“That’s why you preferred the first branch all these years. Even if Kunlun came back to persuade you, you didn’t want to follow…” Madame Tao twittered, “We thought that you appreciated Jiang Yayun. You know that the kids have grown up and they get married and have their own kids now. But brothers and sisters are not friendly to each other. It will hurt them if the elder is unfair and you still prefer the first branch. Are you ill-intentioned?”

“Just let it be!” Marquess Qin looked up at the top of the tent and said with no expression, “If I had been so cruel, I would have gone back to Kui County with my third brother to accompany my eldest brother, regardless of whether they were alive or dead. Just when Tianjiao died, the Jiang Family had no way to come back! Even though I don’t have the energy to fight for these kids who are without conscience, I don’t want to see the whole family being reduced to the situation in which the Tao Family and the Duan Family used to be. So, I have to endure!”

He said calmly, “The reason why I don’t follow Kunlun’s advice is that I know they won’t come back. Tianjiao kept giving in when he was alive. But he died before he could get the distribution. After he died, his brothers all didn’t even regret it. What they wanted were benefits. Even if a dog fostered by a human being dies, the owner of the dog will take pity on it, not to mention the brothers.”

“They were so mad. Why should we bother? So, I told Kunlun I had my own plans. Actually, I lied to him. I just didn’t want him to worry about all this crap just after he retired from Beijiang! But I never thought he worried so much…”

Madame Tao looked at him, “Since you had no intention to quell the fighting, why did you force Kunlun to go to Shazhou at the beginning?”

“I did it for two reasons. One was that I didn’t want Kunlun to see that I was tired of trying to mediate between them! After a lifetime of hard work, who he met were those hopeless, heartless creatures. I should be the only one who experiences the terrible feeling! I didn’t want him to feel it!”

“As for the second reason, again, I was disappointed in them. But they are my children after all and I cannot see all of them die! I don’t want to see them in hell just after I die!”

Madame Tao asked ironically, “Do you? Even if you send Kunlun to Shazhou to mediate the dispute, have you changed the ending?”

“Certainly, it has.” Marquess Qin said calmly, “Yadan, Yashuang, and Qizheng all have made progress in Shazhou.”

“…” Madame Tao didn’t know that it was Jiang Qizheng who murdered Jiang Yayue and Jiang Yaqing. But she was still shocked, “What do you mean?” Was the matter of Shazhou already anticipated by Marquess Qin? Two legitimate grandchildren of the Jiang Family were dead! Had Marquess Qin been unconcerned from beginning to end?

“A leopard cannot change his spots!” Marquess Qin was calm and cruel. He said faintly, “Since they have had the nature of wolves, I cannot let them get along harmoniously at all! It’s better to find another way than to try in vain. I just want to pick the best kid to cultivate. Otherwise, after I die, they will be defeated in the internal struggle and then be taken in by outsiders. In this case, they will only waste our generation’s efforts!”

Madame Tao was relieved, “So, you choose the fourth branch, right?”

“I don’t have to choose.” Marquess Qin said faintly, “I am just following the rules. I must not forget my eldest brother’s kindness to me. And his first trueborn son was raised by me. So, it is reasonable to treat Tianao well. Tianqi is my first trueborn son. Since the elder and the younger should be in order, I will give priority to him in the same situation. Tianchi is not in Jing City and he can only be represented by his children. So, in the same situation, Tianchi is certainly after Tianao and Tianqi. Tiancan is the only son of Kunlun so I have to take special care of him. The eighth son is the youngest. Although he was born by my concubine, his mother is still alive. So, I gave him some dignity sometimes.

“I have a preference for them, but I have control over them. Everything is measured according to human decency and propriety. It’s up to them who comes out on top!”

Marquess Qin sneered, “The ancestors of the Jiang Family were very poor. It was something we had worked so hard to earn. How much better off they are now than we were! Their opponents are probably only their brothers and nephews, who they know well. If they are still suppressed, no matter how much priority I give to them, it will be a benefit to others! It’s better to give the benefit to our own kids than to keep them as stepping-stones for others!”

“A few years ago, I thought it would be Tianao who won the game. I had never expected that as Yashuang grew older, he would be able to suppress the first branch!” Marquess Qin sighed, “Of course, it can’t be said that all the credit should be given to Yashuang. You, Tianluan, and Tianchi, all give him support to achieve it. Especially Tianchi… It was reasonable that Kunlun liked him so much. He’s the kid who resembles us the most when we were young! Even…”

Marquess Qin’s expression was a little complicated, “He’s even more ruthless than we were when we were young. But it doesn’t matter. I just don’t want to be taken advantage of by outsiders! This is gonna hurt your feelings again. The Tao family is an example! Your family was so illustrious when your father was alive. If it had not been for the fact that he was dying and that no one of his descendants was worthy of honor, when I went to ask for a bride, I would have been kicked out of the house.”

Only a few decades, the reputation of Tao Yinsong was still remembered in the court, but the top blue blood, the Tao family, had disappeared!

“I have not been able to express this thought. To posterity, I am disdained to say. To Kunlun, I dare not say. Now I hear my brother cannot make it through. Thinking of me and my brothers, one of whom had already gone when another one was about to go, I’m probably about to die soon.” Marquess Qin smiled tragically, “I have been thinking about it for a long time, but I can only tell you. Now I know why it is said that young couples make old companions. Though I was not a teenager when I married you, as for the words stuck in my heart, I can only tell you!”

And then he sighed, “It is fortunate that you support Yashuang. Now I don’t have to worry about how you will spend the time after I die. I believe Yashuang and Yelan will take good care of you!”

Madame Tao was moved to cry, “You know the words can only be told to me. If you leave me, who else can I talk to? I am not familiar with Kunlun’s wife. If you pass away, I have no choice but to pick a large yard to live in and talk to myself.”

A few moments later Marquess Qin didn’t respond to her. Madame Tao looked at the bed. He closed his eyes. He was placid and he stayed still.

That evening when Madam Tao called out to her servants in a sad voice, many members of the Jiang Family were getting ready to hold the funeral for Marquess Qin. The baggage packed for the condolence in Kui County was re-opened. Marquess Qin who almost died before Madame Tao slowly woke up after slipping into a coma for three days and two nights!

Dr. Lin was so exhausted. He only said a sentence before he fainted because he was tired. “He needs a light diet in seven days…”

Madame Tao was also beside Marquess Qin’s bed for three days. But she struggled to ask maids to support Dr. Lin to have a rest. And then she asked the members of the third branch, the fourth branch, and the eighth branch to come here. She said hastily, “You can arrange the date to serve him by yourself. But we cannot delay going to Kui County. Make your own decision. I have no energy to mind these businesses!”

And then she went to her room to rest without caring about their feelings.

… After Madame Tao left, the Flower Hall was in silence. Jiang Tianqi coughed to break the situation, “It’s lucky that father is fine. We have to be careful!”

He meant it from the bottom of his heart. He did not know that after the death of Jiang Tianjiao, Marquess Qin was full of anger towards his descendants. So, he didn’t care how brutal the internal struggle was. He only hoped to see a wonderful kid who could support the whole family and keep the foundation of the Jiang Family, lest the Jiang Family step on the road of the Tao Family that had been fooled and taken as a stepping stone. Now Jiang Tianqi thought that in the face of the growing threat of the fourth branch, all the members of the third branch might not survive, let alone revenge, if he lost his father as his backer!

So now he was very wary of the fourth branch, “Our eldest uncle’s contribution to the Jiang family is from the early years so it doesn’t affect us. The only people who can really intimidate us are father and uncle. Uncle has died. If father also died, the fourth branch would be completely unrestrained and they could do whatever they want. My father has barely survived this time, but he is old enough… I will not leave the fourth branch alone!”

What if they murdered Marquess Qin?

He also didn’t believe his eighth brother, “The fourth branch is powerful now, what if the eighth brother is drawn to their side…”

However, it was Jiang Jingzhan and Kui Xiannan who had accidents before Marquess Qin. Because Marquess Qin almost passed away, other branches stopped condolence. But Jiang Tianao was the first trueborn kid of Kui Xiannan. So, he couldn’t wait. He kowtowed to Marquess Qin two days ago. And then he went to Kui County.

Without the ally, the first branch, people in the third branch who could serve Marquess Qin were only Jiang Yayi, Jiang Yaheng, and him. Marquess Qin was a man. All his daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law could do was to bring and take things and help him to have medicine. As for body washing or relieving, these jobs need to be finished by his sons, grandsons, sons-in-law, and grand sons-in-law.

The granddaughter of Jiang Tianqi was not old enough to get married. He only had a daughter who married to Beijiang. So, he could not rely on his son-in-law.

Jiang Tianqi tried his best to make a schedule to serve Marquess Qin. It was lucky that the fourth branch and the eighth branch had no opinion. Though Jiang Tianqi didn’t trust the fourth branch, he was also distrusted by them. When Empress Dowager Gu fell into a desperate struggle, what he did was well-known.

So, seeing him arrange the fourth branch and the third branch together, Madame Zhuang was also assured.

In this mutual distrust, the branches readjust the list of members who needed to condole to the Kui County. Jiang Yayi and Jiang Yadan could not go. The reason was simple. These two were now the eldest children of the third branch and the fourth branch. Once Marquess Qin really passed away, even if in Kui County, Kui Xiannan also died, their grandfather’s funeral was certainly more important than granduncle’s.

It was like that even if Jiang Tianao cared more about Marquess Qin’s health condition, he had to go to Kui County.

The two kids could go nowhere, so as Jiang Tianxiao.

So, all the three branches could only send maids and servants to go there.

Madame Zhuang looked at her sons and daughters-in-law, “Let’s ask Mu Zixuan to go there. He has served your father for so many years. He is informed. So, he will not let us shame!”

Chu Yitong, Jiang Qizheng, and Qiu Yelan didn’t know him at all. But Jiang Yadan and Jiang Yashuang agreed, “He is the most proper man. If he goes there, it will be fine.” And then they stopped asking.

It was in the middle of May. All officials in the court cared about Marquess Qin’s situation.

The good news just spread. A maid from the imperial palace came there hastily. Because Madame Tao was so exhausted so they dared not to disturb her. The maid was sent by Empress Dowager Jiang, who would not believe guys in the third branch. So, they went to the fourth branch finally.

The maid asked the situation of Marquess Qin and then she said that Empress Dowager asked her to inquiry them, “Before June, Emperor went to Mount Dizi to avoid the summer heat with Empress Dowager Jiang. This Year Marquess Qin is not well. Shall they go there?”

Empress Dowager Jiang didn’t want to care about Marquess Qin. It was because that all the officials were under the Jiang Family’s control. If they all served Marquess Qin there, how could they go to Mount Dizi?