Jiang Changyi dragged his weary body back to his room, ignoring Xiao Xuexi as he lay down on the bed, lost in thought. What should he do? Should he heed Xiao Yuexi’s words? And then there was Madam Du. From what he overheard her saying to Jiang Zhong, she might have sensed something. Now she had nothing left to lose. Once she recovered, who knew what trouble she might cause?
Xiao Xuexi had just confirmed something and wanted to share her excitement with Jiang Changyi when he entered. But seeing him lie down without even a glance at her, looking so distracted, she felt displeased. “What are you thinking about?”
Jiang Changyi turned his back to her, clearly not in the mood to talk. Xiao Xuexi shoved him angrily, “I have something to tell you.”
Jiang Changyi reluctantly moved over, irritated. He was considering how the Xiao family looked down on the Du family, yet the Du family could still fabricate military achievements for Jiang Changzhong. This meant they weren’t completely powerless. Though they had failed, a lean camel is still larger than a horse. If they were determined, they could probably still cause trouble for him.
Spouses may be close, but in times of crisis, they often abandon each other. This marriage didn’t necessarily bind him tightly to the Xiao family. He could imagine that if he fell from grace, the Xiao family would mercilessly discard him, leaving him to fend for himself. With their power and influence, it wouldn’t be difficult for Xiao Xuexi to find another match.
He couldn’t afford to fight on two fronts. He couldn’t listen to Xiao Yuexi’s words! If Jiang Changyang wanted this position, he wouldn’t need to wait until Jiang Changzhong’s death to make a move. He would only need to hint at it, and Jiang Zhong would hand over the position willingly. So, as long as he remained steady and didn’t provoke Jiang Changyang, there was no need to worry about Jiang Changyang turning against him. Otherwise, Jiang Changyang wouldn’t have sent him to receive Jiang Changzhong instead of going himself.
Having figured this out, Jiang Changyi felt slightly relieved. He turned to Xiao Xuexi, “What is it?”
Xiao Xuexi, seeing him finally look at her, but with a distracted and strange expression, grew angry. She playfully tugged at his ear, “My monthly cycle is six or seven days late. Do you understand what that means?” She might be carrying a child now, giving her something to be proud of.
“Let go!” Jiang Changyi’s voice was ice-cold. This woman had first scolded him for being useless in front of the entire family, then ran to complain about him to her own family, and now she dared to pull his ear. What did she take him for?
Xiao Xuexi was startled, then sullenly released his ear. She angrily sat up and moved to the mirror, silent with a dark expression.
Jiang Changyi slowly smiled, walked to her side, and placed his hands on her shoulders. “What did you say? Your cycle is late?”
Xiao Xuexi twisted away, ignoring him. He took her hand, speaking softly, “Are you angry? I was just thinking about important matters.”
Xiao Xuexi pouted, still not responding. He gently embraced her, showering her with sweet words until her anger turned to joy. Then he said, “Remember, don’t casually manhandle me in the future, no matter when. That time I raised my hand against you, your brother already scolded me. Although it was for your good, it still made you lose face in front of your family.”
Realizing why he had looked so upset when he first came in, Xiao Xuexi felt a bit uneasy. “It was just the servants gossiping, but you shouldn’t raise your hand against me again either.”
Jiang Changyi said, “I cherish you and our child. We’re going to spend our lives together, how could I bear to hurt you?” Seeing Xiao Xuexi smile, he gently continued, “Let’s have someone confirm it, then find an opportunity to tell Grandmother and Father. They’ll be overjoyed.”
Xiao Xuexi agreed and said no more.
Jiang Changyi then planned to find an opportunity to speak with Jiang Changyang. The next afternoon, when there were no guests, he took the chance to visit Jiang Changyang at Qu Jiang Pool, under the pretext of inquiring about his health. Jiang Changyang received him frankly, not asking about the affairs of the Marquis’s household, only casually mentioning some trivial matters.
Jiang Changyi probed carefully and finally felt reassured. His reasoning was correct: Jiang Changyang was too proud to desire the Marquis’s position. If nothing went wrong, the title would fall to him. Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to tell Jiang Changyang about the Xiao family’s plans. He only vaguely expressed that now that only the two brothers remained, he hoped they could support each other.
Jiang Changyang smiled faintly but said nothing.
Jiang Changyi realized he no longer wanted to face Jiang Changyang alone. He felt looked down upon by Jiang Changyang and treated like a fawning dog by the Xiao family, thrown a bone when they were pleased and kicked when they weren’t. This feeling was terrible. Only by becoming stronger could he change this situation. Otherwise, even if he obtained the title of Marquis, he would still be at others’ mercy. Therefore, when Xiao Yuexi asked him to handle affairs for Prince Min, he went without hesitation. Upon returning home, he made every effort to impress the Old Madam and Jiang Zhong. As for Madam Du, he naturally kept her under close watch.
A few days later, Xiao Xuexi’s pregnancy was confirmed, filling the couple with joy. They waited for an appropriate time to announce it. The best opportunity would be on the day of Jiang Changzhong’s burial, hoping to provoke Madam Du, ideally driving her to madness. He thought Madam Du going mad would be the best outcome. If she died, he would have to return home to mourn, and Jiang Zhong might remarry and have more children. Therefore, Madam Du’s insanity would be the most satisfactory solution for everyone. This seemed the best way to handle the situation.
In the flickering candlelight, the Old Madam, who had been bedridden since receiving the news, looked at the well-worn baby clothes and shoes before her, unable to hold back her tears. Her most beloved grandson was gone. These baby clothes and shoes were ones she had made for Jiang Changzhong years ago. She never imagined that after so many years, Madam Du would still keep them.
“Old Madam, your health is already poor. Don’t cry and make yourself worse,” Old Tang, crying alongside her, consoled in a low voice, offering a handkerchief.
The Old Madam wiped her tears and gathered her strength. “You said you wanted to arrange a ghost marriage for Changzhong?” Originally, she hated Madam Du the most, but now, as one grieving person to another, she didn’t seem so detestable. Moreover, Jiang Changzhong was to be buried tomorrow, and she couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.
Madam Du, with red-rimmed eyes, said softly, “Yes, poor thing, he’s all alone, without even a child. His line ends with him. While I’m alive, I can at least burn some paper money for him, but after I’m gone, I fear even his grave will be overgrown with weeds…” She broke down in tears, collapsing to the ground. “If he had someone to accompany him, I’d feel more at ease.”
Relying on Jiang Changyang was certainly impossible, but Jiang Changyi was kind-hearted and shouldn’t neglect this matter. The Old Madam thought silently for a moment, then said, “Go ahead and make arrangements. Find a suitable family, and don’t hesitate to spend more money if needed.”
Old Tang, who had been attending to the room these past days, saw Madam Du being helped out. She then attentively took the medicine from Hong’er and personally fed it to the Old Madam, whispering, “For a parent to outlive their child is truly pitiful. And the Second Young Master… His younger sister is already engaged, while he…”
The Old Madam understood their intention. They wanted to adopt a child for Jiang Changzhong to continue his lineage. However, their branch of the family wasn’t ending there, so there was no reason to adopt from other branches. That left only Jiang Changyang or Jiang Changyi to consider. Jiang Changyi’s family had no news yet, and as for Jiang Changyang, he was the eldest grandson of the main line. Looking at the couple’s situation, how could that be possible? Besides, they didn’t even know if it would be a boy or a girl. The Old Madam sighed softly, “We’ll discuss it later. There’s no rush.”
Old Tang knew when to stop and said no more. She only planned to check on another day whether the burial plot Madam Du had given was as good as claimed.
Coincidentally, the next day, during Jiang Changzhong’s funeral, Xiao Xuexi fainted. When examined by a doctor, she was found to have a slippery pulse, indicating pregnancy. At this time, the news of a child was a great joy, lifting much of the sorrow for Jiang Zhong and the Old Madam. Jiang Changyi secretly observed Madam Du but saw her standing woodenly, showing no reaction. He felt quite disappointed, realizing he might need to approach her trusted people to make progress. It seemed Jinzhu was the most trusted and likely knew many secrets.
That evening, as the family gathered in the Old Madam’s room to talk, Jinzhu came in carrying a pair of gold bracelets, saying they were a gift from Madam Du to the young madam upon hearing the good news.
Suddenly, everyone’s smiles froze. Jiang Zhong told Jinzhu to leave the bracelets and dismissed her, then remained silent. Jiang Yunqing immediately excused herself to return to her room to embroider her dowry – due to Jiang Changzhong’s death, as his sister, she had to observe full mourning for a year and couldn’t discuss marriage, but the engagement was set, so preparations had to be made early. Seeing this, Jiang Changyi also took his leave, saying he needed to check on Xiao Xuexi.
After everyone had left, Jiang Zhong carefully examined the gold bracelets, but they were just ordinary bracelets, nothing unusual about them. He was puzzled. Since their falling out that day, Madam Du hadn’t caused any trouble, remaining quiet without any disturbance. He asked the Old Madam, “She said she wanted to arrange a ghost marriage for Changzhong?”
The Old Madam nodded and mentioned Madam Du’s intentions: “From her demeanor, it seems she also wants to adopt a son for Changzhong to continue his line. I’ve had people watching her, and indeed, she’s been working on this matter these past few days. I heard she’s looked at several families and is interested in the second daughter of Wang Shilang, who died of illness last year.”
As long as Madam Du was still thinking about these matters, it was a good sign. Jiang Zhong was also worried she might become reckless. He breathed a sigh of relief, then became concerned again. Continuing the family line? Sending these gold bracelets – could she be eyeing the child in Xiao Xuexi’s womb? Why else would she send them directly to him? He thought for a moment and said, “It’s good that she’s considering this. The next time she brings it up, Mother, tells her to wait until after the child is born. This matter can’t be rushed; let her be patient.”
The Old Madam uttered a Buddhist phrase and sighed, “By rights, Changyi is also under her name, but unfortunately, she first fell out with them… What are your plans? I feel my health is declining day by day. I’m thinking of spending a few peaceful days.”