Chapter 52: Should I still be the Jiang family's son-in-law...?
The Jiang Mansion is located in a bustling area, with a beautiful view every ten steps. The carved railings and jade steps, the eaves, the plinths and the piers are all exquisite.
Jiang Yinyue still lives in the back room, a secluded chamber where handicrafts made of filigree, hammering, engraving, and gold and silver inlay can be seen everywhere.
"Miss, the pear soup is ready."
Jiang Yinyue took the pear soup from Hong Mei and said with a smile, "Aunt Qi's cooking skills have improved again."
"Aunt Qi has been looking forward to the young lady's return every day."
With the matriarch of the Jiang family having passed away, the eldest son being away from home year-round, and the eldest daughter having moved to Yangzhou with her husband, the large Jiang mansion was almost deserted. Aunt Qi had repeatedly joked that her culinary skills were of no use, let alone those of the maids.
After Jiang Yinyue returned to her residence, she eagerly awaited her brother's return, but the date of their meeting was somewhat different from what she had anticipated.
Jiang Taolue has been delayed by some matters and has not yet set off.
"My brother is back this time..."
"Miss, there is no possibility between this servant and the young master."
“How is it impossible?” Jiang Yinyue turned around from the embroidered stool to face Hong Mei. Just as she was about to persuade her, the head maid came from outside the door with a report.
"Miss, Her Majesty the Empress requests your presence."
Jiang Yinyue's heart tightened. Empress Dong's summons to the palace was surely not a good thing, but as an official's wife, she could not easily refuse the Empress's invitation.
As evening approached, a refreshing breeze blew and the air was filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms. Jiang Yinyue walked along the long corridor with the maids of Kunning Palace.
The grass and trees on both sides were yellowed and fallen, and the servants carefully swept and cleaned them.
In the depths of autumn, as the reds fade and the greens diminish, the atmosphere is solemn and dignified. Yet, the palace women's attire becomes even more vibrant, softening the bleakness of autumn.
Jiang Yinyue wore a plum-red padded jacket, with embroidered patterns of tassels, flowing clouds, and curly flowers and plants on it, all of which were very lifelike.
Upon entering the main hall of Kunning Palace, the fragrant sandalwood scent permeated her clothes. Jiang Yinyue bowed respectfully to the dignified woman seated in the main seat, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty the Empress."
Empress Dong put down the bamboo incense box in her hand and looked at the woman in the three feet of rosy light with a mixture of emotions.
At least to outsiders, it appears to be a complex and confusing mess.
"Niannian, come and sit down." Empress Dong took Jiang Yinyue's hand and led her to sit in the main seat. It had been three years since they had spoken face to face, and Empress Dong felt that the woman in front of her was somewhat unfamiliar. "If it weren't for that villain Yan Zhuyi's interference, Niannian would be my daughter-in-law."
Jiang Yinyue's attitude towards the Dong family was like that of a fallen autumn leaf, withered and faded. She had once been like a bird, happily landing on the branches of the Dong family, but when the insults came, the Dong family did not extend a single branch or bud to shelter her from the wind and rain.
Back then, not a single member of the Dong family spoke up for her; now, any amount of concern and care is hypocritical.
Jiang Yinyue effortlessly navigated the feigned interactions between the high-ranking officials.
Hearing Jiang Yinyue comfort herself in return, Empress Dong was filled with emotion, "Adversity does indeed help us grow."
The pampered heiress no longer relied on her beauty and charm, but became increasingly understanding and considerate.
Jiang Yinyue smiled. If she could, who would willingly grow up amidst insults? And who wouldn't want to rise to prominence in a smooth and favorable environment?
Empress Dong removed the jade bracelet with floral patterns from her wrist and placed it on Jiang Yinyue's wrist. "Everyone has heard about the Crown Prince clearing your name. Niannian, you've been wronged!"
The bracelet's size was too large, exceeding the dimensions of Jiang Yinyue's hand bones, rendering its preciousness meaningless.
There's not a shred of sincerity.
What's the difference between him and those scions of high-ranking families summoned by Wei Yangwan?
Jiang Yinyue shook the bracelet meaningfully, her peripheral vision falling on the direction of the screen.
Wei Xichen?
After the triptych was folded, a hand, showing early signs of age, picked up a teacup and took a sip.
A palace maid glanced at the emperor, then remained silently hidden behind the screen.
After Jiang Yinyue left, Empress Dong signaled to the palace servants to carry away the screen.
Emperor Shunren, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat in a grand chair, looking relaxed.
"May I be so bold as to ask Your Majesty why you would listen to the Jiang family girl's thoughts?"
"We should always listen to the voices of those who have been wronged."
"The girl is relieved."
Stubborn people never turn back until they hit a wall, and when they leave without looking back, they have exhausted all their enthusiasm.
Emperor Shunren twirled a pair of longans between his fingers and remarked, "I think the Empress is still not at peace."
Empress Dong picked up the bamboo incense box and smelled it. If the Dong and Jiang families were to unite as one, would she still be so worried about the imminent collapse of the Dong family's pillar?
If she can defeat Tao Qian in one fell swoop and weaken the Third Prince's power, then she can finally rest easy.
"Tao Qian sent assassins to kill the Crown Prince. We beg Your Majesty to do justice for Chen'er."
Wei Qin is about to arrive in the capital, and the evidence he brings back is enough to put Tao Qian to death.
Emperor Shunren picked up another longan and played with it in his hand with ease, but when he was playing with the fourth one, he accidentally dropped the other three.
The court has always been a balance of power among three factions. Now, with the rise of the Third Prince's power, a four-way power struggle has formed, which is somewhat chaotic and crowded. Which faction should be reduced?
Emperor Shunren chuckled lightly, "Assassinating the Crown Prince is an unforgivable crime, and I am determined to make an example of him to deter others."
Empress Dong, eager to strike while the iron was hot, stepped forward and said, "This matter concerns the third prince..."
"What does this have to do with the third brother?"
"Tao Qian is the third son's..."
"The third prince is still young and his mind is not yet settled. He has been misled by Tao Qian, but he is not so stubborn as to be completely unrepentant." Emperor Shunren tossed aside the longan, took the brocade handkerchief presented by his attendant, and wiped his fingertips.
Besides Tao Qian, the Third Prince also has Xie Xun, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, by his side. With Tao Qian out of power, it's time for Xie Xun to show his skills.
He wanted to see which of these shrewd and capable officials was superior.
These words were clearly biased towards Consort Guo and her son, and Empress Dong gripped the incense box tightly in her hand. Had the Crown Prince's insistence on not choosing a consort angered the Emperor, and was he also facing loss of favor?
But the third son, without Tao Qian's advice, is just an immature child. How could he be worthy of the Emperor's favor?
It was Consort Guo's pillow talk that really worked!
Thinking that the Empress was feeling wronged on behalf of her son, Emperor Shunren comforted her, saying, "Wei Qin will be returning to the capital tomorrow, and I will settle accounts with Tao Qian properly."
"Chen'er doesn't think highly of this newly promoted official."
Emperor Shunren chuckled again. This was also the reason why he had been neglecting the Crown Prince lately—acting impulsively for the sake of a woman.
A sharp knife needs a good whetstone.
Emperor Shunren returned to his study, glanced at the five ministers of the six ministries, and his gaze fell on Jiang Song. "I have already instructed the Minister of Personnel to promote Wei Qin to Grand Secretary of the Cabinet."
The Minister of Personnel, who was in charge of selecting civil officials, said "Congratulations" to Jiang Song.
Jiang Song's peach blossom eyes were filled with a pure and kind smile.
That feels good.
This is what his son-in-law, who has braved wind and rain, deserves; he has put in dozens of times more effort than the top two scholars in the same examination.
Jiang Song stepped forward. "Should I arrest Tao Qian immediately?"
Emperor Shunren patted the imperial desk and smiled meaningfully.
The crown prince needs a whetstone, and so do outstanding newcomers.
Tao Qian is the perfect candidate.
"I have given Tao Qian a chance to turn the tables. When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. Let's see who is more capable. We'll find out tomorrow morning at court."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Song, whose peach blossom eyes were sparkling, smiled.
The ice is three feet thick.
**
"drive!"
Groups of people set off from the palace, heading straight for the city gate where Wei Qin was about to arrive.
The setting sun was like blood, the twilight was heavy, and ginkgo leaves fell one by one, rustling against the robes of the riders.
After going thirty miles beyond the city gate, the group dared not go any further.
Wei Qin, who switched from waterways to land routes, was most likely to pass through this flat road.
Who could have imagined that the emperor would release the "tiger" from its cage? With nowhere else to turn, Tao Qian would fight desperately, intercepting and killing Wei Qin and disposing of the assassin's body.
Whether Wei Qin is a tiger or a grasshopper depends entirely on whether he can dodge Tao Qian's fierce attack.
Jiang Song tightened the reins, his face grim, his heart filled with concern for his son-in-law!
Most of the other important officials were just watching the show.
Having received word of the news, Jiang Yinyue set off from the Jiang residence, mounted her steed, and sped off at breakneck speed, shouting, "Giddy up!"
Wei Yangwan followed closely behind, "You spoiled brat, won't you end up a widow?"
With the emperor's intervention, the young man who had been freed from Tao Qian felt a sense of emptiness. The leader of his own side had become a pawn in his father's hands, and he was even asked by his father to watch this battle between two tigers. It made him seem somewhat ungrateful, but his life was more important, and this was already a great favor from his father.
Stay away from me!
"It's because your horse is slow!"
Wei Yang squeezed his horse's belly and passed Jiang Yinyue's horse's head by half a foot.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jiang Yinyue flicked her whip, forcing the boy's mount to gallop away.
"Aaaaaah!"
Ignoring the boy who was about to fall off his horse, Jiang Yinyue galloped on, but when she was less than ten feet away from the officials, she heard a deafening roar.
The willows trembled, sand and stones flew, startling the horses of the group.
Jiang Yinyue stared blankly ahead, her gaze sweeping over the noisy and chaotic crowd, her heart growing colder with each passing moment.
Yu Guangzhong, a figure in white drifted in.
They were also looking ahead.
The loud noise was like a sneeze that Emperor Shunren casually let out.
Emperor Shunren merely wanted a whetstone to temper the Crown Prince's character; if it couldn't become a good whetstone, it would be no different from scrap metal.
"drive!"
Amidst the chaos, a woman in a padded jacket spurred her horse across the crowd and galloped forward.
"Nian Nian!"
Jiang Song was the first to rush towards his daughter. Who knew if the crazed Tao Qian would have a backup plan and detonate the explosives again?
Wei Xichen, who spoke in unison with Jiang Song, also mounted his horse and chased after them.
Jiang Yinyue sped away without regard for the commotion behind her, feeling wronged on Wei Qin's behalf amidst the sighs of those behind her.
That stern-faced man suffered too much and was too tired. He never had a smooth and easy life; his life was full of hardships.
She wanted to share some of his burden, and even more of it.
Wei Qin, you can't be hurt.
A hand emerged from the snow-white brocade sleeve, grabbing the mane of the galloping horse, and with skillful horsemanship, forced the steed to a stop.
"Whoa~"
The power supply stopped.
Jiang Yinyue lashed out with her riding whip, striking Wei Xichen's hand hard. "Get out of the way!"
"Are you sending me to my death?" Wei Xichen endured the heavy lash but did not loosen his grip on Zhu Dian's mane.
Jiang Yinyue continued to lash out, the last lash striking Wei Xichen right in front of his eyes, forcing him to instinctively loosen his grip to avoid the attack.
"drive!"
Jiang Yinyue galloped away on her horse, leaving everyone else in the dust.
Those who protect me, I will protect tenfold. Those who harm me, I will discard like worn-out shoes.
The woman's soft voice was colder than the whistling autumn wind, and the swirling fallen leaves were like knives, scraping across Wei Xichen's cheek.
As the evening rain drizzled and the morning clouds shifted, the emperor had not yet appeared in the Golden Palace where the court officials had gathered, and the officials below the jade steps were in an uproar.
Grand Secretary Dong, riding in a palanquin into the palace, angrily pointed at Tao Qian, whose hair had turned white overnight, and exclaimed, "Heaven's justice is clear; you have only brought this upon yourself!"
Tao Qian, holding his official tablet, chuckled, "Is the Grand Secretary truly upright and honorable? Is the Empress truly virtuous and kind? The death of Empress Yide was caused by you and your daughter! Heaven's justice is clear; you have only brought this upon yourselves!"
"Absurd!" Chief Minister Dong coughed up blood in anger, not because of the verbal dispute, but because of the assassin's shattered body.
Without evidence, how can Tao Qian be brought down?!
Upon hearing Tao Qian mention his eldest daughter, Grand Tutor Cui remained silent and stopped Jiang Song, who was about to step forward to fight.
"Sigh, even I'm not in a hurry, why is Minister Jiang so anxious?"
Jiang Song was suspicious. Did the Grand Tutor mean that he was not in a hurry because he had developed a calm mind when someone mentioned Empress Yide and no longer got flustered?
What else is there for him to be in such a hurry for?
Grand Secretary Dong and Tao Qian were still exchanging insults, each retorting without using vulgar language, yet each more vulgar than the last, until the imperial eunuch shrilly broke into the conversation—
"His Majesty has arrived! Silence!"
Emperor Shunren walked to the dragon throne, looked down at the assembled civil and military officials, and lightly tapped his forehead with his hand. "What is Minister Tao arguing about?"
Unaware of the emperor's intentions, Tao Qian decided to take one last gamble, as if it were a desperate gamble. He knelt on the ground and cried, "Your Majesty, please understand! I am innocent! No matter how old or confused I am, I would never dare to assassinate the crown prince!"
Emperor Shunren looked at Wei Xichen, who stood silently at the head of the assembled officials, and asked, "What does the Crown Prince have to say?"
"The evidence is conclusive."
Tao Qian raised his voice, "No evidence whatsoever!"
"some."
The sound of jade striking ice reached everyone's ears, making Tao Qian's ears ring.
Jiang Song didn't turn around, but smiled knowingly.
Wei Qin, who should have been killed on the way, strode into the main hall with his scepter in hand, under the watchful eyes of the crowd. His insignia was changed from egret to silver pheasant.
"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Wei Qin, has accused Minister of Revenue Tao Qian of hiring assassins to kill the Crown Prince. The evidence is irrefutable!"
The morning sun slanted down on the young man, casting heavy shadows at the corners of his eyes.
Eyes like narrow knives.
The young man was handsome and refined, upright and dignified, no longer the poor scholar with limited talent.
Emperor Shunren smiled as he looked at the young man in the sunlight. This was the whetstone he had been searching for for a long time. He had not disappointed him. He had overcome every difficulty and was brave, resourceful, and outstanding. He was a worthy opponent for the Crown Prince on his path to the top.
His father, the emperor, had put in a lot of effort.
**
Outside the palace gates, Jiang Yinyue waited from early morning until noon before Wei Qin, dressed in a new official robe, finally arrived.
After looking him up and down, Jiang Yinyue nodded. "You should address him as Grand Secretary Wei now."
The cabinet ministers who have passed the emperor's test will rise rapidly in rank.
"Do you still want to be the Jiang family's son-in-law?" Miss Jiang crossed her arms, her pride undiminished. "It's up to you whether you stay or leave."
Wei Qin pulled her hand out of her arm, held it in his palm, and whispered something in her ear.
Jiang Yinyue blushed deeply, pushed the person away, and led Zhu Dian away, saying, "Whatever!"
After being pushed aside, Grand Secretary Wei took a half step back and stood still, his thin lips slightly parted.
Since it's up to her, she'll naturally sleep in the bed curtains of the Jiang family's boudoir, no longer sleeping on the floor.
During the three years she married into the Jiang family, he never once occupied her bed.
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Author's note: 50 small red envelopes~
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