Chapter 11 More Intimate
"And... what happened next?" Lu Yifang asked worriedly, holding Jiang Yu's hand tightly.
Jiang Yu smiled at her again, "His father passed away on the day of the wedding, and we had to observe mourning for him, so we didn't consummate the marriage. Then this year, he took the imperial examination and became the top scholar."
Lu Yifang was shocked again, "No... it seems that the fourth young lady of the Qingshan Marquis's Mansion is engaged to this year's top scholar."
Jiang Yu nodded. "That's right, they are the same person."
Lu Yifang stared blankly for a long while, then slammed her hand heavily on the table. She pulled Jiang Yu outside, saying, "Come on, let's go find the Duke and ask him to stand up for you."
Jiang Yu sat there without moving. "Mother, please listen to me."
But at this moment, Lu Yifang had only one thought in her mind: her daughter, who had been separated from her for many years, had been bullied, and she couldn't let it go like this. She simply couldn't listen to what Jiang Yu was saying.
Seeing that Jiang Yu remained seated, she continued, "Zhu'er, don't worry. If your grandfather doesn't care about your affairs, we'll go to your maternal grandparents and ask them to stand up for you. We can't just let ourselves be bullied like this. Just because the Qingshan Marquis's mansion has produced a concubine, does that mean they can act with impunity? If that doesn't work, we'll go see the Emperor. Is there no justice in this world?"
“Mother.” Jiang Yu pulled her to sit down beside her, gently patted her hand and said, “I’m not the kind of person who doesn’t seek revenge after being wronged. Please listen to what happened next.”
Her voice was quiet, and Lu Yifang's emotions had calmed down considerably. She looked at Jiang Yu with blurry eyes and said, "Go ahead."
Jiang Yu held her hand and recounted what had happened, concluding, "My grandfather and I have already discussed a plan. I can't let people bully me for nothing."
Lu Yifang was even angrier. She gritted her teeth and said, "She stole your husband and then tried to set you on fire. What kind of logic is this? I've heard that the fourth young lady of the Qingshan Marquis's mansion is domineering, but I never expected her to be so vicious."
Jiang Yu nodded, "Mother, don't worry, I won't let them off easily."
Lu Yifang wiped her tears with a handkerchief again, "And also, you said you were going to spread the word about your divorce, then... how will you ever get married again?"
"Does that mean others won't find out if it doesn't get out?" Jiang Yu said, "Since it exists, it will find out sooner or later. Mother..."
Jiang Yu looked at Lu Yifang seriously and said, "I really don't care what others say about me. As for my marriage, please don't make any arrangements. I have no plans to get married for the time being."
"This..." Lu Yifang could tell that Jiang Yu was a woman with strong opinions, but how could a woman not get married? If she remained unmarried, she would be drowned in gossip.
However, it was clear that Jiang Yu had made up her mind. She and her daughter had been separated for many years, and there were some things she couldn't say, so she could only keep them to herself and suffer in silence.
Jiang Yu saw through her thoughts, but there were some things she had to figure out herself, or she had to achieve something to prove that she could live a good life without getting married.
“Your maternal grandparents know you’ve been found and they all want to see you.” Lu Yifang suppressed her anxiety and added, “When would you like to go to your maternal grandparents’ house?”
"Either is fine, it's up to you," Jiang Yu said.
Lu Yifang nodded, "It's settled, I'll tell you."
Thinking that the Duke of Chu had assigned Granny Liao to Jiang Yu's side, she added, "I heard you only brought one maid? Do you need me to give you a few more? Or, I can call the slave trader over later and you can choose a few. It's just that newly bought maids aren't as easy to use as the servants born into the household."
Jiang Yu thought for a moment, "I'll pick a few later."
"Okay." Lu Yifang held Jiang Yu's hand and said, "This is your home, so don't be shy about anything."
Jiang Yu nodded and agreed. The mother and daughter chatted for a while longer before Jiang Yu took her leave. Granny Liao followed beside her, and the two walked together towards Jiang Yu's courtyard.
Just as they left, Granny Feng, who was by Lu Yifang's side, entered the main hall and stood beside Lu Yifang to talk to her. The two mainly talked about Jiang Yu, but Lu Yifang did not tell Granny Feng about Jiang Yu's divorce.
“Madam, perhaps this old servant is overthinking it,” Granny Feng said to Lu Yifang in a low voice, “I always feel that the eldest young lady is closer to her adoptive parents.”
Lu Yifang paused in her tea-drinking motion, then said, "Zhu'er has lived with them for so many years, it's only natural that she's close to them."
Despite saying that, there was a hint of melancholy in her voice. Granny Feng naturally noticed this, and she lowered her voice again, saying, "But you are her own flesh and blood, and you have such a status, yet you're not even as good as a pair of merchants?"
These words made Lu Yifang's face darken. She said, "You've been with me for a long time, you should know what to say and what not to say. You can leave now."
Granny Feng was scolded, and though she was unhappy, she forced a smile and left. Lu Yifang sat there, lost in thought for a long time.
........
Jiang Yu followed Granny Liao to her courtyard, Yunfeng Courtyard.
Jiang Yu stood at the gate of the courtyard, looking at the two powerful characters "Yunfeng" on the plaque. Thinking back to the scene of chatting with the Duke of Chu in the study today, she felt that the Duke of Chu's mansion might not be as peaceful as it seemed on the surface.
She stepped into the courtyard and saw that it was spacious and grand, yet exquisite in its details, clearly showing that the courtyard had been carefully designed. Jiang Yu didn't know what the Duke of Chu truly thought of her, but for now, she was quite satisfied.
"The Duke has instructed this old servant to follow you from now on," Granny Liao said to Jiang Yu with a smile. "The Duke will select some people from the front courtyard for you to choose from among the people in your courtyard."
Jiang Yu responded with a "okay," and Granny Liao followed her into the main hall. Seeing her sitting in the central armchair, she said, "If you need anything, just tell this old servant. The affairs of the inner courtyard are under the care of the eldest young mistress, but the Duke's intention is that your affairs can also be handled by the front courtyard."
After hearing this, Jiang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Except for the people in my courtyard, everyone else shall follow the rules of the inner courtyard."
"Yes," replied Granny Liao. "You must be tired from the journey, please rest first."
Jiang Yu nodded, and Granny Liao left. Then Xia He lifted the curtain and came in. She stood beside Jiang Yu, head down, and didn't say a word.
Jiang Yu glanced at her sideways, "What's wrong?"
"I just feel so useless," Xia He said softly.
Jiang Yu got up and walked into the inner room, saying, "It's normal for you to feel uncomfortable in a new place. Just adapt quickly. You're one of my people. As long as I have a position in this manor, you'll have a position too."
Xia He was pleased to hear this, and while helping Jiang Yu undress, she said, "I just overheard them talking about house-born children, as if house-born children are superior to others."
Jiang Yu got into bed and lay down, saying, "Don't worry about so much, just do your own thing."
"Yes." Xia He tucked the blanket around her, then turned and quietly left.
As she walked to the porch outside the door, she saw Granny Liao whispering to the maids in the courtyard, "The young lady is taking a nap. You all go and do other things, and don't make any noise that might disturb her nap."
The maids all nodded and went about their other tasks. Xia He realized once again that the Duke's mansion had strict rules, and she had much to learn.
Inside the room, Jiang Yu wasn't asleep. She was thinking about the events of the past few days and whether her strategies had been flawed...
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