The Possession of My Beloved - CH 9

However, this rare chess manual could have been encountered but not sought. Cui Xingzhou also wondered if he could find the remnant of the second half of the book, which fulfilled the long-cherished wish of Dong Quan Hermit.

Cui Xingzhou got his favorite chess score. His trip was successful. He gave the famous Lushan tea he had brought to the hermit and said goodbye.

The Prince Mother’s birthday party will be held in two days. These days, distant relatives and friends in the residence have already arrived. He must go back to greet the guests.

Therefore, after leaving the mountain villa of Dong Quan hermit, he and Marquis Zhennan, Zhao Quan went down the mountain to change to the Huagai horse with the royal residence sign and returned to the royal residence together.

Prince Huaiyang’s residence is not far from Lingquan Town, in the State of Zhen county separated by a river.

Although the old Princess Consort’s birthday banquet has not yet started, and it is already dark at this time, guests and horses are still neighing in front of the residence.

The Prince finally returned home. All the people in the Prince’s residence gathered their spirits and came to greet the Prince.

The first thing Cui Xingzhou did was visit his mother.

Knowing that her son was coming back, the old Princess Consort Chu who always went to bed early, sat in the hall, accompanied by Lian Binglan and her mother, waiting for Cui Xingzhou to come and say hello.

Cui Xingzhou, dressed in a wide-sleeved moon white water shirt and tightly tied with broadband, turned around the pavilion and appeared in front of the court. The high-hanging lanterns shone on his handsome face, setting off a golden crown, and his eyebrows and eyes were even more beautiful.

Lian Binglan looked shyly at her future husband, pursed her lips slightly, and waited for her cousin to come.

However, Cui Xingzhou did not squint at his cousin at all.

As they grew bigger gradually, he is unfamiliar with his cousin who was four years younger than him. Even if there were no one around, he had nothing to say.

Fortunately, the right way for a husband and wife is to respect each other like a guest. Just like Liu Miantang, as long as you are respectful to your husband, you can get along smoothly even if you have nothing to say.

Cui Xingzhou is not interested in the “conjugal interest” after marriage, but he thinks that his wife’s politeness is still the most important factor.

At this point, a lady like Lian Binglan will certainly do better than Liu Miantang.

After greeting her mother, the old Princess Consort Chu said gently, “I haven’t seen you for a long time. Did you become thinner? If you’re not busy on official business this time, you’d like to stay in the residence for a few more days and have a taste of the cooking skills of Binglan. The tonic soup she cooked for me is very nourishing.”

After her aunt, Princess Consort Chu praised her, Binglan smiled and said in a soft voice, “It’s the Princess Consort that didn’t disdain my clumsy cooking skills. I know I’m not good at cooking. How dare I make a fool of myself in front of my cousin?”

Seeing that Binglan was modest, Princess Consort Chu smiled at her mother, who was her younger sister, Lian-Chu, that was sitting beside her, and said, “Look, Binglan is so modest, she doesn’t look like you at all!”

Princess Consort Chu was telling the truth. When her younger sister Lian-Chu was at home, she was persistent in being the first and competing for the best in everything. Even if she was married and gave birth to her children, she didn’t change. But her younger sister’s daughter Lian Binglan is an elegant and gentle girl. She is a good match for her son Cui Xingzhou.

Cui Xingzhou didn’t go home for a long time. After greeting his mother, he sat down and chatted about some domestic trivia with his mother and aunt.

After having chatted a few words with the Lian-Chu family, the conversation suddenly turned and she said with a smile: “Elder sister, the boy has been out alone for a long time, and there is no servant girl who knows how to care for his wellbeing around him. It can’t go on like this. His marriage with Lanlan is still one year away. Let Lian Xiang, the servant girl beside Lan serve The Prince first, at least to take care of his wellbeing.”

The number of ways a servant girl can go before a young lady like this is really unexpected. Listening to Aunt Lian-Chu’s meaning, is to send Lian Xiang to be Cui Xingzhou’s maid in name, but concubine in reality first.

The old Princess Consort Chu could not help looking at Lian Binglan sitting beside her. She didn’t seem surprised. She just bowed her head slightly and didn’t speak. Then she took another look at Lian Xiang.

This girl looks decent, but she still cannot be compared to Lian Binglan. She doesn’t look like the seducing style girl too…

At this time, Cui Xingzhou said, “I often walk around the barracks. It’s really inconvenient to take a maid with me. The young men around me are also dedicated. Aunt doesn’t have to worry about me.”

Hearing that The Prince declined, Lian-Chu didn’t let go: “Lian Xiang is not the servant who is spoiled and becomes someone who summons people like the master in the mansion. The Prince can just rest assured to summon her. In the future, when you and Lanlan got married, with her experiences in serving you, she will be able to help Lanlan and takes good care of your daily life, doesn’t she?”

The old Princess Consort Chu’s ears were soft. Hearing this, she felt it was reasonable, so she comforted her son: “Since it’s your aunt’s kindness, let’s accept it.”

However, Cui Xingzhou didn’t want to let go. He just took up the teacup on one side, gently ground the tea cover, and casually said: “A few days ago, my soldiers told me that they saw Uncle Lian’s servant, Mo Shu in Lingquan town. I think they were there to buy Porcelain. I wonder if they got something satisfactory? Do you need me to choose and buy some on your behalf?”

Lian-Chu was a little stunned. Just before she began to answer, Lian Binglan said softly, “Mother, you have worried too much. Even if my cousin wants to choose a maid, there are all smart and considerate people in his mansion. They were taught by Princess Consort herself. How can a person who lacks precision like Lian Xiang be compared with their style and carefulness?”

As she said this, she continue the chatting session and spoke softly about the interesting story of going to the temple to eat vegan with Princess Consort yesterday. When it came to the funny part, Princess Consort Chu was so happy that she couldn’t close her mouth. As for sending the servant girl, It was interrupted.

When Cui Xingzhou got up, he said goodbye to his mother and returned to his study room. Lian-Chu also took his daughter to leave and returned to the courtyard where Lian Binglan lived as a guest.

After entering the inner room, when there were no other people around, Lian-Chu immediately got angry, stared at her daughter, and said, “It was not a long ago that we decided to send Lianxiang to Xingzhou’s side first so that we can know what was the situation over there. It was not easy to say till my sister agreed. Why did you stop her later?”

The more she talked about it, the more the anger in her tended to attack her heart, Lian-Chu could not help but continue to say to her daughter with worry: “Oh God, this is indeed a son inheriting his father’s career. There are so many absurd things in the royal family! I knew that the old Prince Cui Xie was a flirtatious man from the start, so I insisted on not getting married. My parents had no choice and asked me to change my marriage certificate with my sister so that she could easily marry Cui Xie, and let me marry your father. Look at your great aunt. If it wasn’t for the protection of her mother’s family, she would have been dragged and eaten by those foxes’ concubines. How could there be a comfortable life the Princess Consort is living now? Those bad things about her at the beginning can’t be compared with our peaceful house and comfortable life… If you don’t give some thought to it, be careful to repeat your aunt’s life. At that time, your father’s high-ranking official position also can’t help you!”

After listening to her mother’s boast, Lian Binglan, who was always gentle in front of people, gave Lian-Chu a look of disapproval.

Lian-Chu didn’t notice his daughter’s meaningful glance and said: “It was that I saw her only son, Xingzhou who has a good disposition, unlike his father’s dissolute behavior, so I agreed for you to be married to him. Who knows, Xingzhou quietly settled a residence in Lingquan town and raised a mistress! Isn’t this… The same behavior of the deceased old Prince? If you don’t take precautions early, you will suffer!”

Lian Binglan allowed Lian Xiang to remove the hairpin for her and said softly, “Mother, how many times has I told you not to be too explicit? Today, you heard my cousin’s words, and you noticed that my father’s servant, Mo Shu was watching over the house outside Lingquan town. If you were too eager to send someone to him again, wouldn’t you be planting an informant openly? How can he put up with this according to my cousin’s temperament?”

Lian-Chu knew that what her daughter said was reasonable, but she was unwilling to admit it: “Then are we just gonna let him keep his mistress outside? Where should the Lian family’s face be placed at that time?”

Lian Binglan was calm and said, “Didn’t Shu Mo spend some money to find out about the matter? He said that the young woman was a merchant woman who had been robbed by bandits at the beginning, and somehow my cousin got a crush on her. This kind of lady where reputation has been ruined was just relying on her virtue of beauty to entice my cousin to relieve his boredom. Given my cousin’s identity, no matter how much he dotes on her, she can’t bring it out to the public. Since it’s a private thing, why bother my cousin and annoy him?”

Lian-Chu also wondered how her daughter didn’t inherit her impatient disposition! However, Lanlan had a point. Today, The Prince sudden mentioned of her husband Lian Hanshan’s young servant Shu Mo, was to give her a warning.

This nephew of hers looks gentle and polite, but he is not as soft as her sister’s temper. If she insists on sending a girl to him, it may cause a counter-effect.

When the servant went to inquire again a few days ago, the soldier he had bribed previously had disappeared. When he went to ask the others, they all kept silent and let him return without accomplishing anything. Now that she thinks of it, according to Cui Xingzhou’s temperament, he must have punished the soldier. It’s impossible to get any more favorable information.

Lian Binglan has gotten over the jealousy feeling at the beginning and has come to understand. After she got married to The Prince, she would be the head lady of the residence and the Princess Consort who will manage the family affairs. She has plenty of ways to deal with the mistress outside by then. Why should she make her cousin unhappy before she enters the residence legally?

In that case, she will act like she didn’t know anything. It’s better for a woman with such a bad reputation to serve her cousin than for him to provoke other high-ranked families’ ladies and take them in as concubines who can’t be beaten or scolded.

Thinking of this, Lian Binglan gently advised her mother to go to sleep. Then, she apply the pearl face cream on her face, tied her hair with a veil, and went to sleep.

Recently, Lian Binglan has taken extra care of her skincare. It was just because the soldier said that the merchant woman was very beautiful, that it was inevitable for her to feel uncomfortable and began to compare.

However, no matter how beautiful she is, there will be a withering day. How can a person who uses her beauty to seduce another last long? As a leading lady, she should be more open-minded and not be as short-sighted as her mother.

Her mother denounced the old Prince for being too flirtatious to marry earlier. However, in her mansion, her mother has complained about her regret many times, nagging about her father being unsuccessful, only saying that she was obsessed at the beginning. Why did she have to change her marriage certificate with her elder sister?

When her father was choosing a husband for the two sisters, he saw that the Chu was soft-tempered, so she found herself another guy of Lian Hanshan, a straightforward and honest son-in-law.

Lian-Chu scrambled with her sister to change her husband. After she was married, she found that her husband was indeed honest, but he was also too unpromising! The smooth flattery in the officialdom will never happen. For many years, they have been guarding the place and never moved to higher positions.

Cui Xie, on the other hand, was originally just a governor of the garrison. However, he made many miraculous achievements and was granted the title of The King of a state by the former Emperor. After some setbacks, his family was glorified, and he gradually expanded his fief.

Lian-Chu secretly regretted that if she hadn’t changed her marriage, she would be the head lady of the residence now.