Chapter 24 Chapter 24 “It’s not the prefect’s wife who has a cold…
It was not until the next morning that the Duke returned with Mrs. Luo.
The Duke first sent the wife of the Luo family back to the Luo family, met with Lord Luo and Mrs. Luo, and briefly explained what happened when they stayed overnight at the Fahua Temple yesterday.
Jasmine waited outside the Luo Mansion, not getting out of the carriage. Not long after, the Duke of Guo came out and returned to the Mansion with her.
On the way back from Fahua Temple, the Duke was guarding three carriages and riding horses. At this moment, the Duke got into his own carriage.
When Shan Cha saw the Duke come in, she tactfully said she wanted to go out and catch the carriage.
The Duke looked at his aunt's unhappy face.
Jasmine was just wondering how to make Mrs. Luo stop hating her, when suddenly her grandfather tilted his head and looked at her.
Jasmine sat upright, waiting for her grandfather to lecture her.
The Duke was lost in thought, and finally spoke after a while: "Don't be sad."
Jasmine was frightened. This man actually knew she was unhappy?!
The Duke looked at her, her face turning even paler. He sighed silently and said, "I had been planning to visit the Jingzhao Yin on another day. Since this is the case, I will go today."
Jasmine thought he had some official business: "If you have something important to do, go and do it. I can go back to the mansion on my own."
The Duke: "You go with me."
Seeing her confusion, the Duke explained, "The woman yesterday was the wife of the Jingzhao Yin."
Jasmine reacted immediately. She was quite frightened and grabbed her grandfather and asked anxiously, "What are we going to do?"
Of course the Duke went to collect the debt.
However, the Duke's words were very pleasant: "Yesterday, my concubine offended the wife of the prefect. I felt really bad about it, so after coming down the mountain, I brought my concubine here directly. I hope I didn't offend the prefect and his wife."
The Duke's attitude and words were gentle, but when he stood in front of the hall with his hands behind his back and spoke these words to the Jingzhao Yin and his wife who were bowing and greeting him, who could not fail to see the clues?
The wife of the prefect had received a warning last night and could not sleep the whole night, fearing that she would meet the Duke, so she set out for home before dawn.
She kept thinking that the Duke was busy and would definitely not come to her house to find her, so he must have been trying to scare her verbally.
Who knew that it was not even noon yet, and the Duke did not even enter his own house and went straight to her house to kill her.
The wife of the prefect looked so miserable.
The Jingzhao prefect had no idea what had happened. When the shrewd Jingzhao prefect heard the Duke's words, he immediately guessed that his wife must have done something good and offended someone.
After all, how could such a high-ranking Duke condescend to come and apologize to his family, especially for a concubine? Most importantly, the Jingzhao prefect knew his legitimate wife.
The Jingzhao prefect glared at his wife, who had a bitter face, and said to Duke Yan, "Your Excellency, what are you talking about? It is a blessing for me that Your Excellency, Your Excellency, can visit me. Your Excellency, let's talk inside. Please come in, my aunt!"
The prefect of Jingzhao actually bowed to her. Jasmine was flattered and followed her master without daring to breathe.
The Duke did not refuse.
The prefect of Jingzhao served tea to the Duke and gestured to his wife.
Although the wife of the prefect was full of grievances, for the future of her husband and son, she had to bow her head and make tea for the concubine in front of her.
Determined not to embarrass her master, Jasmine pretended to be calm and took the tea handed to her by the prefect's wife.
The Jingzhao prefect smiled and said, "Did the Duke just say that my concubine offended my wife? I believe that the Duke must have misunderstood. My concubine is graceful, well-educated and well-mannered. It must be the opposite. It was my wife who was wrong first. I, on my wife's behalf, solemnly apologize to the Duke and my concubine."
The Jingzhao prefect said this, and drank his tea in one gulp. He then gave his wife a warning look: "Madam."
The wife of the prefect could only feel aggrieved and drink the tea in the cup in front of the Duke's concubine.
"The Lord Prefect is a wise man, and his wife is sensible. But I must explain myself clearly. Yesterday, I took my wife to the Fahua Temple to take shelter from the rain. Since the temple had run out of casual clothes for pilgrims, I gave my wife my own. Fearing that I might catch a cold, my wife frantically went to the men's room to look for me. I was naked at the time, purely out of necessity, and not in the immoral and blasphemous way the Prefect's wife has claimed I was doing."
The Jingzhao prefect suddenly looked at his wife. He knew that his wife always had her own way and must have had a dispute with the Duke's concubine. But the Jingzhao prefect never expected that his wife would insult the Duke with such vicious words!
The person she was scolding was not someone else, but Duke Yan!
Duke Yan, who has won many victories for Daqi and earned the trust and praise of His Majesty and the people!
Who doesn’t know that this is completely false?
The prefect's wife's face turned red as liver. She lowered her head and wished she could kill herself.
The Duke then slowly added, "Also, there is only one concubine in Yan's house now, and he has not favored a concubine over his wife."
The prefect stared at his wife with veins bulging at the corners of his eyes.
The Duke continued, "If the Duke's Mansion welcomes a mistress who knows how to skin people, then Yan will definitely send her back to her parents' home."
When the Duke said this, he looked at the wife of the prefect with a cold and stern gaze, which was very different from his usual easy-going nature.
...
Jasmine got on the carriage and returned home. Her heart was in turmoil and beating like a drum.
I heard the Duke ask, "Are you still sad?"
Jasmine raised her eyes and happened to meet those eyes that were as clear, gentle and smiling as ever.
Jasmine was speechless and just shook her head at her grandfather.
...
Luo Mansion.
Luo Ming'er told her mother that Yan Guogong had invited her to go outing and brought his concubine with him.
Mrs. Luo couldn't believe it. "How could the Duke do this? Isn't this trampling on your face?"
Luo Ming'er: "He brought her, but he also flirted with his concubine in front of me. Mother, the Duke dotes on his concubine much more than we heard. I'm afraid the Duke will regret this marriage because of his concubine."
"Impossible, Duke Yan is not that kind of person."
Lord Luo originally wanted to listen at the door for a while longer, but he didn't expect the mother and daughter to talk about the Duke so brazenly. Lord Luo really couldn't stand it anymore.
Lord Luo was in a bad mood. There were some things he didn't want to say, especially since the person in front of him was his wife and daughter.
But if he continues to indulge them, there is no guarantee that this mother and daughter will do something even crazier in the future.
Lord Luo displayed the aura of a head of household. "What exactly are you and your daughter trying to achieve? You secretly hid it from me and attended the old Duke's wife's flower viewing party. It wasn't until she chose Ming'er that you could no longer conceal it and were forced to tell me. I agreed then. Now that it's done, why are you making such a fuss?"
Luo Ming'er hated listening to her father talk the most. She simply kept a cold face and said nothing.
Madam Luo said excitedly, "Ming'er found a Duke as your son-in-law, and you're still not satisfied? I insist on following your will and following the example of your Concubine Xue and your two concubines who married poor scholars, and you're satisfied? Look at this house, does it really look like an official's residence? You're a third-rank official, after all. Who would believe me if I told you that we can only eat meat four times a month?"
Minister Luo, upon hearing Madam Luo's words, felt proud instead of ashamed. "That's because I'm a man of integrity, and I wouldn't go along with anyone else's corrupt ways! I told you clearly when you married me. My family is poor, and I doubt I'll ever be able to give you wealth and splendor. It was your own will. Now that our daughter is grown, you're thinking of clinging to the rich and powerful. Do you know why the old lady of the Yan Mansion only set her sights on Ming'er?"
Mrs. Luo: "Why not? Of course it's because my Ming'er is smart, lovely, well-educated and well-mannered."
"You're totally wrong!" Minister Luo spitted in Mrs. Luo's face, "That's..."
Minister Luo lowered his voice before adding, "That was the old lady of the Yan family who deliberately chose someone with a low threshold so that she could control the Duke in the future!"
Both mother and daughter were stunned.
Mrs. Luo: "How is this possible?"
Luo Ming'er said anxiously, "But the Duke didn't refuse. Could it be that the Duke didn't see it?"
Minister Luo: "The old lady is the Duke's stepmother. You should know that she has a biological child. But the Duke became the Duke, not her son. The old lady naturally wants to control the Duke. The Duke may not be unaware of this, but he has his own thoughts and doesn't care."
Minister Luo was an upright official who had held office for many years. Although Mrs. Luo wanted to find a wealthy and powerful family for her daughter, she believed Minister Luo's words.
But Madam Luo didn't care: "Master, what are you talking about? Does it have anything to do with Ming'er marrying the Duke?"
Minister Luo: "Today, I only want to remind you that the Duke may appear gentle and kind, but he is, after all, a military commander who has fought on the front lines for many years. If you really cross him, he will never put down his sword. The Duke agreed to marry the old Duke's wife not because of Ming'er, but to give face to his stepmother. No one else can interfere with what the Duke wants, so you should give up this idea as soon as possible!"
Minister Luo turned around and walked to the door, then stopped and turned back to say, "You and your daughter are desperate to die. I can't stop you, but I beg you two to be kind and show mercy. Don't destroy this Luo Mansion."
After Minister Luo finished speaking, he bowed to Madam Luo, then turned around and left angrily.
Mrs. Luo was speechless, with a rage in her heart that she had no place to vent. She chased to the door and kicked Minister Luo's back more than a dozen times before entering the house, locking the door tightly, and sitting back next to Luo Ming'er to comfort her daughter.
Luo Ming'er looked at Madam Luo worriedly: "Mom, if it's really like what Dad said, then we're doomed. I'm really scared."
Mrs. Luo: "There's nothing to be afraid of. Didn't you hear what your father said? Since the Duke has agreed to this marriage, it's impossible for him to go back on his word for no reason. After all, you are still the Duke's wife."
Luo Ming'er: "But I'm not willing to give up. I want to live in harmony with the Duke. I'll take care of the interior and he'll take care of the exterior. He's the only one for me and I'm the only one for him."
Madam Luo let go of her daughter's hand and said, "What are you dreaming about, girl? He's the Duke. Even if he marries a princess, it won't hinder him."
Luo Ming'er was annoyed: "Well, then mother can't help but think of a solution. If the Duke only favors that concubine, my daughter will look like the queen if she marries him..."
Mrs. Luo covered Luo Ming'er's mouth with her hand: "How dare you say that? If your father finds out, he won't forgive you!"
Luo Ming'er also knew that she had said the wrong thing, and said timidly: "My daughter just said that, and she is really scared."
Mrs. Luo: "Others might, but the Duke is unlikely to do such a thing given his personality. Besides, he and that concubine have only known each other for half a year. How much love can there be? At most, he can't leave her alone in his tent. When you marry him, use some tricks. As long as the Duke is away from that concubine for three days, he will definitely forget her completely."
Luo Ming'er was a little unconvinced: "The children born to my two concubine sisters are all crawling on the ground. How come my father hasn't forgotten Concubine Xue after all these years?"
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