Chapter 69 Internal Strife
Jiang Wan Ning returned to the Marquis's residence as dusk was falling.
Arriving at Jiang Wanru's Snow Plum Courtyard, they asked, "Sister, is your injury any better?"
Jiang Wanru was lying in bed when she heard the sound. A sinister look flashed across her face, but she quickly concealed it.
"My sister is here."
He was talking, but showed no intention of getting out of bed.
"Second Miss, you are born out of wedlock and are the younger sister. You should greet the eldest young lady with proper courtesy," Haitang reminded her.
Jiang Wanru looked as pitiful as a little white rabbit. "I was injured, and I thought my sister wouldn't care."
"After all, the older sister had never made the younger sister bow before."
“That was then,” Jiang Wan Ning said with a smile. “Now that you’re in charge of the household, things are different.”
"Furthermore, my sister will be marrying the prince as a concubine in the future, and this rule must not be forgotten."
Jiang Wan Ning deliberately emphasized the word "concubine".
"Besides, my sister's injury is to her face, not her body."
Jiang Wanru's hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly as she slowly rose and bowed respectfully, "Greetings, elder sister."
Jiang Wanning didn't immediately tell Jiang Wanru to get up, but instead slowly walked around the room.
Looking at the ointment on the dressing table, she thought, "This ointment didn't work for you, little sister? Don't you trust your older sister?"
Jiang Wanru bent her knees and clenched her hands tightly. "Sister, it's not that I don't believe you."
“It was the young master who sent the ointment, saying it was even better than this. I thought that since my elder sister is not an outsider, I naturally couldn’t refuse the young master’s kindness.”
Jiang Wanru spoke with a deliberately coy tone.
He even deliberately looked at Jiang Wan Ning, trying to see jealousy and grief on her face.
Jiang Wan Ning picked up the ointment. "Since the young master has given it to me, I will take this ointment."
"This is the Jade Dew Ointment that the late Emperor bestowed upon my maternal grandfather. It can remove any scar without leaving a trace."
As Jiang Wan Ning spoke, she put the ointment into her pocket.
"Why are you still being so formal, little sister? It's just a formality. Get up quickly."
Jiang Wan Ning pretended to have just noticed.
Jiang Wanru straightened up, her calves trembling uncontrollably. Her legs weren't injured, but she had been kneeling for four hours every day for the past few days.
His knees were already covered in bruises, probably from a broken bone. If Jiang Wan Ning made him bend them any longer, his legs would probably be ruined.
Ignoring the need to rub my legs, I felt a pang of regret for the wasted ointment.
Could it be that Jiang Wan Ning wasn't lying to me? It really is something from the palace.
That's much more useful than what you buy yourself.
Pei Anqing had never sent him any medicine, and he hadn't seen Pei Anqing since the Spring Banquet.
She just said that on purpose to spite Jiang Wan Ning.
She vaguely felt that Pei Anqing seemed to have changed his mind and was not as concerned about her as before.
If these scars on my face aren't removed, wouldn't it make things even worse...?
"What is my little sister thinking about?"
"N-nothing...it's nothing." Jiang Wanru reached for her teacup, lowering her head to hide her fluster. "What are you doing here so late, sister?"
“What are you saying, little sister? I was too busy to see you the other day.”
"I finally had some free time today, so I came to visit my sister."
"To tell you the truth, I've come to tell you some good news."
"What good news?" Jiang Wanru asked subconsciously, but a sense of unease flashed through her mind.
"My sister doesn't know yet, does she?" Jiang Wan Ning said, "Auntie has paid back all the money borrowed at exorbitant interest rates."
"My father already knows about it now."
"But where did the money come from to make up for it?" Jiang Wanru asked anxiously.
"I was just about to tell my sister," Jiang Wanning said. "Auntie said that she had helped a distant relative a few years ago."
“That relative has made some money doing business in the past few years, and to thank his aunt, he made up for the lost money.”
"This relative really remembers the favor; he made up for it with tens of thousands of taels of silver without hesitation."
"It seems that my aunt really did help a lot back then."
"Fortunately, this matter is over now. I believe that soon Father's anger will subside, and he will be able to lift my sister's confinement."
Jiang Wanru was no longer listening to what Jiang Wanning was about to say.
He sat there, completely lost in thought.
"Little sister, get some rest. I won't disturb you any longer."
"Take care, sister." Jiang Wanru said, coming back to her senses as she saw her off.
Before Jiang Wan Ning even left the courtyard, she heard the sound of porcelain shattering inside the house.
"I knew it! My aunt has been in charge of the household for so many years, how come she has only saved that little bit of money?"
Jiang Wanru braced her hands on the round table. "So it was all given to that guy outside."
"They even said everything was for my sake, but I think it was for his."
As expected, the son is still the best. Over the years, I have always been careful in my conduct in the Marquis's mansion. Whenever my clothes or jewelry are slightly out of line, my aunt scolds me.
They said that a concubine's daughter should act like one, so that others won't be wary of her.
She appears to be an illegitimate daughter of a noble family, but she can only secretly wear the clothes and jewelry she likes in her room, pretending that she doesn't care about gold and silver.
Meanwhile, the one outside has been squandering money recklessly over the years, indulging in eating, drinking, gambling, and prostitution.
It's one thing for the father to be biased, but the mother is also so biased.
Haitang recounted everything that happened at Xuemei Courtyard to Jiang Wanning in detail.
Jiang Wanning sneered, "Go tell Mother tomorrow to ask Father to lift Jiang Wanru's confinement."
In this way, the mother will not only be seen as kind by the father, but will also be known as a virtuous stepmother by outsiders.
Father always listened to Mother; he would agree to anything Mother asked.
Only by lifting Jiang Wanru's confinement can we see them fighting amongst themselves.
As Jiang Wan Ning pondered these things, her brows suddenly furrowed. Now, even Aunt Liu's son from outside the marriage had been found out.
Why can't we find out Jiang Wanru's biological father?
When Zhang Sheng mentioned Granny Zhang today, his expression was very strange, coupled with his hesitant words.
There's also their conversation in the dilapidated temple, where Zhang Mama's gaze towards him is reminiscent of a parent's tenderness and worry for their child.
Granny Zhang... Zhang Sheng...
They all have the surname Zhang.
Could it be that Jiang Wanru's biological father is Zhang Mama?
Jiang Wan Ning immediately crossed out the idea; it couldn't possibly be Granny Zhang.
Granny Zhang was a woman, and even if she could fake the two ounces of flesh on her chest, she had been living and eating with the other maids and servants in the mansion for many years.
If it were really a man, no one would have noticed for so long.
Moreover, in her previous life, Granny Zhang had injured her shoulder, and Aunt Liu had personally applied the medicine, which Jiang Wan Ning had seen when she went to Bihe Courtyard.
That two ounces of meat was really good quality.
Even if Aunt Liu and Granny Zhang had some unspeakable feelings for each other,
But they were both women, so how could they possibly have two children?
If we cannot find out Jiang Wanru's biological father, we cannot act rashly against her and her mother.
Otherwise, if the enemy is lurking in the shadows and joins forces with the people behind the Liu family, we will be in a very passive position.
Jiang Wan Ning thought about it all night, but couldn't think of anyone more suspicious than Granny Zhang.
Early the next morning.
I went to the Langya Prince's Mansion with two dark circles under my eyes.
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