Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Resist
Zhu'er helped Jiang Shu onto the bed and neatly tucked a soft pillow behind her. She supported Jiang Shu's waist and let her lean against it, whispering, "Grandma, I've lived for more than ten years, and I've never met anyone more open-minded than you."
"When you first married into the Xinyang Marquis's mansion, the Marquis's wife disliked you and was always critical of you. In order to learn the skills of a housekeeper, you bit the bullet and went to Yanxi Hall to endure the Marquis's wife's scolding."
"And the Crown Prince, you didn't like him before, but in order to have someone to rely on in the Marquis' Mansion, you always stayed by his side every day."
"You've endured countless hardships just to live a better life. You know, you don't have to do anything for me. Just give me a smile, and I'll give you the best things in the world. Now that a good life is within reach, why do you keep trying to pick on me?"
Zhu'er is the daughter of a butcher. Although Jiang Shu is a wife of an official, her situation as a child was not much better than Zhu'er's.
Jiang Shu is like a wild grass that can only survive by grasping nutrients and rain. She knows better than anyone how to live a better life and is willing to work hard for a better life.
She has always put herself at the center of her life and has always been trying to please herself.
She liked Lu Changji, but she knew that Lu Changji could not give her a safe and comfortable life, so she decisively gave up Lu Changji and agreed to Ye Qian's proposal.
She did all this just to make herself happier.
Now Lu Changji had snatched her away in public and was keeping a close watch on her, so she could never go back to Ye Qian.
According to her usual selfish habits, she should let go of her worries and obey Lu Changji, so that she can live a decent and comfortable life. But for some reason, she stubbornly wants to confront Lu Changji, wanting to prove something, but she doesn't know what to prove?
She didn't know what she was thinking.
Jiang Shu also knew that she was a little twisted. But she couldn't find the reason for her twist, and her heart was in turmoil and tangled.
Jiang Shu just wanted some peace and quiet.
She looked at Zhu'er and whispered, "Go out, I want to be alone."
Zhu'er said no more and quietly retreated out of the house.
Jiang Shu lay flat on the couch and covered herself with a quilt. She had been sleeping on the same bed with Lu Changji these days. Lu Changji was in good health, like a furnace. Although he did not sleep in the same quilt with her, the couch was still steaming hot. Now Jiang Shu was the only one on the couch. She turned over inadvertently, and only the coolness remained.
Lu Changji did not return home all night.
The next day, after Jiang Shu finished her breakfast, she was helped by Zhu'er to get into the carriage. She had to help Rong'er.
As soon as Jiang Shu stepped into the carriage, she saw Lu Changji sitting inside making tea.
His posture was straight, but his eyes were dark and blue, and his pupils were filled with tiny red bloodshot, obviously he had not slept all night.
He is always busy nowadays.
Jiang Shu stood at the door of the carriage, her arms crossed over her chest, her back tense, in a defensive posture.
Lu Changji knew that she was still unhappy about what happened yesterday.
Lu Changji sighed secretly, raised his arm and waved to Jiang Shu, saying softly, "Come sit next to me, I'll take you to the Lin family."
He is the Prime Minister of the dynasty and has great power now. With him seeing her off, the Lin family will naturally treat her as a guest of honor and will never dare to show any disrespect to her.
Jiang Shu entered the carriage as she was told. She did not want to get close to Lu Changji, so she sat across from him across the tea table.
The water on the small red clay stove began to boil. Lu Changji picked up the teapot and poured the water into the teacup. The boiling water stimulated the aroma of the white tea, and the lingering tea fragrance lingered in the carriage.
Lu Changji handed the teacup to Jiang Shu and said in a stiff voice, "I was wrong last night. Please don't get angry with me. I won't lose my temper with you again."
He was like a bamboo, noble and solitary, and he would only bow to her.
Jiang Shu's eyelashes trembled. Looking at Lu Changji's tired expression, she took the tea from his hand.
Neither of them was a noisy person. After Jiang Shu took the tea, the matter was settled. They stopped talking and the car was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Jiang Shu has become increasingly slim these days, with a slender waist that can be held in one hand. As the carriage moves forward, her waist sways gently. Lu Changji feels a little distressed. He wants to hold her in his arms, but thinking of her resistance to him, he restrains his impulse.
All the way in silence!
About a quarter of an hour later, the carriage stopped at the door of the Lin family. Lu Changji got off the carriage first. He lifted the curtain, stretched out his arm to Jiang Shu, and asked Jiang Shu to help him get off the carriage.
Gentle and considerate, the envy of others.
Jiang Shu put her hand on Lu Changji's forearm. His arm was strong and powerful, and he helped her get off the carriage steadily.
After Jiang Shu stood still, Lu Changji said, "I've been busy with government affairs recently and can't get away, so I won't accompany you in. You should take care of yourself and don't get tired."
Jiang Shu nodded and watched him leave.
The fact that Lu Changji personally sent Jiang Shu to the Lin family naturally could not be hidden from the eyes and ears of the second branch of the Lin family. Zhang and Wei got together to talk about it.
Zhang said, "A nameless widow, what's so great about her? Is she afraid that others won't know she's having an affair with her uncle? What a shameless thing!"
Wei quickly chimed in, "That's right. Even a legitimately married lady like us wouldn't want to take up our husband's time, fearing it would interfere with his official duties. She doesn't seem to be concerned about Lord Lu's future at all. In my opinion, if Lord Lu really married her, his career would be affected."
"It's a minor matter if it affects your future, but if it's like the previous one, being killed by the enemy would be terrible!"
Zhang and Wei had a good chat, and then Zhang said, "I think Jiang Shu is a bit of a nitpicker. We are relatives to her second sister after all. If we don't give her a welcome gift when she comes to visit, will she secretly plot against us and ask Prime Minister Lu to make things difficult for our master?"
Wei agreed with this, so the two sisters-in-law each sent a maid to give Jiang Shu a gift.
Jiang Shu did not refuse and ordered Zhu'er to put the coral bracelet given by Zhang and the tortoise shell earrings given by Wei into the makeup box.
She knew the principle of returning a favor, but she didn't like Zhang Wei and the others, so she didn't return the favor.
Housekeeper Jiang Shu was personally taught by the Zhao family and is quite capable. In contrast, Jiang Rong lacks some talent. Whether it is hosting banquets or dealing with social interactions, although he has made some progress, he always makes mistakes.
Jiang Shu knew that learning how to be a housekeeper would take time, and it would be difficult for her to live in the Lin family for a long time. She had to ask Jiang Rong's mother-in-law, Fang, to come out.
With Fang's guidance, Jiang Rong will be able to learn it in three to five years.
Jiang Shu asked Jiang Rong, "Where is the old lady practicing in seclusion now?"
Jiang Rong said, "My mother-in-law built a family temple in the back garden. She practices in the temple every day and never gets involved in the mundane world."
Jiang Shu nodded and leaned over to whisper something to Jiang Rong.
Jiang Rong hesitated and whispered, "I'm afraid this will disturb my mother-in-law's peace of mind."
Jiang Shu said, "What I want is to make sure the old lady no longer has the heart to practice in seclusion."
When Fang was young, she was known for her straightforwardness and pride. Even if she wants to live in seclusion now, can she really allow her daughter-in-law to be humiliated by outsiders?
Husband and wife are one, if the daughter-in-law loses face, the son will naturally lose face too. Every mother will always protect her children.
People who enter the Buddhist monastery have no material demands and strive to live a simple lifestyle. Fang was so devoted to Buddhism that he didn't even have a bathroom.
After she finished reading the scriptures, she carried a wooden bucket to the well to fetch water. As she passed by the screen wall, she heard a maid whispering beside her.
One person said, "The young mistress of the Wang family gave birth to a legitimate son. When the mistress came to the Wang family for a banquet, she only brought a small gilded locket as a gift. That locket is so light that it could be blown away by a gust of wind. Although the young mistress of the Wang family doesn't say anything, who knows how she's probably making fun of our mistress behind her back!"
"No wonder people say it's better to marry a maid from a wealthy family than a girl from a humble family. Madam is of low birth, and her behavior is very petty. I think it won't be long before Madam will disgrace the Lin family."
Another person chimed in at the right moment, "That's right. Yesterday, the Yu family held a funeral, and the wife went to pay her respects. Guess what she was wearing? She was wearing an apricot-colored Hangzhou silk jacket embroidered with daffodils. Funerals are the most solemn of things, and who would wear an apricot-colored dress to a funeral? It would be laughable if anyone told anyone about it."
Fang tightened her grip on the bucket, but remained silent as she walked silently to the well and drew half a bucket of water.
Only when she returned to the Buddhist hall with the bucket did the maids behind the screen wall breathe a sigh of relief. They were house-born children and had seen Fang's methods. Fang managed the household with both firmness and flexibility. She was usually kind and decent, but if a servant made a mistake, she would punish him decisively.
If they slandered their master in private, it would be fine if Fang didn't care, but if they got angry, they would not be able to bear it.
The maid returned to the side courtyard and told Jiang Shu everything that had just happened: "After hearing what I said, the Madam paused for a moment, and then went to the well to fetch water as usual."
Jiang Shu nodded. The ice is three feet thick and it didn't freeze overnight. She never expected that a few words from the servants could persuade Fang to return to the mortal world.
Just wait and let her make some careful plans, and finally let Fang guide Jiang Rong step by step.
Jiang Shu yawned and turned her head to look at the clock. It was still very early.
She took off the pair of red gold bracelets on her hands and handed one to each of the two maids. She said in a deep voice, "You can go back now. No one else can know about what happened today. If the news gets out, you won't be able to stay in Bianjing anymore."
Jiang Shu and Lu Changji had been together for a long time, and she was imbued with his aura. Her calm demeanor was surprisingly similar to Lu Changji's.
The maid was startled and quickly said yes, then slowly walked out of the room. After everyone left, Jiang Shu could no longer hold on, she lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.
Fengzao Palace was brightly lit, and the colorful colored tiles reflected brilliant light.
Yang Zhaoyue ate a lychee, and the fresh juice burst in his mouth, extremely sweet.
She looked at Lu Changji with a smile and said, "The lychees today are very fresh. You should try some too."
Lu Changji waved his hand and refused, "I have a strong liver fire, so I shouldn't eat lychees."
Lu Changji didn't like to eat lychees, so Yang Zhaoyue didn't try to persuade him. She ate a few more lychees and said, "Thanks to you, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to eliminate Lu's party so quickly."
After battling the Lu family for so many years, Yang Zhaoyue could finally rest easy. From now on, no one could hold her back.
After Lu Changji returned to Bian Jing, he sent his confidants to Longyuan. There were many remnants of Lu's party in Longyuan. His confidant Bai Yue used himself as bait to lure out all the remnants of Lu's party and wiped them out in one fell swoop.
Bai Yue was seriously injured and was in a coma for two days. He has not yet regained consciousness.
Lu Changji frowned slightly. "This is Bai Yue's achievement. I dare not take credit for it. I hope Your Majesty will reward Bai Yue handsomely so that he will not suffer in vain."
Yang Zhaoyue agreed. She was always willing to listen to Lu Changji when it came to state affairs. Apart from the emperor, only Lu Changji was reliable.
Yang Zhaoyue felt a little sleepy. She turned her head to look at the clock and found it was already so late.
She instructed Zhang Pei: "Yuntai Courtyard has been uninhabited for a long time. Ask someone to burn some incense so that Xue Ji won't feel uncomfortable when she goes to bed."
It is only two hours away from the court session. In the past, when encountering such a situation, Lu Changji would sleep in Yuntai Courtyard to avoid the hassle of going back and forth.
This time, Lu Changji declined Yang Zhaoyue's offer: "I'd rather not trouble you, Great Eunuch. I have people waiting for me at home, so it's not appropriate for me to stay overnight."
Yang Zhaoyue thought without hesitation: "It's so late, why are you..."
She suddenly thought of something and stopped talking, forcing a smile: "It's really different now. With a warm and soft jade at home, why should you endure the cold and lonely bed? Xue Ji, you can be said to have waited for the clouds to clear and the moon to shine."
Yang Zhaoyue's voice was very faint, like the clouds in the sky, which seemed to be blown away by the wind.
The night birds were chirping, and Jiang Shu was awakened by the sound. She felt a little cold. It was not the time to turn on the floor heating yet, and the bed beside her was always cold.
"Pearl, give me a hot water bottle," she murmured softly.
Jiang Shu turned over as she spoke, and felt a chill again. She shivered, and at this moment, a warm chest came from behind and hugged her tightly.
The body was hot and full of a man's unique aggressiveness. Jiang Shu moved slightly, and a hoarse voice sounded behind her ear: "Shu'er, don't move."
He just wanted to accompany her, but he had no resistance to her and could not help but be moved.
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