Chapter 113: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 113: 

 

Thinking this way, although she was still troubled, Cui Fu no longer felt the overwhelming despair that once haunted her. Her face, however, still betrayed some embarrassment, and she sighed softly, "The affairs of my household have made me quite the laughingstock."

Mian Tang, who had been moved to tears by the performance and was now sipping tea to rehydrate, responded casually to Cui Fu’s self-deprecation. "How could I ever laugh at family matters? Besides, Xingzhou has been blaming himself for not trying harder to stop you from marrying into the Duke of Qing's household. The Duchess has no sense of decency, and Guo Yi is faithless. Our Prince of Huaiyang's household won’t let this go so easily!"

Her eyes were still red from crying, making her look like a weepy rabbit, but the fierce expression she wore was more like that of an indignant little wolf.

Cui Fu couldn’t help but smile at her words before sighing again. "Xingzhou is new to the capital and is finding it difficult to gain a foothold. I’ve heard that at the military bureau, he's left idle most of the time, his hands completely tied. Staying in a position like that for too long will dull a man's spirit. The power of the noble families runs deep in the capital, and he’s struggling enough as it is. How can I let him get involved in my affairs and add to his troubles? You must be sensible too and not push Xingzhou into doing anything rash on my behalf… As for my in-laws, they are what they are—an endless source of frustration. If I get them to stop one thing, they’ll only come up with something else. Like Xingzhou said, if it comes to it, I’ll just divorce him, or he’ll end up abandoning me first… Honestly, the reason I only have Jin’er is because he’s always sneaking into the rooms of his concubines. If I hadn’t kept a close eye on things, the Duke’s residence would be overrun with illegitimate sons by now. And now, with this delicate new concubine—how could I possibly keep her in check? I truly feel cursed, having married a man as fickle as my father… If I were to divorce him, I wouldn’t regret it, but Jin’er…"

Mian Tang, sensing that Cui Fu was worried about dragging her brother into her problems, spoke softly to reassure her. "The first three months of pregnancy are the most critical. Xingzhou will take care of everything, and he won’t let you suffer. Stay at your maternal home, focus on your pregnancy, and take care of yourself and Jin’er. As for Xingzhou, he knows what he’s doing, so don’t worry. Our Cui family isn’t the type to act recklessly. It’s just a matter of returning what’s given—a give and take. You don’t need to tread so carefully, Sister. Ordinary families marry their daughters off for food and clothes; noble families do it for alliances and status. Now, we don’t need anything from the Duke of Qing’s household, but they’ve been causing the Cui family so much trouble. If we don’t give them a taste of their own medicine, they might think we married off a daughter with no one to defend her!"

Cui Fu grew more anxious upon hearing this and pressed, "What exactly is Xingzhou planning to do?"

Seeing her sister-in-law’s nervousness, Mian Tang smiled and said, "It’s really nothing much. Just that the vacancy in the Ministry of Revenue, which Prince Huaiyang recommended someone for, ended up being filled by our person instead…"

As soon as Cui Fu heard this, she understood the situation clearly. The reason the Duke of Qing’s household had come to the capital was because Guo Yi had been promoted. However, after arriving in the capital and bouncing between various offices, with the help of the Gai family, he had finally secured a position in the Ministry of Revenue, waiting for the vacancy of the Right Vice Minister.

In the first two days, Cui Fu had heard Guo Yi excitedly mention that the position was practically his for the taking, so how was Mian Tang now saying that it had been filled by someone else?

Mian Tang casually grabbed a handful of melon seeds, shared some with Jin’er who was sitting beside her, and then continued, “I only heard yesterday. Cui Xingzhou petitioned His Majesty to bring Li Guangcai, the county magistrate of Xizhou, to the capital to fill the vacancy in the Ministry of Revenue. He should be arriving in a few days.”

Hearing this, Cui Fu was stunned. “Him? In terms of scholarly ability, Guo Yi can’t hold a candle to him. No wonder he got replaced.”

Mian Tang asked curiously, “You know Lord Li?”

Cui Fu lowered her eyes, replying nonchalantly, “Before I got married, he used to be a regular guest at the Wangfu. Since he and Xingzhou passed the imperial exams in the same year, I used to exchange poems and wine with them from time to time... But since Guo Yi was so confident that his Ministry of Revenue position was secure, if he finds out he’s been replaced…”

Mian Tang mimicked Cui Xingzhou’s demeanor and said, “The whole point is to disgust the Guo family. Otherwise, they might go their entire lives without knowing what it feels like to be force-fed dirt!”

In fact, on the second day after Cui Fu left the household, Guo Yi had already been served a full mouthful of it.

Before the official appointment letter even arrived, Guo Yi had already invited his colleagues to a celebratory feast. After all, it had all been unofficially settled, and the letter was just a formality.

Amidst the many congratulatory remarks from his colleagues, Guo Yi was eagerly waiting to hear his name announced. But to his utter shock, the one who ended up being appointed as Right Vice Minister wasn’t him—it was Li Guangcai, who had seemingly come out of nowhere!

The scene was beyond awkward.

Guo Yi’s face burned with shame. He wished he could disappear into the ground and couldn’t even meet the eyes of his fellow officials. That day, he hastily excused himself, citing illness, and returned home early.

When Guo Yi's mother, Duchess Gai, personally came out to greet him, she couldn’t wait to ask if the appointment letter had arrived.

But Guo Yi, overwhelmed with frustration and disappointment, couldn’t hold it in any longer. He actually broke down in tears, crying out loud but unable to explain what had happened.

This frightened Duchess Gai, who immediately summoned the Duke, asking him to see what was wrong with their son.

The Duke asked several times, but when Guo Yi wouldn’t respond, he finally slapped him across the face, forcing him to speak.

When Guo Yi revealed that he had been replaced for the position, the Duke was left speechless.

Duchess Gai, on the other hand, ordered someone to send word to her family, asking her brother in the Ministry of Personnel to investigate what had happened. Before long, word came back: this appointment had not been made by the Ministry of Personnel. It had been a sudden decree issued directly by the Emperor, making a last-minute change in personnel.

As for who Li Guangcai was, a closer look at his background revealed that he was a man of Prince Huaiyang. And indeed, right before the appointment was made, Prince Huaiyang had entered the palace to meet the Emperor and personally recommended his choice for the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Once this was thoroughly investigated, it was as if the roof of the Guo family’s manor was about to blow off.

Guo Yi was utterly stunned. The Duke remained silent, retreating to his study to paint and write, while Duchess Gai was furious, slamming her hand on the table as she ordered someone to send a message to Prince Huaiyang’s manor. She wanted to bring Cui Fu back to interrogate her, suspecting that Cui Fu had been filled up with jealousy and instigated her family to cause trouble for the Guo family.

However, the carriage sent to retrieve her returned empty. It was said that Cui Fu wasn’t found, but Prince Huaiyang himself happened to return to his residence and told the messenger directly, "My sister isn’t in good health, and I’m afraid she wouldn’t recuperate properly at the Duke's manor, so she’ll be staying here in the prince’s residence a bit longer, to avoid passing any sickness on to the Guo family."

To be honest, the Duke's manor hadn’t had much interaction with the Huaiyang Prince’s residence before, and they had little idea of what kind of temper this young Prince Huaiyang had, who had inherited his father’s title.

Duchess Gai, who had always been the dominant force in her household, was not used to being rebuffed so bluntly. Enraged, she declared to her son, "If she lacks the virtue of a proper wife and refuses to come back, then don’t bring her back at all!"

Fortunately, Guo Yi still had some sense left. Stomping his feet in frustration, he exclaimed, "Mother, please stop making things worse! It’s obvious that the Cui family is trying to find fault with our Guo family! If you act tough and refuse to bring Cui Fu back today, who knows what other obstacles my brother-in-law will throw in my way tomorrow!"

However, Duchess Gai didn't see it that way. She felt that what she had done earlier wasn't anything serious—after all, arranging for her son to take in a concubine was hardly a major issue. Did the affairs of the Duke's manor really require the approval of Prince Huaiyang's household?

Cui Fu continued to feign illness and avoided showing herself, leaving Guo Yi with no choice but to personally make a trip to Prince Huaiyang's residence. However, Prince Huaiyang refused to meet with him. Instead, it was the pregnant princess consort who received her brother-in-law.

Though she appeared to be a delicate and fragile beauty, her words were like soft blades, leaving Guo Yi feeling embarrassed and at a loss for how to respond.

Seeing her son fail in his efforts, Duchess Gai grew even more frustrated and determined to confront Prince Huaiyang’s household. The opportunity came during a tea and flower appreciation banquet hosted by the Marchioness of Jing'an, where she finally encountered the Princess Consort of Prince Huaiyang.

Guo Yi accompanied Duchess Gai to the event and sent word for the princess consort to join them for a conversation.

In such a setting, ignoring the Duke's manor would only invite gossip, so Liu Mian Tang naturally smiled as she approached and politely inquired after Duchess Gai's well-being.

Duchess Gai, with a stern face, held little regard for this princess consort of Prince Huaiyang's, especially given her low birth.

The lack of strong family backing truly diminished their standing—any cat or dog could find their way into their household! Duchess Gai regretted allowing her son to marry into Prince Huaiyang’s family; this troublesome in-law was nothing but a headache.

Liu Mian Tang had no inclination to pander. Seeing Duchess Gai putting on airs, she felt no desire to entertain her and made to leave.

Seeing her about to go, Guo Yi couldn't hold back any longer and recited the words his mother had drilled into him: "When we took in a concubine, your sister-in-law was in Zhenzhou, so it wasn't convenient to consult her… But my mother had told her long ago that since I only had one legitimate son, Jin’er, our bloodline would be at risk if anything happened. My mother had asked her to consider bringing in another concubine, but she ignored the suggestion due to jealousy. My mother had no choice but to find Yu Rao, a gentle and obedient woman from the Gai family, to join the household. You can ask around at our residence—Yu Rao isn't some seductive vixen trying to win favor. She's always been respectful towards Cui Fu, the main wife. So why does she keep making a fuss, running back to her family, stirring up trouble, and ruining my prospects?"

Liu Mian Tang widened her eyes in surprise, looking as innocent as a kitten, clearly baffled by his words. "Why would you say such things, Brother-in-law? Whether your family takes in a concubine or a maid, isn’t that your own private matter? You never discussed it with my sister, and it has nothing to do with Prince Huaiyang's household either! Let me ask you, has our Prince ever sent someone to smash your doors, hurl accusations at your household for mistreating your pregnant daughter-in-law, or demanded explanations for forcing her to stand as punishment? Did we ever criticize you for taking in three maids in one year and letting your son indulge in his lust? You didn’t even notify the legitimate wife before elevating a concubine while she was away, and you spend every night with that concubine. My sister couldn’t stop you even if she tried! So why are you suddenly accusing her of jealousy and blaming Prince Huaiyang's household for stirring up trouble? Unless our Prince has been secretly sneaking over to your place and smashing things?"

Liu Mian Tang’s voice wasn’t exactly quiet, and through the garden wall, the ladies and gentlemen from the other noble families could hear every word clearly.

Guo Yi's face flushed with embarrassment. After all, Prince Huaiyang’s household had never once interfered in the affairs of the Duke of Qing’s residence. And every point that this Princess of Huaiyang mentioned was undeniably the doing of the Guo family.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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