Real Empress from a Noble Family

Hearing that, Qiu Yelan burst into a laugh. She leered at him and said, “Isn’t it your duty to do those things?”

“The servants whom we bought with irrevocable title deeds are also obliged to work. But we still have to pay them!” Jiang Yashuang complained, “So, why can’t I get a reward for doing what I’m supposed to do?”

Qiu Yelan was about to say something. He suddenly lowered his voice and said cantankerously, “Will you obey me or not? If you won’t… Believe it or not, I can make sure that you won’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow!”

“Even since we get married, you become more and more disobedient!” Qiu Yelan his chest and scolded him with a smile, “What? Finally, show your true colors after marrying me?” Although she said so, she was really afraid of Jiang Yashuang’s intemperance at night. So, she reached out and put her arms around his neck. And then she leaned on his chest and kissed him lightly.

Jiang Yashuang kissed her back passionately… They kissed for a while and then let go of each other. He was a little out of breath and said with a smile, “You are right. Now you have already married into my family. You are mine now. If you won’t behave yourself in the future, wait and see how I’ll punish you!”

When he said the word “punish”, he obviously looked towards the bed with a suggestive expression.

“Are you capable of anything else besides this?” Qiu Yelan rolled her eyes at him and said.

“Of course!” Jiang Yashuang asked confidently, “What kind do you like? Just tell me. Your satisfaction is guaranteed! It’s a husband’s duty… How about we try something new tonight?”

“Your moral integrity!” Qiu Yelan freed herself from his arms with frustration, “Okay. Let’s talk about business. I haven’t been to the sisters-in-law get-together. It seems that Madame Tao Junior was humiliated by them last year. So, she wasn’t in the mood to talk to me about it today. And Shishui just reminded me of a few things on the way back… What’s it like exactly? Tell me.”

Jiang Yashuang approached and tapped her nose. He smiled, “You said it was a sisters-in-law get-together. How could I have been to? I just know our sisters-in-law have this get-together!”

“Then tell me how our sisters-in-law’s talents are,” Qiu Yelan was a little worried, “My talent… You know!” She had only been an aristocratic lady for a few years. And her gift was just mediocre. How could she compare with those who had learned various talents since childhood?

“There is nothing to be scared of!” Although she was worried, Jiang Yashuang had full confidence in her. He pounded on the table and shouted, “I don’t believe they can beat you in talent. Talking about your forte, if you claim to be the number two, who dares claim to be the number one?”

Although Qiu Yelan knew beauty was the eyes of the beholder, she was still very happy. She gave him a big kiss without hesitation. And then she sighed, “However, you think so. But they may not!”

“How could it be?” Jiang Yashuang leered at her and said with a wicked smile, “Your forte is… Being unreasonable! I have experienced it many times. I can guarantee that you are so good at it which makes you invincible… Even I don’t know what to do with you. Let alone our sisters-in-law. You just do what you do best. I can guarantee that even if they were reincarnations of famous writers or singers, they will all get defeated by you. And they won’t dare to deny your talent for the rest of their lives…”

“Give me back my kiss! Give me back my affection!” Qiu Yelan was furious. She lifted her dress and chased her husband who became more and more dominant after getting married around the room, “Bastard! I’ll never believe you!”

Qiu Yelan got tricked by Jiang Yashuang and wasn’t able to beat him after all the chase. Instead, Jiang Yashuang exploited an advantage. He pressed Qiu Yelan on the bed and kissed her. So, out of anger, on the morning of the sisters-in-law get-together, after Qiu Yelan had breakfast with Jiang Yashuang and walked him to the gate of the yard, she went back to the inner chamber and instructed with a murderous look, “Take out the phoenix hairpin that grandfather gave and the peony bead flower from my grandmother! I’ll wear those two!”

Su He and others were sent far away on that day. She didn’t hear what He Shuijin revealed about the phoenix hairpin.

But she still disapproved of her wearing those two, “Aren’t those too showy? How about wearing one of those and adding something else?”

“No!” Qiu Yelan sneered, “There’s nothing to be afraid of! Who would dare to rob it in broad daylight?”

“Not robbery. I’m just afraid that other madams will not be happy seeing it,” Su He had a close relationship with Qiu Yelan. She always spoke directly. Chunran winked at her at that moment. So, she said, “You just married into this family. Should you…”

Qiu Yelan said with a smile, “Why should I bother with those petty people?”

“Your Grace wants to find out which of the madams are worth making friends with via this?” Su He was enlightened. Other maids were also enlightened. Only Xiaran said with hesitation, “In public… they won’t say anything, right?” She implied that this test wouldn’t…

“Anyway, just dress me up like this… Also, my makeup should be gorgeous…” Qiu Yelan waved her hand and insisted, “Take out the bracelet Her Majesty gave and the necklace grandmother gave as a greeting gift. And my clothes should be the ones with the best fabric… Anyway, my outfit today should match this hairpin!”

Wasn’t the first branch bossy? They didn’t get the hairpin. And they went after the one who got it the next minute. Then she just wanted to wear it in front of them and make them jealous!

After a while, in the eighth branch, Madame Tao Junior and Sheng Shishui gawked at Qiu Yelan who was gorgeously dressed, “Your… Your outfit is gorgeous enough to attend the ceremony in the palace!”

She was wearing all the best things she had, okay?

Everyone dressed up for the sisters-in-law get-together. But… Judging by Madame Tao Junior’s and Sheng Shishui’s outfits, it was regular style after all. They just wore new clothes and added a few ornaments. It was just a family get-together after all!

“It’s my first time to attend such an event. I’m afraid that I don’t respect you guys enough for dressing too simple,” Qiu Yelan said calmly, “So, it took me a long time. Sorry to keep you guys waiting.”

Sheng Shuishui let it go after hearing her explanation. But the corner of Madame Tao Junior’s mouth was twitching looking at the stunning phoenix hairpin on her head, “Others are fine. This hairpin… How about changing it to a similar one of mine which is rewarded by Her Majesty? I promise that one is also gorgeous. It definitely can match your outfit.”

Seeing Sheng Shishui’s puzzled look, she dissimulated in a hurry, “Grandfather gave it to you after all. We’ll drink and play games today. If it gets scratched or falls into the grass, it’ll be bad.”

“Thanks for your concern,” Qiu Yelan convinced her maids to put on this hairpin for her deliberately. How could she change it? So, she rejected with a smile at that moment, “I’ll be careful.”

“…” Madame Tao Junior had a good temper. But she wasn’t stupid. How could she not know that Qiu Yelan did it on purpose? She couldn’t help worrying, “We’ll hang out today. You… You really can’t change it to another hairpin?”

At this point, Sheng Shishui realized that there was something about that phoenix hairpin at once. However, she thought about it. But she didn’t say anything.

“I’m afraid other sisters-in-law may think I’m putting on airs if we are late!” Qiu Yelan stepped forward and took Madame Tao Junior’s arm. She smiled, “Let’s just go. I assume my sisters-in-law are all generous. They won’t blame me for overly dressing up.”

“But…” Madame Tao Junior wanted to persuade again.

“Just go along with me!” Qiu Yelan pulled her towards outside via her strength. Madame Tao Junior was always a pushover. Although she was afraid that Qiu Yelan wearing this hairpin might piss off Madame Dou Junior, she couldn’t force Qiu Yelan to obey using her stateliness as the oldest sister-in-law of the fourth branch. She got dragged out by Qiu Yelan with fear and worry!

They arrived at the seventh branch. Madame Zhang went out to greet them. When she saw them, she checked Qiu Yelan out and then smiled, “Yelan, you look so bright. I should have worn my new dress. Now comparing to you, I look dim!”

“I heard from Shishui that you guys moved the get-together from this spring to today because of me. How could I not take it seriously?” Qiu Yelan didn’t know her well. She wasn’t sure what she said was sarcastic or sincere. But she didn’t care. She said with a bright smile.

Hearing that, Madame Zhang said with a smile, “You must be tired spending so much effort in dressing up. Lucky for us, we can glut our eyes without doing anything.”

They were going in while talking. The layout of the places of the grandkids born of concubines was the same as the places of the grandkids born of legal wives. Their places all had three yards. Only the decoration and scale were reduced. This kind of reduction was the most obvious in the garden. Even the pond was smaller.

“You guys came? Want it?” Madame Shi, Jiang Yalan’s wife Mi Yinyin and Jiang Yaheng’s wife He Shuijin were already there. They were feeding the koi fish at the pond with the fish food in their hands.

Seeing people from the fourth branch, He Shuijin greeted them in a hurry and handed them the fish food.

“Oh, there are two more fish with golden fins and red bellies?” Madame Tao Junior took over the fish food with a smile and let Sheng Shishui and Qiu Yelan each grab a few. She also grabbed a few and sprinkled over the pond which made colorful shoals of fish gather together. She looked around while sprinkling the fish food, “Madame Dou Junior and others still haven’t come?”

“They are always the last to come unless they are the hosts!” He Shuijin flapped the crumbs off her hands and wiped her hands with a handkerchief. Looking at the phoenix hairpin and peony bead flower on Qiu Yelan’s head, her smile got bigger, “Yelan is so beautiful. Especially this hairpin… This gift from grandfather really sets off your look!”

Hearing what He Shuijin said, Madame Tao Junior looked worried. She wanted to say something. But Sheng Shishui pulled her sleeve stealthily. So, she stopped doubtfully.

“I haven’t noticed it until you mentioned. I just feel Yelan is stunning today,” Hearing that, Madame Zhang took a good look and then said with a smile, “Wear all the good stuff grandfather and grandmother gave? Are you trying to make us who don’t have those things jealous?”

Qiu Yelan looked at her suspiciously and then looked at He Shuijin. She thought, “Judging by her tone, she doesn’t seem to know that the first branch has asked for this phoenix hairpin?”

Not just her, Madame Shi and Mi Yinyin obviously didn’t know either. They both teased with Madame Zhang.

“It makes sense. He Shuijin was in charge of the Jiang Family’s accounts before she gets married. It’s because she is capable, and the third branch is the eldest one of Marquess Qin’s branch. But she isn’t the eldest daughter-in-law of the third branch! Although Madame Shi and Madame Zhang are not capable, they are still older than her. Even if they aren’t greedy for power, considering people’s gossip about them being inferior to He Shuijin, they may not be so close to her as they seem to be…” Qiu Yelan thought it through, “So, He Shuijin surely won’t tell them all the news she has heard…”

As for why Madame Zhang and Madame Shi who married into the Jiang Family a few years before He Shuijin didn’t hear the news before her… She remembered that He Shuijin was very close to Madame Tao before she got married. When Madame Tao lived in the villa, He Shuijin often spent the night there.

Even it had a lot to do with Jiang Qizheng living there, wasn’t Jiang Qizheng close to Madame Tao?

“First come. First served!” Qiu Yelan decided, “I need to please Madame Tao more in the future!”

“How can it be?” Qiu Yelan was thinking about something with her head down. Madame Tao Junior was worried and spoke for her, “Yelan comes here for the first time. She was worried that you guys might feel slighted if she didn’t dress up nicely!”

“Yelan, you are overthinking it. We are a family. Nobody will pick on you for such a small thing!” Madame Shi smiled. She was about to invite them to sit under the flower stand. There were already footsteps on the flower path. And then they heard their voices before seeing them, “Oh. You guys are already here? We thought we were kind of early!”

Hardly had their voices faded away, Madame Dou Junior, a woman in a light yellow dress and Madame Zhuang Junior came out of the flowers.

“Big sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, eleventh sister-in-law, you guys came.” Madame Zhang as the host went forward and greeted them in a hurry. They were about to answer. And then they saw the phoenix hairpin on Qiu Yelan’s head. Their looks changed at once!