Old Madam Feng’s sudden outburst didn’t surprise Jiang Si.
She had long seen clearly that for her grandmother, family interests came first, and everything else was unimportant.
“Grandmother, I don’t quite understand your words. How have I disgraced myself?” Jiang Si asked in a calm tone.
Her nonchalant attitude made Old Madam Feng even more furious. She raised her hand and smashed a teacup in front of Jiang Si.
Jiang Ancheng pulled Jiang Si behind him. Looking at the splattered tea and broken porcelain, he frowned and said with displeasure in his voice, “Mother, can’t we talk things through properly? Aren’t you frightening the younger generation by acting like this?”
“Frightening?” Old Madam Feng sneered, “The fourth girl dares to run to government offices as a young lady. How could she be frightened by me?”
“Mother, Si’er went to bring Zhan’er back to the manor. How is that running to government offices?” Jiang Ancheng defended.
Old Madam Feng wanted to take her cane and hit her eldest son’s head hard. “You’re still protecting her! We have so many people in the manor, couldn’t anyone else have gone to fetch Zhan’er? Why did it have to be her? If she hadn’t gone, how could she have gotten involved with those good-for-nothing young masters? Now everyone knows that Princess Rongyang’s son was injured while blocking her carriage. Who knows what people are saying about our Earl’s manor behind our backs…”
Watching Old Madam Feng’s mouth open and close, Jiang Si gently clenched her fist and asked calmly, “Grandmother, aren’t you going to ask how Second Brother is doing? Second Brother and I just returned from the medical hall.”
The other party was her grandmother, so she couldn’t openly contradict her. She might as well try reasoning.
Old Madam Feng was momentarily stumped by the question.
In her impression, her second grandson had a robust physique and only caused trouble because he had too much energy to spare. So even though Jiang Zhan had been taken to the medical hall, she didn’t think it was anything serious. She hadn’t expected this stubborn girl to seize upon this point.
Old Madam Feng felt somewhat embarrassed and angry, looking at Jiang Si with increasing displeasure. “I know very well how your Second Brother is doing. It’s not your place to remind me!”
Jiang Si smiled, “Grandmother, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not reminding you, I’m just curious.”
Curious about how cold-hearted a person could be, to hear that her grandchildren had been attacked and sent to a medical hall, yet upon their return, not ask about their condition but instead launch into a tirade of accusations.
Old Madam Feng’s eyes flickered slightly, not understanding Jiang Si’s meaning. But Jiang Si had fallen silent, and she couldn’t bring herself to ask, so she could only stew in frustration.
“Fourth girl, you don’t need to speak in such riddles. You’re not so young anymore, yet you still lack proper etiquette. In the future, don’t go out casually. Rein in that temperament of yours!”
“Mother, Si’er is very sensible. Where has she lacked etiquette? You said many people in the manor could have gone to fetch Zhan’er, but didn’t you think that Si’er wasn’t the only one who thought to go? I don’t understand how Si’er taking a carriage to bring her brother home shows a lack of etiquette. As for encountering Princess Rongyang’s son and those people, are you saying the ones who caused harm are blameless, while the victims are at fault? Just because she’s a young lady?”
“That’s right, precisely because she’s a young lady!” Old Madam Feng spoke bluntly, “Eldest son, don’t tell me about how times have changed and women aren’t treated as strictly as before. Let me tell you, no matter the era, it’s always the women who suffer when they get involved with unsavory characters, and it’s the women who bring shame to the family!”
Hearing this, Jiang Ancheng also became angry and couldn’t help but speak his mind: “I don’t think so. Those families who truly cherish their daughters would go settle accounts if something like this happened. There’s no reason to wrongly accuse our child while letting those scoundrels from other families go free. Mother, you blaming Si’er like this is ultimately because you see their family status as high and are afraid of offending them.”
“Eldest son, you—” Old Madam Feng hadn’t expected to be contradicted by her son like this and turned pale with anger.
The Second Master Jiang finally couldn’t help but speak up: “Big Brother, how can you speak to Mother like this? Mother is thinking of Si’er’s reputation by having her stay quietly at home to avoid trouble. Even if you don’t want to admit it, it’s not a good thing for a girl to get caught up in trouble, is it? Her reputation will inevitably suffer more than a man’s would.”
“Reputation, reputation. I won’t wrong my daughter for the sake of a reputation. Mother and Second Brother don’t need to worry about Si’er. Isn’t a girl’s good reputation just for marriage? Si’er doesn’t have to marry. I can support her.”
Jiang Ancheng’s words were earthshaking, stunning everyone present.
“Those little brats from the three families caused trouble for Zhan’er for no reason and even frightened Si’er. I still need to settle this account!” Jiang Ancheng didn’t know the details of Jiang Zhan falling into the water, but his children being surrounded and attacked by a group of people was enough to ignite his anger.
Oh right, it seemed that young Yu Jin was the one who later came to their rescue.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ancheng’s impression of Yu Jin improved even more.
When the Second Master Jiang heard that Jiang Ancheng was still planning to settle accounts with those three families, he nearly fainted.
Was his elder brother determined to ruin him?
Offending these three families, plus the Minister of Rites, and wait, they should also add the Crown Prince – his elder brother as a leisurely Earl might not care, but how was he supposed to continue in his official career?
Knowing that Jiang Ancheng was stubborn, the Second Master Jiang didn’t dare to directly oppose him and said not to settle accounts, fearing it would backfire. He could only try to approach it from Jiang Si’s perspective: “Big Brother, have you considered your nieces? Si’er may not need to marry, but what about Qiao’er, Li’er, and Pei’er?”
When it came to his daughter, Jiang Ancheng wasn’t so easily fooled. He immediately sneered: “Second Brother, don’t try to pin such a big blame on Si’er. The eldest daughter of the Marquis of Nanting was caught in an affair and sent back to her maiden home, yet it didn’t stop her younger sisters from marrying. Si’er merely almost got harassed by some flies. How could that affect Qiao’er and the others’ marriages?”
He wouldn’t let his daughter take the blame for this. No way!
Jiang Si lowered her eyes as she listened, the corners of her lips curving slightly.
Old Madam Feng finally exploded: “Eldest son, do you still remember that I am your mother!”
Looking at his furious mother, Jiang Ancheng moved his lips but didn’t speak.
After all, she was his birth mother. He couldn’t bear to see her so upset.
Seeing that Jiang Ancheng had fallen silent, Old Madam Feng said decisively: “I am Si’er’s grandmother. How to raise my granddaughter is for me to decide. Eldest son, you’re a grown man. Don’t meddle in these matters and make a fool of yourself!”
Jiang Ancheng’s face turned red, feeling choked.
At this moment, he deeply regretted the early passing of his beloved wife.
Jiang Si, however, remained calm.
Of course, she couldn’t directly confront her grandmother. If her grandmother wanted her to stay at home, she would rest for a while. When she wanted to go out, she would find a way.
With Huanying in hand, Jiang Si wasn’t worried about finding an opportunity to make Old Madam Feng change her mind.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard, and a servant woman rushed in, panting: “Old Madam, someone, someone has come from the palace!”
These words stunned everyone.
Old Madam Feng couldn’t help but ask again: “Speak clearly, who has come?”
“A eunuch has arrived, saying he’s here to request the Second Young Master and Fourth Miss to go out and receive an imperial edict.”