Chapter 33 Chapter 33 She didn’t want to be a burden to him. …
The Luo family's wife's injuries were much less severe than those of the Censor's wife. The Duke was certain that as long as he delivered the gift and drank some tea, the problem would be solved.
The aunt said she wanted to go together, and the Duke followed her.
But when he arrived at the Luo Mansion, the Duke realized that things were not as he had expected.
The Luo Mansion is full of guests today, and they are all young ladies.
Mrs. Luo explained with a beaming smile, "Ming'er was frightened yesterday, so the ladies stayed with her overnight. It just so happened that the ladies were all witnesses to what happened yesterday. They know everything the Duke wants to ask and can testify."
Each of these young ladies was a descendant of a court official, and had seen the world. Normally, they were all aggressive and high-spirited, but now, they had become quiet and shy ladies.
Jasmine couldn't help but suspect that they had taken a fancy to her grandfather.
After all, although her grandfather was an unkempt warrior, ever since she started taking care of him, the Duke had become a well-known handsome man in Kyoto.
Perhaps only the Duke himself didn't take it seriously.
Not to mention Jasmine's strange feelings, even the wife of the Luo family felt extremely uncomfortable when she saw the little sisters who were so different from their usual selves.
But since she still needed people, she couldn't say much.
Of course, the Duke didn't notice it. He just thought that these young ladies were afraid of him.
The Duke was used to it. He felt he couldn't be so frivolous and rude to a group of young ladies. So he decided to make a quick decision, exchanged a few words, drank some tea, and then returned.
The young ladies saluted and greeted the Duke. The Duke called out, then turned to look at Madam Luo and asked, "Is Madam Luo's injury feeling better?"
In front of all the young ladies, she was cared for. The Duke only cared about her. Lady Luo was so proud.
The words were very humble and polite: "My daughter is fine. It's just a minor injury."
Mrs. Luo's hand was right in front of her, and anyone with eyes could see it at a glance.
Yesterday, there were only two shallow scratches, but now they were shocking. Especially with the green ointment applied, the blood-red marks looked like they had been torn apart.
Seeing the Duke's gaze, Madam Luo hid her hand in her sleeve and said shyly, "It's really just a minor injury. It looks scary, but it doesn't hurt at all. Duke, don't worry about it."
Jasmine stood behind her grandfather, her hands clasped together, and coldly averted her gaze. Even if her grandfather believed her, so what?
The Duke nodded and said, "That's good. Madam Luo, take good care of yourself."
Everyone waited for a long time, but the Duke didn't say anything. They thought, is this the end?
Luo Ming'er was also very surprised. Is that all right? What does that mean?
She was injured, shouldn't he have asked her more about her well-being? Or did he think her injury was not serious enough?
Mrs. Luo quickly realized it might be the latter. The Duke had seen all sorts of serious injuries on the battlefield, so seeing the blood on her hand would surely be a big deal.
Although no one spoke, and the young ladies' faces were expressionless, Mrs. Luo knew that they must be mocking her in their hearts, and perhaps even gathered together to talk about and laugh at her once they left the Luo Mansion.
At this moment, Luo Ming'er had no time to think about the business, and was only filled with anger.
She glanced at Jasmine and asked the Duke with concern, "I wonder what happened to my aunt's hand? It looks much more serious than my daughter's injury."
The aunt clasped her hands together, and the bandage on her left hand was not at all shocking. Everyone was already curious.
Everyone wondered what could have happened, and guessed that the Duke was angry that his concubine had caused trouble for him, so he broke it accidentally.
Thinking of this possibility, several young ladies sighed. Fortunately, they hadn't caught the old lady's eye. It seemed that marrying into a Duke's mansion didn't necessarily bring good fortune.
Jasmine bowed and said, "The wound I sustained earlier hasn't fully healed yet."
The Duke added nonchalantly, "It wasn't fully healed yet, and I accidentally pulled it off again."
Everyone thought to themselves, "It is indeed so!"
You see, the Duke doesn't know how to be gentle with women, let alone me.
Luo Ming'er was watching the different expressions on the faces of her sisters when she heard the Duke turn around and say to her aunt, "Jiang'er, there's no need to stand. Go sit down. Be careful and don't get hurt again."
"Yes." Jasmine walked around and sat down on the chair at the end.
Stubborn?
What is the Duke's nickname for his concubine?
What qualifications does a concubine or slave have to sit with them?
Luo Ming'er spoke at the right moment: "I know why the Duke has come here so specially today. Please don't take it to heart. I don't blame you, my aunt. I'm sure you wouldn't want to see this happen either."
The Duke nodded again, but before he could say anything, the woman in the green silk dress whispered, "Ming'er, you'll be a bride in less than two months. This will be your only chance in your life. You were supposed to be happily getting married, but now you have such a big scar on your hand. Even though you don't mind it, I feel bad for you."
The young lady in yellow, who was sitting at the head of the green-skirted woman, spoke up, "Yes, Ming'er, we don't understand. Why would that maid hurt you for no reason? How could a maid have the guts to hurt the future Duke's wife?"
The young lady in yellow was obviously a brave one. She raised her eyes and asked the Duke, "I wonder if the Duke has asked about the impetuous girl beside my concubine?"
The Duke said truthfully, "No."
The Duke looked at Luo Ming'er again and said, "That girl caused trouble at the Mu Mansion yesterday and has been reprimanded. I had previously thought that Madam Luo's injuries were minor and that she wouldn't blame me. If she wanted to blame someone, I would certainly not be biased."
If anyone else said this, they would think the Duke was hinting at something in a sarcastic tone.
But this is the Duke. Everyone here knows how sincere the Duke is.
Luo Ming'er raised her eyes to glance at the Duke, then lowered her head and said, "The Duke was joking. I certainly don't blame you."
The Duke nodded, thinking that Madam Luo was quite considerate.
Finally, a young lady in green clothes spoke up: "Yesterday's scene scared Sister Ming'er, and even I was terrified. Sister invited us to enjoy the flowers, and Sister invited Aunt to enjoy the flowers as well. We were both here to enjoy the flowers, so how could there be a conflict?"
The young lady in yellow still smiled at the Duke and said, "Duke, we are not trying to stir up trouble. We are simply curious. Why did that maid attack Ming'er? If you don't know, could I ask my aunt?"
The Duke felt that there was nothing wrong with it and looked at Jasmine, "Stubborn."
Jasmine stood up.
The Duke said, "Just sit down and answer."
Jasmine then sat down again and spoke, "My Lord, when I went to the Luo Mansion, I thought my mistress had invited me alone. Unexpectedly, I saw so many people, so I decided to avoid them."
Jasmine paused before continuing, "The lady grabbed my hand and wouldn't let me leave. Shancha rushed forward and accidentally scratched her."
The young lady in yellow asked with a confused look on her face, "I wonder why my aunt avoids me when she sees me waiting?"
Jasmine was silent for a moment, and after a while she said, "I am only a servant, and I am afraid I may offend you ladies."
The young lady in yellow: "Auntie calls herself a servant, but if you hadn't told me yesterday, I would have thought you were the princess of the palace. The dress you are wearing is really beautiful. Oh, and the golden hairpin on your head is also very eye-catching."
Jasmine knew it!
Jasmine explained, "The clothes were given to me by Madam Luo, and the gold jewelry was also given to me by Madam Luo."
"Yes, don't get me wrong, the clothes and the golden hairpins were all given to my aunt by me. I didn't think too much about it at the time, I just wanted to make my aunt happy, but who knew it would lead to the current situation." Luo Ming'er spoke immediately.
The young lady in the green radish skirt said with dissatisfaction: "Ming'er, why are you trying to please Auntie? You are the one who is in charge."
The voice of the young lady in the green ivy skirt was soft, but the little girl's voice was so sharp that everyone could hear it clearly.
When the Duke heard this, he looked at Madam Luo.
Luo Ming'er glanced at the Duke embarrassedly and said dejectedly, "I see that my aunt is favored by the Duke, and I'm afraid that after I enter the mansion, she will dislike me. I'm even more afraid of embarrassing the Duke, so..."
The young ladies present immediately became excited. They were all going to be the mistresses of the house in the future. When they heard Luo Ming'er's words, their faces turned pale.
Because the Duke was present, they did not dare to act presumptuously.
The Duke frowned and said, "When you marry into the family in the future, you will be the mistress of the house, so why bother?"
These words successfully soothed Luo Ming'er's anxious heart over the past few months.
Luo Ming'er suppressed her excitement, but her eyes still reddened. She looked really aggrieved.
Seeing tears welling up in Madam Luo's eyes, the Duke took out a handkerchief from his bosom and handed it to her.
As a burly military commander, the Duke had not seen what a handkerchief looked like for more than 20 years. But with Aunt Jasmine, every time she went, Aunt Jasmine would prepare a neatly folded handkerchief for him and put it into his arms with her own hands.
The Duke rarely uses it twice, only when my concubine cried and when she bled yesterday evening, and now.
Jasmine stared at the dark blue handkerchief for a long time before looking away.
After taking the handkerchief from the Duke, Madam Luo became even more excited and her tears fell even more violently.
The Duke could only offer words of comfort: "Madam Luo, there's no need to be so. Madam is gentle and kind, and very easy to get along with."
The young lady in yellow suddenly understood and said with a smile, "So my aunt is so kind. Did my aunt have no choice but to accept Ming'er's suggestion to come to the mansion and wear the flowing skirt and golden hairpin that Ming'er gave her?"
Luo Ming'er panicked and said, "My Lord, I didn't force you to accept it. I gave you the flowing skirt, and you didn't refuse it. The next day, you showed it to me and asked if I liked it. I thought you liked it very much. Please believe me, my Lord!"
The Duke also recalled at this moment that his concubine was indeed very happy to receive the clothes. The Duke glanced at his concubine with a complicated look.
Jasmine happened to meet his gaze and her heart skipped a beat.
What's that look?
The young lady in yellow shirt continued, "From what Ming'er said, the flowing skirt and the golden hairpin are what Auntie wears for pleasure? But that's true. Auntie has hands and feet. If she doesn't want to, how can Ming'er force her?"
The young lady in the green radish skirt said: "Sister Ming'er also painted a portrait with Auntie. Where are those paintings? Sister Ming'er, please take them out and show them to the Duke."
Luo Ming'er hesitated for a moment, and then, at the urging of the young ladies, ordered Zhixia to get it.
Three portraits.
Two of the photos are single photos of Luo Ming'er and Jasmine, and one is a photo of the two of them together.
Mrs. Luo's outfit was not unusual, but my concubine's was very striking. This was mainly because my concubine usually dressed simply. For example, at this moment, she was wearing a plain purple-gray skirt and nothing else except a pearl hairpin in her hair.
Look at the painting again, the aunt is standing in the beautiful peony flowers, her clothes are shining, and the golden hairpin inserted diagonally on the left side of her head is bright enough in the painting, not to mention the scene at that time.
The concubine's smile in the painting was even more dazzling, clearly showing genuine joy. At least the Duke had never seen the concubine smile so freely in front of him.
Just two days ago, the Duke heard His Majesty say that women all like to act coquettishly. The Duke didn't take it seriously at the time, but now he realizes that what His Majesty said was the truth.
The same is true of his aunt.
The Duke looked at the portrait for a moment, then raised his eyes to look at his aunt.
Jasmine knew that the Duke was looking at her, but she didn't dare to meet his gaze at the moment.
The young lady in yellow exchanged glances with Luo Ming'er, and she continued, "Ming'er and I have known each other for many years and have been close friends for many years. The reason I stayed the night yesterday was because I was worried that the Duke would misunderstand Ming'er. I was very worried, so I stayed to defend Ming'er. I hope the Duke will forgive my rude question."
The Duke: "Madam, just speak frankly."
The young lady in yellow had her back to Jasmine, but every word she said was directed at her: "Since you know your status, why did you wear the same clothes as Ming'er and flaunt the inappropriate golden hairpin in public? Even if the things were given to you by Ming'er, you could have refused, but you didn't. You accepted them with great joy. When you saw me waiting, you tried to run away, obviously knowing that you shouldn't do that. Even though you knew it was wrong, why did you do it? I wonder if you have any explanation for this?"
The young lady in yellow had a righteous look on her face, as if she were the one speaking out against injustice. Jasmine, of course, was the ruthless criminal.
Jasmine insisted on looking at the young lady in yellow as she spoke. She stood up and walked forward, glancing at her raised chin before speaking to the Duke, "I admit I like her. But I'm not stupid, how could I possibly wear the same clothes as Madam Luo? I didn't refuse her because she begged me repeatedly. I was afraid she would think I was alienating her, and I didn't want to create a rift between us, so I agreed. I didn't know she had invited all the ladies yesterday. You know, even if you beat me to death, I wouldn't dare step out of the door."
Jasmine paused before continuing, "And the reason I ran away yesterday was because I really didn't want to be seen by the ladies."
"In this painting, my aunt is smiling so happily. Who would believe that she was forced?" The young lady in the green skirt whispered.
The young lady in yellow asked the Duke, "What do you think of this matter?"
"Youyou! Stop talking." Luo Ming'er said to the young lady in yellow with a serious face.
The young lady in yellow held Luo Ming'er's hand and said, "Youyou and Ming'er have been friends for many years, and I cannot bear to see her suffer any injustice. Today, Youyou will not hesitate to offend the Duke to make things clear."
As she spoke, Xu Youyou bravely met the Duke's gaze and spoke, "I've often heard of your great name, and I know you're a fair and just man. But who do you trust today? How can you seek justice for Ming'er?"
It was the first time that the Duke met a young lady who dared to meet his gaze upon seeing him.
The Duke asked curiously, "Whose family are you from?"
What did the Duke suddenly ask about the young lady? Everyone was puzzled and surprised.
Luo Ming'er looked at the Duke in shock.
Xu Youyou was of course even more stunned.
After a moment, Luo Ming'er introduced: "Youyou is the younger sister of Xu Zhizhou, the Minister of the Central Secretariat."
The Duke remained silent for a moment before saying, "My aunt is not from a noble family like you all, so it's normal for her to not know the rules of Kyoto. I hope you can forgive me."
The young ladies were shocked. Was the Duke planning to cover up the matter with just a few casual words?
The Duke asked her name, and she was the only one among so many young ladies to be asked her name. Xu Youyou felt that the Duke might like people like her.
Xu Youyou then became more proactive and spoke up, "Does the Duke mean that he doesn't intend to hold my concubine responsible? But my concubine did make a mistake after all. Besides, even if I don't know the rules, I can still tell the difference between a concubine and a mistress, right? I don't believe that I can't tell the difference between high and low when I wear the same clothes as Ming'er. Is the Duke trying to indulge my concubine?"
Since returning to Beijing, the Duke had been confronted by court officials in the court, but he never expected that one day he would be questioned by a young lady.
"You have so many questions. Which one should I answer?"
The Duke's words made Xu Youyou feel embarrassed.
Before she could say anything else, the Duke said, "Your Majesty said that all women love to dress up. I believe that all of you ladies are the same. My aunt simply likes the clothes that Madam Luo gave her too much."
Xu Youyou rushed forward and said, "Then the Duke can't just let it go like this."
The Duke then asked, "Madam Xu, what do you think I should do with my concubine?"
The Duke was always calm and composed, with only one expression on his face most of the time, but anyone paying attention could tell from what he said that he was unhappy.
Only Xu Youyou kept talking, "At least she should be punished by kneeling or being spanked with a stick. She must remember this lesson. Otherwise, when Ming'er enters the Duke's Mansion, she will be ridiculed by her. What does the Duke think?"
"Youyou, stop talking." This time, Luo Ming'er really wanted to cover Xu Youyou's mouth.
She had discovered that the Duke hadn't come to visit her today, but had clearly come to intercede for her concubine. If she couldn't see it, she would be in trouble even if she entered the Duke's Mansion.
Xu Youyou refused to give up. She stared at the Duke with her big eyes, as if she was waiting for the Duke's Mansion to answer her questions.
Jasmine didn't think that this little thing would embarrass the Duke, but she just didn't want the Duke to worry more about her, as if she was a burden.
She didn't want to be a burden to him.
Before the Duke could speak, Jasmine took a step forward to block Xu Youyou's view. "If I don't admit what happened yesterday, I'm afraid this matter will never end. It was indeed because of me that Madam Luo injured her hand, and it was also true that I accepted the clothes Madam Luo gave me. I admit my mistake and I accept the punishment."
"Is this my aunt's attitude?" Xu Youyou discovered that my aunt was also a hottie! No wonder she caught the Duke's eye.
She must not lose!
Jasmine looked at her coldly, "The Duke is very busy, and I don't have the guts to ask him to worry about trivial matters. Is it okay for me to stay?"
Xu Youyou couldn't refute this for a moment. She just stared at Jasmine in astonishment.
Luo Ming'er also stared at Jasmine in shock. Was she finally stopping pretending?
"This matter..."
"If you are busy, don't worry about me. Just go ahead."
The Duke was interrupted by his concubine, whose petite figure still stood in front of him, like an old eagle protecting its young.
The Duke could see the concubine's resistance from head to toe.
But he is a man, how could he really abandon her?
The Duke had no choice but to say, "Then let's beat her with a stick. I will leave my concubine at the Luo Mansion for half a day, and let Madam Luo do whatever she wants. Your hand is injured, so you must not touch it again. You will still have to serve me after you return home, so I hope Madam Luo will show some mercy."
Luo Ming'er was at a loss. She had wanted the Duke to punish the concubine himself! How did it become her turn? How was she to do it?
If the concubine stayed in Luo Mansion, it would be a hot potato. How could she really do anything?
Luo Ming'er quickly said, "My Lord, you're joking. My daughter is fine. Let me return to the Duke's Mansion."
The Duke stared at his aunt's back and said, "I'm afraid she won't agree."
The Duke was right. Luo Ming'er smiled and asked her aunt, "What happened yesterday has nothing to do with you, aunt. You don't need to blame yourself. You really don't need to stay."
Jasmine: "I made a mistake, and I must take responsibility for it."
The Duke was helpless and could only say, "Then you stubborn boy, take care of yourself. I will leave first."
"Goodbye, Master." The aunt bowed quickly.
The Duke, who had just stood up, didn't intend to pay any more attention to her and walked away.
Minister Luo was away, so Luo Ming'er took on the responsibility for her father and personally escorted the Duke out of the house.
"Go slowly, my lord. Please rest assured, my aunt will be fine."
The Duke stood in front of the carriage and turned to Luo Ming'er, saying, "From now on, Madam Luo, please don't give Madam anything. Madam Luo, just pretend that Madam Luo doesn't exist. The same will apply when Madam Luo enters the mansion in the future."
"Yes." After a moment of hesitation, Luo Ming'er bowed and answered.
After receiving the approval, the Duke nodded, then turned around and got into the carriage.
Luo Ming'er watched the Duke's carriage go away, and she was still not able to come back to her senses.
Jasmine was staring at the other young ladies, and when she saw Luo Ming'er walk in, she couldn't help but feel curious.
What happened to her? She didn't look so bad when she left. Did I say something to her?
It was not only Jasmine who noticed that Luo Ming'er was in a state of disarray. The other young ladies came forward and surrounded Luo Ming'er to ask her questions.
Luo Ming'er ignored everyone and was so annoyed that she simply turned around and left.
"What happened to her?"
"What should we do, leave or not?"
"Didn't you say you would leave after the show?"
"Still watching the show. Did you do it, or did you?"
"Of course it's Luo Ming'er."
"How dare she do that?"
In front of a group of annoying young ladies, Jasmine didn't intend to pretend anymore. She sat down where her grandfather had just sat, dragged the tea bowl over with one hand, removed the cup lid with one hand, and picked it up with the other hand, blowing off the foam and taking a sip.
Then I ate two more snacks.
The young ladies stared at her in amazement, and no one knew what to say to her.
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