Hearing Mian Tang’s “accusation,” Cui Xingzhou teased her with his handsome eyes: “You’ve been constantly eating sweets lately. Aren’t you a child yourself?”
Mian Tang felt a hint of worry at his words. Looking down at her still flat stomach, she said, “I don’t know why, but I’ve been craving food lately. Even my clothes feel a bit tight at the waist. I should resume my martial arts practice… How about we practice together tomorrow morning?”
Mian Tang had made similar promises before, which Cui Xingzhou had agreed to. However, when morning came, the Marchioness of Huaisang always struggled to get out of bed, even when the prince himself tried to rouse her.
So this time, the Prince of Huaiyang merely listened to Mian Tang’s vow without comment.
As the couple cuddled in the moonlit pavilion, lost in their intimate conversation, Cui Xingzhou suddenly said, “An imperial envoy has arrived from the capital with His Majesty’s wish for me to serve as the Grand Marshal of the Military Affairs Bureau.”
Mian Tang was stunned. “What… what does the Emperor mean by this?”
Cui Xingzhou remained silent. He placed a jade chopstick across a teacup and put a piece of cake on each end. Pointing to the cakes, he explained, “These two pieces represent Prince Sui and me. His Majesty is employing the strategy of balancing power among his officials.”
Mian Tang understood. With Prince Sui’s return to the capital now certain, he would undoubtedly receive support from the Empress Dowager’s faction. This would put Emperor Liu Yu, who had come to power unexpectedly, in an awkward position.
So, Liu Yu was counting on the Prince of Huaiyang to keep Prince Sui in check.
Mian Tang took a deep breath and asked, “What are your thoughts, Your Highness?”
After a moment of silence, Cui Xingzhou replied, “If not for the recent turmoil in Zhenzhou, I might have been content to remain here as a carefree prince, avoiding the muddy waters of the capital. But now… I must go to the capital…”
Mian Tang understood his meaning. Prince Sui harbored ill intentions towards the Prince of Huaiyang. Once he established himself in the capital, dealing with the Prince of Huaiyang would be effortless. A mere accusation of deceiving the emperor or plotting rebellion could tarnish the reputation of a historically renowned official.
Cui Xingzhou’s journey to the capital was to contend with Prince Sui and prevent his success. However, while Emperor Liu Yu wanted to use the Prince of Huaiyang, he didn’t necessarily trust him. Even if they defeated Prince Sui, would His Majesty discard the Prince of Huaiyang afterward?
Mian Tang suddenly realized that all the bloodshed on the battlefield paled in comparison to the intricate power struggles at court. On the battlefield, at least the fighting was open, and with proper tactics, everything could be planned. But how could one guard against hidden arrows in court disputes? The capital’s prosperity and splendor masked a bottomless abyss that devoured flesh and bone…
Cui Xingzhou seemed to sense Mian Tang’s concern. This intelligent young woman understood situations better than most men and recognized the dangers of going to the capital.
“I’ve already told the envoy that if they want me in the capital, my family must remain in Zhenzhou. The local administration will remain unchanged, with a strong military presence. This way, if anything happens in the capital, you’ll have time to respond.”
Deep down, Cui Xingzhou didn’t want to be separated from Mian Tang, but he didn’t want her and his mother to risk their lives with him.
Mian Tang firmly shook her head. “If you were going to the capital for pleasure, I wouldn’t interfere with your enjoyment. But you’re heading into a forest of swords and daggers. How could I stay in Zhenzhou without concern for you? The Dowager Princess can remain here, but I must go with you!”
Cui Xingzhou’s heart warmed, but he maintained a stern expression. “No! I’ve already decided. Don’t be foolish!”
Unfortunately for him, Mian Tang wasn’t like the Dowager Princess. She wasn’t intimidated by Cui Xingzhou’s cold demeanor and calmly replied, “I’m going to the capital. If you don’t take me, then let’s not get married. As a free woman, no one can control me! If His Majesty gives you trouble, I’ll enter the palace as a consort and whisper in his ear to save you. How’s that?”
This statement hit a nerve with Cui Xingzhou. He slowly reached out and grasped Liu Mian Tang’s chin. “Say that again!”
Mian Tang gazed at him with her charming eyes, nestling into his arms and whispering in his ear, “What’s the point of repeating it? If you’re man enough, don’t take me, and I’ll show you what I can do…”
Cui Xingzhou knew this little minx would do exactly as she said. If they were on North Street, any man would have given her a good beating for such provocative words.
But he couldn’t bring himself to hit this slippery little woman, or she might run away. Cui Xingzhou realized he had spoiled her, allowing her to become increasingly unruly. He decided to teach her a lesson, so he lifted her in his arms and strode towards the bedroom.
Mian Tang protested softly, “What are you doing? My room is that way. I’m not going to your room!”
Cui Xingzhou mimicked her earlier impudent tone, whispering in her ear, “Too late. Tonight, I’m going to punish you!”
However, the night’s “punishment” didn’t proceed as planned.
Halfway through their playful encounter, Mian Tang suddenly felt a pain in her stomach.
Cui Xingzhou saw that she wasn’t pretending; her face had turned pale with pain. He quickly called for a doctor.
The doctor hurried over with his medicine box. After checking her pulse, he discovered she was pregnant. However, the pregnancy was somewhat unstable, and she needed bed rest to protect the fetus.
When Cui Xingzhou heard about Mian Tang’s pregnancy, he was thunderstruck. He mentally retraced his recent actions, growing increasingly alarmed and wishing he could slap himself.
Finally, he tightly grasped Mian Tang’s hand and didn’t let go, even after she had taken the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine and fallen asleep.
When the Dowager Princess learned of Mian Tang’s pregnancy, she finally reclaimed her motherly authority and gave Cui Xingzhou a thorough scolding.
Mian Tang, due to her condition, was spared the Dowager Princess’s wrath. However, the Dowager Princess still looked at her future daughter-in-law with disappointment, sighing, “Such a clever girl, how could you be so careless? I wondered why you’ve been eating so much lately. I even thought about calling a doctor for you. I never expected… You shouldn’t have let him be so reckless! If this pregnancy is harmed, you’ll regret it!”
Mian Tang hadn’t expected to become pregnant before marriage. She felt a mix of emotions, regretting not taking precautions earlier.
She still hadn’t revealed her identity as Lu Wen to Cui Xingzhou, and she didn’t know how far their marriage could progress. She hadn’t anticipated having a child so soon. What if they separated in the future? What would happen to the child?
With this thought, she placed her hand on her still-flat stomach, where a fragile new life was growing.
Mian Tang decided she couldn’t reveal her true identity now. In her current condition, she feared she couldn’t withstand the prince’s fury. She wasn’t afraid for herself, but the child in her womb couldn’t risk any mishap.
Fortunately, as a man, the prince could easily set her aside and remarry if he came to despise her, without wasting his youth. And if he truly couldn’t accept her, she would take her child with her!
The Dowager Princess had expected her future daughter-in-law to be overwhelmed with shame, confessing her improper behavior and becoming the subject of gossip. The Dowager Princess could then magnanimously comfort Mian Tang, asserting her authority as a mother-in-law and regaining some face as an elder.
However, Mian Tang remained calm and composed, occasionally lost in thought.
After waiting in vain, the Dowager Princess, feeling somewhat disappointed, reminded her, “You’re pregnant before marriage. If this spreads, not only will you lose face, but your child will also suffer the consequences…”
Cui Xingzhou, sitting nearby, didn’t like this and coldly interjected, “She’s carrying my child. How is that losing face? If it’s a boy, he’ll be the legitimate eldest son of the prince’s household, inheriting the title. What consequences would he suffer?”
The Dowager Princess, frustrated by her son’s retort, glared at him. “Public opinion matters! You’re marrying a proper wife, not taking a concubine! I’ve never seen any prince behave so inappropriately, getting his fiancée pregnant before marriage!”
At this moment, Mian Tang took out a small abacus from under her pillow and began calculating. The Dowager Princess was bewildered. “What… what are you calculating now?”
Mian Tang, after some quick calculations, said, “The doctor says I’m about a month pregnant. If we marry in a couple of days, we should be able to cover it up by the time the child is born… Dowager Princess, there’s no need to worry too much. These are minor issues… Though bringing the wedding date forward might cost more. I’m trying to see if we can balance the accounts by simplifying things…”
Cui Xingzhou interjected, “The household has recently received some funds. You don’t need to think about saving money. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event; making it too frugal would truly bring shame to the prince’s household!” He then went to the desk and began checking the calendar. “The day after tomorrow looks good. If necessary, we can move it to then…”
Mian Tang stretched her neck to look out the window. “It’s been cloudy these past few days. If it rains, the wedding dress we prepared might be too thin. We might need to switch to a thicker one… Maybe we should delay it a few more days. The wedding dress was hand-embroidered by a seamstress from the capital, with beautiful patterns. I’d like to wear that one.”
At this point, if Mian Tang wanted a star from the sky, Cui Xingzhou would have ordered someone to build a ladder to fetch it. Hearing that she was worried about not being able to wear her beautiful dress if it rained, he immediately flipped through the calendar again. “How about ten days from now? Usually, Zhenzhou has pleasant weather around that time…”
The Dowager Princess, unable to listen any further, got up to leave. Her son and future daughter-in-law were both stubborn beyond reason, and there was no point in her, an old woman, worrying about it.
She needed to return and take good care of herself, hoping to live a long and healthy life.
In the days that followed, the household managers and servants of the prince’s mansion were overwhelmed with preparations.
The wedding ceremony couldn’t be delayed any further. This family scandal needed to be concealed; they couldn’t let people discover that the prince’s legitimate son was born out of wedlock. All the wedding invitations that had been sent out were discarded, and the wedding date was moved up by more than a month.
At this time, the Lian family also sent word that they had agreed to the Fifth Young Master’s proposal.