Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1553: Chapter 1553: Rather Be the Wife of a Commoner than the Concubine of a Prince_1

Outside the gate of Cining Palace, a slender figure knelt resolutely on the ground, the candlelight in the lanterns on either side illuminating her face—it was Luluo, the maid of Grand Princess Huilan.

The shadow of Luluo was stretched long, accentuating her petite and helpless figure. There she knelt, her face already wet with tears.

”You’re seeking an audience with the Empress Dowager at this hour, isn’t it...” Guessing her intention, the eunuch of Cining Palace heaved a heavy sigh, ”Our Empress Dowager has a soft heart, but she may not wish to involve herself in such matters, right?”

Luluo sniffled, quickly wiped the tears from her face, and said with a resolute expression, ”This servant knows it’s troublesome for the Empress Dowager, but please, eunuch, relay this message for me. Just say that Luluo comes with the bracelet from that day, asking for an audience.”

The eunuch sighed and could only enter the Cining Palace. He soon returned and brought Luluo inside.

At that moment, the Empress Dowager was getting ready to rest. Her head ornaments had been removed, and she had changed into comfortable homely clothes, making her appear even more amiable.

”Luluo girl, what’s happened to you?” asked the Empress Dowager.

Luluo fell to her knees in front of the Empress Dowager and said, ”The Empress Dowager once said she would arrange a marriage for Luluo. This bracelet is the dowry you gave Luluo, and at that time, I said I did not wish to marry. But now, Luluo begs the Empress Dowager to find a marital match for her!”

As she spoke, a tragic expression appeared on her face, ”Luluo does not seek to join a wealthy family, only to marry a commoner where husband and wife can respect each other.”

The Empress Dowager, taken aback, suddenly understood, ”Is the Grand Princess forcing you to become Zheng Guogong’s concubine?”

Luluo nodded with difficulty, ”I’d rather be the wife of a commoner than the concubine of a noble. Luluo knows she has fallen on hard times and does not deserve to ask for much, but the one thing I cannot accept is to become someone’s concubine. The Grand Princess promised to arrange a marriage for me in the future, to let me marry a diligent young man; but now she suddenly wants me to serve Zheng Guogong. I truly cannot do it!”

”When I saw your literary grace and charm, I worried that such a day would come, wanting to find a good family for you early on, but you insisted on serving the Grand Princess to repay her kindness. Now, why bother with this?” the Empress Dowager said with a sigh.

Luluo looked ashamed, ”It was too naive of Luluo. Even if it meant serving the Grand Princess for life, even if never marrying, that would have been fine. But I absolutely cannot be someone’s concubine; otherwise, if my mother in heaven knew, she would be bitterly disappointed.”

”Ay, this I understand all too well. Your mother was harmed by the concubines in her own family. Well then, since I have a connection with you, let me help you this one time,” said the Empress Dowager before giving Hao Mu some instructions, telling her to check if the Emperor had gone to bed and to inform him about this matter, saying that she had already decided to arrange a marital match for Luluo.

Hao Mu acknowledged the order and left, while Luluo thumped her head on the floor three times in front of the Empress Dowager, bruising her forehead.

The Empress Dowager quickly had someone help her up, saying with a sigh, ”Child, why go to such lengths? But I can only do so much for you. Given your current situation, and having offended the Grand Princess, it will not be easy to find a suitable family.”

”This servant has no intention whatsoever to cling to the powerful. Even if marrying a servant or a widower, it would suffice. Please do not trouble yourself over this,” Luluo earnestly said, her expression showing her firm resolve.

”Very well, I’ll have someone take you to rest. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow,” the Empress Dowager said, massaging her temples with a hint of weariness.

Luluo quickly stood up to take her leave, inwardly blaming herself for disturbing the Empress Dowager’s rest.

...

Early the next morning, Bai Ruozhu gave Nanny Zhang some instructions and handed her an invitation to visit, asking her to make a trip to the Xue Residence.

Because Gai Yalai did not want to recognize Jiang Yichun, the Bai Residence had not had much interaction with the Xue Residence for quite some time. However, the enthusiastic miss of the Xue Residence, Xue Xue, had sought out Bai Ruozhu. Yet Ruozhu did not appreciate the past schemes of the Xue siblings and maintained a certain distance from Xue Xue.

As instructed by Bai Ruozhu, Nanny Zhang delivered a visiting card to the Xue Residence and relayed a message to Gai Yalai, informing her of news about her twin nieces.

Sure enough, after a short while, a maid came out to respond, saying that Lady Xue invited her in to talk.

While Nanny Zhang went to meet with Gai Yalai, Jiang Yichun was extremely conflicted, even going to the Imperial Study Room after the court session ended, so preoccupied that he didn’t respond to Tang Yin’s call several times.

”Yichun, I heard Zheng Guogong sent you a beauty. Could it be that the beauty has ensnared your soul? This isn’t like you at all,” Tang Yin laughed heartily.

Jiang Yichun showed an embarrassed look, ”The Emperor jests. I am not fond of beauty; I am merely a bit flustered, that’s all.”

”Oh?” Tang Yin became interested.

Jiang Yichun had no choice but to disclose the matter of the apparently lost cousins from years ago, knowing full well that with the Emperor’s methods, he would eventually find out even if Yichun didn’t tell him.

After listening, Tang Yin laughed even harder, ”I would very much like to know Bai Ruozhu’s expression at that time. She’s very astute, yet she didn’t anticipate this situation. I bet she wouldn’t have guessed it even if it killed her, right?”

Jiang Yichun’s lips twitched, deciding not to utter another word to such an unscrupulous Emperor.

He also knew that having made such a fuss about the issue, and having treated the two dancing girls kindly, outsiders might misconstrue his actions as having taken a fancy to the dancing girls, thus affronting Bai Ruozhu. Therefore, he had thought not to bring the two back to the Bai Residence, and even if it meant dispatching additional people to protect them in secret, they could only temporarily be placed at the Welcome Guest House.

He had considered not getting involved in this messy affair, as his relationship with his mother was almost severed, but then he thought about how those two cousins were innocent children abducted against their will. Even for the sake of his maternal aunt, he felt obliged to help them return home.

So now he was worried about how to resolve the matter quickly, properly, and discreetly.

Just as he was fretting, Jing Lei hurriedly came to report that the Xue Residence had stealthily taken the two dancing girls away through the back door. Since they did not want the matter to become public knowledge, Jing Lei and the others did not dare to stop them.

”Forget it, let her take them away. Once she notifies my maternal aunt and has the people taken back, the matter will be settled,” Jiang Yichun said.

Tang Yin beside him began to laugh, ”It’s a pity that now no one will know why those two dancing girls stopped performing. Naturally, everyone will think Lord Jiang was compassionate and took them away, and Lord Jiang’s wife, Bai Ruozhu, can only silently shed tears. The Bai family’s stance on not taking concubines applies only to their own family members, not to sons-in-law.”

Jiang Yichun felt a headache coming on, and inside, he hated Zheng Guogong and his wife even more.

”Reporting to the Emperor, the Grand Princess has gone to the Empress Dowager to request people. The Empress Dowager asks that you make a visit,” the Little Eunuch reported urgently from outside.

At this news, Tang Yin could no longer smile, pinching his nose he said, ”It seems this trouble has reached my head. After all, it’s my aunt who has gone too far, and it’s time to discipline them.”

After finishing, the Emperor headed to Cining Palace. Jiang Yichun excused himself and went to the Female Physicians Institution to fetch his wife.

Not knowing what rumors would arise afterward, whether in public or in private, he needed to make sure to appease his wife thoroughly.