Although Jiang Sheng spoke bluntly, Lin Yueming was not surprised. She had mentally prepared herself for this matter.
When he rose in the morning, he clearly had needs. During his morning ablutions, he had to undress and dress, which involved physical contact. Encountering beauties who came with obvious intentions, mutual affection naturally followed, leading to a release of tension—this was not strange.
Timing-wise, it was a bit quick, but it wasn’t a major issue. She had no expectations or demands of him in this regard.
So when Jiang Sheng openly asked her for the two women, she replied with a generous smile:
“For them to earn your praise is their good fortune. I am naturally happy for them—how could I be unwilling?”
She didn’t know what Jiang Sheng’s plans for the two women were—whether they would be concubines or maidservants.
In Lin Yueming’s opinion, no matter how much he liked them, it would be better to wait a while before promoting them to concubines. Doing so on the second day of the marriage, especially with the bride’s own maids, would make the Marquis of Wu’an appear too lustful and foolish.
If word got out, it wouldn’t sound good.
But what she thought didn’t matter; what the Marquis of Wu’an thought was what counted. He seemed to have no intention of waiting. As he ladled a bowl of sweet soup for Lin Yueming, he said:
“Since you’re willing, give me their deeds of sale later.”
Even asking for their deeds—this wasn’t just about liking them but about protecting them.
A wife’s control over concubines typically revolved around three things: their deeds of sale, their monthly allowances, and their children.
Had the Marquis of Wu’an considered things to this extent for those two women?
Lin Yueming grew wary. The Marquis’s actions showed he didn’t trust her.
Her reputation was indeed poor: failing to produce an heir in three years and refusing to let Lu Chen take a concubine—she had violated two of the “seven grounds for divorce.”
In truth, if Lu Chen had wanted to take his cousin as a concubine, he could have done so without her involvement.
For a man to take a concubine was as simple as a single word—or even just a glance, and his subordinates would thoughtfully arrange everything. What difficulty could there be?
She hadn’t taken the initiative to arrange it for him, but she hadn’t stopped him either.
But men, of course, wanted both: to indulge their desires while maintaining appearances. Taking a concubine on their own initiative would make them seem lustful, but if their wife arranged it, it was different.
It was for continuing the family line, for the clan’s legacy—he had no choice, compelled by necessity, not driven by his own desires.
With a proper justification, it sounded much more dignified and virtuous.
Lin Yueming didn’t care how many people Jiang Sheng brought into the household, but his distrust of her was a serious matter that had to be resolved immediately. She needed to dispel the Marquis of Wu’an’s doubts through concrete actions.
To prove she was truly willing and not the jealous woman of rumor, after breakfast, Lin Yueming set everything else aside. She called Bai Zhi to open the chest, retrieved the two beauties’ deeds of sale, and personally handed them to Jiang Sheng.
Jiang Sheng didn’t seem like a procrastinator either. He immediately summoned his attendant, Ping’an, gave him the deeds, and instructed:
“Take care of this quickly.”
Ping’an appeared to be in his twenties, tall and sturdy. Upon entering, he first paid his respects to Lin Yueming, then took the deeds and replied cheerfully:
“Yes, Marquis! The carriage and horses are already prepared. I’ll handle it properly without delaying your affairs.”
It was at this moment that Lin Yueming began to feel something was amiss.
Even the carriage and horses were prepared. No matter how much Jiang Sheng distrusted her, surely he wouldn’t arrange for them to stay outside the estate, would he?
After Ping'an left, Lin Yueming pondered for a moment and still felt she should find a suitable opportunity to ask.
If the Marquis of Wu'an truly distrusted her to this extent, it showed he held deep prejudice against her. No matter what, she had to defend herself a few words.
She needed to make the Marquis of Wu'an believe that she would be virtuous and magnanimous toward his people, and would never compete for his favor out of jealousy.
After breakfast, Jiang Sheng summoned all the maids and matrons of Suhui Hall for Lin Yueming to meet. In front of everyone, he handed over their deeds of servitude to Lin Yueming and said to her:
"Madam may use these people for now. Keep those who are useful, and if any are not, deal with them according to military law—just dismiss them."
The roomful of maids and matrons hung their heads, trembling with fear, clearly terrified of the Marquis of Wu'an. It seemed they had experienced military law before.
Lin Yueming flipped through the deeds of servitude. They were all people purchased in the capital, with no one brought from the Northern Frontier. She agreed:
"Alright."
The heads of the maids and matrons in the room drooped even lower.
Bai Zhi had originally been arranging Lin Yueming's trunks and dowry with Qing Dai, but she was deeply troubled.
On one hand, Bai Zhi worried that with just the two of them, there were too few people to handle all of the madam's affairs properly, which might cause her to suffer. Although there were many servants in Suhui Hall, the Marquis of Wu'an had not given any orders, so Bai Zhi would not presume to command his people on her own.
On the other hand, she was concerned that on the second day of the marriage, the Marquis had taken away two of the madam's dowry maids. How would the servants in the mansion view the madam? How would the madam's life be in the future?
If the madam's life was difficult, Bai Zhi, as her personal maid, would also suffer. Naturally, she hoped that the madam and the Marquis could live in harmony as a couple, lasting long and well.
It wasn't until Lin Yueming handed her the deeds of servitude of the Suhui Hall servants and asked her to keep them safe that Bai Zhi finally let out a long sigh of relief. She then offered Lin Yueming some advice:
"This servant will lead the others in tidying up. There will be a lot of dust. Why doesn't Madam take a stroll elsewhere with the Marquis?"
Preferably hand in hand, swaggering back and forth three times in front of everyone in the Marquis's Mansion, so that all could see how affectionate and inseparable the Marquis and Madam were. This would prevent anyone from gossiping about the two maids and causing the madam distress.
When Lin Yueming was divorced and sent back home, Bai Zhi suffered a great deal alongside her.
Bai Zhi had originally been engaged to the son of the Lu Family's chief steward, a capable man by Lu Chen's side who had followed him south.
Bai Zhi was supposed to marry this year, but because Lin Yueming was divorced, the engagement fell through.
Lin Yueming was sent alone to a manor and nearly died of illness, while Bai Zhi, implicated, was almost sold off by the Lin Family.
Thus, Lin Yueming felt guilty toward Bai Zhi. Seeing her so worried, she took Bai Zhi's hand and said:
"Your marriage was affected because of me. I am sorry. I should have let you marry last year. Once I establish myself firmly in the Marquis's Mansion, I will definitely find you a better match."
Bai Zhi, still uneasy about the two maids, pushed her out:
"Madam, please don't think that way. With the Lu Family's character, if I had really married and you had left, where would this servant's path be? Madam, please go now. Don't keep the Marquis waiting. This servant speaks out of turn, but now the Marquis is your husband. Madam must keep him in your heart."
Bai Zhi was right. She had to keep Jiang Sheng in her heart.
Or at least appear to do so.
Lin Yueming left the inner chamber to look for Jiang Sheng. Hearing from the nanny that he had returned to his inner study, she went to find him there.
Jiang Sheng was sitting in the study reading when Lin Yueming entered. He set aside his book, his eyes fixed intently on her, and said:
"Just now, Nanny Cui came to relay a message. Mother played Leaf Cards with Lady of Duke Qin last night. The two elders were so delighted they played until the yin hour before resting. They asked us to come over at si hour and three quarters."
Lady of Duke Qin was the Empress's mother.
The last time she encountered Lady Jiang at a banquet was also at Qin State Duke's Residence.
Although she knew Jiang Sheng was an Emperor's close minister and had good relations with the imperial family, she hadn't realized it was to this extent.
For Lady of Duke Qin to stay overnight at Wu'an Marquis Estate—that was something only the closest of relatives or friends would do.
Lin Yueming walked up to Jiang Sheng, tugged at his sleeve, and said with a smile:
"In that case, it's still early, and we have some leisure. What does my husband enjoy doing in his spare time? I'll keep you company."
Jiang Sheng caught the hand that held his sleeve, pulled her onto his lap, then buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of her clothes:
"The pleasures of the bedchamber—your husband is quite fond of them. Will my lady also accompany me in this?"