Someone Is Watching Her
The scene just now had left Nanny Liu trembling with fear.
Originally.
Madam Song had intended to be the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
She planned to wait until the fire had frightened Jiang Zhaoying out of her wits, then deal with her harshly once more, making her completely submissive.
Thinking to come early to watch the spectacle, she was instead shocked by Jiang Zhaoying’s ruthless counterattack.
Moreover.
Jiang Zhaoying had emerged from the fire unscathed, her expression calm and composed!
Looking at the icy coldness in Jiang Zhaoying’s eyes, Nanny Liu took a deep breath, striving to maintain her usual stern and severe demeanor as she stepped forward.
“Madam requests your presence.”
Jiang Zhaoying had no desire to respond and turned to leave. Nanny Liu did not stop her but raised her voice.
“The Emperor has sent two nannies to the estate to supervise the young master and you, Madam. It would be best if you went.”
Damn old fox!
Jiang Zhaoying changed direction and headed toward Pinghu Residence, where Madam Song lived.
In the side chamber.
Maids and elderly servants stood by the bed. Two of them were indeed unfamiliar faces, their backs straight, their expressions stern, and their movements meticulous—clearly products of the palace.
Song Chengyu and Shen Yuefu, however, were nowhere to be seen, likely exchanging sweet nothings or engaging in a war of words. Song Mingji and Song Qinghuan were also absent, probably too eager to go out and play.
When Jiang Zhaoying arrived, the maids and elderly servants immediately revealed malicious, mocking smiles, each giving a haughty and casual salute.
“Greetings, Madam.”
Madam Song lay on the bed, a hot towel pressed to her forehead. Seeing Jiang Zhaoying, she immediately frowned, clutched her head, and began to moan.
“Mother.”
In front of the palace nannies, Jiang Zhaoying had no choice but to step forward and bow, addressing her as “mother,” though in her heart, she felt Madam Song was unworthy of the title.
“Madam, this is the freshly brewed medicine.”
Nanny Liu brought over the just-poured medicine, presenting it to Jiang Zhaoying and signaling with her eyes for her to attend to the sick.
Jiang Zhaoying remained motionless.
The two nannies stepped forward and bowed.
“Greetings, Madam. I am Tamei, and she is Taxue.”
Nanny Tamei and Nanny Taxue approached at the opportune moment, subtly exerting pressure on Jiang Zhaoying. Jiang Zhaoying returned the salute, then calmly took the medicine bowl.
Nanny Liu nodded with satisfaction, while a flicker of mockery passed through Madam Song’s eyes.
Before her marriage.
Jiang Zhaoying had rarely ventured outside and naturally knew nothing of the wickedness of human hearts. Using fire to frighten her, then pressuring her with palace nannies—there was no fear she wouldn’t be intimidated or yield.
In this world.
No woman could escape the shackles of her husband’s family. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many wives who died in their in-laws’ homes, ignored and forgotten.
Holding the medicine.
She walked to the bedside and turned to look at Nannies Taxue and Tamei.
“Nannies.”
Taxue and Tamei looked at her. Jiang Zhaoying stood tall and straight, her voice cold.
“I presume you are both aware of what happened earlier. I believe that if my mother-in-law treats me well, it is only right that I show her filial piety. But given how she treated me before, I now have no desire to attend to her. That is simply cause and effect, and no one can blame me. Between people, there should be a sense of affection, don’t you think, Nannies?”
The two nannies were taken aback!
Then the elder Nanny Taxue spoke coldly.
“Rules cannot be broken, Madam.”
The hardships of the world were something these palace servants did not understand, nor did they need to.
Women were born into a difficult world. Every year, many noblewomen died within the great families, but they had no desire to concern themselves with such matters.
Jiang Zhaoying watched them, the light in her eyes gradually dimming. Silently, she turned and sat by the bedside, handing the medicine to a servant before leaning over to slowly help Madam Song sit up.
Madam Song’s eyes and brows were filled with smugness. Seizing the opportunity, she whispered coldly into Jiang Zhaoying’s ear.
“You shouldn’t have done this. We could have lived in harmony as a family.”
If only she had been obedient, obedient and compliant, Madam Song could have allowed Jiang Zhaoying to live a better life. Yet she insisted on making trouble.
“The medicine is getting cold. Please drink it quickly.”
Jiang Zhaoying took the medicine, scooped a spoonful, and brought it to Madam Song’s lips. Madam Song glared coldly at Jiang Zhaoying, opened her mouth to drink, then immediately raised her hand to push it away, exclaiming sharply.
“Are you trying to scald me to death?”
The medicine spilled all over Jiang Zhaoying, yet her expression remained calm. She frowned and said softly.
“It’s not hot at all, Mother.”
Aunts Taxue and Tamei observed Jiang Zhaoying’s expression, noticing she showed no sign of being scalded. They frowned slightly.
“Mother, why must you treat me this way? The Young Master’s feigned death was not my doing. He wanted to use it as a pretext to elope with his beloved and leave me to support the Marquis’s household—that wasn’t my idea either. Now that things have come to this, you vent your anger on me. What sense does that make?”
“It’s all because of you.”
Madam Song was furious. If Fu’er had the wealth, if Fu’er held the special status, Jiang Zhaoying would never have been allowed to step foot into the Song residence.
“What does it have to do with me?”
Jiang Zhaoying took a step back.
“The marriage proposal was made by your Song family. The person was brought into your Song family. The trouble was stirred up by your Song family. Now you all stand aside and blame only me. What kind of logic is that in this world?”
Madam Song felt as though her chest were being crushed by heavy stones, breathless and gasping. Clutching her heart, she gritted her teeth and pointed at Jiang Zhaoying.
“Go kneel in the ancestral hall. Take her to kneel in the ancestral hall. Taxue, Tamei, make sure she kneels.”
Hearing the words “ancestral hall,” Jiang Zhaoying grew furious.
In her previous life, she had tended to the Song ancestral hall with meticulous care, cherishing every memorial tablet with devotion. How many offerings had these ancestors received from her? Yet had they ever protected her for a single day?
They had all eaten her food, drunk her offerings—all ungrateful wolves.
She had vowed that what was owed to her from her previous life would be repaid in this one. The ancestors in the ancestral hall were no exception.
This debt.
Would be settled starting with them.
Turning around.
Jiang Zhaoying left.
Hearing the commanding tone in Madam Song’s voice, Taxue and Tamei’s expressions darkened slightly, but they said nothing and followed behind Jiang Zhaoying. Soon after, Madam Song ordered several matrons to join them, and two more matrons and two maids followed.
The matrons, seeing Jiang Zhaoying’s obedient demeanor, snorted coldly, their faces filled with smugness.
See.
There was no stubborn bone Madam couldn’t tame.
In the ancestral hall, incense smoke curled upward. Memorial tablets stood in rows from high to low, and in the flickering candlelight, fierce beasts carved to guard the spirits were visible. A thick stack of Buddhist scriptures lay on the altar table.
Jiang Zhaoying stood before the altar, her cold gaze fixed on the ancestral hall she had once revered and valued so deeply.
How laughable.
In her previous life, she had even thought that when she died, she too would be placed here.
“Was I not good enough to you?”
Jiang Zhaoying stared coldly at the highest memorial tablet, her eyes seething with rising fury as she questioned.
“One lifetime of allowing them to run wild, and now a second lifetime of wanting to stand by and do nothing?”
The wind swept in, and the sharp candlelight seemed to panic, swaying wildly in all directions.
Jiang Zhaoying’s face was cold as she lightly raised her hand.
Thud.
A soft sound.
The snow-white candle fell onto the table, wax spilling out, the wick tilting, and the small flame instantly caught the carelessly placed spirit money.
Smoke billowed, and the small flame began to grow.
“Oh no, it’s on fire… thud…”
The old woman rushed forward in a panic to put out the fire, but Jiang Zhaoying hurled the ancestral tablet she had been gripping tightly at her head.