"And my cousin is the same; I write to him, but he never replies..."
"It's normal that the young master doesn't reply, since he's never replied before."
As soon as Granny Xia casually remarked, Liu Yunyan glared angrily, “I don’t care, I just want my cousin to know that Jiang Shuwan is a shameless slut who’s willing to do anything. She’s married but still meets with men outside the marriage. She has no self-restraint at all. This kind of woman should be drowned in the pond.”
"But the old lady doesn't seem to mean that..."
"Ha! The old lady has her own ideas, and my cousin has his own ideas. I don't believe my cousin can tolerate it. My cousin values propriety and integrity the most, and he certainly cannot tolerate a woman like Jiang Shuwan who does not uphold the virtues of womanhood."
"How can a mere Jiang Shuwan compare to me? Look at me, since I entered the Marquis's mansion, have I ever met a man outside the family?"
"But it's strange, the censors are always quick to act on rumors. That bastard Fourth Prince and Jiang Shuwan are very close, so why didn't any censors impeach him? Are they all blind?"
*********
In the palace, the eldest prince and the imperial concubine were also discussing whether to impeach him.
“Princess Jinzhu is getting closer and closer to the fourth prince. If there’s really something going on between them, wouldn’t the princess become an ally of the crown prince?”
“But if we impeach her, it might anger the county princess, which would be tantamount to pushing her toward the crown prince.”
"I'm so angry—"
The eldest prince and the imperial concubine were so angry that they developed several blisters on their lips, which Guo Yaqin found laughable.
If it weren't for avenging her sister, why would she marry the eldest prince...?
She had seen the eldest prince from afar a few times before and thought he was much more imposing than the weak crown prince.
Now, after being married for more than half a year, this is all there is to it...
As she pondered, Guo Yaqin's gaze deepened.
Once she left the Imperial Noble Consort's palace, she walked even faster. Her maid reminded her, "Miss, you just showed dissatisfaction in front of the Imperial Noble Consort. She might hold a grudge against you."
"What's the point of arguing? If it weren't for my father's support in court, would the Crown Prince be enjoying his current prestige? By the way, what about Jiang Yao..."
"My aunt has been staying at home preparing for childbirth recently, and it seems she will be giving birth soon..."
"It's ridiculous. My sister's body is barely cold, and she's about to give birth to her child, and she's still getting so close to the Crown Princess. The Imperial Noble Consort has recently been saying, openly and secretly, that I'm not as capable as the Jiang sisters and can't earn money for her."
"Miss, then we..."
"Let's do it. Pei Yanzhi is going to die, and the Jiang sisters, Jiang Shuwan and Jiang Yao, will also die. Especially Jiang Shuwan. After she dies, I can take over everything from her. She's so stupid. A tiny ant dares to oppose me. Her sister is smarter than her. She knows to find the Crown Princess as her backer. It's just a pity that even the Crown Princess can't protect her this time."
************
Jiang Shuwan's courtyard.
When Jiang Shuwan returned from the old lady's courtyard, she saw Li Chengyun dozing off by the window, his fingers supporting his forehead.
Jiang Shuwan: "..."
Jiang Shuwan fell silent instantly.
What a tragedy!
She had been avoiding Li Chengyun ever since she recognized him, afraid that he would recognize her...
Sure enough, she got close to him.
"Hey, wake up, it's time to go home."
"Huh? You're back—"
Rubbing his eyes, Li Chengyun slowly woke up. The man lifted his eyelids, and his hazy cat-like eyes were moistened with a layer of water, making him look pitiful.
If she hadn't known that this person was the number one mad emperor of the Great Jing Dynasty, she would have almost believed it.
"It's time for dinner, you should probably go now."
Jiang Shuwan said with utter disdain, but Li Chengyun just smiled and didn't take her attitude to heart. He laughed and said, "Since it's mealtime, there's no reason to kick people out. I'll eat before I leave, whatever we're having for dinner."
"..."
Wow.
I've never seen anyone like this before, they're so shameless!
Jiang Shuwan looked at Li Chengyun with a long face, but he completely ignored her sour expression and went to wait in the dining room.
After eating at her meals for several days in a row, Li Chengyun asked her for money.
"You can't possibly be short of money?" Jiang Shuwan looked at Li Chengyun, who was adorned with precious jewels, in astonishment. This man always dressed like a peacock, with the finest clothes and jewelry.
"I am a spoiled brat by imperial decree. My food and daily necessities are all bestowed by my father. However, it is only superficially glamorous. There are many places where I am short of money."
His words actually hinted at something else, and Jiang Shuwan immediately thought of the Prince of Pingnan's mansion.
The entire Pingnan Prince's Mansion was filled with Li Chengyun's supporters. This time, the imperial court's autumn tax came in, but because too much money had been spent on river disaster relief and repairs, the newly arrived autumn tax was spent before it even had a chance to settle in.
As a result, the old emperor not only failed to repay last year's famine, but also faced problems with this year's military expenses and pay.
I heard that when the Prince of Pingnan wrote to urge for military pay, the old emperor held back the note and first gave the military funds to the Crown Princess's General Pingxi, and also to the Imperial Noble Consort's family.
The Prince of Pingnan was in dire straits. Although Song Huaizhang was helping Li Chengyun earn money, it was difficult to support the entire Pingnan army with Song Huaizhang's personal resources alone.
No wonder Li Chengyun asked her for money.
"Sure, this is my seal. I'm currently building a ship, and there's not much money in Kyoto, but it should be enough to help you out of your predicament. Of course, this money isn't a free loan; once you take it, your previous promises are null and void."
"What are you thinking? A promise is a promise, and a loan is a loan. Consider this money a loan from me, and I'll pay you back with interest later."
As Li Chengyun spoke, he picked up the seal and put it into his sleeve. Jiang Shuwan angrily hit him with her hand.
Li Chengyun grabbed her hand, leaned in close, and whispered in her ear, his voice hoarse.
"Believe it or not, one day you'll be on my side?"
"..."
Jiang Shuwan kicked him directly.
She must be out of her mind to side with Li Chengyun.
She will always stand by the side of the big winner, Pei Yanzhi.
******
"Miss, why hasn't it snowed yet?"
By the end of December, the rivers were frozen solid, and the ice in the capital was so cold it could freeze a person's arm off, but it just wouldn't snow.
It wasn't snowing, but it was even colder than when it was snowing. Qingxing and the other maids complained about it. Fortunately, there was a heated kang bed and an underfloor heating system in the house, so everyone didn't feel cold while embroidering and doing other things.
As soon as I stepped outside, the cold wind howled, and my cheeks cracked.
"Let's log off soon."
Staring at the dark sky outside the door, Jiang Shuwan spoke while directing the maid to pack up various snacks and fruits.
Tomorrow is the anniversary of her mother's death, and she has to go back to the Jiang family residence to pay her respects.
“Miss, I heard that Master spent a lot of time and effort on this anniversary of his death. Many members of the Jiang family have come, as well as the Madam. I heard that the Madam and the young master are also going to our Jiang residence to pay their respects,” Qingxing said.
Xiao Tao, praising the basket, asked in confusion, "It's one thing for the Jiang family members to be eager to curry favor with our young lady now that she's been granted the title of county princess. But what are the aunt and the young master doing there? Our late lady had no connection with them."
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