Chapter 236 You are no match for her
Politics is always complex and ever-changing. Differing interests and conflicting viewpoints can turn two people with no animosity into adversaries. In a court rife with factions, having too many enemies is clearly not a good thing.
Therefore, unless they are mortal enemies, Jiang Yu will not truly antagonize anyone. For example, with the Xie family, even though Xie Yun is dead and the Xie family is essentially finished, she can still maintain peaceful relations with Xie Ning'an.
The same applies to Jiang Hongsheng. Jiang Hongsheng never intended to be her enemy; he just had a dim-witted son, and she wouldn't make him her enemy for that reason.
Jiang Hongsheng, a seasoned veteran of the court, shared the same ideas as Jiang Yu, which is why the two hit it off immediately.
They left the teahouse one after the other and each boarded a carriage to return home. Unbeknownst to them, their figures were spotted by the women of the Grand Tutor's mansion who were buying jewelry across the street from the teahouse.
Grand Tutor's granddaughter, Yan Fengxi, watched Jiang Yu board the carriage, her hand tightly gripping a hairpin, her eyes flashing with resentment and jealousy. Madam Yan noticed her unusual behavior and followed her gaze. She didn't see Jiang Yu, but she did see the insignia of the Duke of Chu's mansion on the carriage.
He gently tugged at Yan Fengxi, took the hairpin from her hand, and said to the shop assistant, "Wrap this up."
Yan Fengxi snapped out of her reverie, composed herself, and gave a faint, dignified smile. The mother and daughter emerged from Yuman Pavilion and boarded their carriage. Yan Fengxi said, "She's a divorced woman, yet she's still attracting attention everywhere. It makes me think the rumors outside are true; she's just a philanderer..."
"Shut up." Madam Yan interrupted her sternly: "Neither the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager would agree to her marrying Prince Rui. You don't need to treat her as an enemy."
“However, His Highness Prince Rui is captivated by her,” Yan Fengxi said unwillingly.
Madam Yan frowned and pondered for a while before saying, "We'll discuss this matter with your grandfather and father when we get back to the manor. Don't act rashly."
Yan Fengxi twisted her handkerchief and remained silent. Seeing this, Madam Yan said sternly, "Did you hear me?"
Yan Fengxi nodded reluctantly. Madam Yan sighed and said, "I also want to grant your wish. A few days ago, your grandmother went to the palace and mentioned you to the Empress Dowager. However, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager truly love Prince Rui. His marriage will not be decided casually. We need to plan carefully."
“My daughter knows,” Yan Fengxi said.
Seeing her listless appearance, Madam Yan felt sorry for her and gently patted her hand. That was all she could do to comfort her; she couldn't offer any guarantees, as that was Prince Rui, not the child of an ordinary noble family.
The carriage rumbled to the Grand Tutor's residence. Madam Yan and Yan Fengxi alighted and entered the gate, where they encountered the steward who was about to leave. From the steward, they learned that Master Yan was in the Grand Tutor's study, so the mother and daughter went there together.
After bowing and sitting down, Yan Fengxi looked preoccupied. How could Grand Tutor Yan not know what was on her mind? This granddaughter had been raised to be an empress since childhood, but now that the emperor was in good health, it was impossible to predict which prince would eventually ascend the throne.
Grand Tutor Yan had no intention of taking sides at the moment, and since Yan Fengxi admired Prince Rui, he agreed to marry his granddaughter to Prince Rui. However, Prince Rui clearly had no feelings for Yan Fengxi, so he could only make plans slowly.
"I'll take my time to plan your affair with Prince Rui; this can't be rushed," said Grand Tutor Yan.
“However, His Highness Prince Rui has taken a fancy to the Duke of Chu.” Yan Fengxi couldn’t suppress his resentment and unwillingness, and he said this through gritted teeth.
Grand Tutor Yan frowned and said the same thing as Madam Yan, "Don't worry about that, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager will not agree to the marriage between Prince Rui and the Duke of Chu."
"But what if Prince Rui insists?" Yan Fengxi said through gritted teeth, "What if something happens to the Duke of Chu..."
"Shut up!" Grand Tutor Yan said sternly. "You should immediately put an end to that thought."
Yan Fengxi didn't dare say anything more, but her face was full of resentment.
“That’s the Duke of Chu, not a woman from the inner quarters,” said Master Yan. “How did the Xie family fall? How did the First Prince die? Don’t you know? Yan Fengxi…”
Master Yan gave a stern warning, "Stop using the methods you use to deal with other people's daughters. If you dare to lay a hand on the Duke of Chu, you won't even know how you died."
Grand Tutor Yan then said sternly, "If you attack the Duke of Chu, her revenge will be directed at our entire family."
The sternness of Grand Tutor Yan and Master Yan made Yan Fengxi dare not say anything more, and he put on a submissive appearance.
"I just saw the Duke of Chu and Imperial Censor Jiang leave the teahouse one after the other." Madam Yan didn't want her daughter to be scolded again, so she changed the subject.
After hearing this, both Grand Tutor Yan and Master Yan pondered deeply. They had also heard that Jiang Lihui had been transferred away from the Duke of Chu's side because of his rebellion, and that the Marquis of Jinyang's son had taken his place within a day.
Logically, the Duke of Chu and Jiang Hongsheng shouldn't be close, yet the two drank tea together. This whole affair seems rather strange.
Master Yan said, "Could it be related to the rumors?"
Grand Tutor Yan frowned and pondered for a while before saying, "It's hard to say, but it's none of our business in any case. It's just that Jiang Yu is truly remarkable! He's not swayed by trivial matters and has a long-term vision."
Master Yan nodded; he thought so too. There were plenty of petty people in officialdom who held grudges over trivial matters, and later did foolish things that harmed both themselves and others.
Seeing that the two were no longer paying attention to Yan Fengxi, Madam Yan breathed a sigh of relief and took her leave. After leaving Grand Tutor Yan's courtyard, Madam Yan whispered to Yan Fengxi, "Listen to your grandfather and father, don't even think about making a move against the Duke of Chu. Although the Duke of Chu is a woman, she does things that men do, and you are no match for her."
Yan Fengxi gripped the handkerchief tightly and said, "Daughter knows."
Madam Yan patted her arm, "Don't worry, even if Prince Rui is no good, your mother will find you a very good man to marry."
Yan Fengxi remained silent. Seeing this, Madam Yan sighed again, knowing that her daughter's heart belonged to Prince Rui.
......
After returning to her residence, Jiang Yu went to Lu Yifang's courtyard and told her to prepare a gift, as she needed to thank the families who had helped her at the banquet that day. Although these were all families who had a good relationship with the Duke of Chu's mansion, she felt it was essential to give them a thank-you gift for their help.
"Okay, I'll go to the storeroom to pick some out in a bit." Lu Yifang said with lingering fear, "I'm still terrified. What if Consort Su had said those words?"
Jiang Yu smiled. If Consort Su had said those words, she would have brought the matter to light and investigated on the spot who had spread the rumor. After all, she had already traced it back to Jiang Lihui. However, that would have directly severed all ties, making things difficult to manage later.
Therefore, she should thank Prince Rui properly.
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