. Just don’t let me face my parents in the afterlife with shame.”
Having made her point to the Duchess, Miantang left to deliver food to Cui Xingzhou. To her surprise, he was waiting for her in the corridor, having overheard every word of her conversation with his mother.
Seeing her emerge, the tall man put a finger to his lips, signaling silence, and led her away.
Miantang looked at Xingzhou sheepishly. “I’ve wasted all of Li Mama’s teachings. I spoke rudely to the Duchess just now. Are you angry with me?”
Cui Xingzhou lowered his head, his narrow black eyes gleaming softly, his thin lips curving into a smile. “Where did that fierce spirit from earlier go? How did my lioness suddenly turn into a kitten?”
Miantang bit her lip, remaining silent, her large eyes shimmering as she gazed at him.
Cui Xingzhou couldn’t resist Miantang’s pitiful look. Even knowing how domineering she could be with others, he still felt compelled to comfort her. He embraced her, whispering, “Remember your words. Don’t let others bully your man…”
Cui Xingzhou had become numb to the task of cleaning up after the Lian family’s messes. His mother had never considered how difficult it was for him, always instinctively siding with her sister. Over time, he had learned to rationalize it to himself.
After all, he wasn’t an unfilial son and didn’t make a habit of upsetting his mother unless necessary.
But Miantang had seen his inner struggle and had said what he couldn’t say to his mother. This feeling of having someone who understood and stood up for him was something he had never experienced before.
He now understood why Miantang had insisted on giving those renovation projects to the incompetent relatives, despite his objections. She had intended for them to make mistakes, giving her ammunition to use against his mother.
After all, if Aunt Lian returned, she would likely continue her old ways, seeking favors for the Lian family. With this precedent, Miantang could reason with his mother more effectively.
Cui Xingzhou once again felt grateful for cousin Lian Suilan’s refusal to marry him. He even felt a twinge of fear, wondering if he would have ever loved anyone else had he missed his chance with Liu Miantang.
“Half a day apart, and I find myself longing for your sweet words, thirsting like a man in a desert. Won’t you quench my yearning with some gentle rain?” As he spoke, he couldn’t resist lowering his head to kiss Miantang’s rosy lips.
However, before the passionate kiss could deepen, someone loudly cleared their throat, ruining the moment.
Cui Xingzhou looked up in annoyance to see his friend Zhao Quan glaring at him disapprovingly.
Damn it, the usually women-shy Prince of Huaiyang turned out to be a master at seducing women. He spouted such shameless sweet nothings without even a hint of hesitation!
No wonder a naive girl like Miantang was so infatuated with Cui Xingzhou.
Zhao Quan deeply regretted whether he had been too much of a gentleman in his past romantic pursuits.
Interrupted by the cough, Cui Xingzhou quickly regained his usual cold, aloof demeanor. Holding Miantang’s hand, he asked, “Jiayu, do you have business here?”
The Marquis of Zhennan responded irritably, “No, I’m just taking a stroll in my courtyard! Aren’t we supposed to attend Ding Rong Gong’s banquet soon? Yet here you are, wasting time.”
Cui Xingzhou suddenly remembered he had come to tell Miantang not to bring him lunch as he had a social engagement, intending to attend the banquet with Zhao Quan afterward.
However, reluctant to part from Miantang even for a moment, he leaned down and asked if she would like to join them.