Chapter 47 A Touch of Sadness for Jiang Wanrou

Chapter 47 A Touch of Sadness for Jiang Wanrou

Now that Pei Zhang is at the peak of his influence, given Jiang Wanrou's attention to detail, she should have arranged Jiang Wanying's seat at the forefront.

But she really didn't want to see Jiang Wanying. Today was a good day, and she had meticulously applied lead powder and rouge, dressing beautifully, not wanting to ruin her day.

Having been the mistress of the household for many years, Jiang Wanrou had developed a sense of pride. When she didn't want to be hypocritical, she could certainly indulge her whims.

The maid accepted the list from Jiang Wanrou with deference, not daring to question the mistress's orders. Six wet nurses and two nannies in the mansion cared for the two children. When Jiang Wanrou wished to see the children, they were brought to her clean and well-dressed. She would only cuddle and play with them when she felt motherly. As for the children's daily needs and cries, no one dared to bother her.

Free from child-rearing duties, Jiang Wanrou rested well for a month and gradually took back the household affairs. Lady Zhou and Yao relinquished their roles without hesitation, and Jiang Wanrou reciprocated by sharing the emperor's rewards with the second and third wives.

Originally, Jiang Wanrou was in charge of the household. Now that she had given birth to a pair of twins, and the emperor personally issued a decree to reward her, the master cherished her even more. No one in the mansion was naive; all recognized the 'true power' and regarded the mistress's words as the ultimate authority.

A minor adjustment went unnoticed, but Yao Jinyu glanced at it, her eyes darting, and she greeted as if oblivious, "Oh, today is the elder sister-in-law's special day, yet she's off seeking solitude."

"Your tongue is as sharp as ever."

Jiang Wanrou smiled, casually picking up a green fruit from the plate and handing it to Yao Jinyu, "Have a bite first, to tide you over."

Hosting a successful banquet is exhausting. One must attend to every detail. The banquet boasts a feast of delicacies, rich in color, aroma, and flavor, yet the host seldom partakes.

Jiang Wanrou likes to attend banquets at others' homes. She prefers not to host her own.

Lu Feng's birthday celebrations are invariably modest, and Jiang Wanrou's own birthday is even less of a fuss, so the second and third wives handle it. In the past, the Lu mansion only hosted grand banquets twice a year, once for the ancestor's birthday and the other for Huai Yi's birthday. Now with two more of her own children, Jiang Wanrou gladly takes charge.

With foresight, she had earlier prepared some small dishes at the Jinguang Courtyard. Yao Jinyu joined her in light-hearted jesting, and after a while, most guests had arrived, gathering around Jiang Wanrou to converse.

Jiang Wanrou maintained a serene smile. Although she hadn't appeared in public for a long time, she wasn't isolated in the mansion. Cuizhu and Jintao read her the latest news from the capital every day, and Jiang Wanrou responded appropriately, without any omissions.

The wife of the Minister of Personnel, Lady Cui, sighed, "Lady Jiang is really well-informed. The expenses in my mansion this month are several hundred taels more than usual. Upon inquiry, I found out that the price of rice has risen."

When Jiang Wanrou first noticed this trend, she immediately had people stock up on rice, flour, oil, and grains. The Lu mansion has a large space and many people, so they weren't afraid of spoilage, saving a lot of money.

"Lady Jiang is indeed a virtuous housekeeper."

Jiang Wanrou smiled slightly and replied, "Lady Cui, you flatter me."

Speaking of which, Lady Cui and Jiang Wanrou have some history. Last year, when she was in desperate need and came to the Lu mansion, she sent Jiang Wanrou a dishonest cook, which by coincidence led Jiang Wanrou to find the real culprit who had harmed her.

Later, Jiang Wanrou passed on a piece of news of moderate importance to Lady Cui, who sent her a basket of rare lychees for the New Year. Today, on the full moon celebration of Jiang Wanrou's two children, Lady Cui arrived the earliest, showing her goodwill.

One doesn't hit a smiling face, and Jiang Wanrou was also willing to give her some face, or rather, she had always been a person who got along well with others. There was no other way; Lu Feng was too rigid, so as his wife, she had to be softer for the long-term strategy.

Since today was the full moon celebration of the children, none of the female guests brought their daughters. A group of women who had given birth chatted without many taboos. After discussing hairpins, husbands, and children, and these trivial matters, one woman suddenly said, "Do you know that Lord Pei is currently at the height of his fame?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the previously lively atmosphere instantly became quiet.

Pei Zhang's wife is Jiang Wanrou's sister, but since Pei Zhang arrived in the capital, they had never seen these two sisters speak in public, nor had there been any interaction between the two mansions. Everyone present was astute and could see that the sisters were not on good terms.

Now, that Lady Pei has quite the airs, she hasn't arrived yet, and it's estimated she won't come today.

Jiang Wanrou remained calm and did not mention Jiang Wanying, continuing the conversation, "I have also heard about it. It's said that he entered the cabinet at a young age and has a bright future ahead."

Seeing Jiang Wanrou's gentle expression, everyone gradually relaxed. One lady said, "I caught a glimpse of Pei Zhang from afar. He is as handsome as a jade, modest and gentle, a rare good gentleman."

"My younger sister's daughter is now at a marriageable age. Although her background is somewhat lacking, if there's a chance, marrying Assistant Minister Pei as a noble concubine would be acceptable."

As soon as the words fell, another lady chimed in, "Indeed, I also have a few daughters born to concubines of similar age. If they could marry Minister Pei, it would be a great fortune."

The nobles in the capital are all like this. Legitimate daughters are well cultivated from a young age, and when they grow up, they are carefully groomed to find a good marriage to maintain the family's honor or even elevate it further. Daughters born to concubines, however, are treated far more casually. After all, daughters born to concubines are not valued, and they can marry equal sons of concubines as wives, marry into high families as concubines, or, like when Pei Zhang sought to marry Jiang Wanying, even though he was just a poor scholar at the time, the Marquis of Ning'an thought he was a talent. A daughter born to a concubine, given away is given away. If the gamble pays off, like the current Marquis of Ning'an, who lost Prince Gong but has two sons-in-law, Lu Feng and Pei Zhang, he remains quite satisfied.

Although Jiang Wanrou dislikes the Marquis of Ning'an, in the eyes of outsiders, she is a daughter of the Jiang family. When one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer. Moreover, her mother is still in the Marquis's mansion. She can't always whisper to Lu Feng, badmouthing her own father, can she? Even if she did, Lu Feng is not someone who would be swayed by household matters.

No one understands the hardships and bitterness of being a daughter born to a concubine better than Jiang Wanrou. Although legitimate daughters don't fare much better, at least they can inquire about the other party's character and appearance, so they won't suffer too much. Daughters born to concubines are like expendable commodities, their lives drifting like duckweed, unsure where they will float.

Jiang Wanrou lowered her eyes and said, "Minister Pei is indeed good, but being a concubine is not as comfortable as being a main wife. My sister... well, let's not talk about it. Ladies, you should seek another promising son-in-law."

"Madam Jiang, you are wrong."

The speaker was a round-faced lady in a deep blue dress. Jiang Wanrou remembered her as the wife of a certain censor, who had no particular hobbies but loved to gossip.

The blue-clad lady lowered her voice and said, "I see there is much intrigue within the Pei household."

Once people start gossiping about others, they always become spirited. Everyone present listened intently. Jiang Wanrou lowered her head to sip her tea, neither speaking nor stopping them.

As everyone knows, Pei Zhang has only one wife and no other concubines. However, Jiang Wanying has been married into the Pei family for many years without any sign of pregnancy. While Pei Zhang can tolerate it, the family's old lady cannot.

The old lady, widowed and having worked hard to raise her son, is now anxious that her son might have no heir. When she first arrived in the capital, she was exhausted from the journey and did not show her face for several months. Now that her health has improved, the first thing she did was to find another woman for her son, even spreading the word that any woman who could bear a son would be allowed to become a secondary wife.

Otherwise, why would so many ladies be eyeing Pei Zhang like flies to honey? Which couple remains childless after five years of marriage? It must be the current Madam Pei who is to blame! In such a case, whether one enters as a wife or a concubine doesn't matter. As long as one bears a child and endures, one wins.

Pei Zhang is handsome and promising. Not only are the noble ladies willing to form this alliance, but their daughters are also willing. However, Minister Pei is deeply devoted and has not yet relented.

The blue-clad lady added, "But in my opinion, Minister Pei will relent sooner or later. I heard that there is an unmarried cousin living in the Pei family's backyard, now in her twenties, serving the old lady."

"This cousin will eventually follow Minister Pei. Once there is one, there will be two. Is there really such a thing as true love in this world?"

After saying this, everyone burst into laughter. Ordinary men with a few coins would want to buy a maid to warm their beds, let alone these nobles. Which family among those present does not have a large number of concubines and children born to concubines? In comparison, Jiang Wanrou is an anomaly.

Someone sighed, "Madam Jiang is fortunate."

By a twist of fate, she obtained her legitimate sister's marriage. Now, at a young age, she has been granted a title, her husband dotes on her, and she has both a son and a daughter. In contrast, the one who was once prominent is now... alas, it's all fate!

Madam Cui interjected, "I think it's a matter of human effort. Madam Jiang probably has some ways to manage her husband that we don't know about. Since we've come this far, we should seek some advice from her."

The women spoke more boldly and openly than the young ladies in their chambers. Now that the banquet was in full swing, the ladies had drunk sweet wine, and the atmosphere was lively.

Jiang Wanrou feigned shyness and smiled softly, saying, "What ways to manage my husband do I have? You all flatter me."

In front of outsiders, Jiang Wanrou always gave Lu Feng face. "It's all thanks to my husband's upright character and strict household management. To have his affection is my great fortune."

Others could not interject. Lu Feng was a man of great reputation, and none of it aligned with "upright character." One couldn't stretch the truth so far. Just as the conversation reached this point, Yao Jinyu chuckled and teased, "These are the words of my sister-in-law herself. I must learn from the master later."

Jiang Wanrou glared at her playfully and waved, calling Cuizhu over. "Go, bring Third Madam a plate of malt sugar and see if it can seal her mouth."

...

Jiang Wanrou was tactful and had the delightful Yao Jinyu by her side. The atmosphere in the backyard gradually warmed up. Jiang Wanrou drank a few cups of fruit wine. Knowing her low tolerance, she had Jintao secretly dilute her wine with water. After drinking too much water, she felt the need to use the restroom.

She smiled faintly and excused herself, accompanied by her maids to the southwest corner of the backyard to use the restroom. The Lu Duke's mansion was vast, and she had to pass through a small garden. In the garden, she saw a man.

Her heart immediately rang with alarm. This was the most feared situation at banquets. She had once lost her innocence because of this, and later, she saw such incidents happen frequently. Which young lady accidentally fell into the water and was rescued by a certain gentleman, embraced in front of everyone; which gentleman picked up a noble lady's hairpin in the backyard... The calculations were clear, yet there was nothing one could do.

The cold wind in her face sobered her from the banquet. She walked forward slowly and asked, "Sir, what are you doing here?"

Today, only noble ladies were invited, and nothing must go wrong in the mansion.

Jiang Wanrou's mind raced with countless schemes, but unexpectedly, the man turned around, revealing an exceptionally handsome face.

"Lord Pei?"

Jiang Wanrou blinked several times. Having just gossiped about others, she was momentarily stunned to suddenly see the very person they were talking about.

She now thought it was just a coincidence. Pei Zhang had the advantage of good looks, appearing as a noble and upright gentleman, not someone who would engage in such underhanded schemes.

As the old saying goes, "You can't judge a book by its cover." Pei Zhang had been standing here for a long time, waiting specifically for Jiang Wanrou.

He stared at her intently; the dream had almost driven him mad. From Jiangnan all the way to the north, he hadn't gone a single day without dreaming of her.

In his dream, they were a harmonious couple, meeting in modest circumstances, enduring hardship together, supporting each other through tumultuous times, and growing old together through three dynasties.

They had two brilliant sons, filial and capable, both exceptional among men.

He even recalled when they were old and gray, strolling in the courtyard. He picked a begonia flower and placed it in her hair, earning a playful rebuke from her, "You old rascal."

When he died, he did so with a smile. In his lifetime, he had endured ten years of arduous study, achieved the highest honors, only to offend the emperor and be banished to a remote town. Later, he was summoned back to the capital, rising steadily. After two dynasties, Emperor Wu passed away young, and the court was in chaos. He single-handedly reversed the tide, supporting the young emperor, restoring order, and bringing stability to the people. He was known as "Elder Pei" among the people.

From an unknown scholar in Qingzhou to a position second only to the emperor, his life had its ups and downs, moments of triumph and despair, but she had always been by his side. He entered the annals of history in life and was enshrined in the loyal martyrs' temple after death. Having a virtuous wife and descendants, he had no regrets in this life.

But it was all a fleeting dream. Upon waking, reality was nothing like the dream. He had thought it was his imagination, but everything he verified outside of her was exactly the same.

Was it Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly, or the butterfly dreaming of Zhuang Zhou? What was real, and what was false? It didn't matter. Since returning from Jiangnan, he had only one thought: he wanted to see her.

Pei Zhang's gaze was too intense, making Jiang Wanrou somewhat uncomfortable. She took a step back and reminded him, "Lord Pei?"

"Hmm."

Pei Zhang continued to look at her, "How have you been since we last parted?"

A strange feeling passed through Jiang Wanrou's heart. They had only met once; was Pei Zhang being too familiar?

She still remembered Pei Zhang's mentorship of Huai Yi. Cuizhu had spoken highly of Pei Zhang in front of Jiang Wanrou, who smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Pei. I am doing well."

"The paths in the Lu residence are winding. Have you perhaps gotten lost?"

Pei Zhang let out a bitter laugh, his voice hoarse, "Yes, I... can't find my way back."

"That's no trouble. I'll have a servant guide you."

Jiang Wanrou smiled and was about to call for someone when Pei Zhang interrupted, "No need. I've lost something and need to look for it here."

"Oh? What have you lost, Lord Pei? Is it valuable?"

Jiang Wanrou asked with concern. She was hosting a banquet; how could she let a guest lose something? She wanted to ask more, but when she looked up, she met his deep, dark eyes.

Suddenly, Jiang Wanrou felt a pang of sadness.

Pei Zhang gazed at her greedily, as if searching for traces of the dream. He studied her features, her brows, her lips, her cheeks, her hair.

Sadness, confusion, pain... too many complex emotions surged from his heart, gradually overwhelming him.

He knew clearly,

She was her.

Yet she was not her.