Chapter 132 – Welcoming the Concubine Son’s Wife

After losing her daughter-in-law Cui Fu, the Qingguo Mansion suddenly felt that she was not as unbearable as she had previously thought, and a sense of reunion arose.

 

After all, this former couple still had a child between them. If Cui Fu were nostalgic about the old relationship and the Guo family could say some soft words and express their apologies, they might be able to turn it around.

 

The scheme of the Duke of Qingguo’s Mansion was playing loudly, and on the way to the capital, the Old Princess Consort Chu was in a frenzy.

 

Cui Xingzhou has always had a big idea and has been hiding the matter about his sister and Guo Li. It wasn’t until halfway through the journey that the steward who came to pick them up slowly revealed some of the situations.

 

At that moment, Old Princess Consort Chu was a bit confused, only feeling that she shouldn’t have stayed in the State of Zhen and allowed her children to act recklessly in the capital.

 

If she were here, she wouldn’t have let her daughter divorce like this… But about Liu Miantang’s background, wasn’t it too outrageous?

 

“Sister, didn’t I tell you long ago? Do you believe it now? Now it confirms that what I said is true.”

 

It was Lian-Chu who spoke.

 

Her son-in-law, the fifth master Cui Xingdi, bought a farm and had businesses in Qingfeng Town, near the capital city, and partnered with friends to do some business and make a living. Recently, he has become a successful businessman.

 

So shortly after Cui Xingzhou entered the capital, Cui Xingdi also left the State of Zhen to do some business in Qingfeng Town, leaving only his newly married wife Lian Binglan at home.

 

After the fifth master got married, he established his own mansion and did not share the same living with the prince’s residence. The vast royal residence was left with only Old Princess Consort Chu, feeling somewhat lonely. She could only diligently participate in various tea banquets and feel the liveliness of the world.

 

After coming and going, the relationship between the sisters that was almost cut off was picked up again.

 

Old Princess Consort Chu was originally a person who would never be cruel to her younger sister, but now she was no longer as obedient as before when she gets along with Lian-Chu.

 

A while ago, Lian-Chu suddenly mysteriously said that Cui Fu had separated from the Guo family in the capital. Old Princess Consort Chu thought that her younger sister committed her old habit of gossiping again. She didn’t believe it at all and even harshly reprimanded her.

 

Later on, it became even more outrageous that she said that her daughter-in-law Liu Miantang was actually the bandit leader Lu Wen! She exaggerates embellishments to a story. At that time, Old Princess Consort Chu was so angry that she turned against her sister again.

 

But later, the people who came back from the capital said the same thing.

 

The so-called ‘Three people spreading reports of a tiger make you believe there is one around‘ gradually made Old Princess Consort Chu feel a bit uneasy. It was not very appropriate to write a letter directly to ask her son if Cui Fu really got a divorce? Has Liu Miantang ever robbed a house before?

 

There are no details in Cui Xingzhou’s letter.

 

In the end, she couldn’t hold back and insisted on going to the capital. She wrote letters several times to urge Cui Xingzhou, which finally led to her departure.

 

As soon as Lian-Chu saw a ready-made fleet of officers and soldiers escorting the ship, she also wanted to go with her sister to the capital and conveniently send her daughter to reunite with her husband.

 

Lian-Chu spoke up, and Old Princess Consort Chu felt that taking them on a journey would not be difficult, so she asked Lian Binglan and Lian-Chu to take a boat to the capital together.

 

To be honest, Lian-Chu’s visit this time was intentional to watch the excitement.

In the beginning, Cui Xingzhou did not want her daughter, who was raised in a well-behaved family, but instead chose to marry Liu Miantang, a woman from a small family.

 

Lian-Chu originally thought that Liu Miantang’s previous experience as Cui Xingzhou’s outer mistress was enough, but unexpectedly, this girl had also been a bandit before!

 

This rumor, Lian-Chu was undoubtedly convinced. After all, she was stabbed by Liu Miantang’s knife around her neck at the beginning.

 

Sometimes when Lian-Chu had nightmares, she could dream that Liu Miantang’s murderous gaze at her was like two knives, nailing her to the ground without moving.

 

Now that she thought about it, which woman from a good family would be so fierce and skilled? It would be reasonable to say she was a bandit from the Mountain of Yang!

 

Despite lingering palpitations, Lian-Chu looked forward to seeing her sister’s remorseful expression, which gave her great motivation. She endured the fatigue of the journey and also had to see her sister being struck by lightning when she was shocked by the scandal at the Prince’s Residence in the capital.

 

When the big ship docked, there were already carriages and horses from the royal residence coming to meet them.

 

Although the fifth son Cui Xingdi has his own mansion in Qingfeng Town, near the capital city, Lian Binglan, who was the sister-in-law, should also go to greet their siblings and visit them.

 

So the mother and daughter of the Lian family followed Old Princess Consort Chu to the Huaiyang Residence again.

 

Liu Miantang was about to give birth in the next few days, and she always has contractions several times a day. Several doctors took turns checking the fetal position and said that the princess consort’s fetus was raised too well. Her belly was a bit too big, so it may not be easy to give birth.

 

So Liu Miantang’s diet has been reduced in recent days, and she has been walking around the yard all day, afraid that the child in her stomach will grow up again.

 

When Old Princess Consort Chu and her entourage arrived at the residence, Miantang was supported by Cui Xingzhou and went to see Old Princess Consort Chu together.

 

Even if there were millions of words to say in her belly, looking at Miantang thrusting out her belly and looking like she was about to give birth, Old Princess Consort Chu couldn’t care to ask. She only looked at Miantang’s belly and said, “Why is it so big? Can you have a smooth birth?”

 

Cui Xingzhou did not leave the residence today because he wanted to welcome his mother. But when he heard that his mother said Miantang had a big belly and doubted if the birth process will be smooth, he had a bad complexion.

 

However, Miantang smiled and answered one by one, only saying that everything was fine.

 

According to Lian-Chu’s previous imagination, Liu Miantang concealed her past as a bandit and married into the Cui family. Now that everything has been exposed, Cui Xingzhou will definitely not give this woman a good face.

 

But when they met, Cui Xingzhou didn’t leave this woman at all and even kneaded her wrist when she spoke.

 

Women who have had children know that they sometimes experience swelling in their hands and feet near childbirth. Judging from the prince’s skillful technique, there was definitely no shortage of kneading for Liu Miantang in daily life, which was why he was so skilled.

 

It looked like they still have a deep love for each other, they doesn’t look like they’d been arguing and tearing apart their faces.

 

Besides, Cui Fu looked much brighter and more radiant than when she was in the State of Zhen, and it didn’t seem like she was lost in marriage, feeling lonely and lost.

 

Old Princess Consort Chu originally only heard about Cui Fu and Guo Li, and did not know many of the original details.

 

When Cui Fu came along, especially when it came to being bullied by the Lady of Qingguo that she had a miscarriage, even the gentle Old Princess Consort Chu trembled with anger.

 

Her husband has a group of concubines, how could she not know the suffering her daughter has suffered? This was still due to her daughter having a thriving younger brother who didn’t let the Guo family act as they please, which was considered to have saved her life and brought her back!

 

Just like Liu Miantang said, what kind of man she can’t find when she was a daughter who comes from the royal family? It will be easy even if she wanted to remarry. Why does she need to follow Guo Yi to suffer?

 

Lian-Chu, full of addiction to watching the play, rushed from the State of Zhen but unexpectedly did not see a decent one, feeling extremely disappointed for a moment.

 

Seeing that Old Princess Consort Chu couldn’t go straight to the point, she was also anxious in her heart. Unable to pay attention to Lian Binglan’s advice to her, she spoke confidently and said, “Sister, you live in the State of Zhen, so the news is not as clear as in the capital. Previously, when you heard the rumors, you were scared to death. Look, how unreliable the rumors are now. Some people even say that the Princess Consort used to be a bandit… Ah!”

 

Before she could finish her words, a bowl of hot tea in Lian Binglan’s hand suddenly splashed onto Lian-Chu’s leg, causing her to jump immediately.

 

Lian Binglan frowned and apologized to her mother, waving her maid to help her change clothes, finally interrupting Lian-Chu’s annoying confession.

 

Liu Miantang could see clearly from the side, feeling that her sister-in-law seemed to know how to behave in a delicate situation than before, at least much better than Lian-Chu, whose eyelids were as shallow as puddles of water.

 

Liu Miantang was not a person who loves to hold grudges. She has always been someone who was respected for even a little, she will repay wholeheartedly.

 

Now that Lian Binglan has married Cui Xingzhou’s brother, if she can live an honest life on this, then the etiquette and politeness on the scene must always be maintained.

 

Nowadays, Cui Xingzhou was a minister of the imperial court’s humerus. Originally, there were many scandals in this family. If there were any more accusations of persecuting his brother’s relatives, it would harm Cui Xingzhou’s official prestige.

 

So Lian Binglan understood the emotions and interests in it, and Liu Miantang can naturally act like a good sister-in-law. She only asks about her recent situation with a smile and was slightly concerned about the health of her fifth brother.

 

So when the wine and vegetables are arranged, a family banquet can also be considered very harmonious.

 

Aunt Lian-Chu may have been secretly promoted by her daughter, although she still looked worried, she didn’t say anything annoying.

 

Miantang asked about the recent situation of the fifth master and only heard that he was not currently in Qingfeng town, but has gone to another place to buy a shop.

 

Since the separation, although the fifth master has been struggling with his illness, he has made a lot of progress, not relying solely on the land allocated to him by Cui Xingzhou, but working hard to start a business.

 

He has a disability and cannot be admitted to the imperial examination. Moreover, as a son of a concubine, he cannot inherit the throne. In addition to sharing the family’s wealth, running his own business to earn money seems to be a good choice.

 

After a family banquet, Lian Binglan did not intend to disturb her for too long. She once again interrupted her mother’s desire to stay at the Prince’s Residence for a few days, hoping to stroll around the capital. She only said that the fifth master was about to return home, and she was eager to go to Qingfeng Town to tidy up and reunite with him.

 

Since that’s the case, Miantang naturally won’t detain her much. She only asked Servant Li to find a steward to prepare some daily utensils, bedding, and cloth for Lian Binglan to load and deliver, so that she wouldn’t lack anything in the mansion when she settled down.

 

When the Lian family’s mother and daughter came out, Lian-Chu looked worried and said, “The dilapidated mansion of Xingdi has never been expanded or repaired in time, isn’t it? Why are you in such a hurry to go there? Why don’t you eat and stay in the royal residence for a few days and go shopping? It’s more convenient…”

 

Lian Binglan looked at her mother now, just like a rough person who doesn’t have a big mindset. Her eyes were full of disdain, and she said coldly, “Didn’t you see that Liu Miantang is about to give birth? What are you still doing there?”

 

Lian-Chu was puzzled and said, “She can give birth to her children, and she has the doctor to worried about it. She doesn’t need you or me to help with her delivery, what’s the relationship between these two matters?”

 

Lian Binglan whispered, “If she has a smooth birth, she naturally has nothing to do with us. But if she has any accident during this time, aren’t we outsiders the first to bear suspicion and cannot explain clearly?”

 

Lian-Chu felt that her daughter’s words were somewhat strange, “What do you mean that if she doesn’t have a smooth birth, we will be suspected? You sound like someone might cause her to have a bad birth?”

 

Lian Binglan did not speak, she just turned her gaze to the outside of the carriage, but with a cold smirk in her heart. She was afraid that there would be too many people in the city who wanted the Mayor of Huaisang County to die at her birth!

TL/ Notes: Thank you for the ko-fi support🥰 Here’s extra 2 more chapters, enjoy❤️