Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Resignation
Time flies, and the New Year is approaching. The Xinyang Marquis Mansion is decorated with lights and is filled with a festive atmosphere everywhere.
Zhu'er ran happily into the house holding a box and said to Jiang Shu with a smile, "Grandma, Master Ye has returned to the capital. This is the festival gift he asked me to bring to you."
Upon learning that Ye Qian had returned to Beijing, Jiang Shu's guilt finally subsided a little. She opened the box and saw a glittering golden lock, a pair of silver bracelets carved with koi fish, and a bamboo dragonfly inside.
These things were all toys for young children. Jiang Shu knew that they were gifts from Ye Qian to the fetus in her womb.
She stroked the bamboo dragonfly and couldn't help but tear up. When she was young, Aunt Lin was in financial difficulty and the Ye family was also impoverished. Jiang Shu and Ye Qian didn't have expensive toys, so they often played with bamboo dragonflies together. They would put the handle of the bamboo dragonfly in their palms, rub their hands together, and the bamboo dragonfly would fly out.
Jiang Shu's bamboo dragonfly always flew higher and farther than Ye Qian's, and she was proud of it for a while. Later, she realized that it was not because Ye Qian was incompetent, but because Ye Qian always gave in to her.
Jiang Shu put the box in the bedside table and locked it with a copper lock. When the child was born, she would definitely let the child play with these toys.
When an official returned to Beijing after being exiled, it was customary for the master to host a banquet to strengthen relationships with his colleagues, and the mistress of the house had to host a banquet to invite friends to come and drink. Ye Qian was not married, so his mother arranged the banquet.
The Ye family had been prosperous in the past, so hosting a banquet was not a difficult task for Ye's mother. She first drew up a guest list. The male guests were easy to consider, but the female guests were some of Ye Qian's colleagues when he worked in the Hanlin Academy, so it was a bit difficult to deal with them.
Mother Ye first wrote down a few names, and then began to consider whether to invite Jiang Shu. Selfishly, she naturally wanted Jiang Shu to have a meal at home, but thinking of Jiang Shu's current status, she was afraid that Jiang Shu's visit would make Lu Changji unhappy. If Lu Changji was unhappy, what if Jiang Shu suffered?
After much deliberation, Ye's mother finally crossed out Jiang Shu's name.
Ye Qian was an upright official with noble character. Many people came to the banquet held by the Ye family, and the flower hall was packed with guests, making it very lively.
Jiang Shu knew that Ye's mother would not send her an invitation, but she didn't mind. She got up early, washed and dressed, and asked Fang Yu to comb her hair into a dignified lotus bun. She put on a lilac purple embroidered wide-sleeved shirt with twined branches, and took a sedan chair to go out.
When we arrived at the Chuihua Gate, we saw Lu Changying feeding the fish with her head down, her posture graceful, like the pomegranate flowers blooming freely in June.
Lu Changying had long anticipated that Jiang Shu would go out, so she waited at the Chuihua Gate after breakfast. When she finally saw her, she felt a little embarrassed, and a slight blush appeared on her fair face.
She walked to the sedan chair and asked Jiang Shu in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, are you going out?"
Jiang Shu said yes, but before she could say anything else, she heard Lu Changying continue, "Sister-in-law, are you going to the Ye family? Can you take me with you?"
Jiang Shu waved to Lu Changying and said, "Come up quickly, sister. It's cold outside. Come in and warm up."
Lu Changying looked at Jiang Shu and saw that Jiang Shu had a noble temperament, fair skin with a rosy glow, and was as graceful as a peony, and very beautiful.
She felt that she could never compare to Jiang Shu, and she couldn't help but feel discouraged. She just wanted to stay away from Jiang Shu, to make her look like nothing compared to her.
Lu Changying declined Jiang Shu's offer: "I'd better take my own sedan chair. My sedan chair is fumigated with orange scent. I like the scent of sweet orange."
Jiang Shu did not comment. She and Lu Changying sat in a sedan chair, walking towards the Ye family one after the other.
Jiang Shu was kidnapped by Lu Changji on the street. Not only did she lose face, but Lu Changji and Ye Qian also became the topic of conversation among people.
Jiang Shu didn't want to embarrass Ye Qian, so she ordered the sedan bearers to carry the sedan to the back door of Ye's house.
The gatekeeper, Old Wu, was Ye's father's servant when he was young. He was a loyal person. After the Ye family fell, he still stayed at the Ye family, not seeking fame and fortune, but only wanting to be loyal to his master.
Old Wu saw how Jiang Shu took care of Ye's mother and Ye Qian, and he admired Jiang Shu very much. When he saw Jiang Shu, he immediately invited her into the yard.
Jiang Shu didn't go into the front yard, but sat in the back room drinking tea.
Lu Changying looked around. The Ye family's backyard was old and the wall was very old, but there were patterns carved on the wall and the ground was swept clean, which showed that it was a very orderly family.
After entertaining the guests, Ye's mother wanted to go back to her room for a nap. When she turned around the screen wall, she ran into Old Wu.
Old Wu bowed to Ye's mother and said gently, "Madam, the eldest daughter of the Jiang family is here and is sitting in the back room drinking tea."
Mother Ye's eyebrows lit up with joy, and she whispered, "It's so cold, why is she staying in the back room? Go and invite her to the flower hall, so she won't freeze herself."
When Jiang Shu was ten years old, Yang withheld her charcoal fire. She lived in a cold room for the entire winter and got frostbite all over her body. Frostbite is the most likely to relapse. Jiang Shu had finally recovered her skin, and she couldn't let the same mistake happen again.
Jiang Shu and Lu Changying entered the warm room together. When Ye's mother saw Lu Changying, she was very impressive and thought that she must be an important person, so she raised her arm and invited her to take a seat.
Lu Changying simply said she didn't dare. She pointed at Jiang Shu and said, "I'm the only daughter of the Marquis of Xinyang. I'll follow my sister-in-law and call the old lady aunt. I'm a junior, how dare I take the main seat? Aunt should take the seat!"
Seeing that Lu Changying was well-mannered and well-educated, Ye's mother did not bother to be polite with her and sat in the main seat.
Mother Ye exchanged a few pleasantries with Lu Changying, then turned her gaze to Jiang Shu and said, "Are you feeling better now?"
Ye's mother knew that Jiang Shu had originally intended to borrow sperm from Lu Changji, but she didn't expect that by some strange coincidence, Jiang Shu really became pregnant with Lu Changji's child.
Jiang Shu said: "When I first got pregnant, I felt very uncomfortable for a few days, but now I am fine."
Mother Ye was still worried and continued to ask, "Did you sleep well? Did you eat well? Pregnancy is hard for women, so you must take care of yourself."
Jiang Shu said, "I slept well and ate well. Auntie, don't worry about me. But you, after such a long journey, are you feeling well enough?"
Mother Ye said, "Since Qian'er entered the government, precious medicinal herbs have been brought home like water. I take them every day, so how can my health be bad?"
Perhaps it was because people were in high spirits when good things happened, Ye Qian was promoted, and Ye's mother's face looked rosy.
Knowing that both parties were fine, Jiang Shu and Ye's mother were relieved. Lu Changying was a guest, and Ye's mother couldn't treat her coldly. She said, "My cook learned how to make 馎蘋 in the west. She mixes the noodles in advance, lets them rise for an hour, and uses chicken broth as the base. When the chicken broth boils, she rolls the noodles into wide sheets and cooks them in the broth. When they're cooked, sprinkle them with chopped green onions and drizzle with sesame oil. They're very delicious. Miss Lu, would you like to try some?"
Lu Changying was used to eating delicacies from land and sea, and was very interested in the steamed buns that Ye's mother mentioned. She wanted to agree, but she was afraid that if she agreed too quickly, it would give Ye's mother the impression that she was greedy. She was in a dilemma for a while and didn't know what to do.
At this time, Jiang Shu's voice rang in her ears: "Auntie's words have aroused my appetite. Sister, please eat a bowl with me."
The steps were placed in front of him, and Lu Changying stepped on them. About a quarter of an hour later, the cook brought two bowls of fragrant steamed buns to the warm room. Jiang Shu had an empty stomach, so she ate most of the bowl. The taste of the steamed buns was really to her liking.
After dinner, I heard footsteps stopping in front of the door. It was Ye Qian.
Ye Qian asked through the curtain: "Is Sister Shu'er here?"
Jiang Shu said, "I came to see my aunt. Seeing that she is in good health, I feel relieved."
Ye's mother was inside the house, and since they knew each other well, there was no need to avoid suspicion. Ye Qian lifted the door curtain and was about to go in when he heard Ye's mother say, "There are distinguished guests in the house. Qian'er, don't be rude."
After hearing what Ye's mother said, Ye Qian knew that there was an unmarried woman in the house. He was a polite man and would not do anything rude, so he stopped and turned into the front yard.
It was a good thing that the mother and son of the Ye family knew etiquette, but Lu Changying felt empty and the steamed buns in the bowl no longer tasted good.
It gets dark early in winter. After dinner, Jiang Shu talked with Ye's mother for a while before returning to Xinyang Marquis Mansion. When she returned to Canaan Courtyard, it was already getting dark. She originally wanted to go back to the bedroom for a nap, but she didn't expect that Zhao was waiting to talk to her in the flower hall.
"Mother, if you have something to say, just let the servants pass it on. Why did you come here in person?" Jiang Shu took off her cloak and sat down below Zhao.
Zhao glanced at Jiang Shu's slightly bulging belly and whispered, "I know you're upset and blame Xue Ji for forcing you to the Xinyang Marquis' Mansion.
But you are already pregnant and will soon show your pregnancy. It is not good to follow Xue Ji without any status. If you continue like this, it will not benefit the child in your belly."
"In my opinion, it would be most appropriate for you to marry Xue Ji in a grand ceremony. That way, your child would be legitimate."
What Zhao said made sense, but if Jiang Shu had to marry Lu Changji in fear, she would never compromise.
Jiang Shu poured a cup of hot tea, held it in both hands and handed it to Zhao, saying gently, "I know Mother is doing this for my own good, but I have my own considerations. Xue Ji is busy with official duties. If he can handle the affairs of the previous dynasty well, I will marry him. If he can't handle it well, I can't compromise."
From what Jiang Shu said, it seemed that she and Lu Changji had put forward some conditions. Zhao was not interested in the twists and turns between them. She only knew that Jiang Shu looked docile, but she was a person with her own ideas. Since Jiang Shu had made up her mind, she didn't need to persuade her anymore.
She did her part, and that was enough.
In the following days, Lu Changji became busier and busier. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, he finally assigned all the government affairs in his hands to capable officials.
He strode into Fengzao Palace with ease.
Yang Zhaoyue was determined and wanted to leave a cool and indifferent impression on Lu Changji, but she didn't expect her eyes to turn red. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and whispered, "Xueji, why did you have to resign and retire for no reason?"
"The prince is still young, and I have such an impatient temper. Without you to protect us from the wind and rain, how can we, an orphan and a widow, deal with the treacherous situation in the court?"
Lu Changji took a step back, knelt on his knees, and bowed solemnly to Yang Zhaoyue. He said in a clear voice: "The Holy Ancestor ascended the throne at the age of eight. When he ascended the throne, Great Britain was in the midst of internal and external troubles. The Holy Ancestor painstakingly planned and achieved a great cause that will last for thousands of years.
The current emperor is the same age as the Holy Ancestor when he ascended the throne. The court is peaceful and prosperous compared to the situation when the Holy Ancestor ascended the throne.
"With the talent and wisdom of the current emperor, he will surely rule the world and create another prosperous era."
Lu Changji spoke loudly, choking Yang Zhaoyue's attempts to persuade him to stay. "I have been in charge of the cabinet for many years, and it is time to return power to Your Majesty. Otherwise, sooner or later, we will be criticized for not being a ruler and not being a minister."
Yang Zhaoyue knew this truth very well. She knew that if Lu Changji withdrew in time, he could save himself, but if Lu Changji retired, how would she survive the rest of her life?
She was the empress dowager, and she enjoyed endless honor, but was also tightly shackled by this honor. She would rarely have the opportunity to leave the palace in the second half of her life. If Lu Changji did not go to the cabinet to discuss matters, they would probably never meet again in this life.
Thinking of this, Yang Zhaoyue's tears, which had just stopped, fell to the ground like pearls.
She sobbed, "Xueji, I don't want you to leave."
He is her fiancé. If the late emperor had not interfered, they would have lived together in harmony for the rest of their lives.
Lu Changji stood up suddenly, distanced himself from Yang Zhaoyue, and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, you have lost your composure."
, turned and walked out the door. Yang Zhaoyue stretched out her hand, wanting to pull Lu Changji's sleeve, but finally let her hand drop.
Lu Changji passed through the Qinzheng Hall and arrived at the Yangxin Hall where the emperor resided. He kowtowed three times and bowed nine times to the emperor as a farewell ceremony.
The young emperor tried to persuade him to stay several times, but seeing that Lu Changji was sincere, he reluctantly agreed.
The young emperor personally escorted Lu Changji to the palace gate. Seeing that the carriage had disappeared, he turned around and walked to Fengzao Palace.
As expected, the empress dowager's eyes were red, like cinnabar, obviously after crying bitterly. She lay on the chaise longue dejectedly, her eyes dull. If someone saw it unawares, they would think that her soul had been taken away by the Prime Minister.
The young emperor narrowed his eyes, a coldness flashing across them. He walked over to Yang Zhaoyue and whispered, "Mother, don't be sad. Although Grand Tutor Lu is gone, there will always be Grand Tutor Zhang and Grand Tutor Li. There will always be someone to teach this son."
"Grandmaster Lu has taught me a great deal and has made great contributions to the stability of our country. I will never let him down and will definitely give him the honor he deserves."
The young emperor paused, his words becoming increasingly slow: "As long as your mother can forget the Grand Tutor, your son will never let you down."
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