Yuan Qi could tell that the Jiang family didn't take her seriously. Although she was the daughter of a concubine, she was still a mistress. It was one thing for her biological father, Jiang Zhengqing, not to come and pick her up, but couldn't even one of her brothers and sisters come?
It seems she really isn't well-liked.
After Yuan Qi climbed into the carriage, He Xiang followed. Inside the carriage was a cloth bag. He Xiang untied the bag and handed a set of clothes to Yuan Qi: "Seventh Miss, it's probably not appropriate for you to return to the manor in a Taoist robe. Madam was worried that Seventh Miss didn't have suitable clothes, so she asked me to bring a set of old clothes that Sixth Miss wore. Seventh Miss, please change into them first."
Although it's called old, it's actually pretty much the same as new.
Yuan Qi glanced at it sideways. Not only was the dress too big, but the style was also very outdated. She threw the dress back with disdain: "Is the Jiang family so poor that they can't even afford a new set of clothes?"
He Xiang didn't want to tell her that the Madam forbade her from getting new clothes, feeling that she was unworthy, so she just gave a perfunctory answer. Instead, she explained with great disdain: "Seventh Miss has not returned to the manor, so who would know Seventh Miss's size? Sixth Miss has been raised by the Madam since she was a child and is treated like a legitimate daughter. Even if these clothes are old, they are still much better than the Taoist robe you are wearing."
She held the clothes up to Yuan Qi's eyes: "Look, this is brocade fabric, a trendy style from last year. You grew up in a dilapidated Taoist temple, have you ever seen brocade before?"
Yuan Qi smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons, looking rather adorable.
He Xiang thought she had given in, and felt quite pleased.
Unexpectedly, Yuan Qi suddenly raised his hand and slapped He Xiang.
Then she took out a pomegranate-red soft gauze skirt from her cloth bag: "Look, I have one myself, it should be better than yours."
He Xiang's cheeks burned with pain, and there was a hint of saltiness on her lips. When she wiped them with her hand, she realized that she had drawn blood. How could a child have such strength to hit her like that? It was even worse than the beatings from the executioners in the manor.
She dared not utter another disrespectful word: "It's actually made of soft silk gauze?"
In just a short while, Yuan Qi began to resemble a young lady from an official family.
She took out another jade hairpin and inserted it into her hair bun. Her cool gaze fell on He Xiang, who was somewhat afraid to look directly at her.
He Xiang was secretly alarmed. This illegitimate daughter, who grew up in a Taoist temple, was actually more beautiful than the other young ladies. When she arrived at the Marquis's mansion, this seventh young lady was in for a rough time.
The coachman drove the carriage very fast, and finally entered the city before sunset.
The vermilion gate of the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion was very grand, with the two gilded characters "Jiang Residence" written on the plaque. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on it, almost dazzling Yuan Qi's eyes.
Everyone says that the Jiang family is the last of the four great families, but Yuan Qi thinks this place is magnificent, with just one gate being a hundred meters wide.
This gate is almost as big as the imperial palace. Isn't there any censor who can't stand it?
Yuan Qi looked up at the plaque for a long time and discovered that there was a faint aura of malevolence surging within the vast Jiang Mansion.
Seeing Yuan Qi's stunned expression, He Xiang felt utterly contemptuous.
"Seventh Miss, our Wu'an Marquis's Mansion has many masters and strict rules. Please don't forget what I told you on the way. If you offend any master, don't say I didn't remind you."
"It is a blessing that Miss was able to be brought back by the master. After entering the manor, you must be careful with your words and actions. If you anger the Marquis, you may lose your life."
Yuan Qi didn't take these words to heart. In her eyes, although the Jiang family was powerful and seemingly unapproachable, they were actually no different from ordinary families, except that they had more rules.
She knew that, given her status, she was not entitled to use the main entrance.
Sure enough, He Xiang led her through the side door.
A person dressed like He Xiang approached and whispered something to her.
He Xiang turned to Yuan Qi and said, "Seventh Miss, you've arrived just in time for the manor's dinner. I'll take you to the dining hall now."
The dining hall was very quiet. There was no sound at the entrance, and Yuan Qi thought there was no one inside. But when he went in, he found that there were quite a few people, all quietly cooking. The food was already on the table, and it looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. It was much better than the food at Fusang Temple.
Yuan Qi's appetite was whetted, so he took a few steps and couldn't help but exclaim as soon as he entered the room, "It smells so good!"
He Xiang led Yuan Qi inside and bowed to her masters, saying, "Madam Marquis, the Seventh Miss has arrived."
Although Yuan Qi grew up in a Taoist temple, he knew some secular etiquette. He immediately curtsied and said obediently, "Yuan Qi greets Father, Mother, Aunt, and my brothers and sisters."
Jiang Zhengqing remained expressionless, his cold gaze fixed on her: "You've suffered all these years. Now that you're back, you are the seventh young lady of the Jiang family."
He had a full beard, a dignified face, and a hint of handsome features; this was her biological father, Marquis Jiang Zhengqing of Wu'an.
Upon inspection, Yuan Qi saw that, just as his master had said, the man's appearance was not good, indicating he was going through a lot of bad luck. Moreover, he was surrounded by dark energy, suggesting the presence of ghosts. However, since this man was a military general, his own aura of malevolence was naturally strong, and it was estimated that ordinary ghosts would not be able to get close to him.
Jiang Zhengqing introduced the people here to Yuan Qi.
"This is your mother."
Yuan Qi greeted her politely, "Greetings, Mother."
On the left was a woman dressed in a purple gown, with high cheekbones and a pointed chin. She looked like a mean-spirited and ruthless person. Judging from her appearance, she had taken many lives and was surrounded by ghostly energy.
This person was none other than Lady Xiangli Mingzhu, wife of the Marquis of Wu'an. Her family was the Xiangli clan, the most prominent family in Rongguo. Even Jiang Zhengqing treated her with great respect.
Across from her stood a beautiful woman with a rosy complexion, who was giving her a faint smile. This was Concubine Li.
Jiang Zhengqing had many children. Including Yuan Qi, he had three sons and four daughters. Among them, his eldest son, Jiang Juncai, was born to Xiangli Mingzhu. He is currently the commander of the Imperial Guards and has made great contributions at a young age. He was awarded the title of General Zhenbei.
The second son, Jiang Junjing, and the third son, Jiang Juncai, were born to the concubine, Lady Li. Both were exceptionally handsome men. The second son had a talent for business and was never short of money. The third son was a disciple of Master Yunyi and possessed extraordinary strategic skills.
The fourth in line is the legitimate daughter, Jiang Bailu. She was engaged to the Crown Prince three years ago. At the age of fifteen, she has already grown into a graceful and beautiful young woman, a rare beauty in the world.
The fifth young lady, Jiang Jiulu, was born to the concubine Li. She was the same age as Jiang Bailu and had also grown into a very beautiful young lady.
The sixth young lady, Jiang Songlu, was born to Xiangli Mingzhu's personal maid. The maid died of postpartum hemorrhage, so Xiangli Mingzhu took Jiang Songlu under his wing and raised her as his legitimate daughter.
Everyone in the room turned to look at Yuan Qi, utterly astonished.
The young girl who entered was graceful and elegant. Although she wore her hair in a Taoist bun, it did not detract from her beauty at all.
Her eyebrows were curved, neither too thick nor too thin, resembling distant mountains in a landscape painting; any darker and they would be too black, any lighter and they would be too pale. Her long eyelashes were like small fans, and her eyes were incredibly lively, as if they could take in everything. Her nose was straight with a rounded tip, and her lips were plump and pink, gleaming with a healthy sheen.
The women in the room paled in comparison.
It's hard to imagine how beautiful she would be if she dressed up, or how stunningly beautiful she would be when she grew up.
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