The old woman standing nearby knelt down with a thud. "Miss, you mustn't! Even if Madam indulges you, you can't act recklessly. Even if you refuse the Wei family's marriage proposal, if word gets out that you're sickly, how will you find a husband in the future?"
"Is it alright if I refuse to marry? I'd rather die than marry that scoundrel."
When Miss Du Yutong gets angry, the old woman has no way to deal with it.
"Miss, please think more about Master. This matter is of great importance, and Master has his own difficulties."
"Hmph! Isn't it just because they're afraid of that person in the palace? It's not enough that the Du family married off an aunt to them; now they're sacrificing my happiness for the rest of my life. I'm not willing to do that."
Jiang Shuyue and Qiu Ju exchanged a glance; it turned out that the Du family and the Wei family were engaged.
Qiu Ju winked at Jiang Shuyue, implying that Wei San Gongzi was currently deeply in love with Jiang Jiaojiao, so why was he engaged to the Du family?
What about Jiang Jiaojiao?
Jiang Shuyue has been very busy lately, but she has also asked Cangyun to inquire about Jiang Jiaojiao's marriage.
They learned that Jiang Jiaojiao was having secret rendezvous with Young Master Wei in the teahouse every few days.
The Wei family's ship is bound to sink sooner or later. Jiang Shuyue doesn't need to lift a finger; she can just wait for Jiang Jiaojiao to bring about her own demise.
Today's trip was worthwhile, as it made her aware of the marriage between the Wei and Du families. If she didn't do something, she would be letting down her former half-sister.
After exchanging pleasantries with Qiuju for a while, the maidservant, unable to persuade her, also shut her mouth.
Just then, a maid brought in tea and pastries.
Du Yutong, still fuming, then realized that the people she had invited were still standing there.
"Sister Jiang, come and sit down. May I call you Sister Jiang? You look a lot like a sister I once met." Du Yutong's eyes softened as she spoke, and she patted the small couch.
Jiang Shuyue didn't hesitate and went straight over to sit down.
“I am a few years older than Miss Du, and the daughter of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review calls me sister. I am not at a disadvantage.”
"If Miss Du trusts me, I have a way to make the Wei family willingly break off the engagement with you."
"Is what you said true, young lady?" Before Du Yutong could speak, the maidservant scrambled to her feet.
Du Yutong excitedly grabbed Jiang Shuyue's arm, her eyes shining, "Sister Jiang, do you really have a solution?"
Jiang Shuyue nodded with a smile.
Du Yutong was so happy she almost jumped up and down, and shook Jiang Shuyue's arm vigorously.
She said cheerfully, like a sparrow, "Sister Jiang, it's so nice to know you. You're just as beautiful and kind as the sister I know."
The maid was also extremely excited, "Thank God, the Second Miss has met a benefactor today. If there is a way to peacefully dissolve the engagement with the Wei family, Madam will not have to argue with Master."
"To be honest, Miss Du, I run a clinic and go there to see patients every day. One day, I happened to pass by a teahouse and saw Young Master Wei and a young lady entering the teahouse one after the other."
"If it were just once, it would be a coincidence, but I've seen him three times. I suppose Young Master Wei already has someone he loves."
"Sister Jiang, are you saying that Young Master Wei was forced into this engagement?"
Du Yutong showed no sign of disappointment at being rejected; on the contrary, she was overjoyed, as if she had grasped a lifeline.
Jiang Shuyue smiled faintly, "Miss Du, don't worry. Since ancient times, marriage between our two families has always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Perhaps Young Master Wei has his own difficulties."
"What should we do? If the young lady asks the madam to go and ask Old Madam Wei, Old Madam Wei will definitely not admit it. If things go wrong, the young lady might be brought into the Wei family as soon as she enters the mansion as a concubine." The maid was in a state of panic.
"Don't rush, there's no use in rushing this. If Young Master Wei meets with that girl again in secret, you can bring people and call the Wei family to confront them directly. Surely the Wei family won't be able to keep pestering us about returning the betrothal gifts, right?"
"Thank you, Sister Jiang. Please accept my bow." Du Yutong quickly stood up and gave Jiang Shuyue a bow of equal seniority.
"Miss Du, you're too kind." Jiang Shuyue stood up and took her arm.
Immediately, Du Yutong's eyes reddened. "Sister Jiang, this news is so important to me. Ever since the betrothal gifts were exchanged, I haven't had a single good night's sleep."
"Everyone outside says that the Third Young Master Wei is a gentle and refined gentleman. My aunt Du married into the second branch of the Wei family. My aunt has no children, so the old lady of the Wei family has given her no fewer than five concubines."
Du Yutong sniffed. "When my aunt came back, she mentioned it to my mother. She said that all the Wei family's sons look respectable, but they're all bad apples at heart."
Jiang Shuyue also knew some of the things Du Yutong mentioned.
"Don't worry, Miss, this old servant will go and report to Madam right away." The maid bowed and was about to leave.
Du Yutong quickly called out to them, instructing them, "This must not be made public. Don't let Father know. Have the people in Mother's room keep an eye on them."
Men have different considerations. The Wei family wielded immense power in the court, and even the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was wary of them.
As long as the affair between the Third Young Master Wei and a woman is exposed, the Wei family will have no choice but to obediently accept the Du family's rejection of the engagement.
The servants withdrew, and Du Yutong pulled Jiang Shuyue to sit down.
"Sister Jiang, we hit it off immediately. Can I come visit you often?"
"Of course you can. I have many young ladies in my clinic. When you come, you can identify medicinal herbs with them. In the future, no one in the inner quarters can fool you."
Du Zhong was wary of the Wei family. To be precise, the four major families in the capital were not as harmonious as they appeared on the surface.
As the saying goes, "A new emperor brings a new court," and the marquises and nobles who were enfeoffed during the reign of Emperor Renzong have all faded into obscurity.
If Xiao Jingzhao wants to sit in that position, he also needs to win over powerful officials; having one more friend is better than having one more troublemaker.
Du Yutong is a good person at heart, and Jiang Shuyue is willing to befriend her.
"Once I break off the engagement with the Wei family, I'll have plenty of time to visit you at the clinic. Sister Jiang, please don't find me annoying."
Du Yutong was truly starving, and she picked up the pastries to urge Jiang Shuyue and Qiuju to try them.
Jiang Shuyue and Qiu Ju waved their hands, "We just had lunch, and we really can't eat anything right now."
Du Yutong was truly starving. She no longer cared about the modesty of a well-bred young lady. She picked up a piece of pastry and put it in her mouth, eating it in big mouthfuls.
"Today, in order to force my mother to bring up the matter of breaking off the engagement with my father, I really didn't eat lunch."
Seeing how ravenously she was eating, Jiang Shuyue got up to say goodbye, "Since Miss Du can eat and drink so well, I'll head back to the clinic now."
"Um, no, Sister Jiang, wait a minute."
Du Yutong swallowed the pastry in her mouth and grabbed Jiang Shuyue's wrist.
Jiang Shuyue felt a slight chill on her wrist. Looking down, she saw a jade bracelet with excellent translucency on Ru Xue's wrist.
"Miss Du, this is unacceptable!" Jiang Shuyue tried to remove the jade bracelet and return it.
Du Yutong grabbed Jiang Shuyue's hand and said, "Sister Jiang, can you call me Yutong from now on? I felt an instant connection with you the moment I saw you, just like my elder sister. This is something I keep close to me, so please don't refuse."
Seeing Du Yutong's eager gaze, Jiang Shuyue couldn't bring herself to refuse.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
