Tang Zhuyun: "Xiu'er, thank goodness for you."
No matter what decision she made, Xiu'er supported her unconditionally and wholeheartedly agreed with all her choices.
Xiu'er said happily, "It's fortunate that I followed you, otherwise I might have met Song Jingyang!"
Tang Zhuyun: I won't eat dog food!
Xiu'er was already thinking about her own affairs, "The prince is getting married, and it's going to be a grand wedding. Will Song Jingyang's mother come? If she doesn't like me, Song Jingyang and I are definitely doomed. I can't bear that humiliation; so it's best if she likes me, otherwise, no one will have a good time."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
I wonder if Song Jingyang's mother sneezed.
A few days later, imperial edicts were issued one after another, and Prince of Jin suddenly became depressed.
According to custom, after the engagement, he and Tang Zhuyun could no longer see each other... And at his insistence, the wedding date was set for July, which was the closest date chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau after receiving money from him...
The Prince of Jin dug himself a hole, a very, very deep one.
The Tang Family originally planned to move, but because Meng Yulan was about to give birth, the new house was not yet completed, and it was too close to the Prince's Mansion, it would be a bit strange when they got married—they would arrive at the groom's house after only a few steps from the bride's house. Therefore, they decided to move after Tang Zhuyun got married.
The Prince of Jin used to be an arrogant man who never cared about rules and customs; but this marriage was something he had personally requested, and he wanted to strictly abide by all the rules, since it concerned his happiness for the rest of his life, and he dared not act rashly.
However, the Prince of Jin was very suspicious, and he couldn't help himself.
He was extremely irritable in the Prince's residence.
Tang Zhuyun was alright; after all, she was just a tool, going through the motions.
It just so happens that Meng Yulan is about to give birth, so she can still help out at her parents' home. She can only get married a month after Meng Yulan finishes her postpartum confinement.
Sigh, who would have thought that becoming a princess would lead to being "returned"—come on, your previous marriage was done wrong, let's try again.
If the Prince of Jin doesn't mind the trouble, she thinks it would be fine to come once a year.
She could receive imperial rewards, collect wedding gifts, and even visit her parents' home!
The two children went to live with Tang Zhuyun at her parents' home, and Prince of Jin got his wish ahead of time, becoming a lonely "widow".
Tang Zhuyun took Meng Yulan's pulse and said with a smile, "The little one is moving steadily, there are no signs of labor starting; but childbirth can happen quickly, so don't worry, sister-in-law."
Meng Yulan said softly, "I'm not in a hurry. I'm just worried that he'll be born on the Dragon Boat Festival, and I'm also afraid that something might happen to me. A-Yun, if anything really happens, you save the child, don't worry about me."
"Sister-in-law, are you stupid! What will happen to the child without a mother? What will happen to my brother? Look at my father, doesn't he know what a devoted lover the Tang Family men are?"
Meng Yulan's eyes welled up with tears. "These days I've been living in constant fear, and I feel like crying whenever I think about it. A-Yun, I can't bear to part with you. I haven't had enough of these wonderful days."
"If you haven't had enough, then live it to the fullest," Tang Zhuyun said. "Don't worry, I'm still here for you."
Meng Yulan wiped her eyes sheepishly, "A-Yun, I'm so sorry you had to see this."
"Sister-in-law, don't feel embarrassed. The period from pregnancy to childbirth, which can last for months or even a year, is very difficult for a woman. Sometimes it's hard to control your emotions, so don't be too hard on yourself."
"Mm." Meng Yulan nodded.
Having such a sister-in-law is a blessing she earned in her past life.
Just then, Lüzhu lifted the curtain and came in from outside, looking somewhat embarrassed, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Tang Zhuyun stood up to leave, but Meng Yulan stopped her and said to Lüzhu, "Speak."
Lüzhu bowed her head and said, "Madam, Nanny Zhang, the old woman who serves the Duchess, has arrived."
"What's she doing here?" Tang Zhuyun asked. "Didn't your sister-in-law make herself clear before?"
Meng Yulan had long ago severed ties with the Duke Meng's Residence!
They must have heard that Meng Yulan was going to become the daughter-in-law of the Minister of Court of Judicial Review, so they wanted to come and acknowledge their kinship.
Sure enough, Lüzhu said, "Nanny Zhang just slipped me a red envelope, implying that she was there to mend relations and also to give Madam a supplementary dowry."
Meng Yulan's so-called dowry was all planned and prepared by herself in advance, and was not given by the Duke's mansion.
Now that the Duke's family wants to mend relations, wouldn't they have to make up for the dowry?
Tang Zhuyun sneered, "No need. The Duke's mansion is too prestigious; our Tang Family cannot possibly be worthy of it."
Meng Yulan said, "Tell her to wait outside. I'm talking to my aunt and don't have time. Let her wait for half an hour before bringing her in to see me."
Lüzhu accepted the order and went out.
Tang Zhuyun asked, puzzled, "Sister-in-law, what's going on...?"
This dragging-out approach is unlike Meng Yulan's usual style.
Meng Yulan lowered her eyes and said, "Since they've come to give me money to supplement my dowry, why should I refuse?"
"Oh? I thought you wouldn't want it."
"Do you think that because I accepted money from the Duke's mansion, I'll be entangled with them in the future?"
Tang Zhuyun nodded; that was indeed what she thought.
"But I won't accept it. I still bear the mark of the Duke's mansion, and they will still come after me," Meng Yulan said. "A-Yun, I've decided to reconcile with the Duke's mansion."
Tang Zhuyun was even more shocked.
Forgive her, she had never been exposed to the world of the Duke's mansion, so she couldn't understand Meng Yulan's decision.
Meng Yulan gently touched her swollen belly and said, "Because of him, he can't have a mother with a tarnished reputation."
"Sister-in-law..." Tang Zhuyun was moved.
In our youth, we all dreamed of roaming the world with a sword, but later we realized that it's hard to leave our comfort zone. We develop more and more vulnerabilities, learn to compromise, and grow stronger scales to protect everything we have.
"I wasn't entirely thinking of him, A-Yun," Meng Yulan looked at her, her gaze sincere and resolute, shining brightly, "I also need a reputation. My battlefield is different from yours."
She is skilled both internally and externally, adept at social interaction, a devoted wife and mother; all that she has learned is the battlefield where she needs to put it into practice.
The Tang Family shouldn't always be like this.
Both father and son were clearly the pride of heaven, yet they were consistently excluded from the social circles of Beijing.
Meng Yulan, we must change this situation.
She wasn't trying to reconcile with the Duke Meng's Residence; she was looking for a better breakthrough to rebuild her power!
That is where her value lies.
An Yi is not so easy. Tang Baixin her from the wind and rain, and she also had to clear thorns and brambles for him. This was their silent understanding and the deepest love.
"So you see, they want to use me, but don't I want to use them too?"
So bring it on!