By now, the Old Madam’s room was in chaos. After the servants were dismissed, Xiao Xuexi, adhering to the principle of dragging down as many of Madam Du’s people as possible, was frantically jumping around. One moment she was advising the Old Madam about who couldn’t escape responsibility, the next she was urging Jiang Changyang not to let anyone off and to seek revenge, and then she was crying pitifully in front of Jiang Zhong. She insisted she was truly wronged.
Jiang Changyi sat silently to the side, watching the commotion. His silent presence gave Xiao Xuexi the courage to continue her tirade. She grew bolder, implicating a string of people, including the messenger. She claimed some had spread gossip about Mudan, others had spied outside Yingxue Hall. In her telling, these people all harbored ill intentions towards Mudan, with every word insinuating Madam Du’s involvement.
The Old Madam remained stone-faced and silent, thinking Xiao Xuexi truly lacked discretion. The messenger was her person, who had gone directly to Yingxue Hall after hearing Hong’er’s call, without passing through the steps. With all the witnesses present, why was Xiao Xuexi still fixated on this? Did she intend to implicate the Old Madam herself? Didn’t she realize that escalating this matter would benefit no one?
Jiang Zhong was overwhelmed with frustration. He had long known of Xiao Xuexi’s jealousy towards Mudan, and while Xiao Xuexi couldn’t escape blame, Madam Du likely wasn’t innocent either. Out of self-interest, he dared not blame either Xiao Xuexi or anyone else, hoping to attribute everything to the servants’ negligence. He feared that one misstep could lead to rumors of poor household management, ultimately disappointing Xiao’s family and losing Jiang Changyang’s trust. The thought of these dire consequences made him want to tear his hair out.
Madam Du, targeted by Xiao Xuexi, had eyes only for Jiang Zhong, who sat there looking troubled and resentful, his hair now graying and showing signs of age. Remembering what Jinzhu had whispered in her ear about a fox spirit, her heart bled. How had she been so blind and bewitched to marry this disloyal, incompetent man? What had she gained in twenty years? Nothing but a heart full of resentment, a house full of enemies, and a son spoiled to the point where she constantly feared for his life. All she had left was loneliness in the dead of night. Meanwhile, he enjoyed a full house of children and grandchildren and the warmth of soft jade. Why? Why should he continue to enjoy blessings while she, having spent her youth and energy, was left to keep an empty room? It was all a dream!
Xiao Xuexi, after ranting for a while, couldn’t understand why the Old Madam and Jiang Zhong wouldn’t stand up for justice, and why Jiang Changyang just sat there watching without taking a stance. She grew increasingly angry, her words becoming more heated but lacking real impact. The more she spoke, the more it seemed like desperate self-justification, like a cornered dog biting indiscriminately. Jiang Changyi couldn’t help but sigh deeply. He knew he couldn’t expect much from Xiao Xuexi – after all, how clever could someone be who had fallen into his hands on her turf? He would have to take matters into his own hands.
So Jiang Changyi stepped forward, sternly rebuking her: “Foolish woman! Shut your mouth! Are you trying to accuse everyone and give the Censorate something to investigate?” His words immediately gained support from Jiang Zhong and the Old Madam. Indeed, publicizing such a scandal would benefit no one. Who would gain if titles were stripped and punishments handed down? However… they all looked somewhat timidly at Jiang Changyang, knowing he wasn’t on their side.
Jiang Changyang sat there impassively, his face expressionless as he watched Jiang Changyi. He had already concluded that Xiao Xuexi wasn’t capable of orchestrating today’s events. It must have been Madam Du. She had once again accurately gauged the Old Madam and Jiang Zhong’s psychology – that it was better to keep any mess contained within the family, not letting outsiders know. So they could only downplay the incident, reducing it to nothing.
Jiang Changyi felt uneasy under Jiang Changyang’s gaze. He felt that since the court session had ended, there was something different in Jiang Changyang’s eyes when he looked at him. He couldn’t quite place it, but it made him feel exposed as if Jiang Changyang had seen through him. He imperceptibly shook his head – impossible, that matter was flawless, Jiang Changyang couldn’t possibly know. But now, with Mudan involved, he needed to smooth things over. So he painfully knelt with Xiao Xuexi before Jiang Zhong, the Old Madam, and Madam Du: “Grandmother, Father, Mother, Xuexi has been spoiled and lacks any sense of propriety. Please use family discipline to teach her a lesson!”
Xiao Xuexi couldn’t believe her ears, staring at Jiang Changyi with wide eyes. He… he asked them to punish her! He had told her they were one, that a husband’s glory was a wife’s honor, that he wouldn’t let her down. But now, when she had suffered such a great injustice, he was asking for her to be punished! Was this his way of admitting fault? Was Mudan a treasure while she was just grass? No! She wouldn’t accept this! She shrieked, “On what grounds? The country has its laws, the family has its rules. What wrong have I done? To wrongly accuse me, I won’t accept it! You useless thing, what kind of man are you? Always letting others bully us!”
A flash of cold light passed through Jiang Changyi’s eyes. He slapped her hard across the face, making her head ring and her vision blur. For a moment, she couldn’t make a sound, only tears streaming down her face. Jiang Changyi didn’t even look at her as he declared loudly, “Her spoiled and unruly behavior is a fact, but if you say she intentionally harmed my elder sister-in-law if she denies it, I dare not admit it either!”
“One should know one’s place,” his voice suddenly lowered, infinitely deep: “It is only because of Grandmother’s love, Father’s guidance, Mother’s kindness, and Elder Brother’s advice that I am where I am today. So I never dare forget my duty. Inheriting the title and the family business has nothing to do with me. All I seek is to do my part, to serve the country, and contribute to the family’s continuity to the best of my ability.” He looked at Jiang Changyang with infinite affection: “Elder Brother and Second Brother are the legitimate heirs, and they are more capable than me.
I only hope that when they need it, I can lend a hand and fulfill my responsibility as a brother. Although Xuexi is spoiled, she understands these principles. She wouldn’t dare to meddle in such matters. If she truly dared, I would divorce her…” In one sentence, he made it clear that neither he nor his wife had anything to do with the affairs of Duke Zhu’s household. If something happened to Jiang Changyang and Mudan, it wouldn’t fall to him – there was still Jiang Changzhong. So they had no reason to harm Mudan.
Having been slapped in front of her in-laws, Xiao Xuexi felt she had lost all dignity. Her first impulse upon regaining her senses was to struggle to her feet and fight Jiang Changyi, but she heard him defending her, and himself. Seeing Jiang Changyi’s occasional glances her way, she instinctively felt it was better to keep her head down and continue crying. But when she heard Jiang Changyi say he would divorce her, she bit her lip in resentment until it bled.
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Changyang’s lips as he quietly watched Jiang Changyi. Although Jiang Changyi’s words were reasonable, this rhetoric, this behavior… it was clear he had spent too much time around Madam Du, learning through osmosis without a teacher.
Jiang Changyi looked at Jiang Changyang humbly and ingratiatingly. He didn’t want to provoke him, truly. Please, brother, don’t look at me like that with that smile. Even if you know something, don’t say it. I won’t do anything that harms others without benefiting myself, and you shouldn’t either, okay? I’ll repay you. Jiang Changyang seemed to understand his look, put away his smile, and averted his eyes. Jiang Changyi let out a small sigh of relief and continued to look pitifully at Jiang Zhong with puppy-dog eyes. He was more loyal to Jiang Zhong than either of his brothers and truly loved this family more, truly. He swore it!
Jiang Zhong’s expression gradually softened. This son was so sensible. He had been worried that Jiang Changyi couldn’t control Xiao Xuexi and would be ridden over by her and the Xiao family, but now it seemed this son wasn’t so weak after all. What was rare was that Jiang Changyi was a good child who understood the big picture and was considerate of others. If only Jiang Changyang could be as sensible as him, how wonderful that would be? Jiang Zhong couldn’t help but let out a long sigh: “All of you, get up. Since it was the servants who made the mistake, those who should be severely punished will be. Don’t cause any more chaos.”
He looked towards Jiang Changyang and Madam Du, speaking earnestly: “Some words that shouldn’t be spread, don’t spread them carelessly. Otherwise, the whole family will lose face. If ill-intentioned people find out and the Censorate submits a memorial, no one will benefit.” Then with a wave of his hand, he instructed everyone: “Xuexi has indeed been negligent. It’s not unjust for your grandmother to punish you. The mistake came from your hands, so you should correct it first. Go and deal with these lazy servants, and don’t be lenient.”
Even though they said it wasn’t her fault, she was still being punished. Xiao Xuexi felt resentful, but when she heard she was to punish Mu’er and the others, her mood improved. This, she liked!
Jiang Zhong then turned to Madam Du, speaking in a commanding tone: “Someone has sent me a concubine. She’s waiting outside now. Go and arrange for her accommodation.” For the first time in decades, he used this tone to ask Madam Du to do such a thing. Somehow, he felt very satisfied.
Madam Du suddenly looked up, her gaze sharp as a knife, the veins on her neck bulging. What Jiang Zhong asked her to do was something any man in any family would ask a woman to do, very normal. But to her, it meant the last bit of affection and illusion was completely shattered. She pressed her lips tightly together, silent for a long while, before finally smiling coquettishly: “Alright.” With that, she turned and walked out. Jiang Zhong, from now on, I will no longer consider you my husband! I only have a son, no husband.
All of Xiao Xuexi’s grievances vanished. She wanted to laugh out loud to the heavens. You old witch, you’ve finally met your day! When you were busy with Song Xiang and putting effort into that dead Bai Xiang, did you ever imagine this day would come? She had said long ago that Jiang Zhong’s two concubines couldn’t compare to even a tenth of those sent out by her father. Now, this carefully selected beauty of just eighteen, how could she not win Jiang Zhong’s favor? In the future, with some pillow talk, Jiang Zhong would have no choice but to favor her chambers.
As Xiao Xuexi was rejoicing, she received a warning look from Jiang Changyi. The message was clear: don’t get carried away and reveal their plan. It wasn’t difficult for the Xiao family to choose this person, the challenge was in cleverly presenting her to Jiang Zhong – after all, it would be a huge joke if a daughter-in-law’s family openly offered a beauty to her father-in-law. So it had to be done through others. A lot of thought had gone into this, and if anyone noticed, it would lose its meaning. Xiao Xuexi composed herself and, imitating Madam Du’s dignified manner, turned to walk out, ready to unleash her wrath.
Seeing her expression, Jiang Changyang knew what she was planning to do. He said calmly, “Sister-in-law, Mudan told me not to cause more harm to the children. During this major festival, there’s no need to make things difficult for a few servants who can’t make decisions for themselves. Let’s call it a day.”
Sister-in-law? If she remembered correctly, this was the first time he had spoken to her directly since she entered the family. Xiao Xuexi smiled insincerely and said, “Please rest assured, Elder Brother. I will certainly follow Grandmother and Father’s instructions and vent this anger for you and Sister-in-law.” Then she straightened her back and walked out.
Jiang Changyi hurried after her: “Don’t take any lives!”
Xiao Xuexi sneered, “Taking lives would be perfectly normal. Who told them to be so blind as to dare joke about the legitimate grandson in the Elder Madam’s womb?” Mudan started this trouble, and Jiang Zhong and the Old Madam told her to punish severely, so what was wrong with her going along with it? In the future, when people talk about it, won’t it all be because of Mudan’s fall?
You ignorant thing! Only able to see the small patch of ground right in front of you. Jiang Changyi laughed in frustration, “Oh, so you’re saying that if you don’t kill a few people today if you don’t let people witness your power and cruelty, it won’t count? Fine, go ahead and do it, but don’t regret it later. I forgot to tell you, Elder Brother seems to know quite a few things.”
His voice was very gentle, but Xiao Xuexi couldn’t help touching her cheek, which was still hurting. He had hit her very hard earlier. She bit her lip and said reluctantly, “I understand.”
Jiang Zhong turned to Jiang Changyang, his voice filled with undisguisable guilt and pleading: “Changyang, I’m preparing to give you two of the best estates in the south. Give… give them to Mudan to help her recover from the shock.”
Jiang Changyang stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing: “Great. My child is worth two estates.”
Jiang Zhong knew he had said the wrong thing, but what could he do? He sighed, “Changyang… don’t be so harsh… The family is in a difficult situation now. After Mudan recovers, you should move back. In the future, if nothing’s wrong, don’t… come over to join in the excitement. You know, I care about that child.”
“Care? Perhaps not. Afraid? That’s more likely.” Jiang Changyang chuckled twice, then stopped laughing and said, “The next time I come, it will be to attend someone’s funeral.” With that, he left, as the saying goes, heaven-sent calamities can be survived, but self-inflicted ones cannot be escaped.
The Old Madam nearly choked, pointing at Jiang Changyang’s back and saying to Jiang Zhong, “This unfilial son! Listen to what he’s saying! The next time he comes will be to attend someone’s funeral. Is he cursing me to die or you to die?” She admitted that not being able to vent their anger after what happened to Mudan was frustrating, but they couldn’t disregard the lives of the entire family, could they? Even if something had happened, an unformed fetus couldn’t compare to the future and fortune of so many people, could it?
Jiang Zhong’s temple throbbed. He had a very bad feeling as if something wasn’t quite right.