Tang Zhuyun had a vague guess in her heart, but she didn't show it at all, and asked casually, "How do you plan to ask?"
"You can ask me anything." The Prince of Jin reached out and pinched her cheek across the small table.
"That's more like it. Go ahead and say it."
"My mother's matter."
This remained a knot in the heart of the Prince of Jin that he could never let go of.
"Why bother asking?" Tang Zhuyun feigned displeasure. "Am I that unreliable?"
"Huh? You..."
"I've made up my mind, and I was just about to discuss it with you," Tang Zhuyun said. "You know about the banquet I'm hosting for the women of various families the day after tomorrow, right?"
Prince of Jin: "I saw them setting up a stage in the garden, and I found out as soon as I asked them a question."
"Then why don't you ask me?"
"You're new here and don't know anyone," said the Prince of Jin. "By hosting a banquet, you'll surely find a few people you can talk to."
Tang Zhuyun laughed and said, "So, in your eyes, I'm so good at dealing with people?"
"You're a good person, everyone wants to be close to you."
Tang Zhuyun: "I think the only person who wants to get close to me is you."
"That's what I'm most eager for, and what I want most is... to be as close as possible."
Tang Zhuyun: Bah! How can we not get close? How can we have children if we don't get close?
"Let's get down to business." She glared at Prince of Jin, but to the latter, her eyes sparkled with charm and allure.
"Go ahead, I'm listening."
"What I want to discuss with you is," Tang Zhuyun said seriously, "that Xiao Wu is dead, and that she was killed by you and me. Everyone knows this."
The Prince of Jin nodded.
"Now that everything is out in the open, let's make the search for our relatives a grand affair."
"Um?"
"I'm a mother too," Tang Zhuyun said softly. "That's why I try to put myself in her shoes. If I were the mother-in-law, I'd probably have many reservations about recognizing my relatives."
For example, will the son accept it?
For example, if she had suffered or gone through certain hardships in the past, wouldn't that tarnish her son's reputation?
For example...
"In short, taking that step seems easy, but any reservations can become obstacles."
The Prince of Jin seemed to be deep in thought.
"We can't eliminate all possible doubts," Tang Zhuyun said, "But I think we should at least make our stance clear; if Mother-in-law is alive, she'll know that I want her back."
The Prince of Jin finally understood.
"You want to tell everyone about this at the banquet?"
Tang Zhuyun nodded. "I've asked everyone I could. I hope this matter can spread as widely as possible. Actually, you could issue an official document, but firstly, it's too formal, and secondly, the impact might be too great. It would be better to try spreading the news among the women first..."
"Very well." The Prince of Jin was moved.
He never mentioned it, but she had already begun to take action.
With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?
Qu Nian: With a wife like this, I'd fight to the death.
The Poisonous Woman Ren was telling jokes to her concubines.
"They say the maid is having an affair with the master, and the mistress plans to sell the maid..."
The concubines didn't even blush; they stared intently at Ren Yingying, studying with utmost seriousness.
According to Qu Nian, they even wanted to find a small notebook to write it down.
Now that people are so eagerly anticipating "cheating," what wouldn't they dare to do?
Qu Nian felt that he was the poplar tree at the door, and Ren Yingying was the spring breeze.
If she blows it, he'll definitely be cuckolded, and the whole thing will be cuckolded!
Little did Ren Yingying know that the Dog Meat she had cherished so dearly had been switched by that scoundrel of a man.
The night is long, and instead of all five of us being bored, we might as well have a party together.
The maidservant said, 'You're not as pretty as me!' The mistress asked, 'Who said that?' The maidservant replied, 'The master said it.'"
The four concubines gasped in astonishment, wondering how the maid dared to do such a thing.
Qu Nian: Is this Poisonous Woman Ren her concubines are too obedient and won't challenge her?
The maidservant added, "You're not as good as me in bed either."
Now everyone blushed and said angrily, "Change it, change it!"
Qu Nian: I understand, this is encouraging his concubines to have affairs!
Poisonous woman.
"The mistress was furious, 'Who said that?'" Ren Yingying kept them in suspense, "What do you think this maid said that allowed her to escape this predicament?"
Everyone looked at each other, unable to guess.
Ren Yingying said smugly, "The maid said, 'That's what the guards said!'"
Everyone was stunned, then burst into laughter.
Qu Nian: Is this a moral decline or the extinction of humanity?
Every single one of them in this room must be packed up and thrown out, leaving nothing behind.
He swore that he and that Poisonous Woman Ren were sworn enemies!
Ren Yingying tossed the sunflower seed shells aside. "Alright, alright, that's the joke. Sisters, let's play a few rounds!"
Hua Cha smiled and said, "I'm not playing anymore, I'll pour you some tea."
"OK."
The crowd began pushing the Great Wall with great fanfare, making it feel like celebrating the New Year every day.
Qu Nian: No, he has to think of a way. Being a dog is too powerless.
Should he let people know that he is Qu Nian?
Who can we turn to? Won't everyone treat him like a monster? What if they burn him at the stake? Where will we go to seek justice then?
"System, who is the key to restoring my human form?"
This time the system didn't play dead; it said, "Prince of Jin."
Qu Nian: "Change to someone else!"
System: "Tang Zhuyun."
Qu Nian: "Let's try another one."
System: "Ren Yingying is gone, and can't be replaced."
Qu Nian: "... I'll study the Prince of Jin further."
Perhaps he should go to the border town to see the Prince of Jin?
After all, if the Prince of Jin could accept that his bedmate was a demon, he would probably be more accepting of him turning into a dog than others?
No, what if this person is blinded by lust and chooses to help that Poisonous Woman Ren?
Qu Nian was caught in a deep dilemma, the sounds of laughter from the women who were supposed to be serving him Xiaoyi echoing in his ears.
The banquet at the Border City Prince's Mansion arrived as scheduled.
Tang Zhuyun met with Old Madam Zhou, as well as the ladies of various prominent families in the border town.
The crowd implicitly regarded Old Madam Zhou as their leader.
Old Madam Zhou was in her early fifties and was Zhou Jiyin's second wife.
Zhou Jiyin's first wife was her older sister.
The idea of a younger sister marrying after her older sister's death is not uncommon in this era.
Today, Old Madam Zhou brought her two daughters-in-law and two granddaughters.
The two granddaughters were about fifteen or sixteen years old; one was named Zhou Fu, and the other Zhou Xu.
Zhou Xu's makeup and clothes were very exaggerated. Tang Zhuyun thought that if she put a comb on her head, she would look like a proud rooster.
Their speech and behavior were exaggerated and affected.
Four golden characters flashed into Tang Zhuyun's mind: Sister Furong.
In comparison, Zhou Fu was much more outstanding.
She is dignified and composed, and commands great respect among women of her age.
Zhou Xu sometimes went too far, so Zhou Fu would quietly remind her.
Zhou Xu was a few months older than Zhou Fu, and she often showed signs of resentment and would argue with Zhou Fu, making Zhou Fu's face turn red and white in turns.
Xiu'er whispered to Tang Zhuyun, "They're all born of the same father, how can they be so different?"
Zhou Fu was born of the legitimate wife, while Zhou Xu was born of a concubine.
Tang Zhuyun took a sip of tea, and said with a half-smile, "Sometimes, what you see isn't necessarily the truth."