Jiang Si, unwilling to overlook any anomalies, pondered for a moment before asking, “Grandmother, do you remember when the relationship between my maternal grandmother and the Empress Dowager began to cool?”
Old Madam Feng furrowed her brow in thought before replying, “It was probably before the Empress Dowager entered the palace. By then, your maternal grandmother had already married out, and even your eldest maternal uncle had been born.”
Jiang Si’s eyes flickered slightly as she murmured, “So, my maternal grandmother married rather late.”
Calculating the ages, her maternal grandmother was even younger than the Empress Dowager, yet she had already given birth to her eldest uncle while the Empress Dowager was still unmarried…
Old Madam Feng dismissed this thought, saying, “There’s nothing strange about that. The Empress Dowager’s marriage wasn’t something she could decide for herself.”
“How so?” Jiang Si sat up straighter.
Old Madam Feng seemed to be lost in memories, her tone carrying undisguised envy. “Because the Empress Dowager was designated as the Crown Princess. She had long been engaged to the then Crown Prince, so the timing of their marriage depended on the royal family’s wishes. The Empress Dowager’s family had no say in the matter…”
Hearing Old Madam Feng’s explanation, Jiang Si nodded slightly. “I see.”
“After that, did my maternal grandmother and the Empress Dowager cease all contact?”
Although it seemed they had almost no relationship now, had they grown apart so suddenly decades ago?
“I suppose so,” Old Madam Feng said uncertainly. “Their relationship cooled not long before the Empress Dowager entered the palace, and then they had fewer opportunities to interact…”
Jiang Si pondered for a moment before asking, “Besides the Empress Dowager, did my maternal grandmother have any other close friends?”
Old Madam Feng wrinkled her brow in concentration, then shook her head slightly. “It’s been too long, and I wasn’t very familiar with the situation. I really can’t think of anyone at the moment.”
Let alone the affairs of Old Madam Yining Marquis, after so many years, she could barely remember what her long-dead husband looked like.
Thinking of this, Old Madam Feng suddenly felt a twinge of sadness.
Jiang Si didn’t give Old Madam Feng much time to dwell on her melancholy and continued asking, “Please try to think carefully, Grandmother. Anything you remember about my maternal grandmother, even the slightest impression, would be helpful.”
So much time had passed that it was unrealistic to expect an old lady to recall every detail. However, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Under these circumstances, what Old Madam Feng could remember were likely to be special events, such as her maternal grandmother becoming Empress Dowager’s close friend.
“Si’er, why are you asking about all this?” By this point, Old Madam Feng was truly curious.
Jiang Si smiled and said, “Isn’t Big Brother going to take the examination again in a few months?”
Three years ago, during the autumn provincial examination, Jiang Cang, the eldest son of the East Peace Earl’s family, had the misfortune of being assigned a foul-smelling examination booth. This caused him to vomit incessantly, unable to complete his exam paper, and he was carried out, missing the triennial opportunity.
Since then, Jiang Cang, once seen as having a bright future, had been in low spirits for a long time before finally recovering.
Now, three years later, when the osmanthus flowers would bloom again, Jiang Cang would once more sit for the examination. This was a big event for the East Peace Earl’s family, especially for Second Master Jiang, who had no hope of inheriting the title, and for Old Madam Feng, who greatly valued her eldest grandson.
In Old Madam Feng’s heart, she had always believed that Jiang Cang was the most promising. As for her second grandson Jiang Zhan’s current success, she attributed it merely to good luck.
Jiang Cang must pass the provincial examination and then become a jinshi in next year’s spring examination to prove that she had never misjudged him.
Jiang Si’s implication was too obvious, causing Old Madam Feng’s heart to leap with joy. She tactfully gave up her questioning and thought hard for a moment before her eyes lit up. “I remember something.”
“Please tell me, Grandmother.”
“Your maternal grandmother had another close friend at that time, but that girl’s identity was somewhat special—” Old Madam Feng seemed uncertain and hesitated for a moment.
Jiang Si’s voice was soft and sweet. “Just say whatever comes to mind, even if you’re not sure about the details.”
Old Madam Feng glanced at Jiang Si, thinking to herself that this girl was like a different person when she needed something from her.
Hmph, what did it matter if she said something wrong? It’s not like Jiang Si could give her a hard time about it.
After some internal grumbling, Old Madam Feng said, “That girl didn’t seem to be from Da Zhou.”
Jiang Si’s eyes sharpened, and her voice unconsciously rose. “Not from Da Zhou?”
Her loss of composure was understandable. The information she had gleaned from Old Madam Feng today had brought her too many shocks.
First, she learned that her maternal grandmother and Empress Dowager were once close friends, and now she discovered that her maternal grandmother had another close friend who wasn’t from Da Zhou.
Jiang Si vaguely guessed something and asked eagerly, “Then where was she from?”
“There were rumors at the time that the girl came from the south. Some said she was from Nanlan, others said she was from a southern frontier tribe. There were all sorts of stories, so it’s hard to say exactly where she was from.”
“From the south…” Jiang Si murmured, her heart racing.
Could her maternal grandmother’s other close friend be a Wumiao person?
If it could be confirmed that this friend was indeed from Wumiao, could she be A’sang’s maternal grandmother?
Jiang Si fell silent, a thought swirling in her mind: If that woman who was close to her maternal grandmother was indeed A’sang’s maternal grandmother, and she bore such a strong resemblance to A’sang, what did that mean?
Jiang Si felt she was on the verge of grasping something, but upon closer examination, she found herself at a loss, feeling as though she were surrounded by a thick fog.
It seemed that only her maternal grandmother knew some things, and she could only get vague information from others.
Of course, even this vague information was a significant gain for her.
Jiang Si looked at Old Madam Feng with bright eyes. “Grandmother, as a noble lady of the capital, wasn’t it strange for my maternal grandmother to be close friends with a foreign woman? How did she come to know this foreign woman?”
Old Madam Feng smiled. “Of course, it was strange, which is why there was so much gossip. But as time passed, people’s curiosity faded. After all, young ladies had so many new and exciting things to occupy them. As for how your maternal grandmother met the foreign woman— I vaguely heard that your maternal grandmother was in danger during a spring outing and was saved by that young lady. Your maternal grandmother then brought her back to stay at the mansion for a while…”
“Did the Empress Dowager often visit my maternal grandmother at that time?” Jiang Si asked suddenly as if struck by a thought.
Old Madam Feng was taken aback, then nodded. “By that time, your maternal grandmother had already married. When I say she brought her back to the mansion, I mean the Yining Marquis’ mansion. At that time, the Empress Dowager and your maternal grandmother were still very close, and she often went to the Marquis’ mansion to visit her.”
Jiang Si lowered her eyes in thought.
The southern woman lived with her maternal grandmother, and the Empress Dowager often went to visit her maternal grandmother. This meant that the foreign woman and the Empress Dowager must have known each other.
Her maternal grandmother, the Empress Dowager, and the southern woman — what exactly had happened between these three people back then?
Seeing that Jiang Si remained silent for a long time, Old Madam Feng said, “That’s all I can remember. Now, about your brother’s examination—”
Jiang Si smiled. “Don’t worry, Grandmother. With Big Brother’s abilities, there shouldn’t be any problem. This year, he’ll surely draw a good lot.”
Old Madam Feng couldn’t help but smile. “If that’s the case, then I can rest easy.”
Her grandson had real talent and learning. She was only worried that, like three years ago, he might be assigned a foul-smelling booth that would affect his performance. With Jiang Si’s assurance, there should be no problem.
As Jiang Si left Old Madam Feng’s quarters and returned to her own, she had barely sat down when a maid came to report, “Princess, the Prince has come to escort you home.”