Chapter 27 Jie Yinong extinguished all the candles without hesitation...
Jiang Yunjin looked at her with a gloomy expression. He couldn't control his body's instincts, but his eyes were cold and sharp, filled with a complex mix of displeasure, repression, and warning.
He reached out and pulled Cui Yiluo's hand off his waist, then turned and walked out from behind the screen without hesitation.
Cui Yiluo rubbed the wrist he had pulled down; the flames from yesterday still lingered on it. The corners of her mouth, which had been raised in a smile, slowly flattened, and she calmly put away the measuring tape.
The shopkeeper and servant outside, who were holding a booklet and waiting to record the dimensions, were both dumbfounded when Jiang Yunjin came out.
The shopkeeper keenly sensed the man's oppressive aura and, forcing a smile, asked, "Sir, have you finished taking the measurements?"
Jiang Yunjin said in a cold voice, "Someone from the manor will send it over."
Only after the man's figure disappeared through the door did the shopkeeper glean some meaning from the man's sparing words and the barely concealed displeasure in his expression, but he couldn't quite grasp what it meant.
Between husband and wife, it is just a common little thing for a virtuous and considerate wife to take her husband's measurements.
The slender woman behind the screen walked out with a calm expression, carrying the measuring tape. She seemed as if nothing had happened.
The shopkeeper quickly composed himself and went to greet him.
Cui Yiluo maintained her polite smile and handed the measuring tape to the shopkeeper: "Let's do as my husband says."
She didn't explain, nor did she need to.
Upon exiting Huaming Pavilion, the carriage was already parked in front of the gate, with the coachman waiting outside, looking somewhat embarrassed. Jiang Yunjin was already sitting inside the carriage.
He remained as courteous as ever; even when he was furious, he would not simply walk away without a care in the world.
With Li Lan's help, Cui Yiluo got into the car. As she opened the door, half of the sunlight was blocked by Cui Yiluo, while the other half shone on the man sitting upright in the car.
He sat upright, the slight displeasure he had just shown now concealed, and he returned to his state of quiet humility. The way of the gentleman is to be understated yet not tiresome, simple yet refined, gentle yet reasonable. Even if he was displeased, he would not show it or vent it like others.
"My husband."
Cui Yiluo walked over and sat down next to him.
Jiang Yunjin gave a very brief "hmm" and tapped the car wall twice with his fingers.
The carriage walls were thick, and two extremely dull knocks echoed inside the sealed carriage before it began to move, the heavy thud of hooves echoing in our ears.
The carriage remained silent, but the atmosphere was oppressive and stifling, as if the breath itself had been suppressed to the point of being submerged in dust.
Cui Yiluo asked in a soft, even voice, "Is my husband still angry?"
After he finished speaking, the car was silent for a few moments.
"The Cui family."
His deep voice pressed down, and Cui Yiluo was slightly taken aback. It seemed that he would only call her by her name in front of his elders, but he never did so in private. They were not an ordinary, intimate couple. In the past, he would occasionally call her cousin in private, but he called her Miss Cui more often.
"Just because you're married doesn't mean you can break the rules."
He didn't look at her, but stared straight ahead, his aura exuding a commanding and majestic presence.
Cui Yiluo suddenly laughed. Was he angry because of her breaking the rules, or because he was supposed to have no reaction according to the rules, but he couldn't control his desires?
“Since my husband has asked me to abide by the rules of the Jiang family’s young mistress, I will naturally comply.”
Jiang Yunjin remained cold. She had clearly given him the answer he wanted to hear, but he did not seem to be pleased. Instead, his brows furrowed slightly.
Cui Yiluo changed the subject: "But since my husband regards me as the young mistress of the Jiang family, why hasn't he planned to hand over the affairs of the main house to me even after half a month of marriage?"
He married her without love, so she should naturally find her place as a lady of a noble family. She should abide by the rules of a lady of a noble family and also have the right to manage the affairs of the household.
She knew that with the old lady around, it was impossible for her to manage the Jiang family's business in the short term. The affairs of the eldest branch were originally managed by Jiang Yunjin's mother, and after his mother passed away, they were managed by the steward of the eldest branch.
Now that they were married, it was only right that she should manage things. But half a month into their marriage, he had never shown any interest in doing so.
On the one hand, they wanted her to follow the rules, but on the other hand, they didn't want her to get involved in anything inside the house.
Jiang Yunjin paused slightly, his brows furrowing even more, seemingly not expecting her to bring it up so directly. After a few moments, he parted his thin lips slightly: "I had no such intention."
In Cui Yiluo's view, this statement was too weak to hold water. He was so particular about rules and did things meticulously, yet he had forgotten this matter.
Seeing that he couldn't let the matter drop, he added, "I will have the steward give you the accounts."
Cui Yiluo didn't expect him to agree so readily. After a while, she smiled gently and said, "Then I'll trouble you, my husband. Don't worry, I will be a good young mistress of the Jiang family."
Jiang Yunjin glanced at her, his brows furrowed, and he opened his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say a word, only responding softly.
After dinner, Jiang Yunjin went to his study as usual.
Cui Yiluo asked Lilan and learned that while they were at Huaming Pavilion, another rumor suddenly began to circulate outside. The emperor sent the commander of the Yunyi Guard to investigate the spread of the rumor. It was found that the second prince, Xiao Jing, was colluding with the novice monks in the temple. The arson was just a pretext. The real reason was to spread the rumor that heavenly punishment would befall him and that he would seize power and usurp the throne.
Although the emperor has not yet established a crown prince, and the second prince is the empress's son, everyone has noticed the emperor's favoritism towards Consort Qiong over the years, and the fifth prince is equally favored as the second prince. The second prince is now restless.
By tomorrow, everyone will think that the second prince is impetuous and intends to seize the throne.
Jiang Yunjin clearly had a plan. It's quite intriguing that such an incident occurred just a few days before the Empress's birthday.
Cui Yiluo naturally wouldn't bother with other matters. After listening, she went to take a bath. When she came out, she saw that Lilan had already placed the scroll on the couch in the bedroom, and added silver elixir to the tea.
Cui Yiluo asked in confusion, "Lilan, didn't we run out of the previous ones? When did you buy these?"
She only brought three jars with her from Ningzhou, one of which she gave to Jiang Yunjin. She had a habit of reading in the evenings, so she often added silver elixir to her tea. As a result, the two jars were used up quickly. However, the wedding happened to be on the way, and Lilan was busy with preparations, so the matter was delayed.
Lilan, equally bewildered, replied, "Didn't you ask someone to buy it, Miss? I just found it in the cabinet in the room."
As she spoke, she handed over the porcelain jar, which was exactly the same as the one she had brought from Ningzhou.
Cui Yiluo lightly traced the forsythia pattern on the porcelain jar with her fingertips, her voice cold: "No, this is something I gave to Jiang Yunjin before."
The jar was still full, and apart from what was in her teapot, there was no sign of it having been used. She could almost smell the cool fragrance inside through the jar, which made her mind even clearer.
Lilan realized what was happening and couldn't help but feel annoyed: "You only kept two jars for yourself, and gave one to him. How can he not appreciate your kindness?"
"He's always been like that."
He naturally wouldn't use the things she gave him. Even after they got married, he only regarded her as a lady to be treated with proper etiquette, not as a wife he loved.
Cui Yiluo handed the porcelain jar back to Lilan, who took it and tentatively asked, "Should we put it back?"
“No need,” Cui Yiluo said calmly, “If he doesn’t need it, we’ll use it ourselves. Why waste something so good?”
Lilan accepted the book and saw Cui Yiluo calmly pick it up and turn the pages, just like usual. She didn't seem bothered by it, so Lilan felt relieved.
As the night sky grew darker, Cui Yiluo turned the scroll back to where she had started reading that night. She felt that she was reading a little slower tonight, perhaps because she was tired after going out during the day, and even the silver elixir was no longer effective.
Since Jiang Yunjin had agreed to hand over the family's accounts to her, she would certainly do so. It seemed that she would begin taking over the ledgers tomorrow. Jiang Yunjin's father had served as Imperial Censor during his lifetime, and her mother came from the Wang clan of Yanzhou. The shops and estates under the family's name must be incredibly complex. If she didn't manage them well, Old Madam Jiang would definitely harbor even deeper resentment towards her, and would be even less likely to easily relinquish the Jiang family's business to her. Jiang Yunjin, concerned about the rise and fall of her family, felt the same way.
Cui Yilu frowned, picked up the candle scissors and the lampshade, and extinguished the candles one by one.
The double happiness characters they displayed during their wedding, as well as the large red cushions and woven carpets embroidered with auspicious patterns, have all been replaced. As the candlelight in the room gradually dims, the original chill and desolation are revealed.
When she reached the corridor connecting the bedroom door and the bathroom, Cui Yiluo paused for a moment, and finally, just like the night before, placed the candle scissors in front of the bathroom before turning back to her bedroom.
She pulled the covers over herself and closed her eyes, sinking into darkness. When the door creaked open slightly, she opened her eyes again. Jiang Yunjin had clearly tried to be gentle to avoid waking her, but she was a light sleeper and was jolted awake by the slightest sound.
The sound of water came from the bathroom. Cui Yiluo stared at the curtain and suddenly remembered the soft, rapid sound of water that had swayed gently against her body that night.
After a while, the sound of water suddenly stopped, the bathroom door opened and closed, footsteps were heard a few times, and then abruptly stopped.
Through the curtain, Cui Yiluo glanced out and saw the man's figure reflected in the candlelight outside the bathroom, resting on the bamboo curtain in front of the bedroom. His sharp profile became somewhat blurred through the curtain, revealing a hint of gentleness.
What was he doing standing in front of the bathroom? Cui Yiluo's eyes reflected the faint candlelight.
The next instant, the man made a move, the candlelight dimmed, and the light reflected in Cui Yiluo's eyes disappeared.
The scene inside the tent was different from the enchanting one the night before. Cui Yiluo turned slightly to the side, her face calm as she closed her eyes, her long, black hair cascading down towards the tent, making it seem as if she had been fast asleep for a long time.
A familiar scent wafted over; the bamboo fragrance on his body was tinged with the subtle aroma of bath beans. The bath beans used by noble families were different from those used by ordinary people; they were often specially formulated and would contain precious spices, giving them a subtle fragrance that was also a symbol of status.
In the past, when Cui Yiluo was in the Cui family, she couldn't afford many expensive spices. After getting married, she personally prepared a prescription according to an ancient book and had it made and placed in the bathhouse.
Using the same formula will naturally impart the same scent to one's body. Therefore, the formulas of each branch of a noble family are all private, and the identical fragrance indicates an extremely close relationship.
In fact, it wasn't just bath beans; there was also the incense in the Boshan censer in the room, and the incense burner used for scenting clothes...
The man beside her was already lying down, his breathing steady and even.
Cui Yiluo stopped thinking about it and closed her eyes again.
-
The next morning, the steward of the main house indeed handed over the keys to the accounting office to Cui Yiluo.
“Madam, please allow me to assist you with the management for the next few days. If you have time, you may visit the shop. The young master's intention is that you will be in charge of the management from now on, with me assisting you. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.”
Cui Yiluo smiled and said, "I'll have to trouble Steward Liu from now on."
After saying this, he glanced at Lilan, who immediately stepped forward and gave him a gold ingot.
Manager Liu did not accept the money, but smiled respectfully and said, "Madam, you are too kind. I have served the young master for many years, and the young master has never mistreated me. Now that I have married you, it is my duty to hand over the accounts to you."
Cui Yiluo wasn't surprised by Steward Liu's refusal. Jiang Yunjin was known for his integrity and uprightness, and his subordinates were naturally also honest and upright; his refusal wasn't a sign of being presumptuous. Therefore, she had Lilan take the gold back.
"I heard that Madam had already managed several shops before she got married. Madam is intelligent and quick-witted, so I think she will be able to handle things with ease in no time."
After finishing his speech, Manager Liu picked up the ledger and began flipping through it while introducing it to Cui Yiluo.
Cui Yiluo's smile froze almost imperceptibly.
She seemed to have never told Jiang Yunjin that she had managed the shops left by her birth mother, so how did Jiang Yunjin know about it? Or perhaps, Manager Liu didn't hear it from Jiang Yunjin. It's not impossible, after all, she was going to marry into the Jiang family, and Old Madam Jiang must have sent someone to Ningzhou to investigate her background, so it's reasonable for her to know this.
After a few moments of thought, Cui Yiluo pulled herself together and began looking at the account books.
Indeed, the eldest son's family had countless assets. Cui Yiluo had never imagined that Jiang Yunjin, who was so self-disciplined, would have so much wealth.
Her eyes ached from looking at the numerous accounts. After dinner, she ordered someone to bring the account books, paper, pens, and abacus into her room, where she studied them by candlelight.
She had been looking at the time so long that she had forgotten to go to bed before Jiang Yunjin returned. She had planned to retire before he did, but she had completely forgotten. It wasn't until she heard the bedroom door open and close that she snapped back to reality.
A tall figure slowly appeared on the bamboo curtain. Cui Yilu stared at the clear shadow. He seemed to hesitate, but perhaps out of consideration for the mutual respect between husband and wife, his slender fingers gently parted the bamboo curtain, and his handsome face was slowly revealed in the candlelight.
Cui Yiluo had been adept at maintaining a facade since childhood. Seeing him push aside the bamboo curtain and come in, she put on a gentle smile and said, "My husband is back."
"Um."
Jiang Yunjin approached, his gaze sweeping over the account books piled on the table and the woven carpet on the floor. He spoke up, a rare occurrence for him: "If there's anything you don't understand, just ask Steward Liu. He's been managing the accounts for the past five years, and he's always been there to assist you."
Jiang Yunjin seemed to have really delegated authority to her to manage affairs, and Cui Yiluo suddenly wavered. Could it be that he had really forgotten about this because he was too busy with affairs before?
"Yi Luo understands."
Cui Yiluo felt a little relieved, stood up and walked outside, saying, "I'll go and order someone to bring in water."
"etc."
As he brushed past her, he suddenly called out to her, his dark eyes fixed on her face, causing Cui Yiluo to pause slightly.
"Husband?"
He kept staring at her face, his fingertips twitching slightly at his sides, but he didn't make any move. Cui Yiluo waited a few moments before he spoke softly, "You have ink on your neck."
Although it was only a tiny spot, not even the size of a grain of rice, it was exceptionally noticeable on her snow-white, slender neck.
Cui Yiluo was taken aback, then smiled and said, "I can't see it myself, could you please point it out to me, my husband?"
The light in the bedroom was soft in the dead of night. The man's eyes darkened, and then he gently raised his hand, his slender fingers loosely forming a fist, his thumb lightly pressing against the side of her neck.
He returned late at night, his body cool and his fingers slightly icy. When he touched her warm skin, Cui Yiluo trembled slightly involuntarily.
With a little force, the ink mark disappeared, and the black ink dissolved on Jiang Yunjin's finger.
Cui Yiluo smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, my husband."
"Okay. You should rest now, I'll go and get someone to bring water."
Cui Yiluo had been looking at accounts all day and was inevitably tired, so she naturally didn't refuse and went to the canopy bed after agreeing.
Jiang Yunjin's eyes deepened, and he turned around to close the bamboo curtain before calling a servant to fetch water.
After the sound of water subsided, Cui Yiluo still couldn't fall asleep, even though she was exhausted. She keenly noticed that Jiang Yunjin paused again in front of the bathroom, but quickly extinguished the candle.
She suddenly raised the corners of her lips, a hint of interest in her eyes. She turned slightly to the side, just as she had the night before, her back to the outside of the tent.
The man who entered from behind lifted the curtain took a deep breath, then very quietly lifted the covers and lay down.
The night passed peacefully.
The next day, Cui Yiluo got up very early, but Jiang Yunjin was naturally even earlier than her. After having breakfast, as usual, she was going to pay her respects to Old Madam Jiang. However, she did not expect that the Old Madam would send someone to pay her respects before she went to do so.
Minggu smiled faintly, but her eyes were cold. "Young Madam, the Old Madam requests your presence."
Cui Yiluo stood in the courtyard, her eyes glancing at the account books that the servants were about to carry back to the accounting office, her expression slightly somber.
She followed Minggu into the old lady's room and saw the old lady sitting calmly on the seat of honor, taking her medicine. She didn't even look up when she heard her enter the room.
Cui Yiluo's eyes turned cold, but she still bowed as usual, saying, "Granddaughter-in-law greets Grandmother."
"Yes, get up."
The old lady casually agreed and then scooped up a spoonful of the dark medicine and put it in her mouth.
The only sound in the room was the gentle clinking of a spoon against a white jade bowl. The dark medicine gradually dwindled, revealing the glossy white bottom of the bowl. Old Madam Jiang touched her lips with a handkerchief before speaking.
"Yi Luo, take Ming Gu back with you later and give her the key to the accounting room. Ming Gu will be in charge of the eldest son's family's accounts from now on. You've only been married into the Jiang family for a short time, so get familiar with it before you start. After all, Shen Zhi's parents left behind quite a lot of things, and you haven't managed them before, so it would be stressful to start over hastily."
Cui Yilu sneered inwardly. The old lady didn't give her any chance to get to know her, so how could she get to know her better before starting to work with her?
Minggu stood beside her, turned slightly, and was already preparing to leave the room.
But Cui Yiluo replied with a hint of firmness, "Grandmother, my husband has already instructed someone to hand over the accounts to me, and Manager Liu has been managing them for the time being. I'm just assisting and learning from the sidelines. Since you say that you will be in charge of the accounts in the future, then I'd better learn them sooner rather than later, right?"
She retorted directly, and Old Madam Jiang's face immediately darkened.
"Your most important task right now is to produce offspring for the Jiang family. The eldest branch only has Shenzhi, and the lineage is thin. Cui, you need to distinguish between what is important and what is not."
Cui Yiluo's smile remained unchanged, and she was about to open her mouth again when the old lady's stern voice rang out again.
"And Shenzhi also knows about this matter."
Cui Yiluo's smile froze.
Back at Yuzhu Courtyard, Cui Yiluo casually instructed Lilan to find the key. Minggu took the key and spoke with a smile in her eyes.
"Young Madam, please don't be sad. Actually, you understand that if it weren't for the eldest son's adherence to etiquette, you probably wouldn't have been able to enter the Jiang family. The Jiang family is large and powerful, and its prosperity is due to generations of inheritance. It's understandable that the old lady has concerns. I watched the eldest son grow up. He has been sensible and reasonable since childhood, prioritizing filial piety and the Jiang family. He is naturally of the same mind as the old lady. When he wanted to marry you, Young Madam, he promised that you wouldn't be involved in the accounts."
Minggu's words seemed to comfort her, but in reality, they bluntly exposed the truth and humiliated her. Cui Yiluo's expression grew colder.
Minggu continued with a smile, "The eldest young master may seem cold on the outside but is warm on the inside. Perhaps he was just having trouble refusing you, young mistress, which is why you misunderstood."
Having said that, Minggu opened her mouth to continue.
"Now that Aunt has the key, hurry back and report. Don't keep Grandmother waiting."
Ming Gu was taken aback, not expecting Cui Yiluo to directly tell her to leave. She was someone close to the old lady, and her expression immediately turned ugly. She gave a perfunctory bow and left Yuzhu Courtyard.
After Minggu left, Lilan accompanied Cui Yiluo back to Jixuezhai.
“Young lady, how could they treat you like this? Why don’t you talk to the young master again? If you speak frankly, there might still be a chance for things to turn around.”
Cui Yilu shook her head, looked at the green bamboo on both sides of the stone path, and suddenly chuckled.
She actually believed Jiang Yunjin.
He valued the prosperity of the Jiang family so much that he studied diligently from a young age, and he became even more diligent after entering the court. He was not intentionally avoiding her in his study every night; he did this every day, year after year.
How could anyone trust someone like that, and how could anyone be willing to entrust the Jiang family to her management?
Jiang Zhaoyue had asked her to leave the manor today, but she declined because she needed to check the account books. Suddenly having free time, she felt that the day was unusually long.
The sun sets and the moon rises; it is already late at night.
The lights in the bedroom were completely out, with only the candlelight in the hallway providing a faint glow.
Cui Yiluo stood in the aisle, holding candle scissors in her hand, and without hesitation extinguished the candle completely.
The bedroom became completely dark.
The author says: "The way of the superior man is simple yet profound, gentle yet reasonable." (From *The Doctrine of the Mean* in the *Book of Rites*)
My cousin didn't agree, there's been a misunderstanding. [Pity]
[Heart] Thank you to the lovely people who irrigated with nutrient solution: Caijin x1, Heqingyi x1
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