Chapter 25 Lady Jiang, spoiled and arrogant
"No! Ugh..."
After just a few words, all that followed was even heavier, more labored breathing.
It seems determined to challenge the wind and rain outside the window!
Jiang Shiyao felt as if she had been thrown at the gates of the underworld time and time again, only to be pulled back again and again.
Her fair hands clung to his strong arms, her slender fingers sinking into his back.
It appears to be a protest against his brutality.
But in return, an even more violent storm of attacks ensued.
Until she fell into a deep sleep.
Jiang Shiyao slept fitfully that night.
It felt as if his whole body had been disassembled and then reassembled.
"My lady! Something's wrong! Our daughter has a fever!"
Outside, the anxious sounds of frost could be heard.
Jiang Shiyao sat up abruptly from the bed, but her body was so weak that she almost fell back down.
Without thinking twice, she picked up her clothes and wrapped them around herself.
Before I could even get out of bed, a hand pulled me back down from behind.
He's still here?
"Your Highness?" Jiang Shiyao was so surprised that she forgot to move.
Zhou Congxian's eyes darkened as he looked at the marks under her clothes, then he pulled the blanket over her and wrapped her up.
"Don't frighten the child with your appearance. I'll go check on him."
Scared?
When Jiang Shiyao saw herself in the mirror, her body aching and weak, she was startled.
Where did this ghost come from?!
"How is Fu'er?"
Jiang Shiyao walked into the west wing room. The doctor had just left, and Mother He held her small body, her heart aching and tears streaming down her face.
"The doctor said it's caused by indigestion, which is why the high fever won't go down. My little girl is so young, what if she gets seriously injured from the fever!"
Fu'er was raised by her, and she has always been a thoughtful little girl.
The little girl's cheeks were flushed, and she kept muttering, "I feel uncomfortable," because she was in pain.
Jiang Shiyao leaned over and touched her daughter's forehead. "Fu'er is still young and tends to be greedy. Don't worry, Mom. She'll be fine in a couple of days."
Zhou Congxian had never seen his daughter like this before; she always had a smiling face when she came to visit.
If he hadn't indulged me yesterday, I wouldn't have developed this much indigestion.
He touched his daughter's little hand, his eyes filled with self-reproach. "I should have listened to you yesterday. I always thought a snack wouldn't matter."
Jiang Shiyao was about to say a few words of comfort, saying that children are like that, they are young and their spleen and stomach are not as strong as adults, so they will have food stagnation if they eat too much, it is not a big problem.
But when she looked up and saw his face, she silently closed her open mouth again.
A man's guilt is fleeting; let him feel sorry for him a little longer.
Fu'er's fever subsided after half a day.
However, Zhou Congxian stayed in the courtyard for five days in a row!
The bitterness comes from Jiang Shiyao, and that contraceptive soup isn't exactly delicious either!
Madam Gao watched as she drank the contraceptive soup in one gulp, her face displeased. "Madam Jiang, men are already exhausted from being away from home, and you're still pestering me like this. It's really not right."
Jiang Shiyao frowned, paused when she heard what Gao's mother said, and then gently placed the bowl on the table.
"Thank you so much, Madam Gao, for personally delivering the medicine every day. Madam, you think I'm being too much of a nuisance.
"I am but a lowly concubine, how could I possibly have such extraordinary power to influence the prince's words and actions?"
Mrs. Gao was disappointed and stormed off with her bowl in her arms.
Just before leaving, he saw Shuangjiang feeding the puppy with a carefree expression and let out a cold snort.
When I turned around for no apparent reason during the Frost's Descent, all I could see was my mother's angry back.
Jiang Shiyaochun's smile slowly faded.
Mrs. He walked in carrying a vegetable basket, a hint of heartache flashing in her eyes.
"The contraceptive soup is no good either. He's been drinking it for several days now, and the young master has stopped cherishing his wife."
Jiang Shiyao didn't know if it was because Zhou Congxian hadn't had sex with her for several months, but these past few days she had gotten a taste for it and seemed to want to stay here and not leave.
That won't do.
Because Zhou Congxian was here, she was afraid of being exposed, so she hadn't asked Mother He to bring the account book for several days.
She and He Dayou were bound by mutual interests, so if she didn't keep a close eye on them from time to time...
She had no idea when he secretly absconded with the money!
She had to find a way to get Zhou Congxian out of the courtyard!
"Aunt He, later you can make some of your best dishes and take them to Aunt Gao. Just say that I was ignorant and misunderstood Aunt Gao's advice, and ask Aunt Gao to forgive me."
Mrs. He did as instructed.
The things that were sent were all thrown out, and the maids in the mansion saw them all.
This made Mrs. He feel extremely embarrassed.
After comforting Mother He, Jiang Shiyao secretly gave her a silver bracelet to Mother Gao.
Madam Gao had served the old lady for many years, and everyone who saw her treated her with utmost respect.
Today, I was humiliated by a mere concubine, and I still dared to dream that sending her a couple of dishes would win her back. What a pipe dream.
So when Mrs. He came again, she still kicked her out along with the bracelet.
With the new mistress about to enter the household, she would no longer give a kind look to a concubine who had only given birth to one daughter and was causing such trouble.
The news spread quickly throughout the mansion.
By the time Zhou Congxian returned, the news had already spread that Lady Jiang, relying on her favored status, had taken control of the heir and even disregarded the old lady's maid, Gao Mama.
When Zhou Congxian turned and walked into the courtyard, it was quiet. Not only were the doors and windows closed, but even the dogs were silent.
"What happened?"
Wei Xunqing coughed lightly, "I heard that it was Lady Jiang who bullied others by relying on the young master's power and didn't take Granny Gao seriously..."
Zhou Congxian glanced at the dark courtyard, then at Wei Xun.
"Does she think she can rely on my power?"
Wei Xun said, "I don't know if Lady Jiang has been abusing her power, but with such a big accusation, I'm afraid Lady Jiang won't let you in for a while."
Zhou Congxian's face darkened for a moment, and he turned back before stepping into the courtyard, flicking his sleeves as he walked towards the courtyard that he had "abandoned" for several days.
Wei Xun watched the prince's retreating figure, touched his nose, and followed to offer advice.
"Young Master, come back early tomorrow and go in before Lady Jiang closes the door!"
The next day.
Jiang Shiyao got up feeling refreshed and saw a round little face by her window as soon as she opened her eyes.
“Mother!” Fu’er smiled, her eyes crinkling.
She scooped her daughter up, held her soft little body, and kissed her little face several times!
"Where did this fragrant treasure come from? Mother is starving!"
"Giggle, giggle—Mommy's ticklish!"
Fu'er liked to climb into her mother's bed early in the morning, but for several days now, He Amu had not allowed her to come.
Today, she took advantage of the fact that Aunt He wasn't watching her and sneaked in!
Frost came in and handed over an invitation, "My lady, this is an invitation."
"An invitation?" Jiang Shiyao was taken aback.
Why would anyone send a letter to a concubine?
The invitation was indeed for her; it was an invitation to a banquet at Zilin Garden.
I heard that Zilin Garden has the largest lotus pond in Beijing, and it's breathtakingly beautiful when the lotus flowers are in full bloom.
Every year at this time, a lotus appreciation banquet is held.
Jiang Shiyao flipped through the invitations, feeling that this was yet another trap.
She naturally knew about Zilin Garden, but the owner of Zilin Garden was the Eldest Princess, so how could she be qualified to receive an invitation from the Eldest Princess?
Thinking of this, she scoffed, "It's just another trick by Song Jiyun."
Did you think she'd forget who she is just because she saw an invitation?
Don't even think about tricking her into going out again!
Last year, I went to Zilin Garden with the old lady during the Frost's Descent period.
She pointed at the post and said in a trembling voice, "My lady, Miss Song shouldn't have the guts to forge it, right?"
Jiang Shiyao raised her eyes and smiled, "So you think that the Princess could possibly know a mere concubine? And that it's worth sending a separate invitation?"
The moment the frost descends, one stands upright; without even thinking, that's definitely not possible.
"Miss Song is really bold, she even dared to forge the Princess's invitation!"
Jiang Shiyao: "If you dare to kidnap people in the street, what else wouldn't you dare to do?"
"As long as it is completely destroyed, who would know that she also forged an invitation?"
Shuangjiang added, "Now that the forged invitations are in our hands, let the old lady stand up for you!"
Jiang Shiyao sighed, then patted her hand, "Miss Shuangjiang, if you ever leave the Duke's mansion, never go into business."
Frostfall blinked in confusion.
What does this have to do with whether she goes into business in the future?
However, it would be good for her to do some small business to support the family after she leaves the mansion, since Zhang Lang still needs to concentrate on his studies.
The group was still swearing that it was a fake post.
Soon after, Xiang's mother arrived.
"The gatekeeper said that Madam Jiang also received an invitation from Zilin Garden?"
Xiang's mother saw the post that was casually placed on the table.
As expected, it was exactly the same as what the Duchess received.
Jiang Shiyao shifted her gaze from the post to Xiang's mother.
"I don't know who sent this."
"Madam said that since the Princess has sent an invitation, we cannot disgrace the Duke's Mansion. Madam has instructed Madam Jiang to make proper preparations."
As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Shiyao's indecent clothes.
"My lady would be better off wearing new clothes."
An unremarkable horse-drawn carriage.
A servant boy ran out from the alley next to the Duke of England's mansion and stood respectfully beside the carriage, saying, "Master, the invitation has been delivered."
The person inside the car opened their eyes. "Let's go."
The carriage slowly started moving and left the area of the British Duke's residence.
They came silently, and they left silently.
*
Jiang Shiyao simply found it interesting.
Aside from buying two new outfits for each of the four seasons, she never had any new clothes at other times.
Fu'er loves going out.
It chattered away the whole way, like a little sparrow.
"Mother, I want to eat chestnut cake!"
She hugged and kissed her daughter, "Okay! Chestnut cake!"
Frostfall also joined in the fun, saying, "Wife, you can't be biased, I want some sweet cake too."
Fu'er glanced at Frostfall and smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Yes, we want them all!"
Jiang Shiyao tapped her daughter's little nose, "Greedy!"
When the carriage arrived at the embroidery shop, the shopkeeper's wife immediately came out to greet it with a smile!
"Ginger is pure inside."
Jiang Shiyao also got to know the lady of the embroidery shop, and she bought almost all of her silk threads there.
"I'm not buying silk thread today, I'll just use it for clothes."
Thinking of her thick purse, she laughed and said, "Let's all get one for ourselves."
Not only Fu'er got a share.
Even Shuangjiang and Mother He had a share.
Because Steward Zhao was frugal, the servants in the Duke's mansion needed even fewer clothes.
"Thank you, madam!" Mother He and Shuangjiang also bowed with joy.
After Jiang Shiyao selected the fabric and style, Shuangjiang and Mama He led Fu'er to carefully select the fabric with the shopkeeper's wife.
They want to wear their clothes for many years, so naturally they want to take a good look at them.
She smiled knowingly at their happy expressions, then casually glanced outside.
She froze instantly.
His face turned deathly pale.
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