Yang wore a bright red, light silk dress with a soft blue gauze over it.
Since being made the official wife, most of her dresses have been bright red.
It was as if she was constantly reminding others that she was now the legal wife.
The maids and servants in the mansion were busy running around. Madam Yang sent one of her servants to guard the main gate. Whenever a matchmaker came, she was to be respectfully welcomed into the main hall.
After giving all the instructions, Madam Yang headed towards the backyard.
Jiang Jiaojiao looked at the birth chart in front of her, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
After waiting for so many years without being able to enter the palace, she caught the eye of Wu Taiwei's wife, who sent a matchmaker to the Jiang family to propose marriage for Wu's third son, and she would become his principal wife.
Jiang Jiaojiao felt like she had hit the jackpot; she was both excited and nervous, fearing that it was all just a dream.
Seeing that Jiang Jiaojiao was clutching her handkerchief tightly and looked a little nervous, the maid Caiyan poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her.
"Second Miss, there's no need to worry. I heard from the servants in the front yard that Young Master Wu is a handsome and talented young man, even taller than Master. He's skilled in everything, from riding horses to archery."
The servant in the front yard had accompanied Jiang Zhengming to the autumn hunt organized by the Emperor, and thus had met Young Master Wu.
"Really?" Jiang Jiaojiao raised her eyebrows slightly.
For some reason, she felt uneasy. It felt unreal that such a good marriage had fallen into her lap.
The Wu family was one of the four great families in the capital. The third son of the Wu family was the most favored by the old lady of the Wu family and also served in the Ministry of War.
Although Jiang Jiaojiao had never met them, her father always spoke highly of the Wu family whenever he mentioned them.
It is said that Grand Commandant Wu holds military power, and his influence is no less than that of Prime Minister Wei.
Today is the day the Wu family sends a matchmaker to inquire about her name and exchange birth charts. Only after today will her marriage be considered a done deal.
"My darling."
At this moment, Madam Yang walked in.
"Oh my! My darling is so beautiful! That unlucky woman in the palace is blind to her beauty."
Yang tossed the handkerchief in her hand, swayed her hips as she walked in, praising her daughter while also making a grumbling.
"Mother, there are many people around today, so please don't say anything carelessly."
Jiang Jiaojiao is now approaching twenty, and her shrewdness has surpassed that of her younger self.
"Alright, alright, Mother won't say anything. Mother only learned about Young Master Wu from the matchmaker. Mother was short-sighted. What's so good about the palace? All you do is sing and dance all day long. If you're not favored, you won't see the Emperor's face even once in a year or two."
Jiang Jiaojiao lowered her eyes and remained silent.
Her father and mother used to be focused on sending her to the palace, so saying this now is just sour grapes.
If the Emperor were to summon her to the palace at this time, her mother would refuse the marriage proposal from the Wu family without hesitation.
"Jiao'er, when the matchmaker arrives, you should also go and pay your respects. The Wu family is a prestigious family after all, so if we are polite, the matchmaker will mention it to Madam Wu when she gets back."
“Mother, I understand. Father went to the palace today and hasn’t returned home yet. I’ll have Jiang Qingjian go out and show his face later.”
“Caiyan, go and talk to the eldest young master and tell him to dress more properly so that the Wu family won’t think I’ve mistreated my illegitimate son.”
Caiyan accepted the order and left.
Seeing Caiyan walk away, Jiang Jiaojiao turned her gaze away and said, "Mother, you must not keep calling him a son of a concubine. Now that you have put him under your name, he is the eldest legitimate son of our Jiang family."
Madam Yang said bitterly, "If I were to enter the Jiang family as the legitimate wife, I would never allow a concubine to give birth to a son!"
Speaking of her son, Madam Yang felt aggrieved. Her womb was uncooperative; after giving birth to a daughter, her husband spent most of his time in her room, and her womb showed no signs of pregnancy.
As for the concubines, they would become pregnant after the master only favored them once in a while.
If it weren't for her ruthless methods, there would be countless illegitimate sons and daughters in the Jiang family.
Thinking of this, she said to Jiang Jiaojiao, "Jiaojiao, rest assured and wait for your marriage. Our family is not as prestigious as the Wu family, but your mother will prepare a generous dowry for you so that you won't be looked down upon when you enter the Wu family."
“Mother is right. As long as I treat Jiang Qingjian well for his sake, we can’t leave all the family’s property to him.”
Just as the mother and daughter were discussing the dowry, Caiyan returned to report that the matchmaker had arrived in the front hall.
Yang told Jiang Jiaojiao to go out later, and then hurriedly walked out.
In the hall, Madam Yang warmly invited the matchmaker to sit down.
The matchmaker wore a smile on her face, but inwardly she looked down on Yang.
A concubine who is promoted to a higher social status, no matter how red she dresses, always seems to lack something.
"Congratulations, Madam. I will take the Second Miss's birth chart to the Wu residence now. Madam, please wait for good news. If the Second Miss's birth chart does not clash with that of the Third Young Master Wu, Madam, you should make preparations early. Perhaps the Wu family will welcome a new bride into their home next spring."
"Auntie, you're joking. There's no clash. The elders at Qinglian Temple all say that my darling is destined to bring good fortune to her husband. She will have many children and grandchildren, and her blessings will last a long time."
The maidservant beside her lowered her eyelids, pretending not to hear anything.
Yang's words were pure fabrication. Every time she and her daughter went to Qinglian Temple to draw lots, they always got the worst possible results, something the maid knew all too well.
The matchmaker's lips twitched violently. A government official's wife was calling herself a sister; she was truly despicable to the core.
She decided to be bold and straightened her back, saying, "If it weren't for Miss Jiang's strong destiny, the deaths of the late Madam and the eldest daughter would naturally be a happy ending for everyone."
Yang cursed "old hag" inwardly, but put on a smiling face and continued the conversation.
“Sister, what you say is inappropriate. The second young lady was born from my womb. How could she possibly bring misfortune to the Su family? It’s all because the Su family is unlucky. Her husband dotes on her, but she abandoned him early on.”
"And then there's the eldest young lady. She was a filial daughter. After Madam Su passed away, she became depressed. My beloved daughter often stayed with her, but she couldn't cheer her up. In the end, she followed Madam Su in death."
As she spoke, Madam Yang pressed a handkerchief against her nose, looking kind and gentle.
She glanced at the matchmaker, and seeing that the matchmaker's expression was unchanged, she waved her handkerchief and said, "Today is a joyous occasion for the Jiang family, so let's not dwell on the past, it will only add to the sorrow."
Who was the matchmaker? She was someone who frequented the inner quarters of wealthy families in the capital year-round.
Yang's hypocritical act wasn't even worth her attention.
While praising the late Madam for being favored but dying young, the unspoken message was that the late Madam was ill-fated and unlucky.
The fact that the second young lady cares for the eldest young lady is just to show that the second young lady's sisterly affection is a good thing.
The matchmaker knew all too well the intricacies of the inner quarters of the house.
She picked up the birth charter on the table and was about to get up.
At this moment, Jiang Jiaojiao came out with the help of her maid, along with a boy of about twelve years old.
Seeing the boy's timid and hesitant manner, the matchmaker knew immediately that this was the illegitimate son that Yang had adopted from her concubine.
The matchmaker had already met Jiang Jiaojiao; she greeted her respectfully before returning to the backyard.
A moment later, Madam Yang personally saw the matchmaker off.
Once outside the Jiang residence, the matchmaker's smile faded. She weighed the purse in her hand and scoffed, "A stepmother who can't be presented to the public, yet she's so generous."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
