Lord Jiang is serving as the Grand Secretary of the Secretariat, the highest deliberative body responsible for reviewing the decrees drafted by the Chancellery. It is a busy and cautious department, and Lord Jiang is working non-stop every day, often having to bring his official duties home. He can only rest now at the very end of Hai hour (9-11 PM).
Facing the vast darkness outside, Lord Jiang had no desire to sleep. He sighed. There was a vacant position in the Ministry of Personnel, neither too important nor too minor. If the eldest son hadn't been deposed early and had passed the imperial examination, he could have been placed there now, immersed in the position for many years, climbed to a high position, and become the pillar and face of the family.
Unfortunately, the brilliant and talented eldest son, after a brief burst of brilliance, faded away like a dazzling shooting star, becoming a laughing stock.
Every time he thinks about this, Lord Jiang feels heartbroken.
As for the second and third young masters, although they can be considered somewhat talented, how can they compare to the original eldest young master? It's like the difference between stars and the sun and moon.
Lord Jiang closed his eyes. He felt that his eldest son had died long ago, and the thought of him always brought him a sense of mourning.
"Father."
A voice called out from behind.
No longer the naive boy he was before he was ten, but so familiar. Lord Jiang turned around and saw the eldest son, with disheveled hair and unkempt clothes, standing behind him.
Lord Jiang's face immediately darkened.
He glanced at the closed door again, frowning. "How did you get in?"
Jiang Shijing pointed to the back window of the room and said mysteriously, "I sneaked in from there."
"Why are you here so late at night instead of sleeping? Haven't I told you to cultivate your mind and read more books? It's fine if you don't come to pay your respects to me."
Lord Jiang felt his mind was in complete turmoil, and with a flick of his sleeve, he said, "Get out."
He took two steps, and Jiang Shijing blocked his way, raising something from his arms like a treasure.
"My second brother gave me some fine wine, saying it came from the Western Regions and is very delicious. I was reluctant to drink it and thought of offering it to Father. However, my second brother only allowed me to drink it and not to give it to anyone else. I was afraid of being seen, so I sneaked in."
Jiang Shijing's face was filled with sincerity and persistence, which made Lord Jiang pause for a moment and soften his heart slightly.
Yes, my eldest son became mentally unstable after he turned ten, but he wasn't a bad person. He had an innate compassion for even a stray cat or an ant.
In particular, she still cared about him, her father—
This shows that filial piety is deeply ingrained in his bones.
However, the second and third young masters usually kept their distance from Jiang Shijing, as if he were a plague god. But now they were using such a fine jade bottle that he had given them to fill with fine wine, which surprised Lord Jiang.
He had also heard that the three young masters had been getting closer recently. Could it be that the second and third young masters had grown up and no longer disliked their crazy older brother?
Thinking about it this way, Lord Jiang felt somewhat relieved, knowing that his eldest son would receive some care in the future and wouldn't be left alone and helpless after his parents passed away.
"I appreciate your concern, but you must listen to your father, cooperate with the doctor's treatment, and try your best to get better."
"I don't expect perfection, but at least they should resemble normal people."
As he spoke, Lord Jiang took the jade bottle.
Jiang Shijing probably thought he had it firmly in his grasp, so he loosened his grip as soon as he took it.
With a crisp sound, the jade bottle shattered in two on the ground, releasing a strong aroma of wine.
"Ouch, it's broken!" Jiang Shijing cried out, then covered his face.
"Waaah, this was given to me by my second brother, and I want to give it to my father too."
Lord Jiang felt a deep sense of regret; his son was mad and unreliable.
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