At the Lantern Festival, Qiu Yelan took Madame Ho and her daughters into the palace.
As usual, they went first to the Hall of Taishi.
But Qiu Yelan, who had always been able to get around here without any obstruction, was stopped, “Although Her Royal Highness is better than she was a few days ago, she is still not feeling well! It is fine for the nineteenth young madame to go in alone. But if the fourth young madame and the two junior young ladies go in, I am afraid they will remind Her Royal Highness of the past, which is not good for her health. So…”
As Maid Lin said so, Qiu Yelan had to take Madame Ho and her daughters to pay their respect outside the Hall of Taishi and ask Maid Lin to convey their condolences and apologies. And then they left.
Things didn’t go well as they arrived in Beique Hall. Even though Xin Fubing was grounded, she was in good health and did not need to worry about being irritated after meeting Madame Ho and her daughters. The problem was that… It happened that Emperor was there.
And Empress wouldn’t leave for a while. “The Eldest Prince has been coughing since yesterday. His Majesty and Her Majesty are both very worried. They have called the doctor over in the middle of the night. And they have been staying by his side till now. His Majesty also said that he might not be going to the banquet of the Lantern Festival tonight. I don’t dare to go and disturb them!”
The four of them could do nothing but go back to Marquess’s Mansion.
Madame Ho and her daughters were naturally quite anxious, “Will Her Royal Highness and Her Majesty be annoyed with me and my daughters?”
“My fourth sister-in-law, don’t worry. What Maid Lin and the maid of Beique Hall said was the truth. It just happened that Her Royal Highness couldn’t see you. They didn’t mean to refuse.” Qiu Yelan thought Empress Dowager and Empress were not so petty. She comforted them, “There will be ample time ahead. We can go there in a couple of days when it is convenient for them.”
After returning to Marquess’s Mansion, Qiu Yelan sent them back to the yard on her way. As soon as she arrived at the door, she happened to meet Madame Jin coming over.
It might be because she had been oppressed by Penglai Yue and the baseborn son who grew up before her eyes was disliked by his father, she looked very bad with anger. After meeting each other, when Qiu Yelan was about to leave, she was called out, “My nineteenth sister-in-law, a moment, please!”
“My fifth sister-in-law, is there anything I need to know?” Qiu Yelan stood and asked. The two of them didn’t have many connections with each other. So, she didn’t know what Madame Jin was calling out to her for.
“My nineteenth sister-in-law, have you ever given Jingman a monthly allowance?” Madame Jin seemed a little hesitant. But she asked anyway.
Qiu Yelan felt puzzled, “No, the monthly allowance has always been issued by my fourteenth sister-in-law. How could I do her job?”
Madame Ho was surprised as well, “My fifth sister-in-law, is there any problem with Jingman’s monthly allowance?”
“Maybe someone from outside gave it to him?” Madame Jin frowned and said vaguely, “I just thought he had been spending a lot more lately, which could not be covered by his monthly allowance. I don’t know where it was coming from… But he didn’t want to tell me when I asked him!”
“Many of the students in the clan school are not from our Jiang Family. Maybe they gave them to him?” Madame Ho didn’t really believe it when she said that. Jiang Jingman was not the only one of the Jiang Family who was currently in the clan school. The sons of Jiang Yayun were all in it, except for Jiang Jingxu. Who would leave those people alone and please the second branch and the fifth branch? The two branches did not even have any officials. Although they stayed in Marquess’s Mansion, they did not easily see ill Marquess Qin. They had no power at all. All they had was only the status of descendants of the Jiang Family!
Once Marquess Qin was not well, even though they wouldn’t be swept out of the house immediately, it was not possible for them to stay in Marquess’s Mansion forever.
This was why Madame Ho attached much importance to the affair that happened on the Lunar New Year’s Eve. Kui Xiannan and Sir Jibei had both passed away. And Marquess Qin seemed to be going to die. After the older generation passed away, the next generation’s masters of the Jiang Family had little affection for the second branch and the fifth branch. If they were only related by blood, they should not think of putting up a show and relying on the compensation mentality of Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei like they did when Kui Xiannan was still alive!
Madame Jin thought the same. But before Qiu Yelan, Madame Jin set her mouth in a grim line, “I guess so.”
Qiu Yelan felt that this had nothing to do with her. So, she didn’t say anything more. As she found that they didn’t say anything else, she took leave.
After she left, Madame Ho let Jiang Huiyan and Jiang Huili go back to their rooms and invited Madame Jin into the room to have a seat. And then she asked softly, “If it were because he spent more than his monthly allowance, I don’t think you would be so concerned that you came to ask me specifically and stopped our nineteenth sister-in-law to ask… What is wrong?”
“Jingman has used over eight hundred gold in the past two or three days. Where do you think he got the money?” Madame Jin took a deep breath and said.
Madame Ho was startled, “How come he spent so much?”
If Jiang Yazhao and Jiang Yawan had used more than eight hundred gold, even in one day, they wouldn’t have been surprised, as they had long gotten used to it. But for Jiang Jingman, not to mention the fact that he had never squandered money like this before, where did he get the money?
As the son of a concubine, and with an elder trueborn brother in front of him, Jiang Jingman could not even get his full monthly allowance when he was in Kui County. Even if he didn’t spend a penny, it was still a problem whether he could save up to ten gold a year!
When he arrived in Jing City, things changed. For one thing, Madame Jin’s own son had died and she had no grandchildren yet, which meant she might have to count on him when she was old. So, she wouldn’t dare to deduct his monthly allowance again. For another, He Shuijin, who was the master of the family, hated not being able to get a favor after spending money and so she didn’t give her the chance to do so. But even so, he couldn’t have saved eight hundred or so gold in these few months!
Madame Ho couldn’t help asking, “Could it be a misrepresentation?”
“The young servant close to him said it. I have asked someone to inquire about it in several shops. The number is not much different from what the young servant said.” Madame Jin looked bad, “If it were in the past, I would think that it was given by my husband privately. After all, as you know, my husband has always been a big spender. When Jingzhan was alive…” She felt painful as she said this. There was a moment of silence before she continued, “He was careless with money while my husband doesn’t even care.”
“But now…”
Ever since Penglai Yue was pushed by Jiang Jingman, resulting in a miscarriage, Jiang Yawan had grown disgusted with this baseborn son. Had it not been for Jiang Yayun’s repeated mediation, Jiang Yawan would not have even wanted to keep him in Jing City.
Under such circumstances, how could Jiang Yawan give him money privately again?
So, Madame Jin couldn’t figure out where Jiang Jingman got the money to spend in such a way. “We’ve been in Jing City for a few days. And we know a bit about the prices. Even in Jing City, eight hundred gold is huge. If it were for doing favors, how could Jingman be able to do what he had to do at this price? In fact, when I asked my nineteenth sister, I knew it was impossible. Even if my nineteenth sister gave him some money privately, it would probably be for him to buy ink and pens and snacks. How much could that be? My fourth sister-in-law, could it be…”
With a look of apprehension and fear, her eyes actually looked in the direction of the first branch’s yard!
Madame Ho’s face became ugly all of a sudden. After a while, she muttered, “But… It doesn’t make sense, right? Last time it was just a coincidence. And it was only because no one could think of it that… Now we’ve come to Jing City. How could we do that again?”
Suddenly, she looked at Madame Jin, “You… You have something to do with Penglai Yue’s miscarriage?”
“It’s not me!” Madame Jin said rapidly, “She is such a designing b*tch. How could I harm her? It’s a good thing she didn’t harm me!”
“… Maybe you can wait for two more days and see what he really wants to do?” Madame Ho pondered for a while before saying, “I’ll tell Jingmu to keep an eye on him too!”
… While the two sisters-in-law were worrying, Qiu Yelan was busy arranging for the banquet in three days, in which Lu He would be officially taken as Jiang Yashuang’s student. “Have you prepared all the fresh fruits yet? If we don’t have enough, talk to my fourteenth sister-in-law and ask her to help get some!”
“The pair of Porcelain Blue and White Beauty Bottles over the main hall are too plain. Replace them with the pair of Coral-Red-Glazed Gilt-Inlaid Vases. That will be perfect for the occasion!”
“Put a bonsai plum tree in the middle. Choose the red plum tree and make it lively!”
“Change the tea set. Use that one, Green Bean-Glazed Wu-cai!”
“Have the tea been decided?”
When she had some free time, she had to comfort two children, “Look, An, there’s nothing fun to do here. The snowman your nineteenth uncle took you to make two days ago is so fun and interesting! Now let Mulian and Mulan take you to build another one, okay?”
“Jinglang, don’t you want to play with your brother? Look, your fourteenth brother has gone to make a snowman. Why are you still holding on to me? Be good. Boys should play with boys. Let go of your mother’s skirt and go play with your fourteenth brother!”
When she just managed to wheedle the two boys into going out, there was something wrong with her daughter. Mrs. Zhou hurried over to report, “The twenty-third junior young lady is spitting up again!”
“How could this happen?” Qiu Yelan immediately lost her cool. She threw the matter into Mujin’s hands and rushed towards her daughter’s room.
“Didn’t I tell you not to let her lie down when feeding, but to let her lean on her back?” It was common for babies in their first three months to spit up milk, which could not be considered a disease. But when looking at the painful look of her own flesh and blood, Qiu Yelan could not help but be angry, “And let her burp after feeding. Did you hear or not?”
The two wet nurses explained with trepidation, “We have always done that. But the junior young lady couldn’t get burps today. So, we patted her a little longer… And then she vomited!”
“Go get the doctor!” Qiu Yelan, scowling, picked up her daughter. She coaxed her daughter and instructed, “See what’s going on!”
Asking a doctor for Jiang Huiying made Jiang Yashuang, who was discussing with Jiang Tianqi in the third branch, back. “What’s wrong with Huiying? Why did she need to ask for a doctor?”
“Today, she spat up milk again. I was worried. So, I asked for a doctor.” As the doctor had guaranteed that Jiang Huiying was fine, Qiu Yelan was relieved, “Luckily, she’s fine!”
Jiang Yashuang was also relieved at the words. He wiped his cold sweat, “As long as she is fine! As long as she is fine!”
He said it twice before asking, “Why did she spit up? Didn’t they say that if the wet nurse paid attention to the posture while breastfeeding and patted the baby on her shoulder afterwards, then she wouldn’t throw up?”
“The doctor said it didn’t always work every time. Anyway, the kid is so young.” Qiu Yelan sighed.
The two of them said a few words about their daughter’s situation. But suddenly, a scream rang out from the back corridor. And then Jiang Jingkun and Jiang Jinglang, one after the other, rushed in hurriedly. Between them they hugged Jiang Yashuang’s legs. “Uncle Yashuang, let’s build a snow house! Snowman is not fun!”
“Don’t want to play in the snow. My father, take us for a ride. Ride! Ride!”
The corners of Jiang Yashuang’s mouth twitched. He bent down and touched the two children’s faces, “Keep your voice down. Your sister is not feeling well!”
“And then take your sister to build a snow house! She must love it. Once she does, she’ll be fine!”
“Ride! Riding is fun! She rides and then she’ll be fine!”
… Qiu Yelan ignored her husband’s look of help, backed up step by step. She quietly picked up her daughter on the couch and wrapped the baby in her fur coat. And then she left from the back door. “I take our daughter and you take our nephew and son… Well, that’s fair!”
