Chapter 64 Chapter 64 They found out!
The letter was successfully delivered to Xuzhou, and a day later, the Xu family replied, expressing their agreement to Xu Qiuhuai.
Jasmine knew that Xu was anxious about this matter and did not dare to neglect it. She persuaded the Duke to send a return gift to the Xu family that day.
Although she was a concubine, any good concubine would be given gifts by the master's family. It wasn't a betrothal gift, but the etiquette still had to be there.
Jasmine got a set of head ornaments at the beginning. Later, when she asked the Duke about it, the Duke said that she had no family and this set of head ornaments was a betrothal gift to her.
The Xu family sent a total of five concubines. The first two concubines are needless to say, and the last three, especially Xu Qiuhuai, who served in the emperor's bed, were truly concubines of the Duke. It would be unreasonable not to reciprocate the gift.
Only the Duke and the old lady remained silent.
The old lady didn't expect that they were not anxious about this matter, but the concubine was worried first. The concubine actually brought up the matter with the Duke.
The key is that the Duke agreed!
Yes. When the concubine mentioned it, the Duke stared at the concubine's round face with hope for a moment and agreed.
The Duke finally couldn't help himself and said to his aunt, "Stubborn, there's no need to please anyone. As long as I'm here, I won't let you suffer any injustice."
Jasmine swallowed her bitterness and nodded. After her grandfather left, she found a corner to cry silently.
Although the concubine agreed, she came to urge him the next day. The Duke had no choice but to order Yan Pu to pick out three gift boxes and send them to Xuzhou overnight.
So far, everything has gone very smoothly.
Jasmine finally felt relieved. Although she still felt a pang of sadness, she was content to be able to accompany the Duke smoothly from now on.
He Congde had come to see her twice. He had used his connections to find her. He had told her to go to the back street of Concubine Liang's clothing shop when she was free. This back street was the same alley where they had met last time.
Last time, Jasmine was worried about the Xu family's affairs and ignored him. This time, after dealing with Xu family, she was afraid that He Congde would find another way to see her.
Just agreed.
Jasmine also told Shancha about her relationship with He Congde.
So right now, Shancha is keeping watch for her aunt and the second place winner who are having a secret meeting.
Jasmine was dissatisfied with Lord He's slowness, so she took the initiative to ask, "I wonder what Lord He wants to talk to me about?"
He Congde looked hurt: "Bai Xiang used to call me Brother Congde."
Jasmine was a little impatient: "The past is the past. My name is Jasmine now, not Baixiang. Can you call me Jasmine in the future?" She really didn't want to be Qin Baixiang anymore!
He Congde bargained: "If you are willing to call me Brother Congde, I will agree to your request."
"Then please do as you please." She was just kidding. As a concubine, how could she affectionately call another man "Brother Congde"?
As soon as you hear this, you know that he is not calling your real brother!
Of course she could have called out, but he had taken the initiative, and that was a problem.
He Congde's expression was even more indescribably hurt.
Jasmine couldn't look him in the eye, so she glanced away and said, "I've said everything I needed to say last time. What else do you want, Master He?"
"Bai... Do you remember what I said before? One day, I will take you away. For now, it still counts."
Jasmine looked at his determined eyes, took a step back, and asked fearfully, "Have you...thought of a solution?"
Seeing him shake his head, Jasmine patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
He Congde then said, "Although there is no suitable solution, this is the only way."
Jasmine was nonchalant and was about to nod perfunctorily, but then she realized that what she said was not right and looked up suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
He Congde: "I came here to discuss this matter with you. I will beg Duke Yan to let me take you away. I have recently inquired about Duke Yan's affairs and have observed him carefully. You are right, he is a first-class good man. If I kneel down and beg him, I believe he will be willing to grant my wish."
Jasmine knew he wasn't just talking.
I couldn't understand why he was so foolish. He said bitterly, "Let's not talk about whether he would agree or not. Is it worth it for you to beg someone for a slut like me?"
"You don't have to say that about yourself." He Congde said firmly, "You're worth it."
"Can't you take a long-term view?" Jasmine knew that she couldn't persuade him, so she could only try to delay.
He Congde: "I'd like to slowly think of a solution, but I can't bear to see you continue to live in that backyard."
Jasmine was thinking about how to tell her that she was not living in disgrace, but was living a very free and easy life.
Then he added emotionally, "Do you think I don't know that the Duke's Mansion has had five more concubines? The first two committed crimes and were driven away, but the last three are favored by Duke Yan. I know, Baixiang, you've been abandoned. I understand you and know how miserable you are. Brother Congde doesn't want you to continue to suffer."
Jasmine actually felt like crying. Although his words were not entirely true, they touched her heart.
He Congde saw the tears in her eyes, although it was only for a moment and disappeared when she turned her face away, but He Congde was sure that he was right.
He Congde was even more determined.
Jasmine paced back and forth in anger, and finally thought of trying to persuade him: "You can't just do this for me, you should also consider your parents. Mr. He always thinks he's aloof. If you knew that you had to ask for help for my sake, Mr. He would be furious!"
"My father agreed."
"What?!"
Jasmine didn't expect him to answer like this, and subconsciously didn't believe it: "Impossible."
He Congde: "My father really agreed. I told him about what happened to you, and he also feels very guilty towards you. It's just that my mother doesn't know yet. But as long as my father agrees, after I pick you up, I will ask her for forgiveness, and she will definitely accept you."
Jasmine was about to ask Madam He for some persuasion, but Shancha suddenly called out in a panic, "Auntie, Auntie, it looks like someone is peeking at us!"
Jasmine didn't dare to delay any longer. She jumped up and ran away in fear. She was afraid that He Congde would catch up with her, so she pushed him hard.
Then Shancha and I ran along the alley hand in hand.
He waited until he turned a corner and could no longer see anyone behind him, including He Congde, before he stopped.
Jasmine panted and praised her, "You're getting smarter and smarter. That's a good trick."
Shancha was stunned for a moment, then immediately jumped up. "What?! Someone really is peeking at us. It's a very unassuming man. I thought he was waiting for someone, but he didn't move and kept looking our way."
Jasmine frowned and said, "Let's go see if it's still there."
Shancha nodded and walked ahead to lead the way. When they reached the main street, they walked back a short distance at a brisk pace, Shancha looking around.
"Where is he? He was standing right here just now." Shancha stomped the ground below her.
Jasmine stood at the Camellia Station, peering into the alley where she and He Congde had just spoken. The man couldn't see her, but if she emerged from the alley, he would be the first to notice.
Maybe she was targeted as soon as she left the Duke's Mansion.
Who is it? Someone from the Duke's Mansion? Or the Xu family?
Jasmine was a thoughtful and suspicious person. Although the Duan family lady had disappeared from her sight for a while, she had suffered such a great loss that Jasmine now thought it was her fault.
The reason for following her was no longer important. What mattered now was how the person behind the stalking would deal with her.
Should he spread the news of her secret meeting with He Congde throughout Kyoto to ruin her reputation? Or should he tell the Duke and punish her directly?
Jasmine was overwhelmed.
She has been so unlucky lately. One thing is not over yet, another one comes.
Jasmine decided to put aside the matter of being followed. After all, she was in the open and in the dark, so she couldn't take the initiative. As long as she didn't admit it, and He Congde didn't admit it either, as long as they weren't caught in bed, it would be fine.
This time, Xu Qiuhuai successfully entered the bedchamber, and the Duke also returned the favor. For the time being, the matter seemed to be peaceful.
Right now, she just needs to deal with He Congde.
Jasmine found a way to meet Mrs. He.
She heard that Madam He had gone out of the house that day to pick out jewelry at Concubine Liang's clothing store, and she went there and met her by chance.
Mrs. He was listening to the maid introduce the two gold bracelets in front of her.
Jasmine stretched out her paw towards the waitress: "The one on the left is nice, let me try it."
Mrs. He frowned in dissatisfaction, but she knew that those who could come to Concubine Liang's clothing store to buy things were either rich or noble, and she might not be able to afford to offend them.
He said nothing at the moment, but put on a smile and turned to look.
At just one glance, Mrs. He was stunned.
Then his expression changed unpredictably and he stood up suddenly.
Jasmine said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Mrs. He, you didn't expect that I would end up like this."
"you……"
Jasmine looked at her with a smile: "He Congde came to me and said that he didn't want me to be someone else's concubine anymore. He wanted to marry me. Does the lady agree?"
"You...you are dreaming!"
Mrs. He's voice was so loud that it attracted the attention of everyone in the hall on the first floor.
Jasmine didn't mind and said with a smile, "In that case, please, Madam, keep an eye on your son and don't let him harass me again. If I can't become the Duke's concubine, then I can only cling to Master He."
Mrs. He was so angry that her chest heaved and she stared at her.
Jasmine left without delay after saying this. After taking two steps, she remembered she had something else to say and turned back, "Madam, you definitely don't want to be associated with someone like me. From now on, we'll just be strangers. I also hope Madam won't mention me elsewhere. If you do, I don't mind sharing our past with your son."
Seeing the person leaving, Madam He was so angry that she almost tore her handkerchief into pieces. The waitress asked softly, "Madam, do you still want to see the bracelet?"
Mrs. He frowned at the maid and said, "Sorry to bother you. I'll come next time." Then she walked away.
She hurried back to the house. Madam He immediately searched the whole house for someone: "Where is the young master? Have you seen him?"
The servant replied, "Madam, the young master has been busy all day and it's still early, so he hasn't returned home yet."
"He doesn't even touch the ground? How can he go find that person..."
Several servants blinked their innocent eyes at her. Mrs. He's words were stuck in her throat, neither speaking nor speaking.
He Weili heard the lady's shouting and rushed out from the study: "Madam, what happened?"
In He Weili's eyes, his wife was the perfect wife and mother. He had only seen Mrs. He lose her temper twice in his life.
The last time was the day they left Mita Village many years ago. What happened this time?
He Weili was terrified.
Mrs. He knew that He Congde was really not at home. She calmed down a lot, pulled He Weili's sleeve and went into the house.
"I saw that girl. Did you know that she also came to Kyoto?" Mrs. He's mind flashed with suspicion, "Could it be that Congde brought her here without telling us?"
Mrs. He was a little incoherent, but He Weili knew her and knew some things. He immediately understood what was going on and asked, "Did you meet Baixiang?"
"That's right. It's that evil-hearted girl!"
He Weili said slowly, "Congde wouldn't do that. How could you still doubt your son? Has he ever hidden anything from you since he was little?"
"How could it not be hidden? If I hadn't been so cautious and vigilant at that time, I'm afraid something terrible would have happened long ago." Mrs. He suddenly realized, "How did you know it was her I met? And you are so sure that Congde didn't. What do you know?"
He Weili knew that he could not hide it, so he told everything he knew.
He Congde didn't dare to lie to his parents, but he was smart and knew he couldn't get past his mother's expectations, so he went to his father and persuaded He Weili to agree to his proposal.
After hearing this, Madam He pointed at He Weili and cried passionately, "How could you agree to this? He's the Duke, and he thinks he's a prince. How dare you snatch a woman from the Duke? This official career was hard-earned. Our family has put so much effort into getting to where we are today. He's ignorant, but are you, as his father, also ignorant?"
He Weili stood before his wife like a pine tree and explained, "Don't worry, Madam. Duke Yan is a frank and polite man. I have discussed this with Congde. As long as he pleads kindly and lets Duke Yan see that he and Baixiang are truly in love, Duke Yan will surely not refuse. After all, Baixiang is just an insignificant concubine in the Duke's mansion, and Congde is a colleague of Duke Yan. This matter is easy to discuss."
"Sincerely? What do you mean? Do you still want that bad girl to be our daughter-in-law?"
He Weili's face was filled with sorrow. "We were wronged by Baixiang back then. These past few years, I've often thought about how I, He Weili, have never wronged anyone except her. Since Congde is happy, why should we stop him?"
Mrs. He was even more agitated. "How could our family have wronged her? It was Qin Baixiang's parents who wronged her. No one in the village cared. That family is just scoundrels. We have done our best for Qin Baixiang. What else can we do? Besides, is that girl innocent? She is a bad seed, just like her parents. How can we let her get her hands on my son?"
"She's not!"
It was not until she saw her son coming in that Mrs. He realized that they had been arguing from the afternoon until dark without realizing it.
He Congde walked up to Mrs. He. He couldn't blame his mother, so he said, "I have made up my mind. Mother, there is no need to say anything more."
Mrs. He looked at him heartbrokenly, reached out and hugged him, crying out in pain, "My son is so good, even the daughter of a duke would be worthy of him. But why is it Qin Baixiang!"
"I like her. I've always followed my parents' advice, but I want to make my own decision on this matter."
Mrs. He advised sadly, "You are doing so well precisely because you listened to your parents. Do you want to ruin yourself?"
"Dad should have told Mom everything. I am confident that I can convince Duke Yan. Baixiang and I are childhood sweethearts and we are in love. If he doesn't agree, it will only affect his reputation." He Congde said confidently.
Madam He was heartbroken: "But Qin Baixiang was once a concubine! She is a slut! What man would want to marry a slut? Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughing stock if you tell others about it?"
"This isn't what she wanted!" He Congde stared at Madam He with dismay. "At that time, if only I had the courage to tell my mother that I wanted to take her with me. Unfortunately, I was incompetent."
"But it has already happened..."
Before Mrs. He could persuade him again, she saw He Congde reach out and slap her hard in the face.
Mrs. He was frightened.
He Weili stepped forward and grabbed his son's wrist: "What are you doing?"
He Congde buried his head in tears, muttering to himself, "I'm incompetent, I'm incompetent, it's all my fault..."
Mrs. He started crying too. She knew that he wasn't scolding her, but was blaming her for being so heartless and cruel as a mother!
Mrs. He suddenly didn't want to care about him anymore. "Whatever you say," she said, and walked past quickly.
"Your mother is doing this for your own good. How can you threaten her by harming yourself? What's the difference between you and those corrupt officials who threaten others by any means necessary? Is this what your father taught you? Think about it carefully."
He Weili was heartbroken, shook his head, and walked away with his hands behind his back.
He Congde stood alone in the guest hall, the draft blowing through his robe sleeves, making the room cold and chilly.
"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry."
Annoyance flashed across his face, but after a while, he smiled again.
When things are done, he will bring Baixiang with him to apologize to his parents.
After a long time, Baixiang will definitely be loved by his mother like when she first came to his house.
Right now, he just needed to rescue Baixiang and give them some more time.
...
I don’t know whether Mrs. He succeeded or not.
That should work. A good kid like He Congde would listen to his parents the most. Mrs. He wasn't as easygoing as she seemed, so she must have convinced He Congde to give up on saving her.
Jasmine found a beggar to guard the gate of He's house and inform her if there was any movement. But the news did not come.
Jasmine was sighing and pacing back and forth around the pear tree.
Suddenly, she heard a steady stream of footsteps approaching from afar. She looked out and was nearly paralyzed with fear.
They are the guards of the Duke’s Mansion!
This is the backyard, they're here to... catch her?!
Jasmine looked at the scene in front of her with a pale face and stepped back.
"Auntie, we are following the orders of the Duke. Sorry for the offense."
As soon as the leading deputy general finished speaking, he raised his hand and a team of guards went straight into the main courtyard.
Jasmine hastily stepped back, accidentally stepping on a crack in the stone slab and falling flat on her back. She squeezed her eyes shut. The imagined feeling of being lifted up never occurred.
Jasmine opened her eyes and saw the guard had already passed by her and headed straight towards the side courtyard.
Jasmine looked in the direction the guard had disappeared in, uncertain and disbelief. She didn't dare ask.
Not long after, the guards reappeared with the three concubines.
"I'm sorry to have frightened my aunt. Let's go."
The deputy general bowed to her at the gate of the courtyard and then turned and left.
Even after a long time, the shrill cries of the three concubines still lingered in her mind.
Shancha and Xiuhong helped her up, one on each side. Jasmine hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
Both of them shook their heads in confusion.
The more Jasmine thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong, so she decided to go to the front yard to find out what was going on.
The old lady was giving a lecture in the front yard, while the three concubines were kneeling in the yard with tears in their eyes.
"...When you return, you should take this day as a warning. The Duke's Mansion's kindness doesn't mean the other backyards will be the same. Let's set off now."
"Thank you...thank you, Madam."
The other two concubines thanked the old lady, stood up, and left. However, Xu Qiuhuai did not rise. Instead, she knelt forward and begged the old lady, "I sincerely admire the Duke. Please, old lady, keep me. I swear that from now on, I will no longer have any involvement with Xuzhou. I will stay in the Duke's Mansion and serve the Duke. Please grant me this!"
Xu Qiuhuai kowtowed heavily.
The old lady hesitated.
The main reason was that Xu Qiuhuai had stayed in the main courtyard before, and the old lady was quite fond of this girl. She couldn't make the concubine obey her, and the person she sent to the Duke was not pleasing enough.
It was rare to have such a special person right now, and the old lady was moved. If Xu Qiuhuai could really stop contacting Xuzhou and still listen to her, she could stay.
The old lady nodded: "Alright. You can stay for now."
"Thank you, Madam. Thank you very much, Madam!"
Jasmine stepped forward with a shy smile, "Madam, a group of guards suddenly burst into the main courtyard and came to take the three concubines without a word. I was terrified. I wonder what happened?"
The old lady glanced at her and thought to herself, "Who could scare you?"
The old lady remained silent. The eldest young lady, who had been watching the excitement from the side for a while, said with undisguised schadenfreude, "These three are spies from the Xu family. They came to target the Duke, but unfortunately, they were discovered so quickly by our Duke."
The eldest young lady's wife glanced at Xu Qiuhuai and said to the old lady, "Mother, this is what the Duke said. I'm afraid it wouldn't be appropriate for you to keep one of them."
The old lady glared at her, and the eldest young lady blinked her big eyes and stared at the old lady.
The old lady snorted heavily and said in a deep voice, "You don't have to worry about it."
The old lady turned around and left. Xu Qiuhuai quickly got up and followed the old lady closely.
Jasmine waited until the old lady was gone, then hurriedly asked the eldest young lady's wife, "Madam, what on earth is going on? How did the Duke know that these three people were spies? How did the Duke find out?"
"You have so many questions. How would I know?" The eldest young lady's wife obviously only knew a little about it after hearing about the three concubines being driven away and coming to watch the show.
"But from what the old lady said, it seems like something happened to the Xu family."
"What happened to the Xu family?"
"I've already told you I don't know. Ask the Duke tonight. If you find out, please let me know."
The Duke probably knew that his family would be waiting for him, so he returned home early.
Seeing Xu Qiuhuai behind the old lady, the Duke frowned and was about to speak when the old lady got there first.
The old lady said: "This girl begged me to keep her. I thought it would be inappropriate to kick her out after she stayed in the main courtyard. Besides, everything is the fault of the Xu family, and she was forced into a desperate situation. Erlang, why don't you keep her?"
Since her old lady had already spoken, she felt that the Duke would definitely agree to her request. After all, keeping a concubine was not a big deal. Moreover, the concubines who had slept with the Duke said that the Duke treated the third son's prostitute mother well. He knew that he was being cheated, but no matter how unhappy he was, he still welcomed her back.
Not to mention an innocent girl, the Duke would definitely not have the heart to do that.
But the old lady never expected it.
The Duke actually rejected her directly!
"No, the Duke's Mansion cannot keep her."
Not to mention the old lady was surprised, even the eldest young lady and the others were surprised.
The old lady felt that the Duke was slapping her in the face: "What do you mean?"
The Duke said: "The Xu family has arranged for three women to stay. If we leave her here today, there's no guarantee that someone won't try the same trick again in the future."
Hearing this, the old lady felt relieved, but still couldn't help saying, "But Qiu Huai is a good girl, and she is your woman, how can you kick her out?"
"My mother misunderstood. I didn't touch her." Just one sentence, no further explanation.
But everyone in the living room was shocked again.
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