Chapter Twenty-Two: What a Pity, a Beauty Who Knows Not Her Place

Perhaps it was the misfortune that had befallen Jiang Yu that put Jiang Yan in such an exceptionally good mood; she had taken the initiative to act as Jiang Nian’s guide and invited her out for an excursion.

As the carriage pulled away from the alley and left Yong’an Ward, Jiang Yan began to chatter incessantly, regaling her with all sorts of interesting anecdotes about the capital. Inevitably, this led to the mention of the Grand Preceptor, a man of immense power and influence, deeply trusted by His Majesty.

"There are millions of people in the capital, yet only he possesses such a form that seems to transcend the mortal realm. Whenever the Grand Preceptor stands there, one finds themselves unconsciously ignoring his features; his aura is such that no other man can compare, and his every gesture carries an infinite sense of intimidation."

Recalling her two encounters with the Grand Preceptor—the way he held himself aloof, looking down on everyone—Jiang Nian could not help but snort inwardly. After all, the original owner of this body had died because of him! She wondered if the blood Jiang Yu had offered had truly healed the Grand Preceptor’s wounds.

"He is a Daoist priest; what is the point of being so handsome?"

"Sigh, that is true..." Jiang Yan lamented. "The eldest aunt’s nephew, the eldest young master of the Qiao family, Qiao Junzhe—while not quite on par with the Grand Preceptor—is still considered one of the most perfect specimens of manhood in this world. His Majesty even once praised him, saying he possessed the grace of an osmanthus tree. However, I have no favorable impression of the Qiao family."

Osmanthus flowers are highly esteemed by the world for their serene and steadfast character. His Majesty’s praise of Qiao Junzhe as having the "grace of an osmanthus tree" later led others to describe him as "an osmanthus branch from the Guanghan Palace, a piece of jade from the Kunlun Mountains."

Jiang Nian lowered her eyes, masking the coldness within. It was all a facade! Once, she too had regarded Qiao Junzhe as an unapproachable flower atop a high ridge. Even though there were various reasons for her marriage into the Qiao family, she had still held expectations for him in her heart. That was until their wedding night...

Just as she was lost in thought, the two heard a sharp, furious shout from outside the carriage: "You little mongrel, how dare you soil my clothes!"

Jiang Yan immediately flung open the carriage curtain. "Oh my, we were just speaking of the Qiao family, and now we’ve run into them. How unlucky..."

Jiang Nian also spotted the Qiao siblings outside: Qiao Junzhe and Qiao Mingqing. One had been her husband in her previous life, and the other her sister-in-law.

"Come, let’s get out and see," Jiang Nian said. She and Jiang Yan stepped down from the carriage.

In the center of the crowd, a young girl dressed in red nomadic-style clothing, clutching a horse whip, pointed with a vicious glint in her eyes at a small beggar who had fallen to the ground.

Her features, though naturally pretty, were marred by an air of arrogance and aggressiveness.

"I didn’t mean to... please, miss, have mercy, spare me..." The little beggar, no more than seven or eight years old, was covered in bloody welts. He trembled violently, his head pressed against the ground as he curled into a ball, babbling incoherent pleas for mercy.

Qiao Mingqing, however, would not let him off. "Do you think 'not meaning to' makes it alright? You’ve ruined my mood—a hundred of your lowly lives wouldn’t be enough to compensate!"

With a sharp crack, the horse whip lashed out again, striking the dirty little beggar’s body. A long, bloody laceration instantly tore across his back.

A chorus of gasps erupted from the surrounding crowd. It seemed the child might not survive the day; even a grown man might not withstand such an injury. Seeing the little beggar convulsing in agony, his thin, filthy body curled into a ball, Jiang Nian was reminded of her younger sister during her fits. Her heart tightened in pain, and she was about to speak up to stop it.

Jiang Yan had already stepped forward first, raising her voice. "Qiao Mingqing, is your family so poor that you can’t even afford to buy new clothes? Does bullying a defenseless little beggar make you feel powerful?"

Qiao Mingqing whipped her head around toward the source of the voice, her expression filled with the fury of one who had been offended. The crowd began to murmur in hushed tones.

"It’s someone from the Qiao family; no wonder they’re so arrogant..."
"Who is that young lady? How dare she meddle in their affairs?"
"Don’t look, don’t look—you’ll only bring trouble upon yourself. The Qiao family is not to be trifled with!"

Hearing the whispers, Qiao Mingqing lifted her chin triumphantly and looked at Jiang Yan with contempt. "I wondered who it was. So it’s you. Are you so bored that you dare to interfere in my business?"

Jiang Yan sneered. She despised brainless, arrogant fools, and immediately set a trap for her. "Qiao Mingqing, are you this arrogant because you’re relying on the favor of the Noble Consort? Are you not afraid of His Majesty’s displeasure?"

Qiao Mingqing’s face darkened. "Hmph, this beggar offended me first. What is wrong with meting out a little punishment?"

Jiang Yan said with disdain, "I’ve heard that the Qiao family has hired many tutors for you. Can you really not tell the difference between 'meting out a little punishment' and 'treating human life like dirt'? If this had happened in my Jiang family, our elders would have seized us and punished us severely long ago!"

"So that young lady is a daughter of the Jiang family. No wonder she dared to speak up!"
"Indeed, the Jiang family has a sterling reputation, and Master Jiang is the most compassionate toward the common people!"
"Tsk tsk, both are official families, yet the character of the younger generation is worlds apart!"

The crowd chattered, almost unanimously praising the Jiang family. Jiang Yan cast a provocative look at Qiao Mingqing. Members of the Qiao family often abused their power; only a few days ago, an imperial censor had impeached them, and the Emperor had reprimanded Noble Consort Qiao as a result.

Realizing Jiang Yan’s intent, Qiao Mingqing was so furious that she swung her whip directly at her! The whip let out a sharp, chilling whistle as it cut through the air. The onlookers changed color in fear and instinctively scrambled backward.

Jiang Nian’s expression remained cold and steady. With a swift movement, she grabbed Jiang Yan and spun her around, narrowly dodging the lash.

"Sister, don’t be reckless!" Qiao Junzhe stood behind Qiao Mingqing, offering a word of disapproval, though he made no move to intervene.

The sight of his hypocritical face made Jiang Nian feel nauseated. Seeing that Qiao Mingqing was about to strike again, she stepped firmly onto the whip. The weapon was ripped from Qiao Mingqing’s grasp, nearly hitting the girl herself. Qiao Mingqing glared at her in rage.

Jiang Yan, who had been frozen in shock, finally regained her composure. "Qiao Mingqing, do you have no regard for the law?"

She was a noble lady of some reputation in the capital! For Qiao Mingqing to resort to physical violence simply because she couldn't win an argument—it was utterly preposterous!

Qiao Mingqing ignored her, staring viciously at Jiang Nian’s striking face. Where did this cheap wench come from, daring to make her lose face in front of everyone?

"Who are you? Tired of living?"

Jiang Nian looked at her calmly. Qiao Mingqing’s skill was barely enough to ensure she didn't strike herself.

"What? Is Miss Qiao the Supreme Ruler of Heaven, the Jade Emperor, or perhaps the Sovereign of this entire world? If not, why is it that only you are allowed to strike others, while others cannot?"

Qiao Mingqing, whose intellect was as underdeveloped as her temperament, failed to grasp the trap in Jiang Nian’s words and was about to retort. However, Qiao Junzhe, standing beside her, turned grim and reached out to hold her back.

*Sovereign of the world!* This girl was truly venomous! If these words were to spread, someone would surely use them against them!

Qiao Junzhe narrowed his eyes as he assessed Jiang Nian. She was a beauty. Unfortunately, she was a beauty who did not know her place.