Chapter 74 Chapter 74 "I only hope that you can forget me in the future..."
Jasmine explained, "We just happened to meet on the road. I was feeling dizzy, so the Duke brought me back. You know, the Duke is a very kind-hearted person."
Upon hearing this, He Congde's expression softened considerably and he nodded, "You're right. I heard that on Yanguo Highway, if you see a vendor's car overturned, they will stop and help, and even give the vendor some money as compensation."
The topic was over. Jasmine turned and asked, "Why are you here? Is there something wrong?"
He Congde's face turned gloomy again: "If there is nothing, then I can't come to see you?"
Jasmine quickly said, "That's not what I meant. Lord He is a very busy man. He only has time to come. Not only me, but even Biyue and Xiyue would be surprised."
"Are you blaming me?"
Jasmine: "How could that be? Lord He is doing this for the country and the people. If Lord He is truly busy in the future, he doesn't need to come visit me."
He Congde smiled with relief: "Bai Xiang is really sensible."
"I told you not to call me that."
Seeing that she was really unhappy, He Congde nodded seriously and said, "I'll change it. I'll pay attention next time."
He Congde asked her how she had been doing these past few days. Jasmine told him everything except the two times she had disrupted the relationship between the Duke and Miss Wan.
Today, Jasmine and He Congde had dinner together. Biyue Xiyue killed a chicken, bought some pork head and pastries, and cooked several dishes.
The last time Jasmine had such a sumptuous meal was the day when the He family’s mother and son came to propose marriage.
How dare these two girls treat her differently, and most importantly, they spend her money to mistreat her!
But this meal was also hers to eat. Jasmine decided to endure it.
She must eat more than He Congde at this meal today!
Jasmine was really hungry.
He Congde slowly drank half a bowl of soup, but saw that she had already finished a bowl of rice. He said nothing, just looked at her happily, "Jasmine is still as good as ever."
Jasmine also recalled some things from the distant past. Perhaps it was because it was difficult to find delicious food, so whenever there was food in front of her, she always acted very eagerly.
Jasmine didn't want to recall the skinny, small, and ugly self she once was. No one liked her, not even she.
Jasmine didn't answer, pretending she hadn't heard. He Congde simply didn't mention the past again.
He Congde had come today specifically to tell her the wedding date, an auspicious date chosen for six months from now. Jasmine didn't need to worry; Madam He was always there.
After sending the man away, Jasmine first thought for a while about which girl to match with He Congde and how to make the girl and He Congde know each other and fall in love, and then she thought about her own affairs.
I don’t know how much anger Wan Suier has hidden in her heart, and how she will cause trouble for her?
Fearing that Wan Sui'er would find someone to murder her, Jasmine stayed out of bed that night. Biyue and Xiyue slept in the right wing of the courtyard, while Shancha slept in the left, so Jasmine squeezed in with Shancha.
After crowding for several days, the assassin never showed up.
I thought Wan Sui'er was quite patient.
The next day, Jasmine heard that the Duke had gone to the Marquis of Changping's mansion to apologize. No one else knew why, but Jasmine knew it all.
That day, the Duke left Wan Sui'er and sent her home. Even if the Marquis of Changping's Mansion didn't say anything, how could the Duke pretend that nothing happened?
Jasmine also heard that the wife of the Marquis of Changping and the old lady had been in close contact in recent days, and the two families had already arranged to have tea together three times.
Jasmine knew that the old lady wanted to choose a wife who was easy to control for the Duke, and it was obvious that Wan Sui'er was not someone the old lady could easily control.
But why?
On the day of the Qiqiao Festival, the sun was shining brightly and the streets and alleys were bustling than ever before.
In the evening, lanterns are hung everywhere, and the streets of Sifu Street are as bright as day with people walking around.
Jasmine almost lost the person.
She heard that they would come to the market, and of course she couldn't miss such a good opportunity.
The Duke was tall, so his back was especially easy to spot, but because there were so many people on the street, I still lost him.
Jasmine couldn't find anyone around, so she ran forward for a while.
"Madam, are you looking for our wife and the Duke?"
Jasmine looked over when she heard the voice and saw a familiar face behind her on the right. It was the maid who followed Wan Sui'er.
Jasmine glanced again and saw several figures standing not far behind the maid.
Wan Sui'er, the Duke, and Chunli Zuohe were all looking in her direction.
Even though she was discovered, Jasmine was not embarrassed. She walked forward and saluted as if nothing had happened.
"What a coincidence, I met Lady Wan... and Master here."
The Duke's expression was cold and expressionless, completely different from the last time when he sent her back to the courtyard with his eyes full of care and concern.
Jasmine knew at a glance that he must have heard the rumors again. Jasmine felt a chill in her heart.
"Stop causing trouble."
To others, these words would seem polite and gentle to the Duke, but Jasmine only felt they were fierce.
Jasmine glared at him resentfully.
The Duke knew that he could do nothing about her and glanced away.
Wan Sui'er looked at the Duke, then at Jasmine, with a faint, clear-minded smile on her face.
"Mrs. Jasmine, would you like to go shopping with us?"
Jasmine hadn't expected Wan Sui'er to say that. It wasn't what she expected.
Jasmine looked at her and saw that she was always smiling, with only sincerity and frankness in her eyes.
Jasmine nodded: "Okay."
The Duke was dissatisfied: "No need to go with her."
Before Jasmine could glare at her master, Wan Sui'er said, "Madam Jasmine just can't let go of the Duke."
Wan Sui'er looked at the Duke seriously and said, "I can see that the Duke has feelings for Madam Jasmine. Since you both can't let go of each other, why not help each other and help yourself?"
Wan Niangzi's eyes seemed to speak, and apart from a faint smile, there was no other expression on her face.
Not only did Jasmine not expect Wan Sui'er to say such a thing, but the Duke also did not expect it.
After all, the Duke had seen quite a few women in the past two years. At first, he thought women like the Imperial Concubine were rare, but now that he had a well-behaved and caring concubine, he felt that all women in the world were like her.
Until recently.
The Duke finally came to his senses. Women are known for their feigned affections. When the concubine revealed her true colors, the Duke thought he had finally seen through women.
After all, she was like my aunt. It was she who asked him to leave, but when he said a few more words to Madam Duan, she wanted to make trouble. When he went for an outing with Madam Wan, she came over again.
How could Lady Wan be any different? The Duke felt that Lady Wan must be the same.
Unexpectedly, Wan Niangzi would say such words. Just looking at Wan Niangzi's face, in the past, the Duke would have believed her. But now, he really couldn't guess.
The Duke had a solemn face and remained silent.
Seeing him like this, Wan Sui'er smiled bitterly and said, "Does the Duke not trust Sui'er?"
The Duke was shocked when his plan was exposed. He did not deny it.
Seeing that Miss Wan was speaking so directly, the Duke wondered if she was speaking the truth.
Glancing at his concubine, the Duke's expression turned grim again. "This matter has nothing to do with Miss Wan. Miss Wan is also wrong. Yan..."
Jasmine laughed.
The smile on the concubine's face was a little dazzling, and the Duke was suddenly speechless.
Molican smiled and looked at the Duke for a while, then turned to look at Lady Wan.
She grabbed Wan Sui'er's hand, frightening the master and servants. Several maids stared at her with murderous eyes.
Jasmine said with deep emotion, "With Madam Wan's words, I'm finally relieved. I was originally afraid that Madam Wan would be as scheming, mean, and foolish as I was. I've already brought disaster upon the Duke, and I didn't want anything like that to happen again, so I kept following her. But now, I know that Madam Wan is truly kind-hearted, unlike the narrow-minded Madam Luo, and even less like the self-righteous Madam Duan. With Madam Wan by the Duke's side, I think he won't have to be deceived again in his life. He can rest easy now."
Jasmine let go of Wan Sui'er's hand, stepped back, and bowed: "This servant wishes Miss Wan and the Duke all the best, and a long and happy life together."
Wan Sui'er stared at her blankly.
The Duke was also stunned.
Chunli Zuohe and others stared in disbelief.
Jasmine raised her head, her eyes twinkling as she smiled at the Duke. "I have let you down, Master. I do not ask for your forgiveness. I only hope that you will forget me in the future, and the misery I have endured over the past year. I hope you will never meet me again. I will take my leave."
After saying this, Jasmine didn't delay any longer and turned around and disappeared in front of everyone.
The Duke looked at the fleeting figure, stepped forward, took only one step, and then stopped.
This woman must be deceiving him again.
But the Duke was unsure, so he asked Lady Wan, "Did you figure out what she was up to?"
Wan Sui'er shook her head: "Maybe Madam Jasmine is sincere. Is the Duke going to pursue her?"
The Duke said: "You don't know her. This woman is very good at playing tricks. Don't be fooled."
Wan Sui'er had no choice but to respond, "Sui'er obeys the Duke."
After being disturbed by their aunt, the two of them no longer had the heart to go shopping. Without saying anything, they walked for a while along the brightly lit Dongfu Street. Wan Sui'er said she was tired, and the Duke naturally agreed to take her home.
When the carriage arrived at the gate of Marquis Changping's mansion, Wan Sui'er got out of the carriage with the help of two maids, saluted to the Duke, and slowly entered the mansion.
The Duke then rode away.
After hearing what the maid said, the Marquis of Changping's wife asked nervously, "How did the Duke react? Did he believe that woman?"
The maid described the Duke's reaction, but Lady Changping Marquis still couldn't feel at ease.
"This woman has sinister intentions and is full of evil. Even if the old lady and I take turns to confront her, I'm afraid the Duke won't trust us. Especially after what happened today, I'm afraid the Duke will go looking for that woman."
Everyone in the mansion was anxious, except Wan Sui'er, who seemed to take it lightly. She even comforted her mother, "Mother, I was quite touched by what Madam Jasmine said today. If the Duke wants to take a concubine, I think she's quite suitable. The Duke likes her too, which is great."
The wife of the Marquis of Changping frowned and poked her daughter's forehead: "You fool!"
...
The Duke's Mansion.
When the Duke returned home, the old lady asked him about his day out with Miss Wan.
The Duke said it went smoothly. He deliberately didn't mention his encounter with the concubine.
Who knew that the old lady knew it early on.
Seeing that he didn't speak up, the old lady had no choice but to ask him, "Erlang, are you still thinking about that woman?"
"That woman" is of course referring to my aunt.
The Duke: “Never.”
The old lady sighed, "The Luo and Duan families' marriages have both fallen through, and the one with the Changping Marquisate must not be ruined again. Not only would it be embarrassing for our Duke's Mansion, but it would also be difficult to explain to His Majesty."
Yes. The old lady was very satisfied with Wan Sui'er.
It’s not that Wan Sui’er is so good, but that both the Marquis of Changping and his wife know how to behave.
Ever since His Majesty granted the marriage, the wife of Marquis Changping came to visit the old lady. Not only did she bring her valuable gifts, she also had a long conversation with her.
The old lady knew that the wife of the Marquis of Changping came to show her goodwill after seeing what happened to the Duan family. But no matter what, the old lady appreciated the attitude of the Marquis of Changping's family.
Ever since the marriage with the Luo family was arranged, the old lady had been thinking of finding a Duke's wife who was easy to control and could be used by her in the future.
But afterwards, the old lady knew that she would not be able to decide on the Duke's marriage herself, especially since His Majesty had been engaged to the daughter of the Duan family and now to the daughter of the Marquis of Changping. Even if she could make the decision and wanted to look for someone younger, she would probably be criticized to death by outsiders.
Therefore, now, the old lady has given up.
Since they had become one with the Marquis of Changping's Mansion, the old lady would of course no longer look for concubines for the Duke.
Even Xu Qiuhuai, who has already moved into the mansion, has been forbidden by the old lady to appear in front of the Duke recently.
Let’s wait until Miss Wan enters the Duke’s Mansion before we discuss everything.
The Duke nodded: "Please rest assured, mother."
The old lady then spoke of Wan Sui'er, praising her elegance and beauty along with the first and fourth young ladies' wives.
"...That young lady is pure and gentle, the Duke must not let her down." The old lady warned carefully.
The Duke nodded again: "Don't worry, mother."
In the past, when the Duke said this, the old lady believed it, but now.
Alas. The old lady just wanted to sigh.
The old lady couldn't help but ask again, "Has Erlang visited that woman recently?"
"No." The Duke answered straightforwardly.
After all, he really didn't go looking for her. It was his aunt who went looking for him, so it doesn't count.
The old lady thought he was lying.
After sighing again and saying everything she needed to say, the old lady waved her hand to signal him to go back.
The Duke, as polite as ever, bowed and withdrew.
After the people left, the Fourth Young Master's wife asked, "Mother, do you think the marriage will be possible?"
Your Majesty has granted the marriage, and no other family would say such foolish words.
But in the Duke's Mansion, this is not necessarily the case.
The eldest young lady's wife said casually, "That bitch..." After saying two words, she remembered something and hurriedly looked outside. After confirming that the Duke was no longer outside, she said, "My concubine has repeatedly rejected the Duke. The Duke is not a poor man who can't find a wife. How could it be possible?"
"That's true," the old lady agreed.
The Fourth Young Master's Wife: "But Auntie has appeared in front of the Duke and Lady Wan several times. It was clearly Auntie who wanted to leave, and now she's trying to sabotage the Duke's marriage. I don't understand what she's trying to do. But no matter what she does, I'm afraid if it happens too often, the Duke will soften his heart. Mother, don't forget how the Duke acted abnormally before, climbing over the wall in the middle of the night to look for Auntie."
The more the old lady thought about it, the more frightened she became. "Let's go to the Marquis of Changping's mansion again tomorrow."
Not to mention that the concubine was an ungrateful person who could never be tamed, more importantly, her reputation was already rotten. If the concubine were to enter the mansion, who knows what people outside would say about the Duke's Mansion.
The Duke may not care who his concubine is, but the Duke's Mansion is different.
The old lady had just decided to use the Marquis of Changping's Mansion. If she couldn't persuade the Duke herself, she would ask the Marquis of Changping's Mansion to help persuade him.
In the main courtyard.
The Duke sat alone in the room, recalling what his aunt had said.
Ever since his concubine left, the Duke rarely stayed in the courtyard to eat, and never sat for even a moment.
The tables and chairs were still in the yard, but they were empty every day.
She definitely didn't mean what she said.
She had always pretended to be so good that the Duke had never doubted her in the past. Even though many people reminded him, he only believed her.
Even two days ago, at Xishun Teahouse, he believed her without hesitation.
If the wife of Marquis Changping and the old lady had not explained it to him, he would probably still not have believed it.
She said she came to thank Miss Wan, but in fact she was just causing trouble for her. She was so hypocritical and flattering. I'm afraid there is no more hateful woman in the world than her.
She even pretended to faint and tricked him into sending her back.
What a good trick.
From now on, he will never be fooled by her again.
...
"What do you mean? Madam Wan has changed her tactics again?"
"Don't worry. If she can change her tactics, I certainly have another way to win." Jasmine smiled proudly and explained in detail her amazing tactic of "retreating to advance."
"My wife is awesome!" Shancha praised with wide eyes.
Jasmine is even more arrogant.
"I originally wanted to force her to take action. If she attacked me, the Duke would definitely not tolerate her. But she didn't fall for it. Not only that, she acted like she wanted to help me and the Duke. Does she think I'm stupid? In this situation, even if I agreed, how could the Duke agree? I just said I wish them a long and happy life together."
Shan Cha's smile faltered as she thought of something. "What if Wan doesn't pay attention to us anymore?"
Jasmine: "Impossible. If she weren't as easygoing and tolerant as we see her on the surface, she certainly wouldn't remain indifferent. If she truly did nothing, then she and the Duke would be a perfect match. I'll really help them get together."
...
On the second day, after seeing off the Duke, the old lady brought the two young ladies to the gate of the Marquis of Changping's Mansion.
After the old lady sat down, she first drank the tea handed to her by Wan Niangzi. Before she said the purpose of her visit, she heard that Wan Sui'er was planning to match the Duke and the concubine.
The old lady was so shocked that she almost dropped the cup. She looked up at the mother and daughter in front of her in disbelief.
The wife of the Marquis of Changping smiled and said, "Old Madam, you don't know that Sui'er and Madam Jasmine get along very well. I think the Duke's Mansion will eventually welcome a concubine, so it would be better to find someone who gets along well with her. Sui'er is simple, so she won't have a hard time this way. What do you think?"
You and your daughter are already engaged, what else can the old lady say?
The old lady was secretly dissatisfied, but still wanted to give up and try to persuade him in a tactful way.
"I'm afraid this woman is just pretending. Don't be fooled by her. The Marquis's wife probably doesn't understand her character. When she was in the Duke's Mansion, she was always pretending and had a thick skin. She wasn't the least bit panicked when she was discovered. I'm not afraid of being laughed at by the Marquis's wife. There's no one in the Duke's Mansion who hasn't been fooled by her."
The wife of the Marquis of Changping said, "Madam Jasmine looks young, so how bad could she be? This is mainly because the Duke likes her, and we love her too. What do you think?"
How come this doesn't make sense?
Bullshit, love the house and love the dog!
The old lady was not stupid. She suddenly realized that the mother and daughter in front of her might have other plans.
The Marquis of Changping's residence was much more chaotic than the Duke's residence. The old lady didn't believe that the mother and daughter were so easy to talk to.
The old lady looked at the mother and daughter for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, then I'll listen to Madam Hou."
As the old lady responded, she wondered how the mother and daughter were going to deal with Jasmine.
Should we wait until we enter the mansion to deal with it?
What would they have planned if they hadn't entered the mansion?
It was only on the next day that the old lady understood the intentions of the Marquis's wife and her daughter.
The next afternoon, the Marquis's wife came to the Duke's mansion and chatted with the old lady for a long time without leaving. The old lady was surprised when the Duke returned and immediately realized that the Marquis's wife's purpose was to target the Duke.
The Marquis's wife quickly got back to the point. Her point was this: they agreed to the Duke accepting Concubine Jasmine into the mansion.
The Marquis's wife's words were particularly tactful. She first said that Wan Sui'er liked her concubine, and then said that the Duke was lonely.
"...Sui'er is sensible. She knows that the Duke is concerned about the marriage between the two families and is reluctant to speak up. Let's talk it over today. The Duke can just do what he wants. From what Sui'er said, my concubine is sensible and has the Duke's approval, so she must be a good person."
The Duke understood what the Marquis's wife said, and his expression darkened even more than usual. "I'm afraid the Marquis' wife is mistaken. I have no intention of letting this woman into my family. She's not worthy."
Everyone knew the Duke was angry. The eldest young lady and the others were silent, and the old lady didn't dare to speak either, only looking at the Marquis' wife with surprise.
The Marquis's wife was stunned for a moment, then quickly lowered her head and said, "Yes, then I will listen to the Duke. I won't mention this again in the future."
Only the old lady present noticed the joy on the Marquis's wife's face.
It turns out that this mother and daughter were waiting here! Anyway, both mother and daughter have earned a reputation for being reasonable.
The old lady suddenly felt that the Duke's Mansion would be able to stand on its own in the future even without her.
It was unclear whether this idea came from the mother or Wan Sui'er. Thinking that it was most likely Wan Sui'er, the old lady felt a layer of fine pimples on her back.
She decided to get closer to the mother and daughter.
...
"Where is Xiuhong going?"
Xiuhong didn't expect to run into Nanny Qian. She was startled, turned around, and said with a forced smile, "I went out to buy some things and greeted the Duke."
No one in the mansion dared to misrepresent their master, especially the Duke, so Nanny Qian asked casually. After hearing what she said, she nodded and said, "Go."
Xiuhong nodded and hurried out. She first strolled down the street for a while, and when she didn't notice she was being followed, she caught a carriage and headed to the back alley of Nanfu Street.
It was already dark.
Jasmine hadn't expected Xiuhong to come looking for her so late. After they finished talking, Jasmine personally hired a carriage to take her back to the Duke's Mansion.
The carriage stopped at the Duke's Mansion for a while, and after Xiuhong got off, it quickly moved forward.
Jasmine also has spies in the Duke's Mansion. Of course, the eyeliner is red!
It was amazing, Jasmine didn't know how it succeeded. She just asked tentatively, and Xiuhong actually agreed to it, saying that she would not let her aunt down.
Jasmine's offer of hush money was rejected, and only after she seriously stated that she would not accept it and did not dare to use her did Xiuhong reluctantly accept it.
Through the gap in the carriage curtain, Jasmine looked at the towering gate of the Duke's Mansion and was so angry that her teeth were itching.
As expected, she was right. The mother and daughter of the Wan family would pretend to be pregnant in front of the Duke.
But she didn't expect that the Duke hated her even more than she thought.
This man was becoming increasingly difficult to deceive. Even her attempts at pity didn't work.
The mother and daughter of the Wan family have given him a way out, so why doesn’t he just agree directly?
Could it be that he really has the wonderful Wan Sui'er and has forgotten about her?
Who said that they don't mind her pretending and want her to keep pretending for the rest of her life?
Jasmine had a very difficult night. The next day, she waited at the road that the Duke must take after leaving court.
When I saw someone, I stopped him directly.
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