Chapter Twenty-Eight: Your humble concubine, Su, pays her respects to the Matriarch.

If he truly intended to provide an explanation, he would not have brought people into the residence without a word of warning, intent on catching everyone off guard. It was all just empty, pleasant talk.

Everyone looked toward Lady Qiao. She lowered her head, hiding her expression. Matters of taking a concubine were naturally at the discretion of the legal wife; no matter how much a husband favored someone, it was not official until the wife accepted the tea offered by the concubine.

"Rong, I have wronged you in this matter, but Zhiyan comes from a respectable family and has even borne me a son. If you do not like them, I can have them continue to live outside the estate. As far as our family is concerned, we can act as if this mother and child do not exist."

"What kind of talk is that!" Old Madam Jiang was the first to object. "Whether they are from outside or concubines, Feng'er is your son. What would it look like for him to be raised outside forever?!"

Crushed under the weight of filial piety, even with her powerful maternal family behind her, Lady Qiao dared not defy her mother-in-law. Since the Old Madam had spoken, Lady Qiao could only grit her teeth and accept it. "Does the Master not know me? When have I ever been one to be intolerant of others?"

"Mother..." Jiang Yu’s hands were clenched tightly within her sleeves. Her father had a son, one not born of her mother—this was a terrifying prospect! Especially since her grandmother was desperate for a grandson. She could almost imagine how her grandmother would dote on that pair, riding roughshod over them.

Lady Qiao glanced at her daughter, signaling her not to act rashly or speak out of turn. A concubine, she reasoned, was better kept inside the estate than left outside. "Master, do call the younger sister in. Since everyone is here today, it is a good time for us to be introduced."

Hearing this, Jiang Ping nodded, his face full of guilt, and looked toward Old Madam Jiang. The Old Madam had long been impatient; she had Chunxiao go out to fetch Su Zhiyan and her son.

Before long, a woman walked in, holding a young boy by the hand. Everyone held their breath upon seeing them. Su Zhiyan was not a peerless beauty, but her skin was as white as porcelain, and her eyes were bright and dark. She possessed a unique charm that was both exceptionally radiant and somewhat refined. The little boy she held was even more delicate and adorable, a soft, chubby bundle. Seeing Jiang Ping, he let go of her hand and ran forward, calling out "Daddy" in a milky voice.

The doting look in Jiang Ping's eyes could not be masked. Seeing this, Lady Qiao felt as if a thousand arrows had pierced her heart. Beside her, Jiang Yu’s eyes were bloodshot.

Su Zhiyan pulled her son down to kneel. "Concubine Su pays her respects to the Old Madam."

Little Feng seemed to realize that the elderly woman before him was the grandmother his father had spoken of. He kowtowed obediently and called out in a clear, ringing voice, "Feng'er pays respects to Grandmother!"

Before the Old Madam could even speak, her arms were already outstretched. "Come here, let Grandmother have a good look at you!" Little Feng scurried over and threw himself into the Old Madam's embrace. "Grandmother! Feng'er has finally seen you!"

The crowd gasped. Was this child truly so clever? Or had Su Zhiyan coached him specifically before coming? Even if he had been coached, a child so bright and sensible was rare.

Lady Qiao watched Jiang Ping’s look of pride and felt a visceral, twisting pain in her gut. She looked at Su Zhiyan—bright-eyed, white-toothed, and smiling—and it seemed as if they were the true married couple. It was not just Lady Qiao who found this hard to accept; Jiang Yu felt completely numb. Her father was sincere about this pair! That look in his eyes... it was clear he cared for them deeply.

Jiang Nian, however, somewhat understood why her father favored Su Zhiyan. The Jiang family was not of high status, yet Jiang Ping’s two previous wives had both come from prominent, noble families. Noble daughters, even if gentle in temperament, carried a sense of pride and aloofness in their bones. They had their own families to back them; they would not view their husbands as their entire world. If they felt wronged, they would seek support from their kin and pressure their in-laws, seeking a balance in domestic affairs. Especially the matriarchs of great clans—they would never yield on every point. Her mother, Madam Chen, was like that, and the domineering Lady Qiao was even more so. Jiang Ping had found the feeling of being the "master of the house" with Su Zhiyan.

Watching the reaction of Lady Qiao and her daughter, Jiang Nian felt a sense of satisfaction. This was her first blade! Let them enjoy it.

Jiang Ping spoke up, "Zhiyan, hurry and offer the tea to the Lady." Lady Qiao glared at him, but Jiang Ping remained indifferent, his face still wearing a look of gentle warmth. "Rong, from now on, I will have to trouble you to look after Feng'er."

Lady Qiao forced a smile. "As the legal mother, I will naturally take good care of the child." She took the tea from Su Zhiyan and drank it. Jiang Ping looked satisfied.

The Third Madam, observing the scene, was truly shocked. Jiang Ping was really something! He had been deeply affectionate toward Madam Chen, deeply affectionate toward Lady Qiao, and now he was the same toward Su Zhiyan. If one were to bring him a dog, would he be just as affectionate toward it?

The Old Madam did not care about her son's affection; she kept her eyes on the adorable Little Feng in her arms, her smile stretching from ear to ear. Lady Qiao suppressed her rage and ordered Nanny Zhao, "Clear out a courtyard for Concubine Su and Feng'er, and see them settled properly."

Jiang Ping interjected, "Pick one that is further away from Qihua Pavilion." Lady Qiao clutched her handkerchief. "It is too far from Qihua Pavilion. Wouldn't it be inconvenient for you to visit, Master?"

Jiang Ping patted her shoulder. "I have limited time to visit her anyway; it does not matter." Lady Qiao said nothing. Jiang Ping squeezed her hand. "I have matters to attend to at the office; we shall speak again when I return this evening." With that, he hurried out of the estate.

Lady Qiao gritted her teeth. The government office was so busy, yet he had specifically made time to arrange everything for that mother and child!

Su Zhiyan bowed with a faint smile. "Old Madam, I shall take Feng'er to get settled first." The Old Madam was reluctant to let them go, but since they were already in the estate, a moment mattered little. "Go on. Once you are settled, bring him back to see me. Chunxiao, you go assist Concubine Su."

"Yes, Old Madam."

Su Zhiyan bowed to Lady Qiao once more before retreating from the courtyard, following Chunxiao to the quarters assigned to her. Jiang Yu’s gaze remained fixed on them. Lady Qiao pulled her back, signaling her not to show her dissatisfaction. Jiang Yu lowered her eyes in frustration and followed her mother out.

Once they were out of the Songhe Hall, Nanny Zhao whispered, "I had the young maid look for Nanny Qian. She said Nanny Qian had been guarding the gate since early morning, but someone struck her from behind with a club. By the time she woke up, the Master had already brought the Su woman and her child into the estate!"

Lady Qiao’s head snapped up. "Was it him?"

Nanny Zhao hesitated. "It might not be the Master; perhaps it was the Third Madam's side..."

"Hmph, they are already in the estate; what is the point of worrying about who did it? None of them are any good! They are all against me!"

"My Lady, do not fret. Now that they are right under our noses, she will not be allowed to run wild."

Jiang Yu said with a dark expression, "That may be so, but you heard Grandmother. If anything happens to them, she will surely blame Mother!"

Cold, sharp light filled Lady Qiao’s eyes. "Hmph, the Old Madam only cares about her grandson; she may not care about that Su woman. We shall get rid of her first. Once the mother is gone, it is hard to say whether such a small child will survive!"

Since the National Preceptor entered the court, the country had been peaceful and the people prosperous. Merchants had sprung up everywhere like bamboo shoots after rain; those involved in canal transport, salt, and iron were particularly wealthy magnates. Although these merchants lacked the prestige of scholarly and aristocratic families, they could use their silver to cultivate breeding and knowledge. Some even paid high prices to invite renowned scholars and retired palace nannies to teach their children. This Su Zhiyan was clearly someone who had read books and possessed worldly wisdom.

Lady Qiao’s fingernails scraped against her silk clothes, making a grating sound. "Pass the word to everyone: things should be as they have always been. Do not let me lose face on the surface. We shall first find out what she is truly capable of!"

"Yes, my Lady."