Chapter 49 Chapter 49 "I hope my wife likes it."...

First, Mrs. Lu gave the old lady a soft pillow she had found in the Western Regions. It's said that after one night's sleep, a person can feel five years younger. Two nights, and of course, ten years! She was clearly as light as a swallow.

Then the old lady returned the gift. Then, Mrs. Lu invited the old lady out to watch an opera. After that, the old lady invited Mrs. Lu and her daughter to visit her house.

Shancha sat in a low chair and whispered in her aunt's ear, "We were hoping we'd get the best out of watching the snipe and the clam fight. We didn't expect them to become good friends. What should we do next?"

Jasmine turned halfway over in the recliner and looked at her: "Let's see if this pair of good friends are sincere."

Shancha: "What if you want someone to be sincere?"

"If there's really nothing else to use, then I can only take a risky approach."

Jasmine looked at Shancha intently. "Have you thought it through? When that day comes, even if I say it has nothing to do with you, I'm afraid they won't believe me. If you want to regret it, it's not too late now."

"How can it be too late to regret now?" Shancha was curious.

"I'll find a reason to kick you out of the main courtyard. Of course, you can leave the Duke's Mansion if you want."

"What good does it mean for me to be a concubine?" Shancha immediately refused. "I'm not leaving. Aunt, please don't say that again, or I'll get angry."

"Alright," Jasmine agreed. "Let's go find the Fourth Young Master's wife."

Jasmine reached out and Shancha pulled her out of the recliner.

Jasmine did not go to the West Courtyard, but walked a distance with Shancha on the road that was the only way to the West Courtyard, and stopped at the fork in the road to wander around.

Shancha noticed that her aunt was being mysterious, so she didn't ask any more questions and pretended to enjoy the flowers and bird watching.

Not long after, the fourth young master's wife came over with Ting'er.

"Jasmine?"

Jasmine happened to pick a flower and put it next to Shancha's ear. Upon hearing this, she turned around and said, "What a coincidence! Is the Fourth Young Master's wife here to appreciate the flowers too?"

The Fourth Young Master's wife smiled and shook her head: "Today, the old lady is hosting a banquet for the Duan family's eldest young master's wife and his wife. I have to go and chat with them. How about we go together?"

Jasmine looked depressed: "The old lady didn't call Jasmine."

The Fourth Young Master's wife was stunned for a moment, but she wasn't embarrassed. She covered her mouth and said to Jasmine, "I'm too lazy to go. Jasmine is lucky."

"To be honest with the Fourth Young Master's wife, I actually want to go. If I cultivate a good relationship with Madam Duan now, it won't be too awkward when Madam Duan enters the mansion in the future. Isn't that right, Madam?"

The Fourth Young Master's wife nodded: "Your concerns are correct."

"I'm planning to make a flower fan for Madam Duan. Madam, could you please help me?" Jasmine was afraid that the Fourth Young Master's wife would be embarrassed, so she quickly added, "It's not a difficult task. I just want the Fourth Young Master's wife to take Madam Duan for a stroll in this garden."

The Fourth Young Master's wife nodded. "Leave it to me, it's just a small matter. We'll gather here in an hour."

"Thank you, Madam, for your generous help, Jasmine." Jasmine bowed excitedly.

"Then I'll go first." The fourth young master's wife smiled and turned around. After walking a distance, the fourth young master's wife couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips.

Seeing this, Ting'er laughed along with her wife: "Madam, have you come up with a good idea?"

The Fourth Young Master's wife said in an enigmatic manner, "I was planning to go find my concubine, but I didn't expect her to come to me on her own initiative. How can a concubine and her mistress get along well? Even if my concubine can tolerate it, what about the Duan family's wife?"

Ting'er asked, "What should we do?"

The Fourth Young Master's wife said, "No need, just wait. Duan Zhi must not enter the Duke's Mansion. Mother actually wanted to compromise because of Lu's false flattery. She is really old."

Ting'er said, "I think the old lady is not old, but she is more partial to the Duke."

The Fourth Young Master's wife glanced at Ting'er coldly, then sneered, "You're not wrong. She probably despises the Fourth Master for being useless and wants to give him up. She has a way out, but I don't. If Duan Zhi were to enter the Duke's Mansion, it would be fine if the old lady were alive, but what if she's gone? Ha."

...

Jasmine flowers are freshly picked and used to make freshly woven flower fans.

After tying the last flower, she gently waved the Xiang Fei purple-flowered fan, and the fragrant breeze filled her nostrils, making the scene even more beautiful.

Jasmine waited in the garden for a while, and Shancha asked anxiously, "Will anyone come?"

"Yes. I believe in the Fourth Young Master's wife."

Jasmine looked at the path in front of her and stood there for another half an hour.

"Don't let the flower fan get exposed to the sun." Jasmine turned around and reminded.

"It's covered with a cloth, don't worry, Auntie. Auntie, here I come!"

Jasmine didn't wait for anyone to approach. She quickly stepped forward with a smile and bowed to each one of them. "Old Madam, Madam Duan, Madam Duan, hello. Your servant Jasmine greets you."

Jasmine was the only one smiling. Everyone standing in front of her had tense expressions.

Jasmine didn't hear the call, and bowed and said, "I made a flower fan. Thinking of Madam Duan's beauty, I wanted to give it to you. Camellia."

Shancha came forward carrying a tray with a flower fan on it, covered with a red cloth.

"Please forgive my rudeness." Jasmine said, standing up, uncovering the red cloth, taking the tray, and personally bringing it to the Duan family's wife, "I hope you like it."

Jasmine knelt and bowed.

The Duan family's wife glanced at Lu, and now a faint smile appeared on her face: "Hurry up and get up. The fan is very beautiful. I like it very much."

Madam Duan was about to extend her hand when she was stopped by Madam Lu. Madam Duan turned around in confusion. Madam Lu smiled at Jasmine and said, "Auntie, you are so thoughtful. Amber, why don't you accept the gift for Madam?"

"Yes, ma'am." The maid named Amber came forward.

Jasmine thought she would take away the tray as well, but unexpectedly Amber only took the flower fan.

Amber carefully picked up the handle of the flower fan and presented it to Mrs. Lu and Mrs. Duan. She then carefully turned the handle.

I can't see anything special about it.

The mother and daughter exchanged a glance. Mrs. Lu wondered if she was overthinking it. That was true. With everyone watching, what could this concubine do?

It was nothing more than a genuine attempt to please them, mother and daughter. Lu nodded.

The Duan family's wife then took the fan with a bright smile: "Is this made by Auntie herself? It's really beautiful...ah!"

The flower fan fell to the ground with a "plop".

Mrs. Duan covered her hand which was bleeding profusely, and Mrs. Lu hurriedly grabbed her daughter's hand to check on it.

The Fourth Young Master's wife quickly called out, "Quick, call the palace doctor."

The old lady glared at Jasmine.

Jasmine went to pick up the fan, but the old lady yelled, "Stop it!"

Then he signaled Nanny Qian to go.

Jasmine bent her knees and knelt down to apologize, "It's not me. I didn't mean to harm Madam Duan. I'm innocent. The old lady believes in me, Madam, the lady believes in me..."

The old lady's elegant garden.

Jasmine knelt on the porch.

In the side room, Mrs. Lu was accompanying Mrs. Duan, and their injuries were being examined by the court doctor.

"Don't worry, ma'am. It's just a thorn. I'll pick it out and it will be fine in two days."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The Lu family and their daughter had truly believed that this concubine was determined to fight them to the death and had poisoned them. It turned out to be just a flower thorn. It seemed this was an accident.

The old lady was also afraid. She was the one who invited the Lu mother and daughter. If something happened in the mansion, no matter how much she screamed, no one would believe her innocence.

The Fourth Young Master's wife looked at the person kneeling outside the house, thoughtful. Was it a coincidence?

If it wasn't a coincidence, what was she trying to do? The Fourth Young Master's wife couldn't figure it out and could only believe that it was a coincidence.

Even though the court doctor said that the Duan family lady had only been pricked by a flower thorn and that it had nothing to do with Jasmine, the old lady was still very unhappy.

If she hadn't shown up and sent this harmful flower fan, nothing would have happened to the Duan family's wife!

The old lady had deliberately not called her. She had previously brought her to the Grand Princess's residence because she wanted to use her. Now that the Lu mother and daughter were sincerely seeking peace, the old lady certainly didn't dare to let the concubine out to cause trouble for the Lu mother and daughter.

But I didn't expect that this troublesome thing would come forward!

Ever since she learned that the concubine had run away from the Grand Princess's residence, the old lady had grown increasingly displeased with her. Now, kneeling outside the corridor, silently weeping, she looked just like the white lotuses in the old Duke's backyard.

The old lady hated Bai Lianhua the most.

He didn't even wake up immediately.

The old lady had made up her mind and would wait until the Duke returned to set her free. She was prepared to forgive her for getting into trouble today and not daring to complain to a man.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Jasmine crawled into the house by herself.

The old lady said sternly, "What are you doing? Who let you in?"

Jasmine said with joy, "Old Madam, you heard it. The palace doctor said that Madam Duan is fine, she just got pricked by a flower! I am truly innocent. Please, Old Madam, spare me."

The more she begged for mercy, the less the old lady wanted to let her go easily. "How dare you beg for mercy! If it weren't for that flower fan of yours, how could Madam Duan's hand be injured?"

"But I didn't mean to do that. I just made the fan out of kindness. I didn't have any other intentions."

The old lady was reminded by this: "Let me ask you, why are you in the garden? Did you know we were going to visit the garden and deliberately wait there?"

Jasmine heard the noisy footsteps behind her as she stepped through the door. She said to the old lady, "To be honest, old lady, I did it on purpose. But I was just being kind and wanted to please Madam Duan. Madam Duan is the future wife of the Duke, and I want her to accept me, that's all."

Jasmine suddenly caught sight of the Fourth Young Lady, whose heart skipped a beat. Then she heard her say, "This matter was requested by this servant, the Fourth Young Lady. It has nothing to do with you. If the old lady wants to blame someone, just blame this servant."

How come this matter involves the Fourth Young Master’s wife?

Mrs. Lu and Mrs. Duan, who had just entered the room, looked at the fourth young master's wife in confusion.

The Fourth Young Master's wife hadn't thought of herself at first, but suddenly she noticed Jasmine's gaze. After hearing what Jasmine said, she immediately stood up from her seat and explained:

"Mother, Madam, it was my aunt who begged me to see Madam Duan, and I agreed out of pity. I didn't expect that Madam Duan would be hurt because of this. If I had known, I would never have agreed to this."

Jasmine quickly added, "Yes, every word the Fourth Young Madam said is true. This matter truly has nothing to do with the Fourth Young Madam. If the Old Madam wants to punish someone, please punish me alone. I...I will go out and kneel down right now!"

Jasmine hurriedly climbed out again. When she climbed out of the threshold, her elbow was scratched, but she didn't care and continued to go out until she knelt firmly at the place where she had just been.

Mrs. Lu said, "No wonder. We were chatting just now when the Fourth Young Master's wife suddenly mentioned the beautiful flowers in the garden and wanted to take us to see them. The Fourth Young Master's wife seems to have a close relationship with my aunt, isn't she?"

The Fourth Young Master's wife hadn't expected to become the target of public criticism. Without giving it time to think, she hurriedly explained, "Madam, you misunderstood. I'm not very familiar with the concubine. It's just... we just interact on a daily basis."

The old lady was afraid that the more she explained, the more misunderstanding she would feel. She said, "Don't say anything. Madam Duan's hand was injured today, and you are the culprit. You should kneel down too!"

The Fourth Young Master's wife looked at the old lady in shock, as if she had not expected to hear such words from her.

What did she do wrong that she should kneel? Even if she did something wrong, she was still the daughter of the Shangshu Mansion. Who would dare to ask her to kneel after growing up?

"Mother……"

The old lady frowned and ordered angrily: "Go, kneel down."

Mrs. Lu smiled and advised the old lady, "Zhi'er is fine, please don't pursue the matter."

The old lady knew that if she spared anyone today, she would be suspected of protecting someone. She said without a doubt, "If you make a mistake, you should be punished. This is how it is in the Duke's Mansion."

The old lady looked at Lu again, her eyes softening slightly as she continued, "When the lady enters the mansion, she will be the head of the Duke's Mansion sooner or later. By establishing the rules today, the lady will have less worries in the future. Madam, please don't worry about it."

Mrs. Lu smiled and nodded, indicating that the old lady was absolutely right.

When the Fourth Young Master's wife heard what the Old Lady said, her face turned pale. But what was more important at the moment was that she couldn't kneel!

Once, there will be a second time. Since she entered the Duke's Mansion, she has suffered a lot of grievances and has been repeatedly defeated.

If she were to kneel down for such a small matter, how could she maintain her dignity in the Duke's Mansion?

"Mother, I am not wrong!"

The old lady also didn't expect that the fourth young master's wife, who usually looked smart and obedient, would dare to disobey her at this moment.

"You have to kneel today. Zixian, do it."

The "Zixian" the old lady was referring to was Nanny Qian.

Nanny Qian understood and gave the two maids standing beside her a look. The three of them worked together to escort the Fourth Young Master's wife out to the corridor.

"Madam Fourth Young Master, I'm sorry." Nanny Qian lowered her voice and whispered something in Madam Fourth Young Master's ear, then kicked Madam Fourth Young Master's knee with her toes.

The fourth young master's wife immediately knelt down and tried to stand up, but was held down by two maids.

Nanny Qian again admonished the Fourth Young Lady in her ear: "Old Madam is thinking about the overall situation. The Fourth Young Lady must understand."

But at this time, the Fourth Young Master's wife was filled with shame and anger, so she couldn't listen to anything he said.

I thought the matter was over. But the Fourth Master heard from somewhere that the Fourth Young Master's wife had been punished to kneel, and rushed in.

The Fourth Master usually has conflicts with the Fourth Young Master's wife, but after all, she is his wife, and it is not the turn of outsiders to bully her.

Although the old lady was not an outsider but his biological mother, who asked her to punish the fourth young master's wife for the sake of the future Duke's wife?

This, the Fourth Master cannot tolerate.

Seeing that the Fourth Young Master's wife was actually kneeling, the Fourth Master, regardless of the servants' attempts to stop him, immediately rushed into the room with an angry look on his face. He didn't even bother to greet her, but directly shouted at the old lady, "Mother, what are you doing?"

The old lady's face was gloomy, and she slammed the table angrily: "Get out!"

The Fourth Master looked around the room and sneered, "Is Mother really going to disregard our mother-son relationship for the sake of the Duke's wife who hasn't married yet?"

The Fourth Master's eyes were bloodshot as he continued, "Mother, tell me the truth. Do you have a son like me in your heart? If you say no, then from now on, I will have no son of my own."

"Pa" a slap.

The Fourth Master was hit on the head.

The old lady didn't seem to expect that she would actually hit him. The child she had owed since childhood, now owed him even more.

There was no hatred in the Fourth Master's eyes, only a chilling indifference. Without even glancing at the Old Madam, he wiped the corner of his mouth, turned around, and strode away.

"Shiro!"

Nanny Qian signaled the servants to quickly chase the Fourth Master, and then comforted the old lady.

The old lady still managed to smile at the Lu mother and daughter: "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you. It's okay, let's talk about our own things."

Mrs. Lu wasn't stupid. She smiled and said it was getting late and she was afraid her family would be worried about her. She would go back now.

The old lady immediately urged them to stay a little longer. "Normally, few people come to my courtyard, and it's often lonely. But today, with you and my wife by my side, I feel that time has passed especially quickly. Madam, why don't you stay a little longer and have lunch?"

Just as Mrs. Lu was about to speak, a servant came in quickly.

Madam Qian scolded: "Why are you so reckless?"

"Oh no, Madam, the Fourth Master was hit by a car!"

"ah!"

The old lady screamed and fell to the ground. Without waiting for anyone to help her up, she got up again and ran out without caring about her image.

As he ran, he cried out, "My son, my son!"

The Lu mother and daughter hurried out to chase after him.

As soon as the Fourth Master left the house, he was hit by a carriage. He was bleeding from the head and fell unconscious.

The servants dared not move the body. The court doctor arrived just as the old lady ran over. She pushed the servants aside, saw the Fourth Master's miserable state, and, without caring about her appearance, burst into tears.

"Ah, you are my only biological son! You are trying to kill me! As long as you wake up, I will agree to anything you ask, my son!"

The Duke will definitely pass by my house when he goes to the garrison camp. Normally he would not stop, but the situation today is special.

The Duke heard the old lady's wails from a distance. As he approached, he saw that it was indeed the old lady. He quickly dismounted and ran forward.

"Mother, what happened?"

The old lady ignored him, so the servant recounted the incident.

The Lu mother and daughter bowed to the Duke and then went back home.

The Fourth Master’s west courtyard.

The court doctor clearly stated that the Fourth Master was fine.

The old lady didn't believe it and asked the Duke to send a letter to the palace to ask for the imperial physician. After the imperial physician examined her and confirmed that it was just a scratch on the forehead and there was no other problem, the old lady was relieved.

After another moment, the old lady finally regained consciousness and smiled at the Duke, explaining, "Your fourth brother is unlike Erlang. He has no talent and can't endure the hardships of life outside. That's why I worry about him every day. In my heart, the four of you are the same."

The eldest young lady was the first to roll her eyes and turn away when she heard this. Seeing that the master looked moved, she reached out and pinched his arm hard.

The old man looked at his wife in confusion.

The eldest young lady regretted for the umpteenth time. How could she, such a smart girl, marry a fool?

She couldn't marry anyone else. The eldest young lady felt that God was really unfair to her!

The Duke nodded in understanding: "Now that the fourth child is fine, mother can rest assured."

The old lady looked at the Duke's face and felt relieved after confirming that his expression was as solemn and easy-going as usual.

The fourth master in the room woke up at this moment. When he heard the old lady's useless words, his face turned grim and his eyes turned red. He immediately smashed the medicine bowl at hand.

A clanging sound was heard from inside the house, and the old lady immediately said to the Duke, "Duke, please go and take care of your own business. Mother will be fine here."

The Duke held the old lady's arms and pushed her aside, then strode into the bedroom in the west courtyard.

The door was pushed open.

"Get out!" When the Fourth Master saw the figure coming in, his ferocious face froze and his aura involuntarily withered.

The Fourth Master grabbed the corner of the quilt and hated himself for being like this!

Seeing the Duke approaching again, the old lady was afraid that the Fourth Master would be beaten. She was about to chase him, but saw the Duke stop two steps away from the bed.

The Duke stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes stern. "How long are you going to make trouble? Mother is worried about you, but I'm wrong. If you have any complaints, you can take them to me, not to me."

These undeniable words reached the ears of everyone present. The Fourth Master felt extremely embarrassed, and only managed to stiffen his neck to prevent his head from completely drooping.

After learning that the Fourth Master was alright, the old lady's tears had long since dried. But now, they couldn't help but well up again. Her heart tightened, and countless chaotic images raced through her mind.

The Duke continued, "I think you're too idle. I'll talk to Minister Yin and ask him to assign you more work."

When these words came out, the old lady, the fourth young lady's wife, and the fourth master were all stunned. Then, the fourth young lady's wife and the old lady's faces lit up with surprise.

Only the Fourth Master snorted coldly, "Yin Wei thinks I'm useless and only got into his sect because of the Duke's connections. Yin Wei is a hard-hearted, cold-blooded man who doesn't take anyone seriously. Does the Duke think he can get away with just a word?"

The Duke said: "It's not like he's offering you a promotion. He's just trying to help you. Why would he refuse? Just wait."

The Duke finished speaking, and without further delay, he turned and left. When he reached the old lady, he consoled her, "Mother, there's no need to stay here. Go back and rest."

The old lady's heart ached again, and she nodded repeatedly. Then, without even a glance at the Fourth Master, she followed the Duke out.

"Sir, why don't you lie down and rest for a while?" The Fourth Young Master's wife waited until the bedroom door was closed before walking to the edge of the bed. "Perhaps the Duke can really do it."

The Fourth Master's words were tougher than any other part of his body: "Didn't you hear that I was being made to do hard labor? He's trying to humiliate me."

The fourth young master's wife remained silent.

The Fourth Master felt troubled for a moment, then looked up at the Fourth Young Master's wife and asked, "What happened today? Why did you upset Mother for no reason?"

...

The Duke said goodbye to the old lady, said something to his concubine, and then planned to go to the garrison camp.

Unexpectedly, when he turned around, he saw dirt on his aunt's skirt.