In the past, after cleaning up for Xie Yuzhao, Jiang Yitang would always leave quickly, fearing discovery.
But with the old madam's words, even if Jiang Yitang stayed here for a day, no one would question it.
Jiang Yitang carried the dirty water out, then returned and sat by the bed, handing Xie Yuzhao the preserved fruit she had secretly hidden in her sleeve.
Xie Yuzhao looked at her, puzzled.
Meeting his gaze, Jiang Yitang stammered softly:
"There are only these few pieces."
Her Song'an Yuan rarely had such sweet treats.
It was only today, when she went to Rongfen Courtyard, that she thought of Xie Yuzhao suffering from the bitterness of the medicine and secretly hid these away.
Xie Yuzhao stared at the preserved fruit for a long time before reaching out with difficulty to take it.
Having been hidden by the girl for so long, the preserved fruit did not look very appealing, but Xie Yuzhao carefully placed each piece into his mouth, biting gently. A sweet and sour flavor filled his mouth, completely masking the previous bitterness.
Before knowing him, the girl had lived poorly in the residence; these preserved fruits would not have been part of her allotted share.
Recalling what the girl had said when she first arrived, Xie Yuzhao guessed the origin of the preserved fruit.
Xie Yuzhao lowered his gaze.
Jiang Yitang stole a glance at him, swallowing her saliva without pride.
At Rongfen Courtyard, after secretly hiding the preserved fruit, she hadn’t dared to eat any more, afraid that if too many were missing, she would be laughed at for being petty.
Since Xie Yuzhao’s downfall in her previous life, she had not lived well in the residence and hadn’t tasted preserved fruit for a long time either.
The two best years of her life were the two years under Xie Yuzhao’s protection.
Luxurious clothing and fine food.
Any object she glanced at more than once would be delivered to her the very next day.
During the five years without Xie Yuzhao, Jiang Yitang often wondered how wonderful it would be if Xie Yuzhao’s rebellion were just a dream.
Xie Yuzhao did not leave any for Jiang Yitang.
Because it had passed through his hands, he dared not let Jiang Yitang eat it.
Seeing that he had finished it all, Jiang Yitang imperceptibly pouted her lips. After a while, she murmured:
"Was it sweet?"
Xie Yuzhao looked up in surprise.
After a moment, he asked, "You didn’t eat any?"
Jiang Yitang hesitated and nodded slightly, whispering:
"There was only one plate. I was afraid of being laughed at, so I didn’t dare eat any more."
Xie Yuzhao fell silent.
In their previous life, he had protected the girl for a long time. She would also bring him pastries but could never resist secretly eating a few pieces first.
It was important to know that in the Crown Prince's Residence, pastries not only had to taste good but also look appealing, and the arrangement of the pastries on the plate was also carefully considered.
At such times, Xie Yuzhao could only pretend not to notice the missing pastries on the plate.
Someone who struggled to resist temptation and always secretly ate—now, with only these few pieces of preserved fruit, she had given them all to him.
The lingering sweetness of the preserved fruit in his mouth suddenly turned slightly bitter.
"Wait a few more days," Xie Yuzhao suddenly said.
Jiang Yitang was not sitting on the bed but on the footstool beside it, where she had laid a soft cushion. Hearing Xie Yuzhao’s words, she looked up in confusion.
She was young, her face as small as a palm, with dark hair loosely draped behind her. As she lifted her head, her fair face was fully exposed to Xie Yuzhao’s gaze. Unlike seven years later, she still carried a hint of youthfulness. Just from her cheeks and figure, one could see her immaturity. Her starry eyes were always clear, as if washed clean by water, and even in the dim room, they shone brightly.
Xie Yuzhao had once heard that Jiang Yitang’s eyebrows and eyes bore a striking resemblance to her birth mother.
Upon hearing this, Xie Yuzhao finally understood why Minister Jiang had disregarded Concubine Song’s wishes and taken her for himself back then.
Men in this world are driven by two things: wealth and power. But no matter what they covet, they inevitably become entangled with lust and desire.
Even Xie Yuzhao was no exception, harboring intentions toward Jiang Yitang.
However, the young girl had always been sheltered deep within the inner chambers—easy to coax and deceive. A few treats, fine clothes, and occasional protection were enough to keep her content without complaint.
Xie Yuzhao suddenly felt that his illness had lasted a bit too long.
Jiang Yitang didn’t understand. She stared at him for a long while, but when Xie Yuzhao offered no explanation, she hesitated over whether to ask.
She tried to recall what had happened during this time in her previous life. After a long moment, she remembered—it seemed only the imperial edict warning the Old Madam had occurred.
Suddenly, Jiang Yitang’s eyes widened.
So, in her previous life, was it Xie Yuzhao who leaked the news from the mansion?
But Jiang Yitang frowned in frustration. She was certain that at this time, Xie Yuzhao had entered the mansion alone. Who could have delivered the message for him?
Unable to hold back, Jiang Yitang finally asked:
“Xie Yuzhao, what are you waiting for me to do?”
Xie Yuzhao replied, “Waiting for someone.”
Jiang Yitang still didn’t understand and pursed her lips.
During the two years under Xie Yuzhao’s protection, he rarely kept things from her. Those closest to him were only Wei Li and the others.
Jiang Yitang guessed privately—it must be Wei Li he was waiting for.
She vaguely remembered that in her previous life, when Xie Yuzhao was first sent to Shangshu Fu, Wei Li was still trapped in the palace.
But by the time the imperial edict arrived, Wei Li had come along as well.
Dinner was delivered by Qing Su. Qiuhua didn’t dare approach Songrong Courtyard anymore. When Qing Su arrived, her expression was slightly troubled.
Jiang Yitang asked suspiciously:
“What happened?”
Qing Su gritted her teeth indignantly, “When I went to the kitchen to fetch dinner today, the kitchen staff looked at me as if I were the plague, wishing to stay miles away!”
“The head matron in the kitchen even said that since you’ve come to Songrong Courtyard, Song’an Yuan might no longer be safe. From now on, meals will be delivered to the rockery, and I’m to fetch them from there.”
In other words, she was not to go to the kitchen again.
The rockery wasn’t far from Song’an Yuan, but it was still some distance away.
Judging by the kitchen’s attitude, they intended to isolate both Songrong Courtyard and Song’an Yuan!
Her young mistress was perfectly fine—all of this was caused by the Old Madam’s words. How could Qing Su not feel aggrieved?
Jiang Yitang fell silent.
After a long while, she lowered her gaze:
“They’re not wrong. I come and go from Songrong Courtyard every day, so the risk of contracting smallpox isn’t small.”
If she herself valued her life so dearly, how could she blame others for fearing death?
Qing Su widened her eyes, “Young Mistress!”
She couldn’t bear to hear her young mistress say such things.
There was no sound from inside the room behind her. Jiang Yitang glanced back and softly interrupted Qing Su:
“You should go back now. Just give me the food box.”
Qing Su handed her the food box as instructed but still spoke with lingering resentment and concern:
“Young Mistress has never done the work of serving others before.”
Even as a concubine-born daughter, she was still a mistress of Shangshu Fu. Though the servants didn’t serve her with enthusiasm, they wouldn’t have made her do such tasks herself.
No matter how noble the person inside was, it couldn’t stop her from feeling heartache for her young mistress.
Finally, after sending Qing Su away, Jiang Yitang pressed her lips together lightly before turning back into the room.
Xie Yuzhao was waiting for her, his expression calm.
Jiang Yitang fell silent, knowing he had heard Qing Su’s words. She felt a bit flustered and explained on Qing Su’s behalf:
“Don’t blame her. Qing Su only cares for me—she meant no harm.”
Xie Yuzhao knew.
At this moment, Qing Su didn’t want Jiang Yitang to come here at all, but she couldn’t defy Jiang Yitang’s wishes, so she had to comply.
In her previous life, by the time he knew of Qing Su, the second imperial decree had already been issued. The entire Songrong Courtyard was taken over by Wei Li and others, and Shangshu Fu no longer dared to show the slightest neglect. Qing Su was, after all, just a servant in the mansion and had never seen such a scene before, so she always regarded him with awe.
But it was only awe based on status.
At that time, the kitchen also dared not show any neglect, and there was no situation like the present one. No wonder Qing Su couldn’t help but say those words right at the door.
She wasn’t just angry at the kitchen staff; she was also unable to control the panic in her heart.
After all, they all knew the dangers of smallpox.
Gathering his thoughts, Xie Yuzhao lowered his eyelids and said hoarsely:
“I know.”
Jiang Yitang stole a glance at him and, seeing that he truly wasn’t upset, quietly fed him dinner.
After dinner, Jiang Yitang had to leave.
No matter how young she was, she couldn’t stay alone with Xie Yuzhao in the same room at night.
Before leaving, Jiang Yitang tidied everything up, placed tea on the desk not far from the bed in case Xie Yuzhao needed it during the night, and then, pinching her nose, placed the chamber pot under the bed.
After doing all this, Jiang Yitang’s cheeks flushed bright red.
From holding her breath.
The chamber pot was actually clean, as it was changed daily due to Xie Yuzhao’s illness, but that didn’t stop Jiang Yitang from holding her breath.
Xie Yuzhao glanced sideways, his hand in his sleeve moving imperceptibly.
Jiang Yitang didn’t dare to meet Xie Yuzhao’s gaze again. She lowered her head and murmured:
“Then I’ll go back now and come see you again tomorrow.”
With that, she pushed open the door and ran out.
The room suddenly fell silent. Xie Yuzhao glanced inadvertently under the bed, remained silent for a long time, and finally raised his hand, resting an arm over his face to cover his eyes.
Jiang Yitang returned late today, and the lanterns in the mansion were already lit.
But the small path between Songrong Courtyard and Song'an Yuan remained unlit, shrouded in darkness, forcing Jiang Yitang to tread carefully with every step.
Only when she saw Qing Su waiting at the courtyard gate with a lantern in the distance did Jiang Yitang dare to lift her skirt and run over.
Qing Su hurried forward, anxiously examining her mistress from head to toe:
“Why did you return so late today, miss?”
Jiang Yitang shook her head: “I’m fine, it’s just that the path was dark, so I walked slowly.”
Qing Su breathed a sigh of relief, worried that her mistress might have encountered the second young miss.
But then she thought, Song'an Yuan and Songrong Courtyard were practically sealed off now. The people in the mansion were too afraid to come near, and no one would willingly seek trouble. It was unlikely for her mistress to run into the second young miss again.
Thinking about it this way, it was actually a good thing.
Hot water had already been prepared in the courtyard. Dong'er stood at a distance and, seeing her mistress return, ran to reheat dinner.
Jiang Yitang’s first task upon returning each day was to wash up, not daring to eat directly.
Today was no different. After dinner, she lay on the bed, chatting idly with Qing Su.
Qing Su sewed the soles of shoes, lowering her head as she said:
“The old madam’s birthday is only half a month away, but given the situation in the mansion, it probably won’t be celebrated grandly.”
Jiang Yitang rolled over, thinking to herself, how could it not be celebrated grandly?
The imperial decree was estimated to arrive in about two days. By then, the mansion would be filled with a tense atmosphere. Jiang Ze Min would be worried about Sheng Shang’s attitude toward Shangshu Fu, and Rongfen Courtyard would be too terrified by the decree to show their faces. The birthday celebration would pass hastily, without even a banquet for guests, let alone a meal with their granddaughters.
Jiang Yitang saw Qing Su still sewing shoe soles and couldn't help but say:
"Leave it for tomorrow, be careful with your eyes."
Qing Su rubbed her eyes, unwilling to stop: "There are only half a month left. If it's not done well by then and someone notices, they might say the young lady isn't diligent enough. I'll make it carefully, so it can bring some honor to the young lady."
Jiang Yitang muttered:
"Don't do it anymore."
Qing Su looked up suspiciously.
Jiang Yitang buried her head in the soft pillow, her voice muffled and unclear:
"I don't care for it anymore."
These so-called relatives—she didn't care for any of them anymore.
Qing Su suddenly fell silent.
She thought it was the old madam's actions today that had hurt the young lady's feelings.
In previous years, the young lady had always been extremely attentive to the old madam's birthday, hoping for just a glance from her. When had she ever been like this?
But Qing Su couldn't find words to comfort her.
If others didn't hold the young lady in their hearts, no matter how much she did, she would only end up suffering herself.