Chapter 217 explains that Uncle Changping had an affair with his nephew's wife.
When Jiang Yu arrived at Lu Yifang's courtyard, Lady Changping rose and bowed upon seeing her, saying, "Public Security Officer of Chu."
Lady Changping was over 60 years old, and Lu Yifang always bowed to her when she saw her. However, at this moment, she bowed to Jiang Yu, which improved Jiang Yu's impression of her considerably. This was not because she bowed to her, but because Lady Changping knew her purpose and recognized her own status, and did not act arrogantly due to her age.
Although Jiang Yu held a noble title, she was young and of low seniority. Many elderly ladies in the inner quarters, unable to see the bigger picture, would not only fail to greet her but also criticize her in their words, commenting on her affairs as elders, which was truly annoying.
Therefore, the attitude of the Lady of Changping at this moment improved Jiang Yu's impression of her considerably.
"Please have a seat. There's no need for such formalities at home," Jiang Yu said with a smile.
Lady Changping breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her attitude. Previously, the Earl of Changping had tried to see Jiang Yu several times without success, and she had no other choice but to use the pretext of this roundabout relative to visit her.
"Have you not eaten yet?" Lu Yifang asked with concern.
Jiang Yu smiled and nodded. Lu Yifang immediately ordered the food to be served, as the kitchen had already prepared it. She also apologized to the Lady of Changping, saying, "This child went to court early this morning and hasn't had breakfast yet."
“It is time to have a meal first,” said Lady Changping immediately.
A short while later, a row of maids brought in the food. Lu Yifang invited Lady Changping to eat with her, but Lady Changping declined with a smile. The mother and daughter then sat down at the table.
Jiang Yu was truly hungry, so she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat, with Lu Yifang serving her food. Lady Changping watched this scene and sighed inwardly. If her son and grandson were so promising, she would gladly let her serve them food, or even feed them herself.
The Earl of Changping has many sons, but none of them are successful. Otherwise, this old woman wouldn't have to swallow her pride and come here to beg for help.
After Jiang Yu finished eating, rinsed his mouth and washed his hands, he began to chat with Lady Changping. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lady Changping said, "I've come today to ask for your help. I suppose the Duke of Chu already knows about my family's affairs."
Jiang Yu nodded, "But Aunt, I'm only responsible for investigating that case. The specific judgment is up to the Emperor. Besides, it seems the Emperor didn't punish the Changping Marquis's family, did he?"
Lady Changping sighed, "These days, my husband has been inquiring from various sources, and the Emperor still harbors prejudice against our household because of Shi Shun'an."
Jiang Yu wore a helpless expression. "The Emperor has a prejudice against your family. I'm not the Emperor's biological father, so how can I control it?"
Then Lady Changping said, "My master means that we ask the Duke of Chu to explain to the Emperor that the matter was done by Shi Shun'an and that it really has nothing to do with us."
Jiang Yu lowered her eyes; she was already somewhat displeased. The case of illegally minting official silver had implicated countless court officials. Apart from the Xie family, many officials had been dismissed and their property confiscated.
The Emperor's decision not to punish the Changping Marquis's family was already magnanimous, but they still demanded that the Emperor hold no grudge against them, which was a bit too much.
Besides, if the emperor is suspicious of you, you should prove yourself or work hard and achieve merit, which will naturally dispel his suspicions. But instead, they're asking her to explain to the emperor—explain what?
The explanation is that Changping Bo had an affair with his nephew's wife and they had a daughter together, and Shi Shunan was his son-in-law with that nephew's wife's daughter.
However, upon seeing Lady Changping's full head of silver hair, Jiang Yu's heart softened. Her husband had committed some disgraceful acts outside, and now she was being forced to swallow her pride and beg for help; Lady Changping had it tough.
She said, "Auntie, do you know why the Earl of Changping cares so much about the marriage of a daughter from a collateral branch of your family? He carefully selected a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) for her as her husband, and later used his connections to get that husband a lucrative job."
Lady Changping's ingratiating smile froze instantly, and then her expression turned awkward.
"Does Madam know or have some suspicions?" Jiang Yu continued, "To be honest, we investigated this matter very clearly at the time. In fact, it was because of this that the Emperor felt that the Earl of Changping was muddle-headed and misjudged people, and therefore did not include him in the list of people to be punished."
Otherwise, given that Shi Shun'an obtained his official position through the machinations of the Earl of Changping, even if the emperor didn't punish him, he would certainly summon him to the palace and reprimand him. The emperor enjoys seeing the old guard of power and influence become decadent and corrupt.
Lady Changping's face became even more embarrassed. She forced a stiff smile and said, "I...I'm not...very clear about this matter."
Since she wasn't very familiar with the Changping Marquis's family, Jiang Yu didn't want to say much. She said, "I think Auntie should sort out her family affairs first."
"Yes...yes..." Lady Changping stood up, bowed to Jiang Yu, and said, "I apologize for disturbing the Duke of Chu today. You have many things to attend to, so I will not bother you any longer."
"I'll see you off." Lu Yifang stood up and escorted Madam Changping to the gate of the mansion.
“Yifang, don’t laugh at me, but I’ve known about that for a long time,” said Lady Changping. “But he’s the one who calls the shots in the mansion, and my two sons are good-for-nothings. What can I do?”
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. Lu Yifang was quite empathetic to her. Back then, Jiang Chengye had brought concubines into the family one after another while also seeking pleasure outside. She knew all about it, but what could she do?
Her father, Marquis Anyuan, even beat Jiang Chengye several times, but what good did it do? Jiang Chengye continued to do as he pleased.
She thought for a moment and said, "I think you should take this opportunity to resolve the issues with the people you need to resolve. Let men worry about things outside, and just make sure you don't feel wronged at home."
Lady Changping was taken aback by her words; Lu Yifang had never acted or spoken like this before. But then she thought, her daughter was now the Duke of Chu, favored by the Emperor, and held considerable power. She doubted that even Jiang Chengye would dare to show her any disrespect.
"You...you're right, it was his fault. I haven't been able to eat or sleep well since he didn't come." Lady Changping took a deep breath and smiled at Lu Yifang, saying, "I'm sorry to have troubled you today."
Lu Yifang smiled and shook her head, then escorted her to the gate of the mansion.
Lady Changping sat in the carriage, her face immediately darkening. The old nanny sitting next to her said, "This Duke of Chu is really putting on airs. You are her elder no matter what."
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