Real Empress from a Noble Family

Empress Jiang meant what she said. She spread the rumor about going to select a husband for Princess Changping the next day. She also claimed that Princess Changping was Empress Dowager Gu’s beloved one. She and Empress Dowager both didn’t want her to leave Jing City. So, they would only select from the porphyrogenites in Jing City. The empress had given much thought to this. How could Kuang Shihan who determined to hand over the Western Army to his son be okay with Kuang Qingwu staying in Jing City permanently?

After hearing the news, Empress Dowager Gu gnashed her teeth with hatred. She instructed people in the Prince’s Mansion of Guangyang overnight, “Tell Deng Yi and his mother to come back as soon as possible! He should marry Commandery Princess Ningyi at once!”

She also sent a eunuch to Prince’s Mansion of Xihe to deliver a message, “Keep a close look at Commandery Princess Ningyi in these few days. Once Deng Family comes to negotiate the marriage, set the date as soon as possible!”

Qiu Mengmin and his wife sent away the eunuch with a smile. They looked at each other after getting back to the room, “Empress Dowager wants her to get married. That little bastard wants to break off the engagement. What shall we do?”

Princess Yang said hesitantly, “How could that little bastard be compared with Empress Dowager?”

“But he was right on the other day. As long as we have a legit reason to break off the engagement, even Empress Dowager wants to punish us, she can’t do anything to our hereditary Duke title!” Qiu Mengmin sighed tiredly, “He, on the other hand, once he reveals his identity, he was officially granted as the Young Prince back then!”

“But you have been the Duke of Xihe for years!” Princess Yang was so scared of disobeying Empress Dowager. She objected, “With Empress Dowager backing us up, we may have a chance!”

Qiu Mengmin said with a bitter smile, “Are you muddled? Why do you think as a fine Young Prince, he faked his death and left? Of course, he did it to avoid getting harmed by Empress Dowager… However, do you believe he will tell the truth now? He can’t confront Empress Dowager now! What if he says he hid because we wanted to harm him? He even can blame us for the old Princess Lian’s death! We have already been found guilty of ‘disrespect’ two years ago. What are our chances of keeping our Duke title? Otherwise, why did I agree with him?”

He lowered his voice, “Besides, he left for these many years after he faked his death. He has been spending money like water after he got back to Jing City… It’s clear that he took away the large missing properties of the Prince’s Mansion! Those properties have been accumulated since our country was founded! To say it bluntly, he has enough money to make our whole family disappear!”

Princess Yang couldn’t help feeling scared, “Then, what about the Empress Dowager?”

“Do it stealthily! Don’t let Empress Dowager catches us!” Qiu Mengmin sighed, “That’s why I asked you to put up with it and take Yuqing back.”

“But if something happens to her, how could Empress Dowager not suspect us of doing it on purpose?” Princess Yang was so worried.

Qiu Mengmin said, “Then we insist that we were afraid of her being used outside. However, we still can’t prevent it from happening after we got her back. It’s not that we don’t want to work for Empress Dowager. It’s just that we are not capable!”

Princess Yang sighed, “We have been worrying about the missing properties of the Prince’s Mansion for two years! We looked through almost all of the old Princess’s stuff. And we have been keeping a close look at Qiu Yelan without any negligence. However, she has already given it to her grandson!”

Qiu Mengmin was also gloomy. He said after a while, “Since those properties are in Qiu Jinglan’s hand, how could we get our hands on them? But if we lost the Duke title, we would lose what we have now.”

“Um. We ignore what the eunuch told us today?” Princess Yang asked with hesitation.

Qiu Mengmin wanted to nod. But he hesitated at the very moment, “Let’s wait and see. Deng Yi and his mother still haven’t come back yet, right?”

They went to bed with lots of thoughts.

The next morning, Qiu Mengmin woke up. When he was about to get up, he seemed to catch a glimpse of something by his pillow. He didn’t remember seeing that before he went to bed. He couldn’t help drawing a cold breath after taking a look at it!

It was a sharp knife. It didn’t just pierce through the quilt but also stuck deeply into the bed!

Princess Yang who got up next couldn’t help letting out an abnormal scream!

“Get out!” Qiu Mengmin took in a deep breath and reproached the servants who came in because of the scream. He said in a shivery voice, “Just do as we planned… This definitely wasn’t done by Empress Dowager’s people!” Empress Dowager Gu didn’t need to threaten them so barely in her position. There was no need for him to guess where the knife came from.

Princess Yang stared at the knife with a pale face and nodded ceaselessly!

That day was very unpleasant for them. But it was also not pleasant for Qiu Yelan. After all, she knew Qiu Jinglan would be in danger. But she couldn’t do anything about it. How could she be at ease?

Her spirits weren’t lifted even when Jiang Yashuang took a chance to come over to claim credit, “Jiang Qisheng won’t marry my cousin? Oh, that’s nice. I got it. You can go now.”

“Why aren’t you in the mood today?” Jiang Yashuang noticed and touched her forehead out of concern, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Qiu Yelan flicked away his hand with frustration, “Just feel nothing is interesting.”

She had thought about asking the Jiang Family for help. It was her brother’s life at stake after all. Her moral integrity comparing to that was nothing. But Qiu Jinglan admonished her seriously right after she brought it up. After all, Qiu Jinglan was worried that she already had few people from her maiden family to back her up but she still asked the Jiang Family for help repeatedly. How could the Jiang Family take her seriously if she kept doing this?

After spending these few years with her, Qiu Jinglan knew that she had a habit of going behind his back. So, he told her directly, “If you dared go ask Jiang Family for help for my affair, I would kill myself at once!”

Qiu Yelan was so scared that she kept saying she would obey. After all, when Qiu Jinglan said those words, his tone was as calm as if he were talking about the weather which indicated that he wasn’t threatening but making a statement!

Qiu Yelan didn’t know what to do at that moment. Of course, she was spiritless.

Jiang Yashuang tried to guess what was bothering her. Seeing that she didn’t want to talk about it, he felt more suspicious and said, “Tell me what’s wrong. Even if I can’t help you, we still have my aunt and grandmother. Even if they can’t help you, they can at least give you some advice?”

Qiu Yelan sighed with her head on the table and said sulkily, “Nothing, nothing. Leave me alone. Just go back and do your homework!”

Jiang Yashuang thought for a while and said, “Okay. I’m leaving. If you want to talk about it, send people to find me at any time.”

After getting back home, Jiang Yashuang went directly to Madame Tao Junior’s room and asked her if Jiang Yadan would come. Hearing that Jiang Yadan wouldn’t come, he begged Madame Tao Junior to deliver a message, “I have something to ask Yadan.”

So, Jiang Yadan came over right after work at dusk. After greeting Madame Tao, they found an excuse to leave Madame Tao’s courtyard. Seeing that there was no one else around, Jiang Yadan said with a faint smile, “Commandery Princess Ningyi suddenly ignores you?”

Jiang Yashuang said in surprise, “Not exactly but almost… How do you know? I didn’t reveal anything to your wife!”

“Do I need her to tip me off?” Jiang Yadan said proudly, “Have you ever called on me? What else can it be except for your lover?” When they got to Jiang Yadan’s courtyard, after sending the servants away, Jiang Yadan asked directly, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Yashuang said shyly, “We don’t have a falling-out. We were talking and laughing last time when we saw each other. When I went there today, I don’t know why she was sulky. It looked like she was troubled. But she refused to tell me no matter how I asked. Didn’t you say that you knew all about girls’ thoughts? Tell me what is going on.”

“It looks like you have a rival in love!” After thinking for a while, Jiang Yadan said seriously, “And that man is important to your lover! Maybe more important than you. They must have a falling-out. How could she tell you something like that?”

Jiang Yashuang was shocked, “It can’t be true, can it? I go to her place every now and then. I never found her seeing others!”

Jiang Yadan said with a sneer, “If she played her cards well, how could a beginner in love like you notice?”

“I still think it’s not possible,” Jiang Yashuang said frowning, “Is there any other possibilities?”

Jiang Yadan said, “What else could it be? Think about it, what can’t we do for her? And you are willing to do anything for her. What can’t she talk to you other than that she is having an affair?”

Speaking of which, he snorted, “You really have a bad judgement of people!”

Jiang Yashuang said distractedly, “Don’t be ridiculous, okay? Be serious!”

“I’m serious!” Jiang Yadan was very confident about his judgement. He said discontentedly, “If you don’t believe me, we can test her. Write a letter with your left hand and send it to her. Say that you are in trouble and can’t write with your right hand. Tell her to meet somewhere and we will see whether she would go or not. Then we will know if she is having an affair!”

“I’d better go ask grandmother for advice!” Jiang Yashuang glanced at him disappointedly, “If I did like you suggested, no matter it’s real or not, there would be no hope for us anymore.” When they were at the farm outside the city the other day, he just expressed his doubt a little. And Qiu Yelan abandoned him at once and left with Ruan Qingyan!

If he tricked her, after she knew about it, she would cut all ties with him and never see him again!

Hearing this, Jiang Yadan said frowning, “Grandmother is old. What does she know?” Seeing Jiang Yashuang standing up, he had to say, “Fine. You just don’t want to believe this. Then there is another possibility. Did you tell her that Deng Yi and his mother were safe and sound?”

Hearing this, Jiang Yashuang was enlightened, “Right. That must be it… She was too embarrassed to ask me for help again. But she was worried about it. That’s why she ignored me?”

“She might think that you are so useless that you couldn’t get this little thing done!” Jiang Yadan threw cold water on him with disdain, “Don’t always assume people are good. You will regret it when you get tricked!”

“Do you think she is like the mistresses of yours?” It was obvious that Jiang Yashuang was going to abandon Jiang Yadan after used. He snorted and said, “Doesn’t your wife treat you nicely enough? When did she ever trick you?”

Jiang Yadan was stunned for a moment. He was about to say something. But he saw his brother ignoring him and walking towards outside, who said in the meantime, “I didn’t succeed last time when I borrowed men from grandfather. I’d better be more careful this time… While it’s still early, I’m going to give grandmother a shoulder massage. Then I will go to the ancestral home to give grandfather a leg massage. Um, how many men should I borrow this time.”

Jiang Yadan was about to chase after his brother and scolded him for being ungrateful. A servant ran in and reported, “Young Masters, someone is here to announce the Empress Dowager’s decree. He demanded Young Master Yashuang to receive it!”

“Empress Dowager’s decree?” Jiang Yadan asked in surprise, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Yashuang was stunned for a moment and then regained his sense, “Maybe because I kicked Kuang Qingwu’s ass last time. With our aunt backing me back, I assume it’s just a small punishment. It’s okay. I’ll go to receive it.”

“Can our aunt bear to let Empress Dowager punish you?” Jiang Yadan muttered with doubt, “She was able to prevent you from getting punished when you hit Gu Yan last time!”

He felt it was not that simple, “Let’s go. I’ll keep you company!”