Real Empress from a Noble Family

Chapter 205 Master Qiu’s Unexpected Marriage

Seeing this, Jiang Qizheng and the others found an excuse and called Xin Fubing away.

The wedding had passed for a few days. When Zhuang Man talked with Qiu Yelan about this, she was still feeling angry for Xin Fubing, “She’s too petty! Jiang Yalan did take care of Xin Fubing, but so what? So, Mi Yinyin can be adored by her cousin, but Xin Fubing can’t? Technically, Xin Fubing is closer to Jiang Yalan than Mi Yinyin! Besides, Xin Fubing is busy trying to play up to the Ou Family. When does she have the time to get to Jiang Yalan? On such a big day, Mi Yinyin just gave her such an awful look. Xin Fubing left in tears in the end. She has been wanting to go back to her parents in Guanzhou these days, so she doesn’t need to stay here and be an eye-sore!”

Hearing this, Qiu Yelan was curious, so she asked, “So Fubing’s parents are not in Jing City? But then why is she here?”

Zhuang Man sneered, “You silly. Her parents are not in Jing City, but her grandmother is! Even though Guanzhou is a wealthy place, it’s still not Jing City. Her parents wanted her to find a good husband, so they sent her here. However, she was targeted by Mi Yinyin as soon as she came back!”

Qiu Yelan vaguely felt that these two cousins of Jiang Yalan took different sides. He Shuijin was with Mi Yinyin and Zhuang Man was with Xin Fubing.

But to Qiu Yelan, Xin Fubing and Mi Yinyin were the same. She didn’t have a preference. So, she gossiped for a while and changed the topic, “Shuijin’s big day is close too. I’m thinking about what to give her. What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know what to give her either. I’m planning to ask my sister tomorrow.” Zhuang Man said, “But Shuijin is generous anyway. Even if she didn’t like the present, she wouldn’t get angry.”

Speaking of which, she suddenly smiled, “You’re not in the same branch as Shuijin. You don’t need to worry that if you give her something that she doesn’t like, she will then intentionally find trouble with you. But the soon-to-be wife of Jiang Yazhu will be awkward.”

Qiu Yelan said carelessly, “There’s nothing awkward. Just do what they want to.”

Zhuang Man nodded, “Yeah. Besides, Tao Peibin is quite easy-going. It’s lucky that Miss Sheng is marrying into the fourth branch. If it were any other, she wouldn’t have an easy time.”

Qiu Yelan thought that what was the use of having an easy-going sister-in-law? If Jiang Yazhu had been angry with his wife, even if Madame Tao Junior had treated Sheng Shishui like her own daughter, how would she have an easy life?

But she naturally didn’t say this out. She just said, “I heard that Madame Tao is a good person too.”

“She’s too good. I heard that the wives of her husband’s brothers always bully her.” Zhuang Man warned, “My aunt and uncle are usually not in Jing City. Tao Peibin is a soft person. When you are married, you need to find a way to establish your prestige, in case the other branch stab you in the back!”

Qiu Yelan was surprised, “How so? I didn’t do anything to them.”

“It’s because of the first branch of the Jiang Family.” Zhuang Man sneered and said, “Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei remembered the gratitude of the District Baron of Kui County raising and cultivating them, so they supported the first branch. In the generation of my uncle, except my uncle, all of them are liberal officials. Because of their support, none of them is better than the first branch. Now it looked like the one who took all the advantages was my uncle. He was alone in the army and enjoying all the benefits. So, they are all jealous.”

Hearing this, Qiu Yelan understood, “Who asked you to tell me this?”

“How do you know?” Zhuang Man asked surprisingly.

“When you usually come over, you just want me to be your cook.” Qiu Yelan snorted, “When have you even especially come over to talk about this kind of thing?”

“Fine. I said I’m not the right person for this. But my sister made me do it. See, you saw me through quickly.” Hearing her words, Zhuang Man sighed.

Qiu Yelan was surprised, “Your sister? Do you mean Jiang Yahong’s wife?”

“I only have one sister. Of course, it’s her.” Zhuang Man said, “But it’s not all about her. My brother-in-law also wants to tell you this. My brother-in-law is not a legitimate son. Honestly, they’re not having an easy life in the first branch. My brother-in-law had a chance to join the Western Army, but Madame Dou ruined it. They didn’t mean anything else. They just want you to talk to Jiang Yashuang and ask him to get a job for my brother-in-law outside of Jing City, so he doesn’t need to stay under Madame Dou.”

Qiu Yelan said, “I can’t guarantee this. You know the affair in the army is not something we girls can decide.” She thought that if he had only wanted to leave Jing City and get away from Madame Dou, then since Madame Zhuang Junior was Madame Zhuang’s niece, they could have just asked Jiang Yadan or written to Madame Zhuang.

Yet they had to go in a circle and come to sweet-talk her. They were not aiming to leave, but aiming for Jiang Yashuang!

With the current situation, the Jiang Family had the successor in the government in all generations. In the future, even if the Jiang Family had continued prospering, they would have fought with each other trying to share this cake. Except for the Western Army, it was just the fourth branch. Wouldn’t Jiang Tianchi prioritize his son?

Among his three sons, the eldest son Jiang Yadan and the second son Jiang Yazhu were basically useless. If without the Jiang Family, they would have been kicked off the position. Only Jiang Yashuang was hopeful. But Jiang Yashuang was young, even if he had had the help of his seniors, he would need a long time to control the Western Army!

Besides, he couldn’t control the Western Army himself. Jiang Tianchi even had Sir Jibei and the help of the Ou Family to help him secure the position of the commander of the Western Army. Jiang Yahong probably saw that and wanted to get an important position in the Western Army in advance.

Since Qiu Yelan had been able to see their intention, the elders in the Jiang Family could have seen it too. Jiang Yashuang himself couldn’t even decide this kind of matter that involved the future of the first branch. No matter how much he listened to Qiu Yelan, she couldn’t guarantee this.

Luckily, Zhuang Man wasn’t a professional persuader. She just said it and started to eat and drink. She didn’t mean to pursue it.

After Jiang Yaheng and He Shuijin got married, Jiang Qiyun was married and became Princess Qi. Then Jiang Yazhu married Sheng Shishui and Jiang Qisheng married and went to Beijiang. In a couple of months, the Jiang Family had five weddings in a roll. They created much noise and joy in Jing City. They also picked the new candidate of the Crown Prince of the Empress’s party during this time in which they constantly visited their relatives.

Unlike what Jiang Yashuang said before, it wasn’t Prince of Lu, but the seventh prince who hadn’t been given a title.

He was not like Prince of Qi or Prince of Lu. His birth mother was a consort from a low-rank official’s family. He was not unruly, but he also wasn’t the kind that would allow anyone to step on him. The point was he was very clever. It wasn’t just the propaganda made by the Empress’s party. His reputation had long been spread by the teachers of princes.

Even though they only complimented him as being a clever student, considering he was only fourteen, it gave people confidence about his future.

When Qiu Yelan first heard about this news, she knew something must have happened and the Jiang Family kept it a secret. Otherwise, with Jiang Yashuang’s status in the Jiang Family, the choice of the person he knew wouldn’t be wrong. Judging by Empress Jiang’s personality, she would prefer to choose a prince like Prince of Lu that had the word “puppet” all over his face.

“So, Prince of Zhou is more mediocre than Prince of Yan. Is it because the Empress couldn’t find any other prince that has advantages on ranking? So, she found a prince with the reputation of being smart to get the support of the officials?” The temperature had dropped. Qiu Yelan put on a coat. She walked Whitey in the yard while thinking about what made the Empress choose the seventh prince.

She only made some hypotheses before a servant came up and said someone gave her a note and instructed to have her open herself.

“Who delivered it?” Qiu Yelan took over the note but hadn’t looked at it. Qiu Jinglan who came for the news took over the note and carefully examined it. He then gave it back to her and asked the servant.

The servant said, “I’ve never seen him before. I don’t know where he is from.”

When they were talking, Qiu Yelan had already opened the note. She raised her eyebrows, “It’s right that he doesn’t know. Because it’s from Madame Tao.”

Qiu Jinglan and she all thought about that matter with Qiu Feng, “Is Chunfu Princess still pursuing this?”

“This time Madame Tao is more direct than the last time.” Qiu Yelan handed the note over to him, “She asked me to go over with Qiu Feng! I don’t think I can get him to do that. What do you think?”

Qiu Jinglan took over the note and looked for a while. He smiled, “It’s easy. Just tell him the fact that he saved Chunfu Princess was discovered. Now her elders are asking for an explanation. Otherwise, they’ll make things difficult for you. He’ll go with you without asking.”

“You’re really experienced in selling him!” Qiu Yelan said. Qiu Jinglan then softly pat on her head, “What are you saying?”

Qiu Yelan didn’t take it seriously, “Then I’ll go get him later? But is it appropriate to bring him there? You said before that he didn’t like to be tied up. Besides, will the Jiang Family kill him to silent this?”

“If they want to kill him, why would they want to see him?” Qiu Jinglan frowned, “It is said that Madame Tao raised Jiang Yashuang. Just try to fulfill her request as much as possible, in case she doesn’t like you and makes your life difficult after you’re married.”

So, for me, you’re selling Qiu Feng out again without any hesitation?

Qiu Yelan felt speechless. After a while, she said, “I’m afraid that Chunfu Princess really wants to marry him, but he doesn’t want to marry her…”

“Impossible!” The next day, in a covert tea house in Jing City, Qiu Yelan arrived with Qiu Feng. She found out that this time Madame Tao asked for two private rooms. One was for her to chat with Qiu Feng. The other was for Madame Tao Junior to chat with Qiu Yelan.

Before Madame Tao Junior came, Madame Tao should have already advised her. When Qiu Yelan just sat down, she said straightforwardly, “It’s not that grandmother doesn’t like Master Qiu, nor grandfather… It’s just that father and mother are always in Beijiang. They trusted all of us to grandmother and grandfather. Yet the grandmother is not my father’s birth mother. For a lot of things, even if you mean well, you need to think about what would people say. With Qiu Feng’s background, if she marries Jiang Qizheng to him, everyone will say that she didn’t treat Jiang Qizheng well. Just because of that, she can’t agree to the marriage!”

Qiu Yelan thought for a while and said, “Then, what should I do?” She already made this so clearly. They were obviously going to give her a task.