"Silly girl, how could that be! The marquis belongs to the faction of the eldest princess. How could the crown prince marry a girl with the surname Cheng?"
Yu Qiao'er thought herself very smart. Holding Cheng Siyi's hand, she analyzed the situation thoroughly.
"The crown prince is just infatuated with her for the moment. Once he's had his fill, he'll cast her aside! The entire marquis's mansion is tied to the eldest princess's ship. The crown prince can't even stand the sight of the girl with the surname Cheng. There's no way he'll give her a proper title!"
Despite this, Cheng Siyi was still indignant.
Yu Qiao'er lovingly stroked her hair and comforted her, "A graceful and dignified woman like Cheng Simian doesn't understand the charm of the boudoir or the pleasures of the bedchamber. A man might be temporarily bewitched by her beauty, but as time passes, who would like a dull and boring vase? Isn't Rong shi the best example?
What's so great about being from a scholarly family or a noble clan? They're all losers in front of your mother!"
Taking away Cheng Yong's affection for Rong shi was Yu Qiao'er's proudest achievement.
Cheng Siyi nodded vigorously. Her mother was always right.
She had to learn all the tricks in bed to capture a man's heart.
As for managing the household, looking at account books, or learning the arts of piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting, those boring things were only for Cheng Simian.
"Father still wants to marry her to the young master of the duke's mansion. Why does all the good fortune fall on her head!"
Yu Qiao'er narrowed her eyes sinisterly. "Siyi, your father is being stupid. Your mother will definitely help you fight for the position of the princess of the heir apparent!"
Cheng Siyi let out a soft "um", but what she was thinking about was the handsome and imposing face of the crown prince, as well as his majestic and cold aura.
The status of the crown prince was much higher than that of Liang Yuchuan.
Liang Yuchuan would only be a duke in the future, while the crown prince would be the emperor!
Why was her father so stupid as to get on the eldest princess's ship?
It was because of her surname Cheng that the crown prince loathed her!
...
Cheng Simian came to her mother's room.
Rong shi hugged her and cried her heart out.
Nanny Chen and Shuyi also wiped their tears.
Cheng Simian was always strong and rational, but seeing her pale and frail mother, she couldn't help but shed tears.
After crying, Rong shi became happy again. She held her daughter's face and examined it carefully.
"Mianmian, what's going on between you and the crown prince? The crown prince loathes the Cheng family and hates your father. Why did he come to our house to support you?"
Facing her worried mother, Cheng Simian comforted her gently, "Mother, don't worry. The crown prince has no other feelings for me, and I didn't try to curry favor with him.
It's just that his blade is so sharp and useful. I couldn't help but borrow it and use it to kill those who deserve to die. Then, with his power, we can completely get out of this mire!"
Rong shi was shocked and quickly covered her daughter's mouth. "Mianmian, are you crazy? Have you become too wild after wandering outside for a few years? How can you control the crown prince?
The crown prince may seem gentle and elegant, but that's just his demeanor as the heir. A person of such noble status and boundless power will never allow others to use him. Aren't you like a little white rabbit trying to ride on a tiger's neck?
As soon as he came, he made the Cheng family shed blood. It shows that he's a man of iron and blood. He never shows mercy when he needs to be tough. We should stay as far away from such a dangerous and powerful person as possible..."
Cheng Simian smiled calmly. Her clear and bright eyes were filled with hope and the light of revenge.
"Mother, I know what I'm doing. You and I both hate this ugly and sinful marquis's mansion. It's rotten to the core. We can't be dragged down by it. After getting out of this pit of fire, we'll live a good life."
Rong shi burst into tears. Her daughter's words brought back so many sad memories.
Her son's body had never been found, but Cheng Yong didn't seem to care.
Less than two months after her son's death, he took in two more concubines.
On the anniversary of her son's death, she was in the Buddhist hall, grieving in front of her son's memorial tablet, while outside, there were celebrations for the first birthday of one of his bastard sons.
Cheng Yong was extremely cold - hearted.
Her son's death had already dealt a heavy blow to her. Then, Cheng Siyi pretended to be ill, and Yu Qiao'er invited a "high - ranking master" to tell fortunes. Cheng Yong believed them all and sent her only daughter thousands of miles away.
Rong shi's heart was already dead. Sometimes, she just wanted to end it all and rot in the mud.
But her daughter's return had injected new hope into her withered body.
Looking at her daughter's beautiful and vibrant face, she suddenly found the motivation to live.
"Yes, we mother and daughter will live a good life together."
"After everything has settled down, mother, we'll go to the south of the Yangtze River and settle in Yunzhou. It has beautiful mountains and rivers, and the climate is warm and pleasant..."
...
Liang Yuzhou and Song Wanchu entered the capital and settled in the small courtyard in Yunshen Alley.
Outside the courtyard, Liang Yuzhou arranged three groups of secret guards to guard day and night.
Inside the courtyard, Nan Zhi, Su Yue, Xia He, and Ying Lan still served her.
The first time she came to this courtyard, Liang Yuzhou had almost imprisoned her.
Song Wanchu was desperate, depressed, and angry.
Stepping into the courtyard again, the accumulated worries stirred slightly, but her state of mind was completely different.
The small courtyard was kept clean and tidy.
Pushing open the door and entering the room, the charcoal fire was already burning. The biting cold was dispelled by the warm air.
Song Wanchu was stunned.
On the pear - wood table, there was a pot of blooming peonies. The pink petals were spreading layer by layer, passionate and charming.
Peonies usually bloom in March or April. It was still before the first lunar month, the coldest time of spring when everything was withered. It made people feel desolate.
This splash of color seeped into her heart, like a warm current flowing into her soul.
Song Wanchu turned around in surprise. Liang Yuzhou was standing upright, leaning against the door frame. His eyes were fixed precisely on her face.
He still couldn't see Wanchu's features clearly, but just from the outline, he knew how surprised she was.
Zhou Yan came up, smiling even more brightly than the peony.
"Madam, the first thing the master told us to do when we returned to the capital was to fetch this peony from the old man in the south of the city and place it in the room like a precious treasure.
The master said that he owed you a New Year's Eve stay - up and a New Year's gift that year. He said he must make it up to you.
Although it's a few years late, the master's intention is sincere."
Song Wanchu caught the key information in his words. "You fetched it from the old man in the south of the city. It wasn't bought recently?"
Zhou Yan rambled on, "After that New Year's Eve, the master bought two more pots and told the old man to take good care of them. Later, when you had a miscarriage, the master brought one pot to you. Peonies can be used as medicine to replenish qi and blood.
The old man swore that the flowers would be pink, but they turned out to be bright red. The master was deceived by him.
Fortunately, this pot is pink. The master said that you look the most beautiful in pink. Of course, you also look beautiful in bright red. Anyway, you look good in anything in the master's eyes."
On ordinary days, Liang Yuzhou found Zhou Yan noisy because of his talkativeness.
But today, he thought that this mouth of his was still a bit useful besides eating and drinking.
Liang Yuzhou had explained once before that he didn't think she was unworthy of bright red.
But at that time, Song Wanchu strongly doubted his sincerity and thought his explanation was just a perfunctory.
But when the same thing was explained from Zhou Yan's perspective, those misunderstandings that had been knotted up were easily untangled.
It turned out that all those misunderstandings and hardships between them at that time were because she was too suspicious and Liang Yuzhou was too bad at expressing himself.