Chapter 27 Chapter 27 My sister-in-law actually brought such low-level methods to...
It was like a cheating student meeting her teacher. Jiang Shu was already feeling guilty, so how could she dare to let Lu Changji take her pulse?
She pulled up the corners of her lips and smiled, then offered a forced explanation: "It's hot, and it's normal to feel unwell. I just need to rest for a while. There's no need to bother you, uncle."
Lu Changji said it was no problem: "We are a family, we should look after each other. Taking your pulse is not a big deal. Why are you being so polite, sister-in-law?"
Jiang Shu smiled awkwardly, "Uncle, you really misunderstood. You are a trusted official in the imperial court, and you are usually busy with important matters. How can a humble person like me be worthy of you to worry about me?"
The faint smile on Lu Changji's face gradually faded. His expression remained calm, yet it seemed tinged with a hint of displeasure. He said to Jiang Shu, "Sister-in-law, you keep making excuses. Could it be that you don't trust my medical skills?"
Having said that, refusing to change would be ungrateful. Jiang Shu had seen Lu Changji's ruthlessness before, so she didn't dare treat him with composure. She didn't want to offend him, so she gritted her teeth and stammered, "Then I'll have to trouble you, uncle."
She rolled up her sleeves and consciously stretched her arms in front of Lu Changji.
The wrist in front of me is slender and white, even more delicate than the softest mutton-fat jade, and so white that it is almost dazzling.
Lu Changji's hand paused for a moment, then rested steadily on Jiang Shu's wrist. His pulse felt gentle and strong, neither floating nor sinking, indicating a very healthy condition.
He put down his hand and looked at Jiang Shu, only to see that she was looking at him pretending to be calm. Because of her guilty conscience, her eyes widened and her gaze was clear, even cleaner than lake water.
He swallowed back the words that were about to spill on his lips and said, "You are indeed not in good health. After returning home, drink two doses of fever-reducing soup. You will be fully recovered in two days."
Lu Changji was not a man who spoke without thinking. After hearing what he said, Jiang Shu actually began to worry about her health.
She has been healthy since she was a child. Even though her stepmother treated her harshly and she didn't have enough to eat or wear warmly, she never fell ill. She had no worries about food and clothing in the Xinyang Marquis' Mansion. How could she suddenly become unwell?
Lu Changji was not a doctor, so Jiang Shu didn't want to chase him and ask more questions. She just said that she had important things to do and went back to the main courtyard.
Mrs. Wen came up to her with a smile and said softly, "Yunzhi is on leave today and has plenty of free time, so I asked him to escort Rong Jie'er home."
She was a person of good manners and would not do anything offensive. She went on to explain, "Sister Rong will return home in the carriage as usual, and Yunzhi will ride on horseback to lead her. The two of them are innocent and will never cross the line."
She blinked, and the smile on her face became even brighter. "I think the two children are very fond of each other. If your father and mother like Yunzhi, we will become a family."
Mrs. Wen's words were polite. Lin Yunzhi's family background was much higher than Jiang Rong's. Families who loved their daughters might back off because of Lin Yunzhi's reputation as a wife-killer. Both Yang and Jiang Wenhuan were snobs, so how could they give up the opportunity to climb up the social ladder?
Jiang Shu knew it clearly in her mind, but she didn't dare to say too much. They were the women, and if they rushed to get married, people would look down on them. It was right for them to be reserved from time to time.
She said, "Minister Lin is a very good person in both character and appearance. In my opinion, he is very considerate. However, I am a junior and I dare not speculate on the intentions of my parents."
Mrs. Wen has been in charge of the household for many years and has personally arranged the marriages of her two younger brothers-in-law. She is very knowledgeable about weddings and funerals.
She said, "I'll discuss it with my sister-in-law and choose an auspicious day to go to your house to pay my respects. Then we'll know Yunzhi's fortune."
Jiang Shu nodded and exchanged a few words with Mrs. Wen. As it was already past noon and it was not good to bother her any longer, she suggested going home.
Mrs. Wen did not stay any longer. Jiang Shu and Jiang Rong arrived at the Wen Mansion in the same carriage. Jiang Rong had already left in the carriage first, so Mrs. Wen ordered the servant to go to the stable to harness the horse and send Jiang Shu back to the mansion.
The servant had just replied with a "yes" when he saw Master Wen accompanying Lu Changji into the main courtyard. Lu Changji said, "Sister-in-law, please don't bother Madam Wen. I also happen to be returning home, so you and I can ride together."
Jiang Shu was very reluctant to be alone with Lu Changji, but she didn't want to embarrass him in front of others. She smiled helplessly and nodded in agreement.
When Lu Changji came to the Wen Mansion, Lord Wen wanted to do everything he could to leave a good impression on him. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister was busy with government affairs and was about to leave. He did not dare to keep him and just personally sent him to the door.
After the carriage disappeared, Mrs. Wen and Mr. Wen began to talk in low voices.
Lord Wen said, "I see that Minister Lu is very close to the Crown Prince's wife. It's no wonder that the Lu family is thriving. Family harmony is the key to a family's prosperity."
Madam Wen saw another side of things. She exclaimed, "Lord Lu values the Crown Prince's wife. When Yunzhi and Jiang Rong get married, he will definitely take care of Yunzhi. This marriage is truly a good arrangement."
She was a decisive person. She liked Jiang Rong and was full of anticipation for the benefits that Jiang Rong could bring. This was a win-win situation. She couldn't wait even half a minute and immediately took a carriage back to her parents' home. She had to urge her widowed sister-in-law to finalize the marriage as soon as possible.
Lu Changji's carriage looks low-key, but it is actually quite special inside. It not only has a tea table, but also a small bookshelf and an embroidered couch.
As soon as Lu Changji got on the car, he sat down next to the small bookshelf and started reading. He seemed to love reading very much, and there were books in every place he lived.
Jiang Shu consciously sat as far away from him as possible, boredly observing the soft couch at the rear of the carriage. The small couch was made of Sichuan brocade, embroidered with honeysuckle. The honeysuckle was graceful and looked pure and elegant, but in fact it was worth a lot of money. Jiang Shu could tell at a glance that the yellow stamens were made of gold thread.
Jiang Shu took the opportunity to look at other items in the car, and they seemed to be of considerable value.
The street was noisy and there were probably pedestrians passing by. Cheng Yong suddenly tightened the reins and the carriage stopped abruptly. The bookmark in Lu Changji's book fell down and landed right at Jiang Shu's feet.
The bookmark was made of pure silver, as thin as a piece of paper, and carved with pine trees, which was very exquisite.
The bookmark fell at her feet, and she couldn't just ignore it. Jiang Shu bent down to pick up the bookmark, walked to Lu Changji, and handed it to him.
The snow-white wrist appeared in front of him again. Lu Changji forced himself to look away from her wrist. His eyes became clear, but a faint fragrance filled his nose.
The fragrance is slightly sweet, and smelling it feels like being in a warm spring breeze.
His long eyelashes fluttered twice, and Lu Changji took the bookmark and said to Jiang Shu, "The carriage is bumpy, please sit back down quickly."
Jiang Shu then realized that they were too close to each other. Her arms were almost touching Lu Changji's. She quickly stood up and sat to the side.
The car suddenly became quiet, with only the rumbling of the wheels being heard. Lu Changji remained silent, but Jiang Shu felt uncomfortable. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, and it was with great difficulty that she finally arrived at the Xinyang Marquis's Mansion.
As soon as she returned to Xinchun Garden, Fang Yu went into the house to report that the Marquis's wife asked her to go to Yanxi Hall.
Jiang Shu remained silent, thinking that Zhao was urging her to get pregnant and have a baby again. A good cook cannot cook without rice. She had the intention, but Lu Changyi was powerless. What could she do?
Unfortunately, even though she knew she would face difficulties, as a daughter-in-law, Jiang Shu had no choice but to go to Yanxitang.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Shi did not urge her to have a child. Instead, she placed a box of playing cards in front of her and said calmly, "Tomorrow we will hold a night banquet. It is more elaborate than ordinary banquets. Come with me to take care of it!"
Jiang Shu was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. Zhao hadn't asked her to take care of household chores for a long time, so she was definitely willing to learn some real skills. If she could handle things on her own, who would want to be a dodder that could only rely on a man?
Jiang Shu nodded repeatedly, and then asked about the schedule of the banquet.
Zhao's expression was still indifferent, but she took the trouble to explain to Jiang Shu the matters that needed to be prepared for the banquet.
After he finished speaking, he asked Jiang Shu to assign tasks to each manager. Jiang Shu worked until late at night before returning to her room to sleep.
Although her body was exhausted, her heart was extremely happy. Jiang Shu had never felt so fulfilled as she did now, and she slept until dawn.
After getting up, she worked hard again. As dusk fell, the guests arrived one after another, and Jiang Shu finally had time to rest.
At this time, Zhu'er led Yang's mother and daughter into the house. If it weren't for Jiang Shu, Yang would not have been qualified to attend the banquet at Xinyang Marquis' Mansion. When she saw Jiang Shu, she complimented her highly.
Jiang Shu said nothing and walked to Jiang Ran's side. Sure enough, she could smell the fragrance of agar.
Jiang Shu was satisfied and smiled as she praised Jiang Ran: "Second sister is really pretty. The crabapple blossoms on your head make your face look like a peach blossom. Not to mention men, even I can't help but be moved when I see you. With your looks, you will definitely find a good husband."
Jiang Shu's words touched Jiang Ran's heart. She rarely smiled at Jiang Shu, and then remembered Yang's instructions. She reluctantly handed a pair of gold hairpins to Jiang Shu.
"Yesterday I went to the Jade and Gold Shop to buy some jewelry, and I saw this gold hairpin, which is very unique and would really suit my elder sister. Why don't you try it on yourself?"
Jiang Shu took the pair of gold hairpins, which felt heavy in her hands. She pinned them into her hair and turned to Jiang Ran, saying, "My Lord is hospitable and easygoing. He will first have a few drinks with his guests. Once they are happy, he will have his servants take them to the garden for a night stroll by candlelight."
"My sister is a refined person. Whether she goes to the courtyard to admire the moon or recite poetry, she will definitely meet one or two young talents."
The words sounded nice, but they could not hide Jiang Ran's ugly face of secretly hooking up with the man.
A cat, whether it is black or white, is a good cat as long as it catches the mouse. Yang Shi doesn't care whether the means are fair or not, as long as Jiang Ran can marry into a wealthy family.
She smiled and said to Jiang Shu: "Thanks to you for planning for Sister Ran, if this thing succeeds, I will definitely give you a generous gift."
Jiang Shu just said it was okay: "We are a family, we should support each other. If my second sister finds a good husband, it will also benefit me. Mother, please don't be polite."
As they were talking, the lights in Qianjing Pavilion lit up one after another. The banquet was about to begin. Jiang Shu took Jiang Ran to the women's seat in the flower hall.
The women's seats and the men's seats are separated by a screen. Normally, female guests and male guests should not see each other, but the seat Jiang Shu arranged for Jiang Ran was extremely exquisite. Through the wood carvings on the screen, he could see the male guest opposite.
The male guest was handsome and had graceful manners. He was obviously an important person that Jiang Ran could not usually meet.
Jiang Ran was very satisfied and kept stealing glances at the other person, perhaps the two of them were really destined to be together. One time when she looked at the other person, the person happened to be looking in her direction. Their eyes met, and there was amazement in both of their eyes. Before the banquet was over, the two of them left the table.
In the flower hall, Fang Yu bowed to Jiang Shu and said softly, "Second Madam, the Second Miss and Prince Zheng have gone to the back garden to talk."
The night is deep, the scenery is charming, and even the moonlight is tender. From ancient times to the present, countless relationships between men and women have fermented under the cover of the night. I just hope that these two can come to fruition soon.
Jiang Shu slowly stood up and said to Fang Yu, "Take me to have a look."
Some things can only be put to rest after seeing them in person. Walking to the back garden, through the window on the wall, you can see a man and a woman having a tryst in the moonlight.
Jiang Ran and Prince Zheng sat side by side on a stone bench beside the path. They were so close that their bodies would touch if they moved.
I don't know what Prince Zheng said, but Jiang Ran covered her face and laughed softly, her voice sweet and tender.
Jiang Ran's intentions were not pure, and Prince Zheng was an expert at flirting with women. Seeing Jiang Ran happy, he took the opportunity to hug her in his arms.
Jiang Ran is not completely naive. If she acts affectionately with a man on the first meeting, she is afraid that he will look down on her. She needs to take it slow to make the relationship last.
She slowly struggled out of Prince Zheng's arms and sat a little further away from him. Her posture of wanting to refuse but also to accept was incredibly beautiful.
Prince Zheng's heart was pounding.
Seeing this, Jiang Shu knew that everything was ready. When the two of them were too deeply in love to restrain themselves, she would discover their affair and force Prince Zheng to welcome Jiang Ran into the Earl's Mansion, either as his wife or as a concubine. In this way, Jiang Ran's good days would be over.
Thinking of the rumors that Prince Zheng was fickle and frequently beat his concubines to death, Jiang Shu felt very happy. If Jiang Ran wanted her to die, she would make Jiang Ran live a life worse than death.
You can't blame her in heaven, as she never thought of harming anyone. However, Yang's mother and daughter repeatedly threatened her, and she always had to protect herself.
The night wind blew, and Jiang Shu felt a little cold. She gathered her clothes, turned around and headed back to the flower hall. As she turned around, she met Lu Changji face to face.
He was wearing a black robe, with his black hair draped over his shoulders, as if he wanted to blend into the night.
Lu Changji raised the corner of his lips, his eyes icy and piercing: "My sister-in-law is so resourceful, she actually brought such a low-class method to the Xinyang Marquis' Mansion."
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