Chapter 115: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 115: 

 

Liu Mian Tang, thinking about this, couldn’t help but sniffle, her eyes carrying a hint of sadness as she looked at Cui Xingzhou. However, she also realized that if her past as a bandit were ever exposed, any normal man would likely avoid her, so if Cui Xingzhou were to be unfeeling, it might be understandable.

Thinking of this, she reached out and touched his face. “If one day you no longer want me, don’t bother arranging things for me. Just be straightforward and tell me directly. At that time, I will make sure not to trouble you…”

Prince Huaiyang found that this little lady had become increasingly demanding lately. Even with her large belly, she was still talking about leaving him!

So, with a face as cold as an ice block chiseled by a knife, he glanced sideways at Liu Mian Tang with a look of melancholy and said, “You don’t need to worry about arrangements. Aren’t there plenty of others waiting with their hands out?”

Liu Mian Tang, ignoring her sadness, blinked and realized he was referring to Zhao Quan, who was always ready to help widows of fallen friends, and possibly the new Emperor in the palace.

In terms of quality, these two couldn’t compare to the good match Cui Xingzhou had arranged for his sister.

For a moment, Liu Mian Tang felt that when it came to matters of breaking off relations, Cui Xingzhou wouldn’t be as attentive to her as he was with his sister…

She asked plainly, “What are those others, then? Are all the good men like Li Guangcai kept for your own family?”

Liu Mian Tang spoke as if it were true, which nearly made Prince Huaiyang explode with frustration. He pulled her into his arms and, gritting his teeth, said, “Don’t go looking for trouble! Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean I won’t smack you! There are plenty of good men in the world, but unfortunately, none are for you!”

Liu Mian Tang’s sadness never lasted too long. Even if that day came, she probably wouldn’t immediately look for a new man.

Men like Cui Xingzhou are rare and hard to come by! With that in mind, she decided not to indulge in self-pity and to accept things as they come.

What Liu Mian Tang felt she needed to do was to keep her past, as if it were a hidden pot of trouble, securely covered, and to ensure that she wouldn’t drag Cui Xingzhou’s future down with her.

Cui Xingzhou was both exasperated by his wife’s moods and felt that recently, out of pity for her, he hadn’t been properly attentive, which led to less-than-perfect meals.

Every night, he coaxed Liu Mian Tang into the curtains of the bed and repeatedly questioned her about who her man was!

Her tremulous answers were enough to make anyone blush and feel flustered.

As for the replacement for the position at the Ministry of Revenue, Li Guangcai, he only hurried to the capital half a month after Cui Fu left the Guo family.

After arriving in the capital, he spent three days dealing with official business at the Ministry of Revenue before visiting the prince.

Cui Xingzhou didn’t criticize Li Guangcai for his delay.

Although Li Guangcai had previously served in the capital, he had been ousted and had ended up just like any provincial official.

Considering the difficulties Cui Xingzhou faced in the Ministry of War, Li Guangcai’s transition was unlikely to be smooth either.

When Li Guangcai finally settled in and began to explain, it turned out to be as expected. While the Ministry of Revenue wasn’t intentionally busy and delaying the handover like the Military Department, the tasks that were handed over to Li Guangcai were mostly mundane and leisurely administrative tasks related to accounting.

Both the Ministry of Revenue and the Military Department are firmly under the control of the Empress Dowager’s faction.

Cui Xingzhou sipped his tea leisurely and asked Li Guangcai about his thoughts.

Li Guangcai, appearing unhurried, replied, “This time coming to the capital, I must not be as reckless and give others a chance to exploit my mistakes as I did when I was younger. However, if I want to secure some real power, I need to grasp hold of certain people's weaknesses. Only with leverage in hand can I effectively make use of it…”

Cui Xingzhou, feeling that he and Li Guangcai, who were both successful in the imperial examinations, shared similar views, handed Li Guangcai a stack of papers from a drawer in his study.

“You’ve just arrived in the capital and need to feel things out. I’ve managed to uncover some useful leads—see if you can make use of them.”

Li Guangcai was surprised to find that Prince Huaiyang, who was known for his battlefield prowess, could also engage in such meticulous investigative work. For a moment, he was astonished, but he assumed it was information gathered by the prince’s staff.

However, upon closer examination, he realized the documents were written by the prince himself. It dawned on him that this information might have been collected by Prince Huaiyang personally.

After reading through the papers, Li Guangcai’s eyes lit up. “Your Highness, if these details are thoroughly investigated, it could lead to a major case exposing the collusion between the Military Department and the Ministry of Revenue, which has been embezzling the Northwest military funds!”

Cui Xingzhou shook his head. “At that time, I was the commander of the Northwest. If I were to dig into this case, it could be seen as personal vendetta. Remember, you need to intimidate the small fry without shedding blood. You must keep a tight grip on their throats. If the case becomes too large, they might be terrified and refuse to implicate Prince Sui or the Empress Dowager. However, if it’s a minor case that could ruin these officials’ careers, the palace faction won’t bother with it, and you can keep these small fries in check, driving them to act accordingly.”

Li Guangcai, having navigated the complexities of the officialdom, was no longer the passionate scholar he once was. He quickly grasped the meaning behind Cui Xingzhou's words.

To dispel the gloom, one might need to travel alongside the dark clouds. It was crucial not to be too clear-cut, to avoid alarming the targets.

Understanding that the Prince of Huaiyang had personally sorted through the officials' connections and histories, Li Guangcai knew he needed to be even more cautious to assist the prince in this grand scheme.

After discussing official matters, the two rekindled their old camaraderie from their days as peers in the imperial examinations and chatted casually.

Li Guangcai seemed to inquire, either intentionally or unintentionally, about the current well-being of the prince's eldest sister, Cui Fu. He had previously seen mentions of her in correspondence with the prince, noting that she now resided in the Prince's residence.

Cui Xingzhou sighed and mentioned his sister’s plan to divorce the Guo family.

Li Guangcai frowned deeply, his fists clenched. “The Duke of Qing’s family is truly a nest of corruption! Given Miss Cui’s temperament, she… how could she endure this?”

Cui Xingzhou gave him a sidelong glance and changed the subject. “Brother Li need not worry about my sister; she is under my protection.”

Li Guangcai seemed about to say something but ultimately kept his thoughts to himself.

At that moment, Liu Mian Tang sent word that the meal was ready and invited the prince and Li Guangcai to dine.

Since it was an internal banquet at the prince’s residence, there was no need to separate the men and women as in common society. Although Li Guangcai was an outsider, both Liu Mian Tang and Cui Fu joined the meal as well.

As Liu Mian Tang was serving Cui Fu some sweet and sour fish, she glanced at Li Guangcai, who, despite his usual smiling demeanor, seemed to avoid looking directly at Cui Fu and displayed a hint of pity in his eyes.

The look of tenderness he gave Cui Fu seemed more fitting for a young maiden than a pregnant woman, reminiscent of the delicate charm of a young girl at the edge of a tranquil lake.

During the banquet, the three old acquaintances inevitably reminisced about their youth, and Cui Fu's downcast expression finally brightened with a smile. They engaged in poetic exchanges, adding an air of elegance to the occasion.

Unable to contribute meaningfully to the conversation, Liu Mian Tang awkwardly composed a trivial poem and then wisely chose to lower her head and focus on her meal.

After the banquet, as the tipsy Li Guangcai was escorted to rest, and Liu Mian Tang and the prince prepared for their afternoon nap, Liu Mian Tang yawned and said, “Maybe I should brush up on my poetry skills to avoid being at a loss for words at the next gathering and embarrassing you, Your Highness!”

Cui Xingzhou, who was helping her remove her socks and massage her feet, frowned at her comment and said, “In these poetic gatherings, there are always some who cross boundaries with their verses. Why bother learning these things?”

In the capital, there are countless scoundrels who use their literary talent to seduce married noblewomen. Liu Mian Tang, who was already known for her beauty, would be dangerously exposed to such advances if she were to join a society of poets and scholars, effectively opening the door to potential misconduct.

Liu Mian Tang was surprised to learn that studying poetry and the arts in her case seemed to be equivalent to attracting unsuitable suitors, which dampened her enthusiasm for literary pursuits.

Tilting her head, she asked, “Didn’t Lord Li just recite poems earlier that seemed rather flirtatious?”

Upon reflection, and considering Cui Xingzhou’s reminder, Liu Mian Tang recalled that Li Guangcai’s poetry, with lines like “Remember the past, beneath the pear blossoms, at the small window,” did seem to touch upon the heartstrings.

Regarding her sister-in-law’s reputation, even though Prince Huaiyang, known for his scheming, would not admit to any wrongdoing, he merely raised his eyebrows and said, “The poems were proper, don’t make baseless accusations.”

Despite Liu Mian Tang’s lack of understanding of poetry, her sharp memory allowed her to recall each line of Li Guangcai’s verses and question their meanings. 

Cui Xingzhou, growing impatient with her incessant questioning, finally silenced her with a kiss, averting the ongoing interrogation.

Compared to her scheming brother, Cui Fu was more straightforward. The next day, as she accompanied Liu Mian Tang to the mountain temple for incense and vegetarian fare, she casually shared some past anecdotes with her sister-in-law about Li Guangcai.

“He used to stay at the Prince's Mansion and was a classmate of Xingzhou’s, so I was quite familiar with him. We even started a poetry club together. Master Li is quite learned and admirable.”

Liu Mian Tang smiled slightly and said, "Since you're planning to part ways with the Guo family, you should consider what comes next. Master Li would be a good candidate, but unfortunately... his family background is somewhat modest."

Cui Fu quickly interjected, "Stop talking about that! Not only am I not yet divorced, but even if I were to have a divorce decree in hand, I'm already a woman who has given birth to two children. How could I possibly be a match for Master Li?"

Liu Mian Tang chuckled and didn’t press the matter further. In these matters of relationships, Cui Xingzhou’s role might only be to facilitate connections; what happens afterward is up to individual fate.

However, the sister of Prince Huaiyang would not have trouble finding a suitor, especially since Cui Fu is in the prime of her life. Yet, if she seeks someone who values her for more than her status and who genuinely loves her, finding such a person might be challenging.

Just then, the sound of a gong was heard, announcing the arrival of a procession.

Fan Hu drove the horse-drawn carriage up to Liu Mian Tang and reported, "There is a procession from the palace behind us, it seems that a consort is coming to the temple."

Liu Mian Tang instructed, "Move the carriage to the side to make way for the consort."

The Huaiyang’s convoy pulled to the side.

Soon, flags fluttered as a majestic carriage, led by palace officials, approached slowly.

However, as the carriage reached the side road, it stopped in front of Liu Mian Tang’s carriage.

As Liu Mian Tang and Cui Fu knelt by the roadside, waiting for the procession to pass, they heard a voice from above: "Isn’t this Princess Huaiyang? What a coincidence to meet an old acquaintance here."

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