Her mother's persistent worries had subtly shaped Silan's worldview, seeping into her thoughts like water through cracks in stone. When choosing between her two cousins, Cui Xingzhou and Zhao Quan, Lian Silan hadn't hesitated to choose the former. The reason was brutally simple: Zhao Quan's nature was too similar to her father Lian Hanshan's—content with the status quo, lacking ambition, both mediocre men destined for unremarkable lives.
She refused to become like her mother, spending her days envying others' glory and nursing endless complaints.
So she had long ago studied Cousin Cui's temperament and preferences with the precision of a scholar, knowing he favored gentle, understanding women who were filial to their mothers. She always put her aunt first, winning Princess Dowager Chu's favor through careful cultivation, and finally securing her marriage into the prince's mansion—somewhat compensating for her mother's lifelong regret.
As long as she kept her aunt, the Princess Dowager, content and pleased, no matter how alluring the flowers outside might be, they couldn't shake her position as primary wife.
Thinking this, Lian Silan relaxed, feeling she shouldn't have let her mother persuade her to take such a lowly approach earlier. It was getting late; she needed to sleep soon to be refreshed tomorrow, to please her future mother-in-law and show her cousin her carefully cultivated virtues…
With the Princess Dowager's birthday celebration approaching, Cui Xingzhou's married sister Cui Fu also returned home with her two-year-old son Jin'er, their arrival bringing rare warmth to the mansion.
Her husband was the legitimate son of the Duke of Qing, and their residence was in distant Yanzhou province, making this visit quite precious.
Before the main celebration commenced, Cui Fu, who had come specifically to see her nephew, asked Cui Xingzhou with a teasing smile, "When you went to Zhennan on official business some time ago, I asked you to bring back some cosmetics from Hanxiang Zhai for me. Did you buy them?"
Cui Xingzhou, playing with a rattle drum to amuse his nephew, the small toy making cheerful sounds, thought for a moment and said, "I bought them… but gave them away. I'll buy you some more another day."
Cui Fu glared at her brother with mock outrage, "Hanxiang Zhai's cosmetics need to be pre-ordered. The powder is made with chrysanthemum juice from northern Sichuan, harvested before the frost. If we didn't get this year's batch, we'd have to wait until next autumn… Which beauty has captivated my usually proper brother so much that he gave away my hard-to-get cosmetics?"
Cui Xingzhou hadn't realized the cosmetics he casually gave to Liu Mentang were so special and rare. He had only given them to her out of courtesy after she had diligently mended his padded jacket with such careful stitches.
Now that his sister was teasing him about it, he remained silent, focusing intently on playing with his nephew Jin'er, the child's delighted laughter filling the awkward pause.
Cui Fu was straightforward by nature and wouldn't be upset with her brother over a box of cosmetics, no matter how precious. As for the beauty her brother had met outside, she must be quite charming to have won his favor.
Unlike her mother Chu-shi, Cui Fu had never liked her aunt Lian Chu-shi and her opportunistic daughter since childhood—a distaste born from years of observation.
When her mother was bullied by the favored concubines in the mansion and couldn't bear a son, the uncles from the Chu family often came to visit her mother with genuine concern. But whenever that aunt came, it was to mock her mother with poisoned words, implying that her father wasn't a good man and that her sister's fate was bitter and cursed.
Each time, her aunt's cutting words would reduce her mother to tears.
Now that her mother had finally endured and her brother had inherited the title of Prince of Huainan, that aunt seemed to have transformed completely, drawing close and flattering her mother about her innate good fortune and how bitterness had turned to sweetness, transparently trying to push her daughter into the prince's mansion.
Cui Fu had been unable to attend to family matters due to her distant marriage. If she were at home, she wouldn't have let Xingzhou marry her aunt's calculating daughter.
So Cui Fu was secretly pleased about Cui Xingzhou having another beauty in his life—anyone to distract from that arranged match.
However, the siblings only had a brief conversation before Cui Xingzhou had to excuse himself to the front hall to receive guests, duty calling.
The birthday celebration at the prince's mansion was very lively, with banquets lasting five days and famous local performers invited to entertain in the main hall, their voices carrying through the elegant courtyards.
However, compared to previous years, noticeably fewer guests were coming to offer birthday wishes this time.
Cui Xingzhou understood with political clarity that this was closely related to accusations in the court that he was amassing troops and becoming too powerful—whispers that grew louder by the day.
The current emperor had always been wary of the non-imperial princes enfeoffed by the previous emperor. Now that the bandit problem in Zhenzhou had greatly improved a year ago, the emperor was naturally eager to "kill the donkey after it leaves the millstone"—dispose of useful tools once their purpose was served.
In officialdom, reading the political winds was crucial for survival. Now that the spring breeze wasn't blowing towards Zhenzhou, naturally, some quick-witted individuals understood the imperial will and avoided coming to avoid suspicion and potential entanglement.
Walking the path of an official sometimes meant riding the treacherous waves of officialdom. Although the sound of silk and bamboo instruments never ceased in the front hall and garden, who could know if they might fall into the abyss and have their entire family executed the next moment?
At the banquet, amid the exchange of toasts and forced merriment, those at the same table as the Prince of Huaiyang wore smiles but their words were full of hidden meanings, seemingly probing for weakness or advantage.
Others were full of flattery, hoping to gain some benefits at the prince's banquet, perhaps securing a position from the Prince of Huaiyang's words—scraps from a powerful table.
Such exhausting social niceties were unavoidable at any reception or banquet, and Cui Xingzhou was long accustomed to them, playing his role with practiced ease.
Taking advantage of the garden tea party after the banquet, the Prince of Huaiyang excused himself, claiming he couldn't drink anymore, and went to rest in his study—seeking refuge from performance.
At this time, the study was blessedly empty. Cui Xingzhou sat alone by a sandalwood desk, gazing at the blue sky beyond the flying eaves outside the window, finding momentary peace.
On the desk were several letters from relatives seeking official positions. The first few were from nephews of his future father-in-law's Lian family.
Since his aunt had personally delivered them, he had to at least look at them out of courtesy. However, these office-seekers were truly unsuitable for important roles—mediocre men seeking positions beyond their capabilities. At the banquet earlier, his aunt had also pushed his awkward future father-in-law to speak up, but he wasn't skilled as an advocate and stumbled through his words painfully, forcing Cui Xingzhou to smooth things over with diplomatic understanding.
Such personal favors were countless daily. Usually, Cui Xingzhou would have handled them properly, even at the expense of his future father-in-law's face.
But thinking about how his future father-in-law had listened to his aunt's instigation and sent a servant to spy in Lingquan Town had touched a dangerous nerve with Cui Jiu.
Lingquan Town had been set up as a trap, waiting for rebels to fall into it. How could he allow anyone to interfere with such delicate work?
He wouldn't explain such sensitive official matters to his aunt and cousin.
The Prince of Huaiyang disliked women who acted on their own initiative, overstepping boundaries. Regardless of whether today's suggestion came from Lian Silan or not, he wanted to give his cousin's family a clear warning.
So he didn't even look at the remaining "family letters," tossing them directly into the nearby incense burner, watching the paper curl and blacken in the flames.
There were many guests in the front hall, but Cui Xingzhou suddenly felt lazy and didn't want to engage in more social niceties. The prince's mansion was bustling with noise, but he just wanted some quiet—genuine solitude, not performance.
So he only took his servant Mo Ru and left the mansion through the back door, boarding a boat along the river, escaping into the night.
Although it was spring, the night still carried a chill. He had drunk some at the birthday banquet, and the cool breeze made him feel pleasantly tipsy, the world softening at its edges.
The boatman asked the servant Mo Ru where they wanted to go. Mo Ru looked at the prince leaning against the boat's railing, lost in thought, and couldn't give a direction, so he just told the boatman to drift aimlessly. In less than half an hour, they arrived at the dock in Lingshui Town.
His mother's birthday celebration wasn't over, and he had to return in the morning. Going to the military camp would be too rushed, so naturally, he thought of the ready house on North Street. At this late hour, no one would notice his movements, and he could get a full night's undisturbed sleep.
So after Cui Xingzhou had sobered up a bit, he had the boatman dock. Then, under a sky full of stars, he leisurely walked to North Street and knocked on the door.
Meanwhile, after buying the shop, Liu Mentang had urged the craftsmen to renovate it with enthusiastic determination.
In just a few days, the shop had taken shape, but her husband had gone off with Doctor Zhao somewhere and hadn't returned.
Today, when she went to the street to invite a carpenter back to build shelves, she thought her husband might have returned. Unexpectedly, late at night, the door knocker did sound—steady and familiar.
Hearing the sound at the gate, Liu Mentang quickly got up, heart fluttering with anticipation.
These past few days, fearing her husband might return in the middle of the night to find her disheveled, she had Madam Li help her braid her long hair into a side plait before sleeping—a style both practical and attractive.
Hearing her husband's footsteps, she had already changed into a well-fitted pleated skirt, dabbed some rouge on her lips for color, and slipped on embroidered shoes. With her hair and face tidy, she went out to greet him, smiling shyly, "My lord, you're back!"
As it was already night, Cui Xingzhou had planned to sleep quietly in the side room, not expecting Mentang to still be awake, greeting him before he could enter—a warm welcome he hadn't anticipated.
Without giving him a chance to speak, the young woman lifted the door curtain, eagerly waiting for him to enter.
Cui Xingzhou looked at her closely in the lamplight; the woman seemed to have become more beautiful in the few days since he'd last seen her. Although she had experienced hardships in recent years, her good looks and a man's care meant she hadn't suffered the hardships of exposure to the elements. Her skin was fair and luminous, and her beautiful eyes revealed an uncorrupted innocence.
Such eyes looking at him would make anyone let down their guard—no wonder she had fooled two shopkeepers into selling their shops to her at a low price.
Cui Xingzhou thought lazily as he unconsciously stepped into the fragrant room, drawn forward.
With the experience of her husband's previous two night "raids," Mentang, who considered herself a new bride who needed to start from scratch, had made full preparations.
These past few days, she had bought preserved meat with Madam Li and stocked up on eggs and oil. Even if someone got hungry in the middle of the night, she could immediately slice meat and fry up some fragrant rice—ready for anything.
She had also bought a large bathtub, though heating water consumed a lot of firewood, so Mentang hadn't used it herself, thinking to wait for her husband to return, then boil two large iron pots of hot water to let him soak and relieve his fatigue—a gesture of care.
So when Cui Xingzhou came in, Mentang excitedly showed him the new furnishings behind the screen, proud of her domestic preparations.
"Mrs. Pei, the head of North Street, is famous for her barrel-making skills, so I ordered one from her. Since we're neighbors, she even gave me a half-tael discount! In a moment, I'll have Madam Li heat some water for you to bathe…"
Halfway through her words, Mentang smelled the strong scent of alcohol on Cui Xingzhou and hesitated, concern coloring her voice, "My lord, have you been drinking?"
At this moment, the effects of the wine from the banquet surged back with renewed force, and Cui Xingzhou just pushed Liu Mentang aside gently, not even taking off his shoes before collapsing onto the bed.
He was in a foul mood today and really couldn't be bothered to pretend to be a husband. He just wanted to lie down without anyone bothering him—to escape performance entirely.
If this woman harbored ill intentions, now would be the perfect opportunity… Cui Xingzhou thought self-mockingly, despite his drunken irritation, still testing.
He closed his eyes, listening to the faint footsteps in the room. Liu Mentang went to the door and said something to Madam Li in low tones, returning after a while.
Cui Xingzhou kept his eyes closed and didn't move, but his ears caught the rustling sounds with practiced attention. Soon, a warm cloth was gently placed on his forehead—unexpected tenderness.
It turned out Mentang had gone to fetch a basin of water and was using a damp cloth to wipe Cui Xingzhou's face with careful ministrations.
But after wiping once, Liu Mentang saw Cui Xingzhou slightly furrow his brow, seeming irritated by the disturbance to his sleep.
At this point, if it were a maid from the prince's mansion, she would naturally have been observant and not dared to disturb the prince's rest further, let alone place a wet cloth directly on his face without his summons.
But Liu Mentang was not a maid; she considered herself Cui Xingzhou's proper wife. The fragrance of wine in jars might be mellow and sweet, but once in the stomach, after an hour or two, it would become unbearably foul.
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