Real Empress from a Noble Family

Seeing this, Madame Zhuang Junior and Qiu Yelan rushed up to pull Jiang Huizhi and scolded, “It’s such a cold day. You said you wanted to get some fresh air. Why are you coming to the lake?”

Qiu Yelan took out her own handkerchief and wiped her niece’s face, saying warmly, ”You’ve been blowing the cold wind for a while. If you don’t go back inside, you’ll be sick! There are many things going on at home nowadays. And we are already busy. We’re still counting on you to help out. Don’t you dare duck out of it!”

The two aunts had an unspoken message in their minds so they never mentioned that Jiang Huizhi tried to suicide. They pretended that she had come for fun. They said so while dragging her away. Jiang Huizhi was a weak girl, and now she was as thin as a stick because of haggardness, so she was no match for them.

Although she cried and shouted that she didn’t want to go back, she was still pulled out of the garden. The steward that Madame Zhuang Junior had called out to find someone earlier was from the Mansion of Sir Jibei. He was familiar with the layout of the Mansion. He found a room close by, had someone burn a fire to warm Jiang Huizhi, and secretly ordered people to go to the kitchen to fetch ginger soup and other things.

“Don’t let this spread!” Madame Zhuang Junior told her maids to stay with Jiang Huizhi in the inner room and gave a wink to Qiu Yelan. She then called on that steward to join her in the outer room to discuss, “At this critical moment, the elders have no time to deal with more problems. And if this matter is spread, it will not be good for Jiang Huizhi.”

The steward knew that Jiang Huizhi was not a member of the Mansion and the one who was admonishing him was Jiang Huizhi’s own aunt. He was not foolish to say no to her words. He hurriedly said yes.

“However, since she has done this, we need to send a few reliable maids to accompany her.” Qiu Yelan frowned and reminded, “Luckily, this time, we are the ones who can stop her in time, but what about next time? Who can be sure of being there in time?”

Madame Zhuang Junior hesitated and said, “Mother left a few maids before she passed away. I’ll send someone back to the Marquess’s Mansion to ask them to come…”

When Madame Dou was alive, she disliked Madame Zhuang Junior. Now even though she was dead, Madame Zhuang Junior had no right to order her trusted maids to do anything. Especially Madame Dou was killed by Madame Zhuang Junior’s aunt.

However, Madame Zhuang Junior didn’t dare to send her own trusted maids, either. Once she didn’t keep an eye on Jiang Huizhi, she would be held accountable for what happened. Even if she kept an eye on Jiang Huizhi and nothing happened to her, she would inevitably be slandered that she was taking advantage of her brother and sister-in-law’s absence to restrain her niece. So, it was best to let Madame Dou’s maids take over the matter if they could. Madame Dou was Jiang Huizhi’s grandmother. Before she died, she loved this eldest granddaughter the most. If Madame Zhuang Junior asked Madame Dou’s maids to look after Jiang Huizhi, no matter how it turned out, it had nothing more to do with Madame Zhuang Junior.

“It’s better to talk to Uncle Mengmin.” Qiu Yelan reminded, “The eldest aunt has passed away. And the eldest sister-in-law and eldest brother are both away from Jing City. Jiang Huizhi is a girl from the first branch. Even if those few maids are willing to accompany her, I guess something may happen anyway. When the time comes, how will you be able to afford it?”

Madame Zhuang Junior blushed and said, “That’s right! I’ll go and find my husband right now!” It was not as convenient for a daughter-in-law to see her father-in-law as for a son to see his father.

Qiu Yelan immediately interjected, “I have nothing urgent to do. I’ll watch her for you for a while!”

Once Madame Zhuang Junior left, she said to the steward of the Mansion of Sir Jibei, ”Everyone in the Mansion is busy now. If you guys have something to do, then you go ahead and get busy. I’ll just watch her here.”

The steward was an agile man and he excused himself at that moment.

Qiu Yelan did not enter the inner room until now. She said to the maids inside, “I’ll have a few words with Jiang Huizhi alone. You all go out!”

Madame Zhuang Junior’s maids obediently stood up and went out. Jiang Huizhi’s two maids hesitated. After all, the feud between the first branch and the fourth branches still existed.

“Your eleventh sister-in-law and the steward of the Mansion of Sir Jibei all know that I’m here with your madame Jiang Huizhi. Are you still afraid that I’ll hurt her?” Qiu Yelan plucked the bracelet on her wrist and said unhurriedly.

Jiang Huizhi choked up a bit and said listlessly, “Go out. If my nineteenth aunt wants to do something with me, it’s useless for you to be here.”

There was some sarcasm in those words, but Qiu Yelan didn’t care. The fourth branch had a feud with her branch as Madame Zhuang killed Madame Dou in public. So it made sense for Qiu Yelan to hear a few sarcastic words.

“You really don’t want to be a concubine of Your Majesty, do you?” When the people had gone out, Qiu Yelan leaned down in front of her and stared closely into her eyes, asking softly.

Jiang Huizhi cowered for a moment, tears flowing again, “My branch and I were wrongly accused! But you all don’t believe it!”

“Do you still remember what happened that day?” Qiu Yelan pondered for a moment, still asking in a low voice, “I’ll listen to you and you tell me what happened. Maybe I can try to find the real culprit.”

“… What use is it now?” Jiang Huizhi opened her mouth and finally smiled helplessly, “My reputation is already stained. My fifth aunt thinks I’m a street girl… Even if I find the real culprit, can it change my fate?”

Looking at her with a disheartened look, Qiu Yelan suddenly said, “Are you seeing anyone? Who is it?”

Jiang Huizhi was caught off guard and blurted out, “You’re talking nonsense…” She immediately stopped talking as she felt something wrong. But Qiu Yelan had already sneered, “Indeed! You keep saying that you don’t want to marry Emperor. And then you brought two maids to the lake, pretending to commit suicide. You are only trying to put on a show. What is your purpose? The position of Noble Consort doesn’t satisfy you. Are you contemplating letting Aunt Xin give up her position for you?”

Seeing that Jiang Huizhi didn’t say anything, Qiu Yelan’s face became serious, ”That incident has passed for so long and I didn’t hear you talking about committing suicide or anything before! Last time when my mother returned to Jing City, you even fought for your grandmother. It’s only been a few months, but your attitude has changed so drastically! If you’re not seeing anyone, then I think you’re deliberately being pretentious here. Well, you think I can’t do anything to you just because you shut up and don’t say anything!”

Jiang Huizhi said angrily, “You can beat me to death!”

“I won’t!” Qiu Yelan said coldly, “I’ll drag you to grandfather and tell him about your desire to commit suicide in the lake. You just said you didn’t want to marry Emperor. As your aunt, I will let you go! Don’t try to deny what happened just now. I, your eleventh sister-in-law, and the steward of the Mansion, so many people witnessed the maids tugging you at the lake! Anyway, ah, Emperor has little power nowadays. Even if they’ve agreed to promise you to marry Emperor as a concubine, I think the Jiang Family can still afford the result of breaching it!”

She said as she straightened up and grabbed Jiang Huizhi’s arm with a slight force. Jiang Huizhi was pulled by her and she staggered up as a flash of resentment appeared in her eyes. Instead of being astonished, she sneered, ”Go! let’s go! We all know that you and Empress Xin are very close. You can’t wait to deal with me for the Empress. So, what can I do? After all, I am a junior. My aunt is my elder. I’ll give in to you a little. Do as you say!”

When she finished, she said nothing and posed an indifferent attitude with mockery.

“So, you went to Aunt Tianhe to say those words on purpose, didn’t you?” Qiu Yelan saw this and sat down instead, asking in a good-natured manner.

Jiang Huizhi froze and then sneered, “Auntie, if you say so, that is it!”

Qiu Yelan also laughed coldly, ”Just now when Aunt Tianhe stopped me and said that you were entangled with her, I felt very weird! Do you know what day it is today? Our youngest grand uncle passed away a few days ago. You and Aunt Tianhe came here to offer condolences, to see off him for the last time! It turned out to be a mess. You’re sick but you are here anyway. Instead of showing your respect, you sought out Aunt Tianhe to talk about something that had nothing to do with the funeral rituals!”

“You know that Aunt Tianhe is a rude and unreasonable woman. She’s been annoyed with you for giving the Empress a hard time! So, you went to her and told her some secrets. And then you took your maids and went to the lake, pretending to commit suicide! Even if the eleventh sister-in-law and I decide not to spread the news now, so many people have seen you. I think your farce will be known even if you tell the story to Grandpa!” Qiu Yelan looked at her coldly, “In this way, you let the Empress and her daughter get a reputation for deliberately provoking you to death! Is that what you’re thinking?”

Realizing that Qiu Yelan had exposed her secret, Jiang Huizhi’s face stiffened and she simply said frankly, “I just did that. So what? You should blame the fifth grand aunt. She is so stupid and vicious! I went to her for forgiveness. But look at what she did! She was more vicious than ever! She even pointed her finger at me and called me a brothel girl! Did she even realize that the one in the palace is just nominally Emperor? He has no power to decide anything for this country. I’m not blind to marry such a puppet!”

She gritted her teeth and said, “I haven’t suffered from such grievance since I was born! My fiancé and I are about to get married! But our marriage was disrupted. The people in this family, instead of being sympathetic, all think I am a street girl. The position of Noble Consort? I don’t care! The Noble Consort is still a concubine! I never thought that I would actually be a concubine one day. Not even for Emperor!”

Jiang Huizhi let out a gasp. Her pale face flushed with an abnormal redness, ”Since I had to marry the Emperor, I must think for myself. Do you think that I don’t know the Empress like Emperor! She married him because the so-called nobleman looked down on her. That was why she had to marry Emperor… What a noblewoman she pretends to be! Are you justified in helping her without asking why?”

Qiu Yelan said indifferently, “I’m not the Secretary of the Dalisi. What do I want fairness for? I’ve always been better at helping my own people than reason!”

“But you can’t do it now!” Jiang Huizhi laughed coldly, “You should blame the fifth grandaunt for this time! She deserved it. She is so mean. The truth is right there. It’s useless for her to have a glib tongue!”

She said calmly, “You don’t want me to go to see my second great grand uncle, right? But, I myself just want to go and meet him. So, what do you think we should do? I have said that I want to be a filial junior. Since the Empress and her mother don’t like the idea of me marrying Emperor and becoming a concubine, I will grant them their wish. Let’s go and ask the elders. Just don’t let me get in their way. Only a few days ago the Empress gave her word in front of the youngest grand uncle, but now the Empress can’t wait to see me die! Do you think my second great grand uncle will agree with me or not?”

“Of course not. He won’t say yes to you!” Qiu Yelan looked at her sure look and smiled slightly, “Because you won’t even bother to give him the word!”

Jiang Huizhi had only given a contemptuous smile when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, followed by blackness. She felt unconscious!

“You dare to do that…” This was the last thought Jiang Huizhi had before she passed out!

“How dare you, such a little girl, threaten me?” Qiu Yelan withdrew her hand knife. As Jiang Huizhi fell headfirst onto the couch, she clapped her hands disdainfully, “How dare you to set me up in your plot! Do you think I didn’t realize that you plotted all? You set up your Aunt Tianhe first and then met me and said to me those words. Your purpose was to let me be a part of your plan. You wanted others to think that your suicide was provoked because of us!”

She casually pulled a quilt to cover Jiang Huizhi, went out, and shouted to the people who served to come in. She announced carelessly, “She lost her grandmother a few months ago, and learned the sad news of her youngest uncle. She is too sad…Now she passed out. You serve her carefully and don’t wake her up! ”

… She immediately instructed Su He after she went out, “You go out and spread the news that Jiang Huizhi is filial and grief-stricken to pass out. You immediately spread this news out. Within an hour, it’s best that everyone in the Mansion knows the news!”

Turning the negative energy into a positive one, she pondered that the people of the first branch would not dare to go and talk to Marquess Qin again!

Qiu Yelan thought coldly, “You wanted to commit suicide beside the lake but you brought two maids with you. What a spoiled girl you are! You can’t even put on a show well! I see why you tried to commit suicide with two maids accompanying you now. With your maids beside you, they definitely wouldn’t let you die! Grandfather has no patience to deal with those messes now. But he can see through your trick! Grandfather will be cross with the first branch if they are silly and dare to expose your trick to him. You stupid guys! You don’t even know when you can bring a case! I feel so sorry for my youngest grand uncle now!”