Indeed, that was her plan.
"But why did the old lady come up with this plan? Was she worried that the Fourth Prince's marriage would be affected if he learned of Jiang Yuyao's true identity? Humph, as expected, she keeps saying she wants to return what's due to me, but in reality, she still cares more about Jiang Yuyao and is always thinking about her."
[The old lady was just about to praise Jiang Songyi's wit and intelligence, but she didn't expect that her granddaughter was as dull as a rock!
[Hehe, the old lady is still hoping that Jiang Yuyao will personally reveal her true identity as the fake daughter to the Imperial Concubine. However, based on my understanding of Jiang Yuyao, she will definitely cover it up cleverly! Besides, I have no intention of becoming the Fourth Prince's consort, so I will let her continue to hide it for now. When the day of the formal engagement comes and everything is settled, I will definitely reveal her true identity and will never allow her to enter the bridal sedan under the title of the real daughter! By then, it is unknown whether Concubine Yang will still be satisfied with this daughter-in-law she has longed for.]
The old lady closed her eyes and listened to the voice deep in Jiang Songyi's heart, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
She once gave Yuyao the opportunity to be honest with the Fourth Prince and Yang Guifei on her own, and told her that her future path was her own choice.
Although she was full of love for the granddaughter who had been raised by her since childhood, in comparison, she cared more about the future of the Marquis' Mansion and the safety of the many lives in the mansion.
The carriage of the Marquis' Mansion slowly drove into the bustling market. The hustle and bustle of the capital city hit them in the face. There was a wide variety of fruits along the street. Some people had already been carrying baskets filled with peach and apricot blossoms, walking through the streets and alleys, shouting loudly.
Jiang Songyi gently held her chin and watched all this. The people lived and worked in peace and the world was at peace.
Who could have predicted that in the spring of the following year, when peach blossoms were in full bloom all over the city, the country would be in ruins, the mountains and rivers would remain the same, but the grass and trees in the city would wither?
The old lady suddenly opened her eyes and gazed at the bustling streets outside the curtains. "Jindu has prospered. Ever since your father led his army to victory twenty years ago, defeating Dongling and sending Dongling's crown prince to Jindu as a hostage, there has been no more fighting within our borders. Although there have been occasional conflicts on the border, they have not affected the people of Jindu. They continue to live in peace and joy."
Jiang Songyi responded calmly, "Father has indeed made outstanding contributions and has worked hard for great success."
Even though in the past, she was under the dual pressure of the Fourth Prince and Jiang Yuyao, and Yongding Hou Jiang Dinglian personally pushed her to death, she had to admit that the current peace of the Western Jin Dynasty was indeed the glory created by Jiang Dinglian and his 100,000 armored warriors.
The old lady was filled with pride, her eyes revealing her admiration for Jiang Dinglian. "That's right. Even His Majesty the Emperor praised your father as the shield of the Western Jin Dynasty. As long as he is still alive, the capital of Jin will enjoy eternal peace, free from the ravages of war."
Sadly, he ultimately passed away. After the previous emperor's death, the Yongding Marquisate was falsely accused of treason by the Huguogong, leading to the confiscation of property and extermination of the entire family. At the time, Jiang Dinglian was on the battlefield, fighting bravely to defend the nation's gates. Unexpectedly, a golden plaque from Xinyi Zigu summoned him back to the capital, where he was ultimately torn apart by chariots and shattered to pieces. Rather than a heroic sacrifice on the battlefield, he met a cruel death at the hands of the new emperor. A hero who defended his country was falsely accused of treason, leaving behind an infamy that will endure forever.
The old lady's heart felt like it was hit by a heavy hammer, and she suppressed the anger in her heart.
The Jiang family is a family of loyal and valiant men. Jiang Dinglian, with his distinguished achievements, enjoyed the trust of the current emperor, even being granted a golden medal of immunity from death. For over twenty years, the emperor and his subjects enjoyed harmonious relations. The emperor had once vowed that even if Jiang Dinglian committed the grave crime of treason, his body would be spared. Yet, Xinyi Zigu had the audacity to murder her own son!
Furthermore, during their meeting today at Yikun Palace, Xinyi Zigu, while deeply in love with Jiang Yuyao, seemed to be tormented by his feelings, lacking the wisdom expected of a crown prince. The Yongding Marquisate was in such a delicate position that it could not remain indifferent to the issue of the succession. It seemed she must consult with Jiang Dinglian and select a wise new leader to ensure the future of the nation.
"Come and take a look, come and take a look at Mr. Zizhu's new storybook, titled 'The Tyrannical Imperial Merchant's Nightly Favor'! Exclusively for sale, no other options!"
A cacophony of hawking could be heard from beyond the curtains. Jiang Songyi, hearing the name "Mr. Zizhu," curiously peered out the window. He saw a crowd of people lining up in front of the Dafeng Study. A young man in front of the study held a strange instrument resembling a horn, seemingly amplifying the sound. Even amidst the clamor, the boy's cries were clearly audible.
In that era, a device that could amplify sound was called a trumpet. Yue Qingyang had used it frequently during his military career, but he had never expected that this device had already quietly appeared in the prosperous Jin capital.
What is even more surprising is that it was actually used by merchants as a selling tool in the market.
Mrs. Jiang seemed to hear Jiang Songyi's thoughts in her ears, and she also looked out along her granddaughter's gaze.
In her youth, she had fought on the battlefield with the old marquis and knew full well that the battlefield was filled with clamor and the numerous commands and signals often relied on the waving of horns and flags. Most of these signals could only convey simple orders to attack and retreat.
If there were a device that could directly amplify and transmit human speech, it would undoubtedly greatly improve the efficiency of military communications. She secretly took note of this and decided to tell her son as soon as she returned home to investigate how to make such a loudspeaker, so as to prevent the enemy from gaining the upper hand.
Jiang Songyi suddenly said, "Grandma, I want to go to the study."
She was eager to see Mr. Zizhu's new work.
In her previous life, after her death, her body was hung on the city wall, and her soul was imprisoned inside the body, unable to escape. Until her master descended like a god, riding a white crane, appeared beside her, rescued her, and took her to the mountains to practice.
During her training in the mountains, her master, seeing her loneliness and boredom, would always bring her back a few books from Dafeng Book Studio when she went down to practice medicine. The most common of these were Mr. Zizhu's storybooks, as she had a special fondness for Mr. Zizhu's works.
Mr. Zizhu's stories, with their bold and shocking titles, sometimes even seeming inelegant, were often scorned by Jindu scholars and unpopular with the wealthy. However, they were deeply loved by the common people and dominated sales throughout the city.
Unlike ordinary scriptures or opera excerpts, Mr. Zizhu's vernacular is written in easy-to-understand vernacular. The language is concise and clear, without any fancy words or reading difficulties. Even ordinary people with low cultural level can easily understand it, and it is very popular.
Mr. Zizhu's works were very popular among young girls and noble ladies. In the past, Jiang Songyi had heard that when an official was searching the house, he found several sets of beautifully bound Mr. Zizhu's storybooks in the rooms of his wives and concubines.
That official even repeatedly advocated in the court that Mr. Zizhu's works be listed as banned books and prohibited from being printed and sold in bookstores.
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