Chapter 45 Chapter 45 "I will choose someone who is compatible with Jian'er..."
"It's getting late, let's go back to Beijing."
The Duke nodded: "Okay."
Jasmine got into the carriage, and her pounding heart finally calmed down.
How could she forget that she couldn't show her face in public? Once someone who knew her found out, she would be finished!
Jasmine was extremely cautious upon entering the Duke's Mansion. She had no choice but to resolutely not step out of the door, fearing she might bump into someone she knew.
Although her hometown was thousands of miles away from Kyoto, she couldn't take any chances. If she were discovered, her life would be at stake.
But in the past six months, she almost forgot that she couldn't leave the house.
Sure enough, I was hit.
Jasmine knew that she was very different now than before, and He Congde might not really recognize her, but she was very scared in her heart.
Fortunately, this was Hengyang. He Congde was in Hengyang, and she had returned to Kyoto. They would never meet again. Even if He Congde wanted to look for her, he might not be able to find her.
After comforting herself for a long time, Jasmine finally recovered.
He Congde is He Weili's only son. When Jasmine was six years old, Mr. He and his family moved next door to hers.
While Mr. He was teaching, Jasmine would often sneak over to play. Mr. He noticed she enjoyed learning calligraphy and taught her once. From then on, Jasmine began to develop a thick skin.
Of course, she couldn't sit properly in the classroom. Every time she used the excuse of herding sheep, she would tie them up in the pasture and run back to the He family.
In order to prevent her from being discovered, Mr. He and He Congde would help her conceal it every time.
He Congde would occasionally help her herd sheep.
He Congde is one of Jasmine's few good friends.
More than just good friends.
When Jasmine was little, she often dreamed of marrying into the He family. With the humble and courteous Mr. He teaching her, and the gentle Mother He bringing her food, He Congde grew even more handsome.
She thought at that time, if she could marry into the He family, she would live a happy life.
Although she was young, she already knew that good men would get engaged early when they found the right one. Fearing that He Congde would be snatched away by someone else, Jasmine decided to strike first.
One day, she asked He Congde to go herding sheep together.
"Brother Congde, Baixiang wants to be your wife, are you willing?"
This was the first time in He Congde's life that he was blocked by a little girl in a flock of sheep and told such shameless words.
He Congde's face flushed red and he was at a loss.
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Jasmine was extremely anxious. She grabbed He Congde's hand and placed it on her chest, then said seriously, "I'm serious. I like Brother Congde and don't want him to be taken away by someone else. Can Brother Congde marry Baixiang when he grows up?"
"you!"
"What are you doing?!"
"Shameless thing! I...isn't our family good enough to you? Tell me, why? Tell me, why?"
Jasmine had never seen He's mother, who was always gentle and kind to everyone, look so ferocious when her eyes bulged and slapped her in the face.
The next day, Mr. He moved.
Qin Baixiang, the eldest daughter of Qin the trafficker, became the laughing stock of the entire village.
Everyone thought that Mr. He was forced away by her, and all the students in the He family's private school hated her.
It was not until today that Jasmine met He Congde.
Six years have passed. Brother Congde has grown up.
Jasmine still feels emotional when she thinks about the time when they herded sheep together. Those were the few happy days she had.
But despite this, Jasmine folded her hands and prayed to God not to let her meet He Congde again.
Nothing is more important than her life!
...
The Lin family has already sent three letters to the old lady.
The first letter was to ask the old lady why the Duke's Mansion hadn't sent them any news. Hadn't they already agreed to get engaged?
The old lady replied concisely that there was no rush on the matter and that they could discuss it later.
After this, the Lin family sent two more letters. The meaning was self-evident, that is, they still wanted to fight for the position of Duke's wife.
The Lin family tried hard to show goodwill in the letter, and after reading the letter, the old lady also felt that the marriage could be discussed again.
But before she had the chance to mention it, the old lady heard that His Majesty was going to arrange a marriage for the Duke.
After confirming that the news was true, the old lady's eyes went dark and she fainted.
The news had come from the palace, and how it got there was impossible to determine. In short, before the Duke heard the news, word of His Majesty's plan to grant him a marriage had already spread like wildfire.
The Duke only found out about this when he heard that the old lady had fainted and rushed to see her.
The next day, the Duke asked His Majesty, and His Majesty was surprised.
"You know? It must be..."
His Majesty paused, then continued, "I have indeed selected several distinguished ladies for the Duke. Please choose one."
While His Majesty was speaking, Yao Ping had already brought a stack of portraits of girls.
"These were chosen for you by me and the Imperial Concubine. They are all beautiful and well-mannered. They are definitely a thousand times better than the ones chosen by the old lady in the Duke's Mansion."
Why does Your Majesty meddle in other people's affairs?
His Majesty really couldn't bear to watch it!
When the old Duke's wife secretly betrothed Duke Yan to a girl from the Luo family, His Majesty said nothing. But then the Luo girl fell apart, and unexpectedly, the old Duke's wife planned to hold a birthday banquet right after that.
How could Your Majesty not know what happened at the Duke's birthday banquet?
It would be fine if it was just a girl from the Luo family, but that old thing actually repeatedly bullied the Duke because he had no biological parents by his side.
How could anyone be worthy of being a Duke?
Your Majesty has just decided to take time out of his busy schedule to personally choose a wife for the Duke.
It is said that His Majesty asked the Imperial Concubine to help with the selection, and the Imperial Concubine blamed him for meddling in other people's affairs.
But His Majesty has no regrets at all. And His Majesty has also confirmed this marriage!
"Your Majesty, please don't worry about it."
If it were someone else, His Majesty would think that this person was ungrateful. But the Duke might really not want him to worry about it.
"I didn't put in much effort. The world will still need the Duke's help in the future, and I'm helping myself." His Majesty turned and instructed Yao Ping, "Show the portrait to the Duke for his review."
Yao Ping lowered his head and walked up to Duke Yan and handed him the portrait.
The Duke did not offer his hand for a moment, insisting, "My marriage is handled by my elders. Your Majesty is busy with state affairs and does not need to worry about me."
Elders in the family? Humph.
Your Majesty thinks the Duke has been fooled by the war, and has recognized his ambitious stepmother as his own mother.
His Majesty was too lazy to say more and slammed the table and said, "I am His Majesty, and I have the final say. Today, the Duke must choose one of them."
...
Handan Palace.
The Imperial Concubine sighed. She had already released the news in advance, so why didn't someone know how to adapt?
The Imperial Concubine thought about it and felt that this was indeed too difficult for a concubine.
If she knew the news in advance, even if she was at a loss, she would have kept His Majesty captive by her side. At least she couldn't let him have the chance to enter the palace and get married.
There is always a way, just think about it slowly.
Then, make some noise, or spread some news, so that the girls in Kyoto City will be afraid to marry. Even if the marriage is granted, Duke Yan will definitely not force anyone to marry him.
All are solutions.
But my aunt did nothing.
The Imperial Concubine shook her head. She knew that the concubine was truly naive. A rotten tree cannot be carved.
But it's true, the concubine is not as smart as the imperial concubine, nor is she as beautiful as the imperial concubine.
The Duke is even more difficult to deal with than Your Majesty.
I'm afraid the days ahead will be difficult.
It’s a pity that the chess piece she had her eyes on was gone!
The Imperial Concubine had originally thought that the concubine was a useful woman. That day in front of the tailor shop, she hadn't been mistaken when she saw the carriage about to overturn, and it was the concubine that Duke Yan saved first.
When Duke Yan learned that his concubine had left the house, he did not blame her.
The Duke must have a good impression of my concubine.
As long as my aunt works harder, there will be no worries about not being able to control the Duke.
But now she realized that she had overestimated her aunt.
Whenever the imperial concubine thought of the Duke, she would get angry.
He actually suggested that Your Majesty not hang himself on a tree like her!
When His Majesty came back and told her about it, she was almost angry to death.
Oh, only Duke Yan is allowed to cause trouble for the Imperial Concubine. But the Imperial Concubine is not a pushover!
Thinking of her aunt, the imperial concubine felt regretful again.
Forget it, I don’t want to think about it anymore.
"Chunyu girl, bring some good wine to the master. I need to drink to drown my sorrows!"
Xiang Qiao popped up and said, "Your Majesty, you can't do that. Have some flower tea. I just made it."
"I, want, to drink!"
Several maids stood in a row, pretending to be deaf. They had been warned by His Majesty that if the Queen got drunk, they would all die.
The Imperial Concubine felt so wronged. She didn't shed many tears, but her howl was so miserable.
Chunyu was the first to give in. He secretly hid a small bottle of jade wine behind his back and gave it to the imperial concubine.
Seeing this, Xiangqiao and Xiangdai had no choice but to compromise.
In the evening, His Majesty found the imperial concubine dancing in the yard with a red face, and he was really furious.
The front yard of the Handan Palace was filled with servants kneeling.
But soon, His Majesty was coaxed into submission.
The Handan Palace became peaceful again.
After being pestered by the Imperial Concubine for a while, His Majesty felt a little unsatisfied, but considering that the Imperial Concubine was weak, His Majesty hugged the Imperial Concubine and deliberately changed his mind to talk about other things because there was still a long time to go.
"I have given the girl's portrait to the Duke. I wanted him to decide immediately, but he said he couldn't choose just by looking at her face. He would have to find out if her personality was compatible with his. I thought that made sense, so I agreed."
The imperial concubine's scallion-thick fingers poked and prodded at His Majesty's chest, scratching and asking, "Who do you think the Duke will choose?"
"I think..." He almost blurted out. His Majesty quickly stopped and looked down at the imperial concubine, "I think they are all the same."
The imperial concubine raised her eyes, blinked twice, and pouted, saying, "I didn't ask Your Majesty who was prettier. I asked who the Duke would choose."
His Majesty felt that the two questions were similar. After a pause, he replied, "It's not what I think, but I am speaking from the Duke's perspective."
After the explanation was completed, His Majesty then said, "I think the Duke should choose the daughter of the Imperial Censor, or the daughter of the Marquis of Changping, or the daughter of the Minister of Revenue."
"What do you think is good, Your Majesty?"
"Don't overthink it, Noble Concubine. I'll just discuss the matter at hand. Li Yanhai is a dignified man, and I've heard his daughter has inherited her father's awe-inspiring integrity, making her a perfect match for the Duke. The Marquis of Changping's two legitimate daughters are also very famous in Kyoto. Duan Meng is the Minister of Revenue, backed by the entire Duan clan, making him a good match for the Duke."
"Don't worry, I didn't think much of it." The imperial concubine leaned lazily in His Majesty's arms and added, "What Your Majesty likes, the Duke may not like. If the Duke ends up not liking anyone, will Your Majesty force him to eat grass?"
His Majesty corrected him, "It's not that I like them, I don't like them. I'm just guessing what the Duke likes. If the Duke doesn't like any of them, I'll give him another batch."
"What if you still don't like it?"
His Majesty was silent for a moment before he said, "Then force him to obey. He listens to the old Duke's wife because I really care about him. If he dares to complain about this or that, I will not tolerate him."
His Majesty sighed, "The biggest problem is that I've recently run into trouble and need the Duke's help. He must have a legitimate wife."
Hearing this, the imperial concubine turned over and sat up: "Your Majesty, what trouble have you encountered?"
Your Majesty didn't really want to say it, but the imperial concubine would know sooner or later, so in order to prevent her from making blind guesses and getting upset, Your Majesty simply told her.
"The practice of favoring concubines and abandoning wives is becoming increasingly prevalent among the people."
His Majesty only explained with one sentence, but everyone could imagine how serious the matter behind it was and how much of a headache it was for His Majesty.
"Many officials in the court suggested that I set an example. But the imperial concubine is not a concubine to me, and I can't bear to let her go. The Duke is not like me. I believe that if I leave this matter to him, he will do a good job."
The imperial concubine, on the verge of tears, touched the emperor's troubled face. "I'm sorry..."
"It has nothing to do with the Imperial Concubine. It's me who is unworthy of being His Majesty. The eldest prince is not young anymore, so the Imperial Concubine, please wait a little longer, okay?"
After a long while, when His Majesty thought the Imperial Concubine would not speak, he heard the Imperial Concubine's faint voice from under his chin: "How is the eldest prince not young anymore?"
...
Everyone in the Duke's Mansion is waiting for the Duke.
When they saw the Duke take out a stack of portraits, everyone's hearts really died.
I had planned everything, but I never expected that His Majesty, who was busy with his work, would interfere!
The matchmakers appointed by His Majesty must have been daughters of high-ranking officials and prominent families. How could such daughters be influenced by others?
The old lady felt that her situation was hopeless and was overcome with grief.
The other people in the Duke's Mansion also felt sad for the loss of their loved ones.
After the Duke left, everyone decided to treat Aunt Jasmine better in the future.
It is likely that relying on only Concubine Jasmine will not be enough, so the old lady is planning to find a few more beautiful concubines for the Duke.
...
His aunt was waiting for him at the door as usual.
The Duke had originally not wanted to show the portrait to his concubine, but his concubine took the initiative to ask, "I heard that His Majesty has arranged a marriage for me? Which lady is he marrying?"
The Duke took out the portraits and handed them to her: "There are too many. I didn't have time to choose."
Jasmine looked at the name on the first page, Li Chun, daughter of the Imperial Censor.
"She's really pretty. She looks not only pretty, but also very smart."
The corners of the concubine's lips were always slightly raised, and the Duke could not see any other expression on her face.
The Duke said, "Since it's His Majesty who has chosen them, they must be kind and considerate women. I will choose one who is compatible with Jian'er."
"Okay." Jasmine pursed her lips and smiled.
That night, the Duke and his aunt looked at the portrait together. From the appearance that could only be seen in the portrait, they could see what kind of temperament the Duke liked in a girl.
Jasmine's analysis was very logical.
The Duke asked his aunt, "What kind does Jian'er like?"
Jasmine was stunned for a moment before tilting her head in thought. After a moment, she said, "Lively and funny."
The Duke was surprised: "I thought you could say 'gentle and kind'."
Jasmine: "If you like it, that's fine."
The Duke said, "Just listen to Jian'er and choose a lively and funny wife. I will go and find out about the personalities of the girls tomorrow and come back to tell Jian'er."
"Um!"
On the evening of the second day, the first thing the Duke did when he returned to the backyard was to tell his aunt which girl was lively and funny.
The Duke found out that there were three people, one was Wan Sui'er, the youngest daughter of Marquis Changping, one was Duan Zhi, the eldest granddaughter of the Minister of Revenue, and the other was Zhuo Zhuo, the younger sister of General Zhengbei.
Wan Sui'er grew up under the care of Marquis Changping and was loved by everyone. She was raised to be very lively and outgoing.
Duan Zhi was the daughter of Minister Duan's eldest grandson. Minister Duan had many legitimate grandsons, but only this one. It was said that whenever Minister Duan's incompetent sons saw a problem, they would release Duan Zhi, and Minister Duan's face would instantly turn amiable.
Zhuozhuo is the most lively of the three. He's said to be skilled in boxing and weapons. He's also very much like his brother Zhuoyue. He's outgoing, optimistic, and brave.
The Duke spread out three pieces of paper in front of his aunt and asked, "Which one do you think is suitable?"
Her grandfather came to ask her again.
Jasmine looked back and forth at the paper in front of her, pointed at "Zhuo Zhuo" and asked, "Miss Zhuo is very skilled. Perhaps we can spar in the future. Do you like it?"
The Duke smiled softly, "What are you talking about? I'm not going to really use violence on a young lady who knows a thing or two. I don't have time for nonsense."
The Duke thought of something and said solemnly, "This woman is probably not very careful. It's better not to choose her, stubborn boy."
The Duke felt that his concubine and Zhuozhuo would never get along. How could two completely different people talk to each other? Zhuozhuo was also skilled in martial arts, so he was afraid that his concubine would be the only one to suffer in the future.
Jasmine extended her hand toward Wan Sui'er again. "Miss Wan is so bright and beautiful."
The Duke suddenly thought, "I'm afraid she's too spoiled. She got whatever she wanted in the Wan Mansion, and I'm afraid she won't change that at the Duke's Mansion."
Jasmine pointed at another Duan Zhi and said, "What about this one? She has eyes like water, lively and bright, yet gentle. I'm afraid any man would be reluctant to let her go."
Among the three, the Duke also felt that Duan Zhi was the most suitable, so he said: "Then let's choose the girl from the Duan family."
"Okay. What I choose must be the best."
The Duke felt something was wrong and couldn't figure it out, so he agreed with his aunt: "Yeah."
Duan Zhi.
Your Majesty personally arranged the matchmaking and granted the marriage. Therefore, no one can refuse this marriage.
Unless Your Majesty changes his mind. But that is impossible.
Jasmine is not afraid of girls who cause trouble, but she is afraid of doing nothing, like the bright moon hanging high in the sky. This makes her feel embarrassed.
This is why she chose a lively and funny girl.
Being lively and funny means getting into trouble easily, and then she can find something to hold against him.
The aunt was actually stunned by the portrait of Miss Duan.
The Duke waved his finger in front of the concubine, but there was no response from her. Unable to wait any longer, he simply picked up the concubine and took her to the bedroom.
Jasmine was startled and quickly grabbed his collar.
Jasmine was carried directly into the tub, and the Duke opened his arms to let his aunt undress him. When he finished, the Duke called out to his aunt, "Don't move, stubborn boy."
Jasmine paused as she unbuttoned her buttons, then her grandfather reached out to her. "Help me, and I'll help you."
"Then will you also rub my back?"
"No problem. Turn your back, Qiang'er."
Jasmine said she was joking, but the Duke didn't tell her a joke. He just turned her in a different direction.
Jasmine was afraid of offending her grandfather, and she was also afraid that he would be too ruthless. Wouldn't this hand rub off a layer of her skin?
Fortunately, the pain I imagined did not come.
As the heat rose, the Duke was caressing her back with a soft handkerchief. He was attentive and considerate, not at all like a rough and tumble warrior.
The Duke found it interesting that not only was it comfortable to have his aunt rub his back, but he felt even better when he rubbed her back.
Of course, he rubbed more than just her back. After all, he and the concubine had already become close, and without even saying hello, the Duke's hands reached out to other places. He didn't spare any corners.
Jasmine felt itchy, and she hid while giggling, and from time to time she would stick close to the Duke.
Behind him, the Duke's breathing became disordered.
Jasmine leaned against the bathtub, feeling extremely comfortable. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt pressure on her lower back.
She opened her confused eyes and looked back.
The Duke pressed against her back, his hot breath blowing against her face: "I just discovered this, and I don't know if it will work. Stubborn, I want to try it."
Jasmine regretted it. Why did she ask this guy to rub her back?
The Duke comforted her, "Don't be afraid. I will be careful and won't hurt Qiang'er."
Even though it was just the two of them, Jasmine was still extremely shy.
That night, the Duke had a taste of something new and it was as if he had suddenly become enlightened.
"Stubborn, it turns out we can do anything."
Jasmine didn't need to look back, just by listening to the sound, she knew how excited this man was.
By the way, Jasmine had read the little book a few years ago. The next-door neighbor's next-door neighbor's next-door neighbor's daughter was getting married, and her mother gave it to her.
Sister Sanhua thought she couldn't understand, so she didn't avoid her.
The little book was filled with various sexual positions for men and women, and little booklets were not uncommon among the common people. She had thought her grandfather was only keen on one, but it turned out that he didn't know any.
This wealthy family should have known more, but her grandfather had to figure it out on his own.
Jasmine was so curious that she recalled a certain posture from the storybook and then slid out like a loach.
Then he turned over and got up.
The Duke was concentrating on his work when the concubine suddenly escaped. With a look of helplessness and pain on his face, he tried to catch her. The next moment, the concubine stopped him.
The aunt's face, neck, and even her whole body were red, and she looked at him with bright eyes.
The Duke straightened his body and listened to the sound coming out of his concubine, feeling it was incredible.
...
On the second day, the Duke reported to His Majesty that he wanted to marry Duan Zhi as his principal wife.
His Majesty summoned Minister Duan without further ado and asked the two sides to talk again.
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