Chapter 87 Why is it so difficult to have the best of both worlds?
Jiang Yu had very complicated feelings towards Zhang Xiangling. The two had argued, and Zhang Xiangling had even targeted her a few times. Naturally, Jiang Yu felt uncomfortable at the time.
However, Zhang Xiangling's current predicament is indeed largely due to the actions of the Duke of Chu's mansion. From the Duke of Chu's perspective, they have wronged Zhang Xiangling. She hopes that Zhang Xiangling will stay, thus avoiding even greater disaster.
But Zhang Xiangling didn't think that way. Did she know that the Marquis of Jiangling was smuggling salt? Jiang Yu thought it was very likely that she did. But judging from the current situation, she didn't seem to have taken any action; otherwise, the three of them wouldn't have been arguing about her matter so much.
She could only sigh at this.
"I want to see Yuanyuan," Zhang Xiangling said to Jiang Yu, her eyes red.
“Okay,” Jiang Yu said, but then added, “I’ve discussed it with my mother. Yuanyuan will stay with her from now on. She will still be the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Chu’s mansion. You know what kind of person my mother is. We will not harm Yuanyuan, and we hope you will not say anything you shouldn’t. She is still young and doesn’t understand many things.”
Zhang Xiangling paused for a moment, then wiped away the tears that were about to fall, and said, "She is my own daughter, and no one has treated her better than me."
Jiang Yu neither agreed nor disagreed with her statement. If she were truly devoted to the child, she wouldn't have chosen to return to the Jiangling Marquis's residence. But it was her choice, and while she had tried to dissuade her, she insisted on it, and no one else could change her mind.
She led Zhang Xiangling to Lu Yifang's courtyard, where Lu Yifang was playing with Jiang Yuan. Upon seeing Zhang Xiangling, Lu Yifang paused for a moment, while Jiang Yuan cried out "Mother!" and rushed over to her.
Zhang Xiangling hugged Jiang Yuan tightly and asked with a smile, "Are you scared these past two days without your mother?"
Jiang Yuan nodded and then shook her head, "Now that Bitao brought me to see my grandmother, I'm not afraid anymore."
Zhang Xiangling looked at Lu Yifang, her expression indescribably complex. She hated the Chu State Duke's Mansion for being so ruthless and cruel to her. But she couldn't say a single bad thing about Lu Yifang.
"Why don't you go to the hall with Yuanyuan to talk?" Lu Yifang sensed Zhang Xiangling's choice and felt a tightness in her chest.
Zhang Xiangling nodded, carried Jiang Yuan to the main hall, while Jiang Yu and Lu Yifang went to the small flower-lined hall outside the bedroom. Although she had some guesses, Lu Yifang still asked Jiang Yu, "How did she make her decision?"
Jiang Yu: "Return to the Marquis of Jiangling's residence."
Tears welled up in Lu Yifang's eyes immediately. "Why is she so stubborn?"
Jiang Yu patted her arm and said softly, "I tried to persuade her, but it was no use."
Lu Yifang wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, "I just feel sorry for Yuanyuan. No one is as good as her own mother."
“How could she not know this?” Jiang Yu said.
Lu Yifang sighed, "She's made up her mind, there's nothing we can do."
Hall
Zhang Xiangling held Jiang Yuan in her arms, her nose stinging with tears, but she didn't let them fall. Jiang Yuan nestled in her embrace, looking up at her and asking, "Mother, are you leaving again?"
Zhang Xiangling nodded, "Yes, there are some things to do at your maternal grandparents' house, so your mother will be staying there for a while."
"Can I go with you?" Jiang Yuan asked.
Zhang Xiangling could no longer hold back her tears. "Mother has been very busy these past few days and hasn't been able to take care of Yuanyuan. You and Grandmother are at home, so you must listen to Grandmother and also... listen to Aunt."
Jiang Yuan nodded, "Yuanyuan is very obedient. Mother, don't cry. Yuanyuan misses you too."
The little girl's eyes also reddened, and Zhang Xiangling quickly wiped away her tears. "Mother misses Yuanyuan so much, but she'll bear it for a while."
Jiang Yuan didn't quite understand what she meant. She said, "My maternal grandparents' home isn't far away. My mother comes to see me whenever she misses me."
Zhang Xiangling nodded, "Yes, Mother will come to see you when she misses you."
......
The mother and daughter spoke in hushed tones for a while, then the maidservant from the Lady of Jiangling's household arrived, saying that the Lady of Jiangling was waiting for her. Zhang Xiangling carried Jiang Yuan out, and Jiang Yu went over to take Jiang Yuan from her and hold her. Lu Yifang pulled Zhang Xiangling aside to talk.
“I know you have indeed been wronged, but I can assure you, and I can also have the Duke assure you, that as long as you continue to stay in the Duke of Chu’s mansion, your life will not change much.” Lu Yifang still wanted to persuade Zhang Xiangling to stay.
However, Zhang Xiangling said, "Mother, your words sound nice. You are holding a funeral for Jiang Jiarong's illegitimate son. What status do I have to stay in the Duke of Chu's mansion?"
Lu Yifang opened her mouth, unsure what to say. Staying would indeed put her in an awkward position. But awkwardness was better than exile or execution!
“I will take stock of your dowry and send it to you,” Lu Yifang added.
Zhang Xiangling wiped away her tears again and said, "I'll leave my dowry to Yuanyuan."
Lu Yifang neither agreed nor refused, as she was unaware of the specific arrangements Jiang Yu and the Duke of Chu had for Zhang Xiangling's dowry.
"I'm entrusting Yuanyuan to you now. I hope you'll treat her well." Zhang Xiangling's tone softened considerably; a child is a mother's Achilles' heel.
"Don't worry about that," Lu Yifang said.
Zhang Xiangling bowed deeply to her, then turned and strode away. Jiang Yuan rested her head on Jiang Yu's shoulder, watching her departing figure, and pouted, asking, "When is Mother coming back?"
Jiang Yu patted her head, "How about your aunt takes you to play in the garden?"
Jiang Yu's silence made Jiang Yuan realize that her mother's departure might not be so simple. She buried her face in Jiang Yu's neck and began to sob softly.
Jiang Yu tried to comfort her, but no matter what she did, the little girl's tears wouldn't stop flowing. Lu Yifang also came over to comfort her, and as she did so, she too started to cry.
She whispered to Jiang Yu, "Why is it so hard to have the best of both worlds?"
Jiang Yu was also saddened, but how many things in this world can be perfect? This world is full of black and white, truth and falsehood, so blurry that it's hard to distinguish good from bad, and there are too many things that cause people unbearable distress.
After spending some more time with Lu Yifang, Jiang Yu returned to her own courtyard. Just as she sat down, Li Zhong came to report, "The funeral has already been held. By tomorrow, everyone in the capital should know about the replacement of our illegitimate son with a legitimate son."
Jiang Yu hummed in agreement, then said, "Take stock of Zhang Xiangling's dowry. Send the larger items to the Jiangling Marquis's residence first, and keep the valuables. But make sure you have a plan in mind; they'll be useful later."
Li Zhong didn't know what she meant, but he still respectfully agreed and then left.
In truth, Jiang Yu had no ulterior motive. Sending Zhang Xiangling's dowry was simply a way of letting people know that the Duke of Chu's mansion and the Marquis of Jiangling's mansion had broken ties. Leaving behind the valuables was to prevent Zhang Xiangling's dowry from being confiscated if the Marquis of Jiangling's mansion were to be raided.
It would be better to keep it for now and give it to her later; perhaps it could solve her immediate problem. This was the only thing she could do for Zhang Xiangling.
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