real empress from a noble family

Qiu Yelan didn’t bother to ask how the palace handled the aftermath of this incident and asked in surprise, “How did grandfather know this matter?”

“How could I make grandfather know it?” Jiang Yashuang shook his head, and he looked very solemn, “It was our fourth aunt who was so anxious that she fainted twice since last night, and now both Emperor and Empress are taking care of her in the Hall of Taishi. Uncle Mengmin and the third uncle were so frightened that they asked Yadan to come back from the Mansion of Duke of Huainan to cover for me and told me to immediately go to the palace with them to visit her!”

“What did grandfather say?” Qiu Yelan hurriedly said, “Grandfather is always shrewd. If Yadan suddenly covered for you, would it arouse grandfather’s suspicion?”

Today’s shift was different from usual. Because Qiu Jinglan was not in Jing City and Qiu Yelan’s relationship with Prince’s Mansion of Xihe was very bad. On the second day of the first lunar month, she still stayed in her husband’s family. In this case, Jiang Yashuang didn’t need to accompany his wife to the Yue Family, so he took over the task of accompanying Marquess Qin all day today.

If Jiang Yadan, who was supposed to be in the Mansion of Duke of Huainan, suddenly came to replace Jiang Yashuang, how could Marquess Qin not suspect that anything happened?

“Fortunately, today Lu He and my ninth sister’s daughter were going to date each other.” Jiang Yashuang glanced at Lu He, who was standing beside him, and said to his wife first, “I told grandfather about this, using the excuse that something went wrong and needed to be dealt with. I also said that Yadan didn’t like the food of the Mansion of Duke of Huainan, so he came back early… Grandfather should have no doubts by now!”

And then he told Lu He, “If you have any thoughts on this matter, just say it. It’s a matter of marriage, so it can’t be taken lightly! You don’t have to worry about anything else. You know?”

Lu He hurriedly said, “Yes!”

“Our fourth aunt had always been in good health. How could she be so angry?” After leaving Mujin outside to greet Lu He, Qiu Yelan followed her husband into the inner chamber and asked in a low voice while changing his clothes for the palace, “It is understandable that my fourth aunt never thought that such a ridiculous and shameless thing would happen, so she fainted! But the second time she fainted… Could it be that there was something else that was found out later?”

The Darui Palace was so chaotic…

Jiang Yashuang sighed, “I don’t know yet. Let’s wait and see what’s going on after entering the palace!”

He was going to the palace to inquire about the news. Qiu Yelan, who was very concerned about it, was no longer in the mood to go around in circles with Lu He and asked bluntly, “What do you think of the girls in the Yi Family?”

“The two young ladies are both talented and beautiful.” Lu He’s shyness, fear, and embarrassment were all disturbed by the sudden thing mentioned by Jiang Yashuang. He was awkward yet very straightforward. Obviously, he also noticed that in the face of Empress Dowager Jiang’s health problems, he’d better not wear out the patience of the wife of his prospective master, “I’m only afraid that I’m not good enough for them!”

Although Qiu Yelan was thinking about Empress Dowager Jiang, she wasn’t going to dismiss Lu He hastily. Hearing this, she pondered, “Well, his descriptions of the two girls in the Yi Family are quite ordinary, and I can’t tell if he likes or dislikes them. It seems he doesn’t have a deep affection for them even if he likes them. He also said that he wasn’t good enough for them… Is this because he is afraid that because the girls in the Yi Family come from a prominent family and they’re also Yashuang’s nieces, at least his nominal nieces, they will look down on him, right?”

She wondered, “Could it be that the girls of the Yi Family were quite proud in the plum woods? Lu He is very well-behaved and sensible after all… But why didn’t Huizhu mention this? Could it be a misunderstanding?”

She pondered for a while and then said, “You heard what Yashuang just said just now. He is going to enter the palace under the pretense that something went wrong with your date. So, I thought about it. I’m sorry, but we’re not going to talk about your marriage for now. We’ll discuss it in a few days, because if Old Master asks, it’s not easy for us to answer, and it also seems that Jiang Yashuang deliberately deceived him. What do you think?”

Of course, Lu He had no problem with it, and he gently said that it was up to her.

“Go and bring Huizhu!” Qiu Yelan decided to inquire about what had happened in the plum woods.

After Jiang Huizhu was called over, according to her request, she recalled the scene in the plum woods word by word, but Qiu Yelan didn’t find anything wrong. After thinking for a while, she asked, “You never left, did you?”

“When I saw Lu He and the two cousins were chatting very happily, I made an excuse and told them I was going to break off a few plum blossoms. I walked away for a while.” Jiang Huizhu said in a panic, “But I didn’t do it on purpose!”

Qiu Yelan frowned, “Could it be that something went wrong during this time?” It was just that Jiang Huizhu took her maid with her when she went away to take the plum blossoms. Now, if she wanted to know what Lu He had said to the sisters of the Yi Family during this period, she could only ask them.

“Forget it. If the sisters of the Yi Family did something wrong, Lu He would not tell us the truth. After two days, he will officially become the disciple of Yashuang. When our relationship becomes closer, I will ask him again. I think he will tell the truth by then!” Thinking of this, Qiu Yelan warmly said to Jiang Huizhu, “If you want to leave next time, remember to leave your maid behind.”

“Yes!” Jiang Huizhu said timidly.

… After she left, she didn’t stay in her room for a long time. She went to find Gu E’nuo and bowed respectfully, “Auntie, you were right. I’m so impressed!”

Gu E’nuo helped her up with a smile and asked with concern, “How was it? Your aunt just called you over. Did she really ask about what happened in the plum woods?”

“That’s right!” Jiang Huizhu nodded and her childish face couldn’t hide the joy, “Aunt Yelan asked me to describe the whole process… It must be Lu He who declined the marriage with the cousins of the Yi Family but refused to explain the reason, so Aunt Yelan called me over and tried to find out the reason. It was exactly as you expected, auntie!”

Speaking of this, she couldn’t help but ask curiously, “But I wonder how you could be sure that as long as I encouraged the sisters of the Yi Family to be scornful after seeing Lu He, he would definitely decline the marriage. After all, the sisters of the Yi Family are very beautiful and privileged, but Lu He is only the son of an Imperial Guard…”

“Not to mention that, even Mrs. Qu is only a servant, and you’re a young lady of the Jiang Family. Do you dare to take her as just a servant?” Gu E’nuo gave her a glance in amusement, “Especially Lu He’s father died for your grandfather. Just because of this, your father, the ninth aunt, Jiang Yazhu, Jiang Qizheng, and Jiang Yashuang will not treat him badly! Did you forget that when he was brought back to Jing City by Mu Zixuan, your grandmothers and others all took good care of him and treated him like a junior?”

With that, Gu E’nuo sneered, “So how could sisters of the Yi Family look down on him? Apart from the friendship in his father’s generation, just because he can win your uncle Jiang Yashuang’s favor, this boy is definitely not simple! How outstanding Jiang Yashuang is! He is not a gifted man, and he is willing to take time out of his busy schedule to instruct the boy?”

“Not to mention that your uncle Jiang Yashuang still plans to formally accept him as his disciple. He is even taking over his marriage. He is simply treating him as his son and future disciple! Your uncle Jiang Yashuang cares about him a lot. Lu He is not a fool and he certainly knows it!”

Jiang Huizhu said timidly, “But… But Uncle Yashuang has been so kind to him and this time his blind date was the ninth aunt’s daughters. How could he refuse? Wasn’t he too proud?”

“It’s a petty idea!” Gu E’nuo shook her head again and again, “First of all, your ninth aunt rarely goes back to her maiden family and she herself is not very familiar with your uncle Jiang Yashuang, let alone her daughters, so for your uncle Jiang Yashuang, Lu He is definitely more important than his two nieces of the Yi Family. Lu He is very clear about this, and the opportunity to meet the girls this time was given because your ninth aunt’s husband took a fancy to Lu He first. If your uncle Jiang Yashuang paid more attention to the Yi Family, why would he want Lu He to go on a blind date? He would just tell him to get engaged. Do you think Lu He dares to say no?”

“Secondly, although Lu He’s background is much humbler than that of the sisters of the Yi Family, he is the son of their grandfather’s confidant! For example, when you meet Mrs. Chang and Mrs. Qu, you don’t dare to take them lightly for the sake of your grandmother! As I said earlier, even your father, uncles, and aunts respect Lu He, let alone the younger generation like the sisters of the Yi Family. How dare they despise him?”

“Thirdly, with the above two points, Lu He doesn’t need to worry that his rejection of this marriage will make your uncle Jiang Yashuang unhappy. In this case, when he expresses his true thoughts, he doesn’t seem to be deceiving, does he?”

Jiang Huizhu pondered, “But he clearly didn’t tell Aunt Yelan the truth. He just declined it subtly! He was so secretive. Would he tell Uncle Yashuang the truth? Wouldn’t he offend Aunt Yelan?”

“What a silly girl! After all, he is your uncle Jiang Yashuang’s prospective eldest disciple, and it’s a shame to just say that the sisters of the Yi Family looked down on him. Of course, if he insists that he is not worthy of the sisters of the Yi Family and repeats it several times, won’t your uncle Jiang Yashuang and your aunt Qiu Yelan hear the overtones?”

“Auntie, on the way I accompanied the sisters of the Yi Family to the plum woods, I said some provocative words. If Uncle Yashuang and Aunt Yelan know about it, will they be angry?” When Jiang Huizhu understood Lu He’s reaction, she became uneasy again and asked her for advice, “At that time, even if you try to get Uncle Yashuang and Aunt Yelan to consider me… I’m afraid… I’m afraid they won’t!”

Gu E’nuo asked calmly, “What did I teach you to say?”

“To praise Lu He’s father highly and make it sound like he is better than generations of the Yi Family!”

“That’s right.” Gu E’nuo said with a sneer, “You were kind enough to give Lu He a boost and warned the sisters of the Yi Family not to underestimate his father and him because his father was just a guard! But in the end, the sisters of the Yi Family just didn’t appreciate it. What could you do? They simply are not destined to marry Lu He, right?”

Although the sisters of the Yi Family had rarely interacted with the Jiang Family due to their mother, their grandfather and father were both high-ranking officials in the court, and the girls were usually spoiled at home. Even if they were not arrogant, they are not submissive. They may not despise a bodyguard, but they won’t like the bragging about a bodyguard!

Especially when Gu E’nuo instructed Jiang Huizhu, she had deliberately told her to memorize a few words that didn’t sound serious on the surface, but when one thought about it, it belied the meaning of despising the Yi Family while touting Lu He’s father.

Thus, if the two sisters certainly were not angry after hearing this, Gu E’nuo’s plan would fail!

But looking at it now, the sisters were not so smart. It was the first time they had ever visited their grandfather’s house since they were children. Jiang Huizhu was a cousin who was two years younger than them. They couldn’t vent their anger on her. Lu He would certainly be the victim when they met him later!

As the son of a soldier from the Northern Army, Lu He was now young and promising mainly because his father had loyally protected the master and died in battle. So, he had been taken seriously by the fourth branch of the Jiang Family, and his talent could be discovered and cultivated. It could be said that his father had exchanged his life for the favor from Jiang Tianchi, Madame Zhuang, and now Jiang Yashuang and his wife! He was too proud to be taken lightly by anyone!

To despise a person’s origin was to despise his parents!

In this case, he certainly wouldn’t agree to marry the girls of the Yi Family!

“I will make plans for you to get married to Lu He. You have to win him over!” Gu E’nuo said with a smile, “If nothing else happens, Jiang Yashuang will like him as his son in the future. Well… As for the future of my daughter, can I entrust you in advance!”

Jiang Huizhu said obediently, “Of course, auntie. Without your advice, I don’t know what I can do in the future! If I have my day in the future, I will not forget your kindness, and I will do my best to take care of my twenty-second sister!”

Qiu Yelan didn’t bother to ask how the palace handled the aftermath of this incident and asked in surprise, “How did grandfather know this matter?”

“How could I make grandfather know it?” Jiang Yashuang shook his head, and he looked very solemn, “It was our fourth aunt who was so anxious that she fainted twice since last night, and now both Emperor and Empress are taking care of her in the Hall of Taishi. Uncle Mengmin and the third uncle were so frightened that they asked Yadan to come back from the Mansion of Duke of Huainan to cover for me and told me to immediately go to the palace with them to visit her!”

“What did grandfather say?” Qiu Yelan hurriedly said, “Grandfather is always shrewd. If Yadan suddenly covered for you, would it arouse grandfather’s suspicion?”

Today’s shift was different from usual. Because Qiu Jinglan was not in Jing City and Qiu Yelan’s relationship with Prince’s Mansion of Xihe was very bad. On the second day of the first lunar month, she still stayed in her husband’s family. In this case, Jiang Yashuang didn’t need to accompany his wife to the Yue Family, so he took over the task of accompanying Marquess Qin all day today.

If Jiang Yadan, who was supposed to be in the Mansion of Duke of Huainan, suddenly came to replace Jiang Yashuang, how could Marquess Qin not suspect that anything happened?

“Fortunately, today Lu He and my ninth sister’s daughter were going to date each other.” Jiang Yashuang glanced at Lu He, who was standing beside him, and said to his wife first, “I told grandfather about this, using the excuse that something went wrong and needed to be dealt with. I also said that Yadan didn’t like the food of the Mansion of Duke of Huainan, so he came back early… Grandfather should have no doubts by now!”

And then he told Lu He, “If you have any thoughts on this matter, just say it. It’s a matter of marriage, so it can’t be taken lightly! You don’t have to worry about anything else. You know?”

Lu He hurriedly said, “Yes!”

“Our fourth aunt had always been in good health. How could she be so angry?” After leaving Mujin outside to greet Lu He, Qiu Yelan followed her husband into the inner chamber and asked in a low voice while changing his clothes for the palace, “It is understandable that my fourth aunt never thought that such a ridiculous and shameless thing would happen, so she fainted! But the second time she fainted… Could it be that there was something else that was found out later?”

The Darui Palace was so chaotic…

Jiang Yashuang sighed, “I don’t know yet. Let’s wait and see what’s going on after entering the palace!”

He was going to the palace to inquire about the news. Qiu Yelan, who was very concerned about it, was no longer in the mood to go around in circles with Lu He and asked bluntly, “What do you think of the girls in the Yi Family?”

“The two young ladies are both talented and beautiful.” Lu He’s shyness, fear, and embarrassment were all disturbed by the sudden thing mentioned by Jiang Yashuang. He was awkward yet very straightforward. Obviously, he also noticed that in the face of Empress Dowager Jiang’s health problems, he’d better not wear out the patience of the wife of his prospective master, “I’m only afraid that I’m not good enough for them!”

Although Qiu Yelan was thinking about Empress Dowager Jiang, she wasn’t going to dismiss Lu He hastily. Hearing this, she pondered, “Well, his descriptions of the two girls in the Yi Family are quite ordinary, and I can’t tell if he likes or dislikes them. It seems he doesn’t have a deep affection for them even if he likes them. He also said that he wasn’t good enough for them… Is this because he is afraid that because the girls in the Yi Family come from a prominent family and they’re also Yashuang’s nieces, at least his nominal nieces, they will look down on him, right?”

She wondered, “Could it be that the girls of the Yi Family were quite proud in the plum woods? Lu He is very well-behaved and sensible after all… But why didn’t Huizhu mention this? Could it be a misunderstanding?”

She pondered for a while and then said, “You heard what Yashuang just said just now. He is going to enter the palace under the pretense that something went wrong with your date. So, I thought about it. I’m sorry, but we’re not going to talk about your marriage for now. We’ll discuss it in a few days, because if Old Master asks, it’s not easy for us to answer, and it also seems that Jiang Yashuang deliberately deceived him. What do you think?”

Of course, Lu He had no problem with it, and he gently said that it was up to her.

“Go and bring Huizhu!” Qiu Yelan decided to inquire about what had happened in the plum woods.

After Jiang Huizhu was called over, according to her request, she recalled the scene in the plum woods word by word, but Qiu Yelan didn’t find anything wrong. After thinking for a while, she asked, “You never left, did you?”

“When I saw Lu He and the two cousins were chatting very happily, I made an excuse and told them I was going to break off a few plum blossoms. I walked away for a while.” Jiang Huizhu said in a panic, “But I didn’t do it on purpose!”

Qiu Yelan frowned, “Could it be that something went wrong during this time?” It was just that Jiang Huizhu took her maid with her when she went away to take the plum blossoms. Now, if she wanted to know what Lu He had said to the sisters of the Yi Family during this period, she could only ask them.

“Forget it. If the sisters of the Yi Family did something wrong, Lu He would not tell us the truth. After two days, he will officially become the disciple of Yashuang. When our relationship becomes closer, I will ask him again. I think he will tell the truth by then!” Thinking of this, Qiu Yelan warmly said to Jiang Huizhu, “If you want to leave next time, remember to leave your maid behind.”

“Yes!” Jiang Huizhu said timidly.

… After she left, she didn’t stay in her room for a long time. She went to find Gu E’nuo and bowed respectfully, “Auntie, you were right. I’m so impressed!”

Gu E’nuo helped her up with a smile and asked with concern, “How was it? Your aunt just called you over. Did she really ask about what happened in the plum woods?”

“That’s right!” Jiang Huizhu nodded and her childish face couldn’t hide the joy, “Aunt Yelan asked me to describe the whole process… It must be Lu He who declined the marriage with the cousins of the Yi Family but refused to explain the reason, so Aunt Yelan called me over and tried to find out the reason. It was exactly as you expected, auntie!”

Speaking of this, she couldn’t help but ask curiously, “But I wonder how you could be sure that as long as I encouraged the sisters of the Yi Family to be scornful after seeing Lu He, he would definitely decline the marriage. After all, the sisters of the Yi Family are very beautiful and privileged, but Lu He is only the son of an Imperial Guard…”

“Not to mention that, even Mrs. Qu is only a servant, and you’re a young lady of the Jiang Family. Do you dare to take her as just a servant?” Gu E’nuo gave her a glance in amusement, “Especially Lu He’s father died for your grandfather. Just because of this, your father, the ninth aunt, Jiang Yazhu, Jiang Qizheng, and Jiang Yashuang will not treat him badly! Did you forget that when he was brought back to Jing City by Mu Zixuan, your grandmothers and others all took good care of him and treated him like a junior?”

With that, Gu E’nuo sneered, “So how could sisters of the Yi Family look down on him? Apart from the friendship in his father’s generation, just because he can win your uncle Jiang Yashuang’s favor, this boy is definitely not simple! How outstanding Jiang Yashuang is! He is not a gifted man, and he is willing to take time out of his busy schedule to instruct the boy?”

“Not to mention that your uncle Jiang Yashuang still plans to formally accept him as his disciple. He is even taking over his marriage. He is simply treating him as his son and future disciple! Your uncle Jiang Yashuang cares about him a lot. Lu He is not a fool and he certainly knows it!”

Jiang Huizhu said timidly, “But… But Uncle Yashuang has been so kind to him and this time his blind date was the ninth aunt’s daughters. How could he refuse? Wasn’t he too proud?”

“It’s a petty idea!” Gu E’nuo shook her head again and again, “First of all, your ninth aunt rarely goes back to her maiden family and she herself is not very familiar with your uncle Jiang Yashuang, let alone her daughters, so for your uncle Jiang Yashuang, Lu He is definitely more important than his two nieces of the Yi Family. Lu He is very clear about this, and the opportunity to meet the girls this time was given because your ninth aunt’s husband took a fancy to Lu He first. If your uncle Jiang Yashuang paid more attention to the Yi Family, why would he want Lu He to go on a blind date? He would just tell him to get engaged. Do you think Lu He dares to say no?”

“Secondly, although Lu He’s background is much humbler than that of the sisters of the Yi Family, he is the son of their grandfather’s confidant! For example, when you meet Mrs. Chang and Mrs. Qu, you don’t dare to take them lightly for the sake of your grandmother! As I said earlier, even your father, uncles, and aunts respect Lu He, let alone the younger generation like the sisters of the Yi Family. How dare they despise him?”

“Thirdly, with the above two points, Lu He doesn’t need to worry that his rejection of this marriage will make your uncle Jiang Yashuang unhappy. In this case, when he expresses his true thoughts, he doesn’t seem to be deceiving, does he?”

Jiang Huizhu pondered, “But he clearly didn’t tell Aunt Yelan the truth. He just declined it subtly! He was so secretive. Would he tell Uncle Yashuang the truth? Wouldn’t he offend Aunt Yelan?”

“What a silly girl! After all, he is your uncle Jiang Yashuang’s prospective eldest disciple, and it’s a shame to just say that the sisters of the Yi Family looked down on him. Of course, if he insists that he is not worthy of the sisters of the Yi Family and repeats it several times, won’t your uncle Jiang Yashuang and your aunt Qiu Yelan hear the overtones?”

“Auntie, on the way I accompanied the sisters of the Yi Family to the plum woods, I said some provocative words. If Uncle Yashuang and Aunt Yelan know about it, will they be angry?” When Jiang Huizhu understood Lu He’s reaction, she became uneasy again and asked her for advice, “At that time, even if you try to get Uncle Yashuang and Aunt Yelan to consider me… I’m afraid… I’m afraid they won’t!”

Gu E’nuo asked calmly, “What did I teach you to say?”

“To praise Lu He’s father highly and make it sound like he is better than generations of the Yi Family!”

“That’s right.” Gu E’nuo said with a sneer, “You were kind enough to give Lu He a boost and warned the sisters of the Yi Family not to underestimate his father and him because his father was just a guard! But in the end, the sisters of the Yi Family just didn’t appreciate it. What could you do? They simply are not destined to marry Lu He, right?”

Although the sisters of the Yi Family had rarely interacted with the Jiang Family due to their mother, their grandfather and father were both high-ranking officials in the court, and the girls were usually spoiled at home. Even if they were not arrogant, they are not submissive. They may not despise a bodyguard, but they won’t like the bragging about a bodyguard!

Especially when Gu E’nuo instructed Jiang Huizhu, she had deliberately told her to memorize a few words that didn’t sound serious on the surface, but when one thought about it, it belied the meaning of despising the Yi Family while touting Lu He’s father.

Thus, if the two sisters certainly were not angry after hearing this, Gu E’nuo’s plan would fail!

But looking at it now, the sisters were not so smart. It was the first time they had ever visited their grandfather’s house since they were children. Jiang Huizhu was a cousin who was two years younger than them. They couldn’t vent their anger on her. Lu He would certainly be the victim when they met him later!

As the son of a soldier from the Northern Army, Lu He was now young and promising mainly because his father had loyally protected the master and died in battle. So, he had been taken seriously by the fourth branch of the Jiang Family, and his talent could be discovered and cultivated. It could be said that his father had exchanged his life for the favor from Jiang Tianchi, Madame Zhuang, and now Jiang Yashuang and his wife! He was too proud to be taken lightly by anyone!

To despise a person’s origin was to despise his parents!

In this case, he certainly wouldn’t agree to marry the girls of the Yi Family!

“I will make plans for you to get married to Lu He. You have to win him over!” Gu E’nuo said with a smile, “If nothing else happens, Jiang Yashuang will like him as his son in the future. Well… As for the future of my daughter, can I entrust you in advance!”

Jiang Huizhu said obediently, “Of course, auntie. Without your advice, I don’t know what I can do in the future! If I have my day in the future, I will not forget your kindness, and I will do my best to take care of my twenty-second sister!”