Chapter 227 I Never Suffer a Loss
Jiang Yu was naturally unaware that someone had fabricated rumors about him and the Emperor. The drafting of the regulations for the reform of Jufeng Money Shop and the trading company would be a huge undertaking in a short period of time. At the same time, she also had to push forward the selection and formation of personnel researching firearms, keeping her extremely busy.
That day, she was busy at the Secretariat until very late before returning home. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Lu Yifang waiting for her.
"Why are you back so late?" Lu Yifang asked with concern, and then instructed people to help her wash her hands and prepare the meal.
"I had a lot of things to do, so I came back after I finished," Jiang Yu said as she walked back to her dormitory.
Lu Yifang followed beside her and said, "Things can't be finished in a day, your health is the most important thing."
"I know." Jiang Yu asked Xia He to help her change into casual clothes, and then said, "Once you finish what you're doing, you'll be able to take a good rest."
Lu Yifang forced a smile as she watched the maid bring over a basin of water. Jiang Yu lowered her head to wash her hands, and tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly turned around and took a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.
Jiang Yu took the handkerchief from the maid and saw her wiping away tears. She immediately asked, "What happened?"
Lu Yifang forced a smile, "It's nothing, I just felt sad thinking about your brother's health."
Jiang Yu didn't believe her. Jiang Jiamu's poor health hadn't been a recent development, and after some treatment, her health had improved considerably. The fact that she suddenly claimed to be crying because she was worried about Jiang Jiamu's health was clearly a fabricated excuse.
After dismissing all the servants, Jiang Yu looked at Lu Yifang earnestly and said, "Mother, please tell me directly if there's anything you need. Otherwise, it's a waste of my energy to guess."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yifang's tears flowed again. She choked out, "I don't know which heartless bastard spread these rumors, saying... saying you... saying you slept with the Emperor. They even said your promotion and the Emperor's favor were all because of this."
Jiang Yu was taken aback, then her expression returned to calm. She took a handkerchief and wiped away Lu Yifang's tears. "Mother knows perfectly well that I never care about the rumors outside."
"But everything you have now is the result of your hard work, so why are they saying this?" Lu Yifang said angrily. "We must find the people who are spreading rumors and see who is the one who can't stand to see us doing well."
Jiang Yu gently patted her back to comfort her, "I will definitely find out the truth about this. You know I never suffer a loss."
Seeing that she was still calmly comforting her, Lu Yifang suddenly felt that she was being too unsteady. She wiped away her tears and said, "Mother knows, my Zhu'er is the most capable. If there's anything you need me to do, just tell me."
“Okay.” Jiang Yu took his arm and walked out. After sitting down in the restaurant, she buried her head in her food and ate quietly, analyzing in her mind who was most likely to have done it.
The Xie family is practically finished, and there are currently no conflicts or disputes of interest between her and Xie Ning'an, so it shouldn't be the Xie family. Her other enemy is the Qingshan Marquis's mansion. Given the Qingshan Marquis's style of doing things, there's a good chance they were the ones who did it.
Furthermore, her reforms of Jufeng Money Shop and Merchant Guild will harm the interests of certain individuals. Many people know about the details of her reforms, including the Emperor and the four people assisting her in drafting the reform regulations.
Thinking of Pei Chengkun, Jiang Yu couldn't help but frown. To spread rumors linking her to the emperor, he must be a bold and ambitious person.
Now rumors are circulating that she slept with the emperor, and the next step should be for her to be forced into prostitution, with the aim of driving her out of the court.
Could it be Pei Chengkun?
She ate quietly, while Lu Yifang watched from the side, her heart still heavy with sorrow. No woman is indifferent to her reputation; no matter how strong her daughter is, she is still ultimately a woman.
After finishing her meal, Jiang Yu asked Lu Yifang, "Does Grandfather know about this?"
Lu Yifang shook her head, "She probably doesn't know."
Jiang Yu nodded. "I'll go see Grandfather now. If he really doesn't know, you should keep an eye on the family and make sure he doesn't find out."
Lu Yifang nodded heavily, "I have already warned everyone."
“Okay,” Jiang Yu stood up and walked out. “You don’t need to worry about me. Go back and rest. I will find out the truth as soon as possible.”
Lu Yifang nodded, gave her a few more words of advice about taking care of her health, and left with a worried expression. Jiang Yu pursed her lips and led Xia He towards the old Duke of Chu's courtyard. On the way, Xia He looked at her cautiously with concern, wanting to say something, opening her mouth, but ultimately saying nothing.
Jiang Yu glanced at her and said as they walked, "The most important thing to do at this time is to keep your composure. If you panic, you'll just be playing into someone else's hands."
"Yes, I understand," Xia He replied quickly.
She knew Jiang Yu was teaching her how to do things, and now Jiang Yu took her along on duty, so she would help with some simple tasks. The affairs of the inner quarters were naturally incomparable to those of the imperial court, and she needed to grow up quickly.
Jiang Yu was still satisfied with her. Although Xia He was not as decisive and opinionated as Dong Shuang, she was meticulous and eager to learn. With a little training, she would become a very capable assistant.
The old Duke of Chu had offered to provide her with two capable personal attendants, but she refused. At the time, she said that with proper training, Xia He would be no less capable than those personal attendants who traveled outside the capital, and now it seems that was indeed the case.
When they arrived at the old Duke of Chu's courtyard, he was still awake, playing chess by himself. Jiang Yu walked over and sat opposite him, picking up a black piece and placing it on the chessboard. The old Duke of Chu smiled and said, "That's exactly what I was about to do."
Jiang Yu smiled and said, "It seems we are on the same wavelength."
The old Duke of Chu laughed heartily, and Jiang Yu recounted what she had done that day. After listening, the old Duke of Chu nodded, "You are becoming more and more mature in handling matters, and I am truly at ease."
"That won't do. I'll need your constant reminders," Jiang Yu said.
After the grandfather and granddaughter chatted for a while, Jiang Yu helped the old Duke of Chu to rest. The old Duke of Chu waved for her to leave, saying, "You should also go and rest. Don't think that just because you're young you don't care about your health."
"Okay." Jiang Yu smiled and left, but the smile faded once she was outside the courtyard.
“The old Duke probably doesn’t know,” Xia He said.
Jiang Yu nodded, "Go and call Butler Li to my study."
Xia He acknowledged and left, while Jiang Yu walked towards her courtyard. At the courtyard gate, she saw Wu Zhengyan. As she approached, Wu Zhengyan smiled and said, "I came out to digest my dinner and ended up here with my little sister."
"How is your health, brother?" Jiang Yu asked.
"It's much better than before," Wu Zhengyan replied with a smile, then looked at Jiang Yu cautiously, as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how.
Seeing this, Jiang Yu knew that she must have come to comfort her, so she said, "Sister-in-law, I'm fine, you and my brother don't need to worry."
Seeing how open-minded she was, Wu Zhengyan felt a little relieved and said, "My family won't believe those rumors."
Jiang Yu nodded. At this moment, Xia He and Butler Li arrived. Seeing that she had something to do, Wu Zhengyan took her leave.
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