Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Temptation
Zhu'er is Jiang Shu's confidante. Jiang Shu will be wary of others, but she will not hide things from Zhu'er.
Zhu'er knew Jiang Shu's suffering. Her son-in-law was like a piece of paper. There was no tomorrow after today and he was useless in sex. The second mistress had to make plans for herself.
She nodded and vowed to Jiang Shu: "The Xinyang Marquis's Mansion is only this big. I will find out everything about the master's itinerary and will never let the Second Madam down."
Some things are easier said than done. Lu Changji was absorbed in government affairs and had little free time except for returning home to sleep at night. Zhu'er was busy for several days before she found out some clues.
"Besides handling government affairs, the master spends his time reading. He occasionally goes to Biyun Terrace to enjoy the scenery during his days off, but not every time. He did go to a teahouse for a drink a few days ago, but in the past six months, he has only been there once."
Zhu'er became more and more ashamed as she spoke, and her head drooped lower and lower. She felt that the information she had obtained was useless and she had wasted Jiang Shu's time in vain.
Jiang Shu sighed softly: "Master is a very kind and open-minded person, but the people around him are very secretive. Let alone you, even if I go there myself, I'm afraid I won't be able to find out any information."
"Go to the front yard and wait for the master to return home, then come back and tell me."
After saying that, Jiang Shu moved to the corner, opened the wardrobe, squatted down, and put the handkerchief that Lu Changji lent her into her sleeve pocket.
If the mountain doesn't come to me, I will go to the mountain. Since I can't find out Lu Changji's whereabouts, I will wait for him to return the handkerchief after he gets off duty.
Jiang Shu knew her strengths. She was born with a pretty face and a figure that was one in a million. Before she got married, her breasts were too big, making her look rather majestic at first glance. Nowadays, a figure as slender as a willow is popular, and Jiang Shu had also been troubled by being too plump.
After she got married, her aunt whispered in her ear that men liked her body the most, and once they got involved with her, she would probably drown in the land of tenderness.
Jiang Shu thought about her aunt's words, and silently changed into a slightly loose top and put on a thin outer shirt. The outer shirt was nothing special at ordinary times, but it looked different when it got wet.
After Jiang Shu put on her clothes, she looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Seeing that she was dressed appropriately and there was nothing wrong with her, she felt relieved.
Just as she was about to sit down to drink tea, Fang Yu knocked on the door and entered the room. Fang Yu bowed to Jiang Shu and said softly, "Second Madam, Miss Zhao San is here. Madam invites you to accompany her to the Banquet West Hall."
The "Miss Zhao" Fang Yu was referring to was Zhao Yingyun, the nephew of the Zhao family. Zhao Yingyun was the legitimate daughter of the Zhao family and had become famous in Bianjing at the age of fourteen for her poem "Ode to the Red Gate." Even though Jiang Shu rarely left her house, she had heard of Zhao Yingyun's talent.
After all, Jiang Shu is the wife of the prince of Xinyang Marquis's Mansion. Although Zhao rarely takes her out to socialize, when there are distinguished guests at home, she will most likely ask her to accompany them.
Zhao Yingyun came from a prominent family and had a wide range of social contacts. If Jiang Shu could make friends with Zhao Yingyun, she would be able to enter the social circle of the Bianliang nobles without Zhao's introduction.
The pregnancy was a vague matter. If Jiang Shu could integrate into the aristocratic circle, she would not have to worry about finding a marriage for Jiang Rong before Yang arranged one for her.
Thinking of this, Jiang Shu's steps became particularly brisk, and she entered Yanxi Hall in less than a cup of tea.
Zhao Yingyun was almost the same as she had imagined. She was dressed elegantly and had a jade hairpin in her hair. Apart from that, she had no other ornaments.
She was dressed simply but not simply, revealing a low-key nobility that only a wealthy family could cultivate.
Jiang Shu was beautiful, but she didn't have that kind of otherworldly and noble aura. Because she had something to ask for, she treated Zhao Yingyun with such warmth that she was almost mercenary.
Zhao Yingyun also wanted to make friends with Jiang Shu. Both of them wanted to get close to each other and soon became familiar with each other.
When Zhao Yingyun left, Jiang Shu gave her a purse and invited her to come to her house for tea and snacks the next day.
It's a constant flow of communication. Relationships between people grow through communication. Jiang Shu invited Zhao Yingyun for tea, so Zhao Yingyun had to return the invitation once, to be polite. It would be even better if she could invite Jiang Shu back during a banquet at the Zhao family's.
After seeing Zhao Yingyun off and Lu Changji returning home, Jiang Shu washed and dressed herself, heading towards Canaan Courtyard under the cover of night.
Unlike the splendid Xinchun Garden, the Canaan Courtyard is decorated in a simple and rustic style. Even the number of servants is pitifully small, with only Cheng Yong standing in front of the main house on duty.
Jiang Shu stepped forward and asked politely, "Mr. Cheng, I wonder if my uncle has returned?"
Cheng Yong said, "Second Madam, you've come at the right time. The master has just returned home and is now going to the bedroom to change clothes. If you have anything important to do, please wait in the flower hall for a while."
The hall was very quiet. After the servant served Jiang Shu a cup of tea, he quietly left. Thus, Jiang Shu was the only one left in the huge hall.
Jiang Shu picked up the teacup and took a few sips of tea. When the remaining tea became cool, she tilted her wrist and spilled most of the tea onto her chest, then threw the teacup to the ground.
The warm tea soaked the clothes little by little, and the thin outer shirt stuck to the skin in front of the body, clearly outlining the outline and shape of the mountain, making the peak look more majestic and eye-catching.
Jiang Shu's heartbeat quickened, and her ears turned red. She took a deep breath, reached under her clothes, and tugged the loose little dress to one side, slightly revealing the edge of her peak.
Through the wet thin shirt, the white and glowing side peaks can be seen clearly.
There were steady footsteps outside the door, and Jiang Shu knew that the person coming was Lu Changji.
She stood up and pretended to look for something to cover herself, looking around exaggeratedly. There was only an antique display cabinet and six sandalwood chairs in the hall, without even a curtain.
It was the first time that Jiang Shu did something immoral, and she was afraid that Lu Changji would find out. Summer was already hot, and because of her guilty conscience, Jiang Shu felt very uncomfortable and broke out in a layer of sweat.
Beads of sweat flowed down her neck into her lapels. Jiang Shu stared at her lapels, reached out to untie her belt, and pretended to wring out the water stains on her clothes.
The timing was perfect. Just as she untied her belt, she saw the door being pushed open and Lu Changji's tall figure appeared before her.
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