Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Find out where Lu Changji hangs out at night...
Lu Changji's eyes were gentle, and his voice was also gentle, without any sharp edges, yet it seemed to contain a tremendous force, making people feel at ease and at ease.
Jiang Shu's anxiety was finally put to rest by his words. She and Lu Changji walked towards the dining room.
Lu Changji was highly trusted by the Zhao family. He could come and go freely in Yanxi Hall and never needed to be informed. But it was different for Jiang Shu. The Marquis's wife clearly wanted to leave her out in the cold, so how could she go into the house with the master?
The maid guarding the door opened her mouth and wanted to stop Jiang Shu, but she caught a glimpse of Lu Changji's warning eyes, so she had to swallow her words and raised her arm to lift the curtain for the two of them.
Zhao had finished her breakfast and was standing by the basin rack washing her hands. When she saw Lu Changji and Jiang Shu come in at the same time, she was stunned for a moment.
Lu Changji appears gentle on the surface, but is actually cold and indifferent in his heart. He never interferes in matters that have nothing to do with him. Why did he bring Jiang Shu into the house for no reason?
Zhao cast a suspicious look at Jiang Shu. Jiang Shu was very graceful, with a waist as thin as a willow branch, a particularly plump chest, and a well-proportioned face. She exuded a unique feminine charm from head to toe. Even without makeup, she was still stunningly beautiful.
Looking at her beautiful face, Zhao Shi suddenly had an absurd idea in her mind. This idea was so horribly unconventional that she simply didn't dare to think about it.
Zhao frowned, thought about it, and felt that her idea was too absurd. Who is Lu Changji? Jiang Shu is not a fairy, and her family background is not good. How could Lu Changji do something intimate for her that is not tolerated by the world?
She was really confused.
Zhao smiled slightly, suppressing her doubts. After having her hands washed and dried by the maid, she said to Lu Changji in a gentle voice, "You are very busy with official duties. If you have anything to say, just let the servants know. Why did you come all this way in such heavy rain?"
Lu Changji said, "It's okay. My son is on leave today, so I rarely have time to pay my respects to you, mother. Please don't be so polite. It's embarrassing for me."
He took out a transfer letter and handed it to Zhao: "I have completed what my mother asked. The cabinet will transfer Supervisor Zhao back to Bianjing soon."
Supervisor Zhao is the nephew of the Zhao family. It should not be difficult to transfer the clan members back to Bian Jing with the power of the Zhao family. However, the six ministries are now checking and balancing each other, and the operation is not as convenient as before.
Moreover, even if the Zhao family used their connections, in the end, the transfer of personnel would still require Lu Changji's approval, so the Zhao family simply entrusted the matter to Lu Changji.
It is not honorable for elders to entrust younger generations with tasks. If Zhao's eldest sister-in-law had not gone to the Xinyang Marquis' Mansion several times, Zhao would not have been able to bring herself to do so.
She smiled awkwardly and said to Lu Changji, "I just got a box of Hui ink. I'll have Mother Zhou send it to Canaan Courtyard later. Come and see if it works for you. If it does, I'll have someone send it to you."
A gift from an elder should not be refused. Lu Changji did not refuse and gladly accepted Zhao's kindness.
He glanced at Jiang Shu standing beside him and suddenly changed the subject: "I see the pine and crane embroidery on the back of this chair is very delicate. My second brother's wife is an expert in this. Do you know what kind of embroidery it is?"
There were chairs on both sides of the embroidery that Lu Changji mentioned. Jiang Shu could only see the embroidery clearly when she sat on the chairs.
She sat down on the chair on the left. With her body supported, her ankles could relax. Jiang Shu breathed a sigh of relief and quietly hid her ankles under the chair and stretched them. When she raised her head, she realized that she and Lu Changji were very close.
Both of them placed their hands on the armrests of the chairs, with the edges of their sleeves overlapping. With just a slight movement, she could touch Lu Changji's arm.
Jiang Shu raised her hand to point at the embroidery on the back of the chair. Her sleeve touched Lu Changji's arm like a feather, then brushed across his cheek, bringing a faint sweetness.
Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest, but Jiang Shu still tried her best to straighten her chest, leaning her body forward, with her waist stretched tightly and connected to her hips, forming a charming and graceful curve.
Her finger pointed at the crane on the back of the chair, and Jiang Shu's voice was like honey: "This pine crane longevity embroidery has bright colors and fine stitches. The back needle presses the tail of the front needle. It must be the Hunan embroidery that came from the Huguang area."
It was originally a question raised by Lu Changji, but after Jiang Shu gave the answer, he never glanced at the back of the chair again. His eyes were deep and no one knew what he was thinking.
After Lu Changji left, Zhao turned her attention to Jiang Shu. Although she denied her previous guess, she still took her anger out on Jiang Shu: "What are you doing in Yanxi Hall so early in the morning?"
Jiang Shu knew her request was very abrupt, but since the time had come, she had to give it a try. She considered it carefully and said, "My daughter-in-law's third sister has reached the age of marriage. She doesn't come from a high-class family, but she is very polite and has a gentle personality. I don't ask for anything else, just that she can marry a husband who understands my feelings.
My mother is well-informed and has a wide range of connections, and she often associates with the wives of wealthy families. I hope you can pay attention to her and help arrange a decent marriage for my third sister."
There is a huge gap in status between the Xinyang Marquis' Mansion and the Jiang family. Even a family that the Zhao family looks down upon is still unattainable for the Jiang family.
Speaking of Jiang Shu, apart from her humble background, she has not made any mistakes since marrying into the Marquis' Mansion. She is also very dedicated in taking care of Lu Changyi, and Lu Changyi is obviously much healthier than before.
Zhao looked down on Jiang Shu, but she had to admit that this daughter-in-law was still to her liking.
Raised by the same mother, the eldest sister is considerate in every way, and the younger sister is probably not much worse.
It is not impossible to help Jiang Rong find a marriage, but when Zhao saw the flat belly under Jiang Shu's slender waist, her anger rose even more.
Hu Lingshuang's belly is getting bigger and bigger. In just a few months, she will have a new baby for the Marquis' Mansion. Lu Lin is so happy that he rewards Hu Lingshuang all day long. Rare medicinal herbs are sent to Bihua Tower like water. The concern of Lu Lin, the father-in-law, for his daughter-in-law is simply astonishing.
That bitch Hu Lan also rose in status and became more and more favored.
Hu Lan's aunt and nephew are becoming more and more arrogant in the Marquis' Mansion, and are about to cause chaos over Zhao's head. Zhao has been decent all her life, and how could she tolerate such grievances.
She sighed and put pressure on Jiang Shu again: "I am old and have nothing to do on weekdays. I just hope to enjoy the company of my grandchildren. As long as you can continue the family line for Brother Yi, I will find a marriage for your third sister."
At this point, Zhao seemed to remember something, leaned over and pulled out an invitation from the drawer and threw it in front of Jiang Shu: "Your stepmother sent me an invitation the other day, saying that the Jiang family would hold a moon-viewing banquet.
The weather is so hot, I'm afraid the Jiang family can't even afford an ice jar. I'm too lazy to move, so you can go to this banquet on my behalf. After all, the Jiang family is your mother's home, and you can also visit Aunt Lin when you go."
When Jiang Shu first married into the Xinyang Marquis' Mansion, Yang thought that the Jiang and Lu families were related, so she wanted to curry favor with Zhao and often sent invitations to Zhao. However, Zhao was very picky and didn't want to have anything to do with the Jiang family at all. She threw the invitations into the warehouse without even looking at them.
Jiang Shu knew Yang was thick-skinned, but she hadn't expected her to be so shameless as to put up a cold shoulder. She also wanted to go back to the Jiang residence to test Yang's attitude, so she awkwardly picked up the invitation and took the carriage to the Jiang residence.
Jiang Shu arrived early and the other guests had not yet arrived. Only the carriage of the Xinyang Marquis' Mansion was parked alone at the door of Jiang's house.
The mother and daughter had already torn their relationship apart, and Yang was too lazy to play along with Jiang Shu. She didn't even let Jiang Shu into the house. She stood at the door, looking down at Jiang Shu, and said sarcastically: "What's the wind blowing today? Why did the wife of the prince of Xinyang Marquis's Mansion come here?"
"Our family temple is small and has a tainted reputation. It can't accommodate a statue like the Crown Prince's wife. The Crown Prince's wife should just go back to where she came from!"
Jiang Shu pretended not to hear what Yang said, walked around her and went into the flower hall, pouring herself a cup of tea to moisten her throat. After Yang also entered the room, she whispered, "Did you hear that mother wants to find a husband for your third sister?"
Yang scoffed lightly, "You are well-informed. Those who don't know think you have a pair of sharp ears."
Jiang Shu ignored Yang's sarcasm and asked, "Mother, to which family do you want to marry your third sister?"
"Haven't you already heard the news? Why are you still pretending to be so hypocritical?" Yang's voice suddenly rose. She raised her eyebrows and said to Jiang Shu, "Now that you've become a phoenix, I can't treat your sister badly."
"Sima He holds an important position and has a rich family. It's considered high-marriage for Rong Jie'er to be his concubine. I have found a good marriage for Rong Jie'er. As her sister, you should kowtow to me and thank me."
Jiang Shu was almost amused by Yang's words. She was too lazy to argue any further and said directly, "I know Mother hates me for ruining Sister Ran's reputation, but it's not my fault. Mother and Sister Ran are just reaping the consequences.
When Mother wants to vent her anger, she always comes to me. When she wants something, she always asks me for it. There's no point in using Sister Rong as a raft."
Yang knew Jiang Shu was right. She blamed herself for being tricked by Jiang Shu. But when she thought of Jiang Ran's current state, Yang's heart immediately hardened, and she wished she could chop Jiang Shu into pieces.
She stared at Jiang Shu sinisterly and whispered, "You ruined Sister Ran's reputation, so you must be responsible for her. I want you to find a good marriage for her.
Whether you are from a scholarly family or a wealthy one, Miss Ran has to be the head wife and can’t just stay at home and be laughed at.”
The Xinyang Marquis' Mansion is headed by Lu Changji, who has great power over the world and countless people want to curry favor with him. Yang Shi doesn't know Jiang Shu's situation and only thinks that Jiang Shu can easily find a good marriage for Jiang Ran by relying on Lu Changji's power.
She continued, "Sister Ran has married well, and Sister Rong can also find a good family. The He family is the best choice. If I get angry, the frequent customers in the brothel, the drunkards in the restaurant, and the gamblers in the gambling house can all be a match for Jiang Rong."
"Although I am Rong Jie'er's mother, ultimately, her marriage is decided by you, the eldest sister. If Ran Jie'er is happy, Rong Jie'er will be happy. If Ran Jie can't get married, Rong Jie will have no good life either."
Jiang Shu had long anticipated that Yang would manipulate her, but she hadn't expected Yang to play tricks on Jiang Rong's marriage. She had schemed against Jiang Ran, and she couldn't let Jiang Rong take the blame for her.
Jiang Shu had no confidence at all, but she still forced a smile: "Although my daughter has no future, at least she has married into the Xinyang Marquis's Mansion. The Xinyang Marquis's Mansion is of high status, and the people they interact with are all high-ranking officials and dignitaries. My daughter will definitely pay attention and find a good marriage for Sister Ran."
Yang curled her lips and chuckled softly, "I'll give you a month. If you can't find a good family for Ran Jie'er within a month, then Qing will have to wait to drink in He Sima and Jiang Rong's wedding."
Jiang Shu's body trembled slightly, and she couldn't help but take a deep breath. She secretly clenched her fists, raised her head and looked back at Yang, and said softly, "Mother, just wait for your daughter's good news."
The words were beautiful, but they were just empty boasting. Under Yang's gaze, Jiang Shu straightened her back and walked to the gate step by step.
After entering the carriage, she seemed to have been drained of all her energy and spirit. She leaned back on the embroidery stool with a sad look on her face.
Jiang Ran's marriage, Jiang Rong's future, and her belly were like three huge mountains, weighing heavily on her shoulders.
She could still spare some time to plan the other two things, but she was impatient to get pregnant. Pregnancy was a matter of perfect timing, location, and people, and it was possible that it would fail several times, so she had to plan early.
Lu Changyi's thin face appeared in her mind, and Jiang Shu's heart suddenly turned cold, bitter, and extremely uncomfortable.
At this point, she couldn't care less about Lu Changyi. She had to make plans for herself and Jiang Rong first.
Jiang Shu took a deep breath, called Zhu'er into the car, and whispered, "After returning home, you should secretly find out about Master's schedule, especially at night, to see where he likes to go for entertainment at night."
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