Jiang Tianao walked into the room with a livid face. After sitting down, he found that Jiang Yahong had been creeping along with him. He scolded angrily, “Didn’t you hear what I just said? Hurry to pack up!”
“I have ordered the manservant to tell Madam Zhuang to pack up.” Jiang Yahong said carefully appearing submissive and meek, “I am worried about you, father, so…”
Jiang Tianao looked at the son of a concubine who had never gotten any attention from him. The son stared at his father with an awkward and concerned expression. Jiang Tianao’s heart was mixed with all kinds of feelings, and his tone eased down, “I’m all right. Get your things done first!”
“Can I offer you a cup of tea before leaving?” With a moment of hesitation, Jiang Yahong asked softly.
He had practiced in front of the bronze mirror countless times for this moment. His tone, his behavior, and his expression were just to the point. The sincere spirit of trying his best to please his father was really vivid!
Jiang Tianao was now experiencing the most frustrating moment in his life. As two trueborn sons were away and Madame Dou didn’t appear to interrupt, how could he not be moved?
He sighed inwardly and said with the gentlest voice, “Of course!”
And naturally, Jiang Yahong showed a surprised but joyful look, and his hand carrying the tea bowl even trembled slightly because he was over-excited.
This made Jiang Tianao delighted but grieved. He thought to himself, “I was too careless about this child in the past… Unexpectedly, he is so filial!” He decided to consider Jiang Yahong’s future after the blackmail was successful.
He didn’t know that Jiang Yahong who looked ecstatic at the moment was thinking that, “Jiang Yashuang has already made an appointment with me to kill Jiang Yayue and Jiang Yaqing in collusion. However, Jiang Yayue died before I got down to action! I don’t know whether Jiang Yashuang still doesn’t trust me since he has the goods on me, or did someone else in the fourth branch do it? But it’s not enough to remove Jiang Yayue. Once Jiang Yayun and Jiang Jingxu both die, I will be the only son of this old guy. His other grandchildren are still young. My good days are on the way!”
Thinking about this, he regretted giving Jiang Yashuang the goods at the beginning. “Jiang Yashuang holds the goods with the handprint. Even if I am the only son of the old guy, I can’t get rid of the control of the fourth branch! I was too anxious at that moment!”
But he also knew it. He would just bring about his own destruction if he asked Jiang Yashuang for the goods. Because Jiang Yayue definitely didn’t die in the manner described on it. If Jiang Yashuang showed it to everyone and simply blamed Jiang Yayue’s death on him, saying, “At the beginning, Jiang Yahong intended to urge me to harm Jiang Yayue. How could I do such a thing? Jiang Yahong had such a mind. If I told my eldest uncle and eldest aunt, I was afraid of hurting the hearts of the two elders. If I didn’t tell them, would Jiang Yahong find someone else to conspire with?”
“So, I scared Jiang Yahong to write this confession. I thought that Jiang Yahong would not dare to do wrong things again if I took it! It would be over! But I never considered that Jiang Yahong was totally out of his mind… I really can’t stand it. I have to reveal the truth!”
“Play it by ear!” Jiang Yahong held with a heavy heart, “Blame my biological mother who is not the first wife.”
He was “very excited” to serve Jiang Tianao with tea. He even tactfully massaged his father’s shoulders. When he saw Jiang Tianao put the tea bowl back on the table, he showed a touch of loss and reluctance and left away quietly.
This performance obviously helped him acquire a lot of favor from his father because Jiang Tianao told him, “You’ve been working hard these days. Go to the storehouse and get some mountain ginsengs. Ask your wife to stew it for you.” He also mentioned his rules of physical and mental health to the son.
Jiang Yahong pretended to be flattered and said constantly, “It’s not hard for me! It’s hard for you, my father… Thank you for caring about me!” In fact, he sneered inwardly, “It’s the first time this old guy treats me like that in my life. Sure enough, if his other children and grandchildren don’t die all, I won’t stand out!”
When he was thinking about how to persuade the fourth branch to kill his eldest brother and nephews for him, a servant suddenly came in trembling, “Master, the Eleventh Young Master and the Nineteenth Young Master are coming!”
“What’s he doing here?” Hearing this, Jiang Tianao’s kindness suddenly disappeared. He roared with his distorted face, “Are they afraid that I won’t go or I won’t die? Tell him we’ll set off early tomorrow morning!”
Jiang Yahong hurriedly said, “Go and send him away!” He repeatedly told Jiang Tianao to calm down, “Take care of yourself, father. Don’t fall for the trick of the fourth branch!” And then his eye sockets suddenly turned red. He said sincerely, “My mother has gone, and my second brother has gone, too. Jiang Yayun is not in Jing City now. If you were angry with them and ruined your health, how could we manage our branch? Please calm down, father!”
“You don’t have to worry!” Jiang Tianao waved his hand wearily, “Although I’m a little tired these days, I won’t be so useless to be mad due to a junior. I’m just really angry for his annoying and overbearing behaviors! It’s really…”
“Uncle, why do you say this?” Before his words died away, Jiang Yashuang’s voice suddenly came outside the door.
The servant who had reported before followed Jiang Yashuang. He ran in and kowtowed in horror, “Master! Master! I really can’t stop the Nineteenth Young Master!”
Jiang Yashuang entered leisurely and said with a smile, “I don’t come to urge you to set off. On the contrary, I come here to ask you to stay!”
Jiang Tianao changed his mind, “Does it mean that the two uncles can’t resist my pressure and force the fourth branch to step backwards?” Although Jiang Yashuang smiled and looked relaxed, it didn’t seem like he was forced to give in. But Jiang Tianao knew that his nephew was really cunning. It was hard to say whether he pretended on purpose or not?
So, he immediately scowled, “Don’t be too aggressive! I go back to my hometown to show filial piety. This is the tradition of human ethic. You as a younger generation should say such absurd words. Have you ever listened to inculcations even a little over the years?”
“I am for your own good, uncle!” Jiang Yashuang said slowly, “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you let Jiang Yahong and the servant leave and listen to me alone?”
Seeing that Jiang Tianao didn’t want to reply, he said with half smile, “By the way, I just went back to the fourth branch to change clothes, but Ningyi called me to persuade mother to calm her anger. Does uncle know why my mother was angry?”
His face turned dull and his tone changed to be creepy, “Because mother went to visit Jiang Yadan today, and she finally realized that Jiang Yadan was not as talented in both the pen and the sword as the family letters said over the years. He had been highly expected by the elders of my family since he was a child! On the contrary, Jiang Yadan is now sapping his spirit by seeking pleasures with no desire to make progress. My mother trembled with anger and said that she would come to the first branch to argue with you. I came here just on behalf of my mother!”
“It’s said that one is intelligent as a child but may not be so brilliant when he grows up!” Since Jiang Tianao dared to abandon Jiang Yadan at the beginning, he was surely ready to respond to the fourth branch. At the moment, he sneered, “There are so many people praised as smart and clever when they were young. Do they all successful when they grow up? This only suggests that Jiang Yadan is one of them!”
“Besides, there are three sons and two daughters in your fourth branch. You entered the Imperial Academy before twenty years old. This is an achievement worthy of being remembered in history. Who knows if it’s you who take Jiang Yadan’s blessing that make him become such a useless person now?” Jiang Tianao said expressionless, “So if your mother wants to blame someone, she should blame you!”
Jiang Yashuang was not angry after he heard the unreasonable and topsy-turvy words, but said slightly, “According to your words, my eldest grand uncle also has three sons and two daughters, but you are the only one who has become an official. You must have taken all the blessings of my eldest grand uncle’s branch, right? No wonder my eldest grand aunt…” He stopped here meaningfully and then went on as if nothing had happened, “My eldest grand aunt hasn’t seen you for many years. She misses you very much!”
Jiang Tianao laughed grimly, “Are you forcing me by Madame Han?”
He was really afraid of Madame Han’s death indeed, because he had to worry about filial piety, but it didn’t mean that he was afraid of Madame Han!
Because the fact that Madame Han abused him and Jiang Tianyuan in those years had been exposed.
Madame Lin, his and Jiang Tianyuan’s biological mother, was not only the first wife of Kui Xiannan, but also suffered all her life with Kui Xiannan and never enjoyed even one day’s happiness. Later, Madame Han married into the family and soon Marquess Qin began to become successful. Kui Xiannan was nostalgic and still felt sorry for his first wife. Otherwise, he would not have refused Marquess Qin and the Jibei Hou’s mediation and insisted on not letting the second branch and the fifth branch of his step-wife become officials so as to beg for Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianyuan’s forgiveness.
If he returned to Kui County in person, he would just need to mention Madame Lin and cry hard. Madame Han and her son had gotten along with Kui Xiannan day and night and prepared many slings and arrows. He ensured that Kui Xiannan would stand on his side!
Jiang Yashuang also knew this. So, after listening to his sneer, he also smiled lightly, “I thought it was disreputable so it would be best to tell you alone. But since you refuse to give me the chance, I have to say it here!”
He stared into Jiang Tianao’s eyes and said slowly, “Miss Wang, Ning Yi’s cousin, who had promised to marry with Prince of Wei, was stigmatized before. It first found out that it had something to do with the sixth sister-in-law’s maiden family. But later, it found out that a person in front of you was the chief plotter!”
“It had nothing to do with our first branch!” Jiang Tianao said coldly, “Even if it had something to do with us, I haven’t heard of the Wang family. Do you want to trouble me with such a small thing?”
“Of course, I am not so naive!” Jiang Yashuang chuckled, ” I really didn’t think that it was done by someone in your branch. After all, you had a big plot at that time. How could you have the time to care about such a small means?”
He smiled, “I am very curious about the person who slandered your branch. At first, I thought it was the third branch, but then He Shuijin took out incontestable evidence to prove their innocence! I suspected that it was the remnants of the Dou family, but in fact, the Dou family was already powerless at that moment! I didn’t get any clues after checking around!”
“But everything comes to him who waits. I have never given up. Unexpectedly, I found a clue after a few days!”
“The person who urged the rangers to slander Miss Wang’s reputation and integrity is indeed in your branch, uncle. However, the person was not ordered by your branch, but my eldest grand aunt!”
Jiang Tianao’s pupils suddenly contracted, “What are you talking about?” He took a deep breath and sternly ordered Jiang Yahong and the trembling servant to step back, “Shut up!”
When the door closed, he asked him word by word, “What do you know?”
“The Dou family couldn’t even slander Miss Wang of the small Wang family in the name of you. They definitely couldn’t deceive my eldest aunt and arrange enough people in the entourages of the second brother and the sixth brother to harm them.” Jiang Yashuang stared at him with smile and said slowly, “So since I knew the deaths of the second brother and the sixth brother, I thought of my eldest grand aunt. Although my second uncle and my fifth uncle didn’t become officials, it is sure that they can raise many talented people in the countryside for so many years, can’t they, uncle?”
Jiang Tianao’s eyes were totally red. He came forward swiftly and grabbed his shoulders, saying through gritted teeth, “Where’s the evidence? Show me the proof!”
Seeing that Jiang Yashuang stood still and smiled sarcastically, he roared, “What do you want? Don’t tell me that you just come to inform me of it!”
“Uncle, why are you so excited?” Jiang Yashuang smiled lightly without budging his feet. He shook Jiang Tianao’s hands away with a slight tremble of his shoulders. He dusted the place where Jiang Tianao had caught and then smiled calmly, “Didn’t you hear my demand just now? Don’t go back to Kui County. Just believe what my youngest grand uncle said. You just need to believe and do following my grandfather and my youngest grand uncle’s words… Understand?”
“You’re out of your mind, aren’t you?” Jiang Tianao was so angry that he laughed instead, “Do you think I’ll agree to your such outrageous demand?”
He said in a cold voice, “Anyway, you have mentioned Madame Han. Do you think that I can’t find the evidence even if you don’t give me? Even if I can’t find it, I can get it from other ways!”
“No, no, no!” Jiang Yashuang shook his head with a stern smile, “I bet you will agree to my demand after you make all kinds of efforts. After all, you and my third uncle persuaded grandfather like that before, didn’t you?”
Jiang Tianao was stunned and thought carefully. In an instant, he was completely running with sweat and almost fainted!
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Jiang Tianao walked into the room with a livid face. After sitting down, he found that Jiang Yahong had been creeping along with him. He scolded angrily, “Didn’t you hear what I just said? Hurry to pack up!”
“I have ordered the manservant to tell Madam Zhuang to pack up.” Jiang Yahong said carefully appearing submissive and meek, “I am worried about you, father, so…”
Jiang Tianao looked at the son of a concubine who had never gotten any attention from him. The son stared at his father with an awkward and concerned expression. Jiang Tianao’s heart was mixed with all kinds of feelings, and his tone eased down, “I’m all right. Get your things done first!”
“Can I offer you a cup of tea before leaving?” With a moment of hesitation, Jiang Yahong asked softly.
He had practiced in front of the bronze mirror countless times for this moment. His tone, his behavior, and his expression were just to the point. The sincere spirit of trying his best to please his father was really vivid!
Jiang Tianao was now experiencing the most frustrating moment in his life. As two trueborn sons were away and Madame Dou didn’t appear to interrupt, how could he not be moved?
He sighed inwardly and said with the gentlest voice, “Of course!”
And naturally, Jiang Yahong showed a surprised but joyful look, and his hand carrying the tea bowl even trembled slightly because he was over-excited.
This made Jiang Tianao delighted but grieved. He thought to himself, “I was too careless about this child in the past… Unexpectedly, he is so filial!” He decided to consider Jiang Yahong’s future after the blackmail was successful.
He didn’t know that Jiang Yahong who looked ecstatic at the moment was thinking that, “Jiang Yashuang has already made an appointment with me to kill Jiang Yayue and Jiang Yaqing in collusion. However, Jiang Yayue died before I got down to action! I don’t know whether Jiang Yashuang still doesn’t trust me since he has the goods on me, or did someone else in the fourth branch do it? But it’s not enough to remove Jiang Yayue. Once Jiang Yayun and Jiang Jingxu both die, I will be the only son of this old guy. His other grandchildren are still young. My good days are on the way!”
Thinking about this, he regretted giving Jiang Yashuang the goods at the beginning. “Jiang Yashuang holds the goods with the handprint. Even if I am the only son of the old guy, I can’t get rid of the control of the fourth branch! I was too anxious at that moment!”
But he also knew it. He would just bring about his own destruction if he asked Jiang Yashuang for the goods. Because Jiang Yayue definitely didn’t die in the manner described on it. If Jiang Yashuang showed it to everyone and simply blamed Jiang Yayue’s death on him, saying, “At the beginning, Jiang Yahong intended to urge me to harm Jiang Yayue. How could I do such a thing? Jiang Yahong had such a mind. If I told my eldest uncle and eldest aunt, I was afraid of hurting the hearts of the two elders. If I didn’t tell them, would Jiang Yahong find someone else to conspire with?”
“So, I scared Jiang Yahong to write this confession. I thought that Jiang Yahong would not dare to do wrong things again if I took it! It would be over! But I never considered that Jiang Yahong was totally out of his mind… I really can’t stand it. I have to reveal the truth!”
“Play it by ear!” Jiang Yahong held with a heavy heart, “Blame my biological mother who is not the first wife.”
He was “very excited” to serve Jiang Tianao with tea. He even tactfully massaged his father’s shoulders. When he saw Jiang Tianao put the tea bowl back on the table, he showed a touch of loss and reluctance and left away quietly.
This performance obviously helped him acquire a lot of favor from his father because Jiang Tianao told him, “You’ve been working hard these days. Go to the storehouse and get some mountain ginsengs. Ask your wife to stew it for you.” He also mentioned his rules of physical and mental health to the son.
Jiang Yahong pretended to be flattered and said constantly, “It’s not hard for me! It’s hard for you, my father… Thank you for caring about me!” In fact, he sneered inwardly, “It’s the first time this old guy treats me like that in my life. Sure enough, if his other children and grandchildren don’t die all, I won’t stand out!”
When he was thinking about how to persuade the fourth branch to kill his eldest brother and nephews for him, a servant suddenly came in trembling, “Master, the Eleventh Young Master and the Nineteenth Young Master are coming!”
“What’s he doing here?” Hearing this, Jiang Tianao’s kindness suddenly disappeared. He roared with his distorted face, “Are they afraid that I won’t go or I won’t die? Tell him we’ll set off early tomorrow morning!”
Jiang Yahong hurriedly said, “Go and send him away!” He repeatedly told Jiang Tianao to calm down, “Take care of yourself, father. Don’t fall for the trick of the fourth branch!” And then his eye sockets suddenly turned red. He said sincerely, “My mother has gone, and my second brother has gone, too. Jiang Yayun is not in Jing City now. If you were angry with them and ruined your health, how could we manage our branch? Please calm down, father!”
“You don’t have to worry!” Jiang Tianao waved his hand wearily, “Although I’m a little tired these days, I won’t be so useless to be mad due to a junior. I’m just really angry for his annoying and overbearing behaviors! It’s really…”
“Uncle, why do you say this?” Before his words died away, Jiang Yashuang’s voice suddenly came outside the door.
The servant who had reported before followed Jiang Yashuang. He ran in and kowtowed in horror, “Master! Master! I really can’t stop the Nineteenth Young Master!”
Jiang Yashuang entered leisurely and said with a smile, “I don’t come to urge you to set off. On the contrary, I come here to ask you to stay!”
Jiang Tianao changed his mind, “Does it mean that the two uncles can’t resist my pressure and force the fourth branch to step backwards?” Although Jiang Yashuang smiled and looked relaxed, it didn’t seem like he was forced to give in. But Jiang Tianao knew that his nephew was really cunning. It was hard to say whether he pretended on purpose or not?
So, he immediately scowled, “Don’t be too aggressive! I go back to my hometown to show filial piety. This is the tradition of human ethic. You as a younger generation should say such absurd words. Have you ever listened to inculcations even a little over the years?”
“I am for your own good, uncle!” Jiang Yashuang said slowly, “If you don’t believe me, why don’t you let Jiang Yahong and the servant leave and listen to me alone?”
Seeing that Jiang Tianao didn’t want to reply, he said with half smile, “By the way, I just went back to the fourth branch to change clothes, but Ningyi called me to persuade mother to calm her anger. Does uncle know why my mother was angry?”
His face turned dull and his tone changed to be creepy, “Because mother went to visit Jiang Yadan today, and she finally realized that Jiang Yadan was not as talented in both the pen and the sword as the family letters said over the years. He had been highly expected by the elders of my family since he was a child! On the contrary, Jiang Yadan is now sapping his spirit by seeking pleasures with no desire to make progress. My mother trembled with anger and said that she would come to the first branch to argue with you. I came here just on behalf of my mother!”
“It’s said that one is intelligent as a child but may not be so brilliant when he grows up!” Since Jiang Tianao dared to abandon Jiang Yadan at the beginning, he was surely ready to respond to the fourth branch. At the moment, he sneered, “There are so many people praised as smart and clever when they were young. Do they all successful when they grow up? This only suggests that Jiang Yadan is one of them!”
“Besides, there are three sons and two daughters in your fourth branch. You entered the Imperial Academy before twenty years old. This is an achievement worthy of being remembered in history. Who knows if it’s you who take Jiang Yadan’s blessing that make him become such a useless person now?” Jiang Tianao said expressionless, “So if your mother wants to blame someone, she should blame you!”
Jiang Yashuang was not angry after he heard the unreasonable and topsy-turvy words, but said slightly, “According to your words, my eldest grand uncle also has three sons and two daughters, but you are the only one who has become an official. You must have taken all the blessings of my eldest grand uncle’s branch, right? No wonder my eldest grand aunt…” He stopped here meaningfully and then went on as if nothing had happened, “My eldest grand aunt hasn’t seen you for many years. She misses you very much!”
Jiang Tianao laughed grimly, “Are you forcing me by Madame Han?”
He was really afraid of Madame Han’s death indeed, because he had to worry about filial piety, but it didn’t mean that he was afraid of Madame Han!
Because the fact that Madame Han abused him and Jiang Tianyuan in those years had been exposed.
Madame Lin, his and Jiang Tianyuan’s biological mother, was not only the first wife of Kui Xiannan, but also suffered all her life with Kui Xiannan and never enjoyed even one day’s happiness. Later, Madame Han married into the family and soon Marquess Qin began to become successful. Kui Xiannan was nostalgic and still felt sorry for his first wife. Otherwise, he would not have refused Marquess Qin and the Jibei Hou’s mediation and insisted on not letting the second branch and the fifth branch of his step-wife become officials so as to beg for Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianyuan’s forgiveness.
If he returned to Kui County in person, he would just need to mention Madame Lin and cry hard. Madame Han and her son had gotten along with Kui Xiannan day and night and prepared many slings and arrows. He ensured that Kui Xiannan would stand on his side!
Jiang Yashuang also knew this. So, after listening to his sneer, he also smiled lightly, “I thought it was disreputable so it would be best to tell you alone. But since you refuse to give me the chance, I have to say it here!”
He stared into Jiang Tianao’s eyes and said slowly, “Miss Wang, Ning Yi’s cousin, who had promised to marry with Prince of Wei, was stigmatized before. It first found out that it had something to do with the sixth sister-in-law’s maiden family. But later, it found out that a person in front of you was the chief plotter!”
“It had nothing to do with our first branch!” Jiang Tianao said coldly, “Even if it had something to do with us, I haven’t heard of the Wang family. Do you want to trouble me with such a small thing?”
“Of course, I am not so naive!” Jiang Yashuang chuckled, ” I really didn’t think that it was done by someone in your branch. After all, you had a big plot at that time. How could you have the time to care about such a small means?”
He smiled, “I am very curious about the person who slandered your branch. At first, I thought it was the third branch, but then He Shuijin took out incontestable evidence to prove their innocence! I suspected that it was the remnants of the Dou family, but in fact, the Dou family was already powerless at that moment! I didn’t get any clues after checking around!”
“But everything comes to him who waits. I have never given up. Unexpectedly, I found a clue after a few days!”
“The person who urged the rangers to slander Miss Wang’s reputation and integrity is indeed in your branch, uncle. However, the person was not ordered by your branch, but my eldest grand aunt!”
Jiang Tianao’s pupils suddenly contracted, “What are you talking about?” He took a deep breath and sternly ordered Jiang Yahong and the trembling servant to step back, “Shut up!”
When the door closed, he asked him word by word, “What do you know?”
“The Dou family couldn’t even slander Miss Wang of the small Wang family in the name of you. They definitely couldn’t deceive my eldest aunt and arrange enough people in the entourages of the second brother and the sixth brother to harm them.” Jiang Yashuang stared at him with smile and said slowly, “So since I knew the deaths of the second brother and the sixth brother, I thought of my eldest grand aunt. Although my second uncle and my fifth uncle didn’t become officials, it is sure that they can raise many talented people in the countryside for so many years, can’t they, uncle?”
Jiang Tianao’s eyes were totally red. He came forward swiftly and grabbed his shoulders, saying through gritted teeth, “Where’s the evidence? Show me the proof!”
Seeing that Jiang Yashuang stood still and smiled sarcastically, he roared, “What do you want? Don’t tell me that you just come to inform me of it!”
“Uncle, why are you so excited?” Jiang Yashuang smiled lightly without budging his feet. He shook Jiang Tianao’s hands away with a slight tremble of his shoulders. He dusted the place where Jiang Tianao had caught and then smiled calmly, “Didn’t you hear my demand just now? Don’t go back to Kui County. Just believe what my youngest grand uncle said. You just need to believe and do following my grandfather and my youngest grand uncle’s words… Understand?”
“You’re out of your mind, aren’t you?” Jiang Tianao was so angry that he laughed instead, “Do you think I’ll agree to your such outrageous demand?”
He said in a cold voice, “Anyway, you have mentioned Madame Han. Do you think that I can’t find the evidence even if you don’t give me? Even if I can’t find it, I can get it from other ways!”
“No, no, no!” Jiang Yashuang shook his head with a stern smile, “I bet you will agree to my demand after you make all kinds of efforts. After all, you and my third uncle persuaded grandfather like that before, didn’t you?”
Jiang Tianao was stunned and thought carefully. In an instant, he was completely running with sweat and almost fainted!
If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
