To Marry the Elder Brother of One's Late Husband - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The String Called Virtue Snaps Suddenly…

Jiang Shu had originally intended to use the opportunity of Lu Changji combing her hair to feign an “accidental” moment of intimacy. However, watching those ambiguous shadows on the wall, her heart hammered like a drum, and she found herself lacking the nerve to continue the seduction.

She pulled out Lu Changji’s handkerchief and handed it back to him with proper decorum. “I’ve been quite busy these past few days and couldn’t find a spare moment,” she said softly. “Today, I finally found the chance to return this to you.”

The handkerchief was a small matter, but it was unconventional for a sister-in-law to hold onto her brother-in-law’s personal item. As Lu Changji took it, the fabric carried Jiang Shu’s lingering scent—the rich, sweet fragrance of “Pear-in-the-Tent” incense wafting to his nose.

By the time Jiang Shu returned to Xinchun Pavilion, it was later than she had expected. Though she had faced a setback with Lu Changji, not everything was going poorly; she had received an invitation from Zhao Yingyun.

The Zhao family was of high standing, and their guests were all people of status. Since the prospect of pregnancy was so uncertain, it was not impossible that she might find a good match for Jiang Rong while attending the banquet.

On the day of the feast, Jiang Shu dressed herself in a style similar to Lady Zhao’s. Though her face still held a hint of youthful innocence, the luxurious fabric gave her the dignified air of a noble matron.

The “Lotus-Viewing Banquet” was organized by Madam Zhao. The guests included both household-managing matriarchs like Madam Zhao and Zhao Yingyun’s close friends. For a time, the seats were full, and the atmosphere was vibrant.

After admiring the lotuses, the guests gathered in small groups to chat. A Miss Wu said, “Have you heard? Last night, the heir of the Count of Kaiyang’s estate beat another maidservant to death. They say she was already three months pregnant. Just because she accidentally broke a glass flower vase, she was beaten to death with a staff.”

Unmarried young ladies were not as busy as the managing matrons; their focus was almost entirely on marriage prospects. The Zheng family held a title, and the Count of Kaiyang held a high-ranking official post. Consequently, the value of the Zheng heir had skyrocketed. The young ladies present, being from well-matched families, were all potential candidates for a marriage alliance, so everyone was keenly interested in the Zheng family’s movements.

As soon as Miss Wu finished, Miss Wang chimed in. She fearfully held up four fingers and whispered, “I heard the Zheng heir has already beaten four maids to death. Including the one yesterday, that makes five.”

The room fell into a stunned silence as the young ladies exchanged looks; those from families slightly lower in status than the Zhengs were particularly terrified.

While the young ladies were silent as cicadas in winter, the table for the managing matrons was lively.

They were discussing the domestic affairs of Vice Minister Lin of the Ministry of Justice. Minister Lin was a man of noble character; both before and after his marriage, his conduct had been spotless. Aside from his legitimate wife, he had never touched another woman.

Unfortunately, such a disciplined man seemed cursed by fate. He had married twice in four years, and both wives had died of illness.

People of the time were superstitious, claiming Minister Lin had a “wife-cursing” fate. Respectable families dared not betroth their healthy daughters to him.

Jiang Shu, however, did not believe in such ghost stories. People eat grains and greens—how could they not fall ill? Dying of illness was simply a stroke of bad luck; it was unfair to blame it all on Minister Lin.

The fact that others were unwilling to marry their daughters to him created an opportunity for Jiang Rong.

Jiang Shu joined the conversation with a smile, seemingly casually inquiring about Minister Lin. She found herself very satisfied with his family background and temperament.

The others took it as idle chatter, but Zhu Ningxue watched her every move. Zhu Ningxue was not close to Jiang Shu, but she socialized often with Jiang Ran.

By her own status, Zhu Ningxue wasn’t qualified to attend a Zhao family banquet, but since she was of marriageable age, her mother had begged her elder sister—who had married into a higher rank—to bring her along.

Being largely ignored at the banquet, she turned her attention to Jiang Shu. Knowing Jiang Ran was also looking for a match and seeing Jiang Shu repeatedly steer the topic toward Minister Lin, she surmised that Jiang Shu wanted to act as a matchmaker between the widower and Jiang Ran.

She gave a silent “tsk.” Since Jiang Shu had married into the Marquis’s house, Jiang Ran had often bragged to her friends that despite her damaged reputation, she could still marry into a high-ranking family thanks to the Marquis’s influence.

That Minister Lin held a decent rank, but he was a wife-cursing widower—how could that be considered a good match? Once she found an opportunity, she would certainly mock Jiang Ran.

…

As the sun dipped into the west, the banquet came to an end. Attending such events was exhausting. By the time Jiang Shu returned to Xinchun Pavilion, Lu Changyi had already gone to bed. She leaned against the chaise lounge to doze when Zhu-er crept into the room.

Zhu-er pulled Jiang Shu into a side room, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Madam, I was just at the water pavilion for a walk and overheard Mr. Cheng talking. He said the Eldest Young Master is coming to Biyun Terrace tonight to view the moon, and he told the servants to clean the terrace thoroughly.”

Biyun Terrace was a courtyard within the Marquis’s estate featuring rockeries and a pond. It was high and open, the perfect spot for moon-viewing.

Jiang Shu stroked her flat belly, her exhaustion vanishing instantly. She said to Zhu-er, “Quickly, have two buckets of hot water brought to the washroom. I need to get ready.”

Zhu-er was slender but strong. Without even calling for a servant boy, she carried a bucket of hot water in each hand into the washroom.

Jiang Shu soaked in the tub. The fragrant water gently soothed her skin and washed away her fatigue; her pale cheeks gradually took on a healthy glow.

After bathing, she sat at the dressing table. Her eyes were like a pool of spring water, burningly bright. She applied a touch of crimson rouge to the corners of her eyes; with a slight tilt of her gaze, she looked the picture of a seductive beauty.

…

Night draped over the sun. Jiang Shu quietly entered Biyun Terrace. The courtyard was so silent you could hear a pin drop; not a single servant was in sight. Lu Changji preferred quiet; likely, Cheng Yong had sent the staff elsewhere in advance.

The moon was soft, not as bright as usual, but just enough to illuminate a person’s silhouette.

Jiang Shu’s body was tense. She let her outer robe fall to the ground. In summer, the layers were thin; beneath the robe was only her undergarment and silk trousers. She glanced at the elegant architecture of the courtyard, gritted her teeth, and untied the strings.

As her body was exposed to the air, she couldn’t help but shiver. She tilted her chin up and stepped slowly into the pond.

The summer sun had been fierce; the pond water had been baking all day and remained warm even at night. Unfortunately, the warmth did not relax her. Her body grew tighter, like a string pulled to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.

Shame filled her heart. Her hands clenched together, and her eyelashes fluttered incessantly, like the wings of a butterfly.

Shame was one thing, but she would not waver. Nothing was more important than surviving.

In the dead silence, footsteps outside the courtyard became exceptionally clear. Jiang Shu’s heart raced, and her palms broke into a thin sweat.

The footsteps drew closer. Her heart beat faster. She took a deep breath and lifted a foot, intending to get out of the pond, when Zhu-er’s voice suddenly hissed in her ear.

“Madam! You haven’t eaten dinner. Before the Master arrives, have a little something!”

Jiang Shu’s nerves snapped. She turned to see Zhu-er placing a food box by the pond, pulling out a plate of plum cakes.

Jiang Shu usually loved sweet and sour flavors, but today she had no appetite. With so much on her mind, she couldn’t eat. She shook her head. “Take it back, I can’t eat.”

Zhu-er didn’t push. She packed the cakes back into the box. Just then, another set of footsteps sounded outside—steady and calm. It was undoubtedly Lu Changji.

Panicked, Zhu-er grabbed the food box and hesitated, not knowing where to go. Jiang Shu pointed to the main house and whispered, “Quickly, hide inside!”

Lu Changji wouldn’t go inside to view the moon. Zhu-er nodded and vanished into the main house like a shadow.

The footsteps drew closer. Though she had prepared herself mentally, the thought of her own nakedness made her heart race and her face burn. Images from “clandestine art” books flashed through her mind—voluptuous women, robust men…

The images became increasingly intimate. Jiang Shu didn’t dare think further. She forced her thoughts back, her throat feeling dry and an unidentifiable sensation surging in her chest.

She pressed her lips thin, stepped out of the pond, and knelt on a soft cushion. Her upper body leaned out like a stray flower in an exquisitely beautiful posture. She struck her planned pose, raising her arms high to wipe the water from her hair.

Lu Changji pushed the door open. The courtyard was dark, but the beautiful figure by the pond, her skin glowing white in the dark, caught his eye instantly.

He was skilled in fine-line painting and had depicted many beautiful landscapes, but he had never seen a silhouette as enchanting as the one before him.

With a “thrum,” the string within him called “virtue” suddenly snapped, and the blood in his entire body surged in a single direction.