Chapter 107: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 107: 

 

Such local disputes over land would typically be considered minor issues and unlikely to be escalated to the Emperor’s attention.

However, the memorial was written by Zhang Pangguang, a senior statesman with three generations of service. Lord Zhang had lost considerable face before Prince Huaiyang.

When he angrily sought out Prince Huaiyang for fault, news arrived from the labor camps in the northern desert that Liu Zhanpeng had indeed been found. He hadn’t traveled far and had been kidnapped; he had only escaped when the kidnappers were unprepared and had gone back to report the crime.

Upon realizing that he had been misled and had sought out Prince Huaiyang for faults based on false information, Zhang Pangguang found himself embarrassed and realized he had been used as a pawn in Prince Sui's scheme against Prince Huaiyang.

Zhang Pangguang's move to catch Prince Huaiyang’s mistakes was merely a matter of seizing the opportunity. After all, the documents accusing Prince Huaiyang had been presented to him openly, and ignoring them would have been difficult. However, if he could handle the investigation properly, it would not harm his reputation as a clear-headed official.

Though Lord Zhang prided himself on his integrity, maintaining his position across three reigns required more than just unwavering loyalty and righteousness.

Having decided to avoid taking sides and possibly offending both parties, Zhang Pangguang chose to present a memorial to the court detailing Prince Huaiyang's wrongdoing. How the Prince and his family would be punished was up to the Emperor. Zhang Pangguang would continue his tour of Jiangnan and refrain from involving himself in the feud between the two princes.

As a result, the atmosphere around Prince Sui's arrival in the capital was not as enthusiastic as he had anticipated.

However, this was not a major issue. Prince Sui wrote a letter of self-reproach, sincerely admitting his negligence in supervising his relatives and asking the Emperor for leniency. His respectful attitude meant that Liu Dan could not afford to make a big issue out of it.

Consequently, Liu Dan issued a decree to handle the Prince's relatives according to the law, but Prince Sui’s promotion to the cabinet was postponed.

With the pressure from the Empress Dowager, Liu Dan had no choice but to grant titles to both princes when Prince Huaiyang arrived in the capital. 

Thus, after Prince Huaiyang's marriage was celebrated, he and his consort were set to proceed to the capital together.

The wedding of the Fifth Master of the Cui family was somewhat subdued.

Prince Huaiyang had discussed with his fifth brother that, since the marriage was happening, it would be more comfortable for both parties to live separately. He assigned a residence to his brother that was somewhat distant from Zhenzhou, clearly intending to limit frequent visits and prevent the mother, Lian Chu, from using the excuse of visiting her daughter to frequently come to the Prince's residence.

Lian Chu was defeated in every confrontation with Cui Fu, leaving her so distressed that she fell ill twice. Seeing her daughter's wedding being conducted with such a lack of warmth, she could no longer hold back and went to complain to the Old Princess Consort.

In recent days, the Old Princess Consort had been frequently advised by her daughter, and with Mian Tang’s timely portrayal of financial hardship, it was rare for her to be so firm.

Moreover, Lian Chu’s complaints were largely about Cui Fu’s lack of understanding and unlikability, which was not well received. The Old Princess Consort, having listened to Lian Chu’s grievances with some impatience, responded bluntly: “Madam Qin's family dowry was limited, and we have already compensated three times that amount. Even so, Mian Tang used some of her own funds from her own assets to cover the shortfall. Go ask around; how many sisters-in-law offer additional dowry to their sisters-in-law? You only know how to ask for more, but don’t think about how it makes me look in front of my daughter-in-law!”

Lian Chu had never seen her sister speak so bluntly and was momentarily at a loss for words, only managing to argue weakly, “Our Binglan was already treated poorly when she was given to the fifth son. It’s only right that the Prince’s residence compensates more.”

The Old Princess Consort was even less pleased with Lian Chu’s comments: “What do you think your son-in-law would think if he heard such remarks? We never forced the Lian family to marry off their daughter! If it weren’t for the fact that my fifth son has always had a genuine affection for Binglan, do you think he would have agreed to marry a woman whose reputation is compromised? Besides, didn’t your family’s dowry fall short too? At least we didn’t let them go hungry or cold, and the new residence we provided is quite respectable. What exactly has our Cui family done wrong to the Lian family? If you insist on this, we can send a new divorce decree to the Lian family and let them marry their daughter off to whoever offers more dowry!”

The Old Princess Consort spoke with evident anger. She had recently discovered that Mian Tang had been scrimping on food, consuming only the smaller pieces of bird’s nest and making do with them, even though she was pregnant.

She scolded Mian Tang for being overly frugal, but Mian Tang only smiled and said, “There are so many expenses lately. If I can save a bit here and there to ensure Fifth Master’s wedding is more respectable, what’s a bit less bird’s nest to me?”

The Old Princess Consort was deeply concerned for both Mian Tang and her unborn grandchild. She had never heard of a situation where the marriage of a concubine's son caused so much disruption and hardship to the main family.

Thus, despite Lian Chu’s complaints, the Old Princess Consort’s thoughts were occupied with the well-being of her daughter-in-law and grandchild.

Lian Chu was taken aback by the Old Princess Consort’s harsh response and, feeling her face flush with anger, could only grudgingly apologize and leave in a huff.

After Lian Chu’s departure, the Old Princess Consort relayed the incident to her daughter, Cui Fu. Cui Fu responded with a smile, “Mother, you should have acted like this from the start. It’s a waste of effort to raise an ungrateful person. If Aunt Lian cannot recognize that her daughter is marrying a secondary son, she will continually come to the Prince’s residence to flaunt her position as the mother-in-law. When Xingzhou enters the capital, the entire Prince’s residence might be drained by a secondary wife!”

The Old Princess Consort, now too weary to concern herself with her sister’s family’s troubles, could only think of her son leaving for the capital, which made her feel heartbroken. She said, “You two siblings are both going to the capital, and if you can look after each other, I’ll be at ease. I just don’t know when I’ll have the chance to see you both again. Will I even get to see you one last time before I die here in the manor?”

When these words reached Cui Xingzhou’s ears, he found them both amusing and pitiable. During a family meal, he told the Old Princess Consort, “Mother, you are in good health and still look young. Why are you thinking about such things? Besides, it’s not like my sister and I won’t return. Once I’ve settled matters in the capital and the political situation is stable, I plan to bring you to the capital as well.”

When Liu Mian Tang spoke up, saying, "Yes, and when the baby is born, the grandmother will need to teach him well!" the Old Princess Consort’s expression softened, easing her sadness about the impending separation.

On the other hand, after returning home in a huff, Madam Lian recounted the Old Princess Consort’s words to her daughter, hoping it would vent her frustrations. However, Lian Binglan, upon hearing this, threw the fruit plate on the table to pieces in a fit of rage.

“Mother, if you keep humiliating me like this, I might as well hang myself in the courtyard and spare you the shame of my wedding!” Since her recent hysterical episode, Lian Binglan’s temper had grown more volatile, especially with her mother.

Madam Lian Chu was shocked not only by her daughter’s lack of support but also by the harshness of her words, which made her so angry she almost struck Binglan.

Lian Binglan stood firm and glared at her mother with resentment, saying, “If you weren’t so short-sighted and foolish, I wouldn’t be in this predicament! I haven’t even married into the Cui family yet, and you’ve already offended everyone over a bit of money! Father must have been blind to marry a woman like you!”

Madam Lian Chu was stunned by her usually gentle daughter’s fierce rebuke. Infuriated, she shoved her husband forward urging him to discipline his ungrateful daughter.

Lian Hanshan, his face stern, struck the water pipe loudly and declared, “I think Binglan’s words are reasonable. You’re just a country bumpkin who has ruined your own daughter’s prospects!”

Madam Lian, seeing her usually mild-mannered husband speak to her so harshly, was infuriated and ended up arguing with Lian Hanshan endlessly.

Lian Binglan, with a stony expression, quickly left the main hall with her maid—she no longer wanted to stay in that house and would have preferred to marry even a cripple just to escape.

On the day that Cui Xingzhou and Liu Mian Tang left Zhenzhou, the newlywed Fifth Master also came to see them off, accompanied by his wife, Lian Binglan.

Although Lian Binglan had become Cui Xingzhou’s sister-in-law, her status as a concubine's sister-in-law meant she still had to greet and pay respects to Prince Huaiyang.

Perhaps because of the festive occasion, Fifth Master appeared in much better spirits than before. However, Lian Binglan’s demeanor had changed; she no longer looked the graceful and charming young lady she once was. Her face now bore a sullen and gloomy expression.

She remained hidden among the crowd, staring intently at Prince Huaiyang as he carefully assisted Liu Mian Tang onto the boat.

This man, who was so attentive to his delicate wife, was a far cry from her aloof cousin. His eyes were filled with tender affection... Lian Binglan felt her eyes ache and her heart grow cold as she watched.

Just then, the man sitting next to her in a wooden wheelchair suddenly took her hand and gave her a gentle smile. The tears she had almost shed stopped at the brink, and she managed to return his smile weakly.

When she looked up again, the large boat had already cast anchor and set sail, moving along the vast, shimmering Yangtze River.

Cui Fu's in-laws had already arrived in the capital, so she would travel to the capital with her brother, Cui Xingzhou. The boat journey, aside from the overnight stops, was accompanied by the scenic views of the green waves and distant mountains, making it quite pleasant.

Liu Mian Tang, who had been concerned about getting seasick due to her pregnancy, found that her symptoms had shifted from being hungry to feeling sleepy. Once on the boat, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, thus avoiding the trouble of seasickness during rough waters.

However, Cui Fu wasn't as fortunate. After a stormy spell, she was left feeling nauseous and drained.

Liu Mian Tang had Li Mama prepare some nourishing soup for her, but Cui Fu couldn't bring herself to drink it. Seeing her like this, Liu Mian Tang discussed with Cui Xingzhou whether it would be better for his sister to travel to the capital by carriage instead.

But Cui Xingzhou shook his head and said, "I’ve already set a trap for Prince Sui this time. With his meticulous and vindictive nature, he will surely be plotting something bad. If my sister disembarks and continues by land, I’m afraid she might encounter some danger."

Liu Mian Tang thought this was not a solution and considered finding a doctor as soon as they docked.

In the meantime, she decided to examine Cui Fu herself. After taking her pulse, Liu Mian Tang, a bit unsure, said, "Sister, your pulse feels like it's a pregnancy pulse. When was your last period?"

Cui Fu was caught off guard by the question. After returning to her family’s home, she had been busy with various tasks and hadn't kept track of her menstrual cycle. She quickly asked her maid for details.

Upon inquiry, she realized that she hadn’t had her period for over a month.

Hearing this, Cui Fu's face showed no sign of joy, only a look of gloom and dissatisfaction.

Seeing her sister’s troubled expression, Liu Mian Tang asked, "What’s wrong, sister? Do you feel unwell?"

Cui Fu was feeling seasick and generally unwell, but what troubled her most was the thought of her past experiences while pregnant with Jin’er.

Her mother-in-law, Duchess An, was very strict. Even when she was pregnant with Jin’er, she had not received any special care or consideration. Reflecting on this, Cui Fu felt a deep sense of frustration.

Now that she was pregnant again, with the Duke's family just having moved to the capital, she would be overwhelmed with duties both inside and outside the household. She was concerned whether her health could handle all the demands.

However, Cui Fu would never reveal such personal concerns to Liu Mian Tang. She considered her sister-in-law quite fortunate; after all, Liu Mian Tang was only enduring minor discomfort, such as eating some broken bird's nest, which made their mother so anxious. If Liu Mian Tang had to face her mother-in-law, Lady An of the Duke's residence, Liu Mian Tang’s delicate health might not withstand such trials.

When Liu Mian Tang inquired, Cui Fu replied impatiently, "Feeling this sick is hardly comfortable. I doubt your medical skills are accurate. Let’s wait until we dock and then find a proper doctor."

Cui Fu initially planned to endure for a few more days until they reached the capital.

However, after docking for the night, Prince Huaiyang arrived with several carriages, ready to continue their journey overland.

Cui Fu knew her brother was eager to get to the capital to start his duties, but traveling by land would delay them further.

Prince Huaiyang explained, "Liu Mian Tang said you’re pregnant, and if you continue to be so ill, it could seriously affect your health. It’s better for everyone to switch to land travel now, rather than risking further complications by delaying."

Cui Fu grew a bit anxious when she heard this: "You’ve been personally summoned to the capital by His Majesty; how can I delay things even more?"

Cui Xingzhou, knowing his sister’s stubbornness, interrupted her before she could say more: "There’s no need to argue. A few days' delay isn’t a big deal. Travel times aren’t as precise as you might think."

He then instructed his guards to transfer necessary items from the ship to the carriages, while the ship continued to transport the remaining luggage along the water route.

Once they were in the carriages, Cui Fu continued to complain about Liu Mian Tang's interference causing a delay in their journey.

Liu Mian Tang served Cui Fu a bowl of black chicken and goji berry soup prepared by Li Mama, to help soothe her empty stomach. She smiled gently and said, "I was the one who couldn’t handle the journey and asked the prince to switch to land travel. Besides, didn’t the prince say that a few days’ delay wouldn’t matter? You don’t need to worry, just rest easy."

Cui Fu knew her sister-in-law was strong and resilient; despite being pregnant for some time, Liu Mian Tang seemed to handle things well without any issues. It was clear Liu Mian Tang was trying to ease her guilt and worry about the situation.

To be honest, after spending so much time together, Cui Fu had come to understand why this seemingly ordinary Liu Mian Tang had so captivated her high-spirited brother.

The young lady was not only beautiful but also had an innate sense of grace and magnanimity that was hard to describe. This graciousness contrasted sharply with the deliberate and contrived virtuousness of Cui Fu’s cousin, Lian Binglan.

Many things that other women would fret over seemed trivial in Liu Mian Tang’s eyes. Even when Cui Fu spoke harshly, she often felt like a child throwing a tantrum under Liu Mian Tang’s forgiving gaze, which gradually extinguished her anger.

Seeing Liu Mian Tang willingly take the blame for the delay, Cui Fu had no choice but to accept it. She took the soup bowl, softened her tone, and sighed, “You must remember that your husband is a pillar of the state, not just a country gentleman who can live leisurely. Don’t trouble him with household matters.”

Liu Mian Tang, peeling an orange, responded with a smile, “You’re right, elder sister. I’ll keep that in mind. How about we have sour fish soup for lunch? It’s appetizing and goes well with rice. And let’s steam some pickled radish to go with it; that would be even better.”

Cui Fu had never had pickled radish before and was curious, “What kind of side dish is this? It sounds delicious from what you say, but I’m not very hungry right now. Just eat what you like, and I’ll try a bit with you.”

Liu Mian Tang really craved pickled radish. Back during her frugal days on North Street, it was a staple side dish she had to make do with, and recently, it had even started appearing in her dreams. So, she had some dried and brought it along for the journey.

By noon, the caravan found a flat spot by the official road to rest and prepare the meal. Liu Mian Tang and Cui Fu, both pregnant, sat on foldable bamboo chairs, soaking up the sun.

Soon, the aroma of the meal filled the air. Liu Mian Tang had picked out sour fish soup and steamed pickled radish with yellow beans. Since getting off the boat, Cui Fu felt much better on the carriage despite some bumps and had slept well in the morning. Now, smelling the radish’s fragrance, she found herself getting a bit hungry.

Liu Mian Tang suggested mixing the sour soup with rice to make it more appetizing. However, Prince Huaiyang, who was also dining nearby, seemed to detest the pickled radish and avoided it entirely.

Cui Xingzhou had a particular aversion to pickled radish, having had it repeatedly during their impoverished days when they pretended to be bankrupt merchants. Despite various preparations like salted, steamed, or mixed with sauce, it never became appetizing.

He couldn’t quite understand Liu Mian Tang’s sudden craving for it during her pregnancy. Nonetheless, since the pregnant women enjoyed it and seemed to have a good appetite, he reluctantly tried a small portion himself.

The careful attention given to the pregnant women resulted in a much slower journey than initially planned. Reflecting on it later, it seemed to be a case of fate's intervention and mercy.

On the second day of their shift to overland travel, a swift horseman from the dock arrived with urgent news for Prince Huaiyang. The large boat, while traveling through Lianjiang, had encountered an underwater explosive device. The boat’s bow was blown open, and water rushed in rapidly. Within a short period, the entire vessel sank.

Many of the crew, who had not managed to escape, were seasoned sailors but were still caught in the whirlpool created by the sinking ship and perished.

The guard boat that followed managed to capture the culprits responsible for planting the explosives. They turned out to be a group of local fishermen who had a habit of using explosives for fishing in ponds. It was well-known in the area.

However, such explosives were usually used in still waters and rarely in busy river traffic. This time, using explosives in Lianjiang resulted in a catastrophic disaster.

The officials guarding the ship suspected foul play. The amount of explosive powder in the packages used was significantly higher than normal, which seemed inconsistent with the fishermen’s claim. Despite the fishermen's denials of using excessive amounts of explosives, the authorities began to suspect they were being used as scapegoats.

Cui Xingzhou, upon hearing this, realized that the ignorant fishermen were merely being made the fall guys. The real intent was to target him directly. Someone had deliberately placed high-powered explosives along the major route the Huaiyang Prince's fleet had to take.

The Lianjiang River was exceptionally narrow, and with the use of explosives timed precisely, it was impossible for a ship to avoid disaster.

Cui Fu, upon hearing this, turned pale with fear, exclaiming her relief and horror. She realized that if it hadn’t been for Liu Mian Tang persuading her brother to go ashore in time, the entire family could have become ghostly spirits at the bottom of the river.

Liu Mian Tang appeared remarkably calm and gently reassured Cui Fu, saying that Prince Huaiyang was protected by fate. Now that they were closer to the capital, with extra caution, they would certainly be safe from here on out.

Although Liu Mian Tang spoke of Prince Huaiyang’s good fortune, Cui Fu believed her mother’s words had merit. Old Princess Consort Chu had privately mentioned that, despite Liu Mian Tang’s humble origins, her luck seemed to benefit Cui Xingzhou, helping the Cui family avert several crises.

At the time, Cui Fu thought her mother’s comments were just an attempt to placate her or make excuses for Liu Mian Tang, but now, it seemed true. Princess Huaisang, whom she had looked down upon, truly had a fortuitous destiny.

During the subsequent journey, Cui Xingzhou set up scouts and advanced cautiously. Since the guards of the prince’s ship had been vigilant and had not announced that there were no important figures aboard, and since they had deviated from the official route to avoid detection, the hidden enemies were unaware of Prince Huaiyang’s current whereabouts.

When they finally arrived in the capital without incident, news of Prince Huaiyang and his family supposedly perishing in the shipwreck had already spread wildly in the capital.

The court was in upheaval. Emperor Liu Dan had dispatched an imperial envoy to investigate the situation at Lianjiang. The envoy, upon receiving the emperor's orders, set out from the capital that very day, traveling quickly by boat to the location of the shipwreck.

By the time the envoy arrived, there was no trace of the wreckage on the river. Following Prince Huaiyang's instructions, his guards pretended ignorance of his departure from the ship and responded to the imperial envoy’s inquiries with ignorance.

The local authorities had detained all the vessels that had been on the river at the time of the incident, awaiting further investigation by the court.

The imperial envoy personally questioned the owners and crew members of the vessels closest to Prince Huaiyang’s ship. The boatmen, seasoned veterans of river travel, had all witnessed fishermen using explosives in the river before. However, the power of this explosion was unprecedented. They described seeing a massive splash erupt from below Prince Huaiyang’s ship, which engulfed the ship’s bow. The bow was blown clear of the water, followed by a deafening explosion and the sound of crashing waves. Some of the crew members with acute hearing reported their ears ringing from the blast.

The harrowing details of the shipwreck, as recorded in the memorial and sent back to the capital, left no one believing that Prince Huaiyang could have survived.

The hero who had pacified the northwest was thought to have met his end at the bottom of the river. The entire court was in mourning, and the new emperor was deeply affected. Upon learning that Prince Huaiyang and his new wife might have perished together, the emperor was so overwhelmed with grief that he spat blood after reading the memorial.

This terrified the attendants, who quickly summoned the imperial physicians to tend to the emperor.

At this moment, however, Prince Huaiyang sent word to the capital, announcing that he had arrived at the city gates.

It was as if he had risen from the dead! The Empress, shocked by the news, instructed the eunuch who reported it to carefully communicate Prince Huaiyang’s survival to avoid causing the emperor further emotional turmoil, which could worsen his condition.

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