Chapter 141: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 141: 

 

For a moment, Mian Tang felt a lack of enthusiasm. Her desire to bend the bow and shoot a majestic eagle couldn’t be fulfilled, so she sat idly in a small wooden cabin at the edge of the hunting grounds.

Seeing her dressed so impressively, Cui Fu asked if she wanted to go hunt rabbits.

Mian Tang, somewhat melancholic, replied that bullying the weak was not the righteous path for a martial artist; she couldn’t bring herself to kill defenseless rabbits.

Cui Fu rolled her eyes in exasperation and went off with Li Guangcai to admire the plum blossoms in the garden nearby.

Cui Xingzhou walked over and took her hand, saying, “You’re not happy even though I brought you out to play. Once Little Yi'er wakes up, you’ll have even less time to enjoy yourself.”

Since their son was still young and needed to nurse frequently, he had come along too, but he was not in the hunting grounds—he was in the warm room of the restaurant with the wet nurses, currently sound asleep.

So, for Mian Tang, this free time was truly precious.

With a slight pout, she said, “Last time, you hunted a tiger. Surely, there are more worthy prey in this hunting ground?”

Cui Xingzhou lightly tapped her forehead and replied, “At this time of year, if we were to go to a real hunting ground, we might encounter a black bear just waking up from hibernation. Experienced hunters are wary of crazed bears. Do you really want to show off your skills, you novice? Wait until autumn; I’ll take you then, and I promise you can hunt foxes and wolves to your heart's content.”

After saying that, he led Mian Tang to the deer park and hunted a fat deer that had been raised there to fill today’s menu.

Now that Mian Tang had given up on her desire to hunt, she treated this outing as a trip to the restaurant to eat. After hunting the deer, she followed Cui Xingzhou up to the back mountain for a stroll.

This area, frequented by noblewomen, had many pavilions and terraces built for leisure. Standing on the mountain peak, they could gaze out at the distant official road and the scattered villages surrounding them.

The scenery here was quite pleasant, and there were other ladies and young misses wandering about in the mountains.

However, those who came to play here were usually careful to avoid one another, as this was not a tea party requiring pleasantries; upon seeing servants or companions from afar, they would simply sidestep to let each other pass.

Thus, Mian Tang and the others walked in relative tranquility.

But just as they were descending the mountain, they ran into a young lady surrounded by her maidservants.

The young lady looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, with fair skin, a slender figure, and delicate, attractive features.

Upon catching sight of the Prince of Huaiyang from a distance, the young lady shyly lowered her head and said, “What a surprise to meet you here, Your Highness! I haven’t seen you for a few days; how have you been?”

Her words were somewhat suggestive, making Mian Tang take a few steps forward to scrutinize the young lady closely, eager to discern what kind of relationship she and her husband had developed during those “few days apart.”

Upon closer inspection, she realized that this young lady must be the youngest legitimate daughter of General Shi Yikuan—Shi Xiujin.

Shi Yikuan had risen to prominence later in life. His first wife had been a countrywoman, and though he had taken several concubines afterward, he still treated them poorly. It was said that this girl was the legitimate daughter born to the official’s daughter he married after his rise, thus receiving much more pampering than his other children. She was certainly incomparable to the children born to concubines like Empress Shi.

Currently, Shi Yikuan was quite influential in the court, flourishing in his role as the national grandfather. He was adept at ingratiating himself with the emperor and was held in high regard.

Thus, Shi Xiujin, at the prime age for marriage, became one of the most sought-after young ladies in the capital, with unwed noblemen probing into her birth date and horoscope.

Now, this young lady with sparkling eyes was staring intently at the tall, handsome Prince Huaiyang standing not far away, clad in his loose robe.

Strictly speaking, Shi Xiujin had seen the Prince of Huaiyang before when she was still in her hometown of Qingzhou. Although she was young at the time, she could still discern beauty and was astonished by his looks.

Initially, she thought it was merely her limited experience, but after arriving in the capital and encountering many charming young men, none compared to Prince Huaiyang's looks and demeanor.

His enchanting blend of scholarly elegance and the martial aura of a trained warrior was irresistible. Whenever she spotted him at gatherings, her gaze would be glued to him, unable to look away.

It was frustrating, however, that he had already taken a principal wife, making him an unsuitable match.

Later, rumors about the Prince's wife started to circulate throughout the capital, sparking a glimmer of hope in Shi Xiujin. She found herself wishing for the rumors to be true, that the Prince’s wife would suffer a difficult childbirth and die, allowing her father to propose on her behalf, thereby making her the rightful mistress of the Prince's household.

People often praised her half-sister for having married well, but in Shi Xiujin's eyes, even marrying Liu Yu, the emperor, who was a frail and sickly man, was nothing to envy.

If it weren’t for Prince Huaiyang, Liu Yu’s position would be rather shaky. Now her father was quite wary of the Prince, indicating that he was indeed a man of true capability. If Cui Xingzhou were to marry her and become part of the Shi family, it would be uncertain who would ultimately sit on the imperial throne—whether the surname would remain Liu or not.

If she were to become the future matriarch, it would suit her far better than her sister, who resembled a fat pig.

As a result, Shi Xiujin's unrequited love for Prince Huaiyang deepened, leading her to often engage him in small talk at various banquets.

Unfortunately, the Prince’s wife had a remarkably smooth childbirth, entirely contradicting the rumors about her perilous condition.

In an instant, Shi Xiujin's hopes were dashed, and the disappointment left her unable to eat or think straight.

Now, unexpectedly encountering Prince Huaiyang here, she completely overlooked the woman in military attire standing beside him, mistaking her for a guard or attendant. Instead, her gaze was fixated fervently on the Prince himself.

It was only when the woman in military attire stepped forward, confidently positioning herself right in front of Shi Xiujin, that she recognized her as the newly delivered Princess Consort Huaiyang.

Unlike those who typically become plump after childbirth, this Princess Consort appeared even more graceful than before. However, her seductive gaze was unapologetic and held an air of intimidation.

Caught off guard, Shi Xiujin reacted as if she had encountered a ghost, letting out a startled gasp.

Liu Mian Tang smiled slightly and said, “Miss Shi, it has indeed been quite some time since we last met! I’ve missed you. How have you been?”

Shi Xiujin awkwardly smiled, quickly offering her respects. “Thanks to you, I’m doing well. Princess Consort, you must have just finished your confinement, yet you’re already out and about! Your recovery is remarkable; it’s truly enviable… I wouldn’t want to interrupt your outing with the Prince. I’ll take my leave now.” With that, she hurriedly turned with her maids and guards and took another path.

As Liu Mian Tang watched Shi Xiujin's retreating figure, she turned back to glance meaningfully at her husband.

She had to take back her earlier words; even if he was a somewhat unromantic blockhead, he was still a striking flower that attracted attention! Spending so much time confined within the palace, she had no idea how many young and beautiful girls Cui Xingzhou had encountered at various gatherings.

Cui Xingzhou, however, was oblivious to the subtle currents between the two women. To him, Shi Xiujin was merely a chatty young girl, and he hadn’t even considered the possibility of anything more.

In places where he didn't need to exert much thought, Prince Huaiyang was always one to take the path of least resistance.

However, when Liu Mian Tang puffed up her cheeks and insisted that she would accompany him to all the banquets from now on, Cui Xingzhou smiled and replied, “If you love it, then go ahead. But I can’t stand the noise of those gatherings. Every time, I’ve made excuses about you feeling unwell in the manor, saying I had to return early to take care of you. If you’re going to accompany me, I’ll have to come up with a new excuse.”

Liu Mian Tang half-opened her mouth and said, “So that’s why rumors have been spreading about my weak constitution, that I couldn’t endure the trials of childbirth. It turns out the source of this gossip is you! But you shouldn’t spread it so casually; otherwise, you might encourage some ambitious young lady to think I’m on my last legs and that she could step in to take my place…”

Cui Xingzhou didn’t like hearing that. He was about to frown and retort that it was nonsense when a guard rushed over, saying, “Prince, it’s not good. There’s been a commotion down the mountain…”

It turned out that today was not an auspicious day to be out, as the masters from Duke Qing’s residence had also come to the Eastern Hunting Grounds to play.

Duke Qing’s household had been scheming, but it had backfired on their son’s future.

Seeing Prince Huaiyang’s position solidify in the capital and his career in the court becoming more stable, the Duke’s wife, Duchess Gai, was filled with regret.

Guo Yi now increasingly missed Cui Fu’s capabilities. In the past, she handled all the affairs of the household herself, ensuring that Guo Yi was never troubled with the mundane matters. The money coming in was always enough, allowing him to enjoy leisure time with his colleagues.

But now, he had to ask his mother for money, which added to the hassle, and the amount was often insufficient to cover expenses, making it difficult to maintain appearances.

With the former mistress no longer in charge, many household affairs were handed over to the favored concubine, Yu Rao. However, Yu Rao’s approach was entirely different from Cui Fu’s; she only cared about sending money and goods back to her own family and was placing her own brother in charge of the estate.

As a result, when the year-end accounts were tallied, the rent and harvest had decreased significantly compared to previous years.

When it came to Yu Rao, she had a hundred excuses, crying and making a fuss. She would lament that when the Duke's family took her in, they promised that although she was a concubine, she would be treated no worse than the legitimate wife.

However, to her surprise, her life was now even less dignified than that of the maids in other households.

She was merely sending some money back to her family, yet it felt like she was under constant scrutiny, as if she were being judged in a court. The dignified residence of the Duke was now worse than that of an ordinary landlord's family!

Guo Yi couldn’t win an argument with her, and in his helplessness, he missed Cui Fu even more. He finally understood the benefits of her sharp tongue paired with a soft heart. When Cui Fu married him, she never once behaved like a rat sneaking things back to her family. Instead, she always supported him and never made him worry about money matters.

With these thoughts in mind, Guo Yi became more focused on the idea of reconciling with Cui Fu.

However, he didn’t expect that today, at the hunting grounds, he would see that brat Li Guangcai trailing after Cui Fu, admiring the plum blossoms under the trees, all the while eagerly offering her a handkerchief to brush off the fine snow that fell from the branches.

Guo Yi's face flushed with anger, feeling as if a green cloud hung over him. He immediately walked over to mock Li Guangcai coldly.

Li Guangcai’s tongue had been sharpened from his days as a county official, smoothly transitioning between elegance and rusticity. His sarcasm was as sharp as a willow leaf blade, and in just a few words, he managed to provoke Guo Yi into a fit of rage.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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Finally, a little bit of drama again! ;P --- No one can bully my sweet Lord Li!

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