Chapter – 04
Malice.
Old Madam Jiang was still earnestly trying to persuade him.
“Go. As long as you appease Jinzhi, this matter will be over. If you incur the Emperor and Empress Dowager’s displeasure, the loss will far outweigh the gain!”
Jiang Changyi had already calmed down. He nodded and said, “Thank you for your guidance, Mother. Your son understands.”
Old Madam Jiang said with satisfaction, “Go on, then!”
They all thought that with Su dead, Xia Jinzhi’s anger would subside, after all, blowing this up further would also be bad for her.
Jiang Changyi rose and left, heading to the Wutong Court where Xia Jinzhi resided.
After Jiang Changyi left, Old Madam Jiang raised her hand, waiting for someone to support her, and said wearily, “Help me back to my room to rest! I’m getting old; after all that commotion, my head is throbbing terribly.”
Chun Momo caught a glimpse of the lonely figure at the entrance of the warm chamber in the courtyard and reminded her, “Old Madam, the Eldest Young Master and Second Miss haven’t been settled in yet.”
Old Madam Jiang had no choice but to withdraw her hand again. However, the commotion had been so great earlier that she hadn’t had a good look at her eldest grandson yet.
She instructed, “Have those two children brought over!”
The servants brought Jiang Yue and Jiang Xuan over.
Jiang Yue was seventeen, a year younger than Jiang Li. Having grown up at the border, she was used to being a lively and carefree young girl, but now she hung her head low like a wooden post.
Jiang Xuan was fifteen this year, with distinct features and a handsome appearance. Having suffered a great blow, his eyes were red and his expression was uneasy.
Old Madam Jiang’s heart ached for them. She beckoned and said, “Good children, come to your grandmother.”
Jiang Xuan’s expression was complicated, and he did not move.
Because he could not feel close to the person before him.
Although she was his biological grandmother.
She had been so indifferent to his mother’s death.
Old Madam Jiang sighed, somewhat disappointed.
“Take the Eldest Young Master to the Wen’an Pavilion to settle in.”
A servant boy came in from outside, bowed, and said, “Young Master, please follow me.”
Jiang Xuan did not follow the servant. Instead, he said with neither humility nor arrogance, “I want to stay by my mother’s side. I’m not going anywhere!”
With that, he went back to the warm chamber.
Old Madam Jiang watched his back, too angry to speak.
Jiang Yue was still standing there. She thought her grandmother would also make arrangements for her, and that she, too, would stay by her mother’s side like her brother.
But while she waited with her head bowed,
Old Madam Jiang raised her hand, was supported by Chun Momo, and left directly.
Jiang Yue stood alone in the empty front hall of Tongxin Residence, experiencing unprecedented neglect.
Tears fell from her eyes as she thought of her mother.
Her mother had never treated her and her brother differently; sometimes she even doted on her more.
But her mother was dead. No one would ever love her more than her brother again.
Sobbing, Jiang Yue returned to the warm chamber.
Jiang Xuan knelt by the couch, tears on his face, but his calm eyes were terrifyingly placid.
Now, only the two siblings were left in this warm chamber.
Jiang Yue choked on her sobs, “What are we going to do now? Mother died just like that!”
Jiang Xuan remained silent. At this moment, his mind was also a complete mess.
“It’s all because of that mother and daughter! If they hadn’t been so overbearing, how could Mother have been driven to such a desperate end!”
Jiang Yue’s anger had nowhere to go, and her heart was now filled with hatred. When she was at the border, she had longed so much to come to the bustling capital.
But now that she was here, everything had turned out like this.
Everything was gone. Her mother was dead, driven to death by them.
Why wouldn’t they believe her mother?
Jiang Xuan frowned at her. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he held back.
Jiang Yue cried out in fear.
“You are Father’s only son. Grandmother and Father both value you, but no one cares about me. From now on, in this household, there will be no place for me either.”
Jiang Xuan lowered his eyes and said, “You are Father’s biological daughter. Father won’t abandon you, and I am your biological brother; I won’t abandon you either.
Besides, Mother always said that one must value oneself.”
As for the sudden appearance of his father’s legitimate wife and eldest sister, he felt that they, as siblings, were not entitled to expect anything from them.
And as a son, he couldn’t directly accuse his father of right or wrong. But his mother’s death was not the fault of that mother and daughter.
It was all his father’s fault.
Likewise, he did not consider his own mother a concubine.
Jiang Yue wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and sobbed, “Yes, I still have you. You are my biological brother. From now on, in this household, it will only be us siblings relying on each other.
But that woman was so aggressive and utterly intolerant. I’m afraid she won’t tolerate us siblings either!”
Earlier, Jiang Yue had been too afraid to say anything, but now she was speaking recklessly, venting everything.
But she was truly afraid, afraid that she would have no way out.
Jiang Xuan’s expression darkened, and he warned, “Sister, watch your words! Be careful that walls have ears! Right and wrong are no longer something we can change. And Mother was not driven to death by her.”
In the past, his mother often taught him that in this world, women had it harder than men, so he must take good care of his sister.
He had never understood thatāmen were supposed to build careers, while women only needed to manage the household and raise children. What was so difficult about that?
But today, he saw it.
Clearly, his father had hidden things from both sides and married two legitimate wives, yet no one blamed him. They only told women to be virtuous and accept everything.
Jiang Yue looked at Jiang Xuan in disbelief and said in a trembling voice, “How can you be like this? Do you have any conscience? Mother died right in front of us.
She was even willing to be a concubine and lower herself, but that woman still refused to let it go and drove her to death!”
Jiang Xuan’s calm eyes were filled with clarity. He frowned and said, “Just because Mother was willing to be a concubine, does that mean she had to accept it?
For all these years, our family of four enjoyed happiness together, while she stayed in the capital, silently filial to his parents, managing household affairs, and raising her daughter.
In terms of grievance, she has endured no less than Mother. You need to understand who is the real culprit in all this!”
“Ha, Jiang Xuan, I really misjudged you. I didn’t expect you to be so heartless! You’re even speaking up for our mother’s killer.”
Jiang Yue’s mind was filled with images of themāhaughty, noble, and aggressive.
Clearly, that mother and daughter had lived much better lives than they had, enduring wind and sand at the border.
She couldn’t understand why that woman refused to accept them.
Her mother was even willing to be a concubine, yet she still wouldn’t let it go. If it weren’t for that, her mother wouldn’t have died.
Jiang Xuan frowned deeply, pressing his thin lips together and saying no more.
He couldn’t directly point out his father’s faults, or he would be unfilial.
He just didn’t understand. His sister was also a woman, so why did she harbor such malice towards that mother and daughter?
If someone weren’t pushed to the brink, who would go to such lengths to make a scene like that?
The siblings sulked in silence, not speaking to each other.
Meanwhile, Su Jingwan lay on the couch, with no one coming to handle her funeral arrangements.
As the night deepened, darkness enveloped the entire General’s Mansion like a layer of gloom.
Inside the Wutong Court,
Xia Jinzhi sat on the couch, propping her head up with one hand and massaging her temples, her brow filled with exhaustion.
Jiang Li held a teacup in her hands and said, “Mother, this is a calming tea I had the physician prepare. Please take care of yourself!”
She was very worried about Xia Jinzhi.
Xia Jinzhi took the tea her daughter handed her and took a sip before forcing a smile and saying, “Don’t worry, A-Li. Mother is fine. It’s been a long night of commotion. You should go back to Wangshu Pavilion and rest early.”
Jiang Li couldn’t possibly leave with peace of mind.
Xia Jinzhi’s wet nurse, Zhao Momo, saw that her mistress’s smile was very forced and knew she was holding back so her daughter wouldn’t worry. As long as Miss was here, she would have to keep restraining herself. So she quickly stepped forward, took the teacup from Xia Jinzhi’s hand, and said,
“Miss, don’t worry. This old servant will take good care of the Madam. You should go back and rest early so that the Madam can also rest assured.”
