My husband, who abandoned his father and kept his son, actually wants me to be his concubine.

Chapter 66 The Queen Mother Returns to the Palace
Xu Dan said angrily, "Sister Lu, Jiang Yin never had any good intentions towards my cousin. After he tricked my cousin into going with his sister, he said something got into her eye and tricked An Jing into blowing it out for him."

Quietly, she said in a low voice, "Cousin, Senior Brother Jiang isn't as shameless as you think."

Xu Dan said, "Where isn't there such a scoundrel? You're actually being foolish enough to speak up for him."

Lu Jinshi looked at An Jing, then glanced at Xu Dan and said, "The coming-of-age ceremony is about to begin. Let's go and watch the ceremony."

Xu Dan said, "Mm."

Xu Dan walked ahead, and Lu Jinshi tugged at An Jing's sleeve.

Seeing this, Princess Yongjia talked to Xu Dan. After the two walked away, Lu Jinshi took An Jing's hand and walked to the eaves of the corridor.

Anjing looked at Lu Jinshi and said, "Sister Lu, is there something you want to tell me?"

Lu Jinshi looked at An Jing and said, "Xu Dan is too carefree and may not know your thoughts. I am your teacher, so tell me the truth, what are your feelings for Jiang Yin?"

Anjing looked into Lu Jinshi's eyes, momentarily at a loss for words.

Lu Jinshi said, "You can tell me frankly. As your husband, I will only help you."

Anjing said with some guilt, "Sister Lu, my parents are both dead, and my uncle and aunt will not do their best to prepare a marriage for me. They will only marry me off to exchange for the benefits of the An family. The An family is not of high social standing, so the husband that my uncle and aunt find for me will definitely not be any better."

As for my aunt, although she was very good to me, every time she arranged a marriage for me, the man's family would look down on me because I was an orphan.

I was unwilling to marry just an ordinary man. Jiang Yin had feelings for me, so I pretended not to know and played hard to get...

Anjing looked up at Lu Jinshi and said, "I know it's wrong of me to plan my marriage like this, but I really have no choice. A girl's marriage is like a second reincarnation. I don't want to marry a mediocre husband. I want to marry a man with a bright future..."

"I... Sister Lu, isn't it inappropriate for me to plan my own marriage like this? Marriage should be arranged by matchmakers and parents."

Lu Jinshi smiled gently and said, "Water flows downhill, and people strive to rise higher. It's not wrong for you to openly plan your marriage. However, while Jiang Yin's birth is good—he is the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an's family—relying on a husband is not necessarily reliable. Besides planning a good marriage for yourself, you can also make a living on your own."

If you study diligently, you can become a female teacher and educate students in the future, which may not be worse than marrying into a wealthy family and relying on your husband's influence.

Anjing looked at Lu Jinshi and asked, "Can I also be a female teacher in the future?"

Lu Jinshi smiled faintly and said, "With your comprehension, if you study hard, you will naturally have the opportunity to become a female teacher."

An Jing's eyes lit up slightly. "Thank you, Sister Lu."

Lu Jinshi patted An Jing on the shoulder and said, "Let's go, let's go witness the coming-of-age ceremony."

The coming-of-age ceremony for the third daughter of the Huang family was a grand affair, with a large number of guests. Even the Princess Consort of Jin and the Princess Consort of Yan came to attend the lunch banquet.

After finishing his meal, Lu Jinshi returned to the villa on East Street.

Lu Jinshi returned to the East Street villa for quite a while before Rong Yi came back.

Rong Yi said to Lu Jinshi, "The Empress Dowager should arrive around noon tomorrow."

Lu Jinshi said, "Then I will go with you to see the Empress Dowager tomorrow. By the way, I have a favor to ask of you."

Rong Yi, hearing Lu Jinshi's tone, which didn't sound like he was begging him, raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is it?"

Lu Jinshi said, "Jiang Yin seems to have a thing for An Jing. Go tell him that if he really has feelings for the girl, he should openly ask a matchmaker to propose marriage. He shouldn't resort to underhanded tactics. An Jing is, after all, the cousin of the Xu family." "The cousin of the Xu family? The cousin who came to study with Xu Yang's sister?"

Lu Jinshi nodded and said, "Yes, this matter happened in the academy after all, so we can't let it cause any trouble. Otherwise, it will be even more difficult for me to recruit female students."

Rong Yi said, "I understand. I'll go see Jiang Yin when I have time. If they really do get married, you'll be their matchmaker."

Lu Jinshi said, "I have no intention of being a matchmaker. If you pass the imperial examination next spring, the academy will only admit female students in the future."

They were all young boys and girls, and teenagers were at the age when their hearts were just beginning to flutter with romantic feelings.

Lu Jinshi didn't want his students to neglect their studies and spend all their time talking about love.

Rong Yi said, "If we can all pass the imperial examination, the reputation of Lingxiao Academy will surely spread throughout Chang'an. At that time, your place will be full of students seeking knowledge. Are you really not accepting male students?"

Lu Jinshi said, "There are many academies that accept male students, so they don't need me. But in this city of Chang'an, there is only one academy for women.

Rong Yi said, "That's true."

The next day.

After leaving the academy, Lu Jinshi and Rong Yi hurriedly headed to the palace.

Having not seen the Empress Dowager for a long time, Lu Jinshi missed her quite a bit. The Empress Dowager had visited Jiangnan once, once when she was a child, and once before she came of age.

In my memory, the Empress Dowager was very kind and doted on me.

When Rong Yi saw Lu Jin looking anxious in the carriage, he chuckled and said, "No matter how anxious you are, the carriage can't go any faster."

Lu Jinshi sighed slowly, "If I had known this would happen, I should have asked for leave at the academy today."

Fortunately, the coachman hurried and arrived at the palace before noon.

Inside the palace, Emperor Huiyuan, along with his concubines, several sons, and Princess Yongjia, were waiting for the Empress Dowager to return from her retreat at the Taoist temple.

When Lu Jinshi and Rong Yi arrived, they stood next to Consort Rong.

Outside the palace, the Empress Dowager's procession was very grand, with cavalry leading the way and guards preventing people on both sides from getting close, while guards stood in the middle to protect her.

Inside the carriage pulled by four horses, the Empress Dowager sat cross-legged. A woman beside her said carefully, "Your Majesty, we have arrived in Chang'an. We will be back in the palace in a quarter of an hour."

The Empress Dowager looked at the young girl beside her and said, "I've heard that Miaomiao has arrived in Chang'an. Today I'm finally able to see her."

Princess Qingyun, who was serving the Empress Dowager, asked, "Empress Dowager, is Miaomiao the daughter of Aunt Mingzhu?"

The Empress Dowager smiled gently and said, "It is her. I haven't seen Miaomiao for many years. I wonder how she has grown up. Fortunately, His Majesty has granted Miaomiao a marriage with Rong Yi this time, so Miaomiao will stay in Chang'an from now on."

Princess Qingyun smiled and said, "Empress Dowager, you can now have another junior by your side to bring you joy."

The Empress Dowager said, "I understand your thoughts. You have taken good care of me all these years. It is kind of you to have the patience to accompany me in my cultivation at such a young age. After Miaomiao's marriage to the Seventh Prince, I will go to the Prince An's residence to discuss your marriage with Lu Xiao. It will be a double blessing."

Princess Qingyun blushed, "Empress Dowager..."

(End of this chapter)