Jiang Tingzhou glanced around at the people present. Seeing that no one’s expression had changed, he finally felt a little relieved.
Jiang Yunniang caught her father’s reaction and softly added, “Jiang Bairou, have you forgotten again—you are not a daughter of the Jiang family?”
The words struck like a blade to the heart. Jiang Bairou’s identity could never be revealed, and Jiang Tingzhou would never openly admit she was his daughter. Yet that was precisely what Jiang Bairou longed for most.
Seeing the flash of murderous intent in Jiang Bairou’s eyes, Jiang Yunniang spoke firmly: “I will never agree to let Jiang Bairou enter the Song household as a titled concubine. For my own sake, and for the Jiang family’s, this cannot be allowed.”
“Jiang Yunniang, aren’t you too cruel? How can you disregard all sisterly ties?” Song Wenling pressed down on Jiang Yunniang’s shoulder, only to have Jiang Wang seize his hand.
Jiang Wang had remained silent until now, too shocked by what had happened. He had always protected and cherished Jiang Bairou as a sister. Even after learning she was not his true sibling, he kept his distance for his mother’s sake, but privately, he still paid attention to her. Today’s revelations left him deeply disappointed.
“Song Wenling, you have no right to lay hands on my sister.” Jiang Wang flung his hand away. Seeing the hurt in Jiang Yunniang’s eyes, his heart ached. At first, he had wanted to grow closer to her, but he never knew how. Sometimes he feared it would wound Jiang Bairou, so he kept his distance.
Faced with his brother‑in‑law, Song Wenling dared not argue back. He only insisted, “No matter what, Jiang Bairou cannot enter the Song household as a lowly concubine.”
At the words lowly concubine, Jiang Tingzhou frowned. “What is this about?”
Song Wenling explained that it was Jiang Yunniang’s idea. “Father‑in‑law, Bairou is still a daughter of the Jiang family. If she enters the Song household as a concubine of base status, what will people say of the Jiangs?”
Jiang Tingzhou’s face darkened. His younger daughter had erred, but to reduce her to a lowly status would indeed look bad. He turned reproachfully to his elder daughter. “Yunniang, just now you said it was for the Jiang family’s sake that Bairou could not be a titled concubine. Why then do you want her to be a lowly concubine?”
Jiang Yunniang had her reasons, but she did not reveal them yet. Instead, she followed her mother and cousin‑in‑law’s lead. “Now that I think of it, that too is unwise. Better to kill her outright.”
“No! She must not be killed!” Song Wenling immediately objected, instinctively spreading his arms to shield Jiang Bairou. He repeated, “Bairou has already… anyway, she cannot be killed!”
Already… already what?
Jiang Yunniang sharply caught the hesitation in his words. She pressed, “Already what?”
“Already mine!” Song Wenling blurted, still retaining enough sense not to reveal Jiang Bairou’s pregnancy.
Such shameless words made Madam Zhao and the others shake their heads. Jiang Tingzhou and the Old Madam flushed with embarrassment.
Seeing she could not draw out the truth, Jiang Yunniang judged the timing right and turned to her father and grandmother. “Father, you raised Jiang Bairou, and she owes you a debt of gratitude. Yet instead of being thankful, she has deliberately ruined the Jiang family’s reputation. If you indulge her now, you will chill the hearts of your kin and destroy the Jiang family’s good name.”
Had only the Jiang family been present, Jiang Tingzhou would surely have used his authority as head of the household to force Jiang Yunniang and Madam Lu to accept Jiang Bairou as a titled concubine.
But Jiang Yunniang would never allow Bairou to get her wish. She intended to crush every hope Jiang Bairou had.
Madam Zhao now understood the situation. Glancing at her furious aunt, she sighed and said in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, “They say the Jiang family is noble and refined. Perhaps we’ve simply not been in Shengjing long enough to see otherwise.”
As soon as she spoke, Jiang Tingzhou’s face darkened further, as though he were being roasted over a fire—tormented and unable to decide.
It was the Old Madam who finally asked, “But Yunniang, if you send Bairou to the Song household as a lowly concubine, wouldn’t that disgrace the Jiang family even more?”
“Not so,” Jiang Yunniang replied. “Today, Bairou committed acts that defied propriety and decency. Since Grandmother is too kind‑hearted to have her beaten to death, she should be expelled from the Jiang family. Bairou was never truly of Jiang blood. We need only say to the outside world that she was ungrateful. Nothing more needs to be explained. Once Bairou is no longer of the Jiang family, whether she becomes a concubine in the Song household or wanders the streets begging, it will have nothing to do with us.”
She paused, then sighed. “Grandmother, I know you are compassionate. But Bairou’s deeds cannot be hidden flawlessly. I can promise not to spread it myself, but on the day she was caught, members of the Song family’s second branch saw me at Zhuyan Study. Sparing Bairou’s life is already merciful. If you insist on gambling with the Jiang family’s reputation, I cannot promise to remain silent.”
Her words were meant not only for the Old Madam, but also for her father.
Jiang Tingzhou had studied hard for over ten years, passing the provincial exam only on his second attempt. With the Lu family’s support, he had risen to the rank of fourth‑grade official. He knew well how dangerous gossip in Shengjing could be. If maliciously spread and heard by the Emperor, it could ruin his own reputation.
Looking again at his younger daughter, Jiang Tingzhou felt both pity and regret. “Mother, what do you think?” he asked, unwilling to be the one to make the harsh decision.
The Old Madam understood his meaning. For her son’s sake, she spoke: “Do as Yunniang says. We raised Bairou, so we have not failed her. It is she who has disappointed us.”
“No!” Bairou shook her head violently. “Father, I am your daughter too! If I enter the Song household as a lowly concubine, how can I live with dignity? Please, for the sake of our years together, help me!”
Jiang Tingzhou flung her hand away and warned in a low voice, “Do not call yourself my daughter again. I have no daughter like you. When you dared to betray your family, you should have known you would be mocked forever.”
Afraid Jiang Bairou might reveal their true relationship, Jiang Tingzhou ordered her dragged away. “Lock her in the courtyard. Tomorrow I will have the clan elders amend the genealogy, then send her out of the household.”
Jiang Bairou tried to cry out for Song Wenling to save her, but a servant woman covered her mouth.
Song Wenling, distressed, watched her being dragged away. He rose to follow, but was blocked by Nanny Wang.
Seeing how things had unfolded, Nanny Wang knew there was no turning back. She reminded him, “Second Young Master, don’t forget—Second Young Madam is your proper wife.”
The master and mistress had instructed her clearly: once Second Young Master achieved success, he would still need the Lu family’s support. He must not let relations sour.
At the mention of Jiang Yunniang, Song Wenling turned and glared fiercely. “You’ve expelled Bairou from the Jiang family, ruining her reputation. If I then welcome her into my household, wouldn’t that tarnish the Song family’s name?”
“Second Young Master could also choose not to marry Bairou. That way, both the Song and Jiang families would be spared,” Jiang Yunniang said coldly. Yet inwardly, she still wished to see Bairou enter the Song household as a lowly concubine. Only by keeping her under her own watch could she grind her down completely.
Besides, poverty breeds misery. Jiang Yunniang wanted to see whether, once Song Wenling lost his career and could not give Jiang Bairou a proper title, Jiang Bairou would still cling to him.
“You’re dreaming!” Song Wenling snapped, ignoring everyone else’s faces. He thought Jiang Yunniang was cruel and venomous. Even without the Lu family’s support, he swore he would bring Jiang Bairou into his household.
The others, watching him, sighed inwardly. Even if he disliked Jiang Yunniang, he should at least maintain appearances. Yet the Old Madam had already declared that Jiang Yunniang must not divorce Song Wenling. Otherwise, Madam Lu would be the first to petition for divorce at the Song household.
What should have been a joyful return‑home banquet ended in chaos. When everyone finally sat down, the food tasted like ash. The Old Madam had just drunk calming soup, and Jiang Tingzhou had no choice but to force himself to entertain the guests.
With such a scandal in the Jiang household, Madam Zhao and her family could not linger. Before leaving, she held Jiang Yunniang’s hand, saying she had suffered injustice, and promised to invite her to the Lu household another day. They also needed to find Lu Jianfeng, who had run off from the rockery and had not been seen since.
After sending her cousins off, Jiang Yunniang prepared to return. Before leaving, she went to pay her respects to the Old Madam, but the maid said the Old Madam had fallen asleep.
Assuming she truly had, Jiang Yunniang then went to her mother’s room—she still had things to tell her.