As expected. After Xing Dai Rong received a slap from Cheng Yunshuo, her status immediately rose. Cheng Yunshuo constantly coaxed her, filled with regret. Xing Dai Rong cried and made a fuss, finally accepting his repeated apologies and vows to never touch her again, and never interact with Lu Lingyun. Only then did she reluctantly forgive him. After reconciling, they enjoyed a period of intense affection and sweetness, even more so than before. During this time, Lady Qin sent Wen Momo to inquire about Lu Lingyun, but Cheng Yunshuo didn’t give her any explanation. Lady Qin had taken the Old Marquis to a country estate outside the city for a period of rest, and was not at the Houfu (Marquis’s Mansion). Lu Lingyun simply told Wen Momo to convey a message to Lady Qin: “The Young Master doesn’t favor me, I’m afraid it will be difficult to fulfill Mother’s task for now.” Wen Momo quickly returned with Lady Qin’s reply: “Yun’er, don’t worry, prioritize yourself.” Seeing this, Lu Lingyun smiled softly, and then proposed taking Autumn Lotus’s indenture to make her Cheng Yunshuo’s concubine. Autumn Lotus was previously Cheng Yunshuo’s tongfang (a type of servant girl who could become a concubine) In large families, men usually don’t take concubines before marriage, but they often have tongfang. Before Xing Dai Rong appeared, Autumn Lotus was the only tongfang who had been granted the privilege of sleeping with the Young Master. After Xing Dai Rong’s arrival, Cheng Yunshuo stopped touching her, and after Xing Dai Rong entered the Leisure Pavilion, he sent Autumn Lotus to serve the elderly concubines in the Buddhist hall. Lu Lingyun had now brought Autumn Lotus back, the next step was to elevate her to the status of a concubine.
There was no mistake, she was taking down Xing Dai Rong. Xing Dai Rong had been repeatedly flaunting herself in front of Lu Lingyun, it was time for her to strike back. After all, dealing with a concubine without even a proper title wouldn’t require much effort. Simply elevating her to a concubine would be enough to watch Xing Dai Rong’s reaction. She was no real bodhisattva. Not long after Lu Lingyun’s message was sent, Autumn Lotus’s indenture, accompanied by Lady Qin’s words, reached Lu Lingyun. Lady Qin told her to make her own decisions. After receiving Autumn Lotus’s indenture, Lu Lingyun smiled faintly, “Where is the Young Master now?”
“This afternoon, he’s gone with two young masters from the Minister of Rites’ residence to play polo. He might return in the evening.”
“Alright.”
In the evening, Lu Lingyun found Cheng Yunshuo before he returned to the Leisure Pavilion. Cheng Yunshuo tried to avoid her, keeping as much distance as possible. However, Lu Lingyun hadn’t done anything wrong, and he felt a sense of guilt towards her. Lu Lingyun maintained an appropriate distance, standing in a place that wouldn’t make him uncomfortable, and told him about her wish to elevate Autumn Lotus to a concubine.
“I recently learned that Autumn Lotus used to serve the Young Master. Now that I’ve entered the mansion, I feel obligated to give her a proper status. I want to make Autumn Lotus my concubine.”
Cheng Yunshuo frowned slightly upon hearing this.
A concubine?
Taking a wife had already upset Xing Dai Rong, let alone taking another concubine…
“Young Master, don’t worry. I was thinking that Autumn Lotus is getting older now, if I don’t make her a concubine, she won’t have any other options. Without a name or title, she’ll be stuck in the mansion with no protection from the Young Master. How would she survive?”
Lu Lingyun raised her handkerchief, showcasing compassion and sympathy.
This immediately reminded Cheng Yunshuo of Autumn Lotus.
Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter