Chapter 34: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 34: 

 

Liu Mian Tang was unaware that she had inadvertently offended her husband. She focused solely on recounting her day's activities to him.

Cui Xingzhou frowned as he listened to Liu Mian Tang talk about He Zhen’s misplaced affections. He felt compelled to correct her misunderstanding.

Since he had not committed any of the offenses Liu Mian Tang mentioned, Cui Xingzhou felt uneasy about her misinterpretation. He said, “How could Miss He, a merchant’s daughter, recognize Prince Huaiyang? Perhaps she was deceived by some scoundrel.”

Liu Mian Tang was simply sharing her observations. Seeing his serious demeanor, she added, “Miss He isn’t a sheltered young lady; she shouldn’t be easily mistaken. I wonder what Prince Huaiyang looks like to have captivated her so. If she had seen someone like you, she’d know he’s not worth it.”

Her comments somewhat eased Cui Xingzhou’s expression, and the topic of Miss He’s refusal to marry was set aside.

Later, during a meal at Prince Huaiyang's residence, he summoned his chief steward to inquire about the matter.

After pondering for a moment, the steward recalled that there was indeed a connection between the Prince and the He family. It seemed that when Cui Xingzhou’s sister, Cui Fu, was about to marry, various shops, including the He family’s, had been selected to supply bridal items.

At that time, during the chaotic period in Zhenzhou, the He family encountered bandits on their journey. Fortunately, Prince Huaiyang was leading his troops nearby and rescued the He family's carriage.

The chief steward had a good memory and recalled that Miss He was likely on the carriage and must have witnessed the young prince’s gallantry.

The steward glanced cautiously at the prince, unsure why he was suddenly inquiring about such old events. However, given that various shops often made offerings to curry favor with the royal household during festivals, he was aware of Miss He’s reluctance to marry.

Now, with the prince asking about it, the steward couldn’t help but suspect that it might be a sign from the heavens, as if the red star of love had been stirred, connecting the infatuated Miss He with a new potential match.

The prince had recently instructed him to send tonic supplements for health to the residence on North Street in Lingquan Town. If a child were to come from that side, it would complicate matters.

Meanwhile, the prince was not idle and was looking for another beauty. It seemed that the Ninth Prince had inherited the old prince’s amorous ways, even surpassing him in charm!

The chief steward couldn’t help but sigh inwardly for Miss Lian, who was to become the future principal wife of the royal family. Being the main consort of the prince was no easy task. He wondered if the Ninth Prince could outshine his father and whether the palace could accommodate the many future concubines.

Meanwhile, Lian Binglan had also gotten wind of the situation.

As the future matriarch of the royal household, she didn’t need to offer bribes to gain attention. People were eager to curry favor with her and discreetly provided her with information.

The list of supplements intended for the North Street residence had not even been sent out yet before a copy of it ended up in Lian Binglan’s hands.

Seeing the preparations for pregnancy supplements, Madam Lian Chu was extremely anxious. She slammed the table and said to her daughter, “You might be meticulous in other matters, but when it comes to dealing with men, you are far behind! Consider this: the prince is in his prime and remains unmarried. If you don’t arrange suitable concubines for him, he will naturally seek them elsewhere. I wanted to elevate Lian Xiang to the prince’s side, but you refused. Now, you’re letting these seductive tactics steal the prince’s attention. Is this supposed to let his other concubine have a child before you?”

Lian Binglan was seething inside but forced herself to stay calm. “But isn’t the North Street business fading anyway? I’ve heard from a servant of the chief steward that the prince seems to be more interested in the third miss of the He family…”

Lian Chu was even more furious upon hearing this and immediately wanted to go to her sister to complain about her nephew’s indiscretions.

However, Lian Binglan stopped her mother, saying, “Mother, what’s the use of talking to the Old Princess Consort? My cousin doesn’t listen to her at all. All it will do is anger him and achieve nothing.”

Lian Chu knew this was true but shook her head in resignation, pondering, “Then what should we do?”

Lian Binglan pressed her lips together and said, “When I wanted to send Lian Xiang to my cousin, he didn’t want to take her, so she wasn’t accepted. Since he now favors someone else, we should help him out by bringing her into the manor early. This way, the prince won’t be wandering around, and the new concubine can learn the proper etiquette from the Old Princess Consort and avoid entertaining improper thoughts.”

Lian Chu began to understand her daughter’s plan but still frowned, “But how can we bring that someone from North Street into the manor? Her background isn’t suitable.”

Lian Binglan smiled with disdain and said, “The woman from North Street is indeed unsuitable, which is why my cousin set her up with an external residence. However, He Zhen, though from a merchant family, is connected to the imperial supply and has ties with the palace. While she may not be a noble concubine, she shouldn’t be dismissed lightly. Don’t you agree, Mother?”

Lian Chu thought for a moment and realized her daughter’s reasoning. The woman from North Street, no matter how favored, would only be given a place to bear children and have a comfortable old age.

Lian Binglan and her mother had determined that the children born to a concubine would not be included in the royal family’s genealogy, whereas the He family’s daughter, being a proper maiden from a reputable family, could become a real rival if she won the prince's favor. Thus, they decided to take proactive measures to win over Miss He before she became a significant threat.

With this plan in mind, Lian Binglan prepared to visit the He family’s porcelain shop in Lingquan Town to assess He Zhen’s beauty and character. She hoped to understand what made the prince take a special interest in her and to ensure she could be won over.

Meanwhile, Cui Xingzhou was unaware of the schemes being made to secure a well-bred concubine for him. He was occupied with his own affairs, having recently ridden to Qingzhou Prefecture to review the documents of several local officials. This was not a random decision; during a recent conversation with the retired Meng Ge Lao, a three-time chancellor, he had learned some confidential details about the upheaval in the Eastern Palace years ago.

It was said that after the empress persecuted by Consort Xi was relegated to the Cold Palace, the Crown Prince had already made preparations. Although he was deceived by a false imperial edict from Consort Xi and forced to drink poison, leading to his tragic death, his two legitimate sons were saved by the Crown Prince’s loyal followers and their whereabouts remained unknown.

Even now, the two escaped children were a source of deep concern for Empress Dowager Xi, who had become the Holy Empress Dowager. The ruthless methods she used to support the current emperor and her actions to elevate her own faction while harming loyal officials left many in the court nostalgic for the virtuous Crown Prince.

Although Meng Ge Lao was at the height of his political career given his age, he refused to become corrupt and took an early retirement under the pretext of illness.

Cui Xingzhou was Meng Ge Lao’s favored disciple, and their bond was very strong. It was clear that this student had achieved success on his own merits, rather than relying solely on his father’s influence. Meng Ge Lao placed his hopes in Cui Xingzhou and spoke openly with him.

As they prepared to part after their private discussion, Meng Ge Lao advised him solemnly: “I may not see things clearly, but the current court is full of intrigue and malice. Such an environment is not suitable for long-term governance. I hope you, Xingzhou, will be prudent and not too rigid. Preserve your strength and be ready to act decisively should the situation in the court change. The loyal and righteous must step up to stabilize the country, even if it means dealing with challenges from afar…”

Cui Xingzhou clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and indicated that he had taken his mentor's teachings to heart before taking his leave.

He then proceeded to Qingzhou to examine the official records.

During his investigation, he uncovered some clues but found that several official documents were missing pages, possibly removed by someone.

When he returned to Lingquan Town, it was already nightfall. Upon arriving at the North Street residence, he intended to call for Li Mama to prepare a meal.

However, Mian Tang, dressed in her evening attire, approached him and said, "Li Mama felt unwell this morning, likely due to eating cold melon yesterday. The doctor came to check on her, and she has already taken medicine and gone to bed. What would you like to eat, my husband? I can prepare it for you."

Cui Xingzhou felt that it was chilly outside and was concerned that Mian Tang might catch a cold. He asked, "What about the two new maidservants? They can prepare the meal."

Mian Tang shook her head with a sigh and said, "Fang Xie and Bi Cao are indeed quite quick with their hands, but Li Mama's training for newcomers is very strict. Just pouring water, they had to practice for an entire afternoon. Poor girls, their wrists are swollen. Fortunately, Li Mama is ill today, so I thought they should get a good rest. Li Mama will assign them new tasks tomorrow."

Although the Cui family wasn't a large household, Li Mama's rules were numerous and exacting. The tasks were based on teachings that seemed to come from nowhere, requiring silence when pouring water and ensuring not a single drop was spilled, with specific postures and hand movements.

To be honest, when Mian Tang first got married, the female teacher her father hired for her was not as particular as Li Mama. Mian Tang initially tried to stop Li Mama from being so meticulous, but Li Mama couldn't tolerate the lack of manners in the new maidservants. She would glare at them with a face as dark as ink, looking as if she might burst if she didn’t speak up. This left her with no inclination to cook or prepare meals.

Eventually, Mian Tang decided to step back and let Li Mama manage the new maids, accepting that this would lead to a more harmonious household with regular meals. With Li Mama taking charge, the household ran smoothly, with three meals a day, including three dishes and a soup.

Now that Li Mama was resting, the two new maidservants were quite pitiful. Since her husband refused to eat the coarse dishes made by the older servant, Mian Tang was left with no choice but to cook for him herself.

Cui Xingzhou knew that Mian Tang's cooking skills were not exceptional, though she could manage a few dishes well. Her everyday home cooking was average, and her knife skills were just so-so. It required someone to assist her in the kitchen. 

So, lying on the soft couch, he asked, "What are you going to make for me?"

Mian Tang remembered she had a basket of river shrimp and said, "How about fried shrimp? I learned from Li Mama to make them crispy and sprinkle some pepper and salt for a tasty dish."

Cui Xingzhou was quite hungry and thought it would be fine as long as it was cooked. He nodded in agreement.

Seeing her husband nod, Mian Tang cheerfully tied up her hair, covered it with a cloth, and then sat Cui Xingzhou at the table by the window. She brightened the candlelight, prepared the ink, and set up for him to write.

Her husband’s handwriting was particularly beautiful, so recently she had been asking him to write a set of calligraphy for her to practice copying in her spare time.

With her husband settled at his writing desk, she tied on her apron and sat down on a small stool in the corridor outside, with a small copper basin on her lap for trimming the shrimp's antennae. From time to time, she looked up and could see her husband’s profile as he wrote by the light of the candle near the bed.

Cui Xingzhou occasionally looked up through the open window, watching her cut the shrimp, noticing how she seemed to need frequent breaks. Her wrists were not strong, and such tasks were usually handled by the servants.

Seeing her struggle several times to hold the scissors, Cui Xingzhou finally set down his pen, walked over, and pulled a stool for himself. He took the scissors from her and deftly continued trimming the shrimp's antennae.

Mian Tang's favorite thing about her husband was his unspoken care; his every action showed his concern for her. Watching his long fingers, usually meant for holding a brush, now engaged in such a mundane task, made her feel inadequate and guilty for not providing him with a warm meal as soon as he got home.

Once the shrimp were cleaned and trimmed, Mian Tang followed Li Mama’s instructions to beat the eggs and prepare the batter, then coated the shrimp and placed them into the hot oil to fry.

Fortunately, she had learned from Li Mama and managed to prepare the dish quite skillfully despite it being her first attempt.

The fried river shrimp turned out golden and crisp, and with a sprinkle of pepper and salt, paired perfectly with the steamed rice.

Cui Xingzhou ate two bowls of rice with the fried shrimp and some pickled side dishes. Mian Tang, feeling immensely satisfied with her efforts to be a good wife, eagerly served him more rice and shrimp.

When Li Mama passed through the inner courtyard in the middle of the night, she saw the shadows of the couple dancing on the window and thought they looked exceptionally harmonious. She shook her head, suspecting that her upset stomach might have affected her clarity of thought.

With summer ending and the weather gradually turning cooler, Mian Tang found it difficult to adjust to the winter chill of the southern region. The cold indoors made her appreciate the warmth of having her husband by her side in bed, so much so that she didn't even need a hot water bottle.

Embracing her husband’s arm, Mian Tang felt reluctant to get out of bed.

However, today was the day of an impromptu meeting organized by the merchant guild. Yesterday, the He family had sent a special notice that every household needed to send someone to the meeting. She couldn’t afford to be late.

So, after some last-minute delays, Mian Tang finally forced herself to get up.

Cui Xingzhou, who had stayed up late the night before writing several letters and sending them through Mo Ru’s messengers, was still asleep. As Mian Tang tried to get up, he, with his eyes still closed, reached out and grasped her wrist. “Why are you up so early? Stay with me a little longer…”

Mian Tang didn’t want to part from her husband so early either, but with household affairs pressing on her, she needed to earn a living. She gently coaxed her husband to release her so she could get up, wash up, and dress for the day.

Today, Li Mama felt a bit better and had assigned the household tasks. The duties of serving the master and mistress were given to the young maid Fang Xie, while the kitchen work was handed over to the cook, Bi Cao, who was skilled at preparing meals.

Li Mama’s condition was still weak, so she needed to stay in bed for a few days.

With Li Mama bedridden, the two young maids were relieved of their usual tasks and felt a significant weight lift off their shoulders.

Since they were bought with lifetime contracts, they were naturally anxious about their masters' temperaments.

Fortunately, aside from the strict old mama, the masters of the house were relatively kind. The master, in particular, was described as extraordinarily handsome, someone you couldn’t help but stare at. His every move was graceful and charming, suggesting he was well-educated and refined. However, he was reserved and seldom acknowledged the presence of the young maids.

The mistress of the house was an exquisite beauty. Initially, she seemed distant, but once they got to know her better, they found her to be kind and cheerful, much more approachable than the strict Li Mama.

With the master and mistress being so kind and the household being well-off, with meat, soup, fish, and shrimp available at every meal, the two young maids were grateful to have been sold into such a good family and worked diligently.

Mian Tang took the warm medicinal tonic from the young maid Fang Xie and drank it all at once. The tonic had a faint herbal fragrance and a sweet taste, making it not too difficult to swallow. However, even the most palatable things can become tiresome when consumed daily.

Her husband had insisted that she must take the tonic regularly to dispel the cold and ensure her health, especially if they planned to have children in the future. For the sake of the family line, Mian Tang was determined to endure it, no matter how unpleasant.

Despite the seemingly precious medicinal ingredients, she noticed that her husband had been spending a lot recently, possibly from winning several rounds of gambling. The household expenses appeared to be quite ample, reflecting a comfortable financial situation.

Thinking about this, she picked up a new piece of jewelry from the vanity and turned to her husband, who was still behind the bed curtains, saying, “Husband, I have enough jewelry. Please don’t buy me any more.”

“Those things are never too many. You can just change them up from time to time,” he replied.

At this point, Cui Xingzhou had also gotten up. His loose inner robe couldn’t conceal his well-defined chest and waist, clearly showing the results of his daily martial arts training.

Fang Xie, who had just finished arranging the mistress’s hair, blushed as she prepared to assist the master with changing clothes. However, Mian Tang stepped forward before Fang Xie could, approaching her husband directly.

For personal tasks like changing clothes, Mian Tang preferred to handle them herself. After finishing the task, she prepared for the day ahead. 

Cui Xingzhou went outside to practice his boxing and stretch his muscles. Mian Tang, while sipping on some lean meat porridge, watched her husband practice. She had a fondness for martial arts herself and could see that Cui Xingzhou practiced different routines each day. Due to space constraints, he mainly focused on techniques like small joint locks.

Mian Tang thought about the future and how once they had saved enough money, they should consider moving to a larger residence with a proper training ground for her husband. This would allow him to fully practice his martial arts.

With these thoughts in mind, Mian Tang left for the merchant association.

Upon arriving, she greeted the other shopkeepers who had come early. She soon learned that today’s special meeting was because Miss Lian, the future princess of Huaiyang, was personally selecting wedding gifts, including porcelain bowls and other items.

This was a major order, and to avoid disputes and ensure fair distribution among competitors, the merchant association had called this meeting to discuss how to handle the large order amicably and profitably.

Since the last tea party, it had been a while since Mian Tang had seen the third miss of the He family.

When Mian Tang saw He Zhen again, she was clearly composed. Despite the presence of what she wished was her fiancé's future wife choosing porcelain, she remained calm and unflappable.

Mian Tang, too, avoided bringing up any awkward topics and engaged in polite conversation with Miss He, maintaining a courteous demeanor throughout.

The meeting concluded with an agreement: each family would present two or three of their best porcelain items for the Lian family to choose from. Since such large orders required a significant quantity, no single shop could handle it alone; they had to rely on others for support.

The success of Lingquan Town was partly due to these unwritten rules of the merchant association—no one thrived at the expense of others.

Mian Tang carefully noted the suggestions from Master He and began planning which items to showcase.

Next, each shop began tidying up and preparing for the arrival of representatives from the Lian family.

Mian Tang, however, did not hold much hope for this order. After all, her shop had already secured a substantial share of the imperial supply previously, and taking a prominent role again might seem overly ambitious.

As a result, she instructed her staff to prepare only some exquisite tea sets, which were not considered standout items. Master He noticed that Madam Cui did not seem intent on overshadowing the He family's prestige, and as a result, his expression relaxed. He even showed a bit of a smile towards Mian Tang.

Due to the deliberate modesty of the Burned Jade Porcelain Workshop, the He family's shop naturally took the spotlight. The representatives from the Lian family ended up selecting several pieces from He’s shop, although other shops had their items chosen too, they were mostly small orders.

Since Liu Mian Tang was tactful, despite not landing a major order this time, the Burned Jade Porcelain Workshop still managed to secure some smaller deals and maintain the goodwill within the chamber of commerce.

Mian Tang felt quite satisfied with this outcome. However, there were some details regarding the orders that needed to be discussed with Miss He.

Yet, Miss He’s social engagements suddenly increased. Whenever Mian Tang sent her staff to inquire, they were informed that Miss He had accepted an invitation from the Lian family to attend a tea party in Zhenzhou.

Given the situation, there was no way to discuss it further. Master He was even busier with various affairs and was hard to find except at the meetings.

Eventually, Liu Mian Tang happened to run into Miss He’s carriage on the street and had her maid, Li Mama, pass a message.

Miss He poked her head out of the carriage and invited Liu Mian Tang to join her inside for a chat.

In contrast to Miss He’s previous discomfort, she now seemed full of cheer and had evidently made many new acquaintances in the upper-class tea circles in Zhenzhou.

When Liu Mian Tang inquired, Miss He couldn’t help but boast a bit: “Miss Lian is truly approachable. When she visited our He family’s porcelain shop to select items, we hit it off right away and had so much to talk about. So, whenever there’s a tea party in Zhenzhou, she invites me. Today’s tea party is even being held at the Prince's residence!”

Liu Mian Tang knew of Miss He’s admiration for Prince Huaiyang. It was puzzling to her why Miss He, who seemed so pleased and was in high spirits, would be so eager to make friends with the prince's fiancée. 

Liu Mian Tang watched Miss He in silence, suspecting that perhaps she was forcing a smile.

However, Miss He was clearly excited to share her news. Since Liu Mian Tang was an informed person, Miss He felt free to unburden herself.

“Madam Cui,” Miss He began, “to be honest, Miss Lian and I hit it off instantly. She mentioned that the prince is often busy with state affairs and has always lacked personal attendants. For someone of such high status, it’s impossible not to have a few concubines. However, Miss Lian has struggled to find someone of suitable appearance and character. She asked me if I knew of anyone who might be interested in joining the prince’s household in the future, so that she would have some company among her sisters.”

Liu Mian Tang, upon hearing this, was momentarily at a loss for words. In her heart, she thought, "Miss Lian and Miss He are indeed extraordinary women! It would be a pity if they cannot become sworn sisters."

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