Chapter 564 - 289 Two Birds with One Stone_2
Old Lady Liang said, "You are now a wife of the Liang Family, not a daughter of the Cui family. Your every word and action must be taken with the greater interests of the Liang Family in mind. You thought you were dealing with domestic affairs, so you took it to your parental home. Now look what has happened, they’ve made a big deal out of it, bringing our family matters into the succession struggle. Do you see? When it comes to politics, your own family treats you like a pawn as well. Humph, once a daughter is married off, her allegiance should be with her husband’s family, not her own."
Lady Cui nodded, her tears streaming down.
Liang Zechong added, "Now do you understand why I insisted on having Zhaozhao marry Miss Qian? Tell me, which thirteen-year-old girl could remain composed and smile in the face of such talk? Which little girl, when faced with such an embarrassing situation, could stand her ground and also compose such fine poetry? Your favored Princess Jingchang, aside from her noble family, what does she have that compares to Miss Qian?"
Lady Cui nodded again, her tears still flowing.
Old Lady Liang sighed, "This shows how important it is to choose a daughter-in-law." Turning to Liang Zechong, she said, "Your wife was recommended by the Empress Dowager, back when she was the Empress. I’ve also met Lady Zhou and thought that, even though her family background isn’t significant, and she’s not very shrewd, she is calm, sincere, and virtuous, which is why I agreed. This daughter-in-law is not bad; she respects her husband, loves her son, doesn’t cause trouble, nor does she bring disaster upon the family."
Turning to Liang Yiqian, she said, "Your wife was someone you took a fancy to at the plum blossom festival, saying she was beautiful, talented, and played the flute well... Your grandfather disagreed at the time, saying that those great families were on the decline, each generation worse than the last, yet still delusional about their continuing glory. Even when the Crown Prince was still heir, he disliked them and suppressed them mercilessly once he came into power. But seeing you so deeply in love, I couldn’t bear to make you sad and persuaded your grandfather to agree. And now, the Cui family has even joined forces with the Wong family in this struggle for the throne. Utter folly. Look how wisely the Pan family has acted, preferring to disentangle themselves early on; they would rather be commoners than get involved... In such a complex and turbulent political climate, Lady Cui dared to go back to her family and speak about our Liang Mansion’s desire to marry a girl from the Qian family, allowing them to make a big deal out of it. It’s also because Miss Qian has such a grand spirit and the forthrightness of a man. If she were any other girl, with a bit more temper, she might have killed herself in despair. What then? The Fifth Prince and those families would certainly push Lady Cui forward as the scapegoat, and how would our Liang family explain to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor? How would we face Prince Ning? In her anger, might the Empress Dowager grant Lady Cui a length of white silk? Clearly, the Cui family values the Fifth Prince’s rise to power over even Lady Cui’s life."
Old Lady Liang’s words left Lady Cui feeling ashamed, scared, and tearful, while Liang Yiqian knelt down, his face red with embarrassment.
Old Lady Liang’s gaze then returned to Lady Cui and said, "Now, you must be taught a lesson."
Liang Zechong asked sternly, "Tell me, do you wish to be a daughter of the Cui family or a wife of the Liang Family? If you truly want to be a daughter of the Cui family, we will accommodate you."