There was a warning tone to her words. Her meaning was that if Jin Er really decided to cancel his engagement with Lu Zhu today, from then on, Jiang Ruan would never allow him to get close to Lu Zhu again. When Jin Er heard these words, he slowly lowered his head and fished out something from his sleeve. He clenched his fist and extended it in front of Lu Zhu.
Liao Meng smiled, "Mother worries too much. That Second Young Master Huang is clever and quick-witted. If not for his own reputation, how could he agree to this matter so easily? As for after the marriage, "she seemed a little shy," I will be a good wife. Second Young Master is a good person and will live well with me. Naturally, these matters will not be investigated by others. Mother, do you think that my methods are too sinister? " Liao Meng lowered her head and her voice became a little sad, "Father and mother are already gone and those relatives are so covetous towards me. I, I have no other choice. If I miss out on a family like the Huang family, Uncle and Aunt will definitely marry me to the son of a rice merchant as a concubine. Mother, I don't want to be a concubine. That servant girl, she, since she is by the Princess's side, she can always find a better one. "
Lian Qiao's eyes immediately reddened. She, Bai Zhi and Lu Zhu had supported each other from the most difficult days. Lu Zhu was naturally naive and unaffected, so she also treated Lu Zhu as her own little sister. She saw with her own eyes how happy Dezhu was when she found out about the marriage, but now she heard from Jin Er's mouth that the marriage was canceled. She felt sad for Dezhu and felt that it was not worth it. She wished she could go up and give Jin Er a good beating. She said, "You have no conscience..."
"Replying to Young Madam, I have investigated, but..." she hesitated and heard Jiang Ruan say, "Tell me when you have." It was rare for Jiang Ruan to be so cold and stern. Clearly, the matter with Lu Zhu had made her very unhappy. Tian Zhu did not dare to hide it and immediately said it.
However, this little bit of guilt was not enough to completely break the relationship between the two. Liao Meng slowly smiled and caressed the face of the woman in the bronze mirror.
"Does Mother feel that something is wrong?" Liao Meng smiled slightly. Compared to the panic in the morning, she now appeared very calm. If one looked carefully, one could even see a hint of happiness in the corners of her eyes.
"Young Madam, this subordinate cannot marry Lu Zhu." Jin Er repeated himself. This time, his voice was firm and it rang clearly in everyone's ears.
The marriage between Jin Er and Lu Zhu fell through and caused quite a storm in Jinying wangfu. On that day, the entire wangfu was lifeless, as if it had sunk into trouble because of this matter. No one had thought that this was just the beginning. Ever since this matter, great waves surged up one after another in Jinying Wangfu.
After Jin Er and Lu Zhu left, Lian Qiao finally wiped her tears. Lu Zhu was wronged, so she cried fiercely and said, "This is too much, Young Mistress …"
On the other hand, Jin Er's expression was extremely ugly. Seeing this, Steward Lin only thought that Jin Er was feeling remorseful and guilty, so he did not know what to say. Jin Er's footsteps were swift and he left Steward Lin behind. Jin San and Jin Si surrounded him and looked at Jin Er with a baffled expression. Steward Lin sighed, "What is this all about?"
Outside the door, Steward Lin and Jin San and Jin Si could not bear to watch and closed their eyes. They thought to themselves that Lian Qiao's glib tongue was really sharp. It was better not to provoke anyone but her. However, Lian Qiao's words seemed to have a different meaning. A young lady from a wealthy family? Who was she mocking? Could it be that Jin Er really had a lover outside?
"What's the matter?" Lian Qiao stood up and asked.
However, Jin Er's expression was even uglier than Steward Lin's and he seemed to be extremely exhausted. Steward Lin talked to him for almost an hour, but Jin Er's muddled gaze gradually became sober. He did not say anything and only glanced at Steward Lin before walking towards the study. Steward Lin was stunned for a moment and said, "Master has not returned to the fu yet. Young Madam is inside."
Lu Zhu took it. It was a small sachet with a goldfish pattern embroidered on it. She had wanted to obtain a good omen of a golden marriage, but now that the item had returned to its rightful owner, it had also cut off the last trace of hope between the two of them. Lu Zhu's eyes were still somewhat sparkling, but she quickly concealed her loss of composure with a smile. She kowtowed to Jiang Ruan and said with a smile, "Thank you, Young Madam, for fulfilling my wish."
"Why did you suddenly break off the engagement? Isn't it because you want to marry someone else? "Jiang Ruan said coldly," What exactly happened last night? Tian Zhu, go and investigate. "
Tian Zhu could not see it because what the Embroidered Uniform Guards did had nothing to do with the fight between the women in the courtyard. However, men could not see through a woman's hypocrisy, only a woman could. Even Lian Qiao, who had been by her side for a long time, could see that something was wrong. This woman's scheming was quite deep. Step by step, she had led Jin Er to this point. It was clear that it had been premeditated. In the end, she had become Lu Zhu's unreasonable troublemaker, completely removing herself from the matter.
Lian Qiao had long hated that woman to the point of gnashing her teeth. Hearing this, she asked happily, "Does Young Madam want to vent Lu Zhu's anger?"
Today, Jiang Ruan did not let Lu Zhu wait on her. A fine young lady had cried until her eyes were swollen like peaches. Moreover, she was at the age of a flower, so her self-esteem was very heavy. After such a thing had happened, she felt very ashamed. How could she still walk around the fu as if nothing had happened? Thus, only Tian Zhu and Lian Qiao remained in the room. When she heard that Jin Er had arrived, Lian Qiao rolled her eyes in disdain. However, Jiang Ruan acted as if she did not hear it and continued to write. She was deliberately giving Jin Er the cold shoulder.
Jiang Ruan was writing in the study when she suddenly heard someone knock on the door. Tian Zhu glanced at it and said in a low voice, "Young Madam, it's Jin Er."
Jiang Ruan slowly picked up her teacup and took a sip. Among everyone present, only her expression was the calmest. She looked coldly at Jin Er. Her gaze was actually somewhat similar to Xiao Shao's. She asked, "Why?"
Jiang Ruan quietly looked at Lu Zhu for a long time before saying, "Lu Zhu, don't try to coax me."
She spoke so solemnly that Lian Qiao wanted to speak up to stop her. After all, marriage was not a small matter that could be used in a fit of pique. However, on second thought, Jin Er was such a heartless person. How could she persuade him? It would be better if she did not speak up.
The woman who had come to the capital to look for Jin Er was called Liao Meng. Before Jin Er followed Xiao Shao, he was the Second Young Master of the Huang family in Jiangnan. When Old Master Huang passed by Dingxi, he had a period of fate with the Liao family in Dingxi. At that time, Huang Furen had just given birth to Jin Er, and Liao Madam had also given birth to Liao Meng. Feeling that it was fate, it just so happened that Old Master Huang and Old Master Liao had gotten drunk that day. Thus, they had decided on a child betrothal. However, later on, Old Master Huang had returned to Jiangnan and had forgotten about this matter. For more than twenty years, they had not had any contact. Who knew that Liao Meng would suddenly come knocking on their door?
"The marriage between you and Lu Zhu must be discussed between the two of you. Does Lu Zhu know about your actions? Does she agree to it?" Jiang Ruan's tone was gentle, but her gaze was incomparably sharp. Jin Er met her gaze, but for a moment, he did not know how to respond. Just as he was silent, he heard a clear and melodious voice coming from behind him, "Of course, I know."
Jin Er kowtowed to Jiang Ruan and said in a heavy tone, "It is this subordinate who has wronged Lu Zhu. This marriage, let's forget about it."
Jin Er half-knelt, lowered his head and said, "This subordinate has sinned. Master, please punish me."
She slowly sat down in front of the dressing mirror. The woman in the mirror had the countenance of a flower and the countenance of the moon. With one look, one could tell that she was the daughter of a noble family who had been pampered. If one did not look out for oneself, heaven and earth would destroy them. If her parents were still alive, she indeed would not be so obsessed with Jin Er. However, now that things had come to this, a family like the Huang family would not be able to get another chance. Moreover, Jin Er was born into a good family, so she was even more determined to win him over.
Jin Er allowed Lu Zhu to scold him, but he did not utter a single word. Steward Lin stroked his beard and said in a rather gratified manner, "Not retaliating when hit, not retaliating when scolded, at least this attitude is good. Women are always soft-hearted. If only I had taken the opportunity to say a few good words to coax her …"
It turned out that the Liao family had met with an unforeseen event. Master Liao and Liao Furen had both passed away, and various relatives of the Liao family coveted the Liao family's assets. Before Liao Furen had left, she had taken out the marriage contract and asked Liao Meng to come and seek refuge with the Huang family. Old Master Huang was a person who paid great attention to his promises, but Huang Furen was worried that her son would rashly marry another girl. Coincidentally, Liao Meng's health was not good, so she wanted to come to the capital to find a famous doctor to take a look at her body. At the same time, she wanted to clarify this matter with Jin Er. If Jin Er did not agree, the matter would be dropped. That Zhou mama was Liao Meng's wet nurse and also came to the capital as soon as they arrived.
Tian Zhu was still a little hesitant. She had always been familiar with Jin Er's temperament. Up until now, she indeed could not see anything wrong with what that woman had done. In fact, she could even be said to be reasonable. So how did things turn out this way?
How could a lowly servant girl by the side of a wangfei compare to a proper young miss from a large family like her? Against such an opponent, she only needed to use a few tricks to determine the outcome. She had long known from Jin Er that this Lu Zhu's personality was one that could not tolerate others. The more reasonable and reasonable she was, the more guilty Jin Er felt. Sometimes, he would instigate discord without batting an eyelid. Little by little, it would eventually lead to a break between the two of them.
Jin Er's expression was ashen. In an instant, it was as if he had lost everything he could rely on. His gaze was even somewhat lifeless, and there was no trace of his usual romantic and handsome appearance. Steward Lin sighed, did not say anything, and turned to leave. Jin San and Jin Si were somewhat at a loss. They had originally thought that Jin Er had only returned to the fu today to admit his wrongs, and in the end, the two of them would be on good terms. Who knew that such a situation would occur? Both of their expressions gradually became grave. It was too unusual for Jin Er to suddenly propose to break off the engagement.
There was silence. Everyone, including Tian Zhu, suddenly looked towards Jin Er. Steward Lin opened his mouth, but for a moment, he was speechless and did not know what to do. Lian Qiao placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath. She said, "Don't say these words to scare people, you …."
"Sigh, let's follow them and take a look. I'm afraid that Jin Er has also lost his head for a moment." Steward Lin sighed and followed.
"This servant does not dare to deceive Young Furen." Lu Zhu said calmly. Her expression was magnanimous and her tone was crisp, somewhat similar to Jiang Ruan when she encountered trouble. She said, "This servant's previous marriage was all thanks to Young Furen's help. Now that our relationship has ended, naturally, we should part on good terms. Since Jin Er has taken the initiative to propose it, it just happens to go along with this servant's wishes. This is precisely the principle of parting on good terms. It's just that to ask Young Furen to fulfill this request again, this servant is terrified. This matter has nothing to do with Jin Er. It's just that this servant and he do not have the affection of husband and wife. "
"Young Furen, this subordinate cannot marry Lu Zhu." Without waiting for Steward Lin to finish speaking, Jin Er's voice rang out in the room.
On the afternoon of the second day, Jin Er finally entered the fu under the watchful eyes of everyone. When Steward Lin saw him return, he was so angry that he stomped his feet. Although he did not know what had happened, for a young lady like Lu Zhu, who was always smiling, to stay in the room and shed tears for a whole night, Jin Er was really too much of a bastard this time. Although Lian Qiao did not say anything, the handprint on Lu Zhu's face was obvious to everyone. Those with discerning eyes could always guess what had happened. Although it was somewhat unbelievable, they could not help but think about it. So when Jin Er returned, Steward Lin immediately spilled out the words that he had kept to himself for the whole night.
Tian Zhu said, "When that Young Miss Liao first came to the capital, she met Jin Er once. Jin Er also explained clearly that he was already engaged to Lu Zhu. Young Miss Liao was also very understanding. However, the physician here said that it was not advisable to travel on a long journey, so Young Miss Liao said that she would return to Jiangnan after she had recovered."
When Zhou Mama heard this, she was extremely distressed and said, "My Miss, do not say such words that make people sad. If Master and Furen were still here, why would they allow Miss to use your own reputation as a prelude? This old servant knows that Miss has no choice. That Second Young Master Huang is also a man. After Miss and Second Young Master get married, with Miss' temperament and appearance, no man would dislike you. Naturally, your days will get better and better. This old servant has thought too much. Young Miss, please do not blame me. "
Tian Zhu also looked towards the door and saw Lu Zhu walking in from outside. She had changed into a clean set of clothes and the delicate pink color made her complexion look brighter. Her eyes were still slightly red and swollen under the disguise of makeup, but her expression was incomparably calm. She walked in and knelt down by Jin Er's side. She kowtowed to Jiang Ruan and said, "This servant earnestly requests Young Furen to cancel the engagement with Jin Er."
The servant girl stopped abruptly, looked at Lu Zhu, and shut her mouth. Immediately, Lian Qiao was alarmed. She pretended to unintentionally walk over and pull the young servant girl up, saying, "I will go out with you to take a look. Lu Zhu, help me look after the embroidered handkerchief. "
Lian Qiao turned her head away, but she could not stop her tears from falling. If an ordinary person saw this, one could imagine what Lu Zhu was thinking. Jiang Ruan said indifferently, "All right, as you wish." She then looked at Jin Er and said indifferently, "I hope that you will not regret it in the future."
Although her words were gentle, each and every one of them was unyielding, and there was not the slightest bit of leeway in her words. Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes so that no one could see her gaze clearly. She only slowly touched the lid of the white porcelain teacup and said, "Since the two of you have already discussed it, I naturally have no room to say anything else. However, after this engagement was canceled, just as Lu Zhu said, there is no longer any fate between husband and wife. Everything that happened in the past is just an illusion, and from then on, you will be strangers, each getting married and having children. In the future, when you think about it in your old age, it will just be a joke. " Her words were cold and cruel, causing the hearts of those present to tremble involuntarily. Yes, they originally had the opportunity to become the closest people, but in the end, it was just a big dream. Each had their own marriage. On the surface, it seemed that there was no big deal, but every time they thought about it in the future, it would be a painful matter. Especially for these two, anyone with a discerning eye could see that they had invited each other.
Jiang Ruan gently placed the teacup on the table. In the midst of the silence, the sound of her action was like a thunderclap that struck everyone's heart. Then, what was even more important was her words. She asked, "Jin Er, have you thought it through?"
On this day, Lian Qiao and Lu Zhu were doing embroidery in the courtyard. After a few days of persuasion, Lu Zhu had finally returned to her former self. At least on the surface, she did not seem to be sad anymore. As long as she took the first step, the future would be easy. As Lu Zhu and Lian Qiao were talking, they saw a third-rank maid sweeping the outer courtyard hurriedly run in, shouting, "Not good, not good."
"Does he want to apologize to Young Madam and Lu Zhu? I'm afraid it won't be that easy. "Jin San muttered.
Liao Meng smiled and said a few more words to Zhou Mama. Zhou Mama then went back into the room to brew medicine. After Zhou Mama left, Liao Meng then returned to the room. The pot of orchids in the middle of the room was in full bloom. In this kind of weather, orchids were very difficult to raise, and it was rare to see one in such good bloom. Liao Meng gently stroked the petals of the pot of orchids. The petals emitted an extremely tempting fragrance, as if smelling it too much would make one's mouth dry.
Jiang Ruan continued to ignore him and continued to write stroke by stroke. The room was completely silent and no one spoke. Even Steward Lin and Jin San and Jin Si, who had rushed to stand outside the room, did not dare to speak. Anyone could see that Jiang Ruan was deliberately giving Jin Er the cold shoulder. However, when they thought about it, it was understandable. After all, Lu Zhu was Jiang Ruan's personal maidservant. Being insulted like this was equivalent to slapping her face. Although Jiang Ruan usually looked cold, she was actually a very protective person.
Zhou Mama looked at Liao Meng and hesitated to speak a few times. Finally, she could not help but ask, "Miss, is it really okay for us to do this?"
Jin San and Jin Si were already frowning, but they could not go in and speak rashly. Steward Lin, on the other hand, was so angry that he stamped his feet and kept scolding Jin Er for being a blockhead.
"This old servant just feels that it is too serious to tarnish Miss's reputation. Moreover, if Second Young Master Huang finds out about this in the future, how will Miss clean up the mess? Miss, please don't blame this old servant for thinking too much. After all, Miss was raised by this old servant, and this kind of thing is something that I cannot not worry about …"
In the courtyard in the east of the city, the woman who had been crying uncontrollably in the morning had now changed into a clean set of clothes. The light yellow embroidered orchid cotton-padded skirt was not too extravagant, but it was elegant enough to show off the woman's slim waist. If it were not for the short and plump woman's worried expression, all of this could be considered beautiful.
…
Lu Zhu did not suspect anything and nodded in agreement. When they walked out of the courtyard, Lian Qiao asked, "What happened?" She faintly guessed that this matter had something to do with Lu Zhu. The little servant girl's mouth flattened as if she was about to cry, "Lian Qiao jiejie, something has happened. Outside, there are rumors that Lu Zhu jiejie used Young Madam's power to seduce someone else's fiancé!"
"It is indeed a little too arrogant." Jiang Ruan looked indifferently at the corner of her sleeves and suddenly smiled, "To use these methods on my people, they are indeed not afraid of death."
Such a cold tone. Jin Er maintained his half-kneeling position and said in a low voice, "Young Madam, this subordinate is here regarding Lu Zhu."
…
"I do not know about Lu Zhu, only Lian Qiao knows." Jiang Ruan said indifferently.
Since Jiang Ruan did not speak, Jin Er also could not stand up. Only when the incense in the room had burned out did Jiang Ruan put down her brush. She shook the paper to dry and placed it in an envelope before placing it to one side. She looked up at Jin Er and asked, "What is it?"
"Don't cry." Jiang Ruan's gaze was somewhat cold. She only said to Tian Zhu, "What is that woman's background? Have you found out?"
"She said it so well, but how can she go back? She clearly wants to snatch Lu Zhu's marriage. I think that one may know a person's face but not their heart. I don't know how blind Jin Er was to be blinded by this kind of person."
With Jiang Ruan's approval, Lian Qiao was finally able to vent the resentment in her heart since yesterday. She immediately poured beans out of a bamboo tube and said, "What's the use of looking for Lu Zhu now? Could it be that you think that by saying a few good words, Lu Zhu will forgive you? Don't treat everyone as fools and think that every woman is dead set on you. Although Lu Zhu is not a young lady from a wealthy family, she is still a well-behaved and pure young lady. How can she be tormented by you like this? If you use the methods that you used on brothel girls on Lu Zhu, I will spit on you! " In a moment of agitation, Lian Qiao recited the words that she had exchanged with the evil slaves in the early years at the residence.
However, no one had expected that Jin Er would actually push the door open and walk in. Such a large movement would normally be overstepping his boundaries. Lian Qiao anxiously said, "You have such great guts! Young Madam did not allow you to enter and you came in. What kind of rule is this! "
"What happened to Jin Er?" Jin San and Jin Si had grown up together with Jin Er, so they had a brotherly relationship. However, even the two of them felt that what Jin Er had done was not right. If Jin Er had hit Lu Zhu, the two of them would not have believed it at first. After all, Jin Er had always been a person who had tender and protective feelings for the fairer sex. However, after not returning for a night and not saying anything the next day, the two of them were somewhat uncertain.
Jiang Ruan usually did not scrupulously abide by etiquette and rules when dealing with servants. Moreover, Jin Er and the others were Xiao Shao's trusted aides, so there was no need to be so particular. On one hand, Lian Qiao was shocked that Jin Er had not even followed the superficial rules. On the other hand, she wanted to stand up for Lu Zhu. However, after Jin Er entered the door, he did not say anything. The expression on his face could be said to be extremely ugly and there was a faint smell of alcohol on his body.
Jin Er's footsteps did not stop as he walked towards the other side. At first, Steward Lin was a little baffled, but he immediately understood and said, "Could it be that you are going to apologize? That's good. That lass Lu Zhu is after all one of Young Madam's people. If you bully her like this, it will also be a slap to Young Madam's face. It is only right for you to apologize. However, Jin Er, don't blame me, Old Lin, for not telling you that women are very calculative. Today, you will definitely not be able to easily ask for her forgiveness. You only need to remember that when the time comes, no matter what she says, you will have to endure it. However, I have to say, why did you bully a young lady without rhyme or reason … "
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