Chapter 986: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 986: Noticing Something Strange – County Princess Fuyun Has Arrived (3)
“Yanyan, if you want to know that brat’s past life, you could’ve just asked me. No need to wait for him to wake up,” came the chattering voice of Xue Tuanzi from within the space. Just moments ago, it had been desperate to speak, only to be blocked off by Mo Yan.
Mo Yan rubbed her temples and waved a hand. “Even if you tell me, you can’t relieve Cui Ping’an’s pain. So what’s the point?”
“Who says I can’t?” Xue Tuanzi huffed indignantly. “I could enter his dreams and erase his past-life memories. Problem solved!”
Mo Yan rolled her eyes, barely restraining herself from calling Xue Tuanzi an idiot. “If he forgets the past but still unconsciously follows the same path, and ends up creating another tragedy that ruins the rest of his life, wouldn't that be even worse?”
Xue Tuanzi was momentarily speechless. After a long while, it mumbled, “It… it might not turn out like that. He’s already in such a miserable state—would Old Madam Cui really still force him to do things he doesn’t want to do?”
Mo Yan shook her head. “Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn’t. Who knows? Either way, you’re not allowed to use dream magic on Cui Ping’an. If his current pain is something he brought upon himself, then maybe this is heaven’s punishment. If he’s been given another chance at life and still fails to learn or treasure it, then he doesn’t deserve happiness.”
Xue Tuanzi fell completely silent, but had to admit its master made a strong point. If that guy had done things right in his past life, there wouldn’t have been all the misery that followed. In the end, he had only himself to blame.
At that moment, no one noticed that in Cui Ping’an’s courtyard, a seemingly inconspicuous little maid slipped out with her head down, quickly making her way across a large portion of the Cui estate. She passed through a small moon gate and entered a grand courtyard that shared a wall with the Cui residence.
Unlike the low-key and restrained elegance of the Cui family’s home, this adjacent courtyard was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, its eaves stretching high like the beaks of birds. It was lavish and majestic—entirely different in style from the Cui residence. If not for the connecting passage between the two, no one would assume this grand estate had anything to do with the Cui family.
In fact, technically speaking, this courtyard didn’t belong to the Cui family. It had been commissioned by order of Emperor Hui’an and built by the Ministry of Works. Its occupant was none other than the woman Old Madam Cui feared the most—County Princess Fuyun.
In Great Chu, princesses typically received a bestowed residence upon reaching fifteen and undergoing the hairpin ceremony. Favored princesses could have custom-built mansions, constructed according to their preferences by the Ministry of Works. Those less favored would have to move into previously reclaimed estates of deceased elder princesses after marriage, then live in the princess mansion with their consorts.
After marrying Cui Ping’an’s father, the third master of the Cui family, County Princess Fuyun should have moved into her designated princess mansion with him. However, she declined the princess mansion specially ordered for her by Emperor Hui’an, insisting on living with the Cui family after the wedding.
Concerned that his youngest sister might not be treated well, Emperor Hui’an ordered the Ministry of Works to build a mansion adjacent to the Cui residence—equal in scale and luxury to a princess mansion—and had a gate opened between the two courtyards. Although the grand estate didn’t carry a plaque proclaiming it as a Princess Mansion, everyone in the capital knew it essentially was. Even the Cui household referred to it as such.
This arrangement could be seen as a sign of respect toward County Princess Fuyun—or a sign that she was never truly accepted as one of the Cui family. After all, if she’d given up her own mansion to live with them, what had she been hoping to achieve?
After passing through layers of palace maid announcements, the little maid finally stood before County Princess Fuyun. That said, “stood before” was a stretch—she didn’t even dare to lift her head. Despite coming to the princess mansion countless times, she had never truly seen the princess’s face. All she knew was that she was a beauty—undoubtedly so—but one who had never earned the affection of Cui Third Master.
(End of chapter)
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