Chapter 1698 - 1691: Lin Yu Wants to Serve Chu Jinling

Chapter 1698 -1691: Lin Yu Wants to Serve Chu Jinling

Besides, I think, since Lin Sisi has been dead for so long, Your Highness should properly marry again! I’ve heard that the legitimate daughter of Wei Guogong’s household has admired Your Highness for two or three years now?

Your Highness, you already have concubines; it’s time to arrange for a Princess and secondary consorts!”

Saint Ruan joked, making himself laugh in the process.

Chu Jinling suppressed the anger swelling in his heart and forced it down. His face remained as warm as a spring breeze. “Mr. Ruan does have a point. I’ll consider it.”

After Ye Hongru endured his beating, Chu Jinling sent him back to reflect on his mistakes.

Saint Ruan, finding him pitiful, brought him back to his private courtyard and applied some medicine to his injuries.

When Lin Sisi sent Ye Hongru off, she took care to comfort him, telling him not to be sad and not to overthink.

But Ye Hongru felt deeply hurt.

He ran to Lin Sisi’s cenotaph, kneeling there for a long time.

Seeing Ye Hongru’s earnestness, Lin Sisi felt a bit helpless. Back when she fought alongside Ye Hongru in battle, their time together wasn’t extensive. She didn’t expect him to hold her in his thoughts so firmly.

“Forget Chu Jinling; looking at someone like you, it seems even your rotten luck with romance is abundant.”

Saint Ruan bumped Lin Sisi with his elbow and said, “You’ve already been ‘dead’ for years, and only now does Chu Jinling search for concubines? Meanwhile, Ye Hongru, over twenty and still unmarried.

Even though you resemble a man, you have that ‘bewitching courtesan’ air about you.”

“Bewitch your sister!”

Lin Sisi swung a fist into Saint Ruan’s neck. Though she had lost her martial arts and inner strength, she still knew how to make a punch hurt!

Saint Ruan felt the pain and stayed silent for a long while.

He couldn’t figure out why two outstanding men, Chu Jinling and Ye Hongru, had fallen so hopelessly in love with Lin Sisi.

Do they love being tormented?

At Prince Ling’s mansion.

Lin Yu was brought back by Chu Jinling. The servants of Chu Jinling’s household arranged a wing for her and prepared new dresses and jewelry for her — all made from the finest fabrics, of the highest quality.

Lin Yu, having grown up in poverty, was amazed. Even though Ye Hongru had saved her and given her a bowl of rice, she had never before used such items meant for well-bred girls!

Let alone items of such splendid craftsmanship!

Lin Yu picked up a golden hairpin from the tray, her eyes lighting up. “Is this pure gold? Is the entire hairpin made of pure gold?”

The Granny serving her replied, “Yes, Lin concubine. This hairpin is entirely crafted from pure gold, and the gemstones on the tip are tributes. Ordinary folks could never use such items—only official wives’ households could access them.”

Lin Yu could hardly contain her delight. “I’ve never seen such beautiful jewelry in my life!”

Even at the border, the hairpins used by Ye Hongru’s sister, the Ye Family’s Miss, weren’t nearly this fine!

And hearing Granny call her “Lin concubine,” Lin Yu immediately brightened. “Concubine? Does this mean, starting now, I’m a concubine?”

Having a lowly status, Lin Yu was unclear about the distinctions of women’s titles and rankings within the household.

She humbly sought guidance from the Granny. “Granny, what exactly is a concubine’s role? Within the backcourtyard of the Prince’s mansion, what rights and status do they have?”

Having served at the mansion for years, Granny felt great contempt for Lin Yu’s ignorance. She couldn’t understand why Your Highness had brought back such a woman.

Nonetheless, she maintained her impeccable smile and explained in great detail, “In our mansion, the most honorable woman is the Princess, followed by two secondary consorts;

The Princess can only be one, while the secondary consorts can be two, but they must be daughters of noblewomen and officials to qualify.

The Princess serves as the mistress of the household, while the secondary consorts act as assistants to the Princess, both managing the mansion’s affairs;

The women ranking lower are official wives who may join to serve Your Highness, the Princess, and the secondary consorts, but they don’t have authority over household matters;

There are also women gifted by the emperor or other officials to Your Highness, who may enter as concubines—they don’t need to perform hard labor and are accompanied by one or two servants;

As for concubines … their position is actually no different from servants in the mansion, except they can serve Your Highness. But on ordinary days, they still have chores to complete.”

“What? I still have to do chores on regular days? What kind of work?” Lin Yu had thought becoming a concubine meant she could live like the official wives and esteemed misses of the Ye Residence.

Being served by others, not needing to do tasks herself, and spending each day with Chu Jinling—attending banquets together.

Meeting with various officials’ wives, drinking tea, admiring flowers, and the like.

But she never expected that even after entering the Prince’s mansion, she would have to work!

Granny lightly laughed. “It’s not heavy labor—just tasks like needlework embroidery or organizing clothes. After all, Your Highness is so distinguished that when he wears an outfit, the steps of removing it, washing it, drying it, scenting it, folding it, and storing it

are incredibly meticulous, requiring quite a few people to complete.”

“Washing one outfit is this troublesome?” Lin Yu was stunned once again.

Her own clothes were simply washed after getting dirty—fetching water from the well, scrubbing them, drying them, and then wearing them again.

Chu Jinling’s clothes … seemed like cleaning and dressing him was practically a month-long endeavor.

“Naturally it’s elaborate!” Granny’s tone cooled upon hearing Lin Yu’s lack of reverence for Chu Jinling. “Lin concubine, old servant doesn’t know what kind of life you used to lead, but you must understand,

This is Prince Ling’s mansion; our prince is part of the Imperial family, distinguished and noble!

How could he be slighted?

Not just his clothing—even the meals he eats require five or six cooks, with two or three taste tests before they’re presented for him. Served with the utmost care!

Should the food fail to please him, everyone involved—the cooks and the servants delivering it—would face punishment!

The mansion’s rules are numerous indeed!”

Granny handed Lin Yu two manuals. “This one pertains to the mansion’s regulations, and the other details Your Highness’s preferences and taboos. You must study and memorize them within a day!

Otherwise, serving Your Highness poorly will result in punishment for concubines, often a beating with sticks.”

“I … I understand.” Lin Yu was instantly frightened.

She wasn’t particularly beautiful, just merely pleasant-looking. If she made a mistake and faced punishment, ruining her appearance would be disastrous!

She wouldn’t be able to serve Chu Jinling anymore.

Lin Yu held unease in her heart, clutching the dresses and hairpins as she began reading the manuals.

Granny stood outside the door, watching Lin Yu’s pitiful display, shaking her head repeatedly.

Granny Song happened to return from the palace to visit Chu Jinling.

She shared a close bond with Granny Zhao, who was instructing Lin Yu. When the two met, before Granny Song could inquire, Granny Zhao immediately began venting frustrations,

“Our prince, I can’t fathom his tastes. He was obsessed with General Lin before, and now he’s brought back someone so coarse!

It’s truly infuriating!”

Granny Song pulled her toward a pavilion, sitting down for tea. She pressed her to elaborate. “You must explain this clearly to me, or else I won’t be able to report to Her Highness.”

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