To Marry the Elder Brother of One's Late Husband - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Branching Out the Family Line

Jiang Shu was not the delicate, fragile beauty currently in fashion. Her skin was as white as snow, and her figure was perfectly proportioned—full and graceful like a peony in bloom. With her clothes clinging to her, every curve was emphasized in high relief; it was a sight impossible to ignore.

Lu Changji was tall, and a mere downward glance would have allowed him to take in her beauty. However, he was a gentleman of strict propriety. His long, narrow phoenix eyes remained fixed on the green bamboo pattern of the oil-paper umbrella, never allowing even a stray glance to fall upon Jiang Shu.

In a warm tone, he said to her, “The rain is fierce. Take the umbrella and go to the eaves.”

The Marquis’s manor was currently at the height of its power, a glory earned largely through Lu Changji’s efforts. Since he had spoken, even the Marchioness Zhao-shi would not dare to object. Grateful, Jiang Shu nodded, grasped the turquoise handle, and moved toward the shelter.

…

An Unexpected Mercy

Inside the hall, the maid Zhuo’er—who was usually cold to Jiang Shu—was incredibly attentive to Lu Changji. She opened the carved wooden doors before he even reached them. “The wind and rain are heavy, Eldest Master. If you had business, you could have sent a servant; why come yourself?”

Lu Changji ignored the flattery and asked simply, “I have important matters to discuss with Mother. Is she free?”

“Madam is always free in the afternoons. Please, come in!” Zhuo’er invited him in without even announcing him first. Watching the doors close, Jiang Shu sighed. She expected to be left standing in the cold, but to her surprise, Zhuo’er returned quickly.

“There are spare clothes in the west wing for guests. The Third Young Madam should go change. It may be summer, but staying in wet clothes will chill your body.”

Jiang Shu was stunned. Zhuo’er never acted kindly without Zhao-shi’s orders. Had Lu Changji spoken up for her? She quickly dismissed the thought—a man of his status, busy with the Cabinet, wouldn’t meddle in the affairs of the inner chambers. I must be losing my mind, she thought, first thinking of ‘borrowing his seed’ because of a cook’s gossip, and now this.

…

The Invitations

After changing into fresh clothes made of fine flower-patterned gauze, Jiang Shu returned to the hall to find Lu Changji gone. Zhao-shi set her to work on the accounts. Jiang Shu was a quick study, and despite Zhao-shi’s coldness, the older woman was a thorough teacher.

Once the work was done, Jiang Shu broached a sensitive topic: “Mother, the manor often holds banquets, but we have never sent an invitation to my maiden home. I know the Jiang family cannot compare to the Marquisate, but we are legal in-laws now. Relatives should visit one another.”

Zhao-shi looked at her. In truth, aside from her low birth, Jiang Shu was a decent daughter-in-law. To save face for her son, Lu Changyi, Zhao-shi finally relented, throwing two invitations onto the table.

“The Marquis’s manor is a place of prestige; we do not associate with low-born concubines. If you want your family here, invite only the Madam [Yang-shi] and the legitimate Second Miss. No one else is permitted through the gates.”

This meant Jiang Shu’s own biological mother, a concubine, and her younger sister could not come. Jiang Shu understood the rules and didn’t push. She sat down to write the invitations in her tidy, if unrefined, script. Zhao-shi criticized her handwriting, telling her not to embarrass the manor, before dismissing her.

…

High Hopes and Yellow Cakes

Back at Xinchun Court, Jiang Shu sent several bolts of trendy Shu silk—luxury fabric worth its weight in gold—back to the Jiang residence along with the invitations.

At the Jiang house, Yang-shi was ecstatic. She immediately planned to have the finest silk tailored for her daughter, Jiang Ran.

“My daughter is already beautiful,” Yang-shi gloated. “With this silk, she will surely outshine everyone and catch the eye of Grand Secretary Lu [Lu Changji].”

When Jiang Wenhuan returned home and heard this, he was horrified. “Are you delusional? We are lucky Shu-er managed to marry the Heir. How dare you dream of the Eldest Brother? Lu Changji is the most powerful man in the court; even I am not fit to carry his shoes. How could I be his father-in-law?”

Yang-shi, used to bullying her husband, snapped back. “Shu-er married the Heir, and she’s just a concubine’s daughter! My Ran-er is legitimate. Why shouldn’t she marry the Grand Secretary?”

Ignoring her husband’s protests, Yang-shi sent a “reciprocal gift” back to Jiang Shu: a plate of cheap yellow rice and jujube cakes. The family cook secretly mocked the stinginess—trading gold-valued silk for a few cents’ worth of cake—but delivered it anyway.

…

The Bitter Aftertaste

Jiang Shu was happily snacking on the nostalgic yellow rice cakes when Nanny Zhou entered, carrying a steaming bowl of dark medicine.

Nanny Zhou bowed. “This is a ‘conception potion’ prescribed by Imperial Physician Kang. He is known as the ‘Saint of Women’s Medicine.’ Any woman he treats is sure to conceive. Drink this quickly, Third Young Madam, so you may soon branch out the family line for the Heir.”

The sweet taste of the cake turned to ash in Jiang Shu’s mouth. Her body stiffened, and her nerves stretched taut as a bowstring.