Chapter 102 (1/2)
Chapter 102
Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse
After Yu Weiwu’s death, the Yu Mansion was shrouded in an inexplicably depressive atmosphere. General Yu lost his mother, wife, and eldest son in a short period of time. His temperament became uncertain. He was sometimes silent, sometimes irritable, and he was confrontational. He hit or scolded, and even the other children received a lot of inexplicable reprimands.
Yu Linglong watched all this with cold eyes, and gradually realized that the hearts of the Yu Mansion had begun to dissipate, and it was Yu Qianliu that had changed the most.
Without the control of Mu s.h.i.+, Yu Qianliu’s character had been fully brought into play. Now, without the supervision of her grandmother and mother, and the care of General Yu, she often found various reasons to go out. Sometimes it was said that she was going to a poetry meeting, sometimes it was said that she was going to a banquet. Later, she saw that General Yu had been ignoring her, and she simply didn’t even make up the reasons. She went out when she wanted to go out, and even stayed up all night a few times.
This was a big deal for the young lady who has not left the family, but the current Yu Mansion was in a mess, and Concubine Mei, who was the only one in charge, was not qualified to teach Yu Qianliu, so she had to let her go.
As for the remaining two young ladies, Yu Qianfang’s hair had grown a lot, and it is said to be able to hang over her shoulders, but she still refused to go out. The maid serving close to her said that Yu Qianfang only reads. For her pastime, the books she reads are all Buddhist scriptures. Recently, she has asked for a Guanyin statue from the Pudu Temple to burn incense and chant the scriptures daily, which had a clear meaning.
Yu Qianjiao had a hot temper and occasionally went out to walk around the Mu family house. In Ling’er’s words, she probably went to guard her dowry.
Nowadays in the Yu house, the most beautiful place is probably Concubine Mei’s. Seeing that the new year was approaching, the village taxes and land taxes are about to be paid everywhere. Concubine Mei took a group of stewardess wives all day long, huddling and walking around with everyone.
If someone is beautiful, they will be unlucky. Judging from the news received in recent days, Yu Linglong guessed that someone would be unable to sit still, but she didn’t expect that person would come directly to herself.
That night, when it was time to light the lamps, the little maid came to report that Concubine Dong arrived.
Yu Linglong thought for a moment and ordered someone to bring her in.
It was early winter, but Concubine Dong only wore a blue cloth and thin cotton cloak, and she had a silver mouse-skin m.u.f.f in her hand. She wore two old silver hairpins on her bun. She looked pale and very haggard.
Yu Linglong leisurely leaned against the couch, wearing a band of water-red double phoenixes with beads on her forehead. She wore a silver and red embroidered peony pattern brocade jade dress. His skin was as white as jade, and her eyebrows were charming with the expression of an effortless beauty.
She glanced at Concubine Dong faintly, and said, “Tell me, what’s the matter?”
Knowing that Yu Linglong did not like nonsense, Concubine Dong stopped avoiding the subject, and even ignoring that Xuan Cao and Ling’er were still in the room, she knelt in front of Yu Linglong with a plop.
“Fourth Lady, please save me!”
Xuan Cao on the side was taken aback, and hurriedly went out to close the door tightly, and lowered the curtain again, and then she and Ling’er exited the room.
Yu Linglong did not ask Concubine Dong to get up, but slowly said, “Save you? How should I save you?”
Concubine Dong’s body swayed slightly. Her eyes were full of tears, and she said in a sad voice: “Fourth Lady, I know about you and the old lady. She has always blamed me for being careless, and I hate myself. Why couldn’t I be more careful in the first place? That’s why the old lady was gone early, and I wished to follow her, but I couldn’t let go of Brother Yuan…”
Yu Linglong watched Concubine Dong’s tears coldly, but there was no sympathy in her heart. There are many reasons for Lady Yu’s death, including Concubine Dong’s negligence and Jiang Yuezhen’s concealment. But the real culprit was Mu s.h.i.+, so Yu Linglong only cleaned up Mu s.h.i.+, but she was merciful to Jiang Yuezhen and Concubine Dong. She didn’t want Concubine Dong’s life, but it didn’t mean she would help Concubine Dong.
When the maid came to report to Concubine Dong for seeing her, Yu Linglong guessed the reason for her trip, but she did not intend to help.
When Lady Yu was alive, she really wanted to help Concubine Dong, but she was helpless. Concubine Dong herself was not upbeat and compared with Concubine Mei, she had no ability to compete with her, so Yu Linglong decisively abandoned her, and chose to support Concubine Mei.
Her principle was that you can help yourself, but the premise is that you have the capital to be helped.
At this moment, Concubine Dong knelt in front of her, whining out her difficulties, but she was still unmoved.
In this world, there was no room for the weak to survive. If you want to completely depend on others, there is only a dead end.
Concubine Dong was still wiping her tears and crying: “…Since the death of the old lady and the lady, my life has become worse and worse. Now Concubine Mei is in charge of the affairs of the mansion, and she has become more and more demanding. Before she said that there was not enough manpower in the house, so all the servants and maids were removed, and only a small servant was left. In recent days, even the food and tea were gone. Only one leftover meal was delivered every day. Fourth Lady, the servants are extraordinary. It’s a little bit of a way to survive, so I’m begging you—”
After listening to her babbling about for a long time, Yu Linglong finally interrupted her impatiently: “What’s the use of you begging me? Since you know that this is all under Concubine Mei’s care, why don’t you just ask her?”
Concubine Dong was startled, and then whimpered: “What’s the use begging her? I’m just going to provoke her.”
Yu Linglong sneered: “Is it useful to look for me?”
Concubine Dong couldn’t help shrinking a little and said in a low voice: “Now there is only the Fourth Lady in the mansion who I can speak to. Please, Fourth Lady, please tell Concubine Mei to give me and Brother Yuan a way to survive!”
Yu Linglong pressed the corners of her mouth lightly and looked at Concubine Dong thoughtfully.
For a long time, Concubine Dong gave her the impression that she was taciturn and uncontested, but now it seemed that Concubine Dong was not entirely a fool.
Since Concubine Mei got the power of the mansion, she had made all sorts of criticisms and troubles against Concubine Dong, the docile concubine. Yu Linglong knew that it was all just a fight between a concubine and a concubine, and it is normal to think about it. To say nothing of the fact that Concubine Dong came in earlier than Concubine Mei, and her status was higher than Concubine Mei. Just looking at the situation in the Yu house today, Yu Weiwu was dead and Yu Weide was gone. Only Concubine Dong’s Yu Weiyuan and the one in Concubine Mei’s stomach were the only sons. Concubine Mei’s son was about to be born after the end of the spring of the year. They didn’t know whether it was a male or a female. If it was a daughter, it was better, if it was a son, it was bound to have a conflict of interest with Yu Weiyuan. Concubine Mei ran on Concubine Dong in every possible way, which was paving the way for her son!
Concubine Dong really had no choice but to be oppressed. She only thought of asking Yu Linglong. She couldn’t think of asking General Yu, but she was not completely stupid.
Not to mention that she was now an out-of-favor concubine, and couldn’t compete with the young and beautiful Concubine Mei. Even if she really asked, General Yu really went to tell Concubine Mei. In the end, was she not bullied even more ruthlessly by Concubine Mei?
As for the other people in the Yu house, she didn’t even think about it, and they couldn’t speak at all.
Concubine Dong probably also guessed that Yu Linglong was the master behind Concubine Mei, so she came to beg her in person.
Looking at the delicate Concubine Dong, Yu Linglong suddenly smiled faintly.
“Please, it’s no use.” Yu Linglong gently blew on her tea, “I won’t help you.”
As if pouring cold water on her head, Concubine Dong’s pale face quickly turned gray. She looked at Yu Linglong blankly, her lips trembled, and she couldn’t say a word.
Concubine Mei pressed her step by step and forced her into a small corner. She couldn’t find a way out at all. Yu Linglong was her last hope.
But this only hope, with the opening of Yu Linglong’s lips, burst like a bubble.
Yu Linglong slowly sat up, her moist eyes fixedly looking at Concubine Dong. Her eyes were ruthlessly cold.
“Your destiny is in your own hands.”
No one in this world will help you for no reason. If you can’t stand up on your own, you will have to be stepped on by others.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]
Concubine Dong slumped to the ground, her eyes slowly falling from Yu Linglong. Only despair remained.
Yu Linglong didn’t look at her again. She got up, lifted the bead curtain, and walked into the interior room as if Concubine Dong was just some humble dust that couldn’t attract her at all.
After the bead curtain opened, the curtain fell quietly, covering the slender figure in the inner room.
…
Perhaps it was to dissipate the dull atmosphere in the Yu Mansion, or perhaps it was because of the long nights and dreams, but General Yu visited Gan Mansion many times. He wanted to set the date for Gan Lin and Yu Qianjiao to marry as soon as possible. After several setbacks, the marriage was finally settled. The date of the wedding was set to the autumn of the following year, and Yu Qianjiao would be married after the anniversary of Mu s.h.i.+’s death.
General Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Now that the marriage of Gan Mansion has been decided, he even regarded himself as Gan Mansion’s quasi-in-law and used this to fix his name, doing everything possible to find a way for his recovery.
With the vigorous propaganda of General Yu, coupled with the imposing Gan Mansion involved, soon, the news that the only son of Gan’s family was about to marry the Yu family’s daughter spread throughout the capital.