Real Empress from a Noble Family

Although Madame Tao had persuaded Jiang Yashuang to discuss the marriage in person, he didn’t expect Qiu Yelan would refuse, “I am no good enough for a gentleman….”

“If you were not good enough, no one would dare to call themselves beautiful in this world.” Now that he had made the offer of marriage, Jiang Yashuang felt much at ease and said straightforwardly, “In fact, I am no match of you in social status and looks. I am just a civilian. I dare beg you just because of my aunt.”

“Anyway, that’s what it means.” Qiu Yelan said plainly, “If you talk about appearance, I actually think that if I marry you, everybody will say that I have married up. I have nothing in this world except myself.”

As for the dowry of Old Princess Lian and Princess Ruan, with the prestige of Jiang family, it’s worth nothing even plus the entire property of Prince’s Mansion of Xihe.

Jiang Yashuang thought for a while and said, “I know what you are worried about. They are Jiang Qisheng and others. Jiang Qisheng is just my cousin. To be honest, we don’t have much time to be together on common days. She is older than me and will definitely marry before you. And I didn’t know much of Cousin Tao before. Only after grandma told me just now did I get to understand, so I have asked my grandmother to send her back to her family and tell her parents not to let her come over any more in future.”

Qiu Yelan sighed, “If you say that, I will think that you have been in love with me for a long time.”

Jiang Yashuang had prepared to tell the truth, but was stunned at her words. He smiled awkwardly, “To be honest, I have always treated you like Princess Yongfu….”

“Then why did you suddenly want to marry me?” Qiu Yelan asked, with the corners of her mouth curved up slightly, “Is it for responsibility? But you didn’t want to hurt me. What kind of responsibility is that?”

Jiang Yashuang said without hesitation, “I didn’t want to harm you. But what is done cannot be undone. If I don’t marry you, the Gus will never spare you.”

“Even if nothing happened today, how can the Gus spare me just because of the two the assemblies alone?” Qiu Yelan said disapprovingly, “You think too much, I asked your grandmother to thoroughly investigate what happened today, and absolutely did not want to force your family to give me an explanation after getting it messed up. Still that sentence, I’ve never thought of marrying you.”

Once the Courtesan Competition was over, she would get back the dowry equivalent of that of Old Princess Lian and Princess Ruan. Then she would break off the engagement with Deng Yi. With her fortune and her title as a Commandery Princess, though no worth mentioning in a family like the Jiangs, even though Jiang Qisheng was bold enough to hit her, in the eyes of ordinary people, she was still very noble. For example, Xun Yuxi, who was recommended by Ruan Qingyan, would never dare to trifle with her.

Why must you make a servant of yourself when you are a genuine master! Qiu Yelan felt that only an idiot would marry into the family to be a well-behaved daughter-in-law!

So she rejected decisively, “I know you are a good man, but you don’t have to do that. After all, you are still young. If you marry me out of responsibility, you’ll be ruined by me in case you meet someone else in the future.”

Jiang Yashuang said plainly “Now that I have married you, I should perform my duty as a husband. There is no reason for me to meet somebody else and not to be responsible for you in the future. You can rest assured.”

Qiu Yelan said sincerely, “I know you are a good man!”

It was a pity that Jiang Yashuang didn’t know the existence of good-guy cards and still said seriously, “So you don’t have to worry about the future. Anyhow, I will maintain everything for you as the legal wife.”

“Even if I have difficulty giving birth and am jealous?” Qiu Yelan counted the reasons why she rejected the marriage: she was worried about Jiang Qisheng and Tao Peibin, who hated her, and Jiang Yashuang had dealt with that; she worried that Jiang Yashuang would find another woman after marriage and he also made a promise about that; she had no elder family members to back her and would be in an embarrassing situation if she married up and he also promised….

But don’t assume that I won’t find a suitable excuse to refuse!

Qiu Yelan, regardless of the darkness in the room and the fact that Jiang Yashuang couldn’t see her expression at all, said sorrowfully and quietly, “I used to meet with an avalanche in Mount Dizi. Although I had a lucky escape, I trudged in the snow for a long time and was chilled through the body. Though the doctor didn’t talk to me, I overheard that it would be hard for me to have children.”

“Of course, I could adopt a baby of a concubine, but having seen what my uncle has done over the years, I don’t want to have a child like my uncle in the future. So I swore the first time I went to court that I would never allow my husband to have a concubine!”

Hearing this, Jiang Yashuang thought for a long time. Qiu Yelan thought he would retreat this time, but he said, “Okay.”

Boy, are you so full of morality? Jiang Yadan, Jiang Qisheng and others are so disgusting just because you’ve taken up all the high moral principles of the Jiangs?

Though dumbfounded, Qiu Yelan couldn’t help thinking, “Does he also have problems so that my proposal just satisfied him?!”

A Commandery Princess with no bottom line looked down secretly….

But then she heard Jiang Yashuang say, “Our family is a prosperous one. We will adopt a nephew. Do you agree?”

Qiu Yelan thought, “I don’t believe you are unbeatable!” So she said immediately, “No! I’m not willing to raise somebody else’s child!”

“Then, we’ll wait until the nephew is old enough and recognize him under our name.” Jiang Yashuang was still giving in. “If you don’t like this arrangement, let’s not mention it anymore. Our brothers and nephews will certainly make arrangements for us after we die.”

Qiu Yelan thought for a while and asked cautiously. “General!”

Jiang Yashuang said, “I am here.”

“Actually, you’ve been deeply in love with me since you first saw me, haven’t you?” Qiu Yelan sighed, “Now there are no outsiders here. I won’t laugh at you when you tell me the truth.”

Jiang Yashuang said after a moment, “I… um… honestly, after that time, I have been feeling guilty.” He continued with uncertainty, “Of course, knowing your situation, I really have pity for your loneliness.”

“So you are not interested in me!” Qiu Yelan twitched her lips and said, “Well, I know you have a good temper, so I tell you straight, and hope you don’t fall out with me: you have been tolerant to me again and again out of guilt and responsibility. I can’t help but wonder, what the hell do you think?”

Young man, are you so full of moral principles as to spend your whole life bearing responsibility?! It is okay if you love me, but you don’t love me at all! I am not that awful as to need your responsibility to survive!

Jiang Yashuang said in amazement, “Do you mean that I don’t love you enough, so you don’t want to marry me? But we had no formal meetings before and had no time for a long talk for various reasons. How could we have feelings? After the engagement, we’ll have more time to communicate and everything should be alright.”

“No, no.” Qiu Yelan said, “I’m just curious about why you want to be responsible now? As for my loss, I suffered a big loss when we first met, right？It’s no big deal compared with that one.”

“But the situation is different. The last time…” Jiang Yashuang was a little embarrassed in his tone. “No one knew last time. I don’t think I would ruin you. But this time… it’s hard not to be known. I can’t watch you suffer.”

Qiu Yelan said, “That is to say, you will marry somebody else otherwise?”

Jiang Yashuang said in a low voice, “If it is a suitable match….”

“Well, I got it.” Qiu Yelan interrupted him. “As long as it is a suitable match and you don’t hate her, you will take responsibility. You are really a good guy. But have you ever considered whether I am willing to marry you?”

Before he could answer, she continued, “I’m not saying that you are bad, I have repeatedly said that you are a good person, every time from the bottom of my heart! But I still feel that I am not suitable to be your wife.”

Jiang Yashuang thought for a second, “You don’t like me?”

“It’s not that.” Qiu Yelan thought for a while before giving a reply, “You are a good guy, and everybody likes good people. It’s just that I don’t think I am good enough to be a wife of your family.”

She went on, “As the saying goes, a crow is never the whiter for washing herself often. I just don’t want to change this temperament at all!”

Jiang Yashuang said, “I don’t think you have anything to change. The rules of our family are not as harsh as you think.”

Nonsense! You are a beloved grandson and certainly will not feel the harshness! Besides, can the rules for sons and daughters-in-law be the same?!

Qiu Yelan felt hungry at this point. She didn’t want to argue with him anymore and said, “I think you better go back and discuss with your elders about my problem with pregnancy and the concubine. It’s not up to you to make such a decision.”

After a pause, she felt that she should not ruin her own future with the excuses and said, “I believe you will not let anybody else know it, especially people like Jiang Qisheng.”

Jiang Yashuang said, “I think….”

“I’m hungry!” Qiu Yelan touched her own forehead, “If you don’t leave, I can’t go out to eat!”

“See you!” Jiang Yashuang seemed to be messed up in mind. He made a salute with both hands and disappeared from behind the screen.

Qiu Yelan sighed quietly, “How come I feel that he was instigated?” Qiu Yelan felt that he was most likely to be instigated by Madame Tao.

“The question is, we just met once and she couldn’t wait to send her grandson over the wall to propose. Isn’t Jiang Yashuang her own grandson? Oh… Jiang Yashuang is really not her direct grandson. After all, she brought him up.”

She thought about it for a while and couldn’t figure out a definite clue, so she got up, “Well, forget it and go for dinner first. Su He and others would be worrying now.”

Somehow, a person fell into the door as soon as she touched it!

“Su He?!” Qiu Yelan, who was shocked, almost struck with a hand! Thanks to the light from outside, Su He’s face was reflected in time!

“What are you doing here!” Qiu Yelan helped the little maid up, who was terrified and trembling, and asked angrily, “Didn’t I say I would come out soon?”

Su He said cautiously, “But… it’s almost two hours… Grandma was worried and sent me to wait… I… I was afraid I couldn’t hear your soft voice when you were hungry, so I leaned against the door….”

Well, she was eavesdropping!