Chapter 115 – To Recite and Compose Poems

Miantang couldn’t help but sniff and looked at Cui Xingzhou with a slightly mournful expression in her eyes. However, when she thought of the fact that she had once been a bandit, once exposed, she was afraid that normal men would avoid it. If Cui Xingzhou was merciless to herself, it seemed to be understandable too.

 

Thinking of this, she reached out and touched his face and said, “If there comes a day that you don’t want me anymore, you don’t have to bother arranging for me. Just be merciless. Tell me directly. I won’t implicate you then…”

 

Prince Huaiyang felt that this little girl’s skin has become a bit tight recently. Her belly has grown so big and she still has the thought of breaking up with him!

 

So the prince’s face was as cold as ice carved by a knife, and his eyes tilted towards the mournful and sorrowful Miantang, saying, “I indeed don’t have to bother arranging for you. Aren’t there people waiting with their hands outstretched to take you in?”

 

Miantang couldn’t care about her sadness, but blinked and thought for a moment, knowing that he meant the Marquis of Zhennan, who was waiting to help take care of her, and perhaps the new emperor in the palace has the same mindset too.

 

In terms of quality alone, these two are not comparable to the good man Cui Xingzhou took efforts to arrange for her sister.

 

Miantang suddenly felt that if their love and righteousness were broken, Cui Xingzhou won’t be as devoted to her as she was to her sister…”

 

She honestly asked, “What are those crooked men? Aren’t the better ones like Li Guangcai been drawn to your own family?”

 

Liu Miantang said it as if it were true. She just made the prince even angrier. He pulled Liu Miantang into his arms and gritted his teeth and said, “Don’t make trouble! You thought I don’t dare to spank you when you were pregnant now? There are so many good men in the world, but unfortunately, you don’t even have a share!'”

 

Miantang’s sorrow never lasted too long. Even if that day did come, she was afraid she wouldn’t find a new man for a while.

 

It’s not easy to meet someone like Cui Xingzhou! In that case, there was no need to be too self-pity and self-love. She just went to sleep.

 

Miantang felt that all she had to do was cover up her past affairs at the bottom of a pot, never dragging Cui Xingzhou’s future.

 

Cui Xingzhou was very angry with his married princess consort. He also felt that he was too lenient recently because he hasn’t served her properly, which only made up half of her satisfaction.

 

Every night, he coaxes Miantang into the tent and tortures her over and over again, asking who was her man!

 

The delicate trembling of that sound really made people feel flushed and flustered.

 

As for Lord Li Guangcai, who replaced the official vacancy of the Ministry of Revenue, he arrived in the capital in a hurry half a month after Cui Fu left the Guo family.

 

After entering the capital, he went to the Ministry of revenue and took over his official duties. After three busy days, he came to visit the Prince.

 

Cui Xingzhou did not criticize Li Guangcai’s neglect.

 

Although Lord Li used to be an official in the capital, he couldn’t continue to do so and was driven out of the capital. In essence, he was the same as an official from another province.

 

Thinking of the difficulties of his career in the Military Division, it must be that Li Guangcai’s handover was not optimistic.

 

When Li Guangcai sat down and spoke in detail, it was indeed so. Although the Revenue Department was not as busy as the military department, they purposely and delays the handover, most of the tasks delivered to Li Guangcai are idle tasks such as accounting.

 

Both the Ministry of Revenue and the Military Division are firmly controlled by Empress Dowager and the imperial family.

 

Cui Xingzhou slowly drank his tea and asked Li Guangcai what he thought.

 

Li Guangcai didn’t seem to be in a hurry either, and said, “This time in the capital, I must no longer be grasped by others as if I had been young and prosperous before. However, if I want to gain authority, I must also grasp the shortcomings of some people. If I have something in my hand, I can bring it to good use…”

 

Cui Xingzhou felt that he and Li Guangcai deserved to have spent the same year together. Heroes had similar ideas, so he asked Mo Ru to draw a pile of paper from the drawer of his study and handed it to Li Guangcai.

 

“You have only just arrived in the capital, and you still need to acquire profit in times of trouble. I have come up with some ready-made shortcomings of others. You can see if it can be used?”

 

Li Guangcai didn’t expect that Prince Huaiyang, who has always walked on the battlefield and won the battle thousands of miles away, could still do the delicate work of finding the fault of others. He was a bit surprised for a moment, but he thought it was collected by someone sent by the Prince.

 

But after examining the words on the paper carefully, it suddenly dawned on him that they were all written by the prince himself. Perhaps they were indeed all collected by Prince Huaiyang personally.

 

After seeing it for a moment, Li Guangcai’s eyes flashed brightly, and said, “Your Highness, if you dig up these in detail, it will be a big case of the military department who colluded with the Ministry of Revenue to embezzle the northwest military pay!”

 

Cui Xingzhou shook his head, “At that time, I was the commander in chief of the northwest, and if I dug this case, it would only lead to the actual situation, saying that I was seeking personal revenge. Remember, to intimidate these people, you don’t need to use dangerous methods, but you have to let them listen to you. If the case gets too big, they will have to scare their guts and never dare to involve Prince Sui and the Empress Dowager. However, if it is insignificant, it would be enough to ruin the future of these officials with these small cases. The Royal family will not be bothered to manage it, and you can also tighten your grip and let them work for you.”

 

Li Guangcai’s official career has ebbed and flowed, and now he was no longer the indignation and passionate scholar he used to be. He immediately understood the meaning of Cui Xingzhou’s words.

 

If he wanted to dispel the haze, he may have to travel with dark clouds. Never distinguish between black and white, and alert the enemy.

 

Thinking that Prince Huaiyang was so hands-on, sorting out the communication lines of these officials, as well as their past merits and demerits, he had to be even more cautious to help the Prince play this great chess game.

 

After discussing official matters, the two of them picked up their old friendship of the same year and began to gossip.

 

Li Guangcai seems to have asked the eldest lady of the residence, Cui Fu, how she was now, intentionally or unintentionally. When he was writing to the Prince, he had seen him mention that Cui Fu now happens to live in his residence.

 

Cui Xingzhou sighed slightly and said that her sister planned to divorce the Guo family.

 

Li Guangcai’s eyebrows locked and clenched his fists, saying, “The Qingguo Residence is such a filthy family! With Lady Cui’s temper, she… How can she bear it?”

 

Cui Xingzhou glanced at him and turned the topic aside, saying, “Brother Li doesn’t have to worry about my sister. I always have her back.”

 

Li Guangcai opened his mouth slightly as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t say anything.

 

At this moment, Miantang summoned someone to deliver a message, saying that the wine and dishes were ready, and asked the prince to have dinner with Lord Li.

 

Because it’s a royal banquet, it doesn’t have to be divided between men and women like the folk. Despite the presence of Li Guangcai, Miantang, and Cui Fu also served as companions.

 

Miantang glanced at Lord Li when he was holding Cui Fu’s sweet and sour fish meat, and found that the donkey county magistrate who always smiled, always dodged when looking at Cui Fu.

 

The pitiful look when he looks at Cui Fu was as if he was not looking at someone pregnant. What he saw was a young girl in her twenties, a beautiful lady of true love.

 

At the banquet, the three people who had known each other since they were young inevitably brought up the old story again. Speaking of their youth, Cui Fu’s recently depressed face finally showed a smile.

 

They recite poetry and are artful. For a moment, the sentiment above the banquet was very elegant.

 

Miantang couldn’t get in. After reluctantly composing a limerick poem, she finally stopped and lowered her head to eat the dishes with interest.

 

After the banquet was over and Lord Li, who had been drinking too much, was helped to rest by servants. When Miantang and the Prince also return for rest, Miantang yawns and said, “Should I also learn poetry again, lest the next time there is nothing to say, you will lose face!”

 

Cui Xingzhou was taking off her socks and massaging her feet. Upon hearing this, he frowned and said, “In these occasions where reciting poetry, there are always some people who don’t know how to use poetry and try to provoke others. Why do you want to learn these things?”

 

In the capital, countless dissolute men use literary talent to flirt with married ladies. Miantang was born well as she was. If she learned poetry with a more artful demeanor, it would simply open the door to cultivating adulterers.

 

Miantang didn’t expect that learning poetry and songs would be synonymous with hooking up with wild men! She was struck by the meaning and her enthusiasm for learning decreased.

 

She tilted her neck and said, “Who did Lord Li ever recite poetry to provoke just now?”

 

After Cui Xingzhou’s reminder, Miantang recalled what Lord Li had recited just now, “Recalling the past, under the pear blossoms, through the small porch window,” and it was very touching.

 

It was regarding the reputation of his sister. Even Prince Huaiyang, who was engaged in pimping, refused to admit it. He only raised his eyebrows and said, “We’ve been reciting poetry seriously just now. Don’t talk nonsense.'”

 

Although Miantang was not familiar with poetry, she had a good memory. She recalled the poems recited by Lord Li sentence by sentence, asking what allusions were there.

 

Cui Xingzhou was asked impatiently, so he simply blocked Miantang’s chattering cherry mouth with his own mouth, which was considered to have muddled through the topic.

 

Compared with her younger brother, Cui Fu was more generous. The next day, when she followed Miantang to the vegetarian restaurant in the mountain temple, she briefly told her sister-in-law in the carriage about her childhood with Lord Li.

 

“At that time, he was living in the royal residence and was a fellow student of Xingzhou. Naturally, I became familiar with him, and started a poetry club together. Lord Li was full of knowledge and was very admirable.”

 

Miantang smiled slightly and said, “Since you planned to separate from the Guo family, I can’t help but consider the future… Lord Li is a good candidate, but unfortunately… His family is a bit ordinary…”

 

Upon hearing this, Cui Fu hurriedly said, “Oh gosh, what are you talking about? Don’t mention that I haven’t separated from Guo. Even if I really got the divorce letter in my hand, I’m already a half-old woman who has given birth to two children. How can I be worthy of Lord Li?”

 

Miantang smiled and didn’t continue. What Cui Xingzhou can do in this kind of relationship between men and women was nothing more than matchmaking. As for what will happen in the future, it depends on his nature.

 

However, the daughter of Prince Huaiyang’s Residence doesn’t have to worry about getting married, let alone Cui Fu, who was in her prime and was not an elderly lady. It’s just that if she wants to find someone who only loves her with all his heart and soul, regardless of her glory and experience, it will be a little difficult.

 

At this moment, suddenly there came the sound of a gong coming from behind.

 

Fan Hu urged the horses to come to the carriage and report to Miantang, “Behind the mountain road is the carriage of the palace. I heard that the imperial concubine in the palace is going to the temple to offer incense.”

 

Upon hearing this, Miantang ordered, “Lead the carriage to a side road and make way for the concubine in the palace.”

 

So the convoy of the Huaiyang Residence has led aside.

 

After a while, the banners waved, and sure enough, the palace-covered carriage slowly came under the guidance of the inner attendant.

 

However, the carriage stopped in front of Liu Miantang’s carriage when it reached the fork in the road.

 

Liu Miantang and Cui Fu were kneeling by the roadside waiting for the carriage to pass, but a voice came from above, “Isn’t this Princess Consort Huaiyang? It’s a coincidence that our palace carriage unexpectedly allows me to meet an old friend here.”