Chapter Eighteen: Because she wants to harm you!

Jiang Yu was so furious that her head was buzzing. She pointed at Jiang Nian and snapped, "It was not my fault at all!"

"You dare to talk back? Get outside and kneel! You are not to rise until I say so!"

Old Madam Jiang was not a woman of reason. While she found Jiang Nian detestable, she felt that because Jiang Yu had grown up away from her and had not been disciplined by her, she was naturally at fault. Now, she was determined to discipline her and make her understand who held the true authority in this household.

"Mother?" Jiang Yu turned to look at Madam Qiao.

Suppressing her anger, Madam Qiao shook her head at her daughter and led her outside to kneel. Seeing how the Old Madam handled matters, the others dared not linger and found excuses to take their leave.

Jiang Nian walked out with the rest and, catching sight of Jiang Yu with her head covered in dirt, gave a light chuckle. "Fourth Sister, this appearance of yours is truly quite unseemly!"

The expression on Jiang Yu’s face cracked piece by piece.

Jiang Nian continued, all smiles, "For young ladies of our standing, reputation is paramount. Fourth Sister, you must consider the family; we cannot tarnish the Jiang household’s name as a family of scholars and propriety."

Jiang Yu’s face turned green instantly. *You really do hold a grudge, don't you!*

Jiang Yan, who had followed behind Jiang Nian, felt a glimmer of amusement. This eldest sister was truly to her liking!

...

Those returning from a long journey were expected to visit a temple to offer incense and cleanse themselves of bad luck. The Old Madam was a firm believer in this, so on the third day after returning to the capital, she arranged a trip to the temple.

Both daughters-in-law were naturally required to accompany her, along with Jiang Nian, Jiang Yu, Jiang Li, and the Third Madam’s daughter, Jiang Yan. As for the two sons, the Old Madam felt that as a mother, she was perfectly capable of offering incense on their behalf.

Jiang Yan, who was at odds with Jiang Yu, insisted on riding in the same carriage as Jiang Nian. Jiang Yu, hoping to pry information about Luzhou out of Jiang Yan, ended up sitting with her.

Seeing Madam Qiao and the Third Madam, Madam Cheng, follow the Old Madam into one carriage, Jiang Nian smiled faintly. To the Old Madam, her daughters-in-law were little more than servants, expected to be at her beck and call.

"Eldest Sister, what are you looking at?" Jiang Yan was outspoken and far more lively and bold than the other young ladies in the manor—a temperament nurtured by the fact that her maternal family, the Ministry of Personnel, provided her with a strong sense of security.

"I noticed that Mother seems uneasy; she was still whispering instructions to Fourth Sister at the gate just now."

"I heard Fourth Sister’s knees were swollen from kneeling yesterday. I wonder why she didn't just stay home to rest today instead of insisting on coming along?"

*Because she plans to harm you,* Jiang Nian thought to herself. "Fourth Sister must have something important to attend to."

Jiang Yan did not catch the implication and began chattering about the bamboo forest behind the Shengguang Temple. Her constant prattle made the hour-long journey pass in a flash.

When they arrived at the temple and disembarked, the faces of Madam Qiao and Madam Cheng, who had shared a carriage with the Old Madam, were grim. Jiang Nian suppressed a smile; they must have finally felt the full weight of their dear mother-in-law’s temperament.

A master welcomed them at the temple gate. Madam Qiao pressed her palms together in a greeting and introduced them, "This is our Old Madam."

The Old Madam was delighted to be greeted by a high monk and also pressed her palms together, saying, "Master."

"Amitabha. Please, patrons, come this way."

Shengguang Temple was vast, filled with trees and grand, solemn halls that stood amidst the low, rhythmic chanting of sutras, adding to its ancient and profound atmosphere. Beneath the towering pagoda, all living beings felt incredibly small.

After offering incense in the front hall, the group retired to the meditation rooms to rest, intending to have a vegetarian meal and listen to the master’s teachings before returning to the city.

It was the transition between late spring and early summer, a time when all things were growing with vigor. Jiang Yan, unable to sit still, had asked Jiang Nian to explore the grounds with her.

They wandered toward the back hill and discovered a grove of blooming peach trees. Jiang Yan, playful and distracted, did not notice that Jiang Nian was leading her step by step toward the cliffside pavilion.

Jiang Yan plucked a petal dusted with morning dew and reached out to tuck it into Jiang Nian’s hair. Suddenly, Jiang Nian held up a hand. "Shh," she whispered. "Fifth Sister, did you hear someone talking?"

Jiang Yan froze and whispered, "There is someone. The voice... is that Fourth Sister?"

*So Jiang Yu really did have something to do?*

From the rockery beside the cliff pavilion, Jiang Yu’s voice rang out, sharp and aggressive. "Cousin, you are the grandson of the Marquis of Zeyang. Are you just going to watch as the first branch adopts an heir and snatches the title away from you?"

Another voice came from behind the rockery—it was Xue Shoucheng, the legitimate son of the third branch of the Marquis of Zeyang’s household and the son of Madam Qiao’s sister. "It’s only an adoption. Grandfather never said he would give him the title; it’s just to ensure the first branch has someone to carry on the ancestral rites..."

"He’s already been added to the family register! Why aren't you worried, Cousin? Even if you think the Marquis favors you, he clearly doesn't think much of you at all!"

"But..."

"Oh! The Six Ministries are led by the Ministry of Personnel. If you seize this opportunity, you can marry the granddaughter of the Minister of Personnel! What else is there to hesitate about?"

Jiang Yu’s tone was filled with exasperation as she struggled to contain her anger. "Are you content to be a spineless coward for the rest of your life, ending up with nothing and being looked down upon by everyone?"

The "granddaughter of the Minister of Personnel" she referred to was none other than Jiang Yan, who was currently eavesdropping. It was clear that Madam Qiao intended for Jiang Yan to marry her nephew, Xue Shoucheng, to help her sister, the Third Madam Xue, seize the Marquis’s title. And here was Jiang Yu, trying her best to persuade the incompetent Xue Shoucheng.

The fury on Jiang Yan’s face was impossible to suppress.

Jiang Nian gently soothed her, "Fifth Sister, don't be impulsive. Let’s hear what they have planned."

Jiang Yan bit her lip and held her ground, listening further.

Xue Shoucheng remained hesitant, but finally gritted his teeth and made a decision. "Fine... I will listen to Aunt!"

Hearing him call her "Aunt," Jiang Yan realized this was indeed Madam Qiao’s scheme, and she felt a surge of burning hatred!

Jiang Yu let out a sigh of relief, having finally convinced this useless cousin of hers. "My mother is your biological aunt; she naturally has your best interests at heart! And so do I! I don't want that adopted son to benefit! Once you marry my Fifth Sister and establish ties with both the Jiang family and the Minister of Personnel’s house, you won't have to worry about your future!"

"But what if this reaches Uncle’s ears? I’m afraid that wouldn't end well..."

"It won't. How could my father possibly expose such a scandal? Besides, you don't have to go too far. Just messing up her clothes and letting someone see is enough! That way, it’s easier to achieve our goal without alerting outsiders!"

Hearing these words, Jiang Yan felt a chill run through her heart. She had always known Jiang Yu was hypocritical, but she had never imagined she would use such a vicious scheme against her own kin!

The voices inside grew lower as they began to discuss the details. Jiang Nian tugged on her sleeve, and the two quietly retreated from the vicinity of the cliff pavilion.

Jiang Yan’s face was deathly pale with rage. "Though I am at odds with Fourth Sister, I have never once thought to harm her, yet she is plotting against me in the shadows..."

Jiang Nian sighed. "The inner courts of noble families are full of discord. Fifth Sister, what do you intend to do?"

Jiang Yan looked up and saw the composure in Jiang Nian’s eyes. The panic in her heart slowly began to fade. She bit her lip and said, "I certainly cannot let this go easily! Third Sister, I ask for nothing else, but when the time comes, please help me cover my tracks..."