Chapter 19 Chapter 19 "Are you angry with me? ...
Since the Fourth Young Master's wife was sitting in the carriage, it was inconvenient for the Duke to enter. The Duke rode back to the palace along with the carriage.
The journey back home wasn't very far, but the Duke felt it was incredibly long. The sky was still filled with sunset clouds overhead, yet it felt strangely melancholy, like an autumn evening breeze.
The Duke looked at the carriage curtain. He knew his concubine was sitting right there, and if he just lifted the curtain, they would be able to see each other from afar.
But the curtain was not lifted even once until he arrived at the mansion and got off the carriage.
The Duke handed his horse to the doorman and left his post, not caring about his concubines or the gifts for the Luo family girl. He strode away with his head down.
Jasmine came out, thinking that the Duke was waiting for her, but he wasn't.
Jasmine didn't mind either.
Seeing the doorman moving the things that the Duke was going to send to Mrs. Luo tomorrow, she reminded him, "The Duke will need these things tomorrow. Please be careful with them."
The doorman said, "Don't worry, Auntie. I know what's going on. I'll also send someone to keep watch."
Jasmine nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."
Jasmine remembered and hurriedly took out a small bag of silver from her sleeve and gave it to the steward: "It's late at night and the weather is cold. This is for warming up the wine for everyone. Steward, you must accept it."
The doorman accepted it and said, "Thank you, Auntie."
The Fourth Young Master's wife looked at her, her eyes filled with deep confusion. She remained silent until she entered the mansion.
...
The Duke waited for a long time but no one came, so he sent someone to investigate.
Seeing Xiuhong running back breathlessly, the Duke was annoyed by her delay and asked urgently, "Where is my aunt?"
Xiuhong panted and reported: "Auntie...she is watching the gatekeeper move things."
The Duke: "What do you think?"
Xiuhong: "I didn't ask, but I saw Auntie give some money to the doorman. From what Auntie said, it seems that she asked the doorman to be careful when moving things, as if the things being moved are particularly important."
The Duke just stood in the courtyard with a wooden face.
The Duke did not let her go, so Xiuhong did not dare to leave. Seeing the figure of her aunt, Xiuhong felt that she had come to her rescue and said happily: "Look, Duke, my aunt is back!"
The Duke still had a solemn expression on his face and said nothing.
Xiuhong was sure that she had not offended the Duke, so it must be her concubine who offended the Duke.
Xiuhong stood behind Grandpa and played guessing games with Jasmine.
It wasn't until Xiuhong made a face for the third time that Jasmine finally understood what she meant.
Jasmine blinked twice at Xiuhong, indicating that she understood what was going on.
Jasmine stood in front of the master, put her face close to the master, then squinted her eyes and curved her lips into a smile.
Aunt Jasmine's facial features are somewhat unremarkable, but when she smiles, her eyebrows and eyes are curved, which makes her particularly bright and charming.
Xiuhong was stunned.
The Duke was frightened by the huge smiling face.
"What are you laughing at?"
The Duke was not amused by her. He said three words and turned back to his room.
Jasmine followed him and decided to keep trying.
"Let me help you bathe."
The concubine is as well-behaved and sensible as before. The Duke used to be most satisfied with her for this reason, but now, the Duke is unhappy.
But the Duke did not want to admit that it was what His Majesty said.
The Duke looked at the concubine, as if trying to find a flaw in her face. But when the concubine looked back at him, there were stars in her eyes. He had seen the Concubine look at His Majesty in the same way.
The Duke watched for a long time before finally noticing the difference. The Imperial Concubine's gaze was always different, like the stars and the blazing fire, but his concubines always seemed to look at him the same way.
Just like the ceramic dolls displayed on the display cabinet of Concubine Liang's clothing store.
The Duke's eyes were gloomy and he lowered his gaze.
Jasmine was terrified. She guessed that her grandfather would come back and settle the score with her for leaving the house without permission. Along the way, she had already thought about how to appease her grandfather.
She had originally thought that since he was alright when she was out, she would be able to coax him back home. But she didn't expect that she had made a mistake.
Jasmine asked softly, "Master, are you angry with me?"
The Duke was embarrassed and denied it: "No."
If this isn't anger, what is it? Jasmine didn't expect the Duke to deny it.
Jasmine thought again, how could the Duke deny such a small matter.
Could it be that he was angry that she misunderstood him as angry?
Yes, it must be. She was too obvious just now.
This master must be thinking at this moment, how could this concubine misunderstand him so much! What does she think of this prince?
After thinking it through, Jasmine said, "Yes! I was just saying I misunderstood. Our master is so generous and kind. I just went out for a small trip, so how could he be angry?"
The Duke had never realized as clearly as he did now that she was trying hard to please him.
The Duke felt that the smiling face before him was too dazzling. He stood up and said, "I'm going to take a shower. You don't need to serve me today."
Jasmine stood there in panic. It was over. Was she going to be kicked out before the mistress even entered the house?
The Duke, bathing alone, was filled with thoughts. In the past, he only had to worry about the war, but since he had a concubine, he realized that his worries had increased.
And it's out of his control. He can't solve it yet.
Dealing with women is harder than fighting a war.
While the Duke was bathing, Jasmine was reflecting on herself. When the Duke said he didn't need her to serve him, was he trying to get rid of her?
But if she really had to leave, she might never come back to this main courtyard. Her good days would be gone.
For the sake of having good food and warm clothes, what does it matter if you are thick-skinned? Jasmine then went to take a shower, and soon returned, grabbed a quilt and rolled into the inner bed, pretending to sleep.
Sensing someone approaching, Jasmine continued to play dead.
When the Duke sat down in front of the bed and his hand was about to touch her shoulder, Jasmine turned over.
"I carried the quilt out. If the master is not happy, the servant will sleep on it. If the master is happy, the servant will put the quilt away."
After a while, the Duke finally said, "Okay."
The Duke thought to himself, why would he be so conflicted?
Isn't it good for a concubine to be well-behaved? Does it mean she has to be like the imperial concubine, causing unrest in the surrounding area to be considered good?
The Duke doesn't think there is anything wrong with him. The problem must be with His Majesty.
The Duke, who had finally figured it out, sighed, turned off the lights, and went to bed. Afraid his concubine would overthink things, he said, "I was wrong just now. Did I scare you?"
In the dim light, a woman's clear and graceful voice came: "No. If you had scared me, I would have run back to the side yard."
The Duke: "That's good."
After a while, just when Jasmine thought her master would stop talking, she suddenly heard him speak again: "My master was inconsiderate before. If you want to go out in the future, you can go ahead. The backyard of the Duke's Mansion is not a cage. The most important thing is that you do what makes you happy."
He lets her do what makes her happy?
Jasmine's eyes were slightly moist, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up. Afraid of being heard, she only replied, "Okay."
...
Four rooms in the west courtyard.
"Today I was afraid that His Majesty would find out. Although I had expected it, I was still frightened when His Majesty was here."
The Fourth Young Master's wife covered her heart with her hands, finished speaking, and waited for the Fourth Master to comfort her.
Unexpectedly, the Fourth Master didn't even look at her: "Don't worry, His Majesty has no evidence. You were just shopping and came to see me, but you didn't come to His Majesty. They showed up on their own initiative, so they can't suspect us."
The Fourth Young Master's wife put down her hand awkwardly. "But today, thanks to His Majesty's encouragement, I was originally thinking about how to get His Majesty to see it, but I never thought His Majesty would stay and even see that Jasmine and the Duke have a special relationship. It was just one step away."
The Fourth Young Master's wife was extremely disappointed. "I didn't expect her to have no reaction at all. Not only no reaction, but she was also very enthusiastic. It seems that she is even more anxious for the Luo family's daughter to marry into the family than the Duke."
"You're not pretending?"
The Fourth Young Master's wife shook her head. "Not likely. I've repeatedly probed her both inside and outside the mansion, and she really seems to only see herself as a servant."
Fourth Master: "It doesn't matter what the concubine is like. What matters is the Duke. As long as our Duke is extraordinary, that's all that matters."
The Fourth Young Master's wife said, "But Jasmine won't cooperate. How can we get the Duke to do something out of line?"
The Fourth Master pondered and said, "Since this trick has failed, we can try another approach. If all else fails, we can only wait for the Luo family girl to marry in. If the Luo family girl harms the concubine, the Duke can just make a move on her, and that would be our leverage."
After the Fourth Master finished speaking, he raised the corners of his lips with a look of determination.
The Fourth Young Master's wife asked, "What if the daughter of the Luo family is a pushover?"
"Impossible," the Fourth Master said firmly. "If the daughter of the Luo family was a pushover, how could they have approached and ingratiated themselves with the old lady without her knowledge, without the knowledge of Lord Luo? And they succeeded. It's clear that the daughter of the Luo family is no pushover. How could the daughter of the Luo family tolerate the Duke having a concubine by his side?"
The Fourth Young Master's wife was still worried: "But what if the Duke doesn't fall for it?"
"It's really hard to say," the Fourth Master said with a gloomy face. "If it were the First and Second Masters, I'd be confident. It seems the Duke dotes on his concubine, but who knows if he's just trying to satisfy his needs and would be willing to replace any woman? For now, we can only hope the Duke isn't as serious as he appears."
The Fourth Young Master's wife said without hesitation: "The Duke is not someone who will be seduced by beauty."
It sounded like the Fourth Young Lady was speaking for the Duke, but the Fourth Master knew she was taking the opportunity to mock him.
The Fourth Master was furious: "How do you know? Is it me who knows him, or you, a woman in the backyard who has only met him a few times?"
The Fourth Young Master's wife was furious. She glared at the Fourth Master and said, "Of course the Duke is different from the Fourth Master. You can tell from the rumors. The Duke is a skilled warrior. If it weren't for his own strong endurance, how could he have been controlled by the old Duke for over a decade? Even after being sent to guard the border, he remained chaste and even issued a strict order for his soldiers not to visit prostitutes or keep other women."
There are some things that the Fourth Young Master’s wife knows she shouldn’t say, but she can’t bear it!
"But what about the Fourth Master? He already had a concubine in his room long ago. No wonder the old Duke, despite being the legitimate son, only personally nurtured the Duke and ignored the Fourth Master! How can the Fourth Master compare to the Duke?"
The Fourth Master hated being compared to the Duke the most in his life. And now that the person criticizing him was his own wife, the Fourth Master couldn't stand it.
In a rage, he raised his hand and slapped him.
The Fourth Young Master's wife's hair was even tangled up in the beating. She stared at the Fourth Master in disbelief: "You dare to hit me?"
The Fourth Master said fiercely, "What's wrong with hitting you? Do you still think you're the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Personnel? Don't forget that your father-in-law has stepped down a long time ago!"
The Fourth Young Master's wife said, "But my father was the Minister of Personnel who served two dynasties! He was just ill, so he asked His Majesty to resign and return home to recuperate."
"Bullshit! Did you really think you could hide this from me?" Thinking of being deceived, the Fourth Master became even more ruthless. "Wu Mingle, you're so cruel! I've fallen into your hands. You've deceived me for so many years! If someone hadn't reminded me, I still wouldn't know. Wu Ziyong didn't ask to go home voluntarily. He offended His Majesty and was expelled! I actually married you. I'm afraid my future career is over."
The Fourth Young Master's wife burst into tears and clutched the Fourth Master's clothes: "In order to marry you, I ignored my mother's objections. Who would have thought that after only a year, I'm not as good as my second sister who is imprisoned in the Second Prince's mansion!"
The Fourth Master shook her off, but the Fourth Young Master's wife tugged at his sleeve again, "Let me ask you, when you insisted on marrying me, were those words you said true or false?"
Having said that, what else could the Fourth Master not say? "Of course I'm telling the truth. To earn my father-in-law's support, how could I dare lie? Who knew your Wu family was such a hot potato, waiting to be taken over by the Duke's Mansion? Don't glare at me like I've betrayed you, I'm a beast. Wu Mingle, ask yourself, what was your intention in lying to me and insisting on marrying me? How sincere are you?"
The fourth young master's wife knelt on the ground, sobbing and no longer making any sound.
The Fourth Master straightened his clothes, looked down at the Fourth Young Master's wife and said, "No matter what, you are still my legitimate wife. As long as you stay out of my business and cooperate with me, I won't make things difficult for you."
After the Fourth Master finished speaking, he turned around and strode away.
In the middle of the night, a cool breeze blew in from the wide-open door, but the Fourth Young Master's wife did not dare to sob anymore and got up very quickly.
As long as she stayed in the Duke's Mansion, she would still be the respectable Fourth Young Master's wife and would never lose face for a single day.
...
Jasmine slept through the night, so she got up early to help the Duke change his clothes.
Hanging on the hanger were the clothes the Duke would wear today. Jasmine turned to take them, but her outstretched hand paused.
This red dress with dark patterns was worn by the Duke on the day of the banquet to welcome his concubine.
Is the Duke planning to wear this when he goes to the Luo family?
"Master, I'm sorry..."
When the Duke heard the noise, he turned around and saw his concubine standing beside the clothes rack in panic, holding the clothes.
The Duke noticed that the clothes in her hand were wet at one corner. It was obvious that she had accidentally dropped the clothes into the basin.
"This servant didn't mean to do that..."
This was a bit of a cover-up. Jasmine was afraid he would really doubt her.
But she really didn't mean to do that. She did think about sabotaging it, but it was just a fleeting thought.
Unexpectedly, when she took off the clothes, she didn't notice that the waist belt fell into the water. When she went to fish out the waist belt, a corner of the clothes got in again.
The Duke said gently, "Nothing, just let it dry out."
Jasmine: "But Master has to go to the Luo family today. It's my fault for not being careful enough to cause trouble to Master so early in the morning."
Duke: "The clothes I want to wear today are in the closet."
Jasmine was stunned when she heard this.
The Duke looked at her in confusion.
Jasmine hurried to the cabinet, opened the door, and saw a round-necked robe with a blue background and gray edges placed at the outermost corner.
Jasmine could reach it with just one hand.
"Have a safe trip, sir."
"Um."
Jasmine escorted the people out of the main courtyard.
When I returned to the dormitory and wanted to take the wet clothes out to dry, I saw Shancha coming out with clothes in her arms.
Jasmine asked in confusion, "How did you get this dress out?"
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