A Good Country Wife
Chapter 420 - 414_1

Chapter 420: 414_1

"This farm woman must be thinking of buying time, waiting for everybody to forget about this matter. It looks like I need to remind her, she can’t just get away with this. I wonder how many times Lady Roujia will be able to help her, hmph!" Chen Ruyu said hatefully, appearing to have set herself against Lin Yue.

That day, because Chen Ruyu had invited Zhang Peilan over and made things difficult for Lin Yue, Father Chen scolded Chen Ruyu fiercely and even confined her for two days. What angered her the most was that the lowly concubine and her daughter dared to mock and ridicule her. Powerless against her father and unable to do anything to the concubine and her daughter, she blamed everything on Lin Yue, ignoring her father’s warning completely.

It was Mrs. Chen who had spoiled Chen Ruyu in the past. Father Chen had once relied on her and the Assistant Minister of Rites, Mr. Xu, for connections, showing much patience towards Mrs. Chen and her daughter. But now, Father Chen had Jiang Ziqi’s support, and his father-in-law, Mr. Xu, showed no intention of helping him from the start. He couldn’t treat Mrs. Chen and her daughter as he did before, and he harbored resentment in his heart. He sacrificed his beloved woman to take a concubine for the sake of his career, but the woman he married was of no use and repeatedly messed up his affairs. It was obvious that Father Chen would not have a good attitude towards Mrs. Chen and her daughter. Unfortunately, Chen Ruyu did not grasp the new circumstances.

The Commandery Princess had mentioned inviting Lin Yue to the Princess Residence, but Lin Yue had been too busy these past few days to visit, and she hesitated because the Princess Residence was of such high status. To her surprise, after waiting for several days without seeing Lin Yue, the Commandery Princess actually sent an invitation. With the Commandery Princess going to such lengths, Lin Yue naturally could not refuse and decided to bring a generous gift to the Princess Residence.

For a visit to the Princess Residence, the gift she prepared naturally could not be modest. Aside from embroideries, Lin Yue’s most prized possessions were the few items she obtained from Longmen Town. Lin Yue felt a pang of heartache as she took out her favorite white jade brush pot, placed it carefully in a box, and decided that, since the item was neither edible nor usable, and she hadn’t spent that much Silver on it, it was fine to give it away as a gift.

Zhao Erhu watched his little wife with amusement. It seemed that ever since they had arrived in the Capital City, his little wife frequently had this pained expression on her face. It was truly amusing and endearing, yet also heartbreaking to see. Truly, she must have felt wronged marrying him.

It was Erhu himself who personally drove the carriage to the Princess Residence. The Princess Residence had a higher status than the Chen Mansion, but there was no awkwardness like what happened the last time at the Chen Mansion. Not to mention Lin Yue had an invitation, the guards at the door had previously received Lady Roujia’s instructions and invited her in with the utmost respect.

"This humble woman pays her respects to Lady Roujia. I’m most grateful for your kindness, allowing me to visit today. This is my first visit, and I’ve brought a modest gift as a token of my regards." Although Lady Roujia did not fuss about etiquette, she was nevertheless a Royal Princess, and there were differences in status; Lin Yue would not neglect the proper etiquette.

"Yueyue, it’s only been a few days and you treat me like we’re strangers. Come, rise quickly," Lady Roujia hurriedly helped Lin Yue up. Only then did Lin Yue notice a young girl sitting in the hall, equally radiant and noble, her presence by no means inferior to Lady Roujia’s. Judging by her cheerful countenance, she must have been having a pleasant conversation with Lady Roujia just moments before.

"So this is the woman whom Jiang Ziqi regards highly. She does have some beauty, quite spirited. It’s a pity she married a farmer," the young girl openly scrutinized Lin Yue, saying without any hesitation.

Lin Yue did not know who this young girl was, only guessing that she might also be someone from the royal family. Furthermore, these words left her feeling somewhat displeased.

Lady Roujia, aware that Lin Yue did not recognize Princess Yongle, hurriedly introduced her, "Yueyue, you don’t recognize her. This is the Holy Emperor’s own sister, our Great Zhou Dynasty’s Princess Yongle."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue immediately knelt down again to pay respects, "This humble woman pays her respects to the Princess. May the Princess live for a thousand years."

"Rise, there’s no need for such formalities. Since Roujia and Jiang Ziqi treat you as a good friend, and I grew up with them, we don’t need to mind our statuses with each other. I finally managed to leave the palace, seeking the freedom outside. Just interact with me as you do with Roujia," said the Princess.

Lin Yue did not know what kind of personality Princess Yongle had, and although she heard what the Princess said, she dared not take her words at face value. It was Lady Roujia, with her delicate understanding, who knew what Lin Yue was thinking and said with a smile, "Yueyue, the Princess is right. Just act around her as you usually do with me. You can be more casual; there’s really no need to be so constrained, especially since there are no outsiders here. Why bother with those exhausting etiquettes!"

"That’s right! All these rules and regulations are just so boring." Princess Yong’an heartily agreed with the Commandery Princess and nodded vigorously in assent. Lin Yue somewhat perceived Princess Yongle’s temperament. Birds of a feather flock together, after all. Since Princess Yongle got along with Lady Roujia, their candid natures were probably similar.

With Lady Roujia fostering a relaxed atmosphere, Lin Yue and Princess Yongle gradually got to know each other better, becoming more at ease. However, the two noble ladies found staying in the Princess Residence to be dull. It was Princess Yong’an who suggested dressing up as men to go browsing around town. Lady Roujia was initially not in favor, as Princess Yongle’s status was extraordinary, and she worried about potential troubles. Yet she was convinced by a few words from Princess Yong’an. Lin Yue, for her part, simply went along with them, although she wasn’t as excited as Princess Yong’an or Lady Roujia. After all, she wasn’t like them, who found leaving the house a rare occasion, accompanied before and behind by attendants. If she wanted to browse the markets, she would just pull Zhao Erhu along; rural women did not adhere to conventions about showing their faces.

"Princesses, isn’t this a bit reckless? Even if we are traveling lightly, we must not ignore safety. Why not bring a few guards with us? Without them, no one can bear the responsibility if something happens," Lin Yue advised. By then, she had already changed into men’s clothing along with Princess Yongle and Lady Roujia. Seeing that they planned to sneak out of the side gate without even a single guard, she hurried to dissuade them. These two young ladies were too frivolous, only caring about their own fun. If anything were to happen, not to mention the servants attending them, even she, who was going along, might be implicated.

Princess Yongle, buoyed by excitement, would not heed Lin Yue’s advice. "Oh, didn’t we agree on this already? We’re sneaking out of the residence, Yueyue, so stop fussing. If they know about it and a big group starts kneeling and imploring, we’ll definitely not be able to go. We won’t stay out too long; we’ll come back early. Besides, in broad daylight, there aren’t that many bandits or villains around. Don’t frighten yourself. Moreover, my martial skills are quite good; average people are no match for me, so there won’t be any danger," she declared confidently.