Chapter 39 Chapter 39 "Don't worry, Qiang'er, I have already...
39
The wedding is less than twenty days away. Why invite the Luo family over for no reason?
Minister Luo and his family came forward to pay their respects to the Duke. According to etiquette, although the Duke held a high position, he was about to become someone else's son-in-law, so he had to return the gift.
But they discovered that the Duke didn't even stand up, let alone return the greeting.
The Duke's eyes were still very cold.
The old lady acted like a good person and greeted them with a smile, "Minister Luo and his wife, as well as my wife and my son, please take a seat. We are all family from now on, so there is no need for formalities."
Before Minister Luo could thank the old lady, he heard the Duke say, "Please stand and answer."
When these words were spoken, not only the old lady and the others were surprised, but everyone in the Luo Mansion was also shocked.
The Duke then got down to business: "The reason I've summoned both families today is because this matter concerns both families, and I must make it clear. I intend to cancel the marriage with the Luo family."
After he finished speaking, the huge living room fell silent. After a while, a rustling sound was heard.
The old lady looked at the Duke beside her and almost jumped up from her chair.
The Luo family members had different expressions.
Mrs. Luo was at a loss. She stared at the Duke for a while, then looked at the old lady for help.
Luo Ming'er's face was pale. She had kept her head down since she entered the door and did not say a word.
Minister Luo hadn't expected Duke Yan to call him over simply to cancel the engagement for no apparent reason. Why should he just call it quits? Even the Duke couldn't bully someone like that!
Minister Luo stepped forward angrily, bowing and saying, "It was the old lady who took a fancy to my daughter Ming'er, which led to this marriage. The Duke personally agreed to it. Now, with the wedding date approaching, how can we just call it off? The Duke's Mansion is superior, but my Luo family is not to be trampled upon by anyone! Duke Yan, please don't go too far!"
The old lady also tried to mediate: "Your Excellency, it's easy to talk, why are you acting so impulsively? This marriage can't be called off so easily. Your Excellency will not be affected, but you must also consider Madam Luo."
The Duke did not respond to the old lady's words. He remained cold and stern as he looked down at the crowd and said, "I am not an unreasonable person. I have my own reasons for canceling the engagement."
The Duke's eyes fell on the face of the daughter of the Luo family. "The Luo family's wife is two-faced, vicious and abominable. How can she enter my mansion?"
Luo Ming'er was so provoked that she couldn't stand. Under the intimidation of the Duke, she didn't dare to say a word of the excuse she had prepared earlier.
Mrs. Luo said excitedly, "Duke, where did you get this from...where did you get this from..."
Mrs. Luo was speechless for a long time, but Lord Luo continued angrily, "What basis do you have, Duke? You can't wrongly accuse someone for no reason, can you?"
The Duke had no basis for his accusation. After hearing this from His Majesty, he immediately went to Jingzhao Prison to question Madam Sun and the Third Master.
Madam Sun refused to admit it, claiming she was unfamiliar with the Luo family girl. However, the Duke discovered that the Luo family girl had been to Madam Sun's banquets, so how could they be completely acquainted? This further convinced the Duke that His Majesty's suspicions might be true.
The Duke also asked the Third Master, but the Third Master really didn't know that this matter was related to the daughter of the Luo family.
But what if there's no evidence? The Duke didn't want to wait any longer. "I went to Jingzhao Prison yesterday and have determined that Madam Sun and Madam Luo were the conspirators behind Madam's abduction. Madam Luo denies it, but the truth is clear, and no one can escape the blame."
Luo Ming'er was so scared that tears welled up in her eyes and her whole body was shaking.
Under everyone's astonished gaze, the Duke continued, "Madam Luo, please tell the truth. I will show you mercy. Otherwise, Madam Sun will suffer the same fate as you did."
Minister Luo turned around and glared at Luo Ming'er in disbelief. Minister Luo was no fool; he knew the Duke was definitely not lying, and how could he not understand his own daughter?
Madam Luo glanced at her daughter and, even quicker than her, she knelt down. "Please forgive me, Duke! It must have been Madam Sun who bewitched Ming'er. Ming'er is young and ignorant. Please forgive me, Duke!"
Mrs. Luo said this and went to pull Luo Ming'er. Luo Ming'er was already terrified and knelt down beside Mrs. Luo.
Madam Luo went to pull Luo Ming'er, "Hurry up and apologize to the Duke. This is just a misunderstanding. It was Madam Sun who forced you to do it, right? Come on, tell me."
Mrs. Luo's winking eyes were almost touching Luo Ming'er's face, making it unbearable to look at.
The Duke was getting impatient and shouted, "Tell the truth now!"
Luo Ming'er shuddered with fear, then covered her face and burst into tears, mumbling as she sobbed, "I didn't mean to do that. It was Madam Sun who came to me several times, saying she wanted to find fault with Auntie and asked me for help, but I refused every time. But, but Madam Sun invited me to a banquet that day, and she deliberately tricked me into talking, and I wasn't paying attention, so I told her about the Third Master. I saw that Madam Sun wanted to use the Third Master, and I tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't listen, and I really couldn't do anything about it. I really didn't mean to do that, and I beg Your Majesty to have mercy on me."
Madam Luo: "Your Majesty, you have heard this, right? This matter is indeed related to Ming'er, but the fault lies with Madam Sun. Ming'er is also innocent."
The Duke didn't believe everything the Luo family girl said was true, but he didn't know which was true. The Duke didn't care, at least he knew that this matter was related to the Luo family girl.
Minister Luo stood there with a heavy expression on his face, his back, which had been straight before, now looked bent.
The Duke asked, "Master Luo, do you have anything else to say?"
Minister Luo: "I have nothing to say. The marriage is as the Duke has said. Let's call it a day."
The mother and daughter looked at Minister Luo in disbelief. Madam Luo tugged at his sleeve and said, "Master, this has nothing to do with Ming'er. It's all Madam Sun's fault. How can you cancel the engagement?"
Luo Ming'er looked at her father in panic: "Dad, the marriage has to be cancelled. My daughter has no choice but to die."
Minister Luo shook off Madam Luo's hand, not even glancing at Luo Ming'er. He rushed forward and bowed, saying, "It is Luo's fault for not raising my daughter well. The Duke's decision to break off the engagement is understandable. I wonder how the Duke intends to deal with this wicked daughter of mine?"
The Duke said: "Master Luo, just take him back and teach him well."
Minister Luo: "I thank you, Lord, for your leniency. I will discipline this evil girl strictly when I return."
The Duke of Guo ordered Yan Pu to take the letter of annulment he had prepared earlier to Minister Luo for review. "If there are no problems, Lord Luo can sign it."
Seeing that his father was about to sign without saying anything, the Luo family's uncle said anxiously, "Dad, even if my sister did something wrong, it doesn't mean that we have to cancel the engagement."
Minister Luo ignored everyone and signed immediately.
Minister Luo rushed to the front and bowed again before turning to leave. After taking two steps, he saw that the mother and daughter had not caught up. Minister Luo shouted to his attendants, "Take the lady away!"
The Duke actually did this! The old lady has been stunned since the Luo family came into the house.
Now that the Luo family had left, the old lady turned around and asked, "Master Luo is right. The Luo family girl's crime doesn't warrant a broken engagement. A woman whose husband's family breaks off an engagement will surely have a difficult life. Would you like to reconsider, Duke?"
The Duke looked at the old lady and said, "Lord Luo is a reasonable man. Why do you think he agreed to sign the annulment without further ado?"
The old lady was speechless.
The Duke bowed and strode away.
The old lady was heartbroken. He, he always called her mother, but he actually called her old lady just now?
The heartbroken old lady waved her hand and decided not to bother with the matter anymore. The old lady was supported by Madam Qian and left.
Only the eldest master and his wife and the fourth master and his wife were left in the living room.
The old man sighed and said, "My second brother has changed a lot recently. He was not like this before."
No one replied. The old man also found that his wife had changed a lot recently. Strangely enough, she had become mute today.
The Fourth Master muttered to himself, "Duke, is this... for a concubine? Haha."
Only the Fourth Young Master's wife heard the Fourth Master's "Oh." She turned her face away, pretending not to hear.
...
When the Duke arrived at the main courtyard, the concubine was pulling weeds in the flower garden.
The Duke stood behind the concubine and said, "There's something you might not know. It's not just Madam Sun and the Third Master, there's also a girl from the Luo family behind this. But don't worry, Qiang'er. I've already broken off the engagement with the Luo family today."
Jasmine wanted to pretend to be surprised and turn away. She knew it was not good to appear too happy, but she couldn't help it.
The Duke hadn't even had time to react before his concubine threw her into his arms.
The aunt's speed is so fast that it can even surpass the crossbows shot from Sumikoku.
"Jian'er, you are very happy, right?" The Duke also curled up the corners of his lips.
Jasmine shook her head. "Nonsense. I'm not happy that Madam Luo can't enter the house. I just didn't expect the Master to do so much for little Jiao'er. How can Jiao'er repay me?"
The Duke patted his aunt's trembling back and said, "No need to repay. The most important thing is that Qiang'er is happy."
Today was another day her father skipped work. After lunch with his concubine, the Duke was too lazy to rush to the garrison camp, so he simply accompanied his concubine to pull weeds.
After weeding, I ate some watermelon. It was so relaxing.
Jasmine remembered and asked her grandfather, "How did you know that this matter was also related to Madam Luo?"
Jasmine has always wanted to take the initiative to remind her grandfather that Madam Luo is behind this, but she has never found a suitable opportunity.
Unexpectedly, her grandfather found out about it himself.
Jasmine guessed, "But that's what Madam Sun said?"
The Duke took a piece of melon and took a gentle bite, not even getting any on his lips. After swallowing it, he said, "Your Majesty told me."
Jasmine was surprised: "How did your Majesty know?"
The Duke: "From what Your Majesty said, it was the Imperial Concubine who told him."
Jasmine: "How would the Imperial Concubine know?"
The Duke: "Maybe it's just a blind guess."
Jasmine: "What did His Majesty say to me?"
The Duke: "His Majesty was afraid that I had missed the murderer, so he specifically asked me to come and tell me. He told me the Imperial Concubine's guess. The Imperial Concubine guessed that the murderer who kidnapped the concubine was most likely the daughter of the Luo family. I didn't believe it at the time, but then His Majesty said that Madam Sun must have an accomplice in the Duke's Mansion, and that the accomplice was also from the Duke's Mansion. Your Majesty didn't know about the Third Master, but Your Majesty... the Imperial Concubine guessed it. Then I really suspected the daughter of the Luo family. I went to Jingzhao Prison to ask Madam Sun, and Madam Sun told me that she didn't know the daughter of the Luo family, but I clearly remembered that the girl from the Luo family attended the flower viewing banquet she hosted, so how could I not recognize her? It was clearly a lie. I had no evidence, so I simply went to her house today to scare her. It was a scare that she couldn't help but feel."
Jasmine sighed, "The Imperial Concubine is so clever. She can guess anything she wants in the palace."
The Duke said sternly, "Being too smart makes it easier to do bad things."
Jasmine didn't dare to respond for a moment. After a while, she finally thought, "But the eldest prince must have inherited the noble concubine's intelligence and cleverness."
The Duke nodded, his expression slightly brighter. "Well, the eldest prince is indeed very intelligent."
The Duke's face brightened as he thought of something: "Your Majesty is also a wise ruler."
Seeing her grandfather constantly looking at her, Jasmine could no longer bear it and asked shyly, "Master, is there something wrong?"
The Duke then said, "I have strengthened the defenses in the mansion, so you can rest assured. Don't be afraid to leave the mansion if you want to. Staying indoors for too long can easily lead to wandering thoughts. Why not go out for a walk, Shan'er?"
here we go again.
Is it never going to end?
"I'm really fine."
"Okay, I'm glad you're alright. I won't say anything more." The Duke could see that his concubine was a little impatient with what he said.
Jasmine sighed inwardly. She said she wouldn't say anything. She was sure that if she didn't leave, this man would come back to worry about her.
But her grandfather was indeed worried about her. Although Jasmine felt a little annoyed, she had to admit that she was mostly happy.
Jasmine decided to go out. Besides Shancha, she was accompanied by four disguised guards.
She went to see the third young master's wife.
"Third Master has hurt you so much, and you still send someone a housewarming gift?" Shan Cha found it incredible when she learned where they were going.
But according to Jasmine, the Third Master was the Third Master, and the Third Young Master's wife was the Third Young Master's wife. If the Third Master offended her, she would never involve the Third Young Master's wife.
Shan Cha didn't agree with her, but she couldn't refute it either, so she just went along.
On the day they moved out of the Duke's Mansion, the Third Young Master's wife brought Qi'er to say goodbye to Jasmine and left her the address of her new home. The Third Young Master's wife didn't ask Jasmine to visit when she was free, but simply left it there.
Jasmine didn't say anything else and just accepted it silently.
I'm bored and want to go out for a walk. I have nowhere to go, so I might as well go and see the third young master's wife.
"Don't worry, the Third Master must be working hard at this time and is not at home."
When we arrived at the third young master's wife's new home, the third master was not there as expected.
There were countless small doors on the crowded path, and it was bustling with people, most of whom were half-grown children chasing and playing, and the smell of human habitation was everywhere.
Jasmine searched for a long time before she found the place.
The Third Young Master's wife was sewing in the yard, a large basket filled with shoe soles beside her. Qi'er was sitting obediently beside her mother, writing with a brush in her hand.
Qi'er would be caught red-handed if she turned her eyes away: "Focus."
Qi'er pouted and continued to write.
The Third Young Master's wife turned her eyes again, this time even more sternly: "I told you to study hard, do you think I want to harm you?"
Qi'er looked at the door with her eyes bright: "It's Auntie!"
The Third Young Master's wife turned around, quickly put down what she was holding, and stood up to greet him.
"Jasmine!"
"Auntie!"
Qi'er dropped her pen, ran over, hugged her aunt's waist, and refused to let go.
The Third Young Master's wife pulled Qi'er away and neatly tidied up the messy table before asking Jasmine to sit down. She then went to prepare tea.
Qi'er was very obedient and said to the Third Young Master's wife, "Mom, I'll go pour it."
The Third Young Master's wife refused: "No need, mother will go, you stay with Auntie to talk."
Jasmine looked at what was in front of her and smiled slightly. She took Qi'er's hand and said, "Your mother is so good to you."
Qi'er nodded: "Yeah, Qi'er thinks so too."
Jasmine thought Qi'er didn't know, but she didn't expect that she knew. Jasmine touched Qi'er's head and took a package from Shancha's hand: "This is from my aunt for Qi'er."
It turned out to be the Four Treasures of the Study!
Qi'er took it with surprise, opened it with surprise, and the moment she saw the thing, her face instantly fell.
"I heard that you have a husband, so I thought of giving you this. Don't you like it?"
Qi'er forced a smile and said, "Qi'er likes it."
Jasmine didn't expose her: "As long as you like it."
When the Third Young Master's wife came out with the teapot, she saw Qi'er introducing Jasmine to their new home. Qi'er chattered endlessly about everything she could see.
The Third Young Master's wife didn't interrupt. When the two returned to the courtyard, she finally spoke, "After leaving the Duke, I thought life would be difficult, but as time went by, I found it wasn't so bad."
Afraid Jasmine wouldn't believe her, the Third Young Master's wife repeated, "Jasmine, we're really doing fine. We feel very comfortable and at ease here, mother and daughter. Although Qi'er can't go to school with her cousins, at least there's a teacher who sees her intelligence and doesn't mind her young age and is willing to take her in. I can also earn a little money on weekdays. Jasmine, you know, people outside say that the soles I make are better than those made by Concubine Liang's clothing shop."
Jasmine discovered that the Third Young Master's wife had become much more cheerful than when she was at the Duke's Mansion.
"Jasmine has always known that the Third Young Master's wife is capable. Jasmine admires her."
Jasmine asked, "By the way, where is the Third Master?"
The Third Young Master's wife looked panicked and apologized to Jasmine again, "Jasmine, I'm sorry. He hurt you, and I still want you to beg for mercy and spare him."
Jasmine extended her hand to signal the Third Young Master's wife not to say anything more: "Can I go see the Third Master?"
The Third Master was doing hard labor in a brick kiln in the suburbs. Logically, the Third Young Master's wife should have bought a house close to the Third Master, but she did not.
The Third Young Master's wife only wanted to make Qi'er's studies more convenient for her, so she moved in next door to Qi'er's private school.
The Third Master didn't object, and of course he couldn't object.
Therefore, after confirming that Jasmine must go to see the Third Master, the Third Young Master's wife took her there.
It took more than an hour to drive the carriage.
When she arrived at the place, Jasmine took a look around and saw men working with sweat on their foreheads and bare chests everywhere.
It was only after the Third Young Master's wife pointed him out that Jasmine was able to find the Third Master in the crowd.
The Third Master was struggling to stack the fallen bricks into piles. He had just straightened up and wiped his eyes which were stinging from the sweat when he was whipped by the guard who was staring at him closely from behind.
The Third Master didn't say a word and bent down again.
Jasmine was very pleased with the view and said she wanted to go back home with satisfaction.
After sending the Third Young Master's wife and Qi'er back, Jasmine did not get out of the car. She said goodbye and returned to the Duke's Mansion.
The Third Young Master's wife stood at the door and watched them go. After the carriage from the Duke's Mansion drove away, she turned to Qi'er and said, "Auntie has sent us something. In a couple of days, we should also send something to Auntie. Remember to write a letter to Auntie. Do you know what to write?"
Qi'er rolled her eyes and nodded: "I know."
The Third Young Master's wife nodded with satisfaction.
Just as she and her daughter entered the yard and were about to close the door, it was suddenly pushed open again: "Sister-in-law Qin, you said you would deliver the goods in two days, and it's already been four days!"
The Third Young Master's wife pushed Qi'er into the house, locked her in, and then quickly picked up the basket to show the two of them.
"It seems almost done."
"But you said two days before we agreed to give you this job. Now it's been four days, two days of delay. What do you think we should do? Don't say we are making things difficult for you. We are honest people under the emperor's feet, we dare not!"
The Third Young Master’s wife said, “Then I’ll be a bit more generous. I’ll give you ten pairs as a gift.”
"Oh, ten pairs? Half." After saying that, the short and fat man threw a dozen copper coins he had prepared earlier on the table, and then walked away with a basket half a person's height in his arms.
The Third Young Master's wife stood there in silence until she smelled the stench of urine at the door. Then she ran out to chase them away: "What are you doing?"
A fat-faced head popped out from next door and said, "Why are you being so fierce?! This is just a child! He didn't pee in your house! Try glaring at me again!"
The Third Young Master's wife slammed the door shut. She leaned against it, her chest heaving for a long moment.
"Huh. You're back again."
The Third Young Master's wife recalled the proud oath she made that year when she entered the Duke's Mansion.
"From today on, I, Qin Yurong, will marry into the Duke's Mansion. Never think of returning to this shabby place again in this lifetime!"
What had she done wrong? Had she committed too many sins in her past life, and was she being punished in this life?
...
When Jasmine returned home, she happened to meet the Luo family coming to return the betrothal gifts and carry back the dowry.
Her master was right in choosing the right person. Minister Luo was efficient and effective. He canceled the engagement on the first day and returned the betrothal gifts on the second day.
Jasmine did not get off the carriage. She waited until all the Luo family members had left before returning to the main courtyard through the side door.
Just after entering the main courtyard, I heard that something happened to the eldest young lady's wife.
The Luo family not only returned the betrothal gifts to the Duke, but also returned a lot of them to the eldest young lady.
There are hundreds of eyes in the Duke's Mansion. Everyone knows what's going on.
The eldest young lady's wife felt guilty and immediately said she would hand these things over to the old lady for decision. To cover up her mistake, she opened a small treasury and gave gifts to everyone in the Duke's Mansion.
Jasmine received a statue of the Goddess of Childbirth. She later learned that this statue was a hundred times more valuable than any given by the eldest young lady to others.
Everyone accepted it silently, including Jasmine. She personally took a soft handkerchief and wiped the fertility Guanyin twice, then carried it to the corner of the cabinet with Shancha and hid it.
Are you kidding! This is Guanyin, the Goddess of Childbirth!
If she, a concubine, dared to openly place the Goddess of Fertility in the yard, it would be tantamount to plotting to usurp the throne.
But after finally hiding it, Jasmine felt empty inside. Logically speaking, the Duke had broken off the engagement, he was already a grown man, and the Imperial Concubine had even given birth to a prince for His Majesty.
Suddenly, Jasmine recalled her grandfather's sullen words: "If it weren't for the Imperial Concubine, why would His Majesty be in this state?"
Jasmine was so frightened that she quickly shook off the inappropriate delusion in her mind.
Jasmine decided to wait a couple of days and find an opportunity to pawn it.
The Duke's cancellation of the engagement was a huge uproar in the city, but the Duke's Mansion did not mention the reason, and the Luo Mansion naturally would not wait to be slapped in the face.
When Minister Luo came to court, he even went to thank the Duke for this. The Duke said that even if they couldn't become in-laws, they could still be good colleagues in the future.
Minister Luo nodded immediately: "That's right! That's right!"
But just one month after the incident, on the originally scheduled wedding day, rumors began to spread that the Luo mother and daughter were the masterminds behind the kidnapping of Duke Yan's concubine.
It got worse and worse. Within two days, the news had spread all over the streets and alleys. There were even teahouses where people were telling stories with vivid stories.
Who can guard against the scary words people say?
From then on, the Luo Mansion closed its doors to visitors.
It was not until the Imperial Censor Mu Yaozhi was jointly impeached and dismissed from office by other ministers on charges of corruption, bribery and lax family management, and the Mu family of 100 was expelled from the capital, that the rumors about the Luo family suddenly disappeared among the people overnight.
Luo Ming'er had long suspected that Mu Ziqing might have deliberately set her up, but she was confined by Minister Luo, and her mother refused to rescue her, leaving her helpless.
Upon hearing the news that the Mu family had been dismissed from office, Luo Minger's resentment of the past few days finally had an outlet.
After learning that Mu Ziqing would be leaving Beijing in two days, Luo Ming'er could no longer kneel in the ancestral hall.
Early in the morning of the day the Mu family left Beijing, Luo Ming'er used all her wisdom to sneak out of the ancestral hall, and used all her strength to climb out of the wall of the Luo Mansion.
She twisted her ankle when she jumped over the wall, but she didn't care at all and limped all the way to the Mu Mansion.
She had to hurry up and watch Mu Ziqing make a fool of herself!
Jasmine happened to go and see it too.
At the gate of the Mu Mansion stood two rows of His Majesty's guards. Each of them was tall and strong, with a cold face, and from time to time they scolded the Mu family to leave quickly.
Luo Ming'er waited for a while before she saw Mu Ziqing going out. She walked up to him and just stood there smiling without saying a word.
Of course Mu Ziqing also saw her. If it weren't for the trip to the Luo Mansion, Mu Ziqing felt that their family would never have ended up like this.
Mu Ziqing immediately pounced on her and grabbed Luo Ming'er's neck.
Luo Ming'er never thought this person was so crazy. She was also annoyed and immediately started to scratch her.
The two precious young ladies put on a great show in full view of the public.
The two were evenly matched for a while, until Madam Mu ran out with two large bags on her back and helped Mu Ziqing beat up Luo Ming'er, and things took a turn for the better.
Luo Ming'er's clothes were torn and her face was covered in blood, but she still managed a smile: "It feels like a stray dog, right? It's a pity that you will only be stray dogs in this life!"
Mu Ziqing pointed at her: "What did you say?"
Madam Mu stood in front of her daughter. Although her family was gone, she still had a strong aura. "The worst misfortune my Ziqing has ever experienced is meeting a scoundrel like you! How can you be any better? You think you are so great that you come here to mock others? You still think you are the wife of a duke?"
It looked as if the two sides were about to start fighting again. The key was that everyone was just watching the fun, and for a while no one tried to stop them.
As her view was blocked by more and more people, Jasmine had no choice but to climb down from the carriage to watch.
"Serves them right! Let them beat me! Let them tie me up!" Shancha spat out the melon seed shells.
"That's right, you deserve it!"
She was grinning and laughing with the onlookers when suddenly three pairs of eyes glared at her fiercely.
Jasmine was dumbfounded.
"Auntie, run!" Shancha reacted quickly. She threw a handful of melon seeds in her hand at the faces of the three people, grabbed Auntie's arm and ran towards the carriage.
"Sit tight, Auntie!"
"Okay. Hurry up, they're chasing us!"
Seeing that the carriage had not turned around yet, Jasmine was so anxious that she pushed Shancha aside and drove the carriage herself.
Finally, he managed to escape before the three women pounced on him.
"Are they still chasing?"
"I won't chase you anymore."
Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief, but she didn't dare to relax, squatting on the shaft and cracking the whip.
Luo Ming'er and the Mu family mother and daughter stared blankly at the two men with knives blocking their way.
Seeing that they were women and children, the two men did not draw their swords. After they were sure that the carriage behind them was far away, they sheathed their swords and turned to leave.
Jasmine did not return home.
Since we were already outside and it wasn't even past noon, Shancha and I went to the main street of Dongfu Road for a stroll.
The two of them drank tea, and when they passed by Concubine Liang's clothing store, Jasmine stopped.
In the past, Jasmine would never have dared to think about coming to this place, but now, she also owns several pieces of clothes and jewelry produced by Concubine Liang's clothing store.
Oh, and she also has a whole counter full of cosmetics and perfumes.
Jasmine stepped in.
Shancha followed behind her, her eyes full of curiosity, unable to turn away.
"Welcome guests."
The uniform greetings, the waitresses' focused gaze, appropriate smile and posture all make the guests who come in feel like they are in the spring breeze.
Jasmine sighed. No wonder clothes are so hard to come by here. It all makes sense!
"What does this guest need? Mingzhu will introduce it to you."
Jasmine waved her hand: "I'm just taking a look."
Shancha hid behind her in a cowardly manner.
After saying this, Jasmine became extremely nervous, fearing that the other party would turn hostile and chase her away.
Fortunately, it didn't.
Not only that, the waitress named Mingzhu still smiled at her with her teeth bared, and her voice was even gentler: "Then please take your time, guest. If you need anything, just call Mingzhu at any time."
"well."
Mingzhu walked away and stood at the edge again.
Jasmine finally felt a little more at ease. She looked up and around, noticing that the floor was very high, and paintings of ladies were hung on all sides.
Even though it was just a back view, one glance was enough to make people fall in love with it. Jasmine had never thought that there would be a woman whose back view could be so moving and charming.
I'm afraid it will appear in the painting.
Just as she was thinking this, a bright laugh came from the second floor. Jasmine turned her head and saw a woman slowly walking down the stairs.
The woman covered her face with a veil, but the exposed parts of her forehead and neck were so white that they were blinding.
She took light lotus steps and bent her knees as she walked down the stairs, her legs faintly visible under her flowing Xiangfei-colored skirt.
In fact, there was not even a piece of leg meat to be seen. But it was still breathtakingly beautiful.
Jasmine was stunned.
Yuan Liangliang saw a female scoundrel below, blinked his beautiful eyes, and stepped forward: "Madam, do you like any of them?"
Jasmine finally came back to her senses, feeling extremely embarrassed. She pointed at the painting and asked, "This painting is so beautiful. Is it you?"
Yuan Liangliang was proud: "It's me. The customer has already noticed it. To reward the customer for his discerning eye, I, the head shopkeeper, will personally show you around."
As she spoke, Jasmine was hugged by someone in a familiar manner.
Jasmine thought to herself, "With this kind of service, if this shop doesn't make money, who will?"
"As you can see, the first floor is the showroom. The east cabinets are for clothes, the west cabinets are for cosmetics and creams, and the middle cabinets are for jewelry. The second and third floors are all for clothes. After all, our shop specializes in all kinds of beautiful clothes..."
Breathtaking.
Jasmine can only be described with these four words.
“You are welcome to come again next time.”
Another clear, uniform voice.
Jasmine was still feeling dizzy after being watched as she left the shop and boarded the carriage.
She didn't buy anything and delayed the female shopkeeper for quite a while, but instead of getting impatient, they still saw her out the door with great enthusiasm.
"Cha, there are ladies in this shop. So many of them." Jasmine said in a daze.
Shancha wasn't feeling much better either. She rested for a long time before driving the carriage away. "Maybe they're all maids from the palace. After all, this is the shop run by the Imperial Concubine."
The more Shancha thought about it, the more convinced she was. "Yes, they must be palace maids. Otherwise, why would they all be so pretty and well-mannered?"
"That shouldn't be the case." Jasmine disagreed. "If they were palace maids, then Qi State has so many Noble Concubine Liang clothing shops. Could they all be palace maids? Perhaps they were trained."
I wonder if she can do it?
Jasmine only thought about it. She didn't necessarily have to go, but it would be okay to ask, right? It was a pity she hadn't thought of it just now.
Jasmine slapped her forehead in regret.
If she could stay in the shop, it would be much more interesting than shopping. The most important thing is that she can make money.
Look at those ladies, needless to say, they earn no less than that!
When they were almost at the mansion, Jasmine thought that Concubine Liang was actually a pretty good person, not as bad as her husband said.
For example, in the past, it was unheard of for women in the Great Qi Kingdom to work outside. But ever since the imperial concubine took the lead in opening a shop and hiring women, all parts of the Qi Kingdom followed suit.
Anyone who opened a shop and did business with women would have to hire one or two ladies to serve in the shop.
In recent years, women in Qi State, whether married or not, have been able to find a way to make a living as long as they wanted to.
This is all thanks to the Imperial Concubine.
Jasmine felt a surge of pride in her heart.
I wonder if His Majesty, the court officials and the people know that the Imperial Concubine is doing a great thing?
Maybe I know.
But the only ones who are really willing to accept the Imperial Concubine's kindness are probably the ladies of Qi State. After all, the real power is held by men.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be such sayings as "The imperial concubine and the favored concubine are in power and bring disaster to the country and the people."
Jasmine felt sorry for the imperial concubine.
But it was only regret. After all, the one who should be thinking about this issue was the Imperial Concubine.
Even the imperial concubine couldn't do anything about it, let alone this concubine who was useless and as insignificant as a fallen leaf.
Jasmine was already full of energy when she stepped into the mansion.
Today, she watched the fun, laughed at the jokes, and went to Concubine Liang's clothing store to see the world. Jasmine was very satisfied!
The carriage coming back from the main street of Dongfu Street was closest to the main gate. That was why Jasmine went through the main gate today.
On the way to the backyard, Jasmine heard voices in the living room.
It seems that there is also her grandfather's.
Jasmine pricked up her ears, hesitated for a moment, turned on her toes, and went away holding up the hem of her skirt.
The Old Madam said, "...The Duke wanted to take Madam Sun before, and he did it. He wanted to break off the engagement, and he did it too. Now he's asking all the officials to report the Imperial Censor. Fortunately, His Majesty agreed, but if His Majesty hadn't agreed, has the Duke considered the consequences?"
The uncle said: "Yes, second brother, you should know that many powerful officials in history have been defeated by their private affairs. They were unable to defeat their opponents and were eventually brought down by their political enemies. In the previous dynasty, there was a minister who had more than 200 people in his family, and he killed everyone. Second brother, think about everyone."
Fourth Master: "Even if Second Brother wants to avenge Auntie, he should think twice before acting. If word gets out about you doing this, it won't be good to hear."
She thought that Mu Ziqing was unlucky, but it turned out that her grandfather was behind the scenes?
Or for her?
Jasmine didn't dare to think about it any further.
In the guest hall, the Duke stood at attention, his face solemn, and said, "Everyone is mistaken. Mu Yaozhi is an unjust official who only knows how to gain personal benefits. I, the Duke, am investigating him for the public good, not for personal gain."
The Duke's gaze lingered on the faces of the First and Fourth Masters, and he added in a deep voice, "It just so happened that Auntie was involved. If the First or Fourth Brother had committed a crime today, I would have killed them for the sake of justice."
The Fourth Young Master's wife asked lightly, "What if Auntie committed a crime?"
The Duke was so distracted he said, "Of course we'll do it according to the rules."
Jasmine quietly returned to the yard.
Shan Cha curled her lips upon hearing the Duke's words and said, "The Duke is so disheartening. What if my concubine has been framed? If he hasn't found out, does he still have to follow the rules?"
"If the Duke had just said, 'Yes, I did it for my concubine,' that would have been scary. We should be content." Jasmine said to Shancha righteously.
Auntie said so. Shancha could only nod obediently.
That night, my aunt fell ill.
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