Chapter 125

Chapter 125: The Meeting In private, Nanny Qiu and Caiyue both tried to persuade Caixia. "I'm going to stay with the Eldest Madam for the rest of my life. After Nanny Qiu retires, you can't compete with me for the position of head maid." Caiyue sat to the side. "What does this Xu Baihu look like? Very ugly, is he?" Seeing Caixia blushing and staying silent, Caiyue turned to look at Nanny Qiu. Nanny Qiu said that wasn't it. "He's quite tall—I'd estimate over eight chi. His features are regular and proper, just a bit dark-skinned. That's normal though. He leads troops year-round under the sun—how could he not be dark?" "Then what do you find lacking in him, Caixia?" Caiyue pressed. "It's not that I find him lacking," Caixia said. "It's that I feel we don't match. What kind of person is he, and what kind of person am I? He said he wanted to marry me the very first time he saw me today. What he's drawn to isn't me as a person—it's my looks." Being noticed did make Caixia happy inside. She was a young girl, after all—who didn't have a little vanity? But she was quick to think it through. She and Xu Baihu had little contact. If he said he was taken with her, it must be her appearance that moved him. Having grown up in the deep courtyards of a great household, Caixia understood very well—how could relying on one's beauty last long? Even the Eldest Madam, with her stunning looks, had the Marquis take an Equal Wife behind her back. And the women in the Marquis's household had never stopped coming. Seeing Caiyue's confusion, Caixia said, "I have no natal family to back me up. I'm afraid that if disputes arise in the future, I'll have no choice but to yield and endure. You say it's a good thing that I can rise to the branches—I think so too. But what about five or ten years from now? Caiyue, we've followed the Eldest Madam for so long. I may not be as clever as she is, but I can still ponder some truths." Her voice was clear and crisp, like a babbling spring, each word striking the heartstrings. Caiyue grew worried. "Then what do we do? To let this opportunity slip away for nothing—wouldn't that be a pity?" Nanny Qiu laughed and picked up the conversation. "Caixia is afraid Xu Baihu will change his heart. You say you have no natal family—the Eldest Madam is your backing. The fact that you can think this far shows you're satisfied with Xu Baihu's circumstances. Why not meet him once more and have a proper talk? Caiyue is right—it wouldn't do to miss out on a good opportunity." She was a woman of experience. After she finished speaking, seeing that Caixia didn't object, she smiled and said she would go ask the Eldest Madam to arrange it. When Cui Lingrong learned of this, she sent someone to the Xie residence the next day. But since the Xie household had no mistress, she couldn't very well visit again. Xie Yunting proposed meeting at the temple south of the city. The date was set. Early that morning, Cui Lingrong brought Nanny Qiu and Caixia to the temple to offer incense, then met with Xie Yunting. There, she saw her younger brother, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. Cui Zeyu was dressed as a servant boy. The siblings' eyes brimmed with tears. Cui Zeyu softly called out, "Elder Sister," and Cui Lingrong was moved as well. "You two talk." Xie Yunting pulled Shuanzi outside, giving him a meaningful look. "Be courteous when you meet the young lady. Keep your hands to yourself, understand?" Shuanzi grinned endlessly, nodding at everything his elder brother said. When he saw Caixia come out, he hurriedly scurried after her. On the other side, Cui Lingrong asked her brother about what had happened during this period. Cui Zeyu recounted everything in detail, except for the matter of encountering the Duke of Dingguo when entering the city. At the end, he let out a sigh. "I've brought trouble to that farming family. They saved me, but they got caught up in my affairs. The people chasing me found the village and came asking questions. Madam Li's husband sensed something was wrong and wanted to report it to the authorities. If the child hadn't woken up that night, the whole family would have nearly been killed." Cui Lingrong listened with fury. "What kind of people are these, to show no mercy even to women and children?" Cui Zeyu said he didn't know yet. "Fortunately, the villagers were woken up. The Li couple suffered some injuries, but the village is no longer safe for them. General Xie has already sent people to bring them here. I'll settle them on one of my estates later." He feared the assassins might return, harming the Li family again—he would regret it for the rest of his life. Cui Lingrong agreed. "Since they saved your life, give them new farmland and enough silver. They've already left their homeland—we can't leave them without a place to live." Cui Zeyu said yes. At this point in their conversation, both siblings furrowed their brows. Cui Lingrong studied her brother, who had grown noticeably thinner. Thinking of how he had nearly lost his life, she ventured a guess. "Do you think it was County Princess Rongjia?" Cui Zeyu paused without answering. If it had been before, he might have thought it was County Princess Rongjia and the Qian family. But now... "It probably isn't County Princess Rongjia. Think about her style of doing things before—her methods weren't pretty, but they weren't that ruthless. Elder Sister, don't worry about this. I will definitely get to the bottom of it." Cui Zeyu said. "How can I not worry?" Cui Lingrong said. "I raised you. You're my closest kin in Bianjing. If anything happened to you—especially if it was because of me—I would be consumed by guilt." As she spoke, her thoughts turned again to County Princess Rongjia. That woman was truly detestable. Cui Lingrong simply couldn't understand—was Song Shulan really so charming, or had County Princess Rongjia never considered her a threat at all? At that very moment, County Princess Rongjia was also at the temple. When she saw Xie Yunting and Cui Lingrong enter the same meditation room, she was absolutely thrilled. She had already sent someone to fetch the Marquis. All she had to do was wait to catch Cui Lingrong and Xie Yunting in the act of their secret meeting. "Why hasn't the Marquis arrived yet?" County Princess Rongjia was growing anxious—if Cui Lingrong left, her efforts today would have been in vain. She had sensed something amiss the day Xie Yunting visited the Marquis's residence. She had wanted to send someone to eavesdrop, but Caiyue had blocked her people. The more they tried to hide it, the more suspicious it seemed to her. When she learned today that Cui Lingrong was going out, County Princess Rongjia decided to follow. To her surprise, she stumbled upon something unexpected—Cui Lingrong meeting Xie Yunting in secret. Cui Lingrong was certainly bold, bringing so many attendants. Ha, did she think no one would follow her? "Don't worry, County Mistress. Our people need time to go and return, and they still have to persuade the Marquis." A smile played at the corner of Chen De's Wife's lips. "Whether or not the Eldest Madam and General Xie are involved, as long as the Marquis sees with his own eyes that she's with General Xie, he will surely be furious." "Yes, men can't stand their women being with others—especially when they're certain that woman would never betray them." County Princess Rongjia let out a light laugh. She drank another cup of tea before she saw Song Shulan approaching with a dark expression. "Master Song, you've finally arrived!"