To Marry the Elder Brother of One's Late Husband - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Sister-in-law, don’t think for a moment you can escape Lu’s…

By the time Jiang Shu returned to the Xinyang Marquis Manor, the sky had already begun to dim. Exhausted in both body and mind, she didn’t even have the energy for dinner and went straight to her bedroom to lie down.

She hadn’t been resting for even an hour when Fang Yu pushed open the door and said softly, “Second Young Mistress, the Eldest Master sent Mr. Cheng with a message. He requests that you pay a visit to the Jianan Courtyard.”

Lu Changyi, who had been feigning sleep nearby, opened his eyes and looked at Jiang Shu. “Why is my elder brother looking for you?”

Lu Changyi was frail; to save him from worry, Jiang Shu usually reported only the good news. But since the message had been delivered, there was no longer any point in hiding it. “When I passed through Tongque Alley today, I was held at knifepoint by an assassin. Fortunately, the Elder Brother intervened to save me. He is likely looking for me to discuss this.”

Learning that Jiang Shu had undergone such a disaster, Lu Changyi quickly sat up. He looked her up and down and asked urgently, “Assassins are desperate men with no scruples. Are you hurt?”

Jiang Shu shook her head. “Mr. Cheng’s archery is superb; his arrow hit the assassin’s heart directly. Thanks to his rescue, I am unharmed.”

Relieved, Lu Changyi leaned back onto the daybed and waved her away.

…

The Warning in the Study

Jiang Shu followed Cheng Yong to the Jianan Courtyard. Entering the hall, she saw Lu Changji sitting before a desk reading. He wore a navy blue round-collar robe with his hair half-bound. It was a refined look, yet one that held an underlying sharp edge.

Jiang Shu gathered her spirits and greeted him warmly, “Uncle.”

Lu Changji set down his book, gestured toward a nearby armchair, and said in a low voice, “Sit and speak.”

Jiang Shu obeyed and sat, her hands folded, her fingers unconsciously rubbing against each other. She thought she appeared calm, but Lu Changji saw through her fear and agitation clearly.

He reflected that he had never done anything to wrong her, yet she feared him so.

The displeasure in Lu Changji’s heart intensified, but he didn’t let it show. He asked quietly, “Are you and Vice Minister Lin old acquaintances?”

Lu Changji was cold by nature and not one to meddle in others’ affairs. Jiang Shu didn’t know why he was asking about her relationship with Lin Yunzhi.

Regardless of his goal, she decided to answer truthfully. She didn’t dare play clever before him. “I went to Madame Wen’s house for tea today. Upon leaving, I met Vice Minister Lin. Knowing Tongque Alley was unsettled, I traveled with him.”

She knew his methods and laid everything out without hiding a thing.

Lu Changji gave a meaningful “Oh.” “Seeing how concerned you were for him today, I thought you were old friends. It turns out you’ve only just met.”

Jiang Shu stiffened. She assumed Lu Changji was looking out for his brother and warning her. Since her reputation was at stake, she didn’t dare hide her true thoughts any longer. She explained, “The reason I insisted on bandaging his wounds today was to play matchmaker for him and my younger sister.”

“The Jiang family is of low status, and my mother is short-sighted. I feared she would use my sister’s marriage as a bargaining chip, so I sought a match for her myself. It was my lack of discretion that caused Uncle to misunderstand.”

Lu Changji had a good memory. He recalled that while the wounds were being bandaged, a delicate young girl had taken the lead, applying medicine and wrapping gauze with great care. Since that girl was Jiang Shu’s younger sister, everything now made sense.

The gloom in his heart dissipated, and his mind felt much clearer.

He was a man of great depth who rarely held grudges, but the thought that Jiang Shu frequently made him angry while she remained composed left him feeling somewhat indignant.

He turned, his eyes like deep pools staring at her. “Do you know who sent that assassin today?”

Jiang Shu shook her head immediately. She was an expert at self-preservation and knew that “the more one knows, the faster one dies.” She had no wish to be involved in his political battles.

But Lu Changji didn’t intend to let her off. He narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, “Cheng Yong failed in the assassination of Lu Zhun, allowing him to escape. Lu Zhun couldn’t swallow that resentment, so he sent someone to kill me.”

“Two tigers cannot share a mountain. Lu Zhun and I have opposing political views; reconciliation is impossible. Court schemes are not like the bickering in a household; they are matters of life and death. Between Lu Zhun and me, only one can survive.”

He spoke of these life-and-death matters as if they were casual conversation.

Jiang Shu wished she were deaf. She was desperate to distance herself and said vaguely, “I am but a woman living in the inner courtyard. I don’t understand officialdom. Even if I hear such things, they go in one ear and out the other. I won’t take them to heart.”

She was indeed sensible, but unfortunately, since she had entered the Marquis Manor and his Jianan Courtyard, she couldn’t leave unscathed.

Lu Changji said, “Sister-in-law is part of the Lu family. Even if you wish to remain aloof, you cannot rid yourself of the Lu brand.”

Jiang Shu had long known the principle of “sharing glory and loss,” but she still felt unwilling, feeling like a silkworm tightly bound by its own silk.

Seeing her fearful and unwilling expression, Lu Changji felt quite satisfied.

He said no more, only adding, “I have many political enemies. I don’t know how many people want to threaten me by kidnapping the family members of the Marquis Manor. In the future, make sure to bring more guards when you go out, to avoid a disaster like today’s.”

Jiang Shu dazedly agreed and left the Jianan Courtyard.

…

Schemes and Scents

Back at Xinchun Pavilion, Fang Yu reported that the date for Lu Lin’s banquet had been set: it would be in three days.

Madame Zhao currently didn’t allow Jiang Shu to manage household affairs with her, so Jiang Shu couldn’t even find an invitation. She went to Yanxi Hall to ask Madame Zhao for one. Madame Zhao was aloof; she didn’t like Jiang Shu but didn’t go out of her way to make things difficult. She didn’t even bother asking who Jiang Shu wanted to invite and had Nanny Zhou fetch three invitations.

When Jiang Shu returned to the Jiang house, Madame Yang was overjoyed to see the invitations. She became increasingly warm toward Jiang Shu, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes bunching up like chrysanthemums.

“I always said you were capable! Sure enough, when it comes to looking after the family, if you’re second, no one is first.”

Jiang Shu looked down on Madame Yang’s shallow and opportunistic nature, but her smile remained polite. “Mother, you flatter me. I grew up in this house; how could I not be used to the food here?”

After their polite exchange, Jiang Shu ate and then had Zhu’er bring the silk and jewelry she had prepared to the hall. There were many varieties and tender colors: green silk, rose-red brocade, and floral silk—all rare treasures.

Among them were boxes of incense, with agarwood being the most fragrant—a sweet scent that could sink into one’s heart.

Jiang Shu had specifically asked Fang Yu to find out that the Earl of Kaiyang’s household frequently bought agarwood incense. The Earl was a man of few desires, having only one wife and one concubine; his rooms didn’t need that much incense. It had to be that the Heir, Zheng, liked it, so his “bevy of beauties” bought it to please him.

Jiang Shu smiled. If Jiang Ran wanted to marry into a high-ranking family, she would help her. As for what life would be like after the marriage, that was not her concern.

…

Tensions in the Manor

Night fell, and the moon shone brightly. Jiang Shu was restless and unable to sleep. She looked at the sleeping Lu Changyi and felt not even a spark of emotion.

She wanted to sleep in the side room but feared gossip, so she had Zhu’er set up a small cot in the bedroom. Just as she lay down, Zhu’er whispered, “Miss, did you have a fight with the Young Master?”

Some things cannot be said. Jiang Shu shook her head.

Zhu’er, never one to just go with the flow, lowered her voice after a long silence. “The cot is hard and uncomfortable. If you really don’t want to sleep in the same bed as him, I’ll carry the Young Master to the cot, and you can sleep in the big bed.”

Jiang Shu was amused yet touched by Zhu’er’s reckless loyalty, though she had to consider the consequences. She smiled at Zhu’er and yawned, pretending to be sleepy.

Jiang Shu lay on the cot and fell asleep counting the stars through the window.

Lu Changyi was a light sleeper. The birds outside woke him from a dream. He instinctively reached for Jiang Shu, but the space beside him was empty and cold.

He had become used to sleeping with her. Even if they had separate quilts, the warmth from beside him in the middle of the night was real. Jiang Shu was like the bright sun, a completely different existence from him—bright and resilient.

Not finding her, a massive void opened in his chest. He looked around and saw her sleeping soundly on the cot.

She slept sweetly, but he felt like he had a bone stuck in his throat. What kind of married couple, after six months, had only shared a bed once? She must despise his inability and can’t even stand to share a bed with him.

The emptiness turned into bitterness, then into a helpless rage. He stared at her, his hands clenched into fists.

…

The Confrontation at Breakfast

As dawn broke, Jiang Shu woke to the sound of metal clinking. Lu Changyi was solving a “nine-linked rings” puzzle.

“The Heir woke up early today,” she said, yawning.

Lu Changyi smiled. “Today is the fifteenth. We must eat in the main hall, so naturally, I have to wake early.”

Jiang Shu noticed his eyes were unusually red and bloodshot. “Your eyes are very red. Did you not sleep well?”

“I slept too much during the day yesterday, so I couldn’t sleep at night,” he said, moving to wash.

The couple went to the main hall early. Since no one else had arrived, they sat and ate melon seeds to pass the time.

A few minutes later, they heard the rustle of clothing from behind a screen, followed by Hu Lingshuang’s soft, seductive voice: “Third Master, I’m still pregnant. You can’t be reckless.”

“The doctor said we can after the first three months. Even though you’re pregnant, those other girls can’t compare. I only have a taste for you,” Lu Changfeng said, his voice low and husky.

The sounds that followed made Jiang Shu’s face turn red. She knew Lu Changfeng was a rake, but she hadn’t expected him to be so absurd as to do such a thing in the main hall with a pregnant woman.

She stood up and signaled Lu Changyi to leave with her. At the door, they bumped into a maid carrying cold dishes. Jiang Shu signaled for silence, but the maid was blunt. “Heir!” she called out.

The movement behind the screen stopped. Hu Lingshuang, more unrestrained than most, still had some sense of shame and pulled a quilt over her head.

Lu Changfeng chuckled and stood up, reaching under the quilt to pinch Hu’s face while fastening his belt. “Appetite and sex are human nature. What is there to be ashamed of? It’s a good chance to let the person outside know what ‘conjugal harmony’ really is.”

He knew Lu Changyi was impotent and took pleasure in the idea that the Heir could never hold his head high again. He sauntered out and looked at Lu Changyi. “Excuse me, Second Brother. But for a man, it’s excusable to be unable to restrain oneself. Not everyone is as ‘pure of heart and few of desires’ as you.”

Lu Changyi, sensitive as he was, knew he was being mocked. He picked up a vase to throw at Lu Changfeng.

Jiang Shu grabbed his arm and took the vase. She looked at Lu Changfeng and said warmly, “Without manners, a man cannot stand. While appetite and sex are human nature, one must still care for their dignity. Private matters between a couple should be settled in private. If one acts recklessly regardless of the occasion, how is that different from an uneducated barbarian?”

Her words were harsh, but her face remained gentle. “Third Brother, don’t think my words are unkind. I am your sister-in-law; I say this for your own good. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t even bother.”

Lu Changfeng had always thought she was just a pretty face; he hadn’t expected her to be a “spicy chili.” He bowed to her with an undecipherable glint in his eyes. “Second Sister-in-law is right to lecture me. I will be more cautious in the future.”

The meal followed, but Lu Changyi remained dark-faced. When the Marquis and the concubines arrived, the atmosphere remained tense. Lu Changji was absent due to work.

After breakfast, Lu Lin and Auntie Hu left together. Madame Zhao then called Jiang Shu and Lu Changyi to her hall.

“Your father has spoken to me privately many times, hoping you will ‘spread your branches and leaves’ soon,” Madame Zhao said to Lu Changyi. “You are the Heir; there is a title to inherit. Having a son early will stabilize your position and prevent others from eyeing your title.”

Lu Changyi knew “others” referred to Lu Changfeng. Thinking of the insult from earlier, he gnashed his teeth. He didn’t want Lu Changfeng to benefit.

He even thought of adopting an heir, but if Lu Changfeng had a son, there would be no reason to adopt from a distant relative. The title would still go to Lu Changfeng’s line.

How could he give his things to Lu Changfeng? Even if he threw them away, he wouldn’t let him have them.

A bold and absurd thought flickered in Lu Changyi’s mind… he couldn’t have children, but Jiang Shu could. As long as the child was hers, the title would never fall to Lu Changfeng.