After being scolded, Chu Wan felt somewhat aggrieved.
Although she never had parents around, she was a pampered darling of many relatives since childhood and had almost never been reprimanded so harshly.
Moreover, this injury had left her unconscious, and upon waking, she suffered from amnesia. Adding to her woes, a scar on her forehead disfigured her, making her endure immense suffering. Consequently, the Emperor, Consort Jing, the Chu brothers (Chu Ye and Chu Xu), Qiao's maternal grandparents, her cousin Qiao Sheng, and others took turns caring for her, spoiling and pampering her even more than before. When she entered the palace, the Empress Dowager even held her, tears streaming down her face, repeatedly saying she hadn't taken good care of her granddaughter and was sorry for her deceased son. Her uncle and aunt, far away in the Northwest, even sent a box of priceless Tian Shan snow lotus, claiming it was a top-grade beauty-enhancing and scar-removing product.
Chu Wan was spoiled by everyone and had never been neglected. She never imagined that instead of asking about her injuries or mentioning teaching the bad guy who hurt her a lesson, he would scold her mercilessly.
Is this really her mother?
The mother she longed to see?
Chu Wan had imagined a thousand scenarios of meeting her mother. Some would be filled with joy, others with tears in their eyes, all based on the premise that her mother, like her, missed each other. But she never imagined that the old princess would be so indifferent to her.
Although she obeyed the instructions and bowed, tears were already welling up in her eyes.
Her mother was completely different from what she had imagined. She was cold and unloving, not even half as good as her aunt. No, she was not good to her at all.
If she had known, she wouldn't have spent so much time missing her all these years!
Although Wushuang had experienced the old princess's indifference before, she never expected that the old princess would treat her youngest daughter, whom she hadn't seen for over ten years, in the same way, and couldn't help but feel indignant for Chu Wan.
Seeing that her eyes were red and her lips were pursed, and she looked like she was about to cry, he quickly pulled her to his side and gently coaxed her for a few words. Then he turned to the old princess and said, "Mother, don't blame Wanwan. She just wanted to explain for me. If you want to blame someone, blame me alone."
The old princess didn't respond, but Chu Pei snorted, "What business is it of yours if we, mother and daughter, are talking? Can't a mother discipline her own daughter? Why are you pretending to be a good person? Are you trying to win people over? Or are you trying to sow discord? I think I should take back what I said earlier. Your methods and scheming are top-notch. Otherwise, how could you have your brother and sister so easily fooled and obeyed you?"
Perhaps because of her youth and lack of experience, Chu Pei spoke even less scathingly than the old princess.
Chu Wan wiped away her tears and said, "Sister, don't misunderstand Shuangshuang. She's not that kind of person."
"How do you know what kind of person she is, given how many people you've met?" Chu Pei said dismissively.
Chu Wan was so angry that she jumped up and down: "I've known Shuangshuang for over ten years, and you've only just met her for the first time. Of course, I know her better."
Chu Pei pouted: "I'm afraid it's not understanding, it's being deceived."
The old princess calmly sipped her tea, completely ignoring the bickering between the sisters.
Wushuang was so angry that she didn't have the patience to argue with Chu Pei, and just waited coldly for the old princess to speak. Her gaze swept back and forth between Chu Pei and the old princess's faces, and she found that the mother and daughter had equally handsome long faces and very similar features. Coupled with the expression when they criticized her, it was as if she was seeing the same person across twenty years.
Looking at Chu Wan again, with her delicate round face and gentle features, she resembled Consort Jing more than her mother and sister.
Does that mean whoever raised you will be like you?
We should be thankful that the old princess has been away from the palace for so many years, so that there is such a lovely and endearing Chu Wan in the world.
However, Chu Yao doesn't resemble the old princess or his two younger sisters at all.
Wushuang had met Emperor Deqing several times and felt that Chu Yao's appearance was somewhat similar to the current emperor. To be precise, he should look like Emperor Deqing's younger brother, Chu Yao's biological father, the old Prince of Ying.
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Chapter 135 | Table of Contents
Chapter 135:
Wushuang was lost in thought, sometimes smiling slightly, sometimes frowning in worry, and sometimes seemingly having a sudden realization.
The old princess sat on the daybed, looking down at everything.
She had initially reprimanded Wushuang somewhat as an excuse, but now, seeing her daring to daydream in front of her elders, she was genuinely annoyed.
"You just said that as the eldest sister-in-law, you should take responsibility for your younger sisters' mistakes, so why did you remain silent and let them argue without saying a word? Are you saying one thing and doing another?"
Wushuang was used to the old princess's nitpicking, so she wasn't angry anymore. She just stood up and pulled Chu Wan aside, saying to her, "Don't argue. You sisters have been separated for many years, and you're arguing non-stop as soon as you meet again. Wouldn't that hurt your feelings? Besides, it's really hard to say what kind of person I am just by talking. There's an old saying: 'Time will tell.' Once Mother and Peipei have spent more time with me, they will naturally know what kind of person I am."
"At least those two sentences sound like the kind of thing a sister-in-law would say," the old princess snorted indifferently.
For Wushuang, this was the kindest thing the old princess had ever said to her since their first meeting, and she decided to take it as her mother-in-law's praise.
The old princess continued, "I'm exhausted from the long journey, so let's call it a day and not bother with any welcoming banquet. Aunt Qiao has been by my side since she was a child, and she has worked hard even if she hasn't done anything particularly meritorious. I have always intended to provide her with a comfortable life, and no matter what mistakes she has made, my intention will never change. Therefore, from today onwards, she will move back to her original courtyard."
Now that everyone has been brought back, can Wushuang really say no? After all, the old princess is the mother-in-law, and she is the daughter-in-law. Let Chu Yao handle things like disobeying his elders. Now that he's not in the capital, she has no one to back her up. It's better for her to be flexible about such trivial matters, lest she suffer a great loss because she couldn't bear to do something.
Moreover, the old princess meant that Qiao's mother should stay in the palace to live out her days, which meant she didn't have to do anything and had no immediate conflict with Wushuang, so there was even less reason for her to rush.
Wushuang's mind became increasingly clear as she thought about it. The old princess's dissatisfaction likely stemmed from her children and daughters-in-law disciplining the elderly servants around her, causing her to lose face. Considering the different ways the Qiao family members acted, the old princess, as the eldest daughter, wouldn't be so unreasonable as to be unable to distinguish right from wrong. Her scolding was simply a way of venting her anger and establishing her authority as a mother-in-law, which wasn't entirely incomprehensible. (qiushu.cc [Tianhuo Avenue])
Sure enough, the old princess said again, "Now that all the household affairs have been handed over to you, you will have to take care of them from now on. Just as you said, time will tell. As a mother, I naturally hope that Yao'er will marry a virtuous woman who is not only beautiful but also considerate and capable of managing the palace well. As time goes by, we don't need to say whether you do well in these matters or not; everyone can see for themselves."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "However, there is an urgent matter at hand. As you know, when your father-in-law was still alive, he arranged for her to marry Qiu Yundao, the youngest son of Qiu Ji, a Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy. We've come back this time to arrange Peipei's marriage. I've been away from the capital for a long time and have become estranged from the palace and various households, so I'll leave this matter to you. You're young and inexperienced, so there's no need to be afraid. After all, Yao'er's reputation is there, so even if you make a mistake, no one will hold it against you too much."
The old princess wasn't truly intending to let things slide. Coming from a military family, she wasn't someone who only cared about her immediate surroundings. If it weren't for Chu Yao's backing, how could Wu Shuang, a newly married maid, have the audacity to sell them all off? Even if she punished Wu Shuang now, it would inevitably cause more trouble when Chu Yao returned; it was better to deal with it then.
Presiding over weddings and funerals is the responsibility of the matriarch of the household, and Wushuang has no reason to shirk it.
The old princess continued to belittle her, making it sound as if she was completely incompetent and relied entirely on Chu Yao for support.
Wushuang, driven by her stubbornness, was determined to do things even better.
She returned to Yuanxiang Hall with a puffed-out face, first writing a letter to her mother, Madam Yang, explaining that the old princess had coincidentally returned today, and it was inconvenient for her to go back to her parents' home immediately. She also inquired about the reason why her cousin Yang had suddenly come to the capital. Finally, she sealed the letter and handed it to the maidservant who had accompanied her to personally go to the Marquis of Runan's residence.
After that, it was time to start preparing for Chu Pei's wedding.
However, she had no clue what to do about it at the moment.
Wushuang, having brewed a pot of tea, sat quietly by the window, pondering her next move.
When Wuxia and Chuye got married, Wushuang and Chen Kun got engaged. Their mother, Madam Yang, was very careful and specifically instructed Wuxia that if she found out anything related to the royal family, whether it was rules or taboos, she should write it all down in a letter to Wushuang.