Pan Rong carefully gauged Jiang Changyang’s expression as he spoke, “Liu Shu says that since the matter concerns your people, he resolved it on your behalf, considering it inconvenient for you to act directly. This spared you from potential trouble. He says you’ve forgotten to thank him while you’ve been comfortably watching from the sidelines.”
Jiang Changyang replied calmly, “Come now, he’s not that altruistic. He’s merely following someone else’s instructions.” This was all Prince Jing’s doing. The Xiao family and Prince Min were originally allies, and the enemy of one’s enemy is a friend. Therefore, even if the Du family couldn’t side with Prince Jing, they couldn’t align with Prince Min either. As for Liu Chang, if not for this situation, he would likely wish for the Duke’s mansion to fall into further chaos, preferably leaving Jiang Changyang in a state of distress.
This was indeed the truth. These two harbored resentment and were at odds with each other, a knot that might never be untied in this lifetime. Pan Rong sighed, setting aside the matter of Liu Chang to focus on the main issue, “What do you plan to do? Will you not intervene?”
Jiang Changyang replied quietly, “Let it be. Things should fall apart sooner; there might still be a chance for survival. Otherwise, death might be the least of their worries.” Jiang Changyi’s recent actions had become increasingly outrageous, even aligning himself with Prince Min. It would be better for him to fail early, sparing him from potential charges of treason later.
Having such troublesome and emotionally distant family members was nothing but a burden. Pan Rong patted Jiang Changyang’s shoulder sympathetically, offering a deep consolation, “Those who are pitiful often have detestable aspects. Every effect has a cause. It’s not your concern, it’s not your concern.”
Jiang Changyang swatted away his hand, “Enough of that! Where are the items I asked you to fetch?”
“Here they are,” Pan Rong said with a mischievous grin, pulling out a wax ball from his robe. “How much longer do we have to wait? That person is becoming increasingly brazen.”
Jiang Changyang carefully took the wax ball and hid it, whispering, “The time hasn’t come yet. Don’t worry, this grudge will be avenged.”
Pan Rong’s smile faded, his expression becoming somewhat dazed. If they could avenge this great wrong, he would be able to stand tall before his parents and family.
Mudan asked Jiang Yunqing, who had come to visit her, “So, your brother and sister-in-law have agreed to adopt the child to your second brother? Will Madam Du personally raise this child?”
Jiang Yunqing replied softly, “Yes. My sister-in-law initially disagreed and caused a fuss for several days, but eventually agreed. Recently, Madam Du has been sending over many tonics.” Exchanging a child for a noble title, legitimately becoming the main branch, and receiving an imperial decree seemed like a fair trade. After all, such opportunities were rare, while children could always be born again. Moreover, she had heard from Concubine Xue that if they agreed to Madam Du’s conditions, they could avoid many troubles, at least not having to worry about incidents like Mudan’s fall. The heir of the second branch would be Madam Du’s concern as well. The stream of tonics being sent over was proof of this. However, Concubine Xue also mentioned, “The young madam probably won’t dare to consume these, but they can be sold for money.”
Mudan gently caressed her belly. If it were her, she would never be able to part with her child. Let alone sending her flesh and blood into the hands of an enemy, even if forced to give up the child, she would be heartbroken. How could anyone bear it? Jiang Changyi was one thing – he had been eyeing that position for a long time, and as a man in his prime, he would likely have many more children with various women in the future. He wouldn’t suffer; he’d simply wait to hold the child after enjoying himself. But Xiao Xuexi had carried the child for ten months and raised it with great effort. How could she bear to part with it? Was that status and position so alluring? People truly were different from one another.
Seeing Jiang Yunqing’s bewildered expression, Mudan smiled and said, “What’s wrong? Now that this major issue is settled, the household should become peaceful. You should be happy.” She remembered that Jiang Yunqing and Jiang Changyi had always been very close.
Jiang Yunqing sighed lightly, forcing a smile, “Yes, it’s a good thing.” In her view, Jiang Changyi’s agreement to the Du family’s demands seemed a bit hasty. Knowing Madam Du’s nature, it was hard for her to imagine that Madam Du would genuinely care for this child. Thinking of this, she shook her head slightly. Jiang Changyi probably believed that once he inherited the title, he wouldn’t have to fear Madam Du. If the couple wasn’t worried, why should she be anxious on their behalf?
Seeing her forced smile, Mudan understood her concerns but didn’t want to tell her the truth about Jiang Changyi. She simply said, “Your eldest brother and I have prepared your dowry. We’re just waiting for the right time to send it over.” From what the Princess Consort of Fen had said, the Prince of Fen’s household had everything prepared and was just waiting for Jiang Yunqing’s year of mourning to end before immediately proposing marriage and swiftly bringing her into their family.
Hearing this, Jiang Yunqing’s face turned crimson, but she didn’t demurely offer any words of refusal. Instead, she thanked them straightforwardly and became more talkative, “Originally, according to Father’s wishes, since everything has been agreed upon, we should submit a memorial to request the imperial decree soon, choose an auspicious day, invite the clan elders, open the ancestral shrine to pray to the ancestors, and inform everyone of this matter. However, Madam Du said that since Second Brother has just passed away recently and her health is not good, there’s no need to rush even though it has been decided.”
Mudan, having heard a brief account of this matter from Jiang Changyang, couldn’t help but think of four words: a delaying tactic! The Du family likely hadn’t gathered all the evidence yet. When the Du family was ready to agree, it would probably turn everything upside down. But since neither side was good, why should she care?
In the fourth month, Wu Shijiuniang gave birth to a seven-pound daughter. Both mother and child were safe. Mudan sent Lin Mama with gifts to congratulate them. Lin Mama returned reporting that Madam Cui was ill, and Li Manniang was presiding over the child’s first bath ceremony. Lin Mama chatted with some familiar old servants who had gone to offer congratulations to their masters, and they all said that Madam Cui had been overly worried earlier, causing her to fall ill and become bedridden on the second day after Wu Shijiuniang gave birth.
This was just a polite way of putting it. In reality, Madam Cui had high expectations and was eager to hold a grandson, but ended up with a granddaughter. Moreover, during Wu Shijiuniang’s pregnancy, she sent Bishui, who had been serving her, to serve Li Xing, but Li Xing didn’t accept and moved to the outer study. Wu Shijiuniang also didn’t take the initiative to add concubines for him or try to persuade him otherwise. Madam Cui was somewhat displeased, but considering the young couple’s deep affection and the need to rely on Wu Shijiuniang for many things, she held back.
However, when a daughter was born and Li Xing remained unchanged, praising his wife and even sending Bishui away, Madam Cui developed a headache. Adding a concubine wasn’t about having children, so why couldn’t they accept it? It turned out that marrying a daughter from a noble family wasn’t so easy; she wasn’t as virtuous as expected. What’s more, as a mother-in-law who had always let Wu Shijiuniang take charge, Madam Cui found it difficult to say anything. As a result, she naturally fell ill.
Mudan thought that Li Xing and Wu Shijiuniang were still young, and this was their first child, so there was still plenty of time ahead. Madam Cui’s illness wasn’t serious; it was just for show, indirectly shaming Wu Shijiuniang. Given Wu Shijiuniang’s quietly competitive nature, she was likely to be upset as well. Mudan felt fortunate that her mother-in-law didn’t interfere in their household matters.
“Our master wasn’t afraid of those nasty rumors back then, so he certainly won’t care what you give birth to, as long as you’re safe. This shows that blessings aren’t determined by what one gives birth to,” Lin Mama said, viewing this as karmic retribution for Madam Cui’s past mistreatment of Mudan, with a hint of schadenfreude. Reflecting on past events, Mudan realized that if Madam Cui hadn’t pulled that stunt back then, she wouldn’t be enjoying such good days now. She decided that if she had the opportunity to meet Madam Cui, she wouldn’t need to be so cold anymore.
Time flew by, and the season of peonies blooming arrived once again. Although no one hosted a peony flower festival this year, the successful delivery of potted peonies still caused a small sensation. When people came to the door offering high prices for flowers, Jiang Changyang had Mudan refuse them all, citing her impending childbirth and lack of energy to manage things, fearing subpar quality. Although Mudan didn’t understand his intentions, she followed his wishes and didn’t lease Fang Garden to anyone. She only occasionally lent it to acquaintances and opened it to the public for a few days, charging admission per person.
The peonies in Hangzhou bloomed earlier than those in the capital. Lu Fang sent a message from Hangzhou, saying that the flowers sold to Jin Buyan were all doing well, and their blooming had caused a sensation in Hangzhou. He also mentioned that Jin Buyan was wealthier than he had imagined and had received some kind of reward. Lu Fang seemed quite pleased with his life following Jin Buyan, his words hinting at a desire to make a big splash and achieve great things. Mudan laughed, only regretting that she wasn’t free to do as she pleased, merely able to envy from afar.
Summer arrived in the blink of an eye. This year’s climate was hotter than any previous year, already scorching hot by the fifth month. Mudan, now nearly nine months pregnant, found it difficult to even turn over. She felt listless all day but didn’t dare use ice. She could only cradle her big belly, struggling to lie in the gauze-curtained water pavilion, letting others fan her, and relying on the coolness from the water to barely endure.
Although a midwife had been invited to stay in the house long ago, ready at any time, with Madam Wang thousands of miles away, there was no one truly capable of overseeing things. Madam Cen, feeling anxious, discussed with Jiang Changyang and offered to take care of Mudan. Jiang Changyang, who had been quite restless these days, was naturally grateful and agreed.
While Mudan was preparing for childbirth, Xiao Xuexi was also nearly six months pregnant. Everyone said she didn’t look pregnant, with her belly pointed and firm, surely carrying a male child. In contrast, Mudan’s large belly was thought to likely be a girl. But who could be certain about such things? What if Xiao Xuexi gave birth to a daughter? Would the Du family indefinitely postpone things? The longer they delayed, the more likely errors would occur. Xiao Xuexi became anxious and uneasy. After discussing with Jiang Changyi, she repeatedly urged her family to pressure Jiang Zhong. Whether it was a boy or a girl, they wanted to secure their position first before feeling at ease.
Although once established, the child would no longer be theirs, it was still their flesh and blood. No matter what, it couldn’t be closer to Madam Du than to them. As long as they treated and raised the child well, surely the child’s heart would lean towards them in the future. Thinking this way, Xiao Xuexi became increasingly impatient.
Feeling that her family was too slow in urging Jiang Zhong to act, she went to see the Old Madam with her big belly, tactfully expressing her intentions. The Old Madam, who had been bedridden and unwell for a long time, now had little energy. She mustered her strength to listen to Xiao Xuexi’s eloquent speech and then said, “You’re right. It’s going to happen sooner or later anyway, so we might as well get it done early.” She immediately had someone summon Jiang Zhong and told him to submit a memorial.
After they had discussed and agreed, they sent someone to inform Madam Du. They had originally thought Madam Du would find excuses to put it off, but surprisingly, Madam Du readily agreed, “Let’s do it soon then.” Everyone suddenly felt relieved, and Xiao Xuexi and Jiang Changyi were elated.
This fifth month was destined to be a hot and restless one.