Liao Lingxi gently helped Liao Qianqian, who had fallen to the ground, up, his voice filled with anxiety and urgency, "Mother, the power of the Duke's Mansion's household affairs has long fallen into Xia Zhiyu's hands. Now she is pregnant, and she has the Duke's Mansion's old lady as her strong backing.
Once Jiang Shu and the Duke's Mansion are separated, what difference will Xia Zhiyu make between her and the Duke's Mansion's mistress? By then, will there still be a place for us in the Duke's Mansion? Are you really willing to be a concubine for life, and let us also be doomed to be the children of a concubine with low status?
Liao Lingxi couldn't help but sigh, feeling that his mother was inferior to Xia Zhiyu in terms of family background, reputation, and appearance. Their family of three could only survive in the Duke's Mansion by relying on their father's favor.
"Xia Zhiyu is not invincible. Her child will not be born smoothly."
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Liao Qianqian's eyes, and then she took out an old purse embroidered with a pear blossom pattern from under the pillow and handed it to Liao Lingxi.
Liao Lingxi took the purse and looked at the crude embroidery with a hint of disdain. "Isn't this something Jiang Songyi made when she was just starting to learn needlework? Why is my mother still keeping it?"
He recalled the days when Jiang Songyi toiled at home, mending their clothes and embroidering sachets and purses for a meager income. At that time, many of Liao Lingxi's clothes were sewn by Jiang Songyi herself, so he remembered her embroidery skills vividly.
However, when he took the purse, his fingers touched a hard object, as if there was something hidden in the purse.
When I opened it, I found it was a round jade disk with a white jade base and the black jade in the center was cleverly carved into the character "Ji".
Liao Qianqian carefully instructed, "You will wear this antique jade pendant. This purse will be given to Yuyao. Let her skillfully display it in front of Jinyiwei Commander Ji Cheng at the appropriate time."
…
During the Qingming Festival, the rain was as fine as silk, the sky was dyed with a thick ink color, and a light mist shrouded the grass and trees.
The bluestone path of the Yongding Marquis Mansion is covered with colorful petals. Red as fire, pink as clouds, white as snow, all kinds of flowers are intertwined together, and it is no longer possible to tell whether they are peaches, plums, pears, or apricots.
As spring gets warmer, Jiang Songyi stands under the corridor wearing only a light snow-blue skirt and a lotus-colored shawl. Her dress sways in the breeze, competing with the lavender lilac flowers in full bloom in the courtyard, complementing each other.
The maids and servants in the mansion were hurriedly carrying things, passing under the corridor and heading towards Tingxue Garden.
"These are all the eldest lady's dowry. Now that the eldest lady wants to divorce the Duke of Huguo, the Marquis has sent people to the Duke's Mansion to take back the eldest lady's dowry. The old lady even gave Tingxue Garden, where the cousins were temporarily staying, to the eldest lady to live in."
Xiang Zhu's eyes flashed with envy. "In the entire Jin City, only the Marquis is so steadfast in supporting my sister. The other wealthy families would rather let their daughters live in seclusion for the rest of their lives than allow them to divorce."
"That's their stubbornness."
Jiang Songyi has always scoffed at the old custom of the aristocratic families that "starving to death is a minor offense, but losing one's chastity is a major offense." However, in the incident of Jiang Shu's divorce, she actually developed some affection for Jiang Dinglian, the unqualified father.
Xiang Zhu chuckled softly and said, "My younger sister is so favored. As the Marquis's biological daughter, the eldest young lady has the Marquis's protection. When she gets married in the future, her in-laws will definitely respect her even more."
Jiang Songyi just smiled calmly and did not respond.
In the hexagonal pavilion in front, Yue Qingyang was reading facing the drizzle. Hearing this, he subconsciously glanced in the direction of Jiang Songyi.
Looking at the girl walking slowly towards him, he suddenly realized that she was in her prime and at the right age for marriage.
In the deep courtyard of the Marquis's mansion, an unusual atmosphere quietly permeated. Yue Qingyang felt a surge of curiosity, but hesitated to speak, fearing she would lose her composure. She decided to wait and see, and asked her confidants to secretly investigate.
Jiang Songyi is simple-minded. If she marries into a powerful family, she will probably have a harder life than her sister Jiang Shu. She may even be completely devoured, with even her bones unable to escape the fate of being chewed to pieces.
After all, she was of noble status, the only daughter of the Marquis of Yongding, and the blood of his enemy. Even if she had to suffer, it should be inflicted by him personally.
Xiang Zhu had been concentrating on checking Jiang Shu's generous dowry, and only then did he notice Yue Qingyang's presence. "Oh, is His Highness the Hostage here too?"
"Miss."
Yue Qingyang, holding an ancient book in his hands, nodded gently to Jiang Songyi. He was dressed simply and behaved appropriately, exuding an elegant scholarly demeanor, as gentle as a spring breeze, making it difficult to detect his inner scheming.
Jiang Songyi replied indifferently, with a barely perceptible coldness in his tone, "Your Highness, have you taken the medicine on time?"
She knew Yue Qingyang had a purpose for this trip. He had run into her repeatedly in the mansion these days, clearly hoping to achieve something through her. Unlike in her previous life, she no longer readily offered relief. Instead, whenever they met, she would always ask about his health with concern.
When Yue Qingyang heard this, a trace of silence flashed across his always slightly thin face.
If he didn't know Jiang Songyi's kind nature very well, he would almost suspect that she was mocking his illness.
He replied gently, "The eldest lady brewed the medicine herself. I take it on time every day. Miss Xiangzhu also witnessed it with her own eyes."
Xiang Zhu quickly nodded in agreement: "Indeed, His Highness the Hostage has never failed the Young Lady's good intentions."
"That's good. Your Highness is weak and must take medicine on time."
Jiang Songyi thought to herself that perhaps she should increase the dosage of the medicine to make him die sooner.
Yue Qingyang gently put the scroll into his sleeve and walked side by side with Jiang Songyi, seemingly chatting casually, "Miss, are you planning to leave the mansion?"
The direction they were heading, apart from the mansion gate, was the depths of the main courtyard.
Jiang Songyi originally planned to leave the mansion to investigate. She had some things she needed to verify in person to uncover the mystery of the truth.
When Yue Qingyang said this, it was obvious that he intended to use her relationship to seek an opportunity to leave the house.
As a hostage, his movements were strictly restricted. Except when invited to a banquet, he had almost no chance to step out of the mansion.
Jiang Songyi said casually, "I plan to go to the main courtyard to pay my respects to my mother."
Xiang Zhu silently glanced at the sky. It was almost lunchtime. What family would pay respects at such a time? However, the mistress doted on the eldest daughter and was extremely lenient with her. As long as she was willing to go, she could pay respects at any time.
Jiang Songyi had originally thought Yue Qingyang would leave without achieving his goal, but she hadn't expected him to suggest, "The daily affairs of the Marquis' Mansion are now managed by the Marquis's wife. I happened to have encountered some difficult problems in the Hidden Boat Garden and was planning to seek the wife's assistance. Why not go with the eldest lady?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
