Chapter 76 – Return to the State of Zhen

Although the dress of Empress Shi looks out of place among a group of Ladies in elegant clothes, many flattering people compliment the Empress on her elegant safflower hairpin and flatter that they will learn this hairpin style next time.

 

This kind of praise made the nobles such as Princess Jiaxuan frown and looked disdainful.

 

Miantang felt that Queen Shi’s dress was nothing to laugh at. Although her dress is inappropriate, Miantang thinks that she was not any different from the Ladies who love beauty on the North Street of Lingquan Town. However, she is also no different from the girls who don’t follow the rules.

 

If it were to discuss in detail, her background is not as good as that of the Queen, and there is nothing to laugh at others.

 

However, when she was asked to praise the Queen for her beautiful dress, she could not say anything about it, so she catered to the theme of the tea party and tasted the cakes presented.

 

The moment she tasted it, it enlighten her. She doesn’t know what the filling in the cake is made of, but it has a light cream flavor. It is soft and Miantang can’t stop eating, so she can’t help praising the delicious food.

 

Hearing this, Empress Shi became interested and asked the Mayor of Huaisang County what the taste was.

 

Miantang took another serious bite, “This creamy tastes sweet and mellow, without any weird smell. It looks like cheese made from the milk of fat sheep in the northwest, but it also has the taste of mulberry. It tastes sour and sweet, not greasy.”

 

When someone praised Empress Shi’s dress just now, the Empress looked very listless. But now, after hearing that the Mayor of Huaisang County had eaten and was able to provide the matching recipe, she was very excited and said, “You can eat all of this. It shows that the Mayor of Huaisang County knows how to eat!”

 

Miantang smiled and said, “Next time, you can try to use the milk skin made of fat goat milk, wrap it with starch, fry it, sprinkle some sesame seeds, and it can be shredded. It’s most delicious with black tea.”

 

Empress Shi’s eyes brightened when she heard this. She told the female officials nearby to record that recipe down. If it tasted good, she would also give the Emperor to have a taste.

 

In the beginning, the other ladies were still holding their modesty and adhering to the Palace etiquette. They just tasted the snacks. However, they were later aroused by the hot food conversation between Miantang and the Queen.

 

The older ladies are fine. The younger ones are just at the age to be fond of good food. In addition, the cakes that Empress Shi ordered people to bring out are unique. So they can’t keep their mouths shut.

 

Although this tea party did not have the competition of poetry and songs, nor did they show off their talents, it was the first time to hold a tea party in the Great Yan Dynasty Palace just by “eating“.

 

Of course, the Mayor of Huaisang County contributed a lot to the banquet. Cui Xingzhou bought snacks for her when she was in Lingquan Town.

 

Every time she tasted something good, Servant Li will study and made it a specialty, so Miantang also knows a little about it. Thus, the delicacies prepared by Empress Shi have a friend keenly appreciative of her talents, a clever but interesting explanation of Miantang, and a detailed account of the allusions inside. At once, a plate of cake seems to have reached a higher level.

 

In the beginning, Princess Jiaxuan was still reserved, but later, Miantang’s vivid explanation made her greedy.

 

Older people can’t digest well and eat only a little. They can’t help complaining to Miantang, “Hurry and stop explaining. I don’t eat as much as I do today in a year.”

 

This made everyone laugh, and they all said that Princess Jiaxuan had spoken the truth. If they continue eating, they would have trouble fitting in all their newly made clothes in their Mansion, especially at the waist area.

 

Empress Shi smiled and said, “I’m also worried that Imperial Aunt will not be able to digest. So I asked the Palace maids to serve me hawthorn tea. Would you like to drink some?”

 

Princess Jiaxuan naturally thanked the Queen.

 

At this moment, a Palace maid came over with a teapot and poured tea for Princess Jiaxuan. But when she stopped, she accidentally poured hot tea on Miantang’s leg. Her light skirt was also stained with a large patch.

 

The maid was so frightened that she knelt and pleaded guilty. Miantang smiled carelessly and said, “It doesn’t matter. It will dry soon.”

 

After reprimanding the maid, Empress Shi said to Miantang, “I’ll let the female official lead you to change your clothes, otherwise it’s not the way to leave it dirty.”

 

For a tea party like this, Ladies usually bring three or four sets of clothes to change into in case of a rainy day.

 

Miantang was no exception. Servant Li specially prepared a small suitcase for her to take with her. Since the Queen spoke, she could not refuse, so she had to go to the courtyard of the side hall to get changed with the female officials leading the way.

 

Miantang changed quickly and then went out to ask the female official to lead her back.

 

But when she walked out of the house, there was a tall and thin person standing in the courtyard. Miantang looked closely and found that it was the Emperor, Liu Dan.

 

He was looking at a Huaisang flower planted in the courtyard. When Miantang stood at the door and refused to go closer, he said, “This is your favorite flower, so I ordered people to plant it in every courtyard of the Palace. I thought you could see it wherever you entered the Palace.”

 

Miantang glanced at the guard standing at the gate of the courtyard and knew that if Liu Dan did not give the order, she would not be able to leave. She then knelt and said, “Your Majesty, the Queen is still waiting in the front hall. I can’t stay here too long.”

 

Liu Dan went to her and tried to help her up, but Miantang knelt and moved away, which avoid him.

 

Liu Dan was angry when she dodged, “Liu Miantang, is your heart made of iron and stone? It was just because of a misunderstanding that you broke up with me and married a man right after you went down the mountain. I thought you were discouraged and wanted to live a normal life. In addition, I was also uncertain about whether will my plan turn out good or bad, so I did not force you to live a saber-rattling life with me. But who would have thought that you were already talking about marriage with Prince Huaiyang! What are you thinking? Do you dislike me for not being as prosperous as him at that time, so you followed him? “

 

If Liu Dan was just the former Young Master Ziyu from the Mountain of Yang, Miantang would turn around and leave immediately, she wouldn’t talk nonsense with him at all. But now, he is the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty. If she annoys him, she’s afraid Princess Jiaxuan can’t take her out of the Palace today.

 

So Miantang replied honestly, “Your Majesty, I really don’t know what are you saying. I only heard from my Uncle saying that I once lived on the Mountain of Yang for some time, and I lost my memory when I fell into the water later. I really can’t remember clearly…”

 

Liu Dan was so angry that his eyes were red, but when he heard this, he was shocked! It took him a long time to ask, “What did you say… You lost your memory?”

 

Miantang nodded honestly and said, “I only remember the part when I was going to get married to the Capital. I really can’t remember what happened after that, and I still have a headache now. So Your Majesty, don’t come and mention the past to me again. Now you are the Emperor, and you are the one who has come through the best of times. The Queen is virtuous, and the Prince is clever. It’s enviable…”

 

Liu Dan could not hear her flattery. He said in a tight voice, “So when you saw me in the State of Qing, you didn’t know who I was. Then why did you have a crush on Cui Xingzhou?”

 

Liu Miantang couldn’t say anything about Cui Xingzhou’s cheating on her marriage, but said, “When I went down the Mountain of Yang, my hamstrings were broken. He saved me and cured me. Without him, I would have died in the river. So there is nothing wrong with me being with him.”

 

Liu Dan heard the truth one after another today that he had never known before. He just felt his head buzzing and stood still, “You are seriously injured? Who injured you?”

 

Miantang saw Liu Dan’s reaction and knew that he seemed to have no idea, so it should be his subordinates or someone who did it without his knowledge.

 

But even if Miantang knew it, he would not tell Liu Dan. His former followers of the Mountain of Yang are all great heroes of the founding of the country. How could Liu Dan give them a title of crime in vain?

 

It will be best if she avenged her revenge herself. There is no need for the new Emperor to stand up for her!

 

She then said honestly again, “This… I really don’t remember. But isn’t it good like that too? You are the Emperor, and Prince Huaiyang is also your capable Minister which helped you to stabilize your throne. Please don’t be too stubborn… I really have to go back now.”

 

But Liu Dan squatted down and knelt in front of her in a dejected manner, and tears of pain rolled out of his eyes, “I… Really thought that you were angry with me at that time, and would not see me again… If I had known that you were suffering from amnesia and helpless at that time, I… How could I have left you beside him… What kind of benefactor saved your life? He was also cheating on you at that time, and used you to catch the parties of the Mountain of Yang, right?”

 

Liu Miantang pretended not to know what Liu Dan was saying, but bowed her head and said, “Now I have signed a marriage contract with Prince Huaiyang, who is the to-be wife of the Cui family. You are keeping the memories of our past, but please don’t put me in a difficult position. If I stay in this yard any longer, it will cause misunderstanding among others. By then, It will really hinder the reputation of the Cui family.”

 

Liu Ziyu didn’t know this before and thought Liu Miantang had deliberately forgotten him.

 

Now Miantang opened her mouth and explained, and he suddenly understood. What a proud person Miantang is, she will not live with Cui Xingzhou unmarried! Cui Xingzhou happens to be Cui, the ninth in the family, who is similar to her fiance in the Capital before.

 

At that time, Miantang thought she was a merchant woman wholeheartedly. If Cui Xingzhou hadn’t lied to her, how could she be so careless as to match the identity of being Cui Jiu’s wife?

 

Now Liu Dan is full of regrets. If he knew that Miantang had been cheated on, he would never let her stay with Cui Xingzhou.

 

And who injured her hands and feet? Thinking of Miantang’s being persecuted and thrown into the river, Liu Dan’s heart suddenly swelled. In his times in the Mountain of Yang, the feeling of powerlessness that the world was vast and the confusion about where his destination in the future will be, came back to him again.

 

At that time, he naively thought that as long as he ascended the throne and restored his true name, he could well grasp the future of himself and Miantang.

 

He didn’t know that once he take a step wrongly, every next step he took was in the wrong direction as well. He unexpectedly made such a careless mistake of neglecting Miantang.

 

Not to mention that Miantang has lost her memory, even if she remembers the past, she will probably not forgive himself and return to his side

 

Thinking of this, he wanted to hold Miantang tightly and cry hard as before. But Miantang’s defensive body posture and alert eyes deeply hurt his heart.

 

He said nothing more, turned around, and walked slowly toward the courtyard door, disappearing outside the vermilion gate.

 

Miantang finally breathed a sigh when he saw him go.

 

She also took her servant girl Fang Xie out of the courtyard slowly. A few steps later, she heard the laughter of the ladies approaching.

 

After turning a corner, she saw Queen Shi coming with the group of ladies talking and laughing. Miantang hurriedly went to Queen Shi to greet her.

 

One of the ladies said jokingly, “The cake tastes boring when you are not around. Fortunately, a new pot of green chrysanthemums has bloomed in the Queen’s garden and she’s taking us to enjoy it. You can just follow up. Don’t fall behind.”

 

Miantang responded with a smile and followed the ladies to the flower bed. All the flowers in the Palace were Imperial tributes. Naturally, there were many flowers in the Palace.

 

After enjoying the flowers, the ladies said goodbye to the Queen one after another and were ready to leave the Palace.

 

And Miantang followed Princess Jiaxuan out of the Palace.

 

When she got out of the inner Palace, she saw a man standing at the gate. It was Prince Huaiyang.

 

Princess Jiaxuan looked at it and said, “The fiance of yours is very considerate. He is waiting for you here!”

 

Miantang said goodbye to the Princess with a smile and then walked to Cui Xingzhou. Seeing his face reddened slightly by the sun, she greeted him and asked, “Did you come to the Palace for something, Your Highness?”

 

Cui Xingzhou nodded and said seriously, “Come and pick up my fiancee.”

 

Miantang knew that he didn’t trust herself to enter the Palace, so he kept waiting in front of the Palace gate, but what was this action seems like to others? If it were publicized, wouldn’t he be afraid of getting laughed at? However, she could not help feeling sweet in her heart. She just laughed and got in the carriage with Cui Xingzhou.

 

After the two returned from the Palace, Miantang naturally told Cui Xingzhou about the “coincidence encounter” with The Emperor, which they had already had a conversation about.

 

Cui Xingzhou listened in silence. He did not know about the past of Miantang and Liu Ziyu, but Liu Ziyu must have never forgotten his old feelings for Miantang.

 

Most men are like this. When they have no foundation, they fail to live up to the real feelings of their loved ones by using the excuse “how can a man get married if he doesn’t excel in their career“. However, once the man achieved something, he will regret that he missed the most vulnerable chance and want to retrieve the loss a little.

 

If Miantang didn’t make an engagement with him but was still in the State of Xi, she should be forced to enter the Palace now. She will also be seduced by Liu Dan, that bastard, and become soft-hearted…

 

Although this was all the imagination of Prince Huaiyang, he was particularly uncomfortable at the thought that Miantang might make up with Liu Dan.

 

Miantang sees Cui Xingzhou’s face pulling black and naturally knows that he is jealous. She can’t help but talk about other things, which leads him to think elsewhere.

 

But Cui Xingzhou didn’t fall for the bait and said, “I think the Queen is also a matchmaker. Don’t answer her invitation in the future!”

 

However, Miantang didn’t really think that Empress Shi was helping The Emperor to get her. She thought that if Liu Dan was still pestering her at that time, those ladies would have to pass by the yard when they were enjoying the flowers, which will end her private encounter with the Emperor.

 

This Empress Shi looks simple and silly and seemed to only know how to eat and drink. However, depending on her appearance, she is now able to stable her position as The Empress, in addition to giving birth to a son, and still able to get the respect of Liu Dan. It’s really not easy.

 

However, Cui Xingzhou was right. She had better not enter the Palace gate in the future, so Miantang pretended to be ill the next day after she left the Palace and reduced her social intercourse so that she could not be called into the Palace again by the Queen.

 

But how can the Palace be empty for too long? Before long, Miantang heard Cui Xingzhou say that the former Ministers of the Mountain of Yang started to fill the backyard for The Emperor, while the Empress Dowager chose several pretty girls to enter the Palace.

 

These women are all favors, which have nothing to do with the new Emperor Kaixuan’s personal preferences. Even if they all look ugly, they should be accepted. At that time, the new Emperor’s backyard was in full swing, and countless delicate flowers were blooming all day long. If Empress Shi was holding a tea party, she would bake several more plates of cakes.

 

When the ladies who went to the Palace at that time came to visited Miantang to have a chat, they talked about the new Concubines. It is said that when they entered the Palace, they were only low-ranked Concubines.

 

However, there is a woman who is said to be the daughter of General Sun, the life-saving benefactor of The Emperor. She has always vowed not to marry and has always been around the Emperor. Now that he has ascended the throne, he is grateful for her infatuation. She was specially selected into the Palace and awarded the title of High-Ranking Imperial Concubine Yun.

 

It is said that she also has some friendships with Empress Shi. She has always been called a sister. After entering the Palace, she will be like the sisters who married the same man and serve him together. They will continue their sister’s relationship.

 

Miantang guessed that Sun Yunniang should be the one who got the favor of both of the Imperial figures after entering the Palace. She wondered did Empress Shi really took Sun Yunniang as a sister?

 

According to Yunniang’s disposition, after entering the Palace, there must be another wave of changing factors, like the sense of evil arousing.

 

But Cui Xingzhou felt that Liu Miantang was already stirring up in his Mansion.

 

Miantang thought that it was not right to share a bed with Prince Huaiyang before marriage. But The Prince is constantly greedy for her. If she was pregnant, she would really be unable to raise her head in front of Cui Xingzhou’s mother when they meet.

 

So after having a serious talk with Cui Xingzhou, Miantang closed the door and window of her room every night and asked Fang Xie and Bi Cao, the two personal maids, to sleep under her bed in turn, so that The Prince could not touch her anymore.

 

He’s used to sharing a bed with Miantang thus when it was suddenly taken away, he was unhappy.

 

Prince Huaiyang’s face was black all day long. He watched Miantang always cling to her hands and feet, he also stepped up the arrangements for returning to the State of Zhen.

 

When he reorganized the army at the beginning, he planned something. The soldiers of his are calculated according to the militia. Now the war is over. With a wave, Prince Huaiyang sends most of the citizen soldiers and only assumes that there are no soldiers under his command who have “taken off their armors and returned to their native place“.

 

If they follow this method, the number of troops he needs to hand over will be very small.

 

The Ministry of War, of course, would not give up. They have been pestering Prince Huaiyang. But God is also helping Prince Huaiyang. A flood happened in the State of Dong. The local farmers who lost their fields and houses, could not afford to eat. They gathered a crowd to revolt. They attacked the government, killed the Court Officials, and robbed the Official warehouse. At that time, the trouble became more and more serious.

 

This place is not far away from the State of Zhen. If the Court were to send someone to suppress bandits, some seek far and neglect what lies close at hand. So Cui Xingzhou offered to help to calm down the disaster.

 

The trouble in the State of Dong is getting worse day by day. If it cannot be quelled, there will be problems in the granary of the Great Yan Dynasty. In addition, when one goes to a battle, there will always be injuries and dead personnel. It would be great if it could deplete Prince Huaiyang’s troops.

 

At last, Emperor Kaixuan issued a decree to summon Prince Huaiyang to be the Marshal in charge of pacifying the trouble in the State of Dong. At the same time, he issued another edict to bless the family members and reward the Mayor of Huaisang County with a new Residence to let her stay in the Capital.

 

This is the method used by the Emperors of all Dynasties. The Marshals who sent troops to fight should leave their families in the Capital as a pledge.

 

However, Prince Huaiyang is the hereditary king, and he has his own land. It’s troublesome to ask his family to come here. When he was asked to lead the army previously, no one expected that he would come back alive. Thus, The Emperor who died early did not summon the Old Princess Consort to the Capital.

 

Now, the Mayor of Huaisang County is the fiancee of Prince Huaiyang. It is reasonable to leave her as a pledge.

 

But when the decree was issued, it was discovered that the Mayor of Huaisang County was no longer in the Capital. According to Prince Huaiyang, the Mayor of Huaisang County was not used to the environment in the Capital city and vomited frequently, so she left the Capital earlier and returned to the State of Zhen. As for when she can come back, it depends on whether she can bear it. Please be merciful.

 

Liu Miantang is not a Minister of the Imperial Court, so her departure or stay will not be reported to the Imperial Court. Even if she was secretly sent away by Prince Huaiyang, Emperor Kaixuan could not find any mistakes.

 

What’s more, they also received bad news from the State of Qing, stating that the Rebels had broken through the West of the State of Dong, and the bandit suppression could not be delayed.

 

Emperor Kaixuan has just ascended the throne, but his foundation is not stable, so Cui Xingzhou can only set out to suppress bandits first, and then think about things carefully.

 

Although it was urgent to suppress bandits, Cui Xingzhou returned to the State of Zhen first. He hasn’t returned home for a long time. It’s said that the Old Princess Consort has grown a lot of white hair missing her son.

 

He took his troop to the State of Dong and passed by his Residence, so he naturally wanted to go home and have a look. What’s more, he brought back a charming fiancee this time. He must properly explain to his mother before heading to settle the rebellion of the bandits in the State of Dong.

 

Although his fiancee returned to the State of Zhen early, she returned to the Mansion on North Street. She wanted to take good care of her shop business and did not go to Prince Huaiyang Residence.

 

So Cui Xingzhou naturally went straight to Lingquan Town after traveling day and night to see if Liu Miantang was waiting for him obediently.

 

Liu Miantang saw that he didn’t return to his Residence to see his mother, but came to see herself first. She only said that he was ridiculous. If the Old Princess Consort knew about this, wouldn’t she have to argue?

 

However, Cui was just like a hungry tiger. He smelled the fragrance of Miantang and in addition, when he returned to North Street, the place with which he was familiar was and there were no rivals. At that time, no one could stop him. He will only return to his Residence after quenching his thirst.

 

How can Miantang resist him? The vow of not living before marriage was torn to pieces again. The walls of the small houses on North Street are slightly soundless. It’s really spring.

 

It is a happy event that the Royal Residence of the State of Zhen can finally welcome the Prince back. Steward Gao was ordered by the Old Princess Consort early in the morning to welcome the Prince with lanterns and decorations.

 

But after sending people to inquire, there were no signs of him coming home after he entered the boundary of the State of Zhen. The Old Princess Consort couldn’t bear it, so she ordered someone to inquire about the whereabouts of The Prince again.

 

After a long time, someone reported that The Prince had stayed in Lingquan Town for a while, and it seemed that he had spent the night waiting for breakfast before crossing the river to return to The Prince’s Residence.

 

Chu-Lian came to the Residence today with her daughter to wait for the return of The Prince. After hearing this, her eyebrows were filled with discontent and she said, “Madam, do you think I cheated you? I told you that Xingzhou was keeping a mistress outside in North Street secretly! You didn’t believe it before! I heard that when he went to the war, the mistress followed him, and the North Street Mansion was empty all the time… Whose family does this mistress belongs to? How can she keep The Prince from seeing his mother?”