Chapter 1 Taking a Concubine

This winter, the snow was particularly heavy. The snow in the courtyard was so deep that the servants could not sweep it in time. The path that had just been cleared for people to walk on was covered with a layer of fine snow in a short time.

The study was not far away. Shen Yu walked slowly along the corridor without a maid, and passed through the archway. The voices of the maids chatting came from behind the corridor wall.

"The young master finally found Miss Lin, but it's a pity that they were originally a match made in heaven, but now they can only be a concubine for the young master."

"But the young lady..."

The maid said sarcastically, "She is the daughter of a guilty minister, and she has the nerve to occupy the position of the main wife."

"You can't say that, the young lady is very good, and her father and brother died in the war, so she can be considered..."

"What can be considered? If her father hadn't misjudged the military situation, all 100,000 soldiers of my Great Zhou would not have died at the border."

"Only our young master is a good man. The Shen family has fallen into such a state, and the young master still married her, a sickly girl."

Outside the corridor, the wind and snow were still blowing, stirring up a chill that penetrated into the bones.

Shen Yu felt even colder in her heart, and she smiled bitterly.

It turned out that even the servants knew that Jiang Lianzhi wanted to take a concubine a long time ago, but it was ridiculous that she, the main wife, only found out this morning.

There have long been rumors in the capital that Jiang Lianzhi, the Minister of Rites, and Lin Qingli, the daughter of his mentor, have been childhood sweethearts since they were young. They are a perfect match, but four years ago, Master Lin was involved in a corruption case, and Master Lin was beheaded according to the law, and all his female relatives were exiled.

Under Jiang Lianzhi's operation, the Lin family was rehabilitated this summer, and he immediately took Lin Qingli back.

She had heard countless times from her mother-in-law and maids how virtuous and kind Jiang Lianzhi's childhood sweetheart was. If she hadn't intervened, the two of them should have been an enviable couple.

They said that Jiang Lianzhi was deeply in love with Lin Qingli, and marrying her, the daughter of the Shen family, was just to fulfill a benevolent and righteous act.

It turned out that everything was not without trace.

No wonder the servants looked at her with evasive eyes recently, and no wonder Jiang Lianzhi had been avoiding her recently, saying that he had too many official duties and had not returned to the main house for more than ten days.

Lin Qingli had entered the capital about ten days ago.

Shen Yu did not continue to listen. She came here today just to get an answer from Jiang Lianzhi.

Walking around the corridor, several maids turned pale when they saw her.

"Young, young lady."

Before she knelt down and begged for mercy, the gorgeous hem of her dress had already brushed the crawling fingertips of several people and went to the study.

Jiang Lianzhi usually did not like to be served by people personally. He was the only one in the study. When he saw Shen Yu enter the room, Jiang Lianzhi raised his head and smiled at her.

"Are you cold coming here in such a heavy snow?"

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, cared for her carefully, responded to her every request, and did the ultimate as a husband, so now, she couldn't even hate him.

He didn't seem to have done anything wrong, but the only thing was that he had his heart tied to another woman. Wasn't that a fact before she appeared?

I just want to ask Jiang Lianzhi, have you been tired of pretending to be caring for me for the past three years? Have you ever felt wronged by sharing a bed with me all these years?

Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Shen Yu smiled at him, "I heard that you found Miss Lin back."

The smile that Jiang Lianzhi had just hooked on his lips stagnated for a moment, and the warmth in his eyes gradually dissipated. After a while, he said, "Who is gossiping with you again?"

Shen Yu pretended not to see his expression just now, and walked straight to the desk, "Since you have found her back, how are you going to arrange her?"

Jiang Lianzhi avoided her sight, "I want to take her as a concubine."

Shen Yu noticed his choice of words, not wanting, but wanting, and did not give her any room for negotiation at all, just notifying her.

Seeing her bad face, Jiang Lianzhi was silent for a moment, and explained in a gentle voice: "Qingli has been wandering outside for a long time. I want to give her a place to settle down. She has a gentle personality and will not affect your position as the mistress of the Jiang family."

Even though she was prepared, Shen Yu was still hurt by his answer.

She lost her mother when she was young, and her father and brother died at the border when she was seventeen. In addition to her, there were only stepmother and sister left in the Shen family.

Before getting married, her stepmother repeatedly warned her that the Jiang family was one of the four major families, and it was a favor to help the Shen family in times of trouble. In addition, women are not the same as before after getting married. Now no one supports her, so she should be patient when encountering things.

A tiger girl from a general's family, she has also ridden a horse and whipped it, and also wielded a sword to kill the enemy, but since she got married, she has been trying her best to be tolerant, and she almost forgot what she was like before.

This huge Jiang Mansion is about to tie her to death inside.

Shen Yu felt a strange discomfort in her chest. She took a deep breath and asked, "What if I don't agree?"

Jiang Lianzhi was stunned for a moment, as if he had never expected her to refuse.

In Jiang Lianzhi's eyes, she was usually gentle and always nodded in approval no matter what happened. This was the first time she had expressed her opposition to him so firmly.

He sighed, "Ayu, you are not such an unreasonable person. There is no rule in the Jiang family that cannot take concubines. I need..."

"Okay, I know." Shen Yu interrupted him and nodded slowly, her hands unconsciously clenched under her sleeves.

She knew what he needed. He needed to share the worries of His Majesty, so he married the daughter of General Shen who died in battle at the border to comfort the soldiers.

The Jiang family needed to continue the family line, and the person who could give birth to the Jiang family's heirs could never be herself.

Because since the second year of marriage, she found that musk that prevented pregnancy was added to her meals and snacks.

While she was stunned, Jiang Lianzhi was standing in front of her, and he gathered the collar of her white cape for her.

"I'll ask someone to take you back. It's so cold, don't run outside, be careful of freezing." He said gently.

Shen Yu raised her eyes and swept her eyes across his face.

Jiang Lianzhi has an excellent face, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and gentle and refined.

It was this extremely deceptive face that made her stupid for so many years.

He pretended so well, trying his best to play the role of a perfect husband, caring for her and asking about her well-being.

When people are most vulnerable, they always mistake the hand that was extended to her at that time as a lifelong support. She succumbed to the warmth he brought, but now everything makes her feel ironic.

"No, it's just a few steps away."

Shen Yu smiled at him, turned around, and a tear fell down, flashing with a bright light, and then sank 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 was originally half a cup of tea made her walk so long, so long that it seemed that she could see her whole life at a glance.

She looked up, and the sky was so dazzlingly dyed by the snow, and the vast snow was full of desolation and scars.

Why is this winter so cold, even colder than the wind and snow in Yanliang Pass.

If her martial arts had not been abolished, and Ben Xiao was still there, she could ride it straight to Yanliang Pass, to the burial place of her father and brother, and she would not be left alone in this world, without even anyone to talk to.

But now...

"Cough cough..." Shen Yu raised her hand, clenched her fist and put it on her lips and coughed a few times.

But with her current body, she couldn't even lift a sword, let alone fight in battle.

"Sister."

As footsteps approached, Shen Yu turned her head and saw a woman standing beside her, followed by two maids.

The woman had a beautiful face, a pair of clear eyes under her thin eyebrows, and her eyes were full of pity.

Shen Yu had never seen Lin Qingli before, but the moment she saw the woman, her intuition told her that the person in front of her was her.