In the end, she returned to the estate with a “big problem.”
Junyao’s lips curled slightly, comfortably occupying half of the carriage. From an angle unnoticed by anyone, Jiang Lanyue’s face, though filled with sorrow, wore a triumphant smile.
Her good fortune was yet to come— the Liang State Duke’s Mansion.
Yingxue Pavilion, still brightly lit after nightfall, faintly echoed with heart-wrenching cries.
Red rashes had spread all over Shen Jiaxue’s body, the blisters stinging and itching. She wanted to scratch, but her maid held her down.
Tears streamed down Shen Jiaxue’s cheeks as she wailed in pain, “Waaah… Mother, please find a way to save me! Wei Lang and I are about to get married, I don’t want to have scars.”
The doctor had already examined her and confirmed it was just ordinary chickenpox, not contagious.
Lady Liang, her heart aching, wiped away tears and softly comforted her, “Xue’er, don’t worry. Tomorrow I’ll send a letter to the palace and ask the Empress Dowager to send you a royal physician. I’ll make sure you marry into the Wei family beautifully.”
“But the doctor said the blisters on my body will leave scars. What if Wei La ng dislikes me and doesn’t want me anymore?”
Shen Jiaxue wasn’t making empty threats. Although Wei Chi tried his best to hide it, his deliberate avoidance of her was obvious, his disdain was self-evident.
“He wouldn’t dare! He’s just a third-place scholar. If he wants to rely on the Duke’s mansion, he won’t treat you badly.” Lady Liang’s eyes flashed with a fierce light.
However, this wasn’t the result Shen Jiaxue wanted. She wanted Wei Chi’s sincerity and love, not respect for her out of power.
Inside the study, Wei Chi knelt on the cold blue brick floor, the hatred in his eyes chilling. Duke Liang looked at him with a gloomy face.
“Speak,”
Wei Chi said, his expression returning to normal, “Xue’er was perfectly fine when she left. How did she come back like this?” He was now humble and respectful. “It’s my fault that Jia Xue is like this. I didn’t take good care of her, and she came into contact with something dirty, getting blisters all over her body. Please punish me, Duke.”
Seeing that Wei Chi didn’t try to justify himself and directly took all the blame, Duke Liang couldn’t help but look at him with higher regard.
He had mixed feelings about this future son-in-law. Wei Chi possessed worldly talent; if properly nurtured for a few years, he would surely secure a place in the court.
His only worry was Wei Chi’s ruthlessness. He was willing to abandon his wife for the sake of climbing the social ladder. Once Wei Chi reached a high enough position, he wouldn’t be able to control him.
Xue’er had been spoiled by them; she couldn’t tolerate any wrongdoing. If she made a mistake in the future, would his son-in-law, in his high position, be able to forgive her?
Thinking of this, Duke Liang instantly aged several years. No matter how disappointing his children were, he couldn’t help but plan for their future.
“Alright, get up. Xue’er will need your care in the future.”
Wei Chi respectfully kowtowed and solemnly said, “Please rest assured, Duke, I will treat Jia Xue well and not let her suffer any injustice.”
“Hmm.” Duke Liang nodded lightly, then suddenly brought up Wei Chi’s friendship with the Prince Ke’s heir: “I heard you invited the Prince Ke’s heir to visit Hanshan Temple?”
Wei Chi’s heart skipped a beat. The tyrant was still firmly on the throne, and the heir was still five years away from ascending the throne.
Duke Liang’s mansion was now a staunch supporter of the monarchy. If they knew his plans, they would definitely try to stop him. Wei Chi found an excuse to cover it up.
“Yes, I met the heir at a banquet a few days ago. The heir felt that we got along well, so we often went out together.”
Duke Liang frowned. He had already noticed that the conflict between the emperor and the imperial clan was deepening. The imperial clan members were dissatisfied with the emperor’s unconventional ways and were intentionally or unintentionally weakening the privileges of the imperial clan.
With the emperor’s capricious temperament, there would inevitably be some trouble in the future, and the imperial clan might even unite against the emperor.
Unwilling to be drawn into the vortex, he couldn’t help but offer Wei Chi a word of advice.
“You’re new to the court and don’t understand the power dynamics and interests of various factions. Reduce your contact with the Prince Ke’s son from now on.”
“Once His Majesty forgets about your family’s scandals, I’ll arrange a position for you in the Ministry of Rites’ History Department.”
The Great Yan Kingdom was powerful and well-equipped, and the surrounding smaller states were terrified, sending tribute annually to show their submission. Those who knew the potential profits understood.
Wei Chi didn’t refuse. Since he couldn’t return to the Hanlin Academy, gaining control of the Ministry of Rites and managing finances wasn’t a bad idea.
“Thank you, Duke. It’s getting late. Please rest early. I’ll return tomorrow to keep Jiaxue company.”
Watching Wei Chi leave, Duke Liang sighed meaningfully and hunched over as he headed towards Yingxue Pavilion.
Once completely out of sight of Duke Liang’s residence, Wei Chi’s face was grim, as if something had slipped out of his control.
When exactly did it begin…? Wei Chi suddenly stopped, Jiang Lanyue’s various unusual behaviors flashing before his eyes.
Yes, ever since he achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examination and returned to ask Lan Yue for a divorce, she had only shown slight sadness before signing the divorce papers without further entanglement and moving out of the Wei residence cleanly and efficiently.
She was often cold towards him, leading him to believe he had broken her heart. However, in his past life, she had been deeply devoted to him, and their divorce had lasted for half a month.
A bold idea lingered in Wei Chi’s mind: could it be…that Lan Yue had also returned?
Wei Chi’s expression changed drastically, his thoughts in turmoil. It seemed it was time to test Jiang Lan Yue.
…
At the estate.
Jiang Lan Yue diligently tended to someone’s wounds, completely unaware that she had exposed herself.
Jun Yao looked around at the simple house, the outdated furniture with peeling paint, the cramped space—it wasn’t even as nice as his own bathroom.
“Has Madam always lived such a frugal life?” Her disdain was palpable. Jiang Lan Yue glanced casually at the dragon-shaped jade pendant at his waist, revealing an embarrassed expression at the opportune moment.
“Please forgive my humble origins, Young Master Yan. I was born in the countryside and haven’t seen much of the finer things. For us commoners, a place to shelter from the wind and rain is enough.”
Since arriving at the estate, Jun Yao had introduced himself as Yan. Zhongbo and the others, unaware of his identity and seeing that he was brought back by the lady, all addressed him respectfully as Young Master Yan. Jiang Lanyue followed suit.
Jun Yao casually scrutinized the beautiful woman before him, his gaze deepening, a hint of inquiry flashing across his eyes.
“How did you know I wasn’t a commoner, Madam?”
Jiang Lanyue looked at him with a confused yet surprised expression. “Aren’t you, Young Master? It’s just that I’m blind; I can’t distinguish between high and low officials, and I’ve never seen many distinguished guests. If I were to neglect such a distinguished guest because of this, I would feel uneasy.”
Seeing the simple joy in her sorrow, Jun Yao fell silent. Perhaps he was overthinking things.
The guards’ investigation revealed that Jiang Lanyue had a simple background; besides her beauty, her family was practically nonexistent, and she had no one to back her up.
How could someone like that guess his identity?
Unable to bear seeing the beautiful woman so anxious, Junyao gently comforted her, “Madam saved my life; it is I who should repay her kindness. Besides, my fate is predetermined. I have no official rank and rely on the blessings of my ancestors to be able to stand on the shoulders of giants and see the world.”
“With your self-reliance and strength, even the highest-ranking official would respect you. Why should you belittle yourself and consider yourself inferior?”
Jiang Lanyue’s eyes were slightly red, seemingly deeply moved. Her pitiful appearance stirred Junyao’s heart.
A few words of comfort were enough to bring tears to her eyes, a testament to the humiliation and oppression she had suffered in the past.
Junyao suddenly recalled the absurd incident a few days ago, when Imperial Censor Meng impeached the family of the newly appointed third-ranked scholar, and a pang of heartache rose in his heart.
She must have endured great injustice…