At this point, Xiu'er's smile gradually disappeared.
Tang Zhuyun was taken aback and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Xiu'er gritted her teeth and said, "I suddenly understand why the Prince insists on marrying you again!"
"Why?" Tang Zhuyun asked, completely bewildered.
Isn't it because of money?
Prince of Jin is unpopular, so there's probably no hope of him giving a monetary gift; however, the Emperor's reward will still be very generous.
Just imagine, she's so socially awkward, and the thought of being surrounded by a huge crowd on the street soon makes her cringe. But then she thinks about the money, and suddenly she feels incredibly confident—bring it on, as many times as you want!
"Consummate the marriage and have children!" Xiu'er said, "Perhaps they also want you to have three or five."
Tang Zhuyun's mouth dropped open. "That can't be right."
"Having children is just my imagination, but consummating the marriage is absolutely true."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
Why didn't she think of that?
What to do on your wedding night?
Can you say it's impossible? Even if you can make an excuse by saying your period is coming, you can't escape it forever.
Tang Zhuyun suddenly felt that Yingxue's melon wasn't so good anymore; she couldn't even finish her own bitter melon!
"What should we do?" she asked Xiu'er.
Xiu'er blinked. "How about we treat the prince as Qingfeng? Just be careful not to actually call him that, it would be awkward."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
I'm exhausted and don't want to talk.
"Forget it," Xiu'er nudged her, "Let's live for today, who knows what the future holds? Prince of Ding isn't even capable!"
Tang Zhuyun: Thank you for your blessing.
If that doesn't work, is Linlin from Huaishang?
"Didn't he take the medicine?" Xiu'er asked with a look of disgust. "Think about it, before and after, were there any women with him?"
Tang Zhuyun: "Didn't Song Jingyang also not have one?"
"Song Jingyang is just a servant boy. He follows the prince around all day, always at his beck and call. Where would he find the time? Unless the prince takes him to a brothel, but the prince doesn't go." Xiu'er scoffed.
Tang Zhuyun: So, it's the Prince of Prince of Jin's fault?
"Think about it, what kind of status does a prince have? So many women throw themselves at him! Let's put ourselves in his shoes. If it were you, someone like Qingfeng would come to your door every day, a different one each time, massaging your shoulders and legs, serving you everything, just to please you every day. It's free, wouldn't you want it?"
Tang Zhuyun: "This... please don't."
"You see, you can't just say 'no' outright, can you? Today you're playing the saint, thinking about refusing; will you be a saint every day? What if you want to indulge yourself when you're in a bad mood?"
Tang Zhuyun was speechless.
"So, the prince might really be incapable," Xiu'er concluded with certainty.
Tang Zhuyun: Is it really that good?
Although living as a widow is not as carefree as being a widow, at least you don't have to serve her in bed. You only need to serve her in daily life, and in return, you can wear beautiful, colorful clothes. It doesn't seem so bad, does it?
The conversation inside the room interrupted their whispered conversation.
Meng Yulan was exasperated inside the room—why don't you two, master and servant, chatter on and on like this, just come in?
"... I've come today to reconcile with you," Yingxue said. "After all, we'll be seeing each other all the time; the past is history and can't be changed. I don't want to feel like a fighting cock every time I see you; it's not good for either the Marquis or your husband."
Xiu'er: "Tsk tsk, is that even human language? Who is she talking to? Does our master think he's afraid of that heartless marquis? I think she only said one thing right—"
Which sentence?
"She's just a chicken."
Tang Zhuyun burst into laughter.
The master and servant no longer bothered to hide their sarcasm and mockery from outside the window.
Meng Yulan looked at Yingxue, fiddling with her prayer beads, and said with a half-smile, "Madam Hou is right. My husband is of noble character and should not be tainted by such a despicable person. Your deep affection for the Marquis, your unwavering support through thick and thin, this stolen happiness is truly touching."
Yingxue said, "You still won't admit it, but I'm more suitable for the Marquis than you. You've never lifted a finger since you were little, so even if you went with the Marquis, you'd only be a burden to him. I love the Marquis. My choice back then might have been a bit dishonest, but it was better for both of you."
"So I should thank you?" Meng Yulan said. "Yes, I should thank you. Without you, how could I be where I am today? But there's something I don't understand..."
Yingxue bit her lip. "Please speak."
"Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the past, I have already severed ties with Jiang Beihan and with you." Meng Yulan said sarcastically, "I haven't sought revenge on you for anything in the past, have I?"
Yingxue remained silent.
"I let you go, yet you come to my door to scheme against me again." Meng Yulan smiled. "So, are you tired of being the Lady of the Marquis?"
Xiu'er gave Meng Yulan a thumbs up. "Awesome!"
Yingxue blushed and said, "You think too highly of yourself. You have no right to interfere in the affairs of the Marquis's mansion!"
"I've been thinking, I've taken care of your food and lodging since you were little, taught you to read and study with me, and in the end you misunderstood your own identity and started trying to steal me away? You stole me, fine, but after you got what you wanted, you couldn't stand to see me doing well and wanted to keep putting me down. Yingxue, where did you get your confidence?"
"If I respect you, you can at least act like a human being; if I don't, you're just my dog." Meng Yulan's face gradually turned icy. "I'm about to give birth, and you've deliberately come to provoke me, hoping I'll have a miscarriage, or worse, die along with the baby, isn't that right?"
Do you think I'm still the same Meng Yulan who could endure humiliation and live a life of hardship for Jiang Beihan, who would risk her life for him?
"For the sake of our past relationship as master and servant, if you are heartless, I cannot be unjust." Meng Yulan slowly stood up, supporting her back. "I will grant your request one last time."
Tang Zhuyun turned to look at Xiu'er: "What does sister-in-law mean by this? I don't understand."
Xiu'er: "Just listen and you'll know. Anyway, we can't let that bitch get away with it!"
Meng Yulan said, "A-Yun, my stomach hurts; I'm afraid I've miscarried."
She smiled as she spoke, but the smile didn't reach her eyes; she stared coldly at Yingxue: "Congratulations, you've gotten what you wanted..."
Tang Zhuyun: You begged to be hit, and you got hit!
She led Xiu'er into the house, and when the two saw Meng Yulan smiling, they immediately understood that she was faking it.
Xiu'er shouted loudly, "Madam is having a miscarriage attack! The Lady of the Marquis is so angry that our Madam is having a miscarriage attack! Song Jingyang, quickly go and call the Master and the Eldest Master back! We've been bullied!"
Meng Yulan looked at Yingxue and said, word by word, "Go back and see how your good Marquis will treat you."
Yingxue's face was completely drained of color.
The Meng Yulan she remembered was so proud, how could she do such a thing?
"You're not the only despicable one," Meng Yulan said. "Do you think I wouldn't take advantage of Jiang Beihan's guilt and reluctance? Do you think I've already died once, and I can still be as foolish as before?"
"Yingxue, this is just the beginning. We have a long future ahead of us!"