Cui Yunfeng looked at Tang Qingwan, her eyes sparkling with hidden pride and admiration.
Cui Yunchu, however, was stunned. Her vision blurred and her head throbbed, as if that sharp sword, accompanied by the whistling wind like a tiger's roar, was striking at her once again.
"Grandmother, I would like to stay at the Cui Manor for a few days," Tang Qingwan said.
Lord Tang was the Grand Tutor, and the Crown Prince frequently visited the Tang residence. Tang Qingwan did not wish to see the Crown Prince during these few days.
Even if the matter regarding Liu Wanting was the Emperor's intention, as the heir to the throne, how could the Crown Prince not desire to hold military power firmly in his own hands? She wondered if he had played a part in securing Liu Wanting’s position as a side consort.
Tang Qingwan lowered her gaze, her eyes dark with thought.
Old Madam Cui immediately instructed Nanny Li to go and tidy up the courtyard where Tang Qingwan usually stayed.
After the group chatted for a while longer, Tang Qingwan rose to take her leave.
Cui Yunfeng took a few steps but stopped when she saw that Cui Yunchu remained seated. "You aren't actually waiting to ask Grandmother for a reward, are you?" she scoffed.
Cui Yunchu’s mind was in a state of chaos; she hadn't heard a word of what Cui Yunfeng said.
"Yunfeng, you go back first. I have some things to discuss with your eldest sister," Old Madam Cui said.
"Grandmother!" Cui Yunfeng exclaimed, her face clouded with dissatisfaction.
She was the legitimate daughter and the youngest; why did everyone in the household seem to favor Cui Yunchu?
"Go on now."
Cui Yunfeng left reluctantly. Only then did Old Madam Cui turn her gaze toward Cui Yunchu. "Yunchu, what are you thinking about?"
Cui Yunchu looked up at Old Madam Cui, her red lips pressed tightly together, silent for a moment.
"Having heard your cousin’s words, have you given it any thought?" Old Madam Cui asked.
Cui Yunchu lowered her head. "Yes. In the past, I was narrow-minded. I only saw the glory of being the Crown Princess, without considering the thorns that come with it."
"It is good that you understand," Old Madam Cui sighed. "A tall tree attracts the wind, and high office bears a heavy burden. The survival of the Cui and Tang clans rests entirely on your cousin's shoulders. Her marriage to the Crown Prince must be flawless. It is a weight you cannot carry."
In her previous life, Old Madam Cui had also analyzed the pros and cons for her with such heart-to-heart sincerity.
Unfortunately, back then, she hadn't known her own place. She had insisted on competing with Tang Qingwan. If it was for the sake of the Cui and Tang clans, why couldn't a daughter of the Cui family do it? Why did it have to be Tang Qingwan?
Even her grandmother believed she was inferior to her cousin.
But later, facts proved that Tang Qingwan’s methods and schemes were far beyond her reach. Even if those schemes were laid out plainly before her, her meager wits would not have been able to grasp them.
When Cui Yunchu had first realized this fact, she had been dejected and resentful for a long time. She was even more furious with her concubine mother, who had raised her to be nothing more than a petty person skilled in nothing but coquetry and deceit.
She had been full of ambition, but lacked the capability to match it.
Seeing Cui Yunchu silent with her head bowed, Old Madam Cui beckoned her closer. "The positions by the Crown Prince's side are limited. Since our family already has your cousin there, the Imperial Family will not grant another position as a side consort to you."
"A daughter of the Cui clan shall not be a concubine," Cui Yunchu said, looking up. Her eyes were cold, yet filled with pride.
Old Madam Cui pulled her into an embrace. "Yunchu is right. How noble the daughters of our Cui clan are; how could they ever be concubines? Fortunately, your mother taught you well on this point."
The corner of Cui Yunchu's mouth twitched into a faint, bitter smile.
That woman’s greatest regret in life was becoming a concubine. For years, she lived like a widow in all but name. She once said that only a legal wife was permitted to accompany her husband to his official post; as a concubine, she was left behind in the Cui Manor within the capital, abandoned and forgotten. Her youth was squandered as the years passed by. By the time her lord finally returned, she was already a woman past her prime.
Cui Yunchu leaned into Old Madam Cui’s embrace, her eyes rimmed with red. Grandmother, Yunchu has a question she wishes to ask.
Speak, the old woman replied.
Cui Yunchu lifted her head, her palms damp with a thin layer of sweat from her tight grip. The Shen family Grandmother just mentioned in the context of the Great Clan Rebellion—is that the Shen family from the Southern City?
It is. Old Madam Cui’s gaze turned dim and distant, as if she were drifting back through time.
In those days, the Shen family was the leader of the Great Clans, an illustrious house of high standing that had endured for centuries. Their roots were deep, their branches flourishing, and their glory was hereditary. But when the current Emperor first ascended the throne, the imperial court was shaken by the rebellion of the late Prince. Seizing the moment, the Great Clans plotted to undermine the imperial authority, audaciously hoping to replace the Emperor himself...
