Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Even if it takes risks, I have to get pregnant...
Thinking of the missing child, Jiang Shu felt a little guilty. Afraid of exposing her true identity, she whispered to Lu Changji, "Uncle has been so kind to me. I'll remember it. If I have the chance in the future, I'll definitely repay him."
After she finished speaking, she yawned, feigning fatigue, and slumped uncomfortably onto the chaise longue. She said softly, "I'm feeling a little under the weather today, and I can't muster any energy. I won't let you keep me here in vain."
Lu Changji's heart tightened. He wanted to ask about Jiang Shu's health, but then he thought it was inappropriate for him to just walk in. If he asked again, Jiang Shu might think too much, so he swallowed his words.
Back at Jianan Courtyard, Lu Changji called Cheng Yong over and whispered, "Go and find out if Second Madam is in good health. Are you drinking the medicine now? Is she consuming it well?"
Cheng Yong replied, and after a moment he returned to the hall, "Second Madam isn't taking any medicine right now, so she's fine. She had a good appetite the past few days, usually eating half a bowl of food. But today she ate less than usual, and only had half a bowl of porridge in the evening."
After hearing Cheng Yong's reply, Lu Changji felt more pity for Jiang Shu. She was used to being cautious and used to holding on alone. Even if she was frightened by Hu Lingshuang's affairs, she was unwilling to show it.
When he welcomes her home, he will never let her suffer like this again.
Hu Lingshuang had a near-death experience, and although she was still weak, she managed to save her life.
When she was in danger, Lu Changfeng was worried about her safety. When Lu Changfeng learned that her life was safe, those humiliating, angry and dark thoughts began to emerge bit by bit.
Lu Changfeng stared at Hu with a sinister look and sneered, "Do you know what people outside are saying about me now? They say I'm a living cuckold, that I was cuckolded by my own father, but I dare not even fart. Even the maggots in the gutter have more backbone than me."
There were so many servants who came to Tingyu Pavilion on the day of the incident that even though Lu Changfeng repeatedly ordered them not to gossip, rumors still spread.
After all, truth will come out. Hu Lingshuang had already anticipated the consequences of the matter being exposed. She knew that she had done something wrong, but if she could do it again, she would still stick to her choice.
Although the Hu family is an official family, it cannot be compared with the Xinyang Marquis Mansion.
Hu Lan became the favorite concubine of Marquis Xinyang. When she returned home to visit her family during the New Year holidays, the whole family treated her as a guest of honor.
She said she wanted to choose a niece from her mother's family to be engaged to her son, and asked Mrs. Hu to bring her daughter to the flower hall for her to choose.
Who is Hu Lan's son? He is the biological son of Marquis Xinyang. If she can become the daughter-in-law of Marquis Xinyang, it would not be an exaggeration to say that she will reach the pinnacle of success in one step.
Hu Lan said this, and Mrs. Hu became busy as a top. She hurriedly asked Hu Lingshuang and her three sisters to change their clothes and dress up, and then carefully and attentively brought them to Hu Lan.
Hu Lan looked down at her four nieces, finally settling on Hu Lingshuang. She asked Mrs. Hu, "Is this Shuang'er?"
Mrs. Hu nodded repeatedly: "This is my third sister Lingshuang."
Hu Lan smiled proudly: "This child is very pretty, and looks about five points like me when I was young. She is a good match for Feng Ge'er. When she reaches the age of marriage, she will marry Feng Ge'er."
Hu Lingshuangchi is the third child in the family, with an older sister and a younger brother. She is usually not favored by Mrs. Hu, but unexpectedly, she becomes the most blessed child in the family.
Mrs. Hu pushed Hu Lingshuang in front of Hu Lan and said earnestly, "Shuang'er, you will be able to enjoy the good life in the Marquis' Mansion next year. This is all thanks to your aunt. You should thank her quickly."
A huge pie fell on her head. Logically, Hu Lingshuang should be happy, but for some reason, she always felt that things were not that simple.
Her cousin is handsome and has a good family background. Many people admire him, but she doesn't like him.
She and her second sister had read storybooks, and they liked the knights-errant in the stories the most.
"The Zhao guest wears a barbarian tassel, and the Wu hook shines brightly with frost and snow. The silver saddle shines on the white horse, and it gallops like a shooting star. He kills one person every ten steps, and leaves no trace in a thousand miles. When the task is done, he leaves with a brush of clothes, hiding his achievements and fame." How carefree and unrestrained, the coexistence of iron and blood and tenderness, this is the true nature of a man.
She didn't like her cousin Changfeng, but unfortunately, marriage was a big matter and she had to obey her parents' orders. Whether she was willing or not, she couldn't change it.
On the fifth day after the engagement, Lu Changfeng stayed at the Hu family. Since Lu Changfeng was already engaged to Hu Lingshuang, the elders did not impose much control on their interactions.
Lu Changfeng was very gentle and polite at first, but gradually his eyes changed when he looked at Hu Lingshuang.
Hu Lingshuang was young and didn't know what his eyes meant, but she instinctively sensed the danger and began to avoid Lu Changfeng intentionally or unintentionally.
It was a clear and crisp autumn day. Hu Lingshuang took her maid Liuli to pick chrysanthemums in the back garden. They were picking flowers and talking at the same time, but suddenly they could no longer hear Liuli's voice.
Looking back, I saw Lu Changfeng's servant covering Liuli's mouth and dragging her away.
Hu Lingshuang felt something was wrong and started running. Unfortunately, she was delicate and weak, so she was stopped by Lu Changfeng after running only a dozen steps and was held in his arms.
Lu Changfeng held her body tightly, kissed her cheek, and said vaguely: "Shuang'er, we are already engaged, and we have to have sex anyway, so you should obey me as soon as possible."
Although the Hu family is not a wealthy family, the daughters in the family all grew up reading "The Rules for Women". How could Hu Lingshuang accept premarital infidelity?
She lowered her head and bit Lu Changfeng's arm hard. Lu Changfeng felt pain but did not let go. He bent down, hooked Hu Lingshuang's knees, and carried her to the pavilion for enjoying the scenery.
Hu Lingshuang will never forget that day, a day filled with pain and humiliation.
The memories were so painful that she could not have sex with Lu Changfeng for a long time after getting married. Lu Changfeng coveted her beauty and was willing to accommodate her at first, but as time went on, his true colors showed and he spent nine out of ten days sleeping in brothels.
Hu Lingshuang originally thought that her life would be wasted like this, until that moonlit night when Lu Changfeng returned to Bihua Tower drunk and wanted to force himself on her. She ran to the secluded Qianlin Garden alone.
The moon was as bright as a mirror and the stars were shining brightly. Under the moonlight, Lu Lin held a long sword in his hand with an imposing manner. The sword was as graceful as a flying dragon and pierced into Hu Lingshuang's heart in an instant.
She suddenly recalled Lu Lin's youthful adventures in the martial arts world. The martial arts world was full of heroes, and back then he must have been even more unrestrained and cheerful than he was now.
"The silver saddle shines on the white horse, which gallops like a meteor. It kills one person every ten steps and leaves no trace in a thousand miles." He is her hero.
Something broke free from its restraints and began to wreak havoc within her body. Hu Lingshuang looked at Lu Lin, her body and mind filled with desire.
After that night, she changed completely and became the knowledgeable and charming wife in Lu Changfeng's mind. She learned and understood a lot about matters in bed.
Finally, after a banquet, she applied what she had learned to Lu Lin.
She did something wrong, but she won't change. She just followed her heart and did what she loved most with the one she loved.
What did she do wrong?
Lu Changfeng can sleep with many women, so why should she stay with him?
Anyway, the incident has already happened, and Lu Changfeng will probably not let her go. She has been carefully flattering him for so long, and now she won't have to deal with him against her will anymore.
Hu Lingshuang looked at Lu Changfeng with a sarcastic smile and said in a calm voice, "Guess why I had an affair with Lu Lin even when I was pregnant. It's because he is better than you and more manly than you.
I got everything from him that I couldn't get from you. So naturally, I've become addicted to it and don't want to leave."
Lu Changfeng was so enraged by Hu Lingshuang that he trembled all over, wishing he could eat her flesh and blood. Hu Lingshuang had already committed a heinous crime, and it would have been fine if she hadn't asked for his forgiveness, but she actually dared to insult him.
She lives such a comfortable life that she doesn't even know the immensity of the world.
He had to teach her a lesson.
"Bring me my whip." Lu Changfeng roared, and the servant hurriedly presented his whip to him.
Lu Changfeng picked up the whip and lashed Hu Lingshuang fiercely, scolding her as he whipped her: "Bitch, I'm going to beat you to death, you bitch! Wait until I break your legs, and I'll see how you can still be in heat."
The long whip lashed at her body, like being fried in oil and burned by fire, the pain was excruciating. Hu hunched over, sweat dripping from the pain.
Even so, she refused to show weakness. She clenched her teeth and refused to even utter a moan.
Seeing her like this, Lu Changfeng became even more angry. Frustration and humiliation made him lose his mind. The strength in his hands became stronger and stronger, and the sound of the whip hitting the flesh was crackling.
Hu Lingshuang's face became paler and paler, and her breathing became so weak that it was almost inaudible.
"Third Master, stop hitting me. If you continue, Third Grandma will die." Liuli knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Lu Changfeng.
Lu Changfeng remained unmoved and continued to move his hands.
"Stop!" When Hu Lingshuang was about to die, Lu Lin walked in.
Lu Changfeng looked at Lu Lin. Although he was over forty, Lu Lin did not have the air of old age or decay. He stood straight and dignified, and was not inferior to young people.
Look at Lu Changfeng himself. He has been bedridden since he was seriously injured and now he can't even walk. Compared with Lu Lin, the difference is obvious.
He sneered secretly. No matter how useless he was, he was still Hu Lingshuang's legitimate husband. No matter how high-spirited Lu Lin was, he could only meet Hu Lingshuang secretly.
He stared at Lu Lin and said sinisterly, "Does a father even want to interfere in his son's bedroom affairs?"
Lu Lin didn't look at Lu Changfeng, only at Hu Lingshuang. Shuang'er, once as bright and beautiful as a lotus, was now barely breathing, her life hanging by a thread, all thanks to him.
He walked to the bedside, bent down and took Hu Lingshuang into his arms, turned his eyes to look at Lu Changfeng, and whispered: "Hu, I want it.
From now on, there will be no Third Madam in the mansion, only Concubine Shuang of the Marquis of Xinyang."
His voice was not loud, but it was powerful.
Lu Changfeng stared at Lu Lin in disbelief. He watched helplessly as Lu Lin walked out of the room, holding Hu Lingshuang.
The door slowly closed, and Lu Changfeng finally realized what had happened.
He growled, raised his cane, and smashed all the ornaments around him to the ground. The servants stood outside the door, no one dared to step forward to persuade him.
It was dark, completely dark.
Aunt Hu walked slowly over and looked at her son who was like a trapped beast, a trace of pain flashing in her eyes.
She walked over to Lu Changfeng, snatched the cane from his hand, and said softly, "It's already happened. Even if you smash everything in the house, it won't help."
Lu Changfeng knew this truth, but Lu Lin had taken away his Shuang'er, his wife. Even though he liked to flirt with other women, no one could replace Hu Lingshuang's position in his heart.
He sobbed softly and fell into Aunt Hu's arms, crying inconsolably.
Aunt Hu gently stroked Lu Changfeng's hair and said softly, "Your father took your wife away from you, so he must feel guilty towards you."
“Why don’t we take advantage of his guilt, seize Zhao’s stewardship, and wipe out both the Zhao and Jiang families in one fell swoop?
When the time comes, you can marry a noble lady and have children with her. Then, won’t this mansion be in the hands of mother and son?"
"But Shuang'er..." Thinking of Hu, Lu Changfeng felt unwilling.
"Shuang'er, Shuang'er, do you think that Hu Lingshuang is wholeheartedly for you? If I hadn't threatened her mother, she would never have considered you in everything." Aunt Hu didn't expect that Lu Changfeng was still obsessed with Hu after the incident. How could he accomplish anything great if he was so indecisive?
She interrupted Lu Changfeng and continued, "Ms. Hu is such a lewd woman, why are you still thinking about her? I'll marry you a lady from a famous family in a while. With a new lover, you'll naturally forget about Mrs. Hu."
Aunt Hu's logic was clear and her plan was thorough. It was obvious that she had made arrangements long ago. Lu Changfeng looked up at Aunt Hu and said hesitantly, "Aunt, have you known about Shuang'er and father for a long time..."
"So what if I know? The situation is already settled. I have no choice but to exploit your father's guilt to gain some benefits. Do I really have to fight to the death with your father for a woman?"
Aunt Hu argued convincingly, and even though Lu Changfeng felt aggrieved, he couldn't say anything. He lay back on the couch dejectedly and ignored Aunt Hu.
Aunt Hu came out of Bihua Tower and went straight to Lu Lin's study. In stark contrast to Lu Changfeng's furious attitude, she treated Lu Lin with even more tenderness and care than usual.
Aunt Hu walked around behind Lu Lin and massaged his shoulders gently. She glanced to the side and asked softly, "Is Shuang'er feeling better?"
The incident happened suddenly, and Lu Lin had not yet arranged a yard for Hu Lingshuang, so he placed her in the side room of the study.
Lu Lin pressed his brows and whispered, "I finally saved my life."
Aunt Hu sighed deeply and asked with some embarrassment, "Shuang'er is Feng'er's legitimate wife after all. We can't just keep it a secret..."
"Just tell everyone that she died of illness." Lu Lin didn't want to talk about this topic and changed the subject in a few words.
Aunt Hu was sensible. She hadn't come to Lu Lin to seek justice for Lu Changfeng, so she stopped the topic and said tentatively, "Madam has always looked down on me and has been trying to show me her displeasure every now and then. Now Shuang'er is...
Madam will definitely dislike us even more in the future, and I’m afraid our food, clothing, and daily expenses will be cut down.”
Although Aunt Hu didn't say it explicitly, Lu Lin knew what she meant. He had taken Lu Changfeng's wife away, so he had to compensate Lu Changfeng and his son in other ways.
He said, "From now on, you will be the steward of the Xinyang Marquis's Mansion. Go to the mistress's room and get your pair of cards."
In the West Banquet Hall, Zhao threw the cards to Aunt Hu and sneered, "You're really reckless. It's just the steward's right. If you want it, I'll give it to you. Why would you sacrifice your own daughter-in-law?"
After she finished speaking, she felt disgusted even to look at Aunt Hu for one more second, and waved her hand to send her away.
After Aunt Hu left, Zhao took a sedan chair into Xinchun Garden.
She didn't like beating around the bush and said directly to Jiang Shu, "Hu Lan has taken away my housekeeper power. From now on, she will be in charge of everything in the mansion, including food, clothing, housing and transportation. You are pregnant, so don't let her take advantage of you. You must be extremely careful."
Jiang Shu didn't expect that Zhao still cared about her at this time, and a warm feeling surged in her heart.
The mistress's power of housekeeping was taken away by a concubine, which was a great shame and humiliation not only in the homes of nobles but also in the homes of ordinary people.
Jiang Shu looked at Zhao and saw that she was calm, not at all upset by the humiliation. She had always thought Zhao was arrogant and stubborn, but she had never expected that she could face the low situation calmly, which made her admire her.
Zhao seemed to see what Jiang Shu was thinking. She pursed her lips and chuckled softly, saying in a gentle voice, "Inner Courtyard affairs are nothing more than our side finishing their performance and the other side taking the stage. Winning or losing is certainly important, but having your own bottom line and backbone is the foundation of your life.
Hu Lan defeated me today by using Hu Lingshuang, but could he possibly raise another Hu Lingshuang in the future?"
"Men seem to be swirling between women, but in fact they are making choices for their own benefit. The Marquis has taken Lu Changfeng's wife today, so he must appease Lu Changfeng and his mother."
"In the future, if my mother's family puts pressure on him, there's no guarantee he won't give in. Is it glorious for a marquis's mansion to let a concubine be the head of the household? I'm ashamed, and he's even more ashamed. Sooner or later, the power of the steward will have to be handed over to me."
Zhao smiled gently. In her early years, she had been jealous of Hu Lan and they had fought fiercely. It was not until Hu Lingshuang appeared and Hu Lingshuang had an affair with Lu Lin that she realized that she could defeat Hu Lan, but she could not defeat Lu Lin's indecision. In fact, she had been wrong all these years.
Totally wrong!
As long as you don't put your heart on a man, you will become indestructible.
She held Jiang Shu's hand and said softly, "You are still pregnant, don't worry about me. I remember your third sister is about to get married, so you should have a good rest and then happily send her off. The friendship between sisters is much more precious than the love between men and women." After Zhao finished speaking, she walked away, leaving Jiang Shu in deep thought in the room.
Lu Changji had already been tricked by her once, so he would definitely be on guard. Her actions at Jiang Rong's wedding were indeed risky.
But……
She put her hand on her flat belly. She was determined to get pregnant and would not back down even if it meant taking risks.
Being alive is more important than anything else!
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