After leaving the magnificently furnished main hall, everyone’s expression became much more relaxed. However, even in the family setting with no outsiders, Cheng Yujin still held the highest status. She sat alone on the luohan couch, with Old Madam Cheng sitting opposite her and Qingfu Junzhu, Ruan-shi, and the rest sat on the armchairs on the sides.
The servant girls also flocked around Cheng Yujin, couldn’t wait for a turn to serve her. This seating arrangement, the attitude of the servants, clearly showed who was the most important and who the extras were.
Old Madam Cheng hadn’t entertained women of higher status for many years. She was also the one with the highest seniority in Cheng family. Wherever she went, she sat on the main seat, the most central position. Everyone was eager to flatter her. Now that she suddenly fell to the second position, Old Madam Cheng simply couldn’t get used.
But no matter how she felt inside, she still had to smile at Cheng Yujin: “Crown Princess, you have only been in the palace for two days, but this old woman feels like two or three years has passed. How is your life in the palace? Have you been accustomed?”
“Everything is fine.” Cheng Yujin nodded lightly, “Many thanks for grandmother’s concern.”
Old Madam Cheng carefully asked the most critical question: “Then how is your relationship with His Highness? How do you two get along?”
All Cheng family members immediately put their ears up. Compared to Cheng Yujin’s actual life in the palace, it was obvious that they only cared about this. The Crown Prince had a deep relationship with their Cheng family. Tragically, they didn’t know it. Everyone mistakenly thought that the Crown Prince was just an illegitimate child. As a result, their actions turned the originally great Buddha protector into a cursed talisman.
Cheng Yujin remembered the course of events after she got drunk last night. The memory was too unbearable, but she still smiled dignifiedly and said: “His Highness and I are very good.”
Old Madam Cheng tentatively asked: “This old woman was blind before and failed to recognize His Highness’ noble bearing. As a result, this old woman negligently made many offensive remarks. Is…is Your Highness going to hold our Cheng family accountable?”
Cheng Yujin got it. It turned out that they were coming to her to beg for mercy. They didn’t dare talk to Li Chengjing, so they came to her. Why did they think that Cheng Yujin could influence Li Chengjing?
In Cheng Yujin’s opinion, since Old Madam Cheng had sought her own death, it was useless to come to her. But regrettably, she couldn’t say that. Yang family was still alive and well, and she couldn’t let Cheng family make any trouble at this critical time.
Cheng Yujin finally told the truth: “Grandmother and Father can rest assured. Since His Highness marries me, it shows that he doesn’t hold private grudges against Cheng family. In the future, as long as Cheng family behaves well and restrain yourselves from troubles, His Highness will not pursue the past.”
With Cheng Yujin’s words, Old Madam Cheng finally relieved herself from the worry that had plagued her for the last half-year. When Li Chengjing was still in the Cheng family, Old Madam Cheng always hated him for being little Xue-shi’s son. Although she didn’t dare to target him directly, the amount of mockery and ridicule she said behind Old Master’s back was not small either. Once, Cheng Yuanxian even scolded Li Chengjing as a bastard in front of the whole family. Old Madam Cheng didn’t feel anything at that time, but after learning about Li Chengjing’s identity, she shuddered in fear every time she recalled the past events.
The Cheng family didn’t expect the Crown Prince to give them preferential treatment. As long as he remembered the late Old Master’s kindness and didn’t pursue Cheng Yuanxian’s past transgressions, they would be grateful. Now, after Old Madam Cheng and Qingfu heard Cheng Yujin’s guarantee, they both sighed in great relief.
Once Old Madam Cheng let go of her worry, her mind became active again. She calmly assessed Cheng Yujin. This girl was indeed a great beauty. Even Old Madam Cheng, a woman, found her pleasing to the eye. Presumably, she looked even more beautiful from a man’s point of view.
Old Madam Cheng lightly knocked her cane and asked: “His Highness is benevolent. This old woman is extremely grateful. In the future, we hope Crown Princess will help to intercede for the Cheng family in front of His Highness. Crown Princess, how do you and His Highness get along?”
Cheng Yujin was a bit confused. Didn’t this question have just been asked? Why did the Old Madam mention it again? Cheng Yujin saw a hidden meaning and expectation in Old Madam Cheng’s eyes and slowly realized what she was actually inquiring about.
Cheng Yujin suddenly felt awkward. There were no outsiders here, as all the palace personnel, including supervising eunuchs and female officials, had been ordered to wait outside. They were supposed to stay by Cheng Yujin’s side all the time, but since they could get rewards money without doing any errands, they simply turned a blind eye and let the family have private time. This way, Cheng Yujin could talk with her family without any scruples. However, under the expectant gazes of Old Madam Cheng and many others, she didn’t know what to say.
How should she answer? Was it good, or was it bad?
Towards her previous life’s memories, Cheng Yujin only knew the general outline, just like watching a shadow puppet show. What remained in her mind were the most important and critical snapshots, like a collection of episodic paintings, and the specific details were left to the imagination. Among them, the scene of her getting along with Huo Changyuan as a married couple was almost nothing.
It seemed that after Cheng Yujin married into Huo family, Huo Xue-shi’s possessiveness of her son just practically exploded. After weighing the pros and cons, Cheng Yujin deliberately kept a distance from Huo Changyuan. There was not much close contact between them. Therefore, Cheng Yujin’s experience in this area was practically minuscule.
She didn’t know what a normal marriage should be like, nor did she know how often this kind of thing was normally done between husband and wife.
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