Chapter 319 If it weren't for my child
After Jiang Yu and Prince Rui left the private room, Prince Rui instructed his attendant to go to the teahouse and buy some of the tea they had just drunk. The attendant complied and left. When Jiang Yu and Prince Rui came out of the teahouse, the attendant returned with two packets of tea and handed them to Prince Rui.
Prince Rui casually handed a package to Jiang Yu, who accepted it without ceremony, thanked him, bowed in farewell, and got into his sedan chair. Prince Rui stood there watching his sedan chair disappear into the distance.
The attendant glanced at Jiang Yu's sedan chair, which was about to disappear from sight, then looked at his own lord, sighed inwardly, and whispered a reminder: "Your Highness, the Duke of Chu's sedan chair has disappeared."
His voice carried a hint of mischief. Prince Rui withdrew his gaze and gave him a faint glance. The attendant quickly smiled apologetically, then lifted the sedan curtain and said, "The Duke of Chu has great insights into your research on cannons. This servant thinks that you could invite the Duke of Chu to your research room tomorrow to study them together."
Prince Rui glanced at him, stepped into the spacious sedan chair, and said as the attendant was about to lower the curtain, "Then go to the Secretariat tomorrow and inquire whether the Duke of Chu is busy. If he is not busy, then go and invite him."
"Yes," the attendant replied cheerfully.
Their prince has finally come to his senses, and his object of affection is the First Female Official and First Female Marquis of the Great Gan Dynasty, the Duke of Chu. It must be said that their prince has excellent taste and is truly audacious. A woman like the Duke of Chu is not someone an ordinary person could handle. But their prince is different. Putting everything else aside, with his looks alone, if their prince were to deliberately unleash his charm, even the Duke of Chu would be bewitched.
As for the fact that the Duke of Chu had been married and divorced before, that his status made it difficult for him to marry into the royal family, and that the Emperor and Empress Dowager would not agree, Chang Sui felt that these were not problems for the Duke of Chu, who was not lacking in wit and resourcefulness.
The attendant grinned as he lowered the sedan curtain, ordered the sedan bearers to lift the sedan, and then walked away with a resounding gait.
The three members of the Ding family, who were in the private room upstairs, left discreetly a while after Jiang Yu and Prince Rui's sedan chair had departed. Back home, the three sat silently in the study, unsure of what to do.
After a long while, Ding Yuxi said, "The Duke of Chu's intention is to make Marquis Qiyang reveal his true colors or to make him turn against the person behind him. The only thing we can do now is to threaten Marquis Qiyang in return, and tell him to ask the person behind him to help us get through the current crisis, or else we will expose Marquis Qiyang."
In that case, at the very least, Marquis Qiyang would have to consult with the person behind him. Once he makes a move, the Duke of Chu should be able to find out who the other party is. The Duke of Chu's mansion has secret guards and a network of connections.
As he spoke, his tone became tinged with envy.
Ding Taiming and Ding Shaojie exchanged a glance after hearing his words, and then both fell silent. After a while, Ding Taiming said, "This is the only thing we can do."
After saying that, he looked at Ding Shaojie, waiting for his reply. Ding Shaojie clenched his fist and said, "Okay."
Having been in officialdom for so many years, he still possesses the necessary decisiveness.
“Alright, you’ll go to the Marquis of Qiyang’s residence in a bit,” Ding Taiming said. “When you do, you should adopt a do-or-die attitude.”
"Yes," Ding Shaojie answered firmly, admitting that he was indeed going all in.
"Then... are we still going to the Tang family's place?" Ding Yuxi asked Ding Taiming.
Ding Taiming pondered for a moment and then said, "Let's wait a while and see how things go before making a decision."
“Okay,” Ding Yuxi replied. Actually, he wanted Ding Taiming to go to the Tang family, since even if the Duke of Chu found out who was behind the Marquis of Qiyang through their efforts, Ding Shaojie would not be able to be reinstated.
However, if the Duke of Chu were to speak a few words on Ding Shaojie's behalf to the Emperor, things might take a turn for the better. But perhaps his father has other concerns.
The three discussed Ding Shaojie's trip to the Marquis of Qiyang's residence in detail. Ding Shaojie then left the study, preparing to go to the Marquis of Qiyang's residence. However, at the courtyard gate, he encountered his wife. Ding Shaojie was somewhat embarrassed; this was the first time he had seen Madam Ding since he was caught in adultery by the Marquis of Qiyang.
Madam Ding was plump and had a virtuous face, but at this moment her face was filled with sorrow. Looking at the awkwardly silent Ding Shaojie, she said, "Husband, are you no longer going to speak to me?"
"No, no," Ding Shaojie quickly said, "I... I've been busy these days and haven't had time to visit you."
Madam Ding smiled, but it was a forced smile. "I thought my husband thought I was useless and really wanted to abandon me."
"No, don't overthink it," Ding Shaojie said. They were a young couple, and Madam Ding was a virtuous and kind woman; their affection for each other was beyond question.
If he continued to spend time with Zhu Weiyu, the love that had faded over the years would be forgotten by Ding Shaojie. But at this moment, Ding Shaojie desperately hoped that his wife would consider their long-standing marital bond and not cause him any trouble. The Ding family was facing numerous external crises and could no longer afford internal strife.
Upon hearing his words, Madam Ding's eyes glistened with tears, but she smiled and stepped forward to straighten Ding Shaojie's robes. She said softly, "My husband and I have been together for twenty years, but I can always recall that banquet when I got lost and my husband led me the way."
At this point, tears streamed down Madam Ding's face. Ding Shaojie frowned and called out, "Roujia," which was Madam Ding's childhood name. Madam Ding wiped away her tears, stopping Ding Shaojie from continuing, and said:
“I know my husband is busy. I came here only to say one thing to him: ‘If I live, I will return; if I die, I will long for you forever.’ If my husband is willing to turn back, I will share the hardships with you and never leave you in life or death.”
"Roujia." Ding Shaojie's voice trembled slightly. He hadn't expected his wife to speak to him with such deep affection at this moment.
After the accident, his grandfather, father, and even his children either criticized him or looked at him with disappointment. The family hasn't given up on him yet, but they still want to make a final effort. However, if the current crisis isn't overcome, he will definitely be abandoned by the family.
At this very moment, the woman he had hurt spoke such heartfelt words to him, how could she not be moved?
"I know my husband is busy, so I won't keep you any longer." Madam Ding gave a slight curtsy, then turned and left. Ding Shaojie watched her retreating figure for a while before striding out of the mansion and heading towards the Marquis of Qiyang's residence.
Meanwhile, Madam Ding returned to her courtyard and entered the small flower hall. The worried expression on her face had vanished, replaced by mockery. Her personal maidservant stepped forward to pour tea, saying with concern, "Madam, why must you wrong yourself like this?"
Madam Ding sneered, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "If it weren't for my child, I would rather never see him again for the rest of my life."
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