To Marry the Elder Brother of One's Late Husband - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Let Shu’er be Buried with Me

The man named Bao Jia had initially hesitated, but spurred on by his friend, his lust clouded his judgment and he cast all caution to the wind.

He walked quickly toward the water pavilion with a lewd smirk, intending to abduct the young lady to a nearby guest room for his pleasure. However, upon arriving, he discovered a man standing beside her.

The man was imposing and steady, radiating an aura as formidable as a mountain. One look from him felt like the weight of a thousand pounds; even if Bao Jia didn’t recognize him, he knew this was a man of immense wealth or status.

Bao Jia’s instinct was to retreat, but Jiang Shu’s beauty was too exquisite. She was tall and curvaceous, and the skin visible at her collar was as white as snow. As a man of the world, Bao Jia knew at a glance that Jiang Shu was a rare “top-tier” find. He imagined how intoxicating it would be to have such a creature beneath him.

Unwilling to let the opportunity slip, Bao Jia emboldened himself and stepped forward. Puffing out his chest and tilting his chin at Lu Zhangji, he said, “I can see you’re a man of status. Since you’ve seen the world, you ought to recognize me. Just hand this lady over to me, and I’ll owe you a favor. If you run into trouble in the future and come to me, I might just make things easy for you.”

The air seemed to stagnate; the surroundings became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Bao Jia looked up at Lu Zhangji, only to find the man’s lips pressed into a tight, hard line. His entire body seemed wrapped in a layer of frost that made one shiver. Bao Jia cringed, a deep fear rising in his heart. Yet, blinded by lust, he felt taking a risk was worth a taste of such freshness.

Believing he had been polite enough, he boldly approached Jiang Shu and Lu Zhangji, reaching out to grab her.

The moment his arm extended, two forces struck him simultaneously. A gold hairpin plunged sharply into the corner of his eye—it was a hair’s breadth away from blinding him in the left eye. On the other side, Cheng Yong grabbed Bao Jia’s arm and snapped it with a violent twist. Cheng Yong then swung Bao Jia in a semi-circle and slammed him ruthlessly into the ground.

Bao Jia lay prone, unable to catch his breath for a long while. His vision went dark, and his body felt as though it had been crushed by heavy carriage wheels; even his breathing carried a tremor of pain. Blood dripped from the corner of his eye, soaking half his face. He tried to wipe it away, but his arm felt disconnected and wouldn’t lift.

The alcohol rushed to her head, making Jiang Shu’s headache worse. She hadn’t felt afraid when she stabbed Bao Jia, but now, looking at his bloody face, her chest felt tight and breathing became difficult.

Jiang Shu dropped the bloodied hairpin and collapsed into Lu Zhangji’s arms, whispering coquettishly, “Eldest Brother, thank heavens you came. If not for you, I don’t know what would have happened. I… I…”

Her body was soft and seemingly boneless, trembling as she pressed against him. It felt as if she were being embedded into his chest. A tingling sensation rose from Lu Zhangji’s spine to the crown of his head; his heart completely melted.

He returned her embrace tenderly and whispered, “I am here, you have no need for fear. You did well today. No matter what happens, you must protect yourself first. If you encounter such villains again, simply drive the pin straight into their chest!”

…

Ding Yang had been waiting in the corridor, hoping to “pick up the scraps” and enjoy himself after Bao Jia was finished. He never expected that instead of succeeding, Bao Jia would be brutally beaten—by the looks of it, he had lost half his life.

Ding Yang couldn’t leave Bao Jia behind, but looking at the towering man beside Jiang Shu, he didn’t dare step forward. Remembering that Lord Situ, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was drinking upstairs, he ran to fetch reinforcements.

Upon hearing the story, Lord Situ’s temples throbbed. His brother-in-law did nothing productive, spending his days chasing women. If he had a biological brother like that, he would have beaten him to death long ago. Unfortunately, Bao Jia was his wife’s brother; if he ignored him, his wife’s tears would be enough to drown the Leifeng Pagoda.

Lord Situ cursed the “vile creature” and followed Ding Yang to the pavilion.

A woman’s reputation was paramount, so by the time Situ arrived, Lu Zhangji had already settled Jiang Shu into a guest room. Situ had rugged features and dark skin; his naturally stern face turned as black as a pot’s bottom upon seeing Lu Zhangji.

He glanced at Ding Yang and hissed in a low voice, “You said it was this man’s attendant who beat that animal Bao Jia?”

Ding Yang nodded frantically. “Lord, you must seek justice for Brother Bao Jia!”

Situ glared at Ding Yang, hissing through gritted teeth, “Why didn’t they just kill the beast? I’d rather be here to collect a corpse than deal with this mess.”

Bao Jia, lying in agony, saw Situ and felt a glimmer of hope. He cried out, “Brother-in-law, you’re finally here!” He pointed at Lu Zhangji and continued, “It’s him! He did this to me. You must help me!”

Situ broke into a cold sweat. He spat on Bao Jia’s face and growled, “Shut your dog mouth.”

Situ then turned to Lu Zhangji and fell to his knees with a thud. His voice was like a bell: “My Lord, this wretch is my wife’s brother. Today he attempted to violate a woman. According to the law, he should receive fifty strokes of the cane and three months of detention. I shall take him to the Court of Judicial Review immediately and handle him according to the law.”

Bao Jia stared at Situ in shock, his eyes nearly popping out. “Brother-in-law, how can you—”

Before he could finish, Situ punched him in the chest. Situ was a large, powerful man; the blow left Bao Jia gasping for air, unable to speak.

Lu Zhangji looked down at them coldly, his gaze like winter snowflakes. “The Palace of Heavenly Purity is short of a janitorial eunuch. If Lord Situ’s brother-in-law dares to commit such evil again, he shall go there to sweep!”

Heaven be praised—the Grand Secretary did not press further, effectively sparing Bao Jia’s life. Situ stood up, kicked Bao Jia twice more, and ordered his attendants to drag the man by his feet out of the Banquet Pavilion to be hauled to the Court of Judicial Review.

…

Jiang Shu rested in the guest room for a while. Once the haze of wine dissipated, she took a carriage back to the Xinyang Marquis Manor.

Walking along the corridor toward her courtyard, she saw Lu Changfeng through the trumpet creeper vines on the other side, teasing a parrot. She had always disliked Lu Changfeng and didn’t even want to speak to him, so she turned to take another path.

After about a dozen steps, Lu Changfeng’s voice rang out behind her: “Second Sister-in-law, wait!”

Jiang Shu turned, staring at him warily. Lu Changfeng raised an eyebrow and smiled, striding toward her until he was nearly touching her. Jiang Shu stepped back to maintain distance and glared at him, saying coldly, “In broad daylight, Third Brother should mind his manners.”

Lu Changfeng was a notorious philanderer, but he usually knew not to “eat the grass near the burrow.” However, Jiang Shu was stunningly beautiful, and having drunk wine, her eyes seemed to ripple with emotion. Every frown and smile was full of charm; his heart itched with the desire to be close to her.

Thinking it over, he felt he had nothing to fear. What if he did touch her? Lu Changyi was a dying man; this household would eventually belong to Lu Changfeng. If he was to inherit his brother’s estate, why not take his wife as well?

The only problem was the timing. The manor had too many eyes and ears; if a scene broke out in the courtyard, he would be severely punished.

Suppressing his lust, Lu Changfeng whispered, “The path is treacherous, Second Sister-in-law. You must be careful. If you go on a trip, I will surely be there to pick you up myself.”

The words were incredibly suggestive. If overheard, they could lead others to believe Jiang Shu was a shameless, flighty woman.

Jiang Shu’s face darkened as she stared at him. “I see Third Brother has had too much to drink and is talking nonsense. You should go back to your room and sober up!”

A beauty remains a beauty even when angry. Lu Changfeng felt a thrill of delight. He chuckled, pulled back his arm, and said, “After you, Second Sister-in-law!”

Jiang Shu ignored him and walked away with long strides.

In a nearby pavilion, Lu Changyi had seen everything. He turned pale with rage, the veins in his temples bulging as if they might burst. He looked at his servant Zhang Qiu and whispered, “Does Lu Changfeng take me for a dead man? I am still drawing breath!”

Zhang Qiu didn’t know how to respond and knelt trembling, head bowed. Lu Changyi grabbed the servant’s chin, slapped him twice, and hissed, “You useless thing! I told you to act sooner! Why haven’t you used any methods yet?”

“I’m telling you, even if you have to use force, the Second Young Madam must become pregnant. If she has no son, you have no reason to live. I may be frail, but I can still have a servant beaten to death.”

A chill ran from Zhang Qiu’s feet to his head. He finally understood the true purpose of Lu Changyi’s order to “be close” to Jiang Shu. This was the reality of a noble household: brothers at each other’s throats, calculating to ensure the inheritance didn’t fall into a brother’s hands—to the point of orchestrating a “borrowed seed” pregnancy.

Terrified, Zhang Qiu stammered his assent and retreated.

Lu Changyi had considered asking Jiang Shu to “borrow” from Lu Zhangji, but Lu Zhangji was already twenty-six and had remained single despite his peers marrying at seventeen. Aside from being busy with the new Emperor, he clearly didn’t want to settle. If he wouldn’t settle for a wife, why would he ever sleep with his own brother’s wife? Furthermore, a man’s pride is everything; Lu Changyi never wanted his elder brother to know he was impotent. An outsider was best; once the deed was done, he could simply have Zhang Qiu killed. Then, only he, Jiang Shu, and Dr. Qin would know his secret.

…

That evening, a heavy rain fell, washing away the heat and bringing a pleasant coolness. To others, this was a relief; to Lu Changyi, it felt like a death knell.

Even with the window open only a crack, he found the cool air unbearable, as if a freezing wind were drilling into his bones. His entire body ached. He called the doctor to the courtyard, but the treatment remained the same: acupuncture, fumigation, and prescriptions—treating the symptoms but not the cause. He knew his illness was deep-rooted and he wouldn’t last much longer.

After the doctor left, he called Jiang Shu to his bedside. He leaned against the pillows and pointed feebly toward a sandalwood box in the corner. “Shu’er, bring that box here.”

His arms were as thin as stalks, trembling with the frailty of someone near death. Though Jiang Shu had felt resentment toward him, she hadn’t forgotten the kindness he once showed her. Seeing him like this made her heart ache. She quietly wiped away her tears and brought the box to him.

Lu Changyi took a key from a hidden compartment at the head of the bed, unlocked the copper lock, and pulled out a thick stack of silver notes. He pressed them into her hand and whispered, “With this broken body, I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. I can give you nothing else, only these worldly riches. When I am gone, use this money to live. With wealth by your side, your life won’t be too bad.”

Jiang Shu had been holding back, but hearing this, her tears flowed like a broken dam. She stuffed the notes back into the box, locked it with a “click,” and leaned against his knees, sobbing.

“Heir, you are so young. With proper care, you will get better. Why speak of such unlucky things?”

“Life is what we make of it. Two people leaning on each other, eating and drinking together by day, and huddling together to watch the stars and share secrets by night—nothing is more comforting than these daily trifles. Without the person, what’s the point of living with just silver? Our good days are still ahead; you mustn’t give up.”

Lu Changyi thought back to the beginning. When they first married, Jiang Shu treated him so well, holding his hand and sharing her heart at night. When he was sick, she was more worried than anyone. How wonderful those times were. Then he did those foolish things; though she was still willing to go through the motions, her heart had cooled. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to fix it, but spilt water cannot be gathered. Some things, once done, cannot be erased with a simple apology.

He smiled helplessly and forced the key into her hand. “This money is for you. If you don’t want it, just throw the key away.”

Jiang Shu couldn’t throw it away, so she tucked it away. Lu Changyi smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes, his touch as gentle as if he were handling the most precious glass.

Once her face was dry, he leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. “Shu’er, I’d like to drink your stewed snow pear with osmanthus. Go make a bowl for me.”

Jiang Shu agreed immediately and hurried to the small kitchen.

Lu Changyi then summoned Fang Yu and whispered, “Go to the Yanxi Hall and invite the Marchioness here.”

Madam Zhao arrived quickly. Lu Changyi was her only son, and given his frailty, she was always the first to arrive at any sign of trouble. She looked at him with pity; seeing him looking even weaker than before, she began to cry.

Once her tears subsided, Lu Changyi spoke slowly: “Mother, I’m afraid I can’t hold on much longer. When I go, if the Jiang girl has a son, let her manage the household affairs. If she has no son… then let her be buried with me!”