Chapter 178 Giving Face
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A group of people entered the Fu Mansion with Yuwen Chu and Mingzhu in high spirits. Yuwen Chu whispered a few words to Fu Cong, who looked surprised and then turned to look at Mingzhu with concern. Mingzhu knew her father must have known about her poisoning incident a long time ago, but because Yuwen Chu had just told him now, he pretended to only just find out. To alleviate his worry, she quickly smiled brightly at him, indicating that she was fine and there was no need to worry too much.
Fu Cong nodded at her, instructing Madam Cui, “The banquet will be arranged later. I’ll go to the study with His Highness first. Wangfei seems to have caught a cold and is feeling unwell. You take her to rest in the room first.”
Madam Cui, being experienced and shrewd, vaguely guessed that something big must have happened to cause the two of them not to return home yesterday and to arrive late today. Without saying a word, she ordered someone to bring a soft chair to carry Mingzhu and whispered to her, “If you’re not feeling well, you must tell me.”
Mingzhu had always been good at seizing opportunities and going with the flow, so she immediately hugged Madam Cui’s arm and coquettishly said in a low voice, “Leaving my parents, brothers, sisters-in-law, nephews, and nieces, I don’t feel comfortable anywhere.”
Yuwen Chu glanced at her, his lips curving up in a slightly amused smile.
Seeing him mocking her and not backing down, Mingzhu even leaned on Madam Cui’s shoulder, pouting, “I want to eat braised abalone. The ones in the mansion aren’t as delicious as the ones at home.”
Before Madam Cui could agree, Yuwen Chu interjected, “Lord Mother-in-law, the doctor has instructed that the Wangfei should have a light diet these days and avoid sour, cold, and greasy foods.”
Seeing Yuwen Chu address her as “Lord Mother-in-law” in such a crisp manner, Madam Cui’s eyes narrowed with a smile. Since it was for Mingzhu’s good, she had to listen, so she immediately agreed and persuaded Mingzhu, “Let’s eat something else. I’ll make it for you later.”
Mingzhu glanced at Yuwen Chu, seeing him staring at her sternly. She thought he was giving face to her family, so she also had to give him face. Thus, she agreed. Yuwen Chu smiled approvingly at her, then turned and followed Fu Cong away.
Lady Qian and the others smiled knowingly at each other. It seemed like one could always find someone to match them. Mingzhu finally encountered someone who could tame her. Not to mention his noble status, his gentle and caring nature was also very appealing to her.
Once they arrived at Madam Cui’s room, Mingzhu greeted her politely, chatted with her brothers and sisters-in-law for a while, and was then urged by Madam Cui to rest in the inner room. Several maids from the mansion who followed them wanted to go in and serve, but Mingzhu frowned and said, “You two have worked hard. Go down and have some tea first.”
These maids had witnessed her favor and popularity in the mansion over the past few days. Even in front of Madam Cui, they didn’t dare to act recklessly and immediately bowed and withdrew.
Madam Cui whispered, “After all, they are the old servants of the mansion, their foundation lies there. You should be kind to them, so things can be done more smoothly.”
Mingzhu disagreed, “It’s their ignorance of not knowing their place. Knowing that I just got married and must have many private matters to discuss with my Mother, why did they follow in? They’re just trying to test my temper.”
All the major mansions had such a group of old Momos, most of whom came from the palace. Behind each of them was either a dowager or a steward. They had served the Wangye for many years and couldn’t help but be arrogant, two-faced, and overbearing. Taking advantage of the fact that the newcomer was inexperienced and unfamiliar with the environment, they would vie for benefits by various means. Mingzhu had seen a lot of this when she was in the Linan Wang Mansion. The cunning ones remained cunning, and the honest ones remained honest. They would be extremely friendly in front of her, but as soon as they turned around, they would sell her out. When she was down and out, they would forget the good treatment she had given them and everyone would wish to trample on her.
Yuwen You didn’t have a Royal Mother, and the mansion was already filled with a group of such so-called “old servants” left behind by the former emperor and the former imperial concubine, each one wanting to take advantage of the situation. Mingzhu had made up her mind that once she married over, she had to be able to make decisions. At the very least, she had to be able to have the final say in the back courtyard.
Madam Cui sighed, “Your strong personality isn’t good. I think Ying Wang is also a person who can’t tolerate sand in his eyes. He probably prefers you to be more gentle…”
“I can also act spoiled and look for cues.” She couldn’t outwit Yuwen Chu’s playful nature, so it was better to act as herself. If that didn’t work, using her looks was also an option. Mingzhu comforted Madam Cui, “He knew what kind of person I was before he married me. There are plenty of women who are more gentle than me. So I think he must like my bold and assertive nature.” Everyone’s taste was different, and Yuwen Chu was probably very special in this regard.
“My own daughter is always the best,” Madam Cui didn’t say much, and whispered, “Is he treating you well?”
Mingzhu’s face flushed. Apart from his somewhat excessive demands in certain aspects and his habit of throwing his weight around, overall he was indeed very gentle and accommodating to her. At least compared to Yuwen You, there was simply no comparison between them. He would pay close attention to whether she was comfortable or not, and if she didn’t like a certain position, he would change it without hesitation. He didn’t mind getting dirty and even dared to kiss her there… Oh my, he was truly shameless! Mingzhu felt embarrassed and said, “Stop asking! Anyway, he hasn’t done anything to harm me.”
Madam Cui, being experienced, understood immediately, and a smile appeared on her lips and eyes, “That’s good. Being loved and cherished by your husband is a good thing. You should cherish it. It would be even better if you could have a baby soon.”
“I think so too.” Mingzhu was interested in this topic and immediately began discussing it earnestly with her Royal Mother, “I wonder if Royal Mother has any good fertility remedies? Get me a few to try!”
Madam Cui didn’t expect her to be so sensible and immediately smiled like a flower, “There must be! But you don’t need them for now. Let’s wait and see. If you’re lucky, you might get pregnant this month.”
Mingzhu placed her hand on her abdomen. She really wanted to have a baby who could depend on her bloodline and be completely her own. Yuwen Chu had a good foundation, so the baby he fathered would probably be fine too. Whether it was a son or a daughter, she would definitely love and cherish them.
“What’s wrong with you? You rarely get sick. How did you get sick at such a crucial time?” Madam Cui was most concerned about her daughter’s health.
Since her family had kept it from her, Mingzhu didn’t want to scare her. She coquettishly said, “Who knows? Maybe I overexerted myself? Caught a cold?”
Madam Cui didn’t know whether to believe her or not, but she didn’t continue to ask. She just said, “Marriage is different from being a girl. You have to learn to take care of yourself, and don’t let anything bother you.”
Mingzhu nodded, “I will always remember Mother’s words and take good care of myself.”
Suddenly, Sun Momo outside said, “Madam, Fourth Master said he has something to discuss with the Wangfei.”
Mingzhu immediately got up, “I also have something to discuss with Fourth Brother.”
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