Mian Tang had met the Duchess of Sui before and felt sympathy for her tarnished reputation. However, the conflict between the two princes was far more serious than a neighborhood dispute that could be easily resolved.
Prince Sui intended to destroy the Huaiyang Prince’s household. Given that Prince Sui had already attacked and nearly burned down their residence, almost kidnapping her and the Dowager Princess, Prince Huaiyang’s decision to release the Duchess of Sui and her son was remarkably generous.
In such tumultuous times, no one could remain unscathed. Whether it was the wife of Prince Sui or Mian Tang herself, who was to become the Princess of Huaiyang, they had to be prepared for involvement in political strife. Today it was the Duchess of Sui; tomorrow, it might be Liu Mian Tang herself.
While lamenting the Duchess of Sui’s misfortune, the situation with the Lian family’s cousin is even more complicated. After visiting her sister, the Dowager Princess fell ill for days.
Reportedly, upon seeing her daughter, Madam Lian Chu lost her composure. Weeping profusely, she claimed that her family’s misfortune was due to their association with Prince Huaiyang. She lamented that while her humiliation was bearable, her daughter’s ruined reputation and current state were unbearable.
Madam Lian Chu, known for her persuasive skills, appealed to the Dowager Princess’s soft heart. She insisted that the Dowager Princess take care of Lian Silan, arguing that the prince’s household could easily afford one more mouth to feed. Otherwise, she threatened that she and her daughter would hang themselves at the prince’s wedding.
In recent days, not only the Lian family but also elders from the Cui clan have come to mediate. They urged the Dowager Princess to convince Prince Huaiyang to take Lian Silan as a concubine. They argued that after Lian Silan’s public outburst in the marketplace, people might think the Cui family had abandoned her without taking responsibility, potentially ruining their reputation.
Thanks to Mian Tang’s guidance, the Dowager Princess Chu had become more discerning. While she sympathized with her niece Lian Silan’s plight, she recognized that others weren’t to blame. Mian Tang had repeatedly advised them to find a secluded village to live in, but they insisted on trying to pass through the checkpoint, nearly exposing Mian Tang and herself. It was a case of pitiable people having detestable aspects.
Moreover, Lian Silan’s reputation was already tarnished after her public display. Making her a concubine would be like treating the Huaiyang Prince’s household as a dumping ground for damaged goods.
Feeling conflicted, the Dowager Princess reduced her visits to Madam Lian Chu and instead confided in Mian Tang. Mian Tang, feeling it wasn’t her place to intervene, quietly served tea while listening to the Dowager Princess’s concerns. Frustrated by Mian Tang’s silence, the Dowager Princess pushed away her teacup and demanded, “Say something! What should I do?”
Realizing she couldn’t avoid the topic, Mian Tang asked, “Have you discussed this with the prince? What did he say?”
Thinking of her son’s stubborn response, the Dowager Princess grew more agitated. “What sensible thing could he say? He said he’d send someone to ask if the Lian mother and daughter were sure about this. If they were, he’d prepare two coffins at the door, ready for when they died!”
Mian Tang couldn’t help but laugh at this.
In recent days, Cui Xingzhou had been busy receiving envoys from the court, while Mian Tang had gone to Lingquan Town to manage the four brothers, so they hadn’t seen each other.
Privately, Mian Tang worried that Cui Xingzhou might still harbor feelings for her cousin or succumb to the Dowager Princess’s pressure and take her cousin as a concubine. Although the expanded prince’s mansion was large, it couldn’t accommodate another mistress besides herself. Mian Tang was possessive; she didn’t want to share the man she loved with anyone else.
On the other hand, she almost hoped for such chaos, as it would give her a legitimate reason to leave without regrets and avoid the eventual exposure of her identity as Lu Wen.
These conflicting emotions led Mian Tang to adopt a wait-and-see approach to the Lian family’s attempts to enter the Cui household, curious to see how Cui Xingzhou would handle the situation.
However, based on Cui Xingzhou’s words, it seemed the cousins’ relationship had truly ended.
Seeing Mian Tang still able to laugh, the Dowager Princess grew anxious. “My son is already inconsiderate enough, and now you, as his future wife, are making light of the situation! Tell Xingzhou to prepare one more coffin. He might as well bury me too. Once I close my eyes, I won’t have to worry about anything anymore!”
Mian Tang cut a freshly baked sweet pastry with a bamboo knife, offered a piece to the Dowager Princess, and calmly suggested, “Isn’t Aunt Lian’s main concern that her daughter won’t be able to marry? We could find someone who doesn’t mind her past and provide a dowry from our household.”
The Dowager Princess’s eyes lit up. “You’re right! Why didn’t I think of that before?”
Mian Tang smiled gently. “You’re kind-hearted, Dowager Princess. You were so caught up in Aunt Lian’s concerns that you only focused on whether the prince would take her in or not, without considering other options.”
The Dowager Princess pondered for a moment, then sighed. “But Lian Silan’s situation is widely known now. What good family would accept her? And if it’s an ordinary family, my proud sister wouldn’t approve!”
Just then, a servant came to report that Madam Qin had arrived to pay respects to the Dowager Princess.
The Dowager Princess frowned. “Ask if she has any business. If not, tell her to leave.”
The servant went to inquire and returned shortly. “Madam Qin has brought the Fifth Young Master with her. They wish to discuss the Fifth Young Master’s marriage.”
This was indeed an important matter that the Dowager Princess couldn’t dismiss. She agreed to see them.
Mian Tang, who had been in Zhenzhou for so long, had rarely seen this Fifth Young Master. Due to his disability, he seldom left his quarters.
There were even rumors that Cui Xingzhou had killed all his brothers, and the Fifth Young Master was merely a front to deceive people.
Now, as Mian Tang looked closely at the man seated in the wooden wheelchair, she noticed his skin was unnaturally pale from lack of sunlight. His features bore some resemblance to Cui Xingzhou, with thick eyebrows and a straight nose, traits reportedly inherited from their father. However, his feet, visible beneath his long robe, were extremely thin, likely due to prolonged immobility.
As the matriarch and nominal mother to the Fifth Young Master Cui Xingdi, the Dowager Princess inquired about his health.
The Fifth Young Master responded politely to the Dowager Princess’s questions.
After exchanging pleasantries, the Dowager Princess asked directly, “I heard you wanted to discuss your marriage. Which family’s daughter have you chosen?”
Madam Qin glanced at her son, then quickly knelt. “I’ve failed in raising my son properly. He has developed an unrealistic desire. He… he wants to inquire about the Lian family’s daughter…”
Such an audacious request would have been considered absurd earlier. Even if Miss Lian had been jilted by Prince Huaiyang, she wouldn’t have had trouble finding a suitable match despite her age.
However, given the current circumstances – with the Lian family’s reputation in tatters, Lian Silan suffering from hysteria, and her virtue compromised – what respectable family would want such a daughter-in-law?
The Lian family was now desperately clinging to the prince’s household, hoping to salvage their daughter’s reputation by having her enter the family.
Since the legitimate Prince Huaiyang refused to take Lian Silan, having this illegitimate fifth son take responsibility for his ninth brother would be the perfect solution!
The Dowager Princess, who hadn’t thought of such a win-win solution, looked at Mian Tang with surprise and delight.
However, Mian Tang raised her head to look at the disabled Fifth Young Master.
Although he was an illegitimate son, with the Huaiyang Prince’s name, he could easily marry a beautiful girl from a modest family. Did he not know Lian Silan’s current condition?
Cui Xingdi seemed to sense Mian Tang’s confusion and spoke softly, “Miss Lian is beautiful inside and out, humble and admirable. Due to my disability and her previous engagement with my ninth brother, I dared not hope and resigned myself to a lonely life. But now, with her reputation damaged and her health poor, I may not have much to offer, but I’m willing to treat her with sincerity. I ask the Dowager Princess to grant us her blessing.”
His words were intriguing. It seemed that the Fifth Young Master had secretly admired his ninth brother’s fiancée for a long time but was too insecure to express his feelings. Now that she had fallen on hard times, he gathered the courage to have his mother approach the Dowager Princess with a marriage proposal.
The Dowager Princess thought this was an excellent solution! A cripple and a madwoman could be considered a good match. The Lian family had been demanding that the Cui family provide for their daughter; now they would. Let’s see what the Lian family would do now.
This turn of events made Madam Qin and her son timely saviors for the household, causing the Dowager Princess to view the usually unremarkable Madam Qin more favorably.
The Dowager Princess encouragingly praised the Fifth Young Master, saying his devoted heart was truly moving. She promised that when the Ninth Young Master returned, they would discuss the arrangements with the Lian family.
Cui Xingzhou had no time to deal with the Lian family’s trivial matters, and Mian Tang, not yet officially part of the family, couldn’t interfere. In the end, Prince Huaiyang sent a clan elder to propose to the Lian family.
Before the elder went to propose, Mian Tang reminded the gatekeepers to be vigilant. The newly installed main gate of the prince’s mansion shouldn’t be damaged again.
As expected, the Lian family stormed over in the afternoon. Lian Hanshan and his son, both looking displeased, demanded to speak with Prince Huaiyang face-to-face.
The prince happened to be at the mansion that day and politely invited his uncle and cousin into his study.
An hour later, the Lian father and son left the prince’s mansion, looking utterly dejected.
That evening, Prince Huaiyang dined with his mother and Mian Tang. The Dowager Princess eagerly inquired about the outcome. While serving food to Mian Tang, Cui Xingzhou calmly replied, “It’s rare for Fifth Brother to make a request, so as his younger brother, I naturally want to fulfill his wish. However, if the Lian family doesn’t appreciate it, I can’t force them to accept. I’ve explained the pros and cons to them; it’s up to them to decide.”
Mian Tang understood the implications. The “pros and cons” meant that if the Lian family agreed, Lian Silan would become the wife of an illegitimate elder brother, still maintaining some connection to the family. But if the Lian family felt insulted by the Cui family’s offer, then their already tenuous kinship would end. The Lian family would no longer be able to rely on the Cui family’s support, and they would part ways permanently.
Cui Xingzhou seemed to prefer the second option.
After dinner, Cui Xingzhou took Mian Tang to admire the lotuses by the newly constructed lake in the back garden. Palace lanterns hung high, and fireflies flickered among the purple flowers surrounding the lake.
Cui Xingzhou had acquired two hollow glass beads the size of fingernails. He bent down, using his long sleeves to catch fireflies with a silk net, and placed them inside the beads. He then attached gold hooks to make earrings for Mian Tang.
The pair of earrings flickered beside her pale earlobes, creating a unique effect. Mian Tang took the bronze mirror offered by her maid Huanxue, looked at her reflection, and chuckled, “Such a childish trick, and you’re using it on me!”