Chapter 46 Zhou Congxian's Secret
Jiang Shiyao bowed and said, "Your Highness, I have agreed to teach her embroidery techniques, as instructed by the shopkeeper's wife."
Zhou Congxian didn't ask any more questions. "Go back early. It's not a good place for anyone to stay."
She walked to the door and then heard the sounds of negotiation coming from behind her.
It sounds like there's a spy hidden in the Jade Treasure Pavilion?
Jiang Shiyao had no interest in finding out more and led Shuangjiang toward the carriage.
When the two reached the carriage, they realized, "Where's Wei Xun?"
After walking back around, I didn't see anyone.
Jiang Shiyao climbed into the car first. "Are we going back? Then let's leave him alone and go."
"Let me look again," Shuangjiang said instinctively.
"Why would we need him? He's a grown man who knows kung fu, do you think he'll get lost?"
"Oh, oh, right, he knows kung fu..."
Only after the frost descended did he climb into the car.
Only then did Jiang Shiyao belatedly stare into Shuangjiang's eyes and slowly approach her.
Is there something you want to tell me?
Shuangjiang felt uncomfortable being stared at. "I have nothing to say."
Jiang Shiyao looked into her eyes and suddenly said, "Didn't you want me to take you away? I'll take you to get a travel permit."
Shuangjiang suddenly looked up, her lowered gaze hesitant.
She wanted to leave because of Zhang Lang.
But now...
Her voice trailed off, "I... I'll think about it some more..."
Jiang Shiyao's eyes were slightly cold; Shuangjiang was the only one who knew she was going to escape.
She can't stay...
The carriage slowly started moving, and Shuangjiang kept her head down, not daring to look at Jiang Niangzi.
When she fell in love with Zhang Lang, she was head over heels in love. So when she saw the lady's travel permit, she thought she might as well run away with her.
But now Zhang Lang is a liar.
Where else could she go if she went out...?
Jiang Shiyao's eyes swept over Shuangjiang. Having lived two lives, she knew Shuangjiang's personality very well.
Naive, loyal, and easily deceived.
She repays kindness tenfold for every bit of kindness shown to her.
With such a young girl by her side, she naturally felt at ease.
But if she remains in the mansion in the future, or if the old lady assigns her to Zhou Congxian as a concubine, who knows if she will be betrayed?
She added casually, "Wei Xun said he would protect us on our journey, but now he's nowhere to be seen. The young master even told me to help Wei Xun and Wan Quan get married."
"How can someone so carefree start a family?"
Shuangjiang looked at Jiang Niangzi, and her expression was momentarily confused.
He lowered his eyelids and replied somewhat awkwardly, "What you say is true, my lady..."
Jiang Shiyao pretended not to see her expression and just shook her head with amusement.
"The young master feels sorry for them. Although the two were guards before, they are now employed by the capital's government office and have official positions. The young master also said that they should not be disgraced."
She sighed as she spoke, "If I marry the daughter of a high-ranking official in the future, my career will be very successful, and we will all have to pay our respects to me."
Jiang Niangzi's words were like a thunderclap.
Frostfall is somewhat disorienting.
Wei Xun has a bright future, while she is just a maid.
I stood up for her yesterday only because she was Lady Jiang's maid, and Lady Jiang was the prince's concubine.
What is she expecting?
What is she daydreaming about?
Jiang Shiyao felt a pang of pity looking at Shuangjiang's expression.
Shuangjiang is a good girl. If she hadn't left, she would definitely have tried to match her up with Wei Xun.
But, it just won't work...
She wanted to leave; in both her past and present lives, Song Jiyun had never considered letting her go.
To save her and her daughter's lives, she had no choice but to harden her heart.
Back at the mansion.
After accidentally spilling Jiang Shiyao's rouge for the second time during the Frost's Descent, Jiang Shiyao told her to go and rest.
In the afternoon, when it was time for Fu'er to finish school, I went to the main campus to pick her up.
Fu'er is always as warm and cheerful as a sunflower, and Jiang Shiyao can't help but smile when she sees her daughter's smiling face.
"Mother!"
Jiang Shiyao picked up Fu'er and said, "Fu'er, shall we go to Daddy's study to find some books?"
She has already finalized her travel plans and destination.
She also needs to make a simple circuit diagram.
The Great Sheng Mountains and Rivers Records clearly depicts the topography, customs, and towns of each prefecture and county.
Although it can't be like a map, it's enough for her.
Fu'er rarely sees her mother now, so she hugs her mother's neck tightly and answers her mother's questions unconditionally.
"Okay, okay."
Jiang Shiyao tapped her little nose.
Zhou Congxian's study was rich in books. Jiang Shiyao had stayed there briefly before and even found some storybooks to read on the bookshelf.
The courtyard was deserted and very quiet.
Before Zhou Congxian took a concubine, this place wasn't this deserted.
After she became his concubine, he used the excuse of clearing everyone out of the courtyard, leaving only two servants to clean it.
Jiang Shiyao chuckled at this thought.
No wonder the whole mansion is buzzing with rumors that she slept with the young master and that he's not allowed to take any other women.
She's a useful shield, actually.
The study was right next to the main hall, bright and spacious, even more so than her bedroom.
She has many more books here than she did four years ago!
Jiang Shiyao stared dumbfounded at the overflowing bookshelves.
Where do we even begin to look?
"Mother, this red one is so pretty!"
Fu'er had already climbed up the armchair onto the desk, her chubby little hand clutching a hairpin.
It was at Zilin Garden that Zhou Congxian won the archery contest.
He personally placed it in her hair bun.
But it was she who rejected him.
Jiang Shiyao came to her senses and put the hairpin back in its original place.
She picked up Fu'er and said, "We can't move without Father's permission."
Fu'er looked up at her with her little face, "Daddy didn't allow us to take the book."
Jiang Shiyao, “…”
My daughter is not so easily fooled now.
Fu'er led her by the hand and walked outside. "Mother, the teacher said that a gentleman should do something."
Jiang Shiyao, "My mother is a woman..."
Fu'er earnestly corrected her, "A gentleman refers to conduct, not the distinction between men and women."
Jiang Shiyao stroked her daughter's hair. "Alright, then Mother will stay here with Fu'er and wait for Father, okay?"
A mother and daughter sat on the steps counting ants.
Fu'er looked at her father's spacious yet empty courtyard and sighed with regret.
"Little Bone loves to run around. It would be so happy if it lived here!"
Looking at her daughter's profile, Jiang Shiyao suddenly realized that she was different from her previous life.
In her previous life, Fu'er was timid and unassuming.
In this life, she is no longer just a little girl who can only squat in a corner.
Her struggle won her more than just her freedom.
And my daughter's future.
Zhou Congxian did not return until Fu'er had fallen asleep.
Jiang Shiyao found the "Records of Mountains and Rivers" on the bookshelf and returned to the courtyard.
After handing Fu'er over to Mother He, he returned to the inner room.
Jiang Shiyao opened the book and began searching for the information she needed.
I carefully noted down all the necessary locations along the way.
When she turned to the next page, her fingertips paused.
The bulge under the fingertip.
broken.
Something is hidden on this page.
She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. There were so many books in the study, why did she have to hide the Records of Mountains and Rivers of the Three Kingdoms of China of all places!
When Zhou Congxian returned to his study, he immediately noticed that something was missing!
His gaze turned sharp. "The Records of Mountains and Rivers is missing. Go and find out who has been to the study."
Wei Xun and Wan Quan paused for a moment.
"yes."
Although no one was left in the prince's courtyard, people came in every day to clean and sweep.
The servant who was sweeping and cleaning saw Lady Jiang and the young lady come in today.
Wei Xun reported the facts truthfully.
Zhou Congxian narrowed his eyes slightly; he had just seen her at Yubaolou earlier that day.
Upon returning, the "Records of Mountains and Rivers," which contained evidence of the Empress Dowager's faction's crimes, conveniently disappeared...
He looked at the desk, and the hairpin on it moved.
There was also a small footprint on the table.
Wei Xun hesitated and said, "Could there be some misunderstanding?"
Although he hadn't spent much time with Madam Jiang these past few days, she certainly didn't seem like a spy...
Prince Cheng was raised by the Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager's youngest son, the Seventh Prince, also lived in his residence.
Song Yitang was a member of the Empress Dowager's faction.
Miss Song and Jiang Shiyao are having a huge fight. Are they fighting amongst themselves?
Wan Quan disagreed, saying, "There aren't that many coincidences. Whether it's true or not, a simple investigation will tell."
Zhou Congxian said, "We didn't find anything at Yubaolou today. Have someone keep an eye on that manager's wife."
"You all go down first. I'll go check on her myself."
When Zhou Congxian arrived at the courtyard, the lights in the servants' rooms on both sides were already off.
Only Jiang Shiyao's room was still lit.
He walked into the bedroom with light, silent steps.
Jiang Shiyao was writing furiously at her desk, and surprisingly, she had a beautiful hand in small regular script.
His gaze fell on the open scroll of the Annals of Mountains and Rivers on the table.
Zhou Congxian stepped inside, the light in the outer room lengthening his shadow.
A swaying shadow was cast on the desk.
The person writing didn't notice the extra figure.
Just as she reached out her finger to turn the page, a hand suddenly reached out and pressed down on the book.
"ah--"
Jiang Shiyao was so startled that she dropped her calligraphy brush on the ground, ruining her letter with a large blot of ink.
Zhou Congxian picked up the book. "Where did you get this from?"
Jiang Shiyao looked at her letter with a regretful expression. "I took it from your study."
He glanced at the expression on her face, then casually flipped through the page.
The sealing layer remained unchanged.
He rolled up the book discreetly and tucked it into his sleeve. "This one is old. I'll have Wei Xun bring you a new copy of the Mountain and River Chronicle tomorrow."
Jiang Shiyao looked up at him and said, "What do you need new ones for? I'll finish copying a little bit more."
Zhou Congxian pulled the letter from her hand. "You copied the Records of Mountains and Rivers?"
Jiang Shiyao pursed her lips. "The letter I wrote to my brother."
“He was coming to take the imperial examination, so I wrote down the routes for him based on the local gazetteer. I don’t know if it will be of any use, but I still wanted to do my part.”
Zhou Congxian read the letter quickly and returned it to her.
“When candidates travel to take the exam, they take the official road, and there are post stations along the way. Why would you need to worry about this?”
Jiang Shiyao lowered her eyelashes. "I have no face to face my brother, but now I have no choice but to."
"That's why we resorted to this desperate measure..."
Zhou Congxian was very dissatisfied that his family had kept the fact that Jiang Shiyao was already married a secret from him.
He dispelled his doubts, but was also filled with resentment.
He reached out and tapped her letter from a distance.
"You'd better rewrite it, write it out clearly from beginning to end! She got married and had children!"
"Does the fact that I, the heir apparent to the Duke of England, embarrass you so much?"
Jiang Shiyao: "Mmm."
Zhou Congxian, "Huh??"
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