Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 231 - 67 Mrs. Lv’s Past
Because at that time Mrs. Jiang asked Jiang Mingyuan, he agreed as well.
So no one brought it up again, and just like that three more years passed, Jiang Mingyuan was promoted to Deputy of Jingyuan Prefecture. Seeing Lv was already eighteen then, Jiang Mingyuan once again brought up the old subject, wanting Lv to be his concubine, but the Yu Family still refused.
Mrs. Jiang was furious, this daughter-in-law has been married here for so many years without giving birth to a son or daughter, just like a hen that can’t lay eggs, yet she still holds onto her position stubbornly. Could it be that Jiang Mingyuan should be without descendants? This time, Mrs. Jiang’s attitude was as resolute as Jiang Mingyuan’s. Mrs. Jiang held back her anger, saying, if you don’t want a concubine, then I’ll elevate her directly to be a concubine wife.
Actually, Lv was indifferent to these matters, marrying anyone is still marrying. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
Mrs. Jiang and Jiang Mingyuan’s attitude angered the Yu Family, so they and their maids and older women came up with a scheme to trap Lv. Lv said at that point, even if she was conned at the beginning, wouldn’t there still be other women in the future?
Gu Chengyu analyzed the situation, possibly thinking the Yu Family considered Lv the most threatening since it was clear Prefect Jiang had feelings for Lv, or maybe admiration, otherwise he wouldn’t bring up the old subject since Lv was attractive.
Of course, the plot succeeded later, this also involved Mr. Gu.
Just two days before accepting Lv, the maid Cui Ming who worked with Lv had a stomach ache, so Lv went alone to the outer courtyard storeroom to retrieve a celadon vase with hexagonal petals that Mrs. Jiang specified, to arrange flowers.
Lv walked on the way to the big storeroom, passed by a pond and suddenly slipped into the pond. Lv shouted for help, and at that time Mr. Gu and a shopkeeper from the Jiang Family Restaurant happened to be delivering ingredients to the mansion.
Intending to deliver a message, they went through the back door to the outer courtyard. When Mr. Gu saw someone fall into the water, he immediately jumped in to rescue her. Both were wet at the time, and Lv’s clothes might have been somewhat disheveled as she struggled in the water, which led to Mr. Gu receiving the grace to marry Lv.
That year Mrs. Jiang regretted greatly, but since things had come to this, she could only give it up! Jiang Mingyuan was busy with official business, staying at the government office those days, so he was unaware. Unexpectedly, the Yu Family rushed forward and claimed Lv was shameless, openly pulling and tugging with a man in the outer courtyard, insisting on expelling Lv from the Jiang Mansion, and none of the Jiang Mansion’s belongings were allowed to be taken.
Finally, Mrs. Jiang pitied Lv and went to the government to annul Lv’s servitude contract, following Lv’s wish to establish her as an independent woman. Before Lv left, Mrs. Jiang intended to give some silver, but Lv refused.
As she left, she only wore a single set of clothes, while some friendly maids gifted her silver and jewelry.
Upon hearing this, Gu Chengyu couldn’t help but feel wistful, it was too evident Lv had been schemed against, and they truly wanted Lv’s life! Mrs. Jiang probably understood in her heart as well, the last resort to establish her as an independent woman and offering silver was also compensation, but Lv refused out of pride in her daze.
Lv finished speaking and took a sip of tea from her bowl, actually there were still matters she didn’t mention. Back then, she knew there was oil by the pond. She understood the mistress couldn’t tolerate her, so instead of losing her life in the end, she might as well work according to the plan.
In fact, she had already inquired previously, knowing the shopkeeper from the restaurant would pass by there, she timed it accurately. The shopkeeper was a widower whose wife died of illness, but the shopkeeper was young and childless, marrying him would be no different from being an original wife.
She was originally going to pretend to slip into the pond, seeing oil on the ground by the pond as the Yu Family anticipated. Upon seeing the shopkeeper approach from afar, she fell into the pond, but didn’t expect Mr. Gu to be with the shopkeeper, and for Mr. Gu to act so swiftly, jumping in right upon her shout.
Gu Chengyu was speechless for a moment, it seems ancient times can’t escape the trope of falling into water. He initially wondered how Mr. Gu managed to marry Lv, only to find he got a great deal out of it.
In summary, Lv back then was a backup concubine or wife for Prefect Jiang, whereas we are not sure what feelings Lv had for Prefect Jiang. Ultimately, due to the Yu Family’s obstruction, they were not united, so after Lv married Mr. Gu, the Yu Family has harbored resentment over this, when she saw him last, it triggered those painful memories in the Yu Family.
"Xiao Bao! The Yu Family is narrow-minded, back then any maid wanting to climb into bed ended badly, even though this matter was directed by the mistress, the eldest wife was incredibly hateful towards me. You must be careful outside, she’s capable of anything."
Lv spoke of these old stories, feeling relieved in heart. She knew he was aware to some extent, fearing he’d still hold resentment in his heart.
Just contemplating the Yu Family’s ruthless behavior, feeling some worry within, although the Yu Family is cruel, not very clever, but Mrs. Xi beside her is different. Mrs. Xi originally served the Yu Family’s mother, later given to the Yu Family upon marriage, highly valued by the Yu Family. The scheme to stage the falling into water was mostly Mrs. Xi’s idea.
"I’m not worried for myself, only afraid of you being calculated against. But don’t worry, if she dares act, I have ways to cut off her claws."
Gu Chengyu thought about it, feeling there’s nothing to fear, if pushed too hard, he could sneak into the government office at night and kill her, only he doesn’t wish to act so recklessly, fearing he’d lose control after starting to kill, becoming a killer of anyone displeasing him, turning into a murderous fiend?
Yet even if he doesn’t kill her, he has numerous means, he crafted those pellets in the space with various effects following the books.
Lv watched her son, seeing him speak these words nonchalantly, while holding up the tea bowl to drink tea. Her feelings were complicated, Xiao Bao got older, everything seemed trivial in Xiao Bao’s hands, but he felt like a stranger. Perhaps it takes such personality to survive the officialdom? Her Xiao Bao, truly destined for greatness.
Mr. Gu knew very little about the events back then, only hearing some rumors that Lv was initially meant to be Jiang Mingyuan’s concubine but ended up with him. He was a servant at the restaurant in the Prefecture, which happened to be the Jiang Family’s restaurant, having entered the Jiang Mansion with the shopkeeper, where he saw Lv once.
Back then he wondered, how could someone so beautiful exist in the world? Since that encounter, he worked hard, hoping the shopkeeper would bring him to the mansion more often, yet he never saw Lv again. Lv usually stayed in the inner courtyard, while he was in the outer one, how could he meet her?
Even so, he was unwilling to give up, knowing someone like him, a widower with three children, how dare he covet such a remarkable person? Yet in the end, he realized his wish.
