Chapter 35 Chapter 35 "Besides her, there are other people in this house...
The Duke was distracted and didn't react much when he heard this: "It's okay."
This was the truth. But Jasmine had no clue what was going on. She had to ask more questions.
"Grandpa said it's okay, does that mean he likes it?" Jasmine tilted her head up and stared at her grandfather.
The Duke finally came back to his senses.
The Duke's mind suddenly flashed back to what His Majesty had said to him not long ago: "Women are all petty, especially women like the Imperial Concubine. You know, I just glanced at the new palace maid, and the Imperial Concubine actually asked me, 'Is that maid pretty? Do I like her?' I replied that I didn't like her, but the Imperial Concubine still wouldn't give in. My head hurts so much."
The Duke immediately replied, "I don't like it."
Jasmine's eyes lit up: "Really?"
The Duke looked at those eyes, which were brighter than the stars, and sighed, "Really."
Jasmine returned to her nest, feeling incredibly happy. She was relieved.
Given her and Luo Ming'er's situation, if Luo Ming'er were to enter the Duke's Mansion, she would definitely end up in a miserable state.
If her grandfather liked it, she would be in trouble. But now, since her grandfather said so, she didn't have to worry too much.
The Duke could clearly sense his concubine's happiness. He stared blankly at the wind chimes above his head, experiencing a rare feeling of being at a loss.
My aunt wouldn't be as petty as the imperial concubine, right?
The Duke sighed deeply.
The Duke did not lie about the wife of the Luo family. He really did not like her.
How could he possibly like a young lady he had barely spoken to and didn't even know? He wasn't a playboy who liked every woman he saw.
That night, the Duke was so worried that he couldn't sleep the whole night. He was afraid of disturbing his concubine, so he lay there like a corpse, staring at the wind chimes above his head in a daze.
His Majesty said that women are troublesome. He used to wonder "how troublesome it would be", but now the Duke finally realized it.
The Duke couldn't think of a better way, and just after the court session, His Majesty kept her there for questioning.
After finishing the official business, His Majesty said that they could leave, but the Duke did not leave.
"Does the Duke have anything else to do?"
"Your Majesty, if..."
The Duke paused, then asked a question that was puzzling: "...One lady asked Your Majesty if she liked another lady. What did Your Majesty think the lady who asked your majesty was thinking?"
Your Majesty: "Of course this lady is jealous of that woman and is deliberately testing me."
He was right. The Duke asked again, "How will Your Majesty answer?"
Your Majesty: "Of course I'll answer 'no'. I'm not a stud, anyone can do it."
After pondering for a while, the Duke spoke again, "Since Your Majesty knows that this Empress is not as virtuous and obedient as before, how will Your Majesty treat her?"
His Majesty replied without hesitation, "Of course, let her be. This lady is just talking, can I scold her or punish her? As long as she doesn't do anything out of line, it's all fine."
His Majesty raised his eyebrows and said sharply, "But if this lady does something bad in the palace, I will definitely not keep her."
The Duke nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly realized that His Majesty might be referring to the Imperial Concubine. He thought to himself that His Majesty's treatment of the Imperial Concubine was not as mysterious as the rumors spread.
The Duke felt that His Majesty's words made perfect sense. "I appreciate your advice."
"Um."
The Duke finally left.
"I wonder who the person the Duke is talking about?"
Yao Ping echoed His Majesty's words: "She must be the concubine of the Duke's family."
His Majesty laughed and shook his head. "How could the Duke ask such a question? Do you even need to ask me? There are so many women in the palace. If I were to deal with them all, I'd forget about state affairs and just be spinning my wheels in the harem."
Yao Ping: "Your Majesty is right."
His Majesty said, "As long as they ignore the Imperial Concubine, I can let them do what they want. But there are always some who want to provoke them."
Yao Ping: "Don't worry, Your Majesty. The Imperial Concubine is very clever."
His Majesty remained silent, saying with a worried look, "The claws are all fake. How can I be at ease?"
...
The more the Duke thought about it, the more he felt that His Majesty's words were right.
Your Majesty, please pretend that you didn't see the concubine's nonsense, unless she causes trouble.
Then he would just pretend that he didn't hear what his aunt said. His aunt was much gentler and more virtuous than the concubines in the palace. She was also timid and would definitely not do anything out of the ordinary.
Besides, his aunt might have just asked casually, and he was actually overthinking it.
The Duke decided not to dwell on this matter anymore.
The Duke went to the garrison camp, while Jasmine stayed in the mansion, learning flower arrangement with the fourth young master's wife.
Of course, Jasmine would not take the initiative to find the Fourth Young Master's wife. It was the Fourth Young Master's wife who saw her wandering outside the main courtyard and called her, so Jasmine followed her.
Jasmine thought that the Fourth Young Master's wife would definitely ask her some questions, but she didn't. The Fourth Young Master's wife only talked to her about flower arrangement techniques throughout the morning.
The Fourth Young Master's wife invited her to dinner again, but Jasmine knew it was just a polite gesture and quickly left with the excuse that she had something to do.
When she returned to the main courtyard, the Third Young Master's wife sent someone to invite her over for lunch. Jasmine refused the Fourth Young Master's wife's invitation and went to the Third Young Master's wife instead. Knowing it was inappropriate, she also declined, saying she would go after dinner.
In the afternoon, Jasmine was at the Third Young Master's wife's house, playing with Qi'er. With a child around, Jasmine had a lot of fun.
The Third Young Master's wife asked her to come mainly to ask for advice on gift-giving.
"In a month, the Duke's wedding will be held. What do you think I should give him? Besides the big gift, there should also be a gift for the bride."
The Third Young Master's wife was worried: "I'm sure I can't compare to what the First Young Master's wife gave me. But if the First Young Master's wife gave me a bracelet, and I also happened to give her a bracelet, it would be really embarrassing. The Fourth Young Master's wife is the legitimate wife, so I can't steal her limelight."
The Third Young Master's wife sighed, "Fortunately, there are only four masters in our mansion, so there's still plenty of time for the next generation to get married. This is the only time it's difficult."
Jasmine thought about it and asked, "Madam, why don't you find out?"
"Why didn't you ask? It's a pity that everyone is on guard." The Third Young Master's wife said, "The Third Master doesn't have any say in the matter. I really have no one to talk to, so I thought of my concubine."
Jasmine knew that the Third Young Master's wife was in financial difficulty, so she thought for a moment and said, "If the Third Young Master's wife doesn't want to please the Luo family's wife, then just give her anything she wants."
The Third Young Master's wife was perceptive. She grabbed Jasmine's good hand and said, "Your Highness, please don't be angry. I know you're angry about Madam Luo's actions, and you must also understand that Madam Luo did it on purpose. But she is the mistress after all. No matter how much you dislike her, you can't do that now. You have to wait until you have established a firm foothold in the Duke's Mansion."
Jasmine didn't expect the Third Young Master's wife to say this. Jasmine knew that the Third Young Master's wife wanted to show her favor, but the fact that the Third Young Master's wife could say this showed that she was sincere.
Jasmine: "But once she enters the mansion, it will be difficult for her to gain a foothold."
This made the Third Young Master's wife's heart skip a beat. She thought she had misunderstood. The concubine must have been talking too much. She said, "But the concubine has no other choice. She can only bear it. The concubine is a smart person."
The Third Young Master's wife continued, "The reason I asked Auntie to come here today is because I'm afraid she might become depressed and do something stupid. Auntie is currently at odds with the other side, but if she gets angry and acts impulsively, it's impossible for her to seek justice from the old lady or ask the Duke for help."
The Third Young Master's wife's expression was extremely serious. "The wife of the Luo family was chosen by the old lady. There is no way she would cancel the wedding for you. And the Duke is also impossible. The wedding is in a month. The Duke is upright and trustworthy. He will definitely not break the engagement for you. I still say what I said before. You have to endure it. Maybe for five years, maybe ten years. You have to endure it to survive."
The Third Young Master's wife was particularly talkative today: "Like your aunt, I come from a poor family. Originally, my father wanted to marry me off to a high-ranking official as a concubine, but I refused desperately and resorted to trickery to marry the Third Master. I have no intention of showing off. Although I am the legitimate wife, your aunt has seen the days since I married her, and that's how it is. I'm going to tell you a few honest words today. You are a concubine. If you make a fuss and offend any master, you will probably be beaten to death or sold into slavery. Therefore, please be reasonable."
Jasmine smiled at the Third Young Master's wife and nodded, "Please rest assured, Third Young Master's wife. Jasmine knows what to do."
The Third Young Master's wife curled her lips and said, "I'm relieved now that you know. Auntie, please help me think about it. Which one should I give as a gift?"
Jasmine couldn't tell her to give it to him casually this time. The Third Young Master's wife might have more to say. She could only rack her brains and think, "I remember the Madam is good at handicrafts?"
"But wouldn't it be too shabby?"
"Make a big one, like a tree that symbolizes good luck? As for the meeting gift, you can prepare a few more. When the time comes, the eldest young lady will definitely give it to you first, and then the lady can choose the others."
...
In the evening, the eldest young lady's wife invited Jasmine to have tea, but Jasmine refused, using the excuse that she had to serve the Duke.
On the morning of the second day, the eldest young lady came to invite Jasmine to come over to appreciate the flowers that had just bloomed in the early morning, but Jasmine refused again.
The eldest young lady was rejected twice and her nose was almost crooked with anger.
"She went when those two asked her to, but she refused me twice!"
"She must have done it on purpose. She must have known that I had deliberately not told her about Madam Luo's flower viewing banquet that day, and she must have known that I had sent something to Madam Luo. She thinks that Madam Luo and I are on the same side, so she ignored me. What does she mean? Is she trying to break off relations with me? Why is she, a concubine, putting on airs in front of me?"
The eldest young lady's wife couldn't vent her anger, so she had to take it out on the precious porcelain vase she had carefully selected.
Unfortunately, even after falling four or five times, the eldest young lady still didn't feel satisfied.
It was fine if the old lady had given her the trouble, but what right did a concubine have? The eldest young lady's wife was not one to indulge others. She immediately ran to the main courtyard to vent her anger.
The eldest young lady's wife was not stupid. She knew that the Duke had not returned yet. When he returned, the concubine would complain to the Duke, and the Duke would be too embarrassed to come to her.
Therefore, the eldest young lady was not afraid of her at all. When she arrived at the main courtyard gate, she saw the concubine sitting in the courtyard making tea from a distance. The eldest young lady immediately walked closer, fanning herself and mocking her:
"My concubine is so arrogant. Does she think the main courtyard is her own? Is she going to occupy it even after the Duke's wife comes home?"
"I wonder how this servant has offended the Madam, the eldest young master?"
Listening to this, it makes her sound like she is a wolf that came to the door and is going to eat her. Just like the little bitch in her backyard!
The eldest young lady's nostrils were smoking. "You ungrateful thing! Who do you think you are? I invited you to tea to show my respect! You are just a concubine, a slave, and you think you are a dish? You are nothing!"
"Have you said enough?"
When the scolding sounded, the eldest young lady's wife turned around with a start and saw the Duke standing in front of the corridor door.
The Duke has always been respectful and polite to everyone in the mansion, and when he sees his half-brother's wife, he always politely calls her "sister-in-law".
He always treats his servants with a pleasant attitude.
But the Duke was clearly genuinely angry. His tone was gloomy, and his expression was unusually fierce. He looked at her as if he wanted to drag her away to be tortured.
"Why is the Duke here?"
The Duke stepped out of the corridor and asked, "Did my sister-in-law bully my concubine like this because she knew I was not here?"
"I...I didn't mean that..."
"What does that mean?" The Duke didn't want to listen to her excuses, the facts were right in front of him.
"My aunt is sitting here peacefully, and you come here and insult me without saying a word. How can you take me seriously? It's not anyone else's place to comment on what happens to my aunt. From now on, I, your sister-in-law, am not welcome to set foot in this main courtyard. Please leave immediately."
The eldest young lady knew that if she said anything more, it would only make the Duke angrier, so she immediately shrank her neck and turned to leave.
The Duke forgot to say something else and called out to her, "Wait a moment."
"My Lord... Is there anything else?"
"If there's a next time, I will never forgive you. Sister-in-law, take care of yourself."
The eldest young lady's heart trembled, she was really frightened. Her legs were so weak that Cuizhu had to support her and walk out of the main courtyard.
Jasmine stepped forward to comfort her master: "Master, don't be angry. This servant is not angry."
She really wasn't angry. The more harshly the eldest young lady scolded her, the happier she was.
What's more, she was naturally happier that her grandfather protected her like this.
Today, Chunli came back and the Duke gave him the rest of the tasks. Seeing that there was nothing to do, he went back. Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived at the courtyard and changed his clothes, he heard the eldest young lady's shouting.
The Duke had never seen the fierce side of his sister-in-law, and he never took to heart the gossip he heard about the eldest young lady.
Before this, the Duke had never thought that his concubine would be bullied in the mansion.
It just happened today.
The Duke's face still had a stern expression as he asked, "Does she often bother you?"
Jasmine shook her head: "No. Really not."
Jasmine was telling the truth, but there was no way the Duke believed her.
The Duke then asked, "Besides her, is there anyone else in this mansion who bullies Qiang'er?"
Jasmine continued to shake her head: "No. Everyone is very nice to me."
"Hmph." The Duke felt that his aunt was not telling the truth.
The Duke said nothing more and strode out.
Jasmine knew he was going to find the old lady. After all, besides the eldest young lady, the old lady was the person most likely to bully her.
She is unlucky because her grandfather is going to die.
Jasmine quickly grabbed her master's arm and said, "Honestly, it's only the eldest young lady who bullies me. No one else has ever bullied me. The old lady has been very kind to me lately. I'm really doing well in this mansion."
The Duke was determined to get to the bottom of this. He continued to stride forward.
Jasmine was dragged forward and could only anxiously say, "Master, please don't make things worse!"
For a moment, the surroundings were quiet.
The Duke stopped and looked back at her.
Jasmine apologized in frustration, "That's not what I meant."
The Duke was not angry, but just confused: "What does that stubborn guy mean?"
Jasmine could only explain word by word. It took a long time before she finally made herself clear.
The Duke finally understood her concerns. He was rarely at home during the day, while the concubine had to be there all the time. If he stood up for the concubine today, who knows, someone might take advantage of his absence and transfer their anger to the concubine.
The one who suffers the most is my aunt.
But the Duke is not the kind of person who feels aggrieved. He will not feel aggrieved, and of course he will not bear to see his concubine feel aggrieved.
But his aunt refused to let him go, and he had no more appropriate solution.
Jasmine knew what her master was thinking, so she continued, "What I just said is true. Everyone in the mansion is very kind to me, except the eldest young lady. I know why the eldest young lady is like that."
"Why?"
"The day I went to the Luo Mansion, the eldest young lady saw me. She also knew that the Luo family's wives were holding a flower viewing banquet, but she didn't tell me. If she had told me, how could I have gone to the Luo Mansion dressed like that and embarrassed myself? I think she did it on purpose. That's why the eldest young lady wanted to see me yesterday and today, but I ignored her. She must have been talking about this matter."
"You were right to ignore her." The Duke asked again, "Why didn't she say anything?"
Jasmine: "I guess the eldest young lady wants to show her favor to the Luo family lady."
The Duke immediately understood what he said. This wasn't an attempt to please the Luo family's wife, but rather to please the future Duke's wife.
The Duke still didn't go looking for the old lady. Just like Auntie said, even if he did, it might not be helpful and might even backfire.
He thought he should take better care of his aunt in the future.
It wasn't dark yet, and the two of them were having dinner in the courtyard. The Duke remembered and asked, "How did the eldest young lady try to please the Luo family lady?"
Jasmine shook her head: "I don't know."
The concubine didn't know, but the Duke took note of it and decided to investigate further.
...
The eldest young lady didn't know whether she was angry or scared, or maybe both. After returning to the East Courtyard, she never came out again.
It was not until the fourth day that he left the Duke's Mansion and went out to the street to get some fresh air.
The eldest young lady's carriage circled Dongfu Street before changing course to Luo Mansion.
Luo Ming'er was surprised to hear that the eldest young lady came to see her. After inviting her in and listening to what the eldest young lady said, Luo Ming'er pretended to be indifferent and the smile on her face had already frozen.
Little girl! Still pretending in front of me! The eldest young lady drank a sip of tea and continued:
"...I came to Madam Luo to complain today, and it was indeed because of yesterday. But I can guarantee that everything Madam Luo and I said is true. The Duke didn't just scold me, the eldest sister-in-law, to defend my aunt yesterday. Two days ago, the Duke also gave my aunt a flowing skirt and invited a painter to paint her. I heard that the Duke even asked the painter to paint him and my aunt together. The painting was painted by the Duke and he even installed a pond."
The eldest young lady's wife didn't know about Ruhua's situation, but Luo Ming'er did. Did the Duke feel that his concubine had been wronged in the Luo Mansion and was deliberately embarrassing her?
It must be.
The eldest young lady's wife looked at Madam Luo's expression and said, "Not only that, there is also something else. Madam Luo must not know that the Duke of Guo originally held a banquet for Madam Luo to welcome her as a concubine."
"I know about this." Luo Ming'er said with a forced smile.
"But my lady certainly doesn't know that the Duke gave the set of golden headgear that the Imperial Concubine gave to the future Duke's wife to my concubine."
"What?" Luo Ming'er was stunned, and the smile completely disappeared from her face.
"That golden headpiece is only for the principal wife to wear. The Imperial Concubine must have given it to the Duke's wife, but the Duke turned around and gave it to a concubine. I'm heartbroken for the lady. But it's not just that."
The eldest young lady's wife continued, "Did the lady receive cosmetics from the Duke when he and the Duke went on an outing?"
Luo Ming'er nodded numbly.
The eldest young lady's wife said: "That was also picked by the aunt."
Luo Ming'er's face was already pale and she looked at the eldest young lady in disbelief.
The eldest young lady's wife said: "Two days before the outing, the Duke went to Concubine Liang's clothing store and bought a whole cabinet of powder and perfume, all for my concubine. The Duke had never thought of giving them to my wife, but my concubine remembered and asked the Duke, 'There are too many for me to use. Should we give two boxes to my wife from the Luo family?' So the Duke brought them to my wife."
The eldest young lady described it vividly.
Mrs. Luo's face turned pale when she heard this.
"Ma'am, stop talking!"
The eldest young lady finally stopped talking. She carefully looked at the lady from the Luo family's face and said, "Are you okay, lady? Don't take it personally. After all, you are the Duke's wife, and she is just a concubine. When you enter the mansion, concubines will have to stand aside. If you don't obey me, I will sell you off. I'm sure the Duke will not blame you if he finds out."
"Please, ma'am, stop talking."
Seeing that the wife of the Luo family was about to collapse, the eldest young lady finally covered her mouth and said, "Okay, listen to my wife and I will never tell anyone."
After sitting for a while, seeing that her goal had been achieved, the eldest young lady decided to retire.
After the eldest young lady left, Luo Ming'er lay on the table and cried loudly.
The concubine is so favored now, and she has met the Duke several times, but he has always been lukewarm towards her. How can she compete with the concubine after she enters the mansion?
Not to mention, the concubine must have said a lot of bad things about her in front of the Duke. Who knows how much the Duke must hate her.
Thinking of this, Luo Ming'er even wanted to hang herself.
Zhiqiu tried to persuade his wife until her mouth was dry, but his wife ignored her.
After a while, Luo Ming'er looked up, her face covered with tears, and said, "A few days ago, Jingzhao Mansion... No, now I should call her Madam Sun. Madam Sun invited us to go to the Shangshu Mansion to watch a play. What time did she say?"
Zhiqiu: "My lady, it's the eighth day of the sixth lunar month."
Luo Ming'er: "That's the day after tomorrow."
Zhiqiu was worried: "My dear, didn't Madam ask us not to go? You also agreed."
Luo Ming'er: "The past is the past, and the present is the present. Don't tell my wife about this."
Zhixia was beaten half to death and sold for not admonishing his wife, and Zhiqiu really didn't want to end up in the same situation. Zhiqiu said even more anxiously, "But my wife, didn't you say yesterday that Madam Sun offended the Duke and was divorced by the Jingzhao Prefecture Governor? Is it really okay for us to agree to go to the appointment now?"
Luo Ming'er: "Do you know why Madam Sun invited us? Strictly speaking, the reason Madam Sun was divorced by the prefect was because she offended my concubine. If my concubine hadn't said something to the Duke, how could the Duke have come to the prefect's mansion and embarrassed Madam Sun? Madam Sun must hate my concubine in her heart. But my concubine never leaves the house, so it's not easy for Madam Sun to break into the Duke's mansion and commit murder. That's why she wants to use us. If she can use us, we can certainly use her too."
After hearing what his wife said, Zhiqiu felt even colder in his heart. He hugged his wife's thighs and cried, "My wife, this is too big a matter. Why don't we ask Madam? My wife..."
Luo Ming'er angrily kicked Zhiqiu away: "I asked my mother, but at most she told me to bear it. What else can I do? She is just a useless woman in the harem. The concubine rode on her neck and snatched away the power of housekeeper. She only dared to come to me, her daughter, to complain!"
Luo Ming'er grabbed Zhiqiu's collar and said, "Any benefit comes at a risk. Without that concubine, I can only sleep peacefully if I marry into the Duke's Mansion. Then you, Zhiqiu, will be the Duke's wife's first-class maid. But if you tell mother and father, our good days will be over. Think it over carefully."
The lady's expression was too frightening. Zhiqiu was no fool; how could he dare to go against her now? The consequences would be even worse than if she had lost this game.
Zhiqiu nodded repeatedly: "I will obey you in everything, my lady."
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