Chapter 116: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 116: 

 

The voice was so familiar that Liu Mian Tang knew without looking who had come out of the palace.

The temple they were heading to was the Wangfeng Temple, known for its statue of Guanyin, believed to be the embodiment of Miaoshan, a deity associated with granting children. The temple was renowned for its efficacy in aiding women with pregnancy and childbirth.

As a result, many women visiting the temple came seeking blessings from this child-giving Guanyin. Besides those hoping for children, pregnant women like Liu Mian Tang and Cui Fu also came to pray for a safe delivery.

Cui Fu had long heard about the effectiveness of this Guanyin in the Wangfeng Temple. She had a difficult childbirth previously, which left her apprehensive, so she was particularly eager to pray at this temple for a safe delivery. It seemed that Consort Yun, having been in the palace for a long time without any offspring, was likely here to seek blessings for fertility.

Since entering the palace, Consort Yun had not seen Liu Mian Tang for a long time. She had been surprised that even the carefully orchestrated schemes of Prince Sui had failed to eliminate Liu Mian Tang and her husband, Prince Huaiyang. This couple truly seemed to have exceptional luck.

Previously, Consort Yun, who had felt pity for Liu Mian Tang due to her disability and loss of reputation, harbored some sense of superiority whenever she saw Liu Mian Tang during her time in Lingquan Town. Now, despite the effort she had put into securing Zi Yu from Liu Mian Tang, the victory felt hollow.

Zi Yu had always been fixated on Liu Mian Tang and had even attempted to disrupt the marriage between Liu Mian Tang and Prince Huaiyang. Yet Liu Mian Tang, seemingly indifferent and perhaps due to her memory loss, treated Zi Yu with disdain, as if throwing away the remnants of a meal, which only intensified Consort Yun’s frustration.

Previously, Consort Yun had looked down on Cui Jiu of North Street, thinking him a man of appearance with little substance or prospects.

Now, however, seeing Prince Huaiyang at court banquets, she had to admit that Cui Xingzhou was indeed a rare and handsome man. Not only did he possess striking looks, but he was also a capable prince, trusted by the emperor and holding significant power.

In contrast, Liu Mian Tang seemed to be playing a game of "playing the fool to catch the wise." Not only had she married the renowned Prince Huaiyang, who was her sworn enemy, but he also cherished her greatly and she was even pregnant with his child.

Consort Yun, meanwhile, was left to languish in the cold palace, unable to secure a dragon heir for herself. When she learned from her informants in the Prince's Mansion that Liu Mian Tang was going to the temple to pray, she seized the opportunity to invite Princess Consort Sui, the wife of Prince Sui, and several other esteemed ladies from noble families to the temple. Her real intention was to encounter Liu Mian Tang and make things difficult for her.

The timing was perfect, and she indeed met Liu Mian Tang on the way. The previous day's rain had left the ground damp and cold, and despite the cushions placed under their knees, Liu Mian Tang and Cui Fu felt the chill as they knelt by the roadside to give way.

However, Consort Yun was determined not to miss the chance to interact with Liu Mian Tang, especially now that Prince Huaiyang was not around to protect her. According to the rules, as a subject’s wife, Liu Mian Tang should be required to show respect and deference to the consort.

In the palace, it was a common practice for princesses to remind the wives of officials of their place, and it didn't require particularly underhanded methods. Simply engaging in idle chatter to keep them kneeling for a while was enough to make a pregnant woman uncomfortable.

So, Consort Yun, with a soft and insistent tone, began asking Liu Mian Tang endlessly about her daily life after moving to the capital. At first, a few questions might have seemed like polite conversation, but as the questioning dragged on, even Princess Consort Sui, who was accompanying them, felt that it was inappropriate.

However, Princess Consort Sui did not speak up. Since the last banquet, where there had been a conflict between Prince Sui and Liu Mian Tang, she had sensed undercurrents of tension. As the wife of Prince Sui, she had no obligation to intervene on Liu Mian Tang's behalf, but she couldn't bear to see a pregnant woman being made uncomfortable. So, she turned her head and pretended to admire the scenery.

In fact, Liu Mian Tang herself was quite steady; she continued to practice her grappling moves daily, which were specifically tailored by Cui Xingzhou and required minimal movement. Thus, even though Consort Yun's intention was to make things difficult, Liu Mian Tang could endure kneeling for a while longer without much discomfort.

However, her sister-in-law, Cui Fu, was not as resilient. Her body began to sway slightly, unable to withstand the prolonged kneeling.

The Duchess, who was already displeased with her daughter-in-law avoiding her, was further incensed by the sight of her in the mountains. She could not contain her anger and scolded, “Have you forgotten all the manners you were taught at home? You always complain about me being harsh, but look at you now—this lazy posture before the Consort!”

Although Cui Fu had decided to divorce the Guo family, she was still their daughter-in-law, and being in the presence of many noble ladies made it inappropriate to openly defy her mother-in-law. Thus, she could only respond by adjusting her posture and accepting the scolding.

Thus, upon hearing the Duke of Qing’s wife’s reproach, Cui Fu had no choice but to adjust her posture and accept the rebuke with a semblance of humility. The Duchess, seizing the opportunity to demean Cui Fu in front of Consort Yun, began to enumerate her faults.

Consort Yun was watching with a smiling face, pretending to offer advice while actually adding fuel to the fire, making the situation worse for Cui Fu. The noblewomen around, noticing the prolonged kneeling and Consort Yun’s intentions, exchanged glances, clearly entertained by the unfolding drama.

Liu Mian Tang recognized that Cui Fu might not be able to endure this much longer. From the way things were going, it looked like they might be forced to kneel for another hour. It was essential to get rid of this troublesome crowd quickly.

So, Liu Mian Tang discreetly turned her back and signaled with her hands behind her. After moving to the capital, Lu Yi from the Loyal Four Brothers had taken up a position as a guard in the Prince's family and followed Fan Hu. Though Liu Mian Tang had lost her memories of the Yangshan bandit group, she had picked up some of the tricks of the trade from Lu Yi, including this hand signal code.

She swiftly bent and twisted her fingers behind her back. If one wasn’t familiar with the code, it would be nearly impossible to decipher.

Lu Yi, having learned the code from Liu Mian Tang, quickly understood the signal. He carefully moved behind the carriage, then, with two of his brothers, slipped down the roadside slope and began making their way swiftly down the rugged mountain path, heading towards the rear of the mountain.

On the other side, the Duchess continued to berate Cui Fu, who was struggling to maintain her kneeling position. If not for Liu Mian Tang’s quick reflexes in supporting her, Cui Fu might have fallen face-first to the ground.

Liu Mian Tang could no longer contain her disdain and coldly said, "Duchess of Qing, you truly are a sight to behold! While other mothers-in-law come to this Temple with their daughters-in-law to pray for the safety and protection of their grad-children, you have turned the divine grounds into your own private courtyard. Even the Consort can’t dissuade you, as you insist on flaunting your authority over your daughter-in-law in front of so many ladies, completely disregarding the fact that she is pregnant with your bloodline. Do you not know why she returned to the Prince's family? Is it not because she couldn’t maintain her pregnancy properly at your house, constantly being forced to stand on ceremony? If anything were to happen to my sister-in-law today, you can be sure that the Prince's family won’t let those who deliberately make things difficult for a pregnant woman go unpunished!”

As she spoke, Liu Mian Tang’s eyes flashed with anger. Not only did she glare at the Duke of Qing’s wife, but she also directed her stern gaze at Consort Yun.

Consort Yun shivered at the fierce and unyielding expression. After so many years of building up her arrogance, she was instinctively afraid of such brazen confrontations. Liu Mian Tang’s boldness made her forget for a moment that she was an Imperial Consort in the palace, and she felt a pang of fear.

The Duchess, stunned by Liu Mian Tang’s audacity in front of the Consort, turned an ashen shade of anger and retorted, “How can you speak to me like that, when I am your elder and a relative of the Prince's family? How dare you disrespect me?”

Liu Mian Tang, seemingly unconcerned, cast a cold glance at the mountaintop and said, “If you wish to be treated like an elder, you should at least have the demeanor of one. Otherwise, if you continue to be heartless and cruel to your pregnant daughter-in-law, even the most compassionate Bodhisattva would be compelled to intervene and punish such malevolence…”

Just as her words fell, a panicked shout echoed from the mountain top: “There’s a fire! There’s a fire!”

Moments later, people began fleeing down the mountain in terror. Looking up, everyone saw thick, black smoke rising in the distance—evidently, a large fire had broken out.

Mountain fires are particularly fearsome; with the right winds, they can consume an entire mountaintop. The palace guards, fearing responsibility, didn’t wait for any orders from the Consort. They hurriedly turned their horses around to escort the Consort down the mountain as quickly as possible.

Consort Yun, having malicious intent, had only come to the mountain on a whim, and only briefly consulted with the Empress before hastily heading out. Unlike other palace dignitaries who had planned ahead and closed the mountain a day in advance, Consort Yun hadn’t prepared the area, leading to chaos. 

In the confusion, the fire spread rapidly, and people who had been trying to stay out of the way scrambled to escape down the mountain. Consort Yun’s carriage, now turned and racing down the path, collided with several fleeing villagers, knocking many of them over.

The narrow road was now in chaos, with people crying out and scrambling in panic. Liu Mian Tang frowned at the scene, surprised by the way the palace guards were handling the situation.

Cui Fu, already feeling unwell, grew more anxious seeing the confusion. She tried to urge Liu Mian Tang to get on the carriage and leave the mountain quickly.

However, Liu Mian Tang helped her into the carriage, laid her down to ensure her comfort, and instructed Fan Hu and the others to remain calm, advising them to wait until order was restored before moving.

Cui Fu urged, “Why aren’t we leaving yet? The fire could spread to us soon.”

Liu Mian Tang smiled and said, “The fire seems to be under control. It rained yesterday, so the conditions aren’t ideal for a big blaze. If we leave now, we might encounter other dangers or ambushes that could go unnoticed. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”

Cui Fu had heard her mother speak of Liu Mian Tang’s calm and decisive nature in times of crisis. Seeing her in action, she felt a bit more reassured.

After a short while, the smoke had indeed diminished significantly, as Liu Mian Tang had predicted. Noting that the road was less crowded, she ordered the carriage to proceed, leaving behind another carriage to assist injured villagers, allowing them to be transported down the mountain for medical attention.

As they reached the foot of the mountain, the sound of hooves was heard approaching. Cui Xingzhou, accompanied by his attendants, had come riding swiftly.

Upon spotting the carriage from a distance, Cui Xingzhou urged his horse forward and arrived at Liu Mian Tang's carriage. He lifted the curtain and asked urgently, "Are you alright?"

Liu Mian Tang, holding onto Cui Fu and observing her increasingly pale complexion, responded anxiously, "I’m fine, but it looks like sister is not well..."

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