heartless
"It's kind of Father to still remember Mother." Jiang Jin restrained her temper, but the resentment in her eyes was still undeniable.
"The Sun family of Sangzhou is not someone a lowly official like myself from the Censorate can contend with." Jiang Luo revealed his helplessness in front of Jiang Jin. "Back then, I also wanted to remonstrate with my life, but what good would that have done? It would have just been finding a scapegoat. Could that really have harmed the Sun family in the slightest?" Jiang Luo was once an ambitious man, but the years had bent his back.
"It's already difficult enough for your father to protect himself. Do you think you're so carefree now because you're capable? Is it because you have Wei Shu behind you? But can Wei Shu really protect you forever?" Jiang Luo didn't say it explicitly, but both father and daughter understood.
"Father, you speak with such concern, yet you were the one who married me off to Wei Shu, and now you're the one saying Wei Shu can't protect me for life. Is the right thing to do to preserve the Jiang family by committing suicide after Wei Shu dies?" Jiang Jin felt an uncontrollable rage within her.
"Father, are you truly without remorse? My elder sister is all alone away from home, and my brother-in-law is going to report to the governor of Sangzhou this year. Have you ever worried about my elder sister's safety? Third Sister's poor health is due to your own selfishness, and Fourth Sister is about to be sent to the countryside because of rumors." Jiang Jin's words struck Jiang's father's heart like swords.
"Father, you don't care about my elder sister's safety, you don't care about my future, you don't care about Third Sister's health, you don't care about Fourth Sister's future! Father, what are your reasons?!" Jiang Jin didn't want to hear Jiang Luo's words anymore, so she turned around and opened the door, only to see Jiang Su standing blankly outside the door with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Father, are you sending me to the countryside?" Jiang Su pushed Jiang Jin away and rushed to Jiang Luo. "Father, I don't believe it! The Second Prince said he would marry me. Father, I am the Second Prince's consort! I can bring glory to the family! Why, Father!"
Tears welled up in Jiang Su's eyes, but she could still see the coldness in Jiang Luo's eyes. "We cannot get involved in the struggle for the crown prince, so you cannot marry the second prince."
"Father, His Highness said he has no intention of vying for the throne; he truly loves me. Father, I truly love him too, Father..." Jiang Su tried to grab Jiang Luo's sleeve but was ruthlessly shaken off.
"Don't worry, your father will find you a good family, but don't even think about staying in the capital." Jiang Luo left the study, leaving Jiang Jin looking at the distraught Jiang Su.
"Fourth Sister, when I married Wei Shu, were you relieved or worried?" Jiang Jin's casual question made Jiang Su raise her head. "Are you trying to add fuel to the fire?"
“I told my father that if he went before His Majesty to apologize, perhaps all the problems would be solved. Unfortunately, my father was unwilling; he was unwilling to take even the slightest risk, just as he was unwilling to defend me back then.” Jiang Jin squatted down, helped Jiang Su up, and patted the dust off her clothes.
"Fourth Sister, do you know why Third Sister's health is so poor?" Jiang Su subconsciously took a step back when she saw the coldness in Jiang Jin's eyes.
"Back then, my father got drunk and accidentally touched a beautiful woman. She was pregnant and fearing His Majesty's wrath, she found a pretext to harm the child and had someone drug her and sell her. Can you guess who that child was?" Jiang Jin looked at Jiang Su's trembling appearance and laughed, "With your guts, you actually want to marry the Second Prince?"
Jiang Jin touched Jiang Su's cheek, her eyes flashing coldly, "Do you know how many concubines a prince can take? Do you know how many young ladies you'll have to fight against in the future?"
"I'm not afraid, Jiang Jin. Don't think you're the only one who can stop your husband from taking concubines. I'm no worse than you!" Jiang Su pushed Jiang Jin away and whispered as she walked to the door, "Second sister, thank you."
Jiang Jin smiled and nodded, "She really does have a childlike heart." Looking at Jiang Su's retreating figure, Jiang Jin suddenly felt a pang of envy.
"Second sister." Jiang Ru walked in, lifting her skirt. Although her expression was normal, Jiang Jin could see the fingerprints on her palm.
"Third Sister, your marriage to Liang Dalang is already arranged, it won't be affected by the rumors," Jiang Jin comforted her, pretending not to notice her unusual behavior.
"Second sister, will Fourth Sister get what she wants?" Although Jiang Ru and Jiang Su don't get along, she doesn't really want her to leave home.
"I don't know, Third Sister, there's no need to worry about these things. Liang Langjun is a steady person; since he made this choice, it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. You just need to live your own life well." Jiang Ru looked at Jiang Jin in her court robes, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes.
"Second sister looks beautiful in this court dress." Jiang Ru reached out and hugged Jiang Jin. "Thank you for speaking up for me." A tear fell onto Jiang Jin's neck.
“We are family and both women, so helping you is helping myself.” Jiang Jin gently patted Jiang Ru’s back. “When you get to a respectable family, you must not cry anymore. Protect your dowry and don’t foolishly give money to a respectable family. You can have expectations for a good husband, but don’t be too high. I and your mother will take care of everything.”
Jiang Ru nodded. She knew Jiang Jin was telling the truth. Her beloved husband was currently deeply in love with her, but as time went by, it wasn't impossible that they might grow tired of each other.
"Second sister, I can only wish you all the best and a successful career in your official career." Jiang Ru wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I will try my best to establish myself in a respectable family and live a good life from now on."
“Okay, I believe you.” Jiang Jin patted Jiang Ru’s hand. “I’ll go check on Fourth Sister’s courtyard. They must be like ants on a hot plate right now.”
"Second sister, you must act within your means. Royal matters are not for us to interfere with. Besides, it's about the Second Prince's marriage. Although there are many rumors in the capital, there is no concrete evidence. If Father sends Fourth Sister away, then it's confirmed. Second sister can start from this point without taking any risks." Jiang Ru looked at Jiang Jin with concerned eyes.
"Thank you, Third Sister. I guess I don't need to worry about your life in a respectable family anymore. You have your own methods; you're very clever." Jiang Jin reached out and pinched Jiang Ru's nose. "Alright, go back early."
"Then I'll be going now, Second Sister." Jiang Jin watched Jiang Ru leave and quickly walked towards Jiang Su's courtyard. Just as she rounded a bend, she heard the sound of a porcelain vase shattering in the yard ahead.
"Alright, what's all the noise about!" Jiang Jin glanced at the maids outside the courtyard who dared not go in. "All of you, go down. I don't want to hear a single word about what happened today."
Aunt Liu's eyes flashed with a calculating glint when she saw Jiang Jin arrive. "Second Aunt, come quickly and help Fourth Aunt! If she's sent back to her hometown, she'll be ruined!"
Just as Aunt Liu was about to burst into tears, Jiang Jin stopped her with a look, saying, "No need to put on an act in front of me."
Jiang Jin sat at the head of the table, looking at the shards scattered on the floor. "Fourth Sister, you have a quick temper. Even if you don't stay at the Second Prince's residence, will you still act like this when you're married and faced with provocation from concubines?"
"Jiang Jin, why do you have to put on airs and lecture me like this? If Wei Shu were to take a concubine, you'd probably be even more impulsive than I am!" Jiang Su's words, spoken in a fit of anger, were particularly hurtful.
"Fool! Haven't you seen how your mother manages the household in all these years? Has your mother ever gotten angry over concubines or secretly harmed them? Otherwise, would you and Aunt Liu still be living peacefully in this courtyard, smashing porcelain vases like this!" Jiang Jin snorted coldly, not bothering to argue with Jiang Su.
"Father wants to send you back to his hometown, and there's nothing I can do about it. But doesn't the Second Prince have any ideas?" Jiang Jin didn't believe that the Second Prince would just stand by and watch his true love be sent back to his hometown.
"This..." Aunt Liu closed the door and whispered to Jiang Jin, "Fourth Sister said that the Second Prince wanted His Majesty to issue an edict, but I asked Fourth Sister to stop him."
"Isn't this a good idea? Why isn't Aunt Liu appreciating it?" Jiang Jin sat down, tapping the armrest and observing Aunt Liu's expression.
"Second Madam is joking. If the imperial decree of marriage were issued and the Second Prince were to have other ideas, wouldn't that ruin the Jiang family and Fourth Madam's life?" Aunt Liu knew she wasn't particularly clever, but she understood Jiang Luo's concerns to some extent.
“I said that I would let Father go to His Majesty to apologize and put the decision in His Majesty’s hands. Unfortunately, Father is unwilling to take any risks. If Aunt Liu can persuade Father, that would be good. Also, Third Sister does not want Fourth Sister to leave, which is also a way. There are only rumors in the capital. If we send Fourth Sister away now, wouldn’t that confirm the rumors?”
Jiang Jin stood up and remained silent. She knew that Aunt Liu had her own methods that might change her father's mind.
"Thank you, Second Madam." Aunt Liu knew that Jiang Jin always kept to herself, and when Jiang Ru and Jiang Su quarreled, it was Jiang Jin who used her own allowance to make up for it.
"No need, we're just sisters." As Jiang Jin left the courtyard, looking at the familiar Jiang residence, she felt a sudden glimpse of her childhood self.
She turned and walked along the bluestone path to the ancestral hall. The servant who was dozing outside saw Jiang Jin and quickly kowtowed to apologize.
"It's alright, get up." Jiang Jin entered the room alone and saw that her mother's memorial tablet was clean and tidy, just like it was on her wedding day.
“Mother, I am now an official, a clerk. I even killed Wang Juesong, the governor of Bianzhou, with my own hands. Mother, you don’t need to worry. I’ve asked Wei Shu to send people to protect my sister. Wei Shu is the man I was betrothed to. He is a good man and loves me very much. As long as he doesn’t change, I will remain the same.”
Jiang Jin sat on the prayer mat, holding three incense sticks. As the smoke curled upwards, she seemed to see her mother.
"Second Mistress." A female voice came from behind. Jiang Jin was about to get up when a hand supported her arm.
"Second Madam, it's been a long time." The woman helped Jiang Jin up and looked at her face with affection. "You look just like Madam did when she was young."
"Who are you?" Jiang Jin looked at the woman in front of her with some hesitation. Just as she was about to pull her hand out, she heard the woman say, "I am A-Mo. When Second Madam was young, she often called me Mo-niang."
"Mo Niang?" Jiang Jin looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared in front of her with suspicion. The timing was perfect, so it was no wonder she was a little suspicious.
"Ah Jin, I'm the one who found her." Wei Shu arrived late, holding a cloak in his hand. "Wear more clothes, it's getting windy outside."
“My mother did indeed have a maid named Mo Niang, but she disappeared along with my maternal grandfather’s family after my mother sent her to Sangzhou.” Jiang Jin carefully examined Mo Niang.
"I don't remember what Mo Niang looks like anymore. What evidence do you have to prove that you are Mo Niang? And how did you escape under those circumstances back then?"
Mo Niang understood Jiang Jin's doubts, but felt sorry for Jiang Jin's wary appearance. If the Jiang family hadn't treated her badly, why would she be so wary and marry the rumored ruthless Wei Shu?
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