Chapter 61

"Thank you, you're such a kind person."

Xin Yan had seen the young lady before. He had only caught a glimpse of her that day, and although he had only seen a general outline, he still thought she was very beautiful.

Many of the maids in the outer courtyard had never seen the young lady. However, because of the incident where the young lady sold off so many maids some time ago, some people fabricated a story that the young lady must be a grumpy, cold-hearted, and ugly woman. They made it sound very plausible, but anyone who had actually seen the young lady would not say such a thing.

"Miss is so beautiful. Those people can't even see her, so they're just sour grapes. But Miss seems cold and aloof, not easy to get along with." Xin Yan thought Xue Lingyu was just curious about her mistress. People in the manor would secretly gossip about these things in their spare time, and he had overheard it a few times.

Xin Yan, holding her cheeks, shook her head and said, "Although Miss is beautiful, women who are rich and beautiful usually have many admirers. Three or five concubines are considered few. I heard that Miss used to be a playboy and probably frequented places like Qingqiu Tower."

Miss is quite devoted and loyal to her concubine. If possible, Xinyan really wants to meet that legendary concubine and see what kind of beauty she has that has captivated Miss so much that she hasn't married a proper husband yet.

To avoid corrupting Xue Lingyu, Xinyan spoke to him on a superficial level.

After hearing just a few words from Xin Yan, Xue Lingyu's image of her young lady had changed from a fierce woman with broad shoulders and a thick waist to a good-looking but dissolute playboy.

Xue Lingyu thought to himself, whether she was beautiful or ugly, he would only know after seeing her for himself.

Xin Yan didn't find out the reason for Xue Lingyu's sadness, but seeing that Xue Lingyu's mood had obviously improved after he said a few words, and that he even fed Xue Lingyu two pieces of peach blossom pastry, he didn't delve into it further.

These peach blossom pastries were really delicious. Xin Yan stuffed the money into Xue Lingyu's hand, and even gave her a few extra strings of cash, which he had promised to give her before. Then, before Xue Lingyu could react, he quickly left.

On the way back, Xin Yan overheard the maids serving in the inner courtyard whispering among themselves.

"I heard that last night a maid from the outer courtyard actually tried to climb into Miss's bed. She really didn't know what was good for her. Sister Yuange was furious and had her thrown out overnight. I heard that the maid was barely clothed and looked extremely disheveled."

"Pah! He deserves it. How could someone like him even dream of such a young lady?"

"That's true. But if I could become Miss's concubine, I would be like a phoenix rising to the top. If I could have a daughter or a son, I would never have to worry about anything for the rest of my life."

"I wish the young lady would take a liking to me..."

Xin Yan glanced at the two men and couldn't help but suppress a laugh. It's true that all sorts of monsters and demons want to become the young lady's concubine. Don't they even look at themselves? The young lady probably wouldn't even give them a second glance.

In his opinion, only someone as beautiful as Chunxiao would be liked by the young lady.

Last night, the incident of the maid climbing into bed alarmed many people. Yuange dealt with the person involved overnight and also investigated the whole story.

“Miss, we’ve found out everything. The one last night, named Qiuyu, is the one who often bullies Young Master Xue. Qiuyu used the name of the embroidery workshop, saying he was there to deliver clothes to you. The guards at the courtyard gate thought he was Young Master Xue, which is why they allowed him to pass without informing you. I have already punished him.”

It was ultimately her fault that an outsider had slipped into the Flowing Water Pavilion. Yuan Ge couldn't help but swallow hard, waiting for Jiang He's punishment.

Jiang He lay half-reclined on the chaise longue, put down her book, and said calmly, "There's no need to punish them; it wasn't their fault."

The person was taken down at the door of the house, so her place wasn't soiled. However, this person must have been desperate to be kicked out, so he took this gamble, thinking that if he could become her concubine, he could stay in the mansion.

What a small world! He's courting death.

Jiang He's words meant she had let her off the hook, and Yuan Ge breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for your mercy, Miss."

“Miss, when I returned to the manor, I saw that Young Master Xue was heading this way. Judging by his pace, he should be arriving soon.”

Yuange personally went out of the manor to deal with Qiuyu, and not long after, her eyes became bloodshot.

Yuange was Jiang He's confidante, so Jiang He naturally wouldn't criticize her casually. She said, "I understand. You should go and rest now."

After Yuange left, Jiang He lay on the chaise lounge for a while, quietly waiting for Xue Lingyu to come looking for her.

On the surface, she appeared calm, but inside, a storm was brewing. She was trying to figure out why Xue Lingyu had come to find her. Was it because she didn't have enough money, or because she had been bullied, or because she missed her?

The more she thought about it, the more agitated she became. She glanced at the doorway, which was still empty, and couldn't help but wonder how slowly this man was walking. She was getting impatient.

Jiang Hegan and the others did not see anyone, but she would not take the initiative to go out and look for them. She wanted to wait for Xue Lingyu to come to see her on her own.

Jiang He covered her face with the book, hiding her furrowed brows and expectant eyes.

She couldn't let Xue Lingyu see through her act.

Xue Lingyu knew the location of Jiang He's house like the back of her hand, as if she had lived there before. The more she looked at it, the more familiar it felt. However, the thought of that annoying person living there made Xue Lingyu unable to smile.

He initially refused to come looking for the annoying guy who had made advances towards him.

But she was the young lady's personal attendant, and he only knew one person who could have contact with her.

Jiang He originally planned to wait for Xue Lingyu to arrive before slowly removing the book from her face and revealing the expression she had been pondering for a long time. However, she did not expect that the chaise lounge would suddenly shake and the book would fall off her face. She jumped up with a look of surprise on her face, a scene that Xue Lingyu happened to see.

Xue Lingyu couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

Jiang He steadied herself, straightened her clothes slightly, picked up the book and placed it on the table, coughed a few times deliberately, and asked, "Why are you here?"

Knowing she shouldn't go too far, Xue Lingyu withdrew her smile and said seriously, "I have something I'd like to ask you for help with."

Upon hearing this, Jiang He found it quite strange: "What kind of help?"

She went through the possibilities she had just thought of again, and finally felt that there was a very high possibility that Xue Lingyu was coming to her for money. After all, he was not getting a monthly salary by following Fang Xiulang, and he was now a penniless nobody.

Unexpectedly, Xue Lingyu slipped a string of coins into her hand and said with pursed lips, "I would like to ask you to deliver a sachet to Miss."

Jiang He was completely puzzled.

Xue Lingyu explained, "Miss is my savior. I wanted to repay her, so I embroidered a sachet with mugwort inside, which can calm the mind. But I have no chance to see Miss, so I can only ask you for help."

After he finished speaking, he hesitated for a moment before handing the sachet to Jiang He.

Jiang He took the sachet and looked at it with mixed feelings.

Xue Lingyu was willing to embroider a sachet for someone she'd never met, meaning they weren't exactly strangers. Yet he only offered her a string of coins as a token of appreciation; she didn't even have such an exquisite sachet...

Does she look like she's short of a string of cash?

Xue Lingyu seemed to hear Jiang He's grievances and took out a simple hairpin from her sleeve. "This is a thank-you gift for you. If you have someone you like, you can give it to him."

As a respected steward to the young lady, Xue Lingyu saw that she was not young and, if not married, should be engaged, which is why she gave her the hairpin.

"This is the only valuable thing I own. I don't even have any jewelry..." Xue Lingyu lowered her head as she said this, afraid that Jiang He would be dissatisfied and reject her.

Seeing Xue Lingyu looking aggrieved again, Jiang He ground her back teeth and said, almost word by word, "Thank you... I will pass it on to Miss for you."

Xue Lingyu immediately beamed with joy: "Thank you, you're such a good person."

After Xue Lingyu left, Jiang He looked at the string of coins, a sachet, and a simple hairpin in her hand and fell into deep thought.

Which of the red jade and agate hairpins and the longing hairpins she gave me isn't prettier than this broken hairpin?

Jiang He was indignant, but she still casually hung the sachet on her waist. Xue Lingyu had given it to the young lady of the Jiang family, so it was perfectly legitimate for her to use it.

Xue Lingyu thought to himself that he could finally find out something he had been thinking about. As long as the young lady saw the sachet, opened it and saw what was inside, she would definitely come to see him, and then he could repay her kindness.

He silently repeated these eight words in his heart: "I should repay your life-saving grace with my body."

Let's decide everything after we meet Miss. Xue Lingyu touched her face. Maybe Miss doesn't even think much of her. Her beloved concubine must be exceptionally beautiful, otherwise why would Miss be so infatuated with her?

After Xue Lingyu delivered the sachets, she ran into Xinyan coming out of the main courtyard. Since the master had not yet returned, the servants in the main courtyard were all very idle.

Seeing the path behind him, Xin Yan pulled him aside and asked, "Did you come from Miss's courtyard?"

"yes."

"Did Fang Xiulang ask you to deliver clothes to the young lady again?"

"No, I'm going to see the steward who works for Miss, to thank her for her help."

Xin Yan knew that the female steward by Miss's side was named Yuan Ge. She was a dignified and elegant lady with a good reputation throughout the Jiang family. Xue Lingyu was now learning from Fang Xiulang and had also received embroidery work from Miss's courtyard. She should get to know this female steward better.

"Sister Yuange is a good person. Although she usually seems a bit serious and aloof, she is actually kind-hearted and respected by the servants in the manor. It would be good for you to interact with her more." Xinyan had met Yuange and had a very good impression of her. She also felt a longing to be with her.

He also wanted to become a respectable person like Yuange and Ruiming, serving his master and receiving a much higher monthly salary than ordinary people, so that he could support his sister's schooling and supplement the family income.

However, Xue Lingyu felt something was strange. Was the person Xin Yan was talking about really the same person he knew?

The words "serious" and "cold" are completely incompatible.

Xin Yan tugged at Xue Lingyu's hand and urged, "Let's go. A lot of things have happened in the outer courtyard recently. I'll go back with you."

Qiu Yu was kicked out of bed after climbing in, and Dong Shuang and the others weren't good people either. They actually blamed Xue Lingyu for the incident. Xin Yan was worried that they would gang up on Xue Lingyu, so she thought she should take advantage of her free time to protect him.

Su Yawan held an important position and was extremely busy after the start of the year. He spent several days resting at the Jingzhao government office. When he finally got a day off, he couldn't wait to invite Jiang He to the Ruyi Restaurant for drinks.

Although people in the court gave her a reputation for being shrewd and resourceful, Su Ya and Jiang He were somewhat similar in that they had similar standards for drinking and having fun.

As soon as Jiang He sat down, Su Yawan picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and said with relish, "Luckily you sold the house but not the restaurant, otherwise I wouldn't be able to eat this signature crispy pork."

Crispy pork is also served at the imperial palace banquets, but compared to that at Ruyi Restaurant, it lacks a certain flavor.

Jiang He laughed at her wolfing down her food, and Su Yawan retorted, "I really haven't been eating well these past few days. I've been running around like a headless chicken by His Majesty. She's overjoyed to have a princess and a prince, so she's abandoned all the affairs of state and gone off to enjoy herself."

Su Yawan was telling the truth, but given the Emperor's personality, he probably didn't really want to slack off. Wasn't this just a test of the ministers in the court, a way to select advisors for the princess in advance?

She, a court official with close ties to the Jiang family, also rose to prominence along with her and her associates.

Su Yawan told Jiang He about the recent developments in the court. The Ministry of Personnel was making the biggest moves, trying to confuse the public at this time by being cunning and deceitful. Others had not yet made any moves.

Jiang He listened absentmindedly, watching as Su Yawan almost completely devoured the entire table of food.

Su Yawan tapped the table, drawing Jiang He's attention. "Someone has passed on the news of Xue Lingyu's death to Xue Lingyi."

Jiang He suddenly raised her head.

Their seats were by the window, overlooking the street, where the sounds of vendors calling out their wares made it difficult for others to overhear what they were saying.

Su Yawan continued, "Don't worry, I noticed and stopped it in time."

Xue Lingyi was once a first-rank prime minister. If it weren't for the salt smuggling and the legal troubles involving names, he wouldn't have fallen to this state. Such old ministers from powerful families usually have a certain pride. Those who are too aloof would have committed suicide long ago. Xue Lingyi has been able to hold on until now only for the sake of his family.

If she knew that her only son was no longer alive, she might have wanted to go with him. At that time, no matter how great the injustice, once a person dies, everything is gone. The title of "criminal official" would always accompany the Xue family, and the person behind the scenes would still live a carefree life.

Jiang He picked up a peanut with her chopsticks and sneered, "The Ministry of Personnel's true colors are finally about to be revealed."

Su Yawan nodded: "The last memorial Xue Lingyi submitted before her conviction was to cut the Ministry of Personnel's expenses. The people in the Ministry of Personnel have been holding their positions without doing their jobs for so many years, it should have been cleaned up long ago. Your Majesty, can't you see that this is a setup?"

Since ascending the throne, Emperor Wei has been diligent in his duties, unlike his predecessor. Su Yawan did not believe that she could not see the inside story of the Xue family's affair.

Unless it was intentional...

Jiang He asked another question: "How is Doctor Xue's condition?"

Speaking of this, Su Yawan couldn't help but sigh: "He's still unconscious. The imperial physicians have changed from going to the Jiaofang Palace to check his pulse every half month to once a month."

If this continues, Jiaofang Palace will probably be completely neglected.

Xue Taifu was the late emperor's concubine. Although he was only a few years older than the current emperor, he was still the legitimate father. Unexpectedly, he was treated this way.

Su Yawan was anxious, but she couldn't show it.

Feeling down, she stood up to pour herself a drink, only to stumble upon Jiang He's good deed.

"Why do you have a new sachet around your waist? You're not wearing your green jade pendant anymore. That's quite unusual." Su Yawan looked at it carefully for a while, becoming more and more surprised. "It's obviously made by a man. Could it be that you've encountered some romantic interest?"

She had never seen Jiang He wear such a delicate, masculine item as a sachet before; something must be amiss.

Jiang He smiled without saying a word, covering the sachet tightly, afraid that Su Yawan would take it away.

Su Yawan took a sip of wine and teased, "Was it embroidered by Xue Lingyu?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang He confessed without being asked.

Jiang He took off the sachet, held it in her hand to admire it, and praised, "His embroidery skills have always been excellent."

“This sachet is bulging; there might be something inside. Why don’t you open it and take a look?” Seeing that Jiang He didn’t move, Su Yawan nudged her. “Don’t be so stingy. Can’t I even look?”

Jiang He touched the sachet with her hand and felt that there was indeed something inside. In front of Su Yawan, she opened the sachet.

As Xue Lingyu said, it contained calming mugwort leaves, and a fragrant aroma wafted out as soon as it was opened. There was also a love knot inside.

My love is bound by a deep longing, and our bond is unbreakable.

This is one way for a man to express his love for a woman.

Jiang He's expression, however, was not good.

He actually sent such a thing to a Miss Jiang whom he had never even met. Could it be that he wanted to become her concubine?

To repay a life-saving debt with one's body is truly a wonderful thing.

Xue Lingyu was unaware that Jiang He was contemplating strangling him at that moment.

He was clearly in bed, but he still sneezed.

He found it a little strange, but didn't take it to heart. Instead, he began to wonder what the young lady would think if she opened the sachet and saw what was inside.

Will she think he's delusional? But he just wants to repay a debt of gratitude.

Even if the young lady doesn't like him, he still wants to thank her in person.

Jiang He finally couldn't hold back any longer and, under Su Yawan's questioning gaze, immediately turned back home.

Su Yawan didn't understand why Xue Lingyu was still angry when he had clearly given her a love knot. Could it be that he gave it to the wrong person?

Jiang He knew where Xue Lingyu lived, so she deliberately waited until it was dark and there was hardly anyone in the courtyard before she came to look for Xue Lingyu.

When Xue Lingyu saw Jiang He, he couldn't help but shrink into the quilt. He wondered why Jiang He seemed to bring a ball of fire as soon as she came in, even though it was a strangely cold day.

He was about to ask if the sachet had been given to the young lady when he saw the love knot in Jiang He's hand. This woman had not only taken his things without permission, but was also using them to question him: "What do you mean by this?"

"How dare you take apart the things I gave to the young lady!"

Xue Lingyu tried to take back the love knot, but Jiang He took a step back and dodged him.

Jiang He looked at his slightly reddened eyes, but this time she didn't soften her heart. "When did you start having those kinds of feelings for Miss? You've never even met her. How do you know if she's tall or short, fat or thin, beautiful or ugly? If she's an ugly duckling, would you still rush to become her concubine?"

His thoughts were laid bare, especially when he was questioned like this. His voice immediately became choked with sobs: "She helped me. No matter what she looks like, I love her."

Jiang He felt a pang of jealousy: "What makes you think Miss would like you?"

"If Miss says she doesn't like me, I'll return the money to her and leave the Jiang residence immediately. I absolutely won't bother her anymore." Xue Lingyu, disregarding that she was only wearing a thin garment, threw back the covers, got out of bed, and grabbed Jiang He's sleeve, pleading:

"You're a good person, please give it back to me."

Jiang He trembled with anger: "Here you go!"

A note from the author:

My love is bound by a deep longing, and our bond is unbreakable.

From the anonymous poem "A Guest Comes from Afar" from the Han Dynasty.

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-02-11 20:38:27 and 2022-02-12 21:10:58!

Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 浅雨沾裳 (1);

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Xiao Guniang Bu Rong Ke 8 bottles; Ba Ri Yan 3 bottles; Yuan Yuan 2 bottles; Chen Chen and A Nuo Bu Shi Xiao Hai Zi 1 bottle each;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!