The stagnant atmosphere in the hall instantly made the two sisters withdraw their smiles, and they curtsied in unison.
Tang Qingwan, who was sitting upright just below Old Madam Cui, raised a smile, "What are you two sisters talking about? You look so happy."
Old Madam Cui also put away her solemnity and looked at the two with a smile.
Cui Yunfeng pointed at Cui Yunchu and complained, "Eldest Sister said she is as beautiful as a fox spirit and is afraid of being caught by the gods and Buddhas of Anshan Temple."
Tang Qingwan covered her lips and laughed, "What Yunchu said is not false. She is indeed very beautiful."
Old Madam Cui glanced at Cui Yunchu askance and feigned blame, "Whose daughter is so shameless?"
Cui Yunchu kept her smile, not caring at all, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
"Alright, it's getting late. You should set off quickly."
Old Madam Cui urged, her gaze turning to Tang Qingwan, "Say a few more words to her on your grandmother's behalf. My health is not what it used to be, so I won't go see her. Tell her that it won't be long before I go to accompany her."
As she said this, her expression was sorrowful. Losing her husband and daughter in her middle age had long made Old Madam Cui feel an indescribable weariness toward the secular world, far lacking the vigorous vitality of other old madams.
"Grandmother."
"Grandmother."
The three sisters furrowed their brows and spoke at the same time, their faces full of disapproval.
Cui Yunchu had the sweetest mouth, "Grandmother is in good health and will definitely live to be a hundred years old."
"Even if I live to be a hundred, how many years do I have left? Don't worry, I will definitely see you all get married and have children one by one. Only then can I set my mind at ease and go meet the ancestors of the Cui family."
Old Madam Cui seemed to have not rested well these past few days, and a hint of fatigue appeared on her face. Tang Qingwan then led the two sisters to stand up and bow, preparing to set off.
Old Madam Cui gave one last instruction, "Yunfeng, get along well with others. Although Lord Zhou does not have a good family background, he has brilliant literary talent. In the future, he will definitely achieve great things."
If he married into the Cui family and had their support, he would soar even higher and would not let Cui Yunfeng suffer any hardships.
Cui Yunfeng's expression paused for a moment. She lowered her head slightly and agreed in a very soft voice.
Old Madam Cui waved her hand and let the three sisters leave.
She still had to busy herself with choosing a suitable family for Yunchu; at the very least, it had to be an official's family.
That girl was not as obedient as Yunfeng. Old Madam Cui did not dare to choose a poor scholar for Cui Yunchu, not because she was afraid Cui Yunchu would suffer, but because she was afraid the other party would suffer.
She was worried that the man would be poisoned to death by Cui Yunchu with a bowl of medicine.
Old Madam Cui knew very well that with Cui Yunchu's temper, she was definitely capable of doing such a thing.
The three sisters left the Songhe Garden and arrived at the entrance of the manor.
Cui Yunfeng looked a little down, as if the thought of what she had to deal with today made her feel very uncomfortable.
Cui Yunchu took the initiative to ask, "Cousin, didn't you say that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was also going?"
Tang Qingwan looked toward the other end of the street, gave a faint response, and said, "I didn't wait for him."
"..."
Cui Yunchu scratched her head, "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
After all, he is the heir to the throne.
Tang Qingwan, however, looked completely unconcerned, "He is very busy, ignore him. Could it be that if he doesn't come to pick me up, we just won't go?"
Hearing this, Cui Yunchu knew that the Crown Prince had most likely broken his promise again.
His mouth was like a millstone, only spinning forward in circles, never turning back to fulfill a promise.
"That's perfect, the three of us sisters can share one carriage." Cui Yunfeng lifted her skirt and got into the carriage.
Cui Yunchu didn't even have time to voice her objection.
What if the Crown Prince came halfway? How inappropriate would it be for the two of them to be there.
"Get in," Tang Qingwan said.
Cui Yunchu could only follow along. The three sisters sat close together, with Cui Yunfeng sitting in the middle, leaning against her two sisters, looking listless.
The carriage slowly began to move.
Cui Yunfeng, as if reacting half a beat late, suddenly asked, "Cousin, why didn't His Royal Highness the Crown Prince come?"
Tang Qingwan lowered her eyes slightly, "His feet were tangled up by a vixen."
The vixen was roughly equivalent to Liu Wanting.
Cui Yunfeng frowned, "That Liu Wanting is truly annoying. She hasn't even entered the Eastern Palace yet, and she's already starting to fight for favor?"
Cui Yunchu nodded in agreement, "Moreover, she is only a side consort."
Cui Yunfeng quickly added, "And His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is also... Can't he see what that woman is scheming? To actually indulge her like this."
"Relying on her powerful father, of course," Cui Yunchu said disdainfully.
After the two sisters finished cursing Liu Wanting, they criticized the Crown Prince. Listening from the side, Tang Qingwan's lips curved upward.
As the carriage slowly drove out of the city gates, Tang Qingwan didn't forget to tease Cui Yunchu, "Didn't you used to say, Eldest Sister, that it's perfectly normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines, and to be fickle in love, and that as a woman, one should be broad-minded?"
"..."
Dead memories always attack me when I least expect them.
Cui Yunchu shot an unhappy glance at Tang Qingwan, tilted her head to the side, and stopped talking.
What kind of person is this? She had been diligently trying to make her happy and speaking up for her all along the way, and not only did she not thank her, but she also mocked her like this.
"I told you we should have taken an extra carriage. Now that I'm being despised, I can't even leave if I want to."
Tang Qingwan and Cui Yunfeng laughed in unison.
Just then, the vigorous sound of galloping hooves rang out from behind, getting closer and closer. Finally, with a sudden neigh, a horse darted past their carriage and galloped forward.
Cui Yunchu was afraid of getting a face full of dust again, so she waited a good while before slowly lifting the carriage curtain, only to see a tiny trace of the carriage ahead.
Tang Qingwan said, "Judging from the direction it came from, it's probably someone from the capital as well."
"Who knows." Cui Yunchu dropped the curtain, unconcerned.
The Emperor's Ferghana horse for hunting probably only ran that fast; it disappeared the moment it stretched its legs.
As the three sisters were talking, another carriage caught up from behind. Cui Yunchu leaned against the carriage window and grinned as she looked at Eunuch Liu behind them, who was swinging his arms, looking as though he wished the horse could fly.
She turned to Tang Qingwan and said, "He's here."
Tang Qingwan's gaze was indifferent. She glanced outside and gave a soft "Mm."
"Aren't you going to tell the driver to stop?" Cui Yunchu asked.
Only then did Tang Qingwan knock on the carriage wall. The driver slowly brought it to a halt, and the Crown Prince's carriage quickly caught up.
Tang Qingwan patted Cui Yunchu, signaling her to give up the spot by the window.
Cui Yunchu immediately scooted to the side.
"Qingwan," the Crown Prince lifted his carriage curtain and looked over.
Tang Qingwan, who had just worn an indifferent expression, suddenly had slightly reddened corners of her eyes. "I thought His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wasn't coming. The time for offering incense cannot be delayed, so I could only go on ahead."
The day before, she had sent someone to the Eastern Palace to inform him of the time of her appointment with the abbot at Anshan Temple today.
Of course, at the same time, she had also arranged for Liu Wanting to be informed that the Crown Prince was accompanying her up the mountain to pay respects to her late mother.
"Government affairs kept me busy. It is my fault."
Tang Qingwan smiled, "It doesn't matter. It's just that they say the memorial rites must be completed before noon, otherwise it's bad for the deceased."
The Crown Prince had naturally never heard of these folk rumors. Eunuch Liu, who was beside him, nodded and quietly interjected, "That is indeed the custom."
Tang Qingwan said slowly, "I will soon marry into the Eastern Palace, and my every move is being watched. Honoring my mother is an act of filial piety. I was just afraid that if I were late, others would seize upon the mistake and say I was merely fishing for compliments."
The Crown Prince looked at Tang Qingwan, his eyes full of heartache.
Every year on this day, she would weep until she could hardly calm down. She was deeply devoted to her late mother, yet now, because of him, she had to be overly cautious and hesitant even when offering her memorial sacrifices.
He could not help but feel a surge of annoyance toward Liu Wanting, who had shown up at the Eastern Palace bright and early to pester him endlessly.
"Do not be afraid. With me here to protect you, no one will dare to gossip."
Tang Qingwan smiled, her demeanor a stark contrast to the sheer coldness she had shown just moments ago when discussing the Crown Prince with Cui Yunchu and Cui Yunfeng.
She shifted her gaze to glance at Cui Yunchu, then, at the Crown Prince's invitation, stepped down from her carriage and boarded his.
They sped away, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.
A look of suspicion surfaced on Cui Yunfeng's listless face. "Cousin was far too agreeable today. Why do I feel like something is off?"
In the past, let alone just giving him the cold shoulder, Tang Qingwan would have absolutely picked a fight with the Crown Prince. After all, honoring her late mother was a matter of the utmost importance to her.
Cui Yunchu nodded in agreement. "Especially with that string of ambiguous remarks. I can't help but feel there was a hidden meaning behind her words."
They just did not know who she was setting a trap for this time.
Was it the Crown Prince, or Liu Wanting?
