“What did you say?” Madam Jiang’s body swayed sharply backward, and Steward Qi’s wife hurriedly supported her in her arms. “Come with me to find Yi’er. I want Yi’er to strangle that wretched woman to death.”

Madam Jiang gripped Steward Qi’s wife tightly, the fury in her heart making it impossible for her to speak.

She had originally thought that if Song Wan had been abducted by someone in the mountains, considering that woman had maintained widowhood for Yi’er for six years, she would spare her life. This would also accumulate virtue for their household.

But since that woman shamelessly engaged in illicit relations with a man, she absolutely could not allow Song Wan to continue living in this world and bring disgrace to the Chengyang Marquis Manor.

“Go to Lanting Courtyard.”

Madam Jiang pulled Steward Qi’s wife toward Lanting Courtyard.

Jiang Xingjian currently resided in the main quarters of Lanting Courtyard. His injuries were severe, and the imperial physicians had advised he needed three months of rest and recuperation. After the Lantern Festival, three imperial princes had all been gravely injured. Emperor Wenhui was anxious to capture the Nanqing spies, causing panic throughout the court.

Those with any sense mostly kept quiet and laid low. Jiang Xingjian was no exception, conveniently taking the opportunity to recover peacefully at home.

Huai Su was helping him knead his shoulders and neck. Having not left his bed for so long, Jiang Xingjian felt stiff all over.

“Can Master endure the smell of this activation oil?”

Jiang Xingjian kept his eyes closed and gave a faint “mm.”

Since he still had injuries, the dosage of this blood-activating medicinal oil couldn’t be too strong. Huai Su scooped out just a little bit with a small silver spoon, carefully rubbed it warm in her palms, then gently placed both hands on the man’s neck.

Huai Su’s movements were serious and meticulous. After kneading for a moment, she said with slight hesitation: “Master, shouldn’t we bring Madam back?”

The marquis manor had held consecutive funerals. Fortunately, too many people had gone to the capital around the Lantern Festival, and every household was too busy and flustered to pay condolence visits to other manors, which made the Chengyang Marquis Manor’s chaos appear less obvious.

Although the manor now seemed peaceful on the surface with Qing Wei, who had come from the palace, managing household affairs, her status was neither proper nor legitimate, making it very inconvenient for her to handle many matters.

What appeared to be complete tranquility actually concealed quite a few problems in various areas.

In Huai Su’s eyes, no one in the manor could compare to Song Wan. Only Song Wan could manage the marquis manor properly with everyone working together harmoniously.

“The time isn’t right yet.”

Huai Su only felt the body of Jiang Xingjian beneath her palms stiffen, then he spoke this sentence flatly.

Jiang Xingjian opened his eyes, having lost interest.

How could he not want to bring Song Wan back to the manor? But he knew the timing wasn’t right yet.

Song Wan currently hated him to death. If he insisted on bringing her back to the manor, given her temperament, she would certainly hate him even more. Moreover, the current situation was unstable, and events had developed beyond what he initially imagined.

If he had known earlier that he could determine the victor with the Third Prince without losing a single soldier, he wouldn’t have treated Song Wan that way in the first place.

One wrong step led to every step being wrong. Who could have thought that he originally wanted to protect that person, but instead ended up counterproductively bungling things?

Right now, whatever he did, Song Wan would only hate him. It would be better to wait slowly—wait until the court situation stabilized, wait until Shu’er became the only candidate to inherit the throne. At that time, he could reconcile with Song Lan’an. He believed Song Lan’an would certainly send Song Wan back in grand style.

Jiang Xingjian put on his robes, his eyes full of certainty.

Better to let Song Wan hate Song Lan’an than hate him.

When Wan’er returned to his side, he would treat her well.

Jiang Xingjian faintly drew out a smile, but it slowly faded when Lin Jiayue entered the room.

Lin Jiayue pulled Jiang Xing’s hand as she walked over. Seeing Huai Su standing to the side with her head lowered, she paused slightly, then turned her head and pretended not to see.

“Brother Xingjian, are you feeling better?”

“Already much better.”

Lin Jiayue touched Jiang Xingjian’s cheek with heartache: “Really better? Brother Xingjian isn’t lying to me because you’re afraid I’ll be sad?”

Jiang Xingjian pulled down Lin Jiayue’s hand without speaking.

“Has the Fifth Prince used that rehabilitation method I mentioned? Last time when Yue’er mentioned that auspicious omen, did you tell Her Ladyship…”

“Why is Fifth Sister here?”

Lin Jiayue recounted to Jiang Xingjian how Jiang Xing’s birth mother had been driven from the manor. Hearing this, Jiang Xingjian only said flatly for Lin Jiayue to look after her well.

“Yes, I will certainly take good care of Fifth Sister. I’ll treat her as my own daughter. Brother Xingjian, do you think our previous child was male or female? It’s such a pity I didn’t have the ability to let him be born into this world.”

“Brother Xingjian, he was your first child. You must feel heartbroken too, right?”

“If it had been a boy, he probably would have looked exactly like you, and you could have taught him calligraphy and martial arts…”

After Lin Jiayue finished speaking, she tapped lightly on Jiang Xingjian’s heart. Jiang Xingjian’s expression turned slightly cold, and he unconsciously pressed his lips together tightly.

Her hand slowly slid down from Jiang Xingjian’s heart. Jiang Xingjian’s body stiffened, his complexion turning pale.

“That auspicious omen should be reported to the capital in the next few days, right? If we receive good news, Brother Xingjian mustn’t forget to tell Yue’er. Yue’er has other methods that will certainly help the Fifth Prince maintain his position.”

After speaking, Lin Jiayue smiled at Huai Su and pulled Jiang Xing out.

As soon as they returned to Xiuyan Pavilion, Lin Jiayue said: “Don’t learn from me.”

Jiang Xing looked up in confusion, only to see her eyes slightly red: “Don’t learn from me. I’m someone who serves as a concubine. Don’t learn any of the behavior you saw today.”

She pulled Jiang Xing to her side and stroked her head: “Did you see what happened to your mother?”

“That’s the fate of being a concubine.”

“You must remember, in this world, if you don’t have a good family background, then all you can rely on is a good reputation for virtue. If you want to learn, learn from Song Wan—become that kind of accomplished lady from a great family.”

“Those feudal ethical codes harm people, but looking at it from another angle, those feudal ethical codes also protect weak young ladies like you and Jiang Jing.”

Lin Jiayue tilted her head back, blinking the tears back into her eyes.

“They disorder you first, then abandon you.”

“In the future, you must never take one wrong step. Even if there’s a man who moves your heart, you must establish the relationship with propriety. You cannot engage in promiscuity or lose your chastity beforehand.”

“I used to think these feudal doctrines were persecution of women, but in this world, when a woman violates ethical codes, she loses the protection of those ethical codes.”

Lin Jiayue wiped away her tears and forced a smile: “Jiang Xing, you must remember that here, women are in an extremely disadvantaged position, especially when facing love.”

Lin Jiayue pressed her lips together and sobbed: “In this world, whenever the word ‘love’ is involved, women will always be—and can only be—the sole victims.”

It took Concubine Zhou, Jiang Jing, and the child in her womb—three lives—for her to see this truth clearly. The price couldn’t be called anything but enormous.

How could she have been foolish enough to think that as long as women did the same things as men and received the same treatment, that would be equality and liberation?

No one could live apart from realistic factors and society’s entire system and values. That was merely her blind and impulsive fantasy.

“In the future, you must study hard. The thing I regret most in this life is that during the years when I should have been studying properly, I ran off chasing love, and in the end couldn’t maintain even a single relationship. Study hard and learn to be a clever person, like… a clever person like Song Wan.”

Jiang Xing nodded with half-understanding. Seeing Lin Jiayue cry so bitterly, her own eyes reddened too.

She didn’t quite understand the other person’s meaning, but Jiang Xing knew that without Concubine Liu, no one would beat and scold her anymore, and she could have enough to eat and wear warm clothes.

Little Jiang Xing timidly extended her hand to grasp Lin Jiayue’s, whispering: “In the future, I’ll study more and become someone like First Madam.”