Yanzhi, a maid, was anxiously begging for help in panic without any ideas.
In contrast, the young madam appeared much calmer. "Yanzhi, don't panic. First ask someone to go to the government office to find your master. I still have some spare silver here. Take it and go to the carriage store in the West Market to get two coachmen."
"Madam, please wait here. This servant will be back very soon."
"Alright."
Yanzhi quickly rushed out into the wind and snow.
He sat leisurely on the horseback, raising his eyes to glance at the madam. With her hair done up in a married woman's style, a section of snow-white neck appeared, slender and delicate. There were no excessive decorations on her dark hair, only a few cheap velvet flowers dotted throughout.
Even with such light makeup, it only served to accentuate her rosy lips and white teeth, faint painted eyebrows, and exquisite features that were so stunning it could capture one's heart.
She seemed to notice her carriage blocking his way. Raising her light eyes, she said, "Sir, I'm truly sorry..."
Her soft and gentle voice made one tingle all over.
Zhao Changdu looked at her, finding her face somewhat familiar. A inexplicable irritation flashed through his mind. "It's fine."
A lot had happened in Bianjing when he returned to the city that year.
The most talked about was the scandal between the second young miss of the Dongping Earl Manor and Jiang Yin, the new top scholar.
At the banquet in the Concubine Wan Palace, the two fell into the water together and were seen naked by everyone present.
After they returned to the Earl Manor, the marriage between the Gu family's second young miss and Jiang Yin was promptly settled.
This matter was told to him by Su Huanfeng. It was because this second young miss was originally betrothed to Su Huanfeng. But after this disgraceful incident, the Dongping Earl Manor married their eldest daughter Gu Jia to him instead.
Gu Jia was clever, skilled in zither, chess, books and painting, gentle and considerate. She was outstanding and could hold her own in social situations. Her reputation was extremely good and she was also talented. Su Huanfeng had always been very satisfied with this wife, so he did not pursue the ugly matter of the Gu family anymore.
Later on, Gu Ying married into a poor family and became Jiang Yin's wife. It was said their marriage was very hasty and lonely, without anyone sending her off.
Zhao Changdu was in no hurry to leave. The sharp edges of his youth had been smoothed, and now there was an awe-inspiring aura of might around this man.
Even just sitting on horseback, he made Gu Ying feel uneasy all over.
It was as if his piercing eyes could see through everything about her.
She moved her lips but said nothing. Bending over, she retreated into the carriage and lowered the curtain, blocking that man's deep gaze.
Ever since her fall into the water, she had never recovered from her susceptibility to chills. Taking advantage of the time needed for the repair, she leaned against the carriage and soon dozed off.
In Jiang Yin's family, there was only his sickly old mother and a younger sister around Gu Ying's age.
So after marrying into the family, her days were spent in bitter poverty. Other than Yanzhi, her personal servant maid, there were no other servants. Even this coachman was temporarily hired from outside. And since he was paid too much, his attitude was very bad. When the wheel broke down, he just leaned against a nearby pillar nonchalantly with a pipe hanging from his lips, not bothering to guard his masters' wife.
Soon, someone lifted the curtain and climbed in, a gust of cold air hitting her delicate face.
She shrank back for a moment before opening her eyes to Jiang Yin's mocking face.
Without a single word of concern, he roughly grabbed her reddened wrist, his eyes tinged with ridicule. "What is it? Trying to seduce someone again while I'm not around?"
Gu Ying's eyes flashed in confusion. Shaking her head with red-rimmed eyes, she said, "I did not..."
Jiang Yin scoffed. "If you didn't, why would the heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor specially arrange for someone to repair your carriage?"
Gu Ying was stunned. Her headache was killing her. "What?"
So that handsome and mature man was the heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor? He had helped repair her carriage?
Seeing her absent-minded expression, unaware what man she was thinking about, Jiang Yin flung her wrist away. An aura of anger surrounded him as he sat down coldly by her side. "What are you still dazing around for? Let's go home!"
Zhao Changdu watched as Jiang Yin entered the carriage, then watched as the carriage left his line of sight. His dark eyes were deep and stormy.
He couldn't describe his own feelings. He only felt that the maid seemed very familiar.
Upon returning to Zhenguo Duke Manor, he originally wanted to pretend nothing had happened.
But in the middle of the night, he still called Huai An over and asked him to find out who exactly that maid was ten years ago.
As expected, Huai An reported, "It's her. This subordinate already investigated. She was the one who went missing from the Earl Manor back then. She was later found and brought back. After her mother passed away, it was like she disappeared in Bianjing with barely any public appearances. It has always been her elder sister Gu Jia who stood in the limelight."
"How is her current life?"
"Not very good. After her mother's passing, her father took troops to the border and hasn't returned since. Her grandmother favors the main wife's side, so the second young miss isn't doted on much in the household. And without relatives by her side to care for her, life became even harder. Also, her only brother, Gu Ning, somehow died from illness when she got married."
"..."
Zhao Changdu remained silent, knitting his sword-like eyebrows together while tapping the table lightly with two slender fingers.
Huai An hesitated before adding, "But after her marriage, she moved to the Jiang family's old residence in the West Market to live with her husband's family. Her husband's name is Jiang Yin and he ranked first scholar this year. I already sent people to investigate this Jiang family. They were nobles a few decades ago but declined over time into a commoner family by Jiang Yin's mother's generation. So Jiang Yin was determined to study for the exams to become an official. Before placing first scholar, he and his sister Jiang Ling'er helped wash embroideries to support their mother."
"How does Jiang Yin treat her?"
"Like newlyweds still in the honeymoon phase. I also heard that the second young miss wholeheartedly loves Jiang Yin. She assists in handling affairs both inside and outside the household, trying to earn his affection. She even invested her dowry from the Ye family into the Jiang household's operations. Just a few days ago, Jiang Yin used the second young miss's money to buy an abandoned manor in the city."
Zhao Changdu's expression was calm, not revealing any joy or anger.
The specks of snow cast on his sharp, handsome face made him look as cold and lonely as drifting frost.
Huai An pressed his lips before suggesting, "Master...should this subordinate find a way to make them divorce, and then..."
Times had changed. Now in Bianjing, as long as the heir wanted someone, no one could escape his grasp.
Before returning to the capital, the old Duke had instructed him to find a few ladies to warm the heir's bed. After so many years, there was still no one intimate by the heir's side to chat and snuggle with at night. That wouldn't do.
In the end, Lady Huo was the heir's sister-in-law so she couldn't easily make a move.
As for that maid... She had married into poverty and her husband was just a clerk. She would be easy to control. As long as he used some silver and tricks, he could certainly force them into a divorce. Then prepare a residence to keep the second young miss, serving the heir for a few years first. When the timing was right, she could be moved into the Duke Manor as a concubine. That was feasible.
Huai An's mind spun plots.
But Zhao Changdu knitted his brows in irritation and interrupted, "Get out."
Yanzhi, a maid, was anxiously begging for help in panic without any ideas.
In contrast, the young madam appeared much calmer. "Yanzhi, don't panic. First ask someone to go to the government office to find your master. I still have some spare silver here. Take it and go to the carriage store in the West Market to get two coachmen."
"Madam, please wait here. This servant will be back very soon."
"Alright."
Yanzhi quickly rushed out into the wind and snow.
He sat leisurely on the horseback, raising his eyes to glance at the madam. With her hair done up in a married woman's style, a section of snow-white neck appeared, slender and delicate. There were no excessive decorations on her dark hair, only a few cheap velvet flowers dotted throughout.
Even with such light makeup, it only served to accentuate her rosy lips and white teeth, faint painted eyebrows, and exquisite features that were so stunning it could capture one's heart.
She seemed to notice her carriage blocking his way. Raising her light eyes, she said, "Sir, I'm truly sorry..."
Her soft and gentle voice made one tingle all over.
Zhao Changdu looked at her, finding her face somewhat familiar. A inexplicable irritation flashed through his mind. "It's fine."
A lot had happened in Bianjing when he returned to the city that year.
The most talked about was the scandal between the second young miss of the Dongping Earl Manor and Jiang Yin, the new top scholar.
At the banquet in the Concubine Wan Palace, the two fell into the water together and were seen naked by everyone present.
After they returned to the Earl Manor, the marriage between the Gu family's second young miss and Jiang Yin was promptly settled.
This matter was told to him by Su Huanfeng. It was because this second young miss was originally betrothed to Su Huanfeng. But after this disgraceful incident, the Dongping Earl Manor married their eldest daughter Gu Jia to him instead.
Gu Jia was clever, skilled in zither, chess, books and painting, gentle and considerate. She was outstanding and could hold her own in social situations. Her reputation was extremely good and she was also talented. Su Huanfeng had always been very satisfied with this wife, so he did not pursue the ugly matter of the Gu family anymore.
Later on, Gu Ying married into a poor family and became Jiang Yin's wife. It was said their marriage was very hasty and lonely, without anyone sending her off.
Zhao Changdu was in no hurry to leave. The sharp edges of his youth had been smoothed, and now there was an awe-inspiring aura of might around this man.
Even just sitting on horseback, he made Gu Ying feel uneasy all over.
It was as if his piercing eyes could see through everything about her.
She moved her lips but said nothing. Bending over, she retreated into the carriage and lowered the curtain, blocking that man's deep gaze.
Ever since her fall into the water, she had never recovered from her susceptibility to chills. Taking advantage of the time needed for the repair, she leaned against the carriage and soon dozed off.
In Jiang Yin's family, there was only his sickly old mother and a younger sister around Gu Ying's age.
So after marrying into the family, her days were spent in bitter poverty. Other than Yanzhi, her personal servant maid, there were no other servants. Even this coachman was temporarily hired from outside. And since he was paid too much, his attitude was very bad. When the wheel broke down, he just leaned against a nearby pillar nonchalantly with a pipe hanging from his lips, not bothering to guard his masters' wife.
Soon, someone lifted the curtain and climbed in, a gust of cold air hitting her delicate face.
She shrank back for a moment before opening her eyes to Jiang Yin's mocking face.
Without a single word of concern, he roughly grabbed her reddened wrist, his eyes tinged with ridicule. "What is it? Trying to seduce someone again while I'm not around?"
Gu Ying's eyes flashed in confusion. Shaking her head with red-rimmed eyes, she said, "I did not..."
Jiang Yin scoffed. "If you didn't, why would the heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor specially arrange for someone to repair your carriage?"
Gu Ying was stunned. Her headache was killing her. "What?"
So that handsome and mature man was the heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor? He had helped repair her carriage?
Seeing her absent-minded expression, unaware what man she was thinking about, Jiang Yin flung her wrist away. An aura of anger surrounded him as he sat down coldly by her side. "What are you still dazing around for? Let's go home!"
Zhao Changdu watched as Jiang Yin entered the carriage, then watched as the carriage left his line of sight. His dark eyes were deep and stormy.
He couldn't describe his own feelings. He only felt that the maid seemed very familiar.
Upon returning to Zhenguo Duke Manor, he originally wanted to pretend nothing had happened.
But in the middle of the night, he still called Huai An over and asked him to find out who exactly that maid was ten years ago.
As expected, Huai An reported, "It's her. This subordinate already investigated. She was the one who went missing from the Earl Manor back then. She was later found and brought back. After her mother passed away, it was like she disappeared in Bianjing with barely any public appearances. It has always been her elder sister Gu Jia who stood in the limelight."
"How is her current life?"
"Not very good. After her mother's passing, her father took troops to the border and hasn't returned since. Her grandmother favors the main wife's side, so the second young miss isn't doted on much in the household. And without relatives by her side to care for her, life became even harder. Also, her only brother, Gu Ning, somehow died from illness when she got married."
"..."
Zhao Changdu remained silent, knitting his sword-like eyebrows together while tapping the table lightly with two slender fingers.
Huai An hesitated before adding, "But after her marriage, she moved to the Jiang family's old residence in the West Market to live with her husband's family. Her husband's name is Jiang Yin and he ranked first scholar this year. I already sent people to investigate this Jiang family. They were nobles a few decades ago but declined over time into a commoner family by Jiang Yin's mother's generation. So Jiang Yin was determined to study for the exams to become an official. Before placing first scholar, he and his sister Jiang Ling'er helped wash embroideries to support their mother."
"How does Jiang Yin treat her?"
"Like newlyweds still in the honeymoon phase. I also heard that the second young miss wholeheartedly loves Jiang Yin. She assists in handling affairs both inside and outside the household, trying to earn his affection. She even invested her dowry from the Ye family into the Jiang household's operations. Just a few days ago, Jiang Yin used the second young miss's money to buy an abandoned manor in the city."
Zhao Changdu's expression was calm, not revealing any joy or anger.
The specks of snow cast on his sharp, handsome face made him look as cold and lonely as drifting frost.
Huai An pressed his lips before suggesting, "Master...should this subordinate find a way to make them divorce, and then..."
Times had changed. Now in Bianjing, as long as the heir wanted someone, no one could escape his grasp.
Before returning to the capital, the old Duke had instructed him to find a few ladies to warm the heir's bed. After so many years, there was still no one intimate by the heir's side to chat and snuggle with at night. That wouldn't do.
In the end, Lady Huo was the heir's sister-in-law so she couldn't easily make a move.
As for that maid... She had married into poverty and her husband was just a clerk. She would be easy to control. As long as he used some silver and tricks, he could certainly force them into a divorce. Then prepare a residence to keep the second young miss, serving the heir for a few years first. When the timing was right, she could be moved into the Duke Manor as a concubine. That was feasible.
Huai An's mind spun plots.
But Zhao Changdu knitted his brows in irritation and interrupted, "Get out."
