The third sister, Jiang Qinghua, was so anxious that she tried to pull at her sister's sleeve, but she saw Jiang Songyi's hands gently waved behind her back. Jiang Qingzhi understood and pushed her two sisters back to their seats - their eldest sister was fighting with her eldest brother and never liked others to interfere.
"You're right." Jiang Yihuan laughed in anger, his dark sleeves sweeping off a few grapes. "I, Jiang Yihuan, only have one sister, Yuyao."
The main hall suddenly fell silent, even the draft stagnating between the twelve rosewood screens. The crisp clack of Xu's knuckles on the desk broke the silence. "Huan'er, don't forget your father's instructions before he left."
Jiang Songyi raised her eyebrows upon hearing this, then suddenly clapped her hands and chuckled, "Mother, I'd like to ask you - what is the current rank of our young General Jiang?"
This question stumped Mrs. Xu. She had spent all these years managing the household and taking care of her daughters, so how could she possibly remember the officialdom documents in the front courtyard? While she was hesitating, Jiang Yihan raised his head and sneered, "General Zhaoyong, a third-rank official."
"Oh my!" Jiang Songyi feigned surprise, covering her lips with her sleeve. "What a coincidence! My daughter was just conferred the rank of Princess Jiaqing by the Emperor last month." She emphasized the words "Second Rank" very strongly, her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents. "According to the rules, shouldn't General Jiang bow to this Princess?"
A vein throbbed in Jiang Yihuan's forehead. When his father's urgent letter, sent across eight hundred miles to the border, had arrived that day, he'd assumed it was a request for Yuyao's favor. He'd never imagined it was for this wretch! Now, being pressured by her rank, he couldn't argue due to the strict etiquette and rules. He could only stiffen his neck and glare at Xu.
"Song Yi is right." Xu slowly turned the Buddhist beads, the jade beads clattering with a clear sound. "Huan'er, I greet the Jiaqing County Lady."
"Mother!" Jiang Yihan stood up suddenly, the sword at his waist knocking against the table and shaking it. "I earned this position through hard-earned military merit!" He pointed at Jiang Songyi's nose, "She just relied on my father..."
"General Jiang, please be careful with your words." Jiang Songyi interrupted, her slender fingers pushing back the cold scabbard. "Didn't your title of General Zhaoyong come from your father in exchange for the military power of the Black Tiger Cavalry?" She deliberately imitated his raised head, revealing the imperial pearl necklace around her slender neck. "Besides, when you meet Princess Anyang, will you dare to ask, 'Did your title just come from reincarnation?'"
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