Chapter 70 Chapter 70 What she wants, what he gives

The chicken soup exuded a rich aroma. Jiang Rong brought the soup to Jiang Shu and said gently, "Eldest sister, this chicken soup has been simmered for three hours and is very mellow. Please have some!"

Jiang Shu's appetite was better than in the previous few days. She took the chicken soup and drank half a bowl. After her stomach was full, her body felt warm and comfortable.

Jiang Shu stood up and said to Jiang Rong, "Let's go for a walk outside. It's boring to stay in the house all the time."

Jiang Rong pushed her down onto the chaise longue and said anxiously, "You haven't recovered yet. How dare you go out? What if something goes wrong?"

Jiang Shu wasn't one for showing off. She rubbed her belly, then slowly leaned back against the chaise longue. She said to Jiang Rong in a gentle voice, "Since we can't get out, just open the window. There are heating systems in the rooms, so you won't get too cold."

The day Jiang Shu fainted, Lu Changji had the floor heating turned on. Although it was winter, Jiang Shu's bedroom felt as warm as spring. Jiang Rong half-opened the window, letting the crisp air flow into the room.

She was about to speak with Jiang Shu for a moment, but Zhu'er announced that Lord Lu had returned. Lu Changji was a stranger, so Jiang Rong had to avoid him. She didn't linger any longer and quietly withdrew.

Lu Changji lifted the door curtain and caught a glimpse of the half-open window. He frowned slightly and asked Jiang Shu in a low voice, "Is it a bit cold?"

Jiang Shu half closed her eyes and said, "I'm getting bored staying in the house all the time."

After hearing her words, Lu Changji no longer insisted on closing the window. He sat on the low stool next to the imperial concubine's couch and spoke to Jiang Shu in a gentle voice, "I have issued a transfer order to transfer Ye Shijiang back to the capital to take up the position of editor."

The position of editor is one level higher than that of lecturer. With Ye Qian's ability, he is qualified to take on the position of editor.

Lu Changji spoke in a calm tone, but his heart was beating fast. Ye Qian was Jiang Shu's knot in her heart. Because of Ye Qian, Jiang Shu had always blamed him. He didn't ask for anything else now, he just hoped that Jiang Shu could be happier.

Selfishly, he didn't want Ye Qian to return to Bian Jing at all, but he was worried that Jiang Shu would be unhappy. Even if it broke his heart, he wanted to make Jiang Shu happy.

Lu Changji looked at Jiang Shu cautiously, only to see Jiang Shu open her eyelids and give him a blank look. She whispered, "You should transfer him back. You owe him this."

Her tone was calm and indifferent. He couldn't guess what she was thinking, and he felt increasingly uneasy. He had no choice but to change the subject: "What do you want to eat or cook? I have time today, so I can..."

"I don't want to eat anything, and I don't want to do anything." Before Lu Changji could finish his words, Jiang Shu interrupted him, "Go out, I want to sleep for a while."

She ordered him to leave, and he wanted to ask her if he wanted to carry her to the chaise longue. Although the chaise longue was comfortable, it was a bit cramped. However, he was afraid of upsetting her, so he didn't dare to say anything more and quietly walked to the flower hall.

Cheng Luan was waiting in the flower hall. When he saw Lu Changji, he bowed and said gently, "Sir, yesterday, Yun Ge, the maid of the Third Madam of the West Mansion, took advantage of the moment when Madam and the concubine were checking the account books and quietly entered Madam's bedroom."

"I have also traced the origin of the silver hairpin under Madam's pillow. It was purchased from Yuzhenxuan by Han Pozi, the wet nurse of the Second Mistress of the West Mansion. When she purchased it, she specifically asked the silversmith to engrave the word 'Xi' on it."

"I tortured Yun Ge and Wang Pozi, and they couldn't bear the pain, so they told me the whole story.

It is said that Zhang and Wei are resentful of Madam for having them killed, so they teamed up to frame Madam, hoping to make Madam dislike Madam so that they can take revenge.

The mansion of Master Lin Er and the mansion of Lin Yunzhi are adjacent to each other. Lin Yunzhi lives in the east, so Lin Yunzhi's mansion is usually called the East Mansion, and the mansion of Master Lin Er is in the west, so it is called the West Mansion.

Lu Changji pursed his thin lips, his calm eyes became deep and dark, and his jaw was stretched into a line.

Cheng Luan didn't even dare to breathe. Fortunately, Jiang Shu and the fetus in her belly were safe and sound. If there was any mistake, even if the entire West Mansion was buried with it, it would not be able to calm Lu Changji's anger.

Lu Changji turned around and sat on the armchair. He solemnly instructed Cheng Luan, "Send Lin Er to see me."

Master Lin Er was very happy to know that Lu Changji wanted to see him. It was like meeting someone and then there was affection. Prime Minister Lu was very busy with all kinds of affairs, and since he was willing to take the time to talk to him, it must be because he valued him. If he could be valued by the Prime Minister, how far would he be from promotion?

Master Lin Er was both surprised and delighted. He hurried back to his bedroom and changed his clothes three times. He looked at himself in the mirror. The sapphire long gown with no words on it was too gorgeous and seemed to overshadow the main feature. The round-necked robe with embroidered bamboo pattern was too old-fashioned and made him look listless. If the Prime Minister saw him, he would think he was too old and frail to be used.

After much deliberation, Master Lin Er finally decided to wear his official uniform to meet Lu Changji. The official uniform was solemn and although not outstanding, it would not go wrong.

Master Lin Er came to the East Mansion with a rosy face. As he approached the flower hall, he felt a heavy pressure. He looked into the room and saw Lu Changji sitting on the armchair. His narrow eyes were slightly opened and he looked at him sideways, like a cheetah hunting for prey, making people tremble with fear and dare not even breathe.

Master Lin Er's face turned from red to white, and in an instant he lost all his color.

He didn't know how he had offended Lu Changji, but no matter what, admitting his mistake was always the right thing to do. He trembled as he entered the room, prostrating himself before Lu Changji, his voice trembling, "Sir, did I do something wrong? Could you please explain?"

Lu Changji snorted lightly without even raising his eyelids: "You manage your family well, but you dare to mess with me? You are quite capable."

In the cold winter, Master Lin II was sweating all over. Since Lu Changji blamed him for not managing the household properly, he thought that something must have gone wrong in the backyard. Thinking of the quarrels between his two daughters-in-law and Jiang Shu a few days ago, he became even more terrified. These two evil creatures were going to lead his Lin family to hell.

A man of Prime Minister Lu's status would never gossip about his family affairs. Second Master Lin didn't dare to ask any more questions and pointed to the sky to promise: "My lord, it's all my fault for not managing the household well. I'll go home now and give you an explanation."

Master Lin Er went out with a rosy face, but returned home covered in dust in just a quarter of an hour. He first called Lu into the house and asked her about what had happened in the past two days. After learning that Zhang and Wei were punished to kneel in court, he had an idea in his mind.

Normally, it is not appropriate for a father-in-law to deal with his daughter-in-law in person, but since it concerns the wealth and future of the entire family, he cannot care less.

Master Lin II gnashed his teeth and said, "Send Zhang and Wei here. I want to ask them today, what have we done wrong to them that they are so determined to destroy our Lin family."

The master's attendant went to deliver the message in person. Zhang Wei and the other man did not dare to delay and quickly entered the flower hall.

They didn't know what had happened, but seeing the sullen faces of their parents-in-law, they knew that something bad was going to happen. They stood anxiously in the hall, not even daring to raise their heads.

Mrs. Lu stared at them angrily, her eyes almost blazing with fire. "What good things have you two done these days? Tell the truth quickly. If you dare to speak nonsense, you don't have to stay in the Lin family anymore. Just go back to your parents' home."

The fate of a divorced woman is either to be abandoned by the family or to hang herself. Lu's words were indeed serious. Zhang and Wei looked at each other, thinking that something had gone wrong in the attempt to frame Jiang Shu. Behind Jiang Shu was Prime Minister Lu, and anything that had anything to do with Prime Minister Lu was a big deal.

The two of them knelt on the ground, crying bitterly, and seemed to be very remorseful.

Seeing her two daughters-in-law acting so cowardly, Madam Lu grew even more furious. She scolded, "You two pieces of clay! When you were at odds with the Jiang family member, you were so bold! Why are you so afraid to say anything now?"

Mrs. Lu's face was gloomy, and her eyebrows were raised, just like Guan Gong on the stage. Seeing her like this, Mrs. Wei guessed that things must have reached a point where they were out of control.

She knelt on the ground in fear and trepidation, and stammered as she told the story of what she and Zhang had done.

"Stupid thing!" Before Mrs. Lu could say anything, Second Master Lin stood up with a bang, pointing at Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Wei and cursing, "Prime Minister Lu would rather risk the wrath of the world to snatch the Jiang family's daughter away. It's obvious that he holds the Jiang family's daughter dear to his heart. You can't offend anyone else, but you have to pluck the hair from the tiger's head."

"I heard from the steward of the eldest house that Prime Minister Lu had a huge argument with the Jiang family member yesterday. The Jiang family member fainted on the spot, and the doctor diagnosed that she was pregnant."

The more Master Lin spoke, the more frightened he became. "Prime Minister Lu is as calm as a mountain. If he hadn't seen the hairpins you two forged, why would he have lost his temper?"

He patted his chest and continued, "Fortunately, there was no danger. The fetus in the womb is fine. If anything had happened to the fetus, I would not be alive. Even if I presented my head to Prime Minister Lu to apologize, I'm afraid it wouldn't quell his anger."

Zhang and Wei were horrified. They just wanted to cause some trouble between Jiang Shu and Prime Minister Lu, but they had no idea that Jiang Shu was pregnant. Prime Minister was only 26 years old when he had this son, and he must be cherishing him more than his life. They almost caused Jiang Shu to have a miscarriage. How could they atone for such a serious mistake?

The two knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to Master Lin Er: "Father, you must save us. We have been married to the Lin family for these years. Even if we have no merits, we have worked hard. After all, we have given birth to brothers and sisters to expand the family. We must not let the Prime Minister offend us because of an unintentional mistake!"

Master Lin Er looked at his two daughters-in-law crying bitterly, and his heart softened little by little. To be fair, Zhang Wei and his wife had been visiting their parents in the main courtyard every morning and evening over the years, and were very filial. They also raised their children carefully and obeyed their husbands in everything. Except for being a little narrow-minded occasionally, they had never made any big mistakes. He couldn't bear to ruin their future.

Master Lin Er sighed deeply, and said angrily, "What are you doing wrong? You have to offend Jiang Shu."

"Today, Prime Minister Lu summoned me to the main room and gave me a few pointers, asking me to handle household affairs myself. He said he wanted me to have full authority over the decisions. But with Prime Minister Lu by my side, I have to deal with you more seriously, not less. Otherwise, if I displease Prime Minister, I won't be able to protect you."

Master Lin Er pondered for a moment and whispered, "Your father will temporarily escort you two to the Ministry of Punishment. I will take you home in half a month."

The mention of the Ministry of Punishment made Zhang Wei and his companions' expressions grow even uglier. This dynasty had a special agency for disciplining the wives of officials called the Imperial Uniform Service. If a female official committed a crime, she could be brought to the Imperial Uniform Service for instruction. While this had a bad reputation, it at least wouldn't cause any serious damage.

But what is the Ministry of Punishment? It is a judicial institution under the Ministry of Punishment, which mainly tries criminal cases. Once the two of them go in, they will have criminal records. They will fall from being officials' family members to being criminals. How can they bear such a gap?

Once they were brought to the Ministry of Punishment, the reputations of Zhang Wei and the others were ruined. No woman from a wealthy family would be willing to socialize with them anymore, not to mention social interactions. They would probably have to stay in the inner house and deal with trivial matters.

Zhang Wei was extremely unwilling, but compared with his life and family, not being able to show his face in public was nothing. Besides, his parents-in-law were very kind and did not divorce them because of their mistakes. They would even personally take them home in the future. What could they be dissatisfied with? If they had to blame anyone, it was only that vixen Jiang Shu. They had offended this big Buddha and could only accept their fate.

Master Lin Er acted quickly. He sorted out the whole story in the morning, and in the afternoon he sent Zhang Wei and the other man to the Ministry of Punishment with great fanfare.

Although Zhang Wei had prepared herself mentally, life in the Ministry of Punishment was even harder than they had imagined. She had to grind rice and flour during the day and sew by the light of an oil lamp at night.

They were all noble ladies from wealthy families, and even their meals required servants to serve them. How could they bear such a life? Their delicate hands were rubbed until they were bleeding. The nanny in charge said that in a few days, the rubbed areas would heal and form calluses, and once the calluses formed, their hands would no longer hurt.

My God, which grandma has calluses on her hands? Zhang Wei and the other man hugged each other and cried bitterly. How could they face people in the future?

Unfortunately, they couldn't even cry freely, because there was a strong woman in her forties imprisoned next door. Their crying disturbed the woman's sleep. The woman kicked the wall a few times, and the sound was like the ringing of a bell, which almost broke the wall down.

The two of them shuddered, fell silent, and helplessly lay down on the floor with their eyes closed. It was only two hours before they had to get up, so they had to hurry and get some sleep. Now it really came true that they got up earlier than the chickens and went to bed later than the dogs. It was simply not a life for human beings.

Jiang Shu's health gradually recovered, and her complexion was not as weak as before. Now Fang was willing to teach housekeeper Jiang Rong how to socialize, so she no longer needed to stay in the Lin family. Taking advantage of the fine weather, Lu Changji took Jiang Shu back to the Xinyang Marquis Mansion.

There was a night-shining pearl in the room, which gave off a warm and soft light, providing illumination without being dazzling. Lu Changji held Jiang Shu in his arms, placed his palm on her belly, stared at her face for a moment, and said gently, "Shu'er, let's get married!"

Jiang Shu's soft body stiffened for a moment. She knew that no one would ever treat her as well as Lu Changji did, but what she wanted was a simple, prosperous and leisurely life, which Lu Changji could not give her.

Even if she were to become a householder and live with her children, she would feel more at ease than living on the edge of danger with Lu Changji.

Jiang Shu shook her head and closed her eyes silently. She was a little sleepy, but her mind was clear and she couldn't fall asleep.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Changji's voice rang out overhead: "Shu'er, give me some time. I will slowly get out of this and give you the life you want."

He was entrusted by the late emperor and wanted to repay Yang Zhaoyue's kindness. Since the late emperor's death, he has been wholeheartedly supporting the young master. He has devoted countless efforts and sacrificed countless lives.

Now that the young master has grown stronger, it is time for him to retire and make plans for himself and Jiang Shu.

Fame, wealth and power are all fleeting; only the people around him truly need his care.

After hearing Lu Changji's words, Jiang Shu's stiff body slowly softened.

She turned over and hugged Lu Changji back.