vstars Chapter 103 The Beginning of a Noble Concubine
Chapter 103 The Beginning of a Noble Concubine
The moment Jiang Qingyue stepped out of the palace, she felt the air was much fresher.
Accompanying her back to the mansion today was an imperial decree bestowing marriage upon her.
As expected, when Jiang Qingyue returned to the mansion, she happened to run into the eunuch who had just finished announcing the imperial decree. As a result, Jiang Qingyue happened to see Jiang An and Madam Lu with interesting expressions.
So when they saw Jiang Qingyue return, they had no reaction. They only knew that Lu Shi went to the East Palace to see Jiang Chuchu, and that was the end of it.
After that, things were fine. The Lu family seemed to have calmed down a lot and made no move. Since that was the case, Jiang Qingyue was happy to have some free time. She continued to treat her body and study the medicinal herbs she had used to control Wuming.
Now, only the last medicinal ingredient remains undiscovered.
Time passed by little by little.
Soon, the day arrived when the concubine would enter the household.
Because it was a marriage bestowed by the emperor, she was given the status of a concubine, and all the proper etiquette was observed upon entering the mansion.
Although Madam Lu was so angry that she gritted her teeth, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and do what she had to do.
She had seen it clearly these past few days. Jiang An didn't seem to have any resistance at all, and seemed to accept it helplessly. However, only Lu Shi herself knew that over the years, Jiang An had thought of taking a concubine more than once, but because she held his secrets, he could only coax her.
However, now that the emperor has bestowed a marriage upon her, it is a matter of course, and Lady Lu has no choice.
Therefore, in order to prevent the newly arrived concubine from overshadowing her, she has been trying to please Jiang An in every way these days, which has made Jiang An feel somewhat guilty towards her.
Therefore, she continued to generously manage everything, which others viewed with a mixture of amusement, sympathy, and irony.
The wedding proceeded in this strange atmosphere.
Jiang Qingyue knew that Madam Lu was definitely trying to sabotage the marriage. However, since the emperor had decreed the marriage, if she couldn't be completely discreet, the consequences would be unimaginable if someone found out. In this respect, she was smarter than Jiang Chuchu.
On the second day after entering the mansion, Aunt Zhao came to pay her respects in Jiang Qingyue's courtyard.
"You must be Miss Qingyue. These are all little trinkets bestowed upon you by His Majesty. Pick some you like as a gift from your aunt. I hope you will take good care of me in the future."
As she spoke, Aunt Zhao waved her hand, signaling someone to deliver the gifts to Jiang Qingyue's courtyard.
Jiang Qingyue looked at the woman in front of her, who looked no more than ten years older than herself. She was young and beautiful, far surpassing Lu Shi in beauty.
More importantly, her eyes were captivating peach blossom eyes. Paired with her peach blossom makeup, every smile and frown was incredibly alluring. If I were a man, without exceptional self-control, I would probably be completely bewitched.
"You're too kind, Auntie." Jiang Qingyue hadn't quite figured out the other person's identity yet, but seeing that the other person was being friendly, Jiang Qingyue naturally wouldn't put on airs.
Back then, she asked Qin Xuanyu for a favor, but Qin Xuanyu said her methods were too underhanded. She just wanted Qin Xuanyu to find someone trustworthy to seduce Jiang An and cause trouble for the Lu family.
Qin Xuanyu told her that she could use His Majesty, which led to her pleading with His Majesty to grant her a marriage.
Therefore, she guessed that this person was probably Qin Xuanyu's man, but since it hadn't been confirmed yet, Jiang Qingyue didn't dare to reveal it casually, so she pretended to know nothing.
Aunt Zhao gestured for the servants beside her to leave, saying, "Go and prepare some pastries. I'll sit here with Miss Zhao."
"Yes!"
Jiang Qingyue also waved her hand.
After everyone had left, only Jiang Qingyue and Aunt Zhao remained in the courtyard.
Jiang Qingyue waited for Aunt Zhao to speak, but Aunt Zhao looked at Jiang Qingyue with a meaningful expression. There was no malice in her eyes, but rather a lot of curiosity.
"Why does Auntie look at me like that?" Jiang Qingyue asked directly.
"I'm wondering what makes you so special that the Prince would specifically emphasize that I should cooperate with all your arrangements."
As expected, it was Qin Xuanyu's man!
Before Jiang Qingyue could answer, Aunt Zhao continued, "You're planning to deal with Madam Lu, aren't you?"
To be honest, the reason I'm willing is because my goal is to become a noblewoman and the head of the household, and the Prime Minister's Mansion is arguably the best choice. Coincidentally, the Prince has given me this opportunity, so of course I want to seize it.
So I will cooperate with you, but you have to promise me one thing.
Aunt Zhao took the initiative to confess to Jiang Qingyue and tried to talk about the business.
Jiang Qingyue nodded slightly, signaling her to continue.
"Actually, it's very simple. After you deal with the Lu family, the Prime Minister's Mansion will be mine. I will become the mistress of the Prime Minister's Mansion."
Aunt Zhao directly revealed her ambition.
After all, her lifelong dream was to be a noblewoman and the matriarch of a family, and the Prime Minister's residence was a perfect choice.
Her existence was to help the King of Qin get close to certain people, successfully rise to power, and become his ally. After all, their lives were given a new lease on life by the King of Qin, and that was the meaning of their existence.
These people all willingly became pawns in this game.
Moreover, with the help of the King of Qin, they were all able to become the ultimate rulers, which was far better than the fate of those who spent their lives serving others with their beauty and were abandoned when they grew old and their beauty faded.
However, she was an anomaly among them; her ambition was the greatest of all, and therefore, her chances were the smallest.
Now, this opportunity has finally been presented to her.
Of course, Jiang Qingyue was unaware of the intricacies involved. After confirming that she was indeed Qin Xuanyu's person, she felt much more at ease.
Jiang Qingyue nodded. "Okay, as long as you succeed, the Prime Minister's mansion will be yours in the future."
Jiang Qingyue had no feelings for the Prime Minister's Mansion; all she wanted was her mother.
After the two reached an agreement, Aunt Zhao left.
Soon after, Madam Lu learned of the matter and flew into a rage.
In her eyes, Aunt Zhao's behavior was deliberately going against her.
Everyone knows that she has her eye on Jiang Chuchu, but Aunt Zhao is showing goodwill towards Jiang Qingyue. Isn't that deliberately going against her?
No, Aunt Zhao absolutely cannot be won over by Jiang Qingyue.
Thinking of this, Madam Lu had someone summon Aunt Zhao and prepare a warning signal.
In the hall, Aunt Zhao was kneeling before her, saying, "Please admonish me, Mistress."
Madam Lu was taken aback by Aunt Zhao's sudden act of humility, not understanding what she was up to, but she found it very pleasing.
"There's no admonition here, I just want to tell you who's really in charge of this household, and who exactly is the young lady of the Prime Minister's residence!"
Whether she genuinely doesn't dare to offend him for the time being or is just putting on an act, Madam Lu must take this opportunity to teach her a lesson.
Aunt Zhao, however, seemed not to understand, and looked at Madam Lu with a "naive" expression, "What do you mean by that, Madam? Isn't the eldest daughter of the household Miss Jiang Qingyue?"