This winter it snowed very heavily. The snow in the courtyard was so deep that the servants could not sweep it. A newly cleared path for people to walk was soon covered with a layer of fine snow.
The study was not far away. Without the maid, Shen Yu walked slowly along the corridor and passed through the arch. The sound of the maid chatting could be heard from behind the corridor wall.
"The young master finally got Miss Lin back. It's a pity that she was a match made in heaven, but now she can only be a concubine for the young master."
"But Madam..."
The maid said with sarcasm, "She is the daughter of a guilty minister, but she has the nerve to occupy the position of the wife of the main wife."
"You can't say that. The young lady is quite good, and her father and brother both died in the battle, so it can be considered..."
"What is it? If her father hadn't misjudged the military situation, all of our 100,000 soldiers in the Great Zhou Dynasty would not have died at the border."
"Our young master is a good old man, but the Shen family is in such a state of decline, yet the young master married her into a family with a sick child."
The wind and snow were still blowing outside the corridor, sending chills into the bones.
Shen Yu felt even colder inside, and she smiled bitterly.
It turned out that even the servants had long known that Jiang Lianzhi wanted to take a concubine, but it was ridiculous that she, the royal wife, only found out this morning.
There have long been rumors in Beijing that Jiang Lianzhi, the Minister of Rites, and Lin Qingli, the daughter of his mentor, were childhood sweethearts and a match made in heaven. However, because Lord Lin was involved in a corruption case in the West, Lord Lin was beheaded according to law and all his female relatives were exiled.
Under Jiang Lianzhi's operation, the Lin family was rehabilitated this summer, and he immediately brought Lin Qingli back.
She had heard countless times from her mother-in-law and maid how sweet and sweet Jiang Lianzhi's childhood sweetheart was. If she hadn't been involved, they would have been an enviable couple.
They said that Jiang Lianzhi had a deep love for Lin Qingli and married her, the daughter of the Shen family, just to fulfill a benevolent relationship.
It turns out that everything is not traceable.
No wonder the servants have been looking at her with evasive eyes recently. No wonder Jiang Lianzhi has been avoiding her recently, saying that he has too many official duties and has not returned to the main house for more than ten days.
In total, Lin Qingli entered Beijing almost ten days ago.
Shen Yu didn't continue to listen. She came here today just to get an answer from Jiang Lianzhi.
After walking around the corridor, several maids turned pale when they saw her.
"Young lady."
As soon as they knelt down and before they had time to apologize, the gorgeous clothes had already touched the prostrate fingertips of several people, and they headed towards the study.
Jiang Lianzhi usually didn't like being served closely by others. He was the only one in the study. Seeing Shen Yu come in, Jiang Lianzhi raised his head and smiled when he saw her.
"Such heavy snow came here, are you cold?"
Seeing the smile on his face, Shen Yu felt a tightness in her chest.
The man in front of her married her when the Shen family was in trouble, took good care of her, responded to her requests, and lived up to the expectations of a husband. So now, she couldn't even hate her.
He didn't seem to have done anything wrong, but the only thing was that he tied his heart to another woman. Wasn't that a fact that existed before she appeared?
I just want to ask Jiang Lianzhi, are you pretending to be tired of asking after you for the past three years? Have you ever felt wronged by sharing the same bed with me these years?
Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Shen Yu gave him a faint smile and said, "I heard that you got Miss Lin back."
The smile that had just touched Jiang Lianzhi's lips froze for a moment, and the warmth in his eyes gradually dissipated. After a moment, he said, "Who is talking to you again?"
Shen Yu pretended not to have seen his expression just now and walked straight to the desk, "Now that she has been found, how are you going to arrange for her?"
Jiang Lianzhi avoided her eyes and said, "I want to take her as my concubine."
Shen Yu noticed his wording. It was not about thinking, but about wanting. He didn't give her any room for negotiation at all, he was just informing her.
Seeing that she looked bad, Jiang Lianzhi was silent for a moment and explained in a warm voice: "Qingli has been living outside for a long time. I want to give her a place to settle down. She has a gentle temperament and will not affect your position as the mistress of the Jiang family."
Even though she was prepared, Shen Yu was still stabbed hard by his answer.
She lost her mother when she was young, and her father and brother died at the border when she was seventeen. Apart from her, the only remaining members of the Shen family were her stepmother and younger sister.
Before getting married, her stepmother had repeatedly warned her that the Jiang family was one of the most aristocratic families in the West, so she was kind to the Shen family by providing help in times of need. In addition, the woman was not as good as before after she got married. Now no one would support her, so she should be patient when things happen.
When the tiger girl came out of the general house, she also rode her horse and whipped her whip, and also wielded her sword to kill the enemy. However, since her marriage, she had been trying her best to be patient, and she had almost forgotten what she was like.
This huge Jiang Mansion was about to tie her up to death.
Shen Yu felt her chest was extremely tight. She took a deep breath and asked, "What if I don't agree?"
Jiang Lianzhi was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't expect her to refuse at all.
In Jiang Lianzhi's eyes, she was always gentle and always said yes no matter what, but this was the first time she expressed her opposition to him so firmly.
He sighed, "Auntie, you are not such an unreasonable person. There is no rule in the Jiang family against taking concubines. I need..."
"Okay, I understand." Shen Yu interrupted him, nodded slowly, and clenched her hands unconsciously under her sleeves.
She knew what he needed and that he needed to share His Majesty's worries, so she married the daughter of General Shen who died in the border battle to comfort the soldiers.
The Jiang family needs to continue the family lineage, and the person who can give birth to an heir of the Jiang family cannot be him.
Since the year after her marriage, she discovered that her meals and snacks were filled with musk that made people unable to conceive.
In a daze, Jiang Lianzhi stood in front of her and held up the collar of her white cloak for her.
"I'll have someone take you back. Don't run out in such a cold weather, or you'll get cold." He said softly.
Shen Yu raised her eyes and glanced across his face.
Jiang Lianzhi had an excellent face, with handsome features and gentle, refined features.
It was this very deceptive face that made her stupid for so many years.
He pretended to be so good, trying his best to act like a perfect husband, and being considerate and caring to her.
When people are at their most vulnerable, they will always mistake the hand stretched out to her as the one they will rely on for life. She once succumbed to the warmth he brought, but now everything makes her feel ironic.
"No need, it's only a few steps away."
Shen Yu smiled at him, turned around for a moment, and a tear fell down. The light flashed and disappeared into the snow-white fox quilt in an instant.
There is no one to rely on in this world. In the end, she is the only one left.
The journey that originally took half a cup of tea took her so long, so long that it seemed like she could see her whole life in one glance.
She looked up and saw that the square inch of sky was dyed so dazzlingly by snow, and the vast snow was full of desolation and devastation.
Why is this winter so cold? It's even more freezing than the wind and snow in Yanliangguan.
If her martial arts had not been ruined and Ben Xiao was still there, she would have been able to ride on it and run to Yanliang Pass to the burial place of her father and brother. She would not have been left alone in this world without even a single word. Neither did the people.
But now...
"Ahem..." Shen Yu raised her hand, put her fist on her lips and coughed a few times.
But with her current body, let alone going into battle to kill the enemy, she couldn't even lift a sword.
"elder sister."
As footsteps approached, Shen Yu turned her head and saw a woman standing beside her, followed by two maids.
The woman had a delicate face, and a pair of clear eyes under her thin eyebrows. Her brows were moving, making me feel pity for her.
Shen Yu had never seen Lin Qingli before, but the moment she saw the woman, she knew for the first time that the person in front of her was.
