As Jiang Si approached, she sensed something unusual had occurred in the manor. The hesitant expressions of the servants and their hurried steps with grave faces all indicated that an extraordinary event had taken place.
Jiang Si decided to stop one of the servants and asked, “Has something happened in the manor?”
The servant instinctively glanced at Jiang Yi.
Jiang Si’s face darkened. “What is it?”
The servant cautiously replied, “Second Madam has gone missing!”
Jiang Si was genuinely shocked. “What exactly happened?”
The news had spread throughout the Earl’s manor, and the servant hurriedly explained everything they knew: “Today, Second Madam went to Baiyun Temple to offer incense. Unexpectedly, halfway there, two masked men appeared, kicked Old Zhang off the carriage, and drove away with it…”
“Heavens!” Jiang Yi exclaimed, covering her mouth in shock, feeling a sense of panic.
What was happening today? She and Fourth Sister had encountered a series of accidents, and now even Second Aunt had met with misfortune…
Jiang Si’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, suddenly feeling an indescribable fear: What if she had taken the Earl’s carriage to Baiyun Temple today?
Jiang Si didn’t think she was being overly cautious. Since her rebirth, every step had been fraught with danger, and any accident in her view could potentially be deliberate.
Just thinking that if she had taken the Earl’s carriage today, she would be the one missing now, Jiang Si felt no joy at Second Madam Xiao’s disappearance, only a sense of gravity.
This matter couldn’t be carelessly overlooked.
“Has Second Aunt returned yet?” she asked.
The servant replied, “No, all three masters have gone out to search for her. Only the eldest master has returned.”
“Fourth Sister—” Jiang Yi called out, her face pale with worry. “I should go back first. The family is in such chaos; I shouldn’t cause more trouble for Father…”
Seeing that Zhu Ziyu had already caught up to the manor’s main gate, Jiang Si decisively grabbed Jiang Yi’s hand. “Elder Sister, you’re mistaken. It’s precisely because all these events have happened at once that it’s too suspicious. We must report today’s incidents to Father.”
“Young Master-in-law, you’ve come too.” The gatekeeper was already surprised to see Jiang Yi and was even more astonished to see Zhu Ziyu dismounting and hurrying inside.
Zhu Ziyu nodded hastily to the gatekeeper and quickened his pace to catch up. “Yi’niang, please wait.”
Seeing her elder sister stop, Jiang Si couldn’t forcibly drag her away, so she simply waited on the spot. When Zhu Ziyu approached, she gave a cold smile. “Brother-in-law, have you already forgotten the promise you just made?”
The strange looks from the Earl’s servants made Zhu Ziyu quite uncomfortable. He forced a smile and said, “Of course, it still stands…”
“Good, then let’s go see Father together,” Jiang Si said, pulling Jiang Yi towards Cixin Hall.
Jiang Si had long figured out that with someone like Zhu Ziyu, who always presented himself so well, taking the gentle and reserved approach of a well-bred young lady wouldn’t work. Only by discarding face could she gain the upper hand.
Jiang Si’s prediction was correct. At this moment, Jiang Ancheng was in Cixin Hall. Seeing her enter, his face lit up with joy. “Si’er, you’ve finally returned. Where’s your Second Brother?”
As his gaze swept across the room, he saw Jiang Yi and was surprised. “Yi’er is here too.”
Jiang Yi and Zhu Ziyu hurriedly paid their respects to Jiang Ancheng and Old Madam Feng.
Facing Zhu Ziyu, Old Madam Feng’s gloomy expression softened slightly. “A’Fu, bring tea for the Young Master-in-law and Young Madam.”
Jiang Ancheng had no time for such formalities and asked Jiang Si, “Your Second Brother didn’t come with you?”
“Second Brother went to look for me?” Jiang Si asked.
Jiang Ancheng nodded. “Your Second Aunt has been abducted. With such a major incident, I was worried, so I sent your Second Brother to find you.”
“We must have missed each other,” Jiang Si replied.
At this moment, A’Fu brought the tea, and Old Madam Feng asked curiously, “Yi’er, how did you and your husband come together today?”
Jiang Yi and Zhu Ziyu looked at each other, unsure where to begin.
“Because there’s a matter we need to report to Grandmother and Father,” Jiang Si said, feeling no difficulty in speaking up. She poured out everything that had happened today, and finally said coldly, “Someone from the Zhu family wants to harm Elder Sister. I was worried, so I brought her back to ask Grandmother and Father to seek justice for her.”
Old Madam Feng frowned repeatedly as she listened.
A married daughter was like spilled water. The incident with the startled horse should have been investigated within the Zhu family. At most, it was a matter of intrigue among the women in the inner courtyard, to be resolved behind closed doors. For the Fourth Miss to bring the person back to the Earl’s manor wasn’t it just causing more trouble? The Earl’s family couldn’t interfere in the Zhu family’s private affairs.
However, Jiang Ancheng slammed the table. “Si’er, you did well!”
Jiang Si smiled slightly. “Daughter has also reported it to the authorities.”
“That’s exactly what should be done (How reckless)!” Jiang Ancheng and Old Madam Feng’s voices rang out simultaneously, their opposite attitudes making the atmosphere even more awkward.
Old Madam Feng’s attitude was not unexpected to Jiang Si. She turned her gaze, looking at Old Madam Feng in surprise. “Does Grandmother think your granddaughter has done wrong?”
Old Madam Feng was truly angry now, but she suppressed the fury on her face. “In a respectable family, how can one report to the authorities at every turn? Isn’t that inviting ridicule?”
Jiang Si sneered, “A coachman using a long needle to stab the horse’s buttocks to harm his master—is this still considered a respectable family?”
Old Madam Feng was unconvinced.
In the inner chambers of great houses, which family didn’t have some unspeakable, sordid affairs? If everyone reported to the authorities, the officials at the yamen probably wouldn’t even have time to eat.
“The elders in the Zhu family will seek justice for your Elder Sister. By acting so rashly, aren’t you just making things difficult for her in the future?”
Zhu Ziyu’s expression relaxed slightly.
His wife’s grandmother was still a sensible person, at least not blindly protecting her own.
The implication in Old Madam Feng’s words was clearly that she considered Jiang Yi to be a member of the Zhu family now, and that the Earl’s family shouldn’t interfere in Zhu family matters.
Jiang Si felt a sense of desolation in her heart and decided to deliver a heavy blow: “Grandmother, I don’t believe this is just a Zhu family matter. On the contrary, our Earl’s family must take this seriously.”
Old Madam Feng frowned as she listened to Jiang Si continue.
Jiang Si glanced at Zhu Ziyu and spoke unhurriedly, “Today, the Zhu family’s coachman could endanger Elder Sister’s life. Who can guarantee that others won’t use even more despicable methods in the future? Not to mention, if someone were to falsely accuse Elder Sister of impropriety, how could our Earl’s family hold our heads high?”
Zhu Ziyu’s face changed abruptly. “Fourth Sister, your words are too much—”
Jiang Si retorted, “Not as much as those in Brother-in-law’s family who can manipulate a coachman to do such excessive things.”
Old Madam Feng fell silent for a moment.
If such a thing were to happen, the Earl’s family would lose face in the capital. This was indeed no longer just a Zhu family matter.
Seeing Old Madam Feng’s expression waver, Jiang Si inwardly sneered: Sure enough, only by involving the Earl family’s interests could she make Grandmother take it seriously.
Jiang Ancheng shot Zhu Ziyu a fierce glare and strode out, saying, “Follow me to the Zhu family!”
“Father—” Jiang Yi was torn.
Jiang Ancheng had already walked out with large steps.
In the blink of an eye, Cixin Hall returned to silence. Old Madam Feng rubbed her temples.
It was truly one wave after another; they still didn’t know where Madam Xiao was!
At this moment, Madam Xiao was frantically surveying her surroundings, feeling on the verge of collapse.
Who could tell her what exactly was going on? She had been sitting comfortably in the carriage, munching on melon seeds on her way to offer incense, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself in such a place!