Chapter 139: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 139: 

 

That night, Prince Huaiyang stayed up a little later than usual, waiting and waiting, but he still didn’t receive any warm soup or a hot blanket.

The maidservants in the sleeping quarters were as silent as the dead; not one of them showed their face.

Cui Xingzhou knew for certain that Mian Tang hadn’t instructed them to bring him anything.

Although the study was warm enough, it couldn't compare to the comfort of Mian Tang's room. Normally, at this hour, he would have already been cuddling with his soft wife, whispering sweet nothings under the covers. But unexpectedly, because of an argument, everything had turned upside down.

Thinking about this made his head feel heavy and uncomfortable from the alcohol. 

Mo Ru decided it would be better that the prince sober up, so he quickly brought over the hangover soup cooked in the kitchen.

Cui Xingzhou took a sip, and his brows immediately knitted together. “This is sour enough to make my teeth hurt! What kind of rubbish is this?”

Mo Ru’s face fell. The hangover soup that the prince usually drank was specially blended by the princess according to the customs of her hometown, with a sweet and sour taste that was quite refreshing. The soup contained a pickled plum that the princess had instructed the maidservants in her courtyard to prepare. Only the princess had that kind of hangover soup, so of course, the kitchen’s version wouldn’t compare.

Earlier, he had indeed gone back to the sleeping quarters to ask Bicao for some, but Bicao had hidden behind the door and said that the princess had ordered that not even a grain of rice was to be sent out. They, as lowly servants, dared not disobey, so they only instructed Mo Ru to find something else to make do with.

So, the prince was being picky, and Mo Ru couldn’t directly speak ill of the princess; she could only cautiously say, “It’s quite late now, and the princess was a bit tired and went to bed early. That’s why this soup was made by the kitchen staff. If it’s not to your taste… perhaps you could manage to drink it, and I’ll ask the princess to make you a fresh bowl tomorrow morning?”

Hangover soup isn’t something you drink after getting out of bed! When Cui Xingzhou heard that Mian Tang had gone to bed early, he felt even more irritated. 

Her temper had certainly grown; she was sulking over a few bandit scoundrels and refusing to speak to him. He wanted to see just how far she would go with this.

With that thought in mind, he pushed the sour hangover soup aside, not bothering to drink it. Instead, filled with frustration, he lay down on the soft couch in the study and fell asleep.

When morning came, Cui Xingzhou didn’t wake up early to practice his martial arts as he usually did; instead, he lay there lazily for a while.

Although they sometimes bickered, Mian Tang wasn’t the type to sulk or cry over small matters. Usually, after they had a spat, she would find ways to cheer him up the next day.

He, too, would create opportunities for reconciliation, like feigning minor ailments to elicit her concern. 

But today, after waiting for a while, he still didn’t see Mian Tang leading her maids with the washbasin and fresh clothes. 

After lying there for too long, the headache he had from last night grew more intense and muddled. Unable to wait any longer, Cui Xingzhou got up with a dark expression, allowing Mo Ru to assist him with washing up and changing clothes.

However, the rough handling of a man could never compare to the delicate touch of Mian Tang. The discomfort caused him to coldly reprimand Mo Ru for her clumsiness.

Mo Ru’s eyes brimmed with tears, fearing that the prince had grown tired of hi and was considering replacing him with another servant.

After having a simple bowl of porridge, Cui Xingzhou prepared to head to the military office. Just as he was about to leave, he spotted his sister, Cui Fu, getting ready to board a carriage to join some familiar ladies for a tea party.

After chatting for a bit, Cui Fu took the hand warmer handed to her by a maid and said, “In this cold weather, where could Mian Tang be off to so early? She just finished her confinement; she shouldn’t expose herself to the cold.”

Cui Xingzhou hadn’t realized that Mian Tang had left the estate until his sister mentioned it. He paused for a moment, and after his sister departed, he sought out the steward to ask where the princess consort had gone.

The steward replied, “The princess consort didn’t mention where she was going; she just had the carriage prepared and took her guards with her.”

Frowning, Cui Xingzhou said, “Why wasn’t I informed?”

The steward replied cautiously, “Well, the princess consort usually doesn’t need to report to you when she goes out… so I didn’t think to tell you this time…”

After a moment of thought, Cui Xingzhou could guess what Mian Tang was up to. Once he arrived at the military office, he reviewed some documents for a while before sending someone to the city gate to inquire. Sure enough, the royal carriage had passed through the Moonlight Gate and left the city that morning.

It seemed she intended to bring back all the bandits he had chased away!

To be honest, Cui Xingzhou hadn’t expected Mian Tang to be so attached to those bandits from Yangshan. The fact that she was concerned for others only made him more annoyed.

Later that day, Cui Xingzhou returned to the residence a bit earlier than usual. Upon his return, he casually inquired and learned that Mian Tang had taken a trip out of the city before returning to nurse the young prince. However, after putting the child to sleep, she had gone out of the city once more.

Cui Xingzhou wasn’t worried about Mian Tang finding anyone. When he had driven them out of the city the second time, he had sent soldiers to escort them far away.

With this in mind, he furrowed his brows but returned to the study. This time, Li Mama actually brought a bowl of chicken soup to present to the prince, which eased his heart. He thought perhaps Mian Tang had come to her senses and softened her attitude.

However, Li sMama aid, “This soup was originally stewed for the princess consort, but since she can’t drink it, I brought a bowl for you instead. I’ve been in the royal residence for a while, and although I feel it may not be my place to say, I think I should still speak to you. The princess consort is currently nursing the young prince, and it’s especially crucial for her not to get angry or upset. Otherwise, it could lead to blockages in her milk, causing inflammation, which would be a terrible burden for a woman. Perhaps you could be more forgiving; if the princess consort has erred, you can slowly teach her, or wait until the young prince is weaned to discuss it.”

In most royal households, noblewomen don’t personally nurse their children, leaving that task to wet nurses. Even Cui Xingzhou had been raised by a wet nurse when he was young. He had no idea of the hardships those women endured.

However, Li Mama had given birth to several children herself, so she understood the intricacies involved. Seeing that Mian Tang seemed to be quite upset and was showing signs of possibly losing her milk, she hurried to give the prince a few words of advice.

Cui Xingzhou pursed his lips, ultimately rising to head to the inner courtyard.

Upon entering the room, he saw that their son, little Yi'er, seemed unsatisfied, fussing and nudging against his mother’s embrace. Mian Tang’s expression appeared pained.

At that moment, all his grievances were tossed aside. He quickly walked over and sat beside her, asking, “What’s wrong?”

It was Mian Tang's first experience as a mother, and she hadn’t expected that just feeling a little upset could lead to such consequences. She regretted her anger, fearing her son wouldn’t get enough milk. Upon seeing Cui Xingzhou approach, tears welled in her eyes as she said, “What should I do? I can’t feed my son…”

Cui Xingzhou took the baby from her arms, calling to Fangxie, “Go and summon the wet nurse from the inner courtyard to feed the young prince.”

Fangxie whispered, “The young prince recognizes people; besides the princess consort, he won’t let anyone else touch him…”

Cui Xingzhou didn’t expect his son to be as picky as his father, recognizing flavors. If Mian Tang really lost her milk, wouldn’t that leave little Yi'er starving?

At that moment, all the lingering defiance he had vanished without a trace.

He softly comforted Mian Tang in his arms, saying, “Don’t get worked up; I’ll have someone find those loyal bandits for you tomorrow, not a single one will be missing. Just rest for now, and I’ll call the doctor to take a look at you to prevent any inflammation. Don’t worry about Yi'er; with so many wet nurses around, he won’t starve! Spoiling him like this, let him go a day without food and see if he’s still picky!”

Little Yi'er, who hadn’t been fed enough, felt wronged and, upon hearing his father’s loud voice saying such unfatherly words, seemed to sense the indifference behind them. He pouted and began to cry loudly.

The inner courtyard soon erupted in chaos. Once the doctor arrived, he prescribed a hot compress and instructed the maids on how to massage acupressure points.

After a flurry of activity, Cui Xingzhou held Mian Tang in his arms, and they both took a nap.

When Mian Tang woke up and drank a bowl of light vegetable soup to clear her heat, her circulation finally improved.

Fang Xie brought over little Yi'er, who was still crying, and as soon as he was placed in his mother’s arms, the little chubby ball immediately settled in, tightly clenching his tiny fists as he began to eat eagerly.

Thus, after a night of stubbornness and silence between the prince and princess, they both surrendered in the face of their son’s urgent need for nourishment.

Mian Tang had suffered all day, but now, holding her son, she gently touched his plump little mouth with her delicate fingers, not daring to think of anything else for fear of getting worked up again.

Cui Xingzhou also softened considerably, easing the imposing demeanor of the fierce prince. He leaned against Mian Tang’s back, providing her with support.

Once little Yi'er burped contentedly and closed his eyes, Fangxie quickly took the little master away to let the princess rest properly.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence between them. Mian Tang didn’t look at the prince, instead lying there absentmindedly.

Cui Xingzhou held her hand, pulling her close like a baby, and coaxed, “Alright, from now on, I won’t meddle in your affairs with those little minions of yours. You can do as you please. If you find yourself short on manpower during a raid, just tell Fan Hu to assign more guards to you.”

Mian Tang glanced up at him and replied, “Those little minions of mine once sent your elite troops running all over the mountains…”

Cui Xingzhou hated hearing that. His expression darkened slightly as he said, “You’re not convinced? How about we have a rematch someday? I’ll make sure to discipline your subordinates until they’re completely submissive!”

Mian Tang found his sulky expression amusing and chuckled, “Let’s not do that. What if I accidentally win? What will you do if you can’t handle the loss?”

Cui Xingzhou didn’t expect Mian Tang to tease him back. He raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a playful smirk, “If I lose, would you let me sleep with you?”

Mian Tang looked at his face with slight disdain and said, “Let’s not go there. Even if he’s a celestial being, sleeping together every day would get tiresome… Ouch! Why are you biting me?”

Cui Xingzhou didn’t find it tiresome at all. Ever since Mian Tang had become pregnant and given birth, he had been feeling increasingly starved for her attention.

Looking at Mian Tang, it was as if a starving dog had spotted a fragrant meat bun. 

But now, this damn girl had first gotten angry with him and now said she was tired of him. He felt she must have a death wish! 

Without hesitation, he took a hearty bite, determined to satisfy his hunger first before settling the score with her later!

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