Chapter 136: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 136: 

 

Prince Huaiyang looked at the empty plate and immediately tensed his face. He strode over, snatched the plate from her, and said, "You're still eating this? Do you want to get hit?"

Liu Mian Tang licked her lips, feeling a bit wronged as she replied, "I only had three. Li Mama is worried I'll eat too much, so she made each fried cake really small—none of them are even half the size of the ones sold in the market. I’m not satisfied at all..."

Cui Xingzhou maintained his stern expression and said, "How can you still say you haven't eaten enough? Your gluttony has become someone else's leverage against you! If it weren't for Empress Shi warning you early on, wouldn't you have really ended up in a dangerous situation?"

Liu Mian Tang smiled and took his hand, guiding it to feel her belly, saying, "Look, isn't this size just right?"

Not long ago, to mislead Prince Sui, she had been adding a layer of cotton padding to her belly every day, making it appear quite large.

She continued to buy snacks from outside, but she hadn't touched any of them. Most of the food she ate was closely monitored and personally prepared by Li Mama.

With Li Mama watching her closely, it was hard for Liu Mian Tang to sneak in an extra bite. Tonight, she pretended to go into labor and slipped through the tunnel from the Prince’s residence to the street-side courtyard. Before leaving, she had even asked Bicai to bring over two boxes of food, taking advantage of Li Mama's time spent caring for the old princess consort to enjoy a few hearty bites and satisfy her cravings.

Seeing Cui Xingzhou's serious face, she quickly changed the subject, blinking her eyes as she asked, "So, did everything go well?"

Prince Huaiyang nodded and said, "The situation in the palace is now stable, and Prince Sui has been apprehended. However, the old ministers have not yet been released from the palace. After all, Prince Sui is connected to the interests of the palace family, and his faction in the capital hasn’t been cleared out yet. As for the Empress Dowager, His Majesty will take care of her in her old age, so we, as ministers, don't need to worry."

Having said that, he didn't forget the earlier conversation and snatched the half-fried cake from her hand, saying, "Although it's publicly announced that your delivery date is still some time away, it is indeed approaching. If you keep eating like this, you won’t need anyone to drug you; you’ll just end up feeding the baby too much! Starting tomorrow, you're only allowed to eat vegetables and plain rice. If anyone dares to bring you these greasy things again, they’ll be sold off!"

The last sentence was clearly meant for Bicai and the others outside to hear.

Bicai, quick to respond, noticed the prince's sternness, lowered her head, and swiftly took the snacks out of the room.

Liu Mian Tang pouted. For some reason, she was increasingly craving things as her pregnancy progressed. Feeling wronged, she said, "Pregnancy is so hard. I can’t eat anything or go anywhere. I’ve heard that giving birth is painful enough to make someone cry out for their mother. Maybe you should find someone else to have a baby with..."

As she spoke, tears began to well up in her eyes. Cui Xingzhou tilted his head to look at her and, seeing that she was genuinely crying, immediately softened his tone, saying, "No one can give birth like you can. Just endure it for a few more days. I’ll have the manor hire more cooks to prepare food for you. When you finish your confinement, you can eat as much as you like; I won’t complain if you become round and chubby!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Mian Tang stopped crying immediately. She pulled out a small bronze mirror and nervously asked, "What? Have I gained weight recently?"

Cui Xingzhou pecked her cheek playfully and said, "Being a bit chubby is good; it feels nicer to hold you!"

This was true. Liu Mian Tang had only slightly gained some curves, but she felt softer to hold, making her even more tempting than those fried cakes!

She only took a few bites before she started crying again. If we’re being honest, he had eaten even less, yet he had never cried for milk like she did!

As she thought about how things would be after she gave birth, Cui Xingzhou couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment.

Liu Mian Tang could see his tightly clenched jaw. Over the past few days, he had been tossing and turning at night, unable to sleep, practicing various martial arts techniques diligently. She could easily guess the prince's anxiety.

Unable to hold back, she reached up to touch his jaw and chuckled, "So pitiful, your Highness! You have the taste for it but can't have any!"

Cui Xingzhou looked at her playful demeanor and playfully kissed her plump cheeks once more.

After a night of upheaval in the palace, the capital was bound to be filled with tension the following day. Yet, in the small alley and courtyard, there was a moment of peaceful warmth.

By dawn the next day, the shocking news of the palace and Prince Sui's residence being sealed off overnight spread like wildfire throughout the court and the capital.

As for the loyal officials, the majority had been detained in the palace and had not yet emerged.

The armies of the Shi and Cui families began to take over the city, and the guards at the palace gate had also changed their military signals. Many officials with close ties to Prince Sui had vanished without a trace, their fates unknown.

Even the residences that hadn't been directly affected were tightly shut, refusing visitors to avoid any complications.

However, compared to the other noble families who were filled with anxiety and unease, the residence of Prince Huaiyang felt as though it had weathered the storm and emerged into a brighter dawn.

In the aftermath of that terrifying night, when it was discovered that the bowls brought to the delivery room were filled with pig's blood, Old Princess Consort Chu was nearly driven to punish her son and daughter-in-law with the family law for their deceitful antics.

Liu Mian Tang cradled her belly and gently explained the details to Old Princess Consort Chu.

When she recounted how the consort, Yun, had colluded with Prince Sui to add substances to her food to hasten the growth of the baby, Old Princess Consort Chu gasped in shock, forgetting to chastise her son and daughter-in-law for their earlier deception.

Moreover, Liu Mian Tang explained why she had kept the situation hidden from Old Princess Consort Chu and Cui Fu. It was mainly because Prince Sui had spies planted within the prince's residence, and even after they had conducted an initial investigation, they were still wary of potential leaks.

They had no choice but to keep it from them, fearing that the news might leak out. For the time being, this would cause their mother and sister some distress, but once everything was settled, the couple would willingly kneel to accept punishment.

Now that Liu Mian Tang had removed the padding from around her belly, it appeared neither too big nor too small, looking much less alarming than before.

Although Old Princess Consort Chu had been terrified and nearly lost her mind that night, nothing could compare to the safety of those within her own household. If being frightened once could eliminate those wicked individuals, she would gladly endure the scare again.

That night, many secrets about the dangers lurking outside the prince's residence were revealed. As the capital was undergoing a crackdown and cleansing, quite a number of people from the outer courtyard of the prince's residence were also arrested.

When the officials were finally released from the palace, many noble ladies took the initiative to knock on the door of Prince Huaiyang’s residence, eager to gauge the situation and learn about the emperor’s sentiments.

Unfortunately, the prince’s wife had not yet given birth and, concerned about her wellbeing, refused to meet with any visitors.

In her free time, Liu Mian Tang took the opportunity to inquire about Princess Consort Sui. The situation within Prince Sui’s residence was rife with treachery, but she felt a twinge of sympathy for the Princess, who had simply married the wrong man. She wondered how she was faring now.

If, in the future, the people of the royal residence are exiled, Mian Tang still hoped to lend a hand and support the Princess Consort of the late Prince Sui.

When she asked Cui Xingzhou about it, he looked at her and said, “I know you feel pity for her because she is weak, and you think I owe her for tarnishing her reputation. However, when the nest collapses, how can any egg survive? If this matter were left to me, you wouldn’t have to say anything; I would spare her life. But… on the night the Prince was condemned, he hanged himself in prison. Upon hearing of his death, the Princess Consort and the heir jumped into a well together to end their lives. Those who are no longer here, you need not worry about.”

Mian Tang's eyes widened in disbelief, and she hesitated, saying, “The Prince… doesn’t seem like the type to commit suicide, and the Princess Consort shouldn't have such a fierce and chaste disposition, either?”

She thought about how the Prince had been looked down upon by the late Emperor, choosing to cultivate himself and build up his strength; how could he have become so disheartened that he would take his own life right after being captured?

As for the Princess Consort, she had once endured the stigma of being rumored to be kidnapped by bandits and managed to survive. How could she now jump into a well with her child just because the Prince committed suicide?

Cui Xingzhou looked at her and said flatly, “Although you once lived as a bandit, you still hold some compassion for others. In this regard, you are not as… discerning as others.”

On that day when the forces of the Shi family stormed the Sui Prince’s residence, the specifics of what transpired were unclear to Prince Huaiyang, but he could roughly imagine the horrors of that night.

The Shi family certainly did not want the miracle of Liu Yu's escape from years ago to replay itself with the Sui Prince’s son, so they intended to root out any trace of life.

Mian Tang listened in silence, ultimately sighing inwardly: it seems that Emperor Liu Yu is the truly clever one, knowing what kind of virtuous wife can help him ascend to greatness. Even if she hadn’t left back then, the one he would end up marrying would never be her.

This was Mian Tang’s heartfelt truth. If it were a clash of armies, with fierce battles and competitions, she believed she could hold her own, accepting both open and covert schemes without hesitation.

However, in this situation of laying intricate plans for miles, ruthlessly cutting down political enemies and not sparing even children, she felt that she still lacked the necessary ruthlessness.

While Mian Tang remained silent, Cui Xingzhou also did not speak. He simply held the teacup, slowly swaying it, allowing the water's surface to create gentle ripples.

The room fell into a deep silence.

When Mian Tang came to her senses, she asked Cui Xingzhou if he thought the same as she did.

“Upon careful consideration, while the Prince's schemes are indeed clever, he has lost the initiative at every turn. Ultimately, he and Concubine Yun have made us their primary enemies but have overlooked one person…”

Mian Tang did not continue, but Cui Xingzhou had already guessed who she was referring to.

The reason for the Prince’s defeat this time was entirely due to the betrayal of the maid beside Concubine Yun.

Mian Tang had only learned about this when Empress Shi came to visit her during her pregnancy. Empress Shi had inadvertently assisted the maid a few times when Sun Yunniang befriended her. Therefore, when Concubine Yun and Prince Sui conspired to poison and frame Prince Huaiyang, maid felt it was inappropriate and secretly sought out the Empress to reveal the truth.

Mian Tang did not know the extent of the assistance Empress Shi had provided to the little maid, but the fact that they were able to expose the Prince’s scheme before it unfolded was certainly thanks to Empress Shi’s support.

This Empress, who appeared to be plump and at ease, had managed to eliminate the influence of the Empress Dowager and remove Prince Sui, ultimately helping her husband firmly secure the throne of Emperor.

Now, the people throughout the capital envied Prince Huaiyang for standing firm as a pillar of the royalist faction during this political upheaval, becoming a key figure supporting the Emperor in governing the court.

However, Mian Tang felt that beneath the surface, the river might still be teeming with hidden currents, and they must remain vigilant at all times.

The royal family, led by the Empress Dowager, had established their roots in the court not just in a day or two. Although the Empress Dowager was trapped deep within the palace, several old princes had openly written to request permission from the Emperor to meet with her, hoping to reassure the people of the realm.

Since this was a matter concerning the harem, Empress Shi found herself in a difficult position and decided to summon Liu Mian Tang into the palace for consultation.

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