Chapter 1 Concubine
The snow this winter was particularly heavy. The snow had accumulated so deeply in the yard that the servants were unable to sweep the ground in time. A small path that had just been cleared for people to walk on was soon covered with a layer of fine snow again.
The study was not far away, and Chen Yu walked slowly along the corridor without a maid, passing through the archway, and the voices of the maids chatting could be heard from behind the corridor wall.
"The young master finally found Miss Lin, but it's a pity that she was originally a match made in heaven, but now she can only be a concubine for the young master."
"But Madam..."
The maid said sarcastically, "She is the daughter of a criminal, and she has the nerve to occupy the position of the wife of the principal wife."
"You can't say that. The young lady is quite good. Besides, her father and brother died in the war, so she can be considered as..."
"What is that? If her father hadn't misjudged the military situation, all 100,000 soldiers of our Great Zhou wouldn't have died at the border."
"Our young master is a good man. The Shen family has fallen into such a state, but the young master still married a sickly girl like her."
The wind and snow were still blowing outside the corridor, stirring up gusts of cold air that penetrated deep into the bones.
Shen Yu only felt her heart grow colder, and she smiled bitterly.
It turned out that even the servants had known for a long time that Jiang Lianzhi was going to take a concubine. It was ridiculous that she, the wife, only found out about it this morning.
There have long been rumors in the capital that Vice Minister of Rites Jiang Lianzhi and his mentor's daughter Lin Qingli have been childhood sweethearts and a perfect match. However, four years ago, Lord Lin was involved in a corruption case, so he was beheaded according to the law and all his female relatives were exiled.
With Jiang Lianzhi's efforts, the Lin family was rehabilitated this summer, and he immediately took Lin Qingli back.
She had heard countless times from her mother-in-law and maids how virtuous and kind Jiang Lianzhi's childhood sweetheart was. If she had not intervened, the two of them would have been an enviable couple.
They said that Jiang Lianzhi loved Lin Qingli deeply, and he married her, the daughter of the Shen family, just to fulfill his duty.
It turns out that everything is not without trace.
No wonder the servants looked at her with evasive eyes recently. No wonder Jiang Lianzhi had been avoiding her these days, saying that he had too much official business and had not returned to the main house for more than ten days.
Counting it up, Lin Qingli arrived in Beijing almost ten days ago.
Chen Yu didn't continue listening. She came here today just to get an answer from Jiang Lianzhi.
Walking around the corridor, several maids turned pale when they saw her.
"Young Madam."
Just as she knelt down and had no time to beg for mercy, the gorgeous hem of her dress had already brushed against the crawling fingertips of several people and went towards the study.
Jiang Lianzhi usually didn't like people to serve him personally. He was the only one in the study. When he saw Chen Yu coming in,
Door, Jiang Lianzhi raised his head and smiled at her.
"Are you cold coming here in such a heavy snow?"
Seeing the smile on his face, Shen Yu felt a tightness in her chest.
The man in front of her married her when the Shen family was in trouble, took good care of her, and responded to her every request, doing the best a husband could do. So now, she couldn't even hate him.
He didn't seem to have done anything wrong, but the only thing was that he had his heart set on another woman. Wasn't that a fact before she appeared?
I just want to ask Jiang Lianzhi, have you been tired of pretending to be concerned about me for the past three years? Have you ever felt wronged by sleeping in the same bed with me all these years?
Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Chen Yu smiled at him, "I heard that you found Miss Lin back."
Jiang Lianzhi's smile froze for a moment, and the warmth in his eyes gradually faded. After a moment, he asked, "Who is gossiping with you again?"
Chen Yu pretended not to have noticed his expression just now and walked straight to the desk, "Now that you have found her, how are you going to place her?"
Jiang Lianzhi avoided her gaze and said, "I want to take her as my concubine."
Chen Yu noticed his choice of words. It was not "want", but "want". He did not give her any room for negotiation. He was just notifying her.
Seeing that she looked unhappy, Jiang Lianzhi was silent for a moment, and explained in a gentle voice: "Qingli has been wandering outside for a long time, I want to give her a place to settle down. She has a gentle personality and will not affect your position as the mistress of the Jiang family."
Even though she was prepared, Shen Yu was still deeply hurt by his answer.
She lost her mother at a young age, and her father and brother died at the border when she was seventeen. Besides her, the only people left in the Shen family were her stepmother and sister.
Before she got married, her stepmother had repeatedly warned her that the Jiang family was one of the four major families, and that they had been indebted to the Shen family for helping them in their time of need. In addition, a woman is no longer the same after she gets married, and now no one will support her, so she should be patient when encountering problems.
Born into a family of generals, she had ridden a horse and wielded a sword to kill enemies before. However, ever since her marriage, she had been trying her best to be tolerant and almost forgot what her original self was like.
This huge Jiang Mansion was about to trap her to death.
Shen Yu felt an unusual discomfort in her chest. She took a deep breath and asked, "What if I don't agree?"
Jiang Lianzhi was stunned for a moment, as if he had never expected her to refuse.
In Jiang Lianzhi's eyes, she was usually gentle and always nodded her approval no matter what happened. But this was the first time she expressed her opposition to him so firmly.
He sighed, "Ayu, you are not such an unreasonable person. The Jiang family has no rules that prohibit taking concubines. I need..."
"Okay, I understand." Shen Yu interrupted him and nodded slowly, her hands hidden under her sleeves unconsciously clenched.
She knew what he needed. He needed to share the worries of His Majesty, so she married the daughter of General Shen who died in battle at the border to comfort the soldiers.
The Jiang family needs to continue the family line, and the person who can give birth to a child for the Jiang family definitely cannot be himself.
Because since the second year of her marriage, she found that musk, which makes people infertile, was added to her meals and snacks.
While she was stunned, Jiang Lianzhi was already standing in front of her, smoothing the collar of her white cloak for her.
"I'll ask someone to take you back. It's so cold, don't run outside. Be careful not to catch a cold." He said gently.
Shen Yu raised her eyes and swept her gaze across his face.
Jiang Lianzhi has a very good face, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and a gentle and refined temperament.
It was precisely this extremely deceptive face that kept her fooled for so many years.
He pretended so well, trying his best to play the role of a perfect husband, caring and concerned about her.
When people are at their most vulnerable, they always mistake the hand extended to her as a lifelong support. She once succumbed to the warmth he brought, but now everything makes her feel ironic.
"No, it's just a few steps away."
Chen Yu smiled at him, turned around, and a tear fell. It flashed with a bright light and disappeared into the snow-white fox quilt in an instant.
There is no one to rely on in this world. In the end, she is the only one left.
The journey that was originally only half a cup of tea seemed so long to her, so long that it seemed as if she could see her entire life at a glance.
She looked up and saw that the tiny sky was dyed so dazzling by the snow. The vast snow was filled with desolation and devastation.
Why is this winter so cold? It’s even colder than the wind and snow in Yanliang Pass.
If her martial arts skills had not been wasted and Benxiao was still there, she would have been able to ride it straight to Yanliang Pass, to the burial place of her father and brother. She would not be left alone in this world without anyone to talk to.
But now...
“Cough cough…” Chen Yu raised her hand, clenched her fist and put it against her lips and coughed a few times.
But with her current physical condition, she couldn't even lift a sword, let alone fight the enemy.
"elder sister."
As footsteps approached, Shen Yu turned her head and saw a woman standing beside her, followed by two maids.
The woman had a pretty face, with a pair of clear eyes under her thin eyebrows. Her eyes made me feel pity for her.
Chen Yu had never seen Lin Qingli before, but the moment she saw the woman, her intuition told her that it was her.
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