Chapter 122: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 122: 

Mian Tang was worried that Prince Huaiyang might not get any food in the office, so she sent someone to deliver a food box to him.

When the food box was brought to Cui Xingzhou, the lid was opened to reveal a steaming aroma.

Inside were dishes that Cui Xingzhou loved to eat: fragrant garlic lamb that was tender and flavorful, steamed buns wrapped in cured meat that were slightly opened, and a plate of spicy stir-fried shrimp, which, from their bright red color, was clearly cooked by Mian Tang herself.

Cui Xingzhou’s expression darkened as he looked at the plate of shrimp. Slowly, he picked one up with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth.

Having been married for a long time, Liu Mian Tang naturally knew his taste well. The seasoning was just right, perfectly balanced in salty, sweet, and spicy flavors, just as delicious as always.

Now that she was familiar with his preferences and knew what he liked, she was also carrying his child.

But he couldn’t believe he didn’t know who she truly was!

Could Mian Tang really be Lu Wen? Such an absurd idea was something he might not have easily believed even when he had rescued the battered, weak woman from the water.

Now, however, with Prince Sui swearing that she was Lu Wen, Cui Xingzhou found himself believing it, albeit reluctantly, to some extent.

In his eyes, Liu Mian Tang's cunning and resourcefulness were far superior to Liu Yu’s, who relied on his father-in-law's connections and a group of old ministers in the palace.

When Cui Xingzhou initially identified Liu Yu as Lu Wen, he even secretly looked down on himself for letting such a weakling trouble him for so long!

But what if Lu Wen wasn't Liu Yu? Thinking back to how the bandits from Yangshan suddenly fell apart as if their spirits had been drained, didn’t that perfectly align with his rescue of Mian Tang?

The dishes in front of him had lost their warmth after just one bite.

Cui Xingzhou waved for his informant, who collected intelligence in the capital, and coldly instructed, “Have someone investigate the backgrounds of the new servants the Princess Consort has taken on. Find out who they really are! Also, send some people to look for the old members of Yangshan and find out exactly who Lu Wen is!”

Now, uncovering Lu Wen’s background was quite simple. However, he had been too careless in the past, thinking that since Yangshan had submitted, there was no need to pursue this matter. Little did he know that the person he had long wished to capture had been lurking right beside him all along…

He had clashed with Lu Wen in life-and-death struggles several times, only to find himself ensnared in her trap during the last scheme.

Mo Ru, waiting outside the door, had no idea what was bothering the Prince today. He watched as Cui Xingzhou sat there motionless with a gloomy expression, showing no signs of returning to the residence.

What was going on today? Hadn't the Prince just achieved a great victory in the court? Why did he now look so dejected, as if he were wearing a green hat?

He cautiously leaned his head in and said, “When the Princess sent someone with food just now, she also asked when the Prince would be back…”

Cui Xingzhou clenched his jaw tightly and, after a long silence, coldly replied, “Tell her I’m busy with official duties and won’t be returning today.”

Mo Ru listened and went to relay the message to the servants at the Prince's residence.

When the news reached Mian Tang, she felt somewhat disappointed but not surprised, as Cui Xingzhou had already informed her in the morning that he would likely be busy for a while.

Therefore, Mian Tang instructed someone to prepare the Prince's change of clothes and his usual bamboo salt and tea for rinsing, asking them to send it over the next morning so that he could freshen up at the office after a night of work.

In the dead of night, lying alone on the somewhat empty large bed made it feel much colder. Sometimes, in a half-dreaming, half-awake state, she would yearn to reach out and hold someone beside her. Each time she found nothing but emptiness, she could only touch her belly, feeling grateful for the little one accompanying her. Mian Tang affectionately nuzzled against the empty pillow beside her and slowly drifted into a deep sleep…

However, Mian Tang did not expect that for the next two days, Cui Xingzhou did not return.

Nevertheless, the front of the residence gradually became livelier.

The old cases in the Ministry of War were far-reaching, and those officials involved, having experienced the might of Prince Huaiyang, regretted deeply offending him. They scrambled to forge connections, seeking excuses to show their loyalty.

Standing in the outer courtyard, Mian Tang listened to the bustling sounds outside and thought, No wonder he hasn’t come back; he must be avoiding these people.

Since the Prince was not at home, these people had to be sent away. Soon, a guard stepped out, his face stern, and said, “The Princess’ pregnancy is unstable. Your noise is indeed disturbing her peace. We kindly request you all to take your belongings and return to your residences. The Prince is not at home, and waiting at the door is of no use!”

The instability of the Princess Consort's pregnancy was a serious matter, and no one dared to involve themselves in such a crime. Additionally, since Prince Huaiyang was indeed absent from the residence, everyone dispersed.

Once Mian Tang saw they had all left, she thought about taking a walk outside.

In a few days, Lu Zhong, one of the four brothers of loyalty and righteousness, was to get married. He was to marry a widow he had met in Lingquan Town.

The two had not used a matchmaker; they had taken a liking to each other on their own. Lu Zhong came to the capital with the big boss, and the widow followed him to the capital.

Although it was her second marriage, it was Lu Zhong’s first, so the wedding could not be simplified. Mian Tang arranged a small residence for them in the outskirts of the capital, selected an auspicious date, and completed the marriage gifts and betrothal presents.

For seven consecutive days, Cui Xingzhou had not returned to the Prince's residence, and tomorrow was Lu Zhong’s wedding day. Mian Tang personally came to take a look and to deliver her congratulatory gift in advance.

There was no way around it; now that she held the title of Princess Huaiyang, it was inappropriate for her to eat the wedding feast with a group of men. She could only offer her congratulations early and send her good wishes.

Once these brothers and their former comrades settled down with wives and children, she would consider it a burden lifted, having guided a group of men she had previously led astray back onto the right path.

When Mian Tang’s carriage reached the courtyard, she saw from a distance that it was in disarray. Lu Zhong’s fiancée, Huang San Niang, was sitting at the entrance, crying bitterly.

Upon seeing Mian Tang poke her head out of the carriage, she immediately stumbled to her feet and rushed to the carriage, crying out, “Princess, you’ve finally arrived! A group of soldiers just came and, without saying a word, took Lu Zhong and the other three brothers away in their carriage!”

Mian Tang was taken aback. In the emperor's capital, soldiers did not have the courage to randomly arrest people. Otherwise, they would risk being impeached by the censors, and their lives would be in jeopardy.

If they had come to capture Lu Zhong and the others, there must have been some justification.

Mian Tang asked Huang San Niang if the four brothers had done anything recently. Huang San Niang cried, “We are about to get married! Lu Zhong has been busy preparing for the wedding and even stopped the business at the escort agency. Who knows when he offended someone and brought this trouble upon us? Princess, you have connections; could you please find out what they did wrong?”

The military forces in the capital came from different barracks, and the embroidered insignias on their uniforms were also different. First, she needed to know which unit had arrested Lu Zhong and the others. Mian Tang inquired about the details of the soldiers’ uniforms and discovered they belonged to the Ministry of War. After pondering for a moment, she turned the horse around and headed toward there.

Counting carefully, Mian Tang realized that she hadn’t seen the prince in a long time. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to visit; she just knew that Cui Xingzhou was busy with official duties and was in the process of cleaning up the officials. She didn’t want to disturb him and delay his important work. But today, for the sake of those four brothers, she had to come and inquire about the matter.

It was noon, and the prince was having his meal in the study of the official residence. When he saw Mian Tang approaching, her forehead glistening with sweat and her fair cheeks slightly flushed.

Having not seen her for a few days, it seemed her belly had grown a bit larger, yet she walked so quickly…

Cui Xingzhou remained silent for a moment, frowned, and walked over to her. He held her soft hand and helped her sit down, saying, “Since you’re pregnant, why are you walking so hurriedly? You should know to slow down. Is the sky falling or something?”

Initially, when Mian Tang heard the news about the four brothers being arrested, she felt a bit anxious, worried that she might reveal too much. However, seeing that Cui Xingzhou’s expression was normal and didn’t seem like he had found out anything, she cautiously replied, “You haven’t returned to the residence these past few days. I missed you, so I specifically came to see you, which is why I hurried a bit.”

In the past, when Cui Xingzhou heard such words, a smile would always spread across his face. But today, while he did smile, it didn’t reach his eyes. His expression remained unchanged as he raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “My dear consort, your thoughtfulness truly moves me.”

After hearing this, Mian Tang couldn’t help but look up at him intently. Cui Xingzhou poured her a cup of tea and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Mian Tang didn’t dare to say that the prince felt strange today, so she decided to get straight to the point and asked, “It seems that several of my bodyguards were just taken away by people from the Military Department. Their families at home are in a panic, and I happened to encounter them, so they asked me to find out what exactly happened.”

Cui Xingzhou seemed to be examining a stranger, silently watching Mian Tang without saying a word.

Although the beautiful woman was pregnant, her face remained smooth and fair, her shoulders delicate and slender, and her figure graceful like a willow. It was hard to believe she had once been the leader of a fierce bandit, even if a knife were at her throat.

However, the various pieces of information gathered over the past few days regarding the old affairs of the Yangshan bandits gradually formed a coherent picture. Despite his reluctance to believe it, Cui Xingzhou had to acknowledge that he had spent his life playing the eagle, only to have the eagle peck his eyes out, leaving him completely blind.

His partner was indeed the fierce bandit Lu Wen from Yangshan.

At this moment, he should really clasp his fists and exclaim, “Master Lu’s methods are truly remarkable, having hidden so long by his side!”

He had initially tried to convince himself that Mian Tang had suffered an injury to her head and had completely forgotten her past.

But those four brothers had clearly been her right-hand men in Yangshan. If she didn’t remember her past, how could she so desperately protect those four bandits?

In the past few days, Cui Xingzhou’s heart had been burned like it was on a volcano, then plunged into an icy glacier, filled with the anger of being deceived, to the point that he couldn’t even return to his own residence.

She was still carrying his child, and he feared that he might lose control and accidentally strangle this woman who spoke so many lies.

It was as if right now, looking at her delicate white neck, Cui Xingzhou truly wanted to grasp it and ask, “Do you feel proud of deceiving me like this?”

Now, hearing Mian Tang inquire about the situation of those four bandits from Yangshan, Cui Xingzhou tried his best to suppress his anger and slowly said, “Oh, is that so? Mo Ru, go down and find out what exactly happened.”

Mo Ru was completely bewildered, thinking: Weren’t those four brothers standing right next to the torture chamber, personally monitored by the prince? Why does he suddenly act like he doesn’t know anything?

However, he didn’t dare to say more. Since the prince had given an order, he went outside to pretend to do something. After lingering outside for a while, he returned and reported, “Your Highness, someone has reported that these four brothers once colluded with bandits!”

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