"What else could he be thinking? He's plotting to usurp the throne."
"You're kidding me! What can his few servants accomplish? They're just hired thugs who help the wicked."
"I happened to be passing by when the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrested those lackeys, and a lot of people were clapping and cheering."
The women chatted away, their spittle flying everywhere, and Jiang Shuyue listened intently.
Prime Minister Wei's home was raided.
Qiuju wanted to hear more, but Jiang Shuyue pulled her along a few steps.
"Miss, don't you want to know what happened to the Second Miss?"
Jiang Shuyue kept walking. "Her family has been raided. Even if she isn't exiled, she'll have to go back to her hometown with the Wei family and eat chaff and wild vegetables. What good can she possibly get?"
This outcome was exactly what Jiang Shuyue had expected; however, Xiao Jingzhao was a little slower than she had anticipated in order to obtain evidence of Prime Minister Wei's crimes.
As the two strolled through the streets, they overheard people discussing matters concerning the Prime Minister's residence.
Jiang Shuyue was in a good mood. She and Qiuju bought a roast goose and some pastries that Sui Sui liked.
The day before the Prime Minister's residence.
Jiang Jiaojiao was so hungry at night that she tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. She ate all the pastries in the room after dinner.
"Son, I can't let you go hungry," Jiang Jiaojiao said to herself, stroking her belly which wasn't showing yet.
She got up, opened the wardrobe, took out a cloak, and put it on.
Caiyan was startled awake by the sound of the wardrobe being opened. She rubbed her eyes. "Second Miss, are you going to the young master's courtyard? Aunt Chen instructed that you cannot share a room with the young master before you give birth."
“Who said we were going to go find that heartless man? Since he found out I was pregnant, I’ve hardly seen him at all. Get up, I’m hungry, let’s go to the kitchen and find something to eat.”
Jiang Jiaojiao felt angry whenever she talked about Wei Mingzhou.
After learning that she was pregnant, Aunt Chen brought one of her distant nieces to the Prime Minister's residence the very next day.
Everyone in the courtyard kept it from her. Later, it was a maidservant from the First Madam's side who revealed it to her, saying that if the Old Madam made her the official wife, Aunt Chen would have to beg the Old Madam to marry her distant niece into the family as Wei Mingzhou's concubine.
Jiang Jiaojiao was so angry that she closed the door and cursed Aunt Chen inside the room.
Caiyan quickly got up and dressed, and the two soon left the courtyard.
The night breeze was slightly cool, and Jiang Jiaojiao pulled her cloak tighter around herself.
The night was like thick, unspread ink, as if it were about to rain.
In the distance, lanterns under the eaves swayed in the night wind, creating a desolate and lonely atmosphere.
"Miss, it's past midnight snack time, and the main kitchen is already locked." Caiyan walked to the hanging flower gate and looked outside, but there was no old woman on night duty in the small hall outside.
Undeterred, Jiang Jiaojiao walked toward the main kitchen, only to find it locked.
The head cook in the kitchen had already gone to bed by this time. Given her status as a concubine, it was impossible for her to get out of bed to cook a bowl of noodles for her.
Jiang Jiaojiao hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Let's go see the First Madam. She might stay up late."
The two turned and walked towards the direction of the First Madam's courtyard. They passed through the garden and entered the corridor, where they could see the faint candlelight through the carved window frames in the distance.
Just as the two were about to reach the end of the corridor, they heard footsteps approaching from the side gate.
Caiyan quickly pulled Jiang Jiaojiao and hid behind a pillar in the corridor.
The footsteps grew closer, and a maid's voice rang out, "Don't panic when you see the First Madam. This isn't the first time Master has stayed overnight in the palace. Perhaps the Emperor has important business to attend to."
"No, that's not right! It's been two whole days. I've served you, Master, for so many years, and I've never seen you stay overnight in the palace."
The man's voice sounded somewhat anxious.
"Men are not allowed to enter the inner courtyard on ordinary days. Once you have informed the madam, hurry up and come out." The old woman guarding the side gate spoke with impatience.
"Thank you, Auntie. I will inform Madam and leave soon."
The voices faded into the distance. Jiang Jiaojiao peeked out and saw two figures walking towards the First Madam's courtyard in the dim light.
"Miss, shall we still go? Master hasn't come home yet; will Madam be too preoccupied to pay attention to us?"
Jiang Jiaojiao felt a jolt, and her heart skipped a beat.
Unless there are special circumstances, men are never allowed to stay overnight in the palace; this is written into the palace rules. The old man hasn't returned home for two days, and the capital is calm. Has something happened?
Jiang Jiaojiao had a bad feeling.
She looked up at the dark night sky again and suddenly felt a sense of impending storm.
Seeing that Jiang Jiaojiao remained silent, Caiyan asked again, "Miss, shall we go or not? It's late and the dew is heavy. You're pregnant now, so don't catch a cold."
"Go, we must go." Jiang Jiaojiao's voice was filled with despair.
She didn't have a marriage certificate when she entered the Wei family; ordinary concubines signed a contract of servitude.
Jiang Jiaojiao was, after all, Jiang Zhengming's illegitimate daughter, and the Wei family did not force the Jiang family to sign a contract of servitude.
There was no marriage certificate, nor a contract to sell herself into servitude as a concubine. The First Madam simply had Jiang Jiaojiao hand over the yellow book in her hand, using it to restrict her freedom.
Strictly speaking, Jiang Jiaojiao is not even a member of the Wei family.
However, the First Madam promised her that she would complete the marriage certificate when she was made the principal wife.
"Caiyan, I'll tell the First Madam in a bit that someone from the Minister's residence has come and wants me to go back. Just don't listen to it, and don't give anything away."
"Miss, why are you going back? I've heard that matchmakers have been practically wearing out the doorstep of the Minister's mansion lately. If you go back, the Master will be unhappy again."
Caiyan still remembered what her master had said when she went back last time, and she really didn't want her mistress to go back and make a fool of herself.
Jiang Jiaojiao dared not voice her suspicions, fearing that Caiyan's flustered expression would reveal her intentions to the First Madam.
She sighed and said, "I have something very important to do when I get back. You just need to nod in agreement for a while."
Caiyan nodded and started to walk forward.
Jiang Jiaojiao grabbed her arm. "Don't rush. Let's go over when the old woman guarding the side gate and the coachman who serves the old man come out."
A moment later, seeing the two figures return the way they came, Jiang Jiaojiao pulled Caiyan along and walked quickly forward.
"Miss, please slow down, don't jostle the little master in your belly."
"Don't be so stingy. Hurry up, or the Madam will have to rest soon."
Forget about getting rid of him, the first thing she would do as soon as she left the Wei family was to go to the clinic to buy abortion pills and get rid of him.
As the two hurried to the courtyard gate, Caiyan pushed the gate, but it was already closed.
Jiang Jiaojiao hurriedly knocked on the door heavily.
Soon, footsteps could be heard coming from inside.
"Aunt Jiang, why are you up so late at night? My mistress needs to rest." The maid opened the door and her face fell when she saw Jiang Jiaojiao.
"I'll just say a word to the First Madam and leave, so as not to disturb her rest."
Caiyan quickly put on a smiling face and said, "Please help me inform the lady that the aunt wants to see the madam, it must be something important."
The maid reluctantly led the two inside.
After exchanging greetings, Jiang Jiaojiao went straight to the point: "Please, Madam, give me the Yellow Register for my use."
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