Chapter 54 Chapter 54 "That's just a concubine!"...
The Duke first sent his concubine back to the mansion, and then escorted Madam Duan's carriage to the Shangshu Mansion.
The Shangshu Mansion heard in advance that the Duke had found Madam Duan, and everyone, including the old Shangshu, was eagerly waiting in the front yard's guest hall.
When Mrs. Lu heard the report, she was the first to rush out of the courtyard, regardless of the rain of stones falling on her head. However, she remembered that there were many eyes and ears at the door, so she stopped in time.
Seeing Duan Zhi, wearing a cloak, enter the gate, and the door quickly closed, Lu went forward to hug her: "Zhi'er!"
"Mom. I'm fine."
The women of the Shangshu Mansion hugged each other, and then Duan Zhi was surrounded by her mother and sister-in-law and returned to the backyard.
The Duke was talking with the old minister and the eldest master of the Duan family in the guest hall.
The Duke didn't know much. He didn't stay long at the inn, and he didn't ask Madam Duan about her journey. He did, however, hear Madam Duan chattering about some of the details along the way.
The Duke did not tell his concubine what she said, but Madam Duan would tell her family about it after all.
He only mentioned where to find Madam Duan. A total of four criminals were captured. He would send the criminals to Jingzhao Prison for trial, and then Jingzhao Prison would give justice to Madam Duan.
"This..." The Duan family's uncle wanted to suggest that they handle it themselves. How could they let outsiders know about the accident of their Shangshu's wife?
As a result, Uncle Duan had only said one word when he was stopped by a sharp look from the old minister.
Uncle Duan has always been afraid of his father, and he retracted the half foot he had already stepped out.
The old minister bowed and said, "Thank you, Duke, for your righteousness. You must be tired, so go back and rest. As for the rest, we will discuss how to resolve it together tomorrow."
The Duke originally wanted to mention the incident where his concubine was slapped by Madam Duan, but after hearing what the old minister said, the Duke decided to give the old minister this face.
The Duke nodded, returned the greeting, and then turned and strode away.
A servant from the Shangshu Mansion wanted to hold an umbrella for the Duke, but he couldn't keep up with the Duke's pace. He could only stand there helplessly and see him off.
The old minister gestured to a maid: "Go and see how the lady is doing."
The maid took the order and went forward.
Duan Zhi was washing up with the help of Lu and her sister-in-law Qiu. Duan Zhi said she had not been bullied, but Lu and Qiu did not believe her.
When they found nothing unusual except for the traces of ropes on the wrists and ankles, Mrs. Lu and Mrs. Qiu looked at each other, their brows lit with joy.
It’s really okay!
Duan Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the joy on her mother and sister-in-law's faces. Normally, she didn't like being helped with bathing, but today she had deliberately left her mother, sister-in-law, and a few maids behind to help.
Lu had not dared to ask at first, but now she had no scruples.
Duan Zhi went out to buy some things. She saw two little beggars and felt sorry for them. The little beggars insisted on pulling her along, begging her to save their dying mother. Duan Zhi had no choice but to follow them.
"The little beggar said her home was in Yuanguang Temple, and I didn't doubt it. I asked the driver to drive the carriage there. When we reached an alley, the carriage couldn't go in, so I asked the driver to wait. But when we arrived at the little beggar's home, there were more than a dozen beggars waiting for me."
Qiu covered her mouth and asked fearfully, "Then...did those beggars...did they..."
Duan Zhi knew what she was going to say and said, "No. Those are all female beggars."
Lu and Qiu breathed a sigh of relief.
Duan Zhi continued, "That day, they didn't release me until late at night."
After saying "let go", Duan Zhi suddenly stopped talking.
Mrs. Lu and the other two were waiting for her. Mrs. Lu asked anxiously, "What happens after you release her?"
Duan Zhi paused for a moment before saying, "Then my daughter was kidnapped again. She suspected they were a gang."
"How do you say that?"
Just then, the maid's voice came from outside the door.
"Young Madam, Madam, the Master came to ask if you are feeling better."
Duan Zhi and Lu said, "Mom, Grandpa must be worried, let's go out."
The guest hall in the backyard of the Shangshu Mansion.
Duan Zhizhong recounted the story of how she was kidnapped. The old minister and Mrs. Lu were equally puzzled: "If you were a group of people, why did those beggars let you go? What was their intention in sending someone else to kidnap you?"
Duan Zhi had already thought of what she was going to say: "Could it be that the person behind the scenes is afraid that we will guess it's her, so they are deliberately confusing us?"
Minister Duan was quick-witted. He knew his granddaughter was intelligent, so he asked, "Who do you think it is?"
Duan Zhi said without hesitation: "Duke's Concubine."
If it were anyone else, Minister Duan would definitely not believe it. But Duan Zhi had been intelligent and calculating since she was young, and her words and actions were more prudent and appropriate than her parents.
Minister Duan didn't say he didn't believe her, he just asked, "What evidence do you have?"
Duan Zhi shook her head: "Granddaughter has no evidence. But Auntie found her today and was kidnapped along with her."
"There's no silver here!" Minister Duan understood what he meant and slammed his palm on the table. "I thought the old Duke's wife was not a kind person, but the Duke's Mansion actually has a vicious concubine!"
Everyone else in the room was a little confused, only Duan Zhi and Shangshu Duan were communicating clearly.
Duan Zhi: "Granddaughter and Grandpa have the same idea. The Duke's Mansion, the Shangshu Mansion, and even His Majesty's guards have all been unable to find Granddaughter, so how could it be such a coincidence that Auntie found her? When she saw Granddaughter being kidnapped, she didn't run away. She even told the four bandits that she would leave on her own and not to kidnap her, so they really didn't kidnap her. It was also because of her words that the bandits didn't leave the city. Even more coincidental, the Duke of Guo came over just as the bandits brought us to the inn. Granddaughter suspects that everything was planned by Auntie."
Minister Duan nodded and said, "Don't worry, this is easy to handle. As long as we find evidence, I believe Duke Yan will definitely deal with the concubine."
Duan Zhi: "Grandpa, the Duke seems to be very fond of that concubine. I couldn't help but tell him all this before. I thought that even if he didn't believe it, he would definitely help me find out the truth. But I didn't expect him to side with the concubine. I couldn't help but slap her, and the Duke was furious."
"What?!" This made Minister Duan extremely surprised. "Are you talking about Yan Ke?"
In Minister Duan's heart, Duke Yan is just and upright. He is not only a talented general, but also a rare honest person.
In particular, no one dared to say anything bad about His Majesty, but as soon as Duke Yan came back, he pointed at His Majesty's nose and scolded him.
Minister Duan could not imagine that such a man would do this for a concubine. Minister Duan did not think his granddaughter would lie, so she must have made a mistake.
After Duan Zhi said it was the Duke, Minister Duan waved his hand and said, "You must have misunderstood. Duke Yan is not that kind of person."
Duan Zhi heard Grandpa say this and didn't insist any more: "Grandpa is right. But what are you going to do about this?"
Minister Duan: "You've been frightened. Rest well. I'll leave this matter to you, Grandpa."
Duan Zhi nodded and couldn't help asking, "Since my granddaughter was robbed this time, will her marriage with the Duke be discussed separately?"
Minister Duan remained silent for a moment, his expression solemn as he gazed at Duan Zhi. He spoke slowly, "You are intelligent, and I will not hide anything from you. News of your abduction has spread throughout the capital. Not to mention the Duke's Mansion, I'm afraid His Majesty won't be able to handle it either. Zhi'er, rest assured. Not only will I seek justice for you, but I will also find you a suitable match."
"What's going on with Your Majesty?" Duan Zhi asked excitedly.
"The reason why His Majesty granted the marriage is to ask Duke Yan to correct the custom of officials and common people favoring concubines over wives. This marriage must be flawless. Although you are fine, no one outside will believe it even if you explain it again." Duan Shang finally noticed something was wrong and looked at Duan Zhi with confusion.
Before Shangshu Duan could ask, Duan Zhi said bluntly, "But my granddaughter wants to marry the Duke. Please help her plan."
Minister Duan was shocked again.
...
Jasmine was already waiting. Xiuhong came running in breathlessly to report that the Duke had come in. Jasmine quickly sent someone to prepare hot water.
Then he went to look after the ginger tea on the stove.
When the Duke entered the main courtyard, he didn't see the concubine. He simply assumed she had gone to bed. It was perfectly normal for a delicate woman to be frightened and come back in the rain.
Just as the Duke entered the house, his concubine came out of the side room like the wind, holding a bowl in her hand: "Master, drink some ginger tea quickly."
My aunt's fingers pinched the edge of the bowl, sometimes lifting one finger and sometimes lifting the other, which shows how hot the tea bowl was.
The Duke reached out and took it: "Why don't you take the tray?"
Jasmine rubbed her face with her fingers. "I was so anxious that I forgot. Drink it quickly, Master. Drink the ginger soup while it's hot."
The Duke picked up the bowl and put it to his mouth, but was almost scared by his concubine and dropped the bowl.
The Duke snatched his belt back from his aunt's hand: "What for?"
Jasmine: "My clothes are all wet. Master, please drink some ginger tea. I will help you change your clothes."
The worry in the concubine's eyes seemed to the Duke quite out of place. But what was the big deal about getting caught in the rain?
But he had no reason to refuse. His aunt urged him again: "Sir, don't just stand there, drink the ginger tea first."
As she spoke, the concubine anxiously pushed the bowl in his hand. The Duke had no choice but to put it to his lips and drink.
Taking advantage of this, the concubine untied his belt again. When the Duke finished drinking, his upper body had been stripped naked by the concubine. The concubine was staring at his belt.
At this time, there were no other servants in the room. The Duke did not like to be waited on by servants, and with his concubine behind him, he needed even less.
The Duke compromised.
The stripped Duke then returned to the bedroom at the aunt's instruction. Steam was rising from the bathtub.
The Duke was leaning against the bathtub, and his concubine was combing his hair behind him.
"Why is Auntie in that inn today?"
Jasmine combed her grandfather's rough hair, made soap with water, and applied it on his hair, massaging it gently.
She kept moving her hands and said, "I saw that it was going to rain, and the old lady said that the master must not have had time to eat. I said goodbye to the old lady and went out to look for the master. When I went to the East City, it happened to rain heavily, and I had to find a place to take shelter. Who would have thought that by such a coincidence, I would run into Madam Duan who was being bullied..."
"You said that on the way."
Jasmine knew she had said it, but since he asked again, of course she had to say it again.
Jasmine didn't understand what her grandfather meant. She tilted her head and leaned forward to look at her grandfather's face. "So what do you want to ask?"
For fear of frightening his aunt, the Duke wanted to ask in a tactful way, but he didn't quite understand how to be "tactful".
The Duke gave up and decided to speak directly to the concubine. To scare her, it would also be a lesson. He told her that she was so bold as to go to East City by herself with only Shancha.
The Duke's voice was two degrees deeper than before. "What I want to ask is, if I hadn't come, how would Auntie deal with those four people? Would she rely on selling her body to save her life?"
Thinking that he would be late, thinking that he hadn't noticed the socks and had missed them, the Duke's chest heaved, and he turned his head to look without listening to his aunt's words.
Then he said in a deep voice, "Don't forget your status. Now that you've entered the Duke's Mansion, you shouldn't be flirting with other men... or saying such shameless things. Do you hear me?"
The Duke was extremely sad.
Jasmine nodded obediently under her master's stern scrutiny, "I hear you. Even if it means death, this servant will never do that."
My aunt was smiling just now, but now her face is drooping and her eyes are downcast. Is she really scared?
The Duke turned away, feeling annoyed. "My aunt was just trying to save her own life. What was she doing wrong?"
Why would he need to scare her?
The Duke knew that he was wrong, but whenever he thought of his aunt smiling sweetly and leaning into another man's arms, feeding him wine, he couldn't help but feel angry.
Auntie still didn't say anything. She might have started to cry.
The Duke closed his eyes, feeling even more suffocated. Ultimately, it was he who failed to protect her. How could he blame her?
"Jiang'er, I'm sorry for you."
The Duke has never cared much about his reputation and will admit his mistakes as soon as he knows they are wrong.
Before the Duke could turn around, someone had already grabbed his neck.
His aunt hugged his neck from behind. He could feel her soft cheek against his neck and her slightly prickly hair.
"I won't do that next time."
"It's not Jiao'er's fault. It's because I didn't protect Jiao'er well. I don't know why I was so mean to you just now. Please don't mind it."
Jasmine couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips. What else could it be? It was just that her grandfather was jealous.
Of course I couldn't stand seeing her being intimate with another man.
Jasmine asked, "If Madam Duan were to act coquettishly and shamelessly, would I be angry with her?"
The Duke has never thought about this problem.
The Duke's mind suddenly flashed back to what His Majesty had been nagging at him: "Humph, the Imperial Concubine is becoming increasingly unruly. She actually asked me if I'd feel bad if the Empress fell. I didn't agree with her. I said I'd feel bad, but she had the audacity to make a scene with me for three days!"
The Duke didn't understand why his aunt asked this.
But now that he has thought of it, he must answer it carefully.
What Auntie asked wasn't a good thing. Then...
The Duke said seriously, "It will be fierce."
The concubine remained silent for a long while. The Duke thought about it and decided that he was not wrong, so he felt relieved.
He treats everyone equally, without any bias! Auntie must be very happy.
Yes. Madam Duan was his future wife. How could he remain indifferent?
Jasmine regretted asking, but she had already asked, and got the answer she least wanted to hear.
Jasmine really wanted to ask him again, who did he care about more?
But she didn't dare.
She could only tighten her arms and try to embed this man into her bones and blood.
Of course, the concubine's strength was not strong enough. The Duke was curious about what happened to the concubine. Could it be that she was too happy?
After a while, when the concubine bit the flesh on his neck, the Duke was sure that the concubine was really happy.
Look, how proactive my aunt is.
"Wait, stubborn."
The concubine refused to let go. The Duke had no choice but to dry himself hastily, pick up the concubine who was clinging to him, and get into bed.
He hadn't slept all day and all night, but the Duke was still very excited. He could satisfy whatever his concubine wanted.
...
The old lady was concerned about the Duke's health and was afraid that he would catch a cold, so she let him go without asking any questions.
As a result, I didn't see him again until the next day.
The Duke was dressed in a crimson-purple court robe and strode towards them holding a wide-legged official hat.
The old lady didn't see anyone last night, and thought she must talk to him this morning before he went to court.
"Good morning, Mom. Why are you up so early?"
The sun had not yet risen, and the dew felt refreshing on my body.
The old lady had no time to say anything else to him. She said earnestly, "Erlang, when you go to court today, you must ask His Majesty to cancel the engagement. I'm sure His Majesty will agree."
The Duke frowned: "Why, mother?"
The old lady said: "It's not that mother can't bear to see the Duan family's daughter marry into the family, but people's words are scary. The reputation of our mansion cannot be ruined. Moreover, Erlang is the head of the mansion. How can he marry a wife with such a bad reputation?"
The Duke hadn't thought of that. He explained, "Madam Duan wasn't insulted."
The old lady said, "Even so. But how can anyone outside believe it? If the Duan family's wife were to marry into the family, the Duke's Mansion, which has been built up for many years, would be ruined."
The Duke felt that the old lady's words were completely wrong. He added, "Mother, let's not talk about Madam Duan being humiliated. Even if she was, how could the Duke's Mansion step on her at this moment? Since I have already agreed to marry her, I should never leave her and protect her."
These words left the old lady speechless.
"You..." The old lady wanted to say a few more words, but unfortunately it was late and the Duke was in a hurry to attend court.
The Duke bowed and said, "I'll talk to my mother in detail when I get back." Then he turned and walked quickly towards the door.
When Jasmine heard the old lady calling her over, she quickly got up from the bed, packed up quickly and went there.
The old lady and the eldest young lady's wife were both there, but the fourth young lady's wife, who usually had the closest contact with the old lady, was not there.
Jasmine didn't think much about it and went forward to pay her respects.
Today was another day when the old lady was kind to her. She even asked her to sit next to her.
Jasmine stepped forward, flattered.
"I wonder what the old lady wants from me?"
The old lady was clearly in no mood to argue with her, so she asked bluntly, "Moli, why don't you try to persuade your own husband? If the Duan family's wife marries into the Duke's Mansion, it will become a laughing stock. It won't be good for you, the concubine, either, will it?"
Jasmine heard a lot from this. Her mind worked quickly, and she replied with a wry smile, "Old Madam, you think too highly of me. I'm just a concubine, how can I make decisions for you, Master? I dare not."
"You still don't dare?" The old lady said angrily, "Don't think I don't know, you are a black-hearted girl."
The old lady continued, "You want to please Madam Duan, but have you ever considered that the Duan family is deeply displeased with you? Even if you ripped out your heart and gave it to them, the mother and daughter would probably just throw it to the ground and step on it. What you should be thinking about now is convincing the Duke not to let Madam Duan marry into the family!"
Jasmine shook her head in panic, "I really don't dare. Last night, I went out on my own initiative and was scolded by the master. I really don't dare."
Jasmine looked at the old lady and asked doubtfully, "The Duke has always been filial to the old lady. I'm sure if the old lady asks, the Duke will definitely agree."
"Hmph. What promises do you have?" The old lady looked even more angry.
Jasmine's heart sank. Her grandfather refused to break off the engagement. Even the old lady was rejected by him.
Jasmine couldn't help but recall the day at the Grand Princess's residence when the Duke looked at Madam Duan in bewilderment.
He likes Madam Duan.
So, even if it was like this, he would not agree. He did not want to disappoint Madam Duan.
"Jasmine, Jasmine? Did you hear what I said?"
Jasmine, of course, didn't hear the old lady's next words. But she knew how to play the good girl, so she nodded immediately, "I understand. I obey the old lady."
The old lady nodded with satisfaction: "Then let's go. Just do it in the evening."
"Yes." Jasmine bowed and stepped back.
After the concubine left, the eldest young lady asked uncertainly, "Mother, do you think the Duke will fall for this? He is not the Fourth Master, let alone the First Master."
The old lady sighed, "Let's try our best. I can't let the old Duke down. If a daughter of the Duan family marries me, others won't say anything about her. They'll just say I'm a useless stepmother for allowing such a decrepit woman to marry me."
The eldest young lady's wife said, "Don't worry, mother. Perhaps His Majesty will take the initiative to cancel the engagement."
Old Lady: “I hope so.”
...
Daming Hall.
After all, it was a private matter between the two families. After His Majesty left the court, he summoned Minister Duan and Duke Yan to the Daming Hall to talk.
His Majesty looked at Minister Duan and asked, "Is Madam Duan all right?"
Minister Duan naturally expressed that everything was fine. He then added, "Thanks to your Majesty for your concern. Fortunately, the Duke arrived in time, and my granddaughter was not harmed by the villain. This saved my daughter's reputation. She was only frightened, but she's fine."
Minister Duan said this, and bowed to the Duke beside him, "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Duke."
The Duke immediately reached out to support the old minister, saying, "Your Excellency, there is no need to do this."
His Majesty nodded and said, "I'm glad you're alright." His Majesty then looked at Duke Yan and asked, "Duke Yan, do you have anything to say?"
It was clearly His Majesty who kept him here, so why was he asked? The Duke said bluntly, "I have nothing to say."
His Majesty had no choice but to get straight to the point: "It was I who arranged the marriage between your two families. I never expected Madam Duan to encounter such a situation, and I know she has been wronged. But if I remain silent, I fear I would be doing a disservice to Old Duke Yan. I cannot allow Old Duke Yan, in his grave, to be humiliated. Therefore, the marriage between our two families is cancelled. Does Minister Duan have any objections?"
Minister Duan originally didn't dare to object. But when his granddaughter said she only wanted to marry Duke Yan, Minister Duan couldn't just accept her no matter what.
Minister Duan was just about to speak, trying to use his eloquence to get His Majesty to revoke his order.
Unexpectedly, Duke Yan was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, please revoke your order. Madam Duan has done nothing wrong. If her engagement is broken off just because of today, how will she live in the future? The Duke's Mansion will be humiliated if they really break off the engagement."
These words brought Shangshu Duan to tears. Duke Yan was worthy of being Duke Yan! Well done to Duke Yan! He hadn't misjudged him!
His Majesty frowned and spoke word by word, "How dare you disobey me."
Duke Yan and Minister Duan knelt down together to plead guilty.
Duke Yan's marriage must satisfy everyone in Daqi. Only in this way can he set an example and stop the unhealthy trend of favoring concubines over wives.
Your Majesty originally thought that Duke Yan certainly didn't want to either, after all, which man would be willing to marry a woman with a bad reputation.
I didn't expect the Duke to say this.
His Majesty was silent for a long moment. After another moment, His Majesty said, "Get up. Since you are willing to be beaten, I will not be the evildoer. Go back."
"I'll take my leave."
"I will take my leave."
After exiting the palace gate, Minister Duan, who was walking in front, suddenly turned around, stretched out his palms and patted the Duke's arm, saying with emotion: "The Duke is righteous. With the Duke's words just now, this old man can also hand Zhi'er over to the Duke's Mansion with peace of mind."
The Duke bowed and said, "There's no need for this, old minister. This is all due to Zifu. The wedding date remains the same. I'll leave it to you, old minister, to make the final decision."
"Your Excellency, please speak frankly."
"On the day we rescued Madam Duan, she struck my concubine for no apparent reason, and she has yet to apologize. Please, old minister, convey to Madam Duan that she should choose a day when she has recovered and come to apologize in person to my concubine."
Upon hearing this, Minister Duan's passion suddenly cooled down.
"Does the Duke know why Zhi'er hit your concubine?"
The Duke said loudly, "If there's a reason, Madam Duan should have stated it clearly. How could she just hit someone without saying anything? Since she did hit someone, she was wrong."
Every word the Duke said was full of wisdom, leaving Minister Duan speechless for a moment.
Glancing towards the palace gate, they saw three or two ministers still lingering nearby, glancing at them from time to time.
Minister Duan had no choice but to lower his tone and consult with the Duke, "Duke, may I have a moment with you?"
The Duke said frankly, his hands behind his back, "Old Minister, there's no need to be so secretive. It's not appropriate for others to see this."
Compared to the Duke, especially since he was a head shorter than the Duke, Minister Duan himself felt quite insignificant.
He straightened up, his face filled with wisdom, and said, "Since that's the case, let's talk it out here. I suspect that the Duke's concubine bribed the thieves to harm Zhi'er."
The Duke looked at Minister Duan with a cold face, as if he couldn't believe that such illogical words came out of his old minister's mouth.
Minister Duan said earnestly, "Originally, I planned to find solid evidence before contacting the Duke, but the Duke is upright and I trust him. I'll have it all out today, and I hope the Duke and I will..."
"Old Minister, are you saying that you haven't found any evidence yet?"
Minister Duan was slightly displeased when his words were interrupted, and nodded: "Indeed. But..."
"Without any evidence, how can the Minister slander my concubine?" The Duke was truly enraged. "I never thought that Minister Duan, who prides himself on being upright and honest, would attempt to bend the law for personal gain. If there is evidence, Yan Ke will wait for the Minister to come. Otherwise, don't even mention this again."
Minister Duan stared with his eyes wide open and his mouth open as he watched the Duke stride away, and then watched the Duke's back turn around.
The Duke walked back to the old minister and said, "Mrs. Duan is guilty of insulting and beating my concubine, and the old minister is guilty of slandering my concubine. I will punish both of them together. I will be waiting for you both in the mansion."
As the Duke turned and walked away, Minister Duan finally roared, his beard trembling, "She's just a concubine!"
The Duke stopped and turned back with a solemn expression: "I am also a human being. Even if Your Majesty has done something wrong, you must apologize to the people."
How could the old minister dare to respond to this?
The adults who were quietly watching the quarrel between the two powerful ministers were watching a thrilling show.
The common people who had also stopped to watch were all trembling in their hearts. What a good Duke! He actually said that these barefoot commoners were just as important as His Majesty.
Amidst the happy, excited, and admiring gazes of the common people, the Duke strode to his horse, mounted it, and left with his entourage in a swift and elegant manner.
The news of the two bosses quarreling in front of the palace gate spread throughout the imperial city in no time.
Some people were surprised and asked, "How could the Duke offend the old minister for a concubine?"
Another person looked up at the sky and said, "What do you know? Just ask how many people in this world don't treat us slaves as human beings. Only the Duke is different. The concubine is more than just his concubine. To the Duke, she is just a flesh-and-blood citizen who needs respect."
"Being a concubine to the Duke is better than being a queen in the palace."
"I heard that the Duke picked up that concubine on the street and kept her with him out of pity, giving her a proper status. Maybe I can do the same."
"If you go, then I'll go too. I've seen Auntie, she's average looking. I'm prettier than Auntie, right?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com