When Shen Qinghe heard this news at home, she almost wanted to laugh out loud, but she couldn't help feeling hatred.
Jiang Shuman is so lucky.
Even if Lu Yanhe is gone, there is still Gu Jinchuan.
Each one more prestigious than the last.
And she could only stay in this house, fighting with a bunch of stupid women.
Shen Jiming had taken a concubine before. When he first married Jiang Sixian, he couldn't even get into her room. Having left the capital, his future was uncertain, and filled with resentment, he took a concubine. Jiang Sixian naturally wouldn't allow it; she dared to kill even the Crown Princess, let alone anyone else.
Shen Jiming, having been taken advantage of, didn't dare do anything to Jiang Sixian and could only endure it.
Few men take women seriously.
Until Fang appeared, Fang was the daughter of Shen Jiming's wet nurse. She had been married, but unfortunately her husband died young.
Shen Jiming treated this woman very differently, protecting her meticulously, and she also had an older brother who was an official.
Jiang Sixian failed to kill her, but lost her child. Then, citing a clash of horoscopes, she was sent to a nunnery.
Who would have thought that when he was promoted and returned to the capital, he would not forget to bring this woman with him?
Even more unexpectedly, after many years of recuperation, she was able to become pregnant and give birth again.
Shen Qinghe was more decisive than her mother; Fang Shi would never be able to have children again.
A man's affections cannot compare to his obsession with continuing the family line, and Shen Jiming eventually took a new wife.
The once gentle, virtuous, and well-educated woman was finally blinded by jealousy and turned into a second Jiang Sixian.
But she was lucky.
Because her brother was highly regarded by the emperor and had already become the governor of Bingzhou and concurrently the defense commissioner.
Since Shen Jiming had just ascended to the position of head of the family, it was impossible for him to cause another scandal of divorcing his wife. Therefore, Fang's position as the head of the family remained unshaken in the slightest.
Of course, that only applies to the outside.
Internally, Shen Qinghe held absolute power.
But compared to Jiang Shuman's ability to command soldiers and generals, the power she wielded within the mansion was utterly insignificant.
How could I not hate it?
They grew up together, so why can Jiang Shuman roam freely in the world while she is forever trapped in this square house?
After Wen Zhixuan returned to the capital, he never came to see her again.
I'm probably even less in the mood now.
Wen Zhixuan was in no mood to pay attention to her; he was busy entertaining a 'distinguished guest'—Jiang Yiqing.
"I apologize for disturbing you so abruptly, and hope the Imperial Preceptor will forgive me."
He was polite and modest, without a trace of the arrogance or haughtiness often associated with scions of wealthy families.
Wen Zhixuan disliked the Jiang family, but seeing that their features resembled Jiang Shuman's, he didn't give them a cold look.
"You're too kind, Lord Jiang."
After sitting down and drinking tea, he asked, "May I ask what brings Lord Jiang here today?"
Jiang Yiqing didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I heard that the Imperial Preceptor entered the mortal world in May three years ago, but only entered the Duke of E's mansion in June. I wonder where he went during that time?"
Wen Zhixuan instantly became alert.
Before Jiang Qi was imprisoned, he had no idea who was targeting him. All his close confidants were also arrested, so even if news reached the Duke of Anguo's mansion, they would not be able to implicate him.
After all, even Jiang Qi didn't associate himself with the Wen Zhixuan of the past.
Why did Jiang Yiqing suddenly ask about this?
"Why does Lord Jiang ask this question?"
"Imperial Preceptor, please don't misunderstand."
Jiang Yiqing smiled faintly, "The Imperial Preceptor should also know that Jiang Qi, the magistrate of Chang'an County who was impeached a few days ago, is a member of my Jiang clan. Therefore, my father investigated his past deeds and learned from a constable that he had once arrested a person with the same name as the Imperial Preceptor."
Wen Zhixuan's pupils contracted.
Jiang Yiqing seemed oblivious to his odd behavior and continued, "It's quite a coincidence that the man also claimed to be a cultivator who had just entered the mortal world. He didn't have a household registration, so he ended up in the government office and was beaten. He was supposed to be sent to do hard labor, but after twenty strokes, he broke his bones and couldn't take it."
Wen Zhixuan raised his eyebrows slightly, somewhat surprised.
Jiang Qi did indeed order the caning, but he stopped after only a few strokes and secretly took him back to his residence.
He didn't have a household registration, so it's normal that the government didn't have a record of him.
It's common for an unregistered person to die and be carelessly dumped in the mountains to feed wolves; nobody would care.
Jiang Qigan's despicable deeds could not leave any visible evidence, and he escaped again. It is quite remarkable that the Jiang family was able to find the name 'Wen Zhixuan' three years later.
Wen Zhixuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, knowing that his most secret humiliation remained unknown to others.
Jiang Yiqing looked at him, seemingly puzzled, and asked, "But are there really such coincidences in the world?"
"What coincidence is there?" Wen Zhixuan said calmly. "When I was young, my elders told my fortune and said that I would face a life-or-death crisis when I was eighteen. I never thought it would be related to the secular world. Fortunately, I have passed through it safely."
Jiang Yiqing nodded, "Those who survive a great calamity are bound to have good fortune in the future. The Imperial Preceptor now enjoys His Majesty's deep trust, which shows that good fortune has already arrived."
Wen Zhixuan remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Jiang Yiqing then changed the subject, "I've heard that Taoism practices the concept of 'cause and effect.' The Imperial Preceptor doesn't seem to care much about the past, so why is he so frequently targeting my Duke Anguo's mansion?"
Wen Zhixuan's gaze sharpened.
Jiang Yiqing had stopped laughing.
He was only fifteen years old, his face still youthful, yet he was the heir nurtured by a powerful family, every word and action honed through countless trials. Despite his limited experience, he was not to be underestimated.
"The witchcraft case at the Princess's residence two years ago, though orchestrated by Princess Qingping, was actually partly the work of the Imperial Advisor. Princess Huaiyang's second son was also in danger after discovering his daughter's unmarried pregnancy, which was also due to the Imperial Advisor's secret manipulation. Isn't that right?"
Wen Zhixuan's face had turned cold.
"Lord Jiang, do you have any evidence to support your claims?"
Jiang Yiqing smiled faintly, but her eyes held no hint of amusement.
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