Chapter 23 Chapter 23 "Is this for my concubine, Lord?"
The two returned to the house.
Jasmine was in a daze for a long time before she asked in disbelief, "Master...are you going to take me with you and Madam Luo for an outing?"
The Duke: "That's right."
Jasmine guessed that the master must have seen her craning her neck to look at the sky outside and thought she wanted to go out and play. Jasmine explained, "Master, I like staying at home."
She actually rejected him.
The Duke, whose every need was met by his concubine, found it incredible. He insisted, "I need someone to serve me when I'm away. You should come with me. Is that a problem?"
It turned out that she misunderstood.
Jasmine blinked before responding, "I understand. I will serve you well tomorrow, Master, and Madam Luo."
"Well. It's getting late. Please help me take a bath."
"good."
The next day, they both got up early.
Knowing he had to get up early, the Duke hadn't touched her last night, fearing that if he did, things would get out of hand. Last night, they each had their own quilt.
That's why Jasmine slept very well.
Everything was ready. All they had to do was wash up, have breakfast, and they were ready to go.
The old lady knew that the Duke was going to have a date with the daughter of the Luo family today, so she got up early and waited in the front yard to give him instructions.
Seeing Jasmine, she thought she was there to escort the Duke to the carriage. It wasn't until she saw the person being supported by the Duke to the carriage that the old lady froze.
Too frightened to ask Aunt Qian, "Am I dazzled? Did she not get on the carriage?"
Madam Qian: "Madam, Aunt Jasmine got on the carriage. I saw it clearly."
"Quick, stop them!"
By the time Nanny Qian, with her old limbs, ran to the gate, the carriage had just left.
Nanny Qian slapped her thigh and ran back.
...
Jasmine was wearing a purple-gray outfit today, with two flower-bud buns on her head, which was quite different from her usual low bun.
Jasmine thought her grandfather would ask about it, but he didn't even ask after she got on the carriage.
But what she didn't expect was that when he got out of the carriage and saw the Luo family's wife and two maids approaching, the Duke suddenly turned his head and asked, "Why are you dressed like this today?"
Of course, the Duke saw the maid of the Luo family and found that his concubine and the maid were dressed somewhat similarly, so he remembered to ask.
The girls who came for the outing were all dressed up in dazzling, bright, and charming attire. Even the maids who followed their masters were all smeared with makeup and dressed festively. Except for his concubine.
Jasmine stood behind the Duke and whispered, "Madam Luo is the star today, and I must not steal her limelight."
After hearing what she said, the Duke nodded and said, "That's the truth."
The Duke looked at his concubine deeply, feeling very relieved. She was considerate of the daughter of the Luo family. When the daughter of the Luo family came into his family, he would definitely not make things difficult for her.
The Duke thought of His Majesty again, and while he was worried about His Majesty, he also sighed at his good fortune. The horses were grazing in the grass.
In the shade of green, under the pear tree.
The Luo family lady approached, lowering her eyebrows and shyly bowing to the Duke: "My daughter Ming'er greets the Duke."
The Duke said warmly, "No need to be so polite."
After the Luo family girl stood up, the Duke took the gift box from Jasmine and handed it to the Luo family girl.
"A little gift for meeting you."
Luo Ming'er was extremely surprised, and looked at the Duke with sparkling eyes: "The Duke has already sent it, so there is no need to trouble you again."
The Duke: "As you should."
Luo Ming'er: "I like it very much. I will not let down the Duke's kindness and make the best use of it."
The Duke nodded: "That's good."
After the gift was presented, the surroundings suddenly became quiet and the sound of falling pear blossoms could be clearly heard.
Luo Ming'er knew that she couldn't be too proactive, so when the Duke didn't say anything, she didn't say anything either.
But seeing that the Duke remained silent, Luo Ming'er became anxious again, wondering if the Duke was waiting for her to speak.
But what is she going to say?
Jasmine looked at her master, then at Madam Luo, and sighed silently. She peeked out from behind the Duke and said, "Master, Madam Luo must be thirsty. I'll make some tea right away."
"good."
Only then did Luo Ming'er notice the two maids behind the Duke. In fact, she had seen them when she approached, but she was nervous in front of the Duke and didn't dare to think too much.
At this moment, Luo Ming'er couldn't help but wonder why the Duke had come here with two maids. Wasn't it said that the Duke never had maids around him?
Could it be a concubine?
Although Luo Ming'er felt a little uncomfortable, she knew that this was understandable. In the future, not to mention having a concubine, even having multiple concubines was possible.
Luo Ming'er looked behind her, and her personal maid Zhixia understood what she meant and retreated silently.
After the three people left, the place under the pear tree became even quieter.
The Duke looked in the direction where Jasmine left from time to time, but she didn't come back.
This was the second time the Duke had met with a girl alone. The first time was of course with the concubine, but the difference was that the concubine's meeting was a coincidence, but this time it was intentional.
The Duke felt extremely uncomfortable.
What can you talk about with a girl? Last night, Auntie taught him a method. When you see Mrs. Luo, you can ask her what she likes to eat and what she likes to do, or just chat about flowers and plants.
The Duke had never been so embarrassed before.
But he couldn't leave, so what could he do? The Duke could only try to speak: "What kind of meal would Madam Luo like?"
Mrs. Luo said softly, "I like everything. I especially like the steamed buns and cakes from Yingzhou. Tanzhou is famous for its spicy food. I've tried spicy vermicelli and spicy dried tofu, and they're delicious. And Xiangzhou..."
The Duke turned around again and found that his concubine still had not appeared.
...
"I'll help."
Jasmine decided to take the tea set to the pear tree. Zuo He and two soldiers helped unload the table and chairs from the carriage. Shancha took the tea set, while Jasmine planned to take the kettle, the tea box, the candied fruit box, and the snacks.
A pair of hands reached out from the side. Jasmine turned around and saw that it was the maidservant beside Mrs. Luo.
Jasmine gave her the snack box to hold and gave her a friendly smile, but did not ask her name.
Zhixia took the initiative to say: "My name is Zhixia, what's your sister's name?"
Jasmine: "My name is Jasmine, and her name is Camellia."
"On the day my wife went to meet the Duke, Zhixia happened to catch a cold, so she didn't go with her to the Duke's Mansion. I feel deeply sorry for not seeing my two sisters."
Jasmine smiled warmly and said, "It's nothing serious. We'll have plenty of opportunities to meet each other in the future."
"That's exactly what you said, sister." Zhixia nodded and added, "Zhixia is asking a question, please don't be offended, sister."
"I'm afraid..." Jasmine was just about to use the Duke's refusal. What a joke! She had already admitted that her words were impolite, so why should she listen?
But Zhixia was incredibly quick. After a brief pause, she continued, "I heard the Duke doesn't have any maids to serve him. How did you two sisters manage to follow him?"
As she spoke, Jasmine felt someone tug at her sleeve. She looked down and saw a purse inside. No wonder it felt so heavy.
Not only did she have one, but Shancha also got one.
Even if she wasn't given the purse, Jasmine wouldn't dare not answer.
From what she said, she didn't know who she was?
Jasmine recalled the expression on Mrs. Luo's face when she saw her. It seemed that Mrs. Luo didn't recognize her either.
Jasmine couldn't help but look down at herself. Was she really that ordinary? So ordinary that she was completely forgotten in just two months?
Jasmine was secretly sad, and replied to Zhixia after a moment: "Sister, you are right, I am serving in the main courtyard." Since she didn't recognize him, there was no need for her to cause trouble.
Zhixia wasn't surprised, obviously having guessed it beforehand. She seemed to be lost in thought, then asked, "Are the two sisters favored? Are they as favored as the concubine the Duke brought back from guarding the border?"
How should she say this?
Even if she wasn't that concubine, Jasmine still found this question difficult to answer.
Jasmine thought for a long time before she said with an embarrassed look, "The Duke is very kind to everyone."
Jasmine was telling the truth. She had no memory of the Duke being mean to anyone.
The Duke seems to treat everyone equally.
Zhixia asked again: "What does the Duke like?"
Jasmine hesitated for a moment, then said to Zhixia considerately, "You might want to ask Madam Luo to ask the Duke directly about this."
"How can that be?" Zhixia looked at Moli suspiciously. "How can my wife ask about the Duke for no reason, and ask about the Duke himself? Sister, are you trying to destroy my wife by saying this?"
Jasmine denied it outright: "I didn't, don't get me wrong."
Shancha couldn't stand it any longer. Not only did they misunderstand her as the Duke's concubine, but they also talked so much and even suspected that they had bad intentions.
"I say, you little bitch, are you done yet?"
Jasmine stepped between the two of them in time.
Compared to them, Zhixia was more afraid of attracting the attention of the Duke, so she quickly apologized in a low voice: "I said the wrong thing, I'm sorry, sisters. I'm not good at speaking, please forgive me, sisters."
Seeing Shancha calm down, Zhixia pulled Jasmine, who seemed more approachable, and said, "Sister, you should know that my wife will be the Duke's wife in the future, while you are just a concubine. It's hard to say whether you can become a concubine. But if you stand on my wife's side, your life will definitely be more comfortable in the future. What do you think?"
Shancha was so angry that she turned her face away, not bothering to look at Zhixia.
Jasmine nodded: "I know what I'm doing. When you come to the mansion in the future, I will serve you well."
Seeing that she could speak, Zhixia's face became much better. "Then, please take care of me during these few months. My wife heard that the Duke dotes on that concubine very much. You don't need to do anything, just help pass on a message in the future."
Jasmine was stunned for a moment. She asked, "Who said Auntie is favored?"
Zhixia: "My wife heard that the Duke has allowed that concubine to enter the main courtyard. How can I not be anxious?"
Jasmine felt she couldn't let the Luo family's wife resent her before she even married, so she said, "My lady must have misunderstood. In the Duke's heart, I'm just a servant. I heard him say to me, 'You must remember to do your duty. When the principal wife comes into the family, she will treat you well.'"
Jasmine imitated the Duke's tone of voice.
Zhixia was skeptical: "Are you serious?"
"It couldn't be more true. From what I can see, the Duke treats my concubine the same way he treats other maids. The Duke has always been kind, not only to maids, but even to stray dogs."
Zhixia mostly believed it. After all, the Duke of Guo in the rumors seemed to be just that kind of person. According to folklore, the Duke of Guo was decisive against his enemies, yet humble and courteous to the people.
It is also because the Duke has a very good reputation outside.
Zhixia got a satisfactory answer and happily returned to Mrs. Luo to report.
Jasmine was silently brewing tea beside her when Mrs. Luo said, "My Lord, I'll excuse myself for a moment."
The Duke nodded.
Accompanied by two maids, Mrs. Luo returned to her own carriage.
The Duke looked at Jasmine and asked, "Why did you take so long?"
Jasmine smiled sheepishly: "I spoke a few more words to Zhixia."
The Duke didn't bother with the girls' affairs, and only asked, "What are you going to do next?"
Jasmine couldn't help but laugh when she saw her grandfather's serious expression.
The Duke didn't understand why she was so happy.
Jasmine suppressed her laughter, raised her glass, and said, "You can have tea with Mrs. Luo later."
Jasmine asked, "What did Master talk about with Mrs. Luo just now?"
The Duke's face turned gloomy. "Just as you said. We talked about food, daily entertainment, and these flowers and trees."
Jasmine was surprised. "Master is quite quick. He's already talked so much in just a short while."
The Duke sighed, "So, I really can't think of anything else to say next. Or maybe we should just forget about it today." Jasmine looked at the bubbling tea in her hand and asked, "What about after we finish this pot of tea?"
"Okay."
Inside the Luo family's carriage.
Luo Ming'er couldn't help but feel happy after hearing Zhixia's words.
"So it was our misunderstanding." Luo Ming'er asked, "Will the maid agree to our request?"
Zhixia: "Don't worry, my lady. The maid said that she will follow your lead from now on."
Luo Ming'er smiled and said, "That's right. As a servant girl, she has to find someone to rely on in the Duke's Mansion. She can't rely on that concubine, so of course she can only choose me."
When Luo Ming'er walked back to the pear tree, the five words "I'm in a good mood" were almost written on her face.
From a distance, I saw the Duke talking to the maid. They were very close to each other. The Duke seemed to be asking her a question. When the maid spoke, the Duke listened carefully, looking at the maid intently, as if he was very affectionate.
Luo Ming'er told herself not to think too much, after all, the Duke had looked at her so seriously just now.
Luo Ming'er walked forward with a smile on her face.
When the Duke saw her coming, he immediately sat up straight and looked at her.
Luo Ming'er thought to herself: As expected!
Next, during the tea time, the foldable small square table in front of Jasmine was filled with snacks, candied fruits and melons.
Jasmine handed a cup of warm tea to the Duke, who was thirsty and drank it in one gulp.
After he finished drinking, he turned to look at Jasmine, and he and his aunt looked at each other in surprise.
Jasmine had no choice but to push the snacks towards her grandfather again. This time, the Duke knew what he was supposed to do and handed a box of candied date cakes to Mrs. Luo.
Luo Ming'er took it with both hands and thanked him: "Thank you, Duke."
The Duke handed her another cup of tea.
Luo Ming'er: "Please trouble you, Duke."
Next, Jasmine watched as her grandfather handed cup after cup of tea to the Luo family's wife. While Jasmine was boiling water, the Duke began handing out boxes of snacks.
Mrs. Luo knew that she couldn't let the Duke down, so she could only accept the treats with a smile. Seeing her overeating, Jasmine felt sorry for her.
Seeing that the water they brought was completely gone, Jasmine said, "Master, why don't we go for a walk?"
The Duke looked at his concubine with a puzzled expression, almost writing on his face, "Didn't we say we were going to have tea? Why do we still want to go shopping?"
Jasmine was busy packing up her stall. The Duke, who hadn't received an answer, could only nod and say, "Okay, let's go."
The Duke and Mrs. Luo seemed to be walking side by side, but in fact there was still room for two people between them.
Jasmine and Shancha Zhixia fell behind the two of them.
At the front is the Fahua Temple, and as they go forward there is a slope.
The Duke stopped and asked Mrs. Luo, "Do you want to continue forward?"
Mrs. Luo knew that the Duke was definitely not afraid of walking more, and he asked this out of consideration for her.
Fearing she would spoil the Duke's mood, the Luo family's wife said without hesitation, "My daughter can do it."
So, she still wants to climb. The Duke had no choice but to accompany her to the end. He extended his hand forward and said, "Madam, please."
Mrs. Luo gave the Duke a subtle smile, glanced at the endless slope, gritted her teeth, and continued to move forward.
The further they went, the more people there were. Fearing it would be inconvenient to bring female relatives with them, the Duke ordered Zuo Hechun to stand in front and lead the way.
"It didn't say it was going to rain today, so why is it getting dark?"
"No way, it's going to rain heavily?"
"Hurry up, get down the mountain quickly."
"Should we go up the mountain and hide in the temple?"
As the sky darkened, chaos ensued. Everywhere was filled with chaos and disorder.
The Duke simply brought some people with him and protected the women and took refuge aside.
A drop of water hit her eyelashes. Jasmine reached out to wipe it away and looked at the sky: "Sir, it's really raining."
As they were talking, heavy raindrops began to hit everyone.
Jasmine was speechless. She had chosen the auspicious day after all. Jasmine apologized, "I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't expect it would rain today."
The Duke: "Unexpected events happen, it has nothing to do with you."
Hearing this, Luo Ming'er was curious. What did he mean? Was it this maid's idea to come out today?
Why would the Duke entrust this matter to a maid?
Without time to think, as the rain got heavier, Luo Ming'er asked, "Duke, what should we do now?"
The Duke glanced behind him and said calmly and forcefully, "The path down the mountain is slippery and dangerous. We have no choice but to go into the temple. Hurry while the road is still passable."
The Duke strode forward, but after walking a distance, he remembered that there were women following him. He stopped and turned back.
Mrs. Luo was supported by two maids and moved forward with difficulty. Jasmine and Shancha also walked hand in hand and had difficulty.
My clothes were soaked, and I was covered in water. The muddy puddle under my feet seemed to suck me in.
Her face stung by the rain, Jasmine trudged forward, one foot deep, one foot shallow. Suddenly, her footing felt light, and she fell forward. The muddy water wouldn't have been a big deal; the worst part was her shoes and socks had fallen off.
Jasmine was so upset that she turned around and helped Shancha take off her shoes and socks.
One hand grabbed her and said, "You can't wear it even if you take it back. Don't wear it anymore."
Jasmine supported herself on one foot, but she couldn't stand on just one, and the bare foot could only tap the ground from time to time.
Seeing her bare feet becoming muddy, Jasmine simply stuck herself in the mud, comforting herself that this was the best way, as no one else would notice she was barefoot.
Just as she was about to move forward, Jasmine lost control and slipped again.
In a panic, she grabbed a life-saving straw. When she opened her eyes, she found that her grandfather had picked her up by the waist, and the life-saving straw in her hand was her grandfather's collar.
Jasmine quickly let go and smoothed her grandfather's collar.
Looking at the muddy ground passing by quickly below, Jasmine sighed that this man was truly majestic.
Jasmine thought of something and turned to look at Mrs. Luo. As expected, Mrs. Luo looked at them with an embarrassed and dull expression.
Jasmine had a bad feeling. She quickly said, "Master, the Luo family's wife is still behind."
The Duke had truly forgotten. Upon hearing this, he turned around. He remained silent, watching the Luo family's wife approach step by step.
"ah……"
Mrs. Luo’s shoes and socks also fell off!
The Luo family's wife looked at the Duke pitifully, and the Duke frowned and said, "My wife, hold on a little longer, we'll be there soon."
Luo Ming'er couldn't believe her ears. But she couldn't ask, let alone argue, so she could only endure this injustice.
How could Jasmine not understand the feelings of Mrs. Luo? She still wanted to spend the rest of her life in the mansion.
Jasmine said to the master, "Master, why don't I go by myself and you can take care of the lady from the Luo family."
The Duke said: "She is an unmarried woman, how can I take care of her? Please don't meddle in other people's affairs."
Jasmine didn't understand what this man was thinking: "Isn't the wife of the Luo family my fiancée?"
The Duke said: "She hasn't even married yet, so why would you be so abrupt? She has two maids to take care of her, so she'll be fine."
After saying this, the Duke climbed the mountain even faster. In a blink of an eye, the people behind them disappeared from view.
The abbot of Fahua Temple ordered several young monks to stand guard in front of the temple gate with umbrellas to provide shelter for guests.
Zuo He arrived early and greeted them. Knowing that it was the residence of Duke Yan, the monk immediately led the Duke to the guest house in the backyard.
The monk brought the clothes, and Jasmine said to her master, "I will help you change your clothes."
"Please forgive me, my lady donor. Fahua Temple is a sacred place and must not be desecrated."
Jasmine looked at the young monk who was watching his nose with his eyes and his heart with his nose, and felt embarrassed and wanted to dive into the mud outside.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Master."
It was the first time that the Duke saw the concubine's unusual expression and he found it funny, but now was not the time for him to joke with the concubine.
The Duke said sternly, "You stay here, I'll go next door."
The guest room was filled with the pungent scent of sandalwood, with Buddhist verses hanging on all sides and a ferocious-looking Buddha statue in front of the bed.
Because it was dark outside, it was even darker in the house without any lights on.
Jasmine moved very quickly. After a hasty scrubbing, she hurriedly changed into the casual clothes and shoes and socks provided by the temple. When she hurried out, she saw that the Duke was already dry and standing in the corridor with his hands behind his back, enjoying the rain.
The Duke's eyes were focused, his face was solemn, and his posture was upright. He looked as reassuring as always.
Jasmine relaxed immediately.
She was in a daze when Shancha and the others arrived.
The monk stood in the rain on the corridor and said to a few people, "Today, there are many pilgrims in the temple, and the guest rooms are in short supply. I can only trouble a few female donors to squeeze in."
The Luo family's wife was obviously exhausted, but she still managed a smile at the young monk and said, "It's okay. Thank you, young master."
While the wife of the Luo family was still talking to the monk and the Duke outside, Jasmine waved to Shancha to hurry into the house. She moved very quickly, took the clothes that the monk had placed on the table in the outer room, and followed him into the inner room.
She is not afraid of two people.
When she came out again, Jasmine saw Zhixia talking to the monk at the door.
Jasmine didn't hear what Zhixia said, but she heard the monk say, "My apologies, benefactor. Today, our temple has never had so many pilgrims come to visit, so we've run out of casual clothes. Please forgive me."
The young monk was obviously very busy, so he bowed and turned away.
Zhixia didn't have time to call for help. He could only stamp his feet and turn back to report to his wife.
The Luo family's wife sneezed twice in a row due to the cold. If the master was in trouble, the maids would at least suffer a lot.
Zhixia was so anxious that she was spinning around. When she turned around and saw Jasmine, her eyes lit up. She stepped forward and said to Jasmine, "My dear sister, my wife is a delicate woman. She will be marrying the Duke soon, so she can't get hurt. Please bear with me and lend my clothes to my wife."
Jasmine was in such a dilemma. If it were anyone else, she would definitely refuse. But this was the wife of the Luo family.
If she wants to have a good relationship with Mrs. Luo, she has to give it.
Jasmine could still distinguish between the discomfort of one day and the discomfort of half a lifetime. Just as she was about to agree, Shancha refused.
"We are all human beings, why should we give in?"
Zhixia didn't expect that someone would come out to catch a rat. Seeing that she was being unreasonable, Zhixia said fiercely: "I'm not asking you, what does it have to do with you?"
Shancha said stubbornly: "Just do my job."
Shancha was no fool. Whether the Luo family's wife could enter the Duke's Mansion or freeze to death had nothing to do with her. But if something happened to the concubine, her good life would definitely be ruined.
Then of course she has to protect her good days... no, protect her aunt!
Jasmine pulled her sleeve and told her not to go too far.
Zhixia ignored the unreasonable man and just turned to look at Jasmine, waiting for her to speak.
Jasmine had originally wanted to agree, but since Shancha had rejected it on her behalf, she was afraid that even if she agreed, the Luo family lady wouldn't be very grateful. Furthermore, she didn't want to embarrass Shancha right now.
So, Jasmine politely declined: "Sorry, I'm not in very good health either."
Zhixia was so angry that she was about to use the power of others to threaten the two people in front of her.
Then the wife of the Luo family said, "Zhixia, no. There are two sets of clothes in total. If I change, there will be one person left without a change. I won't feel good about it. Please stop making things difficult for me."
"What is it?"
The Duke had left with Chunli and the others earlier, and he was standing under the eaves in front of their door again without them noticing.
Jasmine raised her eyes and met her grandfather's.
Zhixia glanced at her wife, rushed to the door, and said anxiously, "Please, my Lord, think of a solution. The monks only sent two sets of clean clothes, and my wife has nothing to change into. She is freezing. We servants are all rough people, so it's not a big deal, but my wife has never suffered hardship since she was a child. She can't bear it!"
Shancha hid behind Jasmine. She wasn't afraid of anyone else, but she was afraid of the Duke. In her opinion, the Duke looked easygoing, but in reality, he was a murderous demon.
She was the only one among the girls present who had changed her clothes. In fact, she was the one who should have taken off her clothes.
"Take it off and give it to Mrs. Luo."
The Duke said this while looking at Jasmine.
Jasmine nodded repeatedly: "I will go change it right away."
Shancha followed Jasmine into the inner room.
The Duke finished speaking and turned to leave.
Luo Ming'er exchanged glances with the two maids, and joy welled up in the eyes of all three of them.
Zhixia whispered to her wife, "My wife, in the Duke's heart, you are indeed the most important."
Zhiqiu was puzzled: "But when he came up, why did the Duke hold the maidservant and ignore our wife?"
Zhixia: "I guess the Duke must be taking into consideration that my wife is still an unmarried girl."
Luo Ming'er also guessed so, blushing and lowering her head, she said, "The Duke has always been very polite."
“Camellia.”
A roar full of energy.
The master and his servants in the main hall looked towards the door and saw Chunli standing beside the Duke.
Zhixia was about to go forward and ask what was going on when Shancha heard the voice and ran out: "I'm here."
"This is what the Duke ordered to be given to Auntie."
"Yes." Shancha took the clothes and went back into the inner room.
The three people who were laughing and chatting just now now had gloomy faces.
Zhixia comforted Luo Ming'er: "My lady, the Duke must be afraid of offending you. He must have you in his heart, otherwise he wouldn't have let that maid take off her clothes for you."
Luo Ming'er couldn't laugh this time: "But he is the Duke, why would he give his own clothes to a servant? It is enough to prove that this servant is not simple in his heart. Did you hear it just now? Chunli called the servant "Auntie"."
Zhixia: "No, madam. If she really became a concubine, why would she still dress like this? It's obvious that she is just a maid. The reason I call her concubine is to give her face."
Thinking about it carefully, the Duke had been treating that maid differently during this journey. Even though that maid couldn't affect her position as Luo Ming'er's wife, she was still worried.
Zhiqiu said, "My lady may have misunderstood. This dress may not have been worn by the Duke. It just so happens that the Duke has some extra."
Luo Ming'er's expression became much better: "What you said makes sense."
Jasmine had never imagined her grandfather would do such a thing. After changing her clothes, she wanted to go out and check. Her grandfather was still wearing wet clothes, so she found some clean ones.
Shancha: "Auntie, there's no need to be embarrassed. Chunli only said that the Duke gave it to him, but he didn't say it was the same piece he was wearing. That's the Duke, how could he not get a clean piece of clothing?"
Jasmine didn't think so: "If he wasn't wearing it, he could have given it directly to the Luo family's wife."
Shancha: "It was worn by the Duke. Why can't he give it to the Luo family's wife?"
Jasmine didn't want to argue with her, so she turned and ran out, rushing out of the house quickly.
"Ma'am, she's out, let's change clothes."
Luo Ming'er stood up and looked at Jasmine's hurried back. She took two steps towards the inner room and paused. "Let's go take a look."
The Duke's men's room was the westernmost one, while Jasmine's women's room was the easternmost one. The two rooms were connected by a corridor, and Jasmine walked through the corridor and arrived at the threshold of the Duke's room.
The Duke and his men were all in the room, all shirtless, sitting around two stoves, and the Duke was no exception.
The subordinate who got the clothes first said, "General, why don't you wear my clothes?"
The Duke refused: "No need to bother."
Chunli was the first to see the person at the door and exclaimed in surprise, "Master, it's my aunt."
The Duke opened his eyes and saw his aunt raising her foot. He immediately stood up swiftly and in two steps was in front of his aunt, blocking her firmly at the door.
"How did you get here?"
Jasmine was running out of breath, and she didn't know why she came. To say thank you?
Jasmine wanted to speak, but found that her thanks would seem very pretentious.
But she didn't thank him, didn't say anything, her heart was always filled with an inexplicable emotion, making her restless, sad and wanting to cry.
Jasmine closed her eyes, and tears fell in strings, just like the heavy rain outside the eaves.
The Duke had only seen his concubine cry so much in the tent, but he knew it wasn't out of sadness. It was different from what he was feeling now.
"What's wrong?" The Duke tried to wipe her tears like he did every time, but found that he had nothing useful in his hands, so he had to use his bare hands.
More and more heads popped out from the surroundings, and the Duke was getting extremely anxious. "What's going on?"
Jasmine didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say or do. After a long while, she finally managed to say, "I'm afraid you'll catch a cold."
The Duke remained silent for a long moment. He was simply too shocked. There was actually someone in this world who was worried about him catching a cold. Worried to the point of crying.
The Duke lowered his eyes and looked at his concubine, saying seriously, "I'm a man, nothing will happen to me, you can rest assured."
Jasmine couldn't help but shed tears, she sobbed, "Is this servant so important?"
The Duke looked at her seriously again and said, "Of course it's that important. My concubine is my only concubine."
"What if later..."
"Um?"
There was another sentence in her heart, but Jasmine really couldn't ask it out loud.
The Duke looked at her in confusion. Jasmine shook her head, bowed, took two steps back, turned around and ran away.
The Duke watched the people pass through the corridor before turning back to the house.
When the heads around saw that the person was gone, they all started whispering.
"Oh my, this is a temple, how can this be disrespectful?"
"Is this a newlywed couple?"
"No, didn't you hear the man calling the woman aunt? She's a concubine."
"Another one who favors his concubine over his wife. What kind of world is this? This is not allowed..."
"Madam, you can't say that. We're still in the temple!"
She had come to pray on an auspicious day, but it suddenly rained heavily. The lady, who was already in a bad mood, happened to see the scene she hated the most. How could the lady bear it?
Coincidentally, the noble lady lived next door to Jasmine. Standing at the doorway, she saw someone approaching and began to curse at her, "What a slut! A lowly servant, do you really think you're the mistress of the house? In broad daylight, in this peaceful place, you're doing such a shameful thing. If she had been in my house, I'd have skinned her alive!"
Everyone would find these words unpleasant to hear. Jasmine was perceptive and knew that the lady was talking about her. She lowered her head and pretended not to hear.
Shancha didn't know the other person's identity and was about to go over there, but Jasmine pulled her back.
The lady was still cursing.
Shancha was dissatisfied: "Can you tolerate this?"
Jasmine: "If you jump out now, everyone will know that I am the slut she's talking about."
Jasmine pulled Shancha into the house and looked up to see Mrs. Luo still wearing her wet clothes.
Mrs. Luo looked at her with a scrutinizing look.
She was so excited just now that she rushed out to find her master and forgot about Mrs. Luo.
Impulsiveness can harm others. Jasmine smiled at the Luo family lady in a friendly manner and explained, "Don't be offended, my lady. I was worried that the Duke might catch a cold, so I went to check on him. My lady knows that if anything happens to him, the old lady will definitely blame me when I return."
The Luo family's wife asked, "I heard the Duke call you his concubine, and he said you were his only concubine. Doesn't the Duke only have one concubine?"
Jasmine knew she couldn't deny it. She nodded heavily, "Madam, you're right. Madam, take a look at me. Do you think I look familiar?"
Mrs. Luo was shocked and confused.
Jasmine took two steps closer so that Mrs. Luo could take a closer look. "This servant is Jasmine."
Aside from Zhixia, who looked completely bewildered, the Luo family's wife and Zhiqiu were clearly quite frightened. They stared at her in shock.
Jasmine quickly expressed her loyalty: "Don't worry, my lady. I will never compete with you for anything. I just want to live a peaceful life in the backyard of the Duke's Mansion. When you come home, I will serve you as well as I would the Duke."
Jasmine continued without pause, "My lady, please don't misunderstand the Duke. He truly wants to marry me. He often tells me that Lord Luo is honest and upright, and that I, your lady, will also be kind and well-mannered, and that he wants me and you to learn from him."
Mrs. Luo's expression finally eased a little.
Jasmine finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"The Duke is asking which family the Madam is from. My concubine has caused the Madam to be so angry. I will personally apologize another day."
Zuo He stood in the corridor with his head held high and chest puffed out, and said to the west wing.
The noble lady, who had been speaking loudly just a moment ago, suddenly fell silent.
The noblewoman dropped her previous arrogance and stammered, "Duke... Duke? Which Duke? Don't lie to me, my lady. How can there be such a young Duke in the court?"
Zuo He: "Three months ago, Duke Yan returned to the capital from guarding the border. Does Madam recognize him?"
The lady was completely silent.
I only heard the maid shouting, "Madam, Madam! Please don't scare this servant."
Zuo He turned around to leave, but saw Aunt Jasmine looking at him. Zuo He hesitated for a moment and bowed towards the room.
Jasmine quickly returned the gift.
Neither Jasmine nor Mrs. Luo looked out to see what was going on outside, but they could tell roughly what was going on by listening to the sounds.
Mrs. Luo looked at Jasmine and said, "The Duke is doing this for Auntie, right?"
Jasmine knew that what she had said just now was in vain.
But strangely, she wasn't in a hurry at all. Her heart just swelled a little, and when she thought of the way her grandfather had told Zuo He to come, Jasmine wanted to laugh.
Of course, women understand women's thoughts best. Mrs. Luo saw the concubine in front of her holding her chest, her eyebrows slightly lowered, and a smile on her lips, just like a young lady who had heard the sweet words of her lover.
Zhixia knew her name was Jasmine, but she didn't know the Duke's concubine was also named Jasmine. Zhixia felt that the maid was deliberately misleading her and deceiving her.
The lady asked her to find out, but she didn't even know who the maid was. She was afraid she would not be able to get away with it if she went back.
Thinking of her own misfortune, and looking at the maidservant in front of her with a dazzling smile, Zhixia angrily scolded: "Hey, what are you so proud of?"
Jasmine suddenly came to her senses and covered her face to apologize, "My lady, you misunderstood. I wasn't feeling proud. I was just thinking of someone I just saw outside. That young lady had smudged makeup and her hair was all in tangles, like a drowned ghost. I just thought it was funny."
The master, servant and the other two looked even more ferocious.
Jasmine raised her eyes to glance at Mrs. Luo and secretly sighed at her bad luck.
It's over, she said the wrong thing!
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