Chapter Thirty-Seven

Jade Pavilion.

Jiang Nian was deep in thought, contemplating her own situation. Her father’s love for her mother might have existed, but it was eclipsed by his thirst for power. The same held true for his feelings toward the Qiao woman and her daughter; nothing could withstand the allure of power for him.

This meant that the more resourceful she proved to be, the more he would esteem and tolerate her.

Realizing this, Jiang Nian smiled faintly.

Qing’er, having watched her fall into a long silence, brought over a cup of honey water to soothe her throat. "My Lady, regarding today’s events, the Master must have realized that the incident with Fangmei was the work of the Qiao woman. I wonder if he will quarrel with that mother and daughter now that he has summoned them?"

"Quarrel?" Jiang Nian shook her head. "He won’t. At most, he will utter a few harsh words to warn the Qiao woman and make his stance clear. Once she yields, he will set aside his principles and begin to appeal to their shared affections, hoping to smooth over any resentment between them."

Qing’er was stunned. "He might even make her feel indispensable, as if she is the only woman he truly cares for—much like he did with your mother?"

Madam Chen had already come to view Jiang Ping as an enemy, yet he still spoke to her with gentle words, leaving himself plenty of room for maneuver.

Jiang Nian sneered. "He is a master at capturing a woman’s heart. As long as he has a use for the Qiao woman and the Qiao family... no, even if he didn’t, he would not easily turn hostile, lest people start talking. Just as he has never truly given up on my mother."

"What?" Qing’er gasped. "They have already divorced; what more could he possibly want?"

"He remains convinced that my mother was merely acting out of spite and that, in reality, she cannot live without him. He will wait, persist, and perhaps even try to maintain a secret connection with her behind the Qiao woman’s back."

"Does he never realize that he is in the wrong?" Qing’er asked indignantly.

"How could someone who only cares about himself ever believe he is wrong?"

Qing’er was silent for a moment before asking, "If that is the case, how do you intend to drive a wedge between the Master and the Qiao woman? No matter what you do, he will always maintain a facade of 'affection' with her."

"No, you are mistaken. You can pretend to love a well-behaved dog for a long time, but you cannot pretend to love a mad dog forever. A mad dog bites; if she causes trouble constantly, anyone would grow weary."

"When the day comes that the mad dog commits a fatal error, he will have every justification to put her down, and he might even be able to squeeze some compensation out of the dog's master."

The master of the mad dog was, naturally, the Qiao family.

Qing’er seemed to understand. "So, what you are doing now is pushing the Qiao woman—this 'well-behaved dog'—into becoming a mad dog?"

"Indeed. But it is not easy. To my father, we are all his well-behaved dogs, though there are degrees of closeness. After all, he has lived with the Qiao woman for over a decade." Jiang Nian smiled mockingly. "It would be best if Father could keep the Qiao woman’s eyes blinded forever. A fool who fights tooth and nail over a man is much easier to handle than someone cool and collected."

"By the way, how is Concubine Su doing?"

"Concubine Su is very concerned about that girl, Fulan. She hired a doctor to treat her injuries—I heard he is a famous orthopedist in the capital."

Jiang Nian murmured an acknowledgment, calculating in her mind. In her previous life, Concubine Su didn’t enter the household until a year later, but she did not have that much time to wait.

There were only a few months left before the imperial selection. She had to dismantle the Qiao woman before then, which was why she had stirred the third branch to expose Concubine Su prematurely.

Qing’er remarked, "Concubine Su actually took the bait regarding the laxative and even blew it out of proportion. She is quite daring, causing such a stir just after entering the household."

Jiang Nian chuckled. "Do you truly think she entered this house just to be a concubine?"

"Then why is she here?"

"You will know in time. However, if I want Concubine Su’s trump card to have its full effect, there are two more things I must arrange."

As she spoke, Lianqiao entered with a smile. "My Lady, a letter has arrived from your mother!"

Jiang Nian hurriedly stood up, took the letter from Lianqiao, and unfolded it, a smile spreading across her face. "Mother says my little sister is recovering well, and she and the Wei family will soon be on their way."

Qing’er said, "With the entire Wei family traveling together, the journey will likely be slow—at least half a month. Nanny Lin left ahead of them with your mother’s dowry; counting the days, she should arrive by tomorrow!"

"Good. Then we shall go to the Chen residence tomorrow to take a look."

Jiang Nian’s maternal grandfather, Chen Hong, had only one son and one daughter: Jiang Nian’s mother, Madam Chen, and her uncle, Chen Jingxiu. After her mother was sent to Luzhou, her uncle had gone to the frontier to join the army. For over a decade, they had only communicated through letters, and the vast Chen mansion in the capital had remained vacant, guarded and cleaned only by a few loyal servants.

She had been too busy catching the Qiao woman off guard to go and visit.

The next morning, Jiang Nian went to Pine Crane Hall to pay her respects to the Old Madam and mentioned her plan to visit the Chen residence.

The Old Madam grew angry at the mere thought of Madam Chen and was about to lash out, but remembering her son’s words about Jiang Nian’s great potential, she swallowed her words. What was a bit of dowry compared to the future prosperity of the Jiang family that Jiang Nian would bring?

"Go quickly and return quickly. A young lady of noble birth wandering about all day—what kind of behavior is that!"

Jiang Nian gave a perfunctory response and returned to the Jade Pavilion to change. Just as she was about to leave, she heard the voice of the gatekeeper woman at the courtyard entrance: "Sixth Young Lady, are you looking for the Third Young Lady?"

Jiang Ran, the Sixth Young Lady, was a concubine-born daughter of the third branch. Her mother, Concubine Liu, had a terrible relationship with the Third Madam, and Jiang Ran, relying on the Third Master’s favor, was always at odds with Jiang Yan.

Seeing Jiang Nian emerge, she bypassed the gatekeeper and stepped forward. "Eldest Sister, are you planning to go out?"

Jiang Nian looked coolly at the fake smile on the other girl’s face. "Yes. Does Sixth Sister need something from me?"

Jiang Yan had mentioned that Jiang Ran had been spending a lot of time lately with Jiang Li, the daughter of the late Second Aunt. Jiang Li viewed Jiang Nian as the person who killed her mother and certainly wouldn’t have anything kind to say about her. Was Jiang Ran here to act as someone else’s champion?

Sure enough, Jiang Ran’s next words were filled with malice. "Eldest Sister, how can you still dare to go out? Haven't you heard the rumors in the household?"

Jiang Nian ignored her completely, looking her up and down until the girl felt a chill crawl up her spine. "What... what are you looking at?"

Suddenly, Jiang Nian stepped forward and stomped hard on Jiang Ran’s embroidered shoe!

The maids on both sides were stunned. How could she just strike out like that?

Jiang Ran’s face turned red—whether from pain or anger, it was hard to tell!

Jiang Nian ground her heel down hard before stepping back. "There was a caterpillar crawling on your shoe, Sixth Sister. I was afraid it would frighten you, so I took such drastic measures. I didn’t step on you too hard, did I?"

Not too hard? It was agonizing!

Jiang Ran gritted her teeth and looked down at her foot. A caterpillar as thick as a finger had been crushed flat, its innards oozing out! The green fluid had soaked right through her embroidered shoe!

"Ah—!"

Jiang Ran let out a piercing shriek, kicked off her shoe, and fell backward, sprawled on the ground!

"Sixth Young Lady!" her maid scrambled to help her up. "Are you alright?"

Jiang Nian looked surprised. "Is Sixth Sister afraid of even a dead bug?"

Jiang Ran’s face was deathly pale. She found the living ones terrifying, and the dead ones both disgusting and horrifying! Moreover, these were brand-new shoes she was wearing for the first time today!

"How hateful!"

Jiang Nian sighed. "Sixth Sister should practice building up your courage before stepping out. If you are afraid of a bug, how do you expect to be the one who sticks their neck out?"

Jiang Ran’s expression shifted, but Jiang Nian was already walking away.

"I have matters to attend to, so I cannot keep you company. Please, make yourself at home, Sixth Sister."

With that, she led Qing’er and Lianqiao out the gate without looking back.

Jiang Ran’s expression was ghastly. "She actually called me a 'bird that sticks its neck out'? Does she take me for a fool?!"

Inside the carriage, Qing’er asked about Jiang Ran. "What did the Sixth Young Lady mean? Was she trying to stand up for the Second Young Lady?"

Jiang Nian gave a cold laugh. "The forest is large and full of all kinds of birds. Some plot in the shadows, while some fools are used as blades without even realizing it."

"This morning, I heard the rumors in the household as well," Qing’er said. "They say you are cold-blooded and ruthless, that you don't even spare your own aunt. It must be the Second Young Lady, harboring a grudge over the Luzhou incident and trying to ruin your reputation."

Jiang Nian shook her head. "Silly girl, if the news of the Second Aunt’s adultery and illegitimate child spreads, what good does that do Jiang Li?"

Qing’er paused. "That is true. The Second Young Lady’s only path forward is to secure a decent marriage. If the scandal about the Second Madam gets out, her reputation will be destroyed. Could it be the Qiao woman again? Is she trying to force the Second Young Lady into a corner with rumors, hoping she will seek revenge on you?"