Chapter 65 I Want to Marry Jiang Shu
Zhao pretended not to notice the guest's unusual behavior. She waved warmly at Jiang Shu and said softly, "Shu'er, it's cold. Come to your mother quickly. I'm burning silver charcoal here, so it's warmer than anywhere else."
Zhao was so affectionate to Jiang Shu, obviously she loved her like her own daughter. Jiang's reputation was ruined, but with Zhao protecting her, her future would not be bad.
Several women who were used to changing their attitudes according to the situation came forward to talk to Jiang Shu.
Jiang Shu still looked calm and composed. She neither ignored the guests who talked to her nor was she overly enthusiastic. She had a very good sense of proportion.
Several older women were watching from the side, thinking that Jiang was calm and generous, neither humble nor arrogant. What a pity, if it weren't for that incident, she would have been a good manager of the household.
Jiang Shu didn't understand poetry, so she just watched others playing the flying flower game silently. After one round, the servants reported that Madam Wen and the wife of Minister Lin had arrived.
Mrs. Wen is Lin Yunzhi's aunt. According to legend, Mr. Wen's official position is not as high as Lu Changji's, and Jiang Rong is a younger generation. Zhao Shi does not need to greet the guests. Thinking of the relationship between Jiang Shu and the two of them, she personally greeted them at the door of the flower hall.
Mrs. Wen warmly took Zhao's hand and said affectionately, "It's so cold it could freeze your fingers off. What are you doing out here, Madam? Come back inside quickly."
Zhao said, "I'm so happy that my sister is here. It's nothing to walk a few steps to greet her."
Both of them were wives who had been in charge of the household for many years and had a lot of polite words to say. They exchanged pleasantries as they entered the house.
Jiang Rong stood there feeling a little lost. Jiang Shu walked up to her at the right time and brought her into the flower hall.
Due to years of habit, Jiang Rong felt at ease as long as Jiang Shu was around. She straightened her back, smiled, and slowly sat down at the eight-immortals table.
Everyone in the house is a married woman, but there are differences between women. The older wives who have been daughters-in-law for many years have become mothers-in-law and have more say in the family. The young brides dare not even breathe in front of them.
Zhao was a very considerate woman. She smiled and said, "The bride is shy. I'm afraid she won't be able to enjoy herself with us old ladies around. We've prepared a feast in the side rooms. You can go there and have fun."
A few words removed the shackles from the young women. The brides were overjoyed, but they did not dare to act presumptuously in the presence of their elders. They only knew that they had to serve their elders and did not dare to enjoy themselves privately. Zhao invited them several times before they finally climbed down the pole.
The guests were divided into two groups. The older women were entertained by Zhao, and the younger ones were naturally handed over to Jiang Shu. Jiang Shu led the women to the side room and placed Jiang Rong at the main table.
Jiang Rong usually dresses simply, but today she wore a thin persimmon-colored jacket embroidered with passionflowers. The bright color made her look charming, and she attracted a lot of people's attention as soon as she entered the door.
Wei, the sister-in-law from the next room, had been hoping that Jiang Rong would be killed by Lin Yunzhi since she came into the house. Unexpectedly, not only was Jiang Rong not killed, but she and Lin Yunzhi were a loving couple, with a rosy complexion, obviously always well-nourished.
Wei's background was far superior to Jiang Rong's. Her husband wasn't as ambitious as Lin Yun, but he was also a playboy. There were five of them in her room alone, and except for the fifteenth day of each month, none of them ever entered her room. Wei was at the age of a wolf and a tiger, and after so much time away from home, she felt like a web was forming between her legs.
Thinking of her own experience, Wei hated Jiang Rong even more. It was okay for others to live well, but why should Jiang Rong live better than her?
She and her sister-in-law Zhang looked at each other, and saw the unwillingness in each other's eyes. They pursed their lips in understanding, intending to embarrass Jiang Rong.
Wei said, "Sixth brother's wife looks very pretty today. Look at her complexion. It's not an exaggeration to say that she is radiant."
Hearing Wei's words, Jiang Rong instinctively tensed up, as if facing a formidable enemy. She didn't know what Wei was up to, but being modest was always a good idea. She stiffened her body and said, "Third sister-in-law, you're joking. How can I, with my humble appearance, compare to your beauty?"
Zhang chimed in at the right moment, "We are all married women. Now that we're married, our looks should be put aside. The most important thing is to raise our children."
She glanced at Jiang Rong and said, "Sixth sister-in-law, there is no mansion more magnificent than the Xinyang Marquis's Mansion. Why don't you bring Xiaojie here today to experience the charm of a large family?"
"My sister can't go out and explore the world like my brother can. Whether her horizons are broad or not depends on her stepmother. If her stepmother is intentionally keeping secrets, the sister she raises will probably be unpresentable. She won't even know how to interact with people. When she gets married in the future, she will be despised by her husband's family."
Xiao Jie'er was the descendant of Lin Yunzhi's deceased wife. She was two years old at the time and had a four-year-old brother, Ke Ge'er.
Zhang's words were ambiguous. She first hinted that Jiang Rong was selfish and unwilling to bring Xiao Jie'er to see the world. Then she ridiculed Jiang Rong for coming from a poor family, not knowing how to deal with people, and not being able to bear the responsibility of being the mistress of the house.
Jiang Rong quietly raised her eyelids to look at the expressions of everyone present. As expected, most of them looked at her with a half-smile, as if they despised her background, and also seemed to condemn her for being an unkind mother and deliberately mistreating the child left behind by her.
Jiang Rong was so angry that her face turned red. She wanted to refute, but she was not articulate enough. She struggled for a long time and didn't know what to say. The breath was stuck in her chest, making her feel heartbroken.
Jiang Shu quietly squeezed Jiang Rong's hand, then looked up at Zhang and said with a smile, "Third Aunt Lin is such a joker. How old is Xiao Jie? She's only two years old and can't even speak clearly. Even if Sixth Aunt brought her to the Lu family, she would probably be useless except for crying and annoying others."
"But Second Madam Lin and Third Madam Lin, I remember that you both have concubines' daughters waiting to be married, girls around eleven or twelve years old, who are at the age that needs experience. Why don't you bring them to the feast?"
Jiang Shu smiled meaningfully as she spoke: "Are you two grandmothers afraid that your concubine's daughter will grow up and marry into a good family?"
There are many different people, and among the official wives, there are many legitimate mothers who suppress concubines' daughters. Jiang Shu turned the situation around with just a few words, and the female guest turned her eyes to Wei and Zhang.
Xu Hanlin's grandmother was quick-witted. She looked at Wei and said, "Third grandmother, I remember that your Lian Jie is thirteen years old this year, as young as a flower, but I have never even seen her. You really hide her very well." Lian Jie looked like her concubine Chen, who was the cause of trouble. She was also very knowledgeable in literature and had both good looks and talent. If she was taken out, who knows who would take a fancy to her.
Chen was not one of those lowly people. She came from a merchant family and was originally loved by the master. If Lian Jie'er married into a higher-class family, Chen might be able to surpass Wei. In order to consolidate her position, Wei kept Lian Jie'er hidden tightly and never gave her a chance to show her face.
Jiang Shu hit the snake at its most vulnerable part, which made Wei very embarrassed. She was not the type to suffer a loss, so she spoke without thinking.
"Jiang, what kind of occasion do you think this is? We are the grandma talking, how can you, an unknown and unchaste person, interrupt?"
"If you still have any sense of shame, you should go back to the backyard and hide. I don't know where you got the nerve to show yourself in public."
Jiang Shu had just mentioned Zhang, and Zhang naturally wouldn't just sit there and watch. She quickly agreed with Wei: "Your sister-in-law is absolutely right. If I were Jiang, having lost face in front of so many people, I would definitely not live in humiliation. I would definitely hang myself to prove my innocence."
Zhang's words were truly vicious and sharp. It was not uncommon for women to quarrel with each other, but it was very rare for them to want to force someone to death.
The guests in the house were all grandmothers who were carried in sedan chairs carried by eight men. Because of their positions, they were originally inclined towards Zhang, but after hearing what Zhang said, they couldn't help but feel scared. They were all women, and Jiang was kidnapped without her own will. Why did Zhang insist on forcing people into a desperate situation?
Mrs. Lin, although she looks virtuous, is actually vicious at heart. No wonder she didn't bring her concubine's daughter to the banquet.
The veins on Jiang Shu's temples twitched twice. She stood up suddenly and stared at Zhang with such a terrifying aura that Zhang's legs went weak in fear.
Zhang felt a little guilty and took two steps back, shouting, "Jiang, what do you want to do? Even if I said something wrong, I'm still Madam Hou's guest. Are you trying to kick me out?"
Jiang Shu glared at her angrily. Before she could say anything, she heard a sharp male voice coming from outside the door: "Come here, tie up Zhang and Wei's hands and feet and throw them outside the gate."
Everyone looked outside the door following the sound, and saw a man in a bright red crane robe striding into the house.
The man had an extremely fair complexion and handsome features. His elegant demeanor blurred the boundaries of his age. No one could guess his age, but just by looking at the crane patch on his official uniform, they knew he was undoubtedly the Prime Minister of the current dynasty, Lu Changji.
They held their breath and watched as Lu Changji walked step by step to Jiang's side. He gently held Jiang's hand in his palm and said softly, "Why are your hands so cold? Are you frozen?"
Jiang pulled her hand away from Lu Changji's palm with a cold expression, saying, "I don't feel cold, I'm just a little angry."
The two chatted for a few words as if no one was around. At this time, four burly old women came in. They were holding ropes and without saying a word, they put the ropes, which were as thick as candles, around the necks of Zhang and Wei. No one knew how they did it, but they tied up Wei and Zhang in no time.
Wei and Zhang were dissatisfied. They were wives of officials and had only had a few words with Jiang. Even if Lu Changji had all the power, he should not have tied them up. Wasn't he afraid that the one in Fengzao Palace would be jealous of him protecting Jiang like this?
Wei's heart was in turmoil and she was indignant. Although she was very angry, she did not have the courage to challenge Lu Changji. She was carried out of the room by two maids like an animal.
There were a lot of guests at the banquet hosted by the Xinyang Marquis' Mansion. I don't know how many people saw Zhang and Wei along the way. They were completely humiliated and didn't know how they could face people in the future.
Because they had offended Lu Changji, they would be scolded by their husbands when they returned home. They were really in a difficult situation. The more they thought about it, the sadder they became. They burst into tears and didn't know how to deal with it.
Zhang Wei and the other man had already been thrown out of the Xinyang Marquis' Mansion, but the side room was still very quiet and no one dared to speak.
Lu Changji raised his teacup, glanced at the crowd, and said gently, "I have offended you all. I will drink a cup myself to apologize."
The women present did not dare to accept Lu Changji's apology and refused it one after another, saying that Zhang and Wei were of bad character and had vicious intentions, and that they deserved the punishment.
Lu Changji remained silent and continued, "There is something I need to do to clear Shu'er's name.
Shu'er is not a woman who cannot see the light of day, nor is she my plaything. She is my most cherished treasure. As long as she agrees, I will gather all the treasures in the world as a betrothal gift and bring her home with great fanfare.
"Shu'er and I share honor and disgrace. Disrespecting Shu'er is disrespecting me. I hope you will consider the appropriate degree of discretion."
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