Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Going back to the Duke's Mansion with him...? ...
Imperial Concubine Palace.
The imperial concubine had just finished her bath and was now reclining on the beauty couch, reading a storybook.
Chunyu fed a grape to the imperial concubine and then stuffed two into her own mouth. Then, remembering something, she asked, "Master, why are you so kind to the new maid? She's just an ordinary citizen now."
Yuan Liangliang glanced outside, confirming there was no sound of His Majesty's footsteps, before saying, "That's called being prepared for any eventuality."
Chunyu was bewildered, but Xiangdai understood: "Master, are you saying that Jasmine might return to the Duke's Mansion?"
Yuan Liangliang: "It's very possible. I've inquired, and since Jasmine left, the Duke has been drinking a lot to drown his sorrows. He Congde has been reluctant to welcome her into his family, so if I can just add fuel to the fire, won't that be enough?"
Chunyu understood this time. "But Master, the Duke has been saying bad things about you in front of His Majesty and the entire court. Why are you still helping him?"
Yuan Liangliang glanced at the maids and said, "Who helped him? Humph, I'm going to take revenge."
Several maids looked at her with their big round eyes.
"Once I've got Jasmine under my control, I'll see if Duke Yan dares to bite me again. If he dares to bite me, I'll bite his concubine!"
The imperial concubine made a ferocious expression, which was not scary but funny.
Chunyu suddenly realized, "So this is what the Queen was planning! It's brilliant!"
"What is your Imperial Concubine's plan?"
His Majesty's voice appeared in the hall.
No one spoke.
Several girls retreated silently.
The imperial concubine looked at His Majesty but smiled without saying a word. She withdrew her foot, and His Majesty naturally sat over.
The imperial concubine's jade feet were on his legs. The imperial concubine stretched out her hand again, and His Majesty grabbed her, and then the imperial concubine was in his arms.
"Your Majesty, what can I do with what I have said?"
...
The Duke's Mansion.
Today was another triumphant day for the eldest young mistress. Especially when she threw golden beans at Jasmine, and saw her squatting on the ground picking them up, she felt incredibly happy.
Therefore, after returning home, the eldest young lady started shouting in the living room in the backyard.
The master glanced at the Duke and tried to stop the eldest young lady: "Madam, please stop talking and don't delay the dinner."
The eldest young lady was in the middle of her conversation and would never let herself be interrupted by the master.
She immediately waved away the master's hand and continued excitedly to the old lady, "Mother, you didn't see the virtue of that servant. Those two golden beans rolled into the cracks of the rocks, but she knelt on the ground and dug them out. Don't even mention it. How ridiculous."
The old lady then said indignantly, "She has brought this upon herself. Perhaps this is her retribution. How could the He family tolerate a woman like this? Even ordinary people would probably despise her and bring shame upon her. Just wait and see, she will suffer in the future."
The old lady looked at the Duke again and said: "That woman got what she deserved, Erlang should let it go."
Yes. The old lady now thought that the Duke must be drinking to keep himself from drinking because he was angry that his concubine had left him.
The Duke said that he drank because of Lieutenant General Han, but the old lady didn't believe it no matter how she thought about it.
The old lady still thought that the Duke was doing this for his concubine.
Men are very concerned about their reputation, and it's hard for them to say that a woman would despise and abandon them. It's normal for them to feel depressed and angry.
These days, knowing that things are not going well for your concubine, the Duke should be happy, right?
The Duke's expression remained normal. Among all the people present, only the eldest master looked at the Duke with a complicated expression.
They were all men, and the master saw that his second brother could not let go of Aunt Moli. Just like him, even though he was locked in the room by the eldest young lady, his heart was still with Mei Niang.
But what can the master do? He can't even protect himself, so he can only watch the Duke's show with a worried look on his face.
The Duke said to the old lady, "Mother, Zifu has a request."
The old lady nodded, of course: "Erlang, just speak frankly."
The Duke: "I want to go and pick up Jasmine."
For a moment, everyone in the room was shocked.
Everyone looked at the Duke in horror, as if he had said something that would destroy their family and country.
The Duke continued slowly, "I thought she couldn't enter the He Mansion now. She must be scared and uneasy after being away for so many days. She must have realized her mistakes. I'm sure she'll change her ways when we bring her back."
The old lady was heartbroken and looked at the Duke with a confused expression. She shook her head and said, "What on earth is Erlang thinking? She made a mistake, and we have already shown mercy and released her. The Duke's Mansion is not a charity warehouse for refugees."
The Duke: "But she is not a disaster victim, she is a concubine."
Everyone has abandoned him, so how can he still treat her as his own concubine?
The old lady continued her persuasion earnestly, "Mother knows you are kind-hearted and cannot bear to see a woman like her suffer so much. But this is what she deserves. Erlang used to be a man of his word. Have you forgotten to send your fourth brother to Jingzhao Prison?"
After the old lady finished speaking, she quickly added, "Mother doesn't mean to blame you. Mother just wants to say that Erlang used to be a man of his word. Why would he break the rules for Auntie?"
The eldest young lady's wife had been stunned until now, unable to believe that the Duke actually said that he wanted to let that evil-minded woman return to the Duke's Mansion.
When the Fourth Young Master's wife heard about the Fourth Master's situation, she echoed the Old Madam, "Has the Duke forgotten all that Jasmine did? Not only did she seduce men outside her family, she also deceived everyone in the Duke's Mansion. There are countless incidents, one after another. I'm sure she's deceived the Duke many times. If the Duke trusts someone like her and lets her into the mansion, there's no guarantee that there won't be major disasters in the Duke's Mansion in the future."
"The fourth son's wife is right." said the old lady.
The Duke said: "She said that if she doesn't leave the house, she will pretend for the rest of her life. If everyone doesn't provoke her in the future, she will probably not do it."
What does he mean by this?
The old lady and the fourth young master's wife looked at each other, and they always felt that the Duke had something else to say.
The old lady suddenly realized: "You...what do you mean, have you gone to look for that concubine?"
The Duke did not deny it, but simply said, "She hugged me and cried miserably. She must have known she was wrong. I hope Mother will agree to this."
Shameless! So shameless!
Everyone couldn't help but curse Jasmine in their hearts.
This was the second time the Duke had begged her. He wanted to take a concubine, not just one, but ten, and he did it first and asked for permission later. As the old lady, there was nothing she could say.
After all, the Duke's Mansion was his master's. The old lady had always known this.
So when she heard the Duke's second request, the old lady didn't refuse. She just said, "It's good that you've thought it through. As long as you're happy, mother won't stop you. If you want to take her back, go ahead."
She guessed that was the case. The Fourth Young Master's wife sat silently, not saying anything else.
The eldest young lady's wife finally came to her senses at this time. Hearing the old lady's words, she looked at the old lady in fear, then at the Duke: "Duke, are you crazy?"
This time, the old man really couldn't sit still anymore.
The next words that the eldest young lady said were slapped back into her stomach by the master's big fat palm.
...
The Duke led Chunli and others to lead the way, with the Duke's carriage following behind them, heading all the way to the back alley of Nanfu Street.
The old lady hadn't expected that he would go pick up that concubine in broad daylight!
Can't he wait until dark before going? Isn't that shameful?
The Fourth Young Master's wife stood to the Old Madam's right, worriedly saying, "Many people outside know that it was Jasmine who abandoned the Duke, and now everyone knows that the Duke had the audacity to bring her back to the mansion. Being ridiculed for our Duke's Mansion is a small matter, but I'm afraid that outsiders will think that the Duke favors his concubine. He even accepted His Majesty's commission. What should we do about this?"
The old lady wasn't worried. "Have you ever seen a love-struck man? We only heard about the one in the palace, so he's not reliable. As for Erlang, he's just being lenient. It's all your fault for being so careless! Especially you!"
The old lady turned around and glared at the young lady fiercely.
The eldest young lady was anxiously thinking about what to do when the damned man came back. He had just had a fight with someone two days ago and had provoked him many times.
If she had known they would be living under the same roof again so soon, she would have been more restrained.
My aunt is a black-hearted person. I'm afraid she will be in trouble in the future.
The eldest young lady was taken aback by the sudden scolding from the old lady. She asked, "What's wrong with me?"
The old lady said, "How dare you ask? If it weren't for you, if you hadn't come back every day to show off and bully the concubine, would the Duke have been so soft-hearted? The more pitiful the concubine is, the more he can't bear it, do you understand?"
The Fourth Young Master's wife disagreed: "Then why doesn't the Duke seem to care about his fourth brother? Is Jingzhao Prison a good place?"
The old lady said, "We've already taken care of that. Didn't you go to see him the other day and say that the Fourth Master had gained a lot of weight?"
The fourth young master's wife stopped talking.
...
Today, the Duke wore a round-necked robe with a red background and dark patterns, a jade and a sachet hanging from his waist, and his hair was tied up with a golden crown.
The common people on the street greeted the Duke, who bowed and returned the greetings.
No one dared to ask where the Duke was going, but they were all curious.
He is not attending court, nor on duty, but he is accompanied by people and a carriage, and he is dressed nicely. Where is the Duke going?
The idle and curious people quietly followed the Duke's carriage. The procession behind the carriage grew longer and longer.
The Duke didn't care and turned into the back alley of Nanfu Street.
Some people were shocked.
"Does the Duke have a lover here?"
Some people thought this was offensive and retorted, "Why, are we allowed to keep concubines here? The Duke hasn't married yet, and the family has so few wives, so why shouldn't he look for one outside?"
"That's right. The Duke just sent away his ruthless concubine and needs comfort right now. I hope the new concubine can heal the wounds in the Duke's heart."
"I wonder what the new concubine looks like."
"Don't push."
"Try pushing me again!"
"Look, who's in front of us? How dare they block the Duke's way?"
"Look at the wedding."
Everyone found that the alley was blocked.
There were two carriages parked in front of the Duke's team, and many maids and servants were carrying boxes out of the carriages.
There was a red ribbon tied on each box, and you could tell at a glance that there was pregnancy.
After all, it's a big happy event for people. We have to wait until it's over.
The Duke was always easy to talk to. Just when everyone thought he would wait a moment, he dismounted and walked a few steps to the gate where the boxes were being transported into the courtyard.
That wasn’t enough. The Duke peeked inside and the next moment he walked straight into the courtyard.
Jasmine was supposed to go to work today, but someone from the He family came last night to tell her not to go out, saying that He Congde was coming to visit her.
After all, he was her lifesaver, so Jasmine couldn't be heartless and of course gave him this favor. She asked Shancha to ask for leave from the shop, while she took Biyue and Xiyue out to buy some good meat, slaughtered a chicken, and came back to pick vegetables. She was quite busy.
Seeing her busy, Xiyue said to her surprise, "My lady, stop working and go take a rest."
Bi Yue followed up and agreed: "...Yes, my lady, go change into a nice dress. Do you want me to help you comb your hair?"
Jasmine smelled something was wrong. In a few words, Bi Yue confessed.
Not only He Congde will come today, but Mrs. He will also come!
What could this mother and son be doing together?
When Jasmine heard that Mrs. He was coming to propose marriage, she couldn't stop smiling.
Jasmine asked in surprise, "Why did Madam He agree?"
The two girls shook their heads: "Madam didn't say."
Biyue and Xiyue thought she was happy. Jasmine was too lazy to talk to the two girls and didn't help them. She immediately went back to the house to rack her brains to find a solution.
I kept hearing Bi Yue shouting outside the door: "Madam, the Madam and the Young Master are at the door!"
A sudden doubt flashed through Jasmine's mind. Why on earth would she refuse?
Marrying He Congde has been her wish for many years. Now that it is about to come true, why should she back off?
When she heard what Bi Yue and the others said just now, she didn't even think twice before thinking about how to refuse. What the hell is wrong with her?
She didn't do anything out of the ordinary, which meant that Madam He had figured it out on her own. It was a rare opportunity for them, mother and son, to come and bring the betrothal gifts.
As long as she married into the family, she would be the young lady of the He family. A proper official's wife.
Jasmine slapped her cheeks with all her might, then faced the woman in the mirror, trying to force a smile. But no matter how many times she tried, it looked stiff and ugly.
Another figure appeared in the mirror: "Qian'er, I already know how to wear the beads. Let me try again."
She might not be happy even if she entered the He Mansion.
Now she has a lot of money of her own and is able to support herself, so why should she go to the mansion and be bullied by others?
Jasmine, having made up her mind, felt cheerful again in an instant. She stood up, opened the door and went out.
Mrs. He and He Congde were standing in the yard. Mrs. He was dressed particularly formally today and looked at her with a smile on her face, which was very different from before.
Jasmine was about to step forward to pay her respects when she glanced at the person who strode in from outside in astonishment.
The Duke of Yan naturally walked towards Jasmine. Seeing this, He Congde quickly stood in front of Jasmine and saluted, "Duke Yan, is there anything I can do for you?"
The Duke originally wanted to ask Jasmine, but now he had no choice but to ask him, "What are you going to do?"
He Congde: "Why would the Duke ask this when he already knows the truth? I have come to ask for your hand in marriage."
The Duke's eyes fell on Madam He: "Madam, do you agree?"
Madam He bowed and said, "Jasmine is an obedient and polite girl. There's no reason for me to disagree."
The Duke continued to stare at Madam He. "She was once my concubine. Madam, are you willing?"
Madam He continued as before, "I don't care about these things. As long as she is a good person, treats her husband well, and can have children in the future, I will be happy."
The Duke had not expected Madam He to say this. He turned and looked at Jasmine again.
He Congde blocked the way, and the Duke reached out and brushed him away.
He Congde felt that he was being pushed to the side out of control.
The Duke looked at Jasmine and said, "I'm asking you, would you rather go to the He Mansion as a concubine, or return to the Duke's Mansion with me?"
The Duke's expression was more terrifying than ever before, and Jasmine felt that he was trying to intimidate her.
Before she could speak, He Congde said, "Your Excellency has misunderstood. My mother and I are here today not to celebrate the ceremony of taking a concubine, but to present a betrothal gift to my wife."
Mrs. He agreed with her son: "Yes, that's right."
The Duke didn't look at the two of them, but stared at Jasmine, waiting for her to speak.
Seeing this, He Congde also looked at Jasmine.
With the countless pairs of eyes outside the courtyard gate, Jasmine always felt that she had nowhere to hide.
What did he just say? Go back to the Duke's Mansion with him...?
Jasmine's eyes fell on his red robe with dark patterns. He had worn this robe to pick her up.
Jasmine felt unbearable heartache. After a while, she stood up and wondered how she could possibly agree.
Unless she's dead.
If she hadn't met him, Jasmine would have rejected He Congde. But now she couldn't.
Jasmine said apologetically, "He Lang's willingness to marry me is a blessing I could never hope to achieve in three lifetimes. I hope the Duke will grant my wish."
The Duke didn't say anything, his expression remained the same as usual, but Jasmine knew he was unhappy.
All along, she didn't want to see him being bullied by other people in the Duke's Mansion, but she didn't expect that in the end she would be the one who hurt him.
Because of her, he suffered humiliation and ridicule.
But she didn't want to, and she had no choice.
Jasmine hid the tears in her eyes and said to him, "Today is Jasmine's wedding day. Since the Duke is here, why don't you come in and have a drink?"
He's not crazy.
"No need." After saying that, the Duke turned around and left without even looking at her.
Mrs. He was particularly kind today. She smiled and said to Jasmine, "There are too many people outside. Let's go inside and talk."
Jasmine nodded.
The common people saw the Duke coming out and quickly made way for him. Everyone's face was filled with sorrow and indignation.
Most people didn't dare to approach the courtyard, but everyone heard most of the conversation in the courtyard.
After the Duke was abandoned by his only concubine not long ago, he was abandoned by his concubine again this time.
Everyone looked at the Duke with sympathy, and one strong man even shouted to him, "There are plenty of good girls, Duke, just be more open-minded."
After the Duke left, the people stayed where they were and started discussing the matter.
"Why did I hear the Duke calling that concubine 'Jasmine'? I heard that the Duke's concubine was also called Jasmine. Could they be the same person?"
"It's the same person. Didn't you see that it was Lord He and his mother who presented the betrothal gifts?"
For a moment the alley was as lively as a boiling pot.
...
In front of the Duke, she agreed to the marriage.
Jasmine was thinking about how to make Mrs. He cancel the engagement on her own initiative.
Jasmine was really curious. She poured a cup of tea for Mrs. He and asked, "Why is Madam willing to accept Jasmine?" She changed her mind.
Mrs. He smiled and said, "'Jasmine' sounds better than Baixiang. I've figured it out. You're not that bad, after all. Congde has good taste, so why should I hurt our relationship?"
Jasmine was just thinking about something when she saw Madam He's face stern. She continued, "Let me be frank with you. When you enter the He residence in the future, remember to follow the rules and be a good wife who supports you. If you cause any trouble, don't blame me for punishing you. Do you hear me?"
"Mom." He Congde looked at Mrs. He, but Mrs. He ignored him, so He Congde had to go see Jasmine.
Jasmine gave him a look that said "don't worry" and nodded obediently to Madam He, "I'll listen to you, Madam."
When Mrs. He heard her words, her smile returned to her face: "The betrothal gifts should have been sent back to your family."
Jasmine suddenly looked up.
Mrs. He: "It's just that your home is far away. More importantly, I won't hide it from you. I look down on your family. I believe you don't have much affection for that family and don't want to associate with them anymore. So I will take the betrothal gifts back here. I have bought this place and will treat it as your own home. You will leave from here on the day of your wedding. Do you have any objections?"
Jasmine finally put her heart back into her stomach.
"Madam, you are very considerate. Jasmine will listen to you."
Mrs. He nodded with satisfaction.
Mrs. He did not stay for dinner, so Jasmine just said a few polite words and then respectfully sent her out.
He Congde followed Madam He, one step behind her, and turned back to say to Jasmine, "Wait for me."
Jasmine nodded reluctantly.
After sending the person away, Jasmine returned to her room and began to think about what to do.
How could she cancel the marriage without offending the mother and son of the He family?
Jasmine pondered for a long time, and after much thought, she felt that it would be best to speak directly to He Congde.
She had just agreed in front of the Duke today, and it would be inappropriate to speak up right away. Anyway, the wedding date had not been set yet, so it could be done after a while.
Jasmine thought of the Duke again, and the thought made her heart ache.
She covered her heart, feeling sad.
What should I do?
Does she have to live in fear and be forced by Xu for the rest of her life?
Jasmine was unwilling to give up.
"My lady, I'm back! Wow, Master He sent so much?"
Shancha curiously counted the gifts sent by the He family in the north storage room, then skipped into the house.
"Madam, have you agreed? Have you really thought it through?" Shan Cha knew that she was not very willing to enter the He Mansion.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have to raise chickens and grow vegetables, and go out to work.
Jasmine sighed and told him about the Duke's visit.
Shancha heard this and felt sorry for her wife. She asked again, "Then get married?"
"Let's not talk about this for now. I have something important to tell you." Jasmine put her arm around her shoulders, and the two of them whispered for a while.
Shancha went out again, this time with a bag on her shoulder.
From the day Biyue Xiyue learned that the Madam had accepted Jasmine, she no longer showed displeasure not only to Jasmine but also to Shancha.
Although they were curious, they didn't dare to ask too much.
...
Inside the He family carriage.
He Congde couldn't calm down the excitement in his chest. He looked at Madam He with a light in his eyes and said, "Thank you, mother."
Last night, after considering it for a few days and seeing her son forcing a smile again, Mrs. He told the father and son that she agreed to let Jasmine come in.
At that time, the family of three was eating quietly in the living room. Usually, the He family followed the habit of not talking while eating or sleeping, but today Mrs. He spoke for the first time.
Hearing his mother's words, He Congde was so shocked that he stood up.
After confirming that he had heard correctly, He Congde happily knelt down and kowtowed to his mother six times.
Mrs. He was frightened and hurried forward to help him.
After deciding to allow Jasmine to enter the house, Madam He personally prepared gifts. Seeing that her son couldn't wait, Madam He simply suggested going to the courtyard to deliver the gifts tomorrow.
He Congde had already been excited last night. He felt as if he were dreaming.
His mother had been on a hunger strike not long ago, but now she agreed.
"Mom, am I dreaming?"
"You're not dreaming. We've already given the gifts. Mother will go to the Fahua Temple and ask for an auspicious date for the wedding."
Mrs. He was also heartbroken. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have made such a scene and broken his heart.
He Congde nodded repeatedly: "Son, please take a day off tomorrow. I will take you there."
Madam He: "No need, your father is here. Just take care of your own affairs, and I will take care of the rest of the affairs in the harem for you."
Indeed, he has been very busy these days. He Congde said nothing more.
He Congde was so excited last night that he forgot to ask. He only remembered now and asked, "Why did mother agree again?"
Mrs. He: "What I just told her is my true feelings. Mother found that she is not that bad after all. The person you like can't be bad. She just has a miserable life. As long as she doesn't have any contact with her parents and brothers, let the past be the past."
He Congde nodded. "Don't worry, mother. Baixiang escaped because she was forced by her parents. She will never go back. Baixiang is also hiding from that family. Mita Village is a thousand miles away from Kyoto City. Even if that family knew, they wouldn't be able to find her."
"That's good. Since she named herself Jasmine, let's not mention the word 'Bai Xiang' anymore. There's only one Jasmine in Kyoto, not Qin Bai Xiang."
"Mother, you are absolutely right." He Congde said something so considerate, "When Jasmine comes home, I and she will definitely serve you well in the future."
"Okay. Mom's waiting. Mom's still waiting to hold her grandson."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
