“You deserve to be punished,” Jiang Zheng said with a cold face.
“Considering your injuries, I won’t make you kneel in the ancestral hall. Instead, stay quietly in your courtyard and copy Buddhist scriptures. Let it serve as a way to fulfill the guilt you feel toward your elder sister.”
“Father…” Jiang Wanru’s eyes filled with tears.
“What?” Jiang Zheng looked down at her. “Are you unwilling to copy the scriptures? Or was your excuse of going to the temple to pray for your sister just a lie?”
“No, it’s not that. This daughter’s heart is truly with my sister.”
“Then copy them more,” Jiang Zheng said. He then looked back at Concubine Liu. “In the future, there is no need for you to visit your concubine-mother’s courtyard every day. You are already fifteen; you should have your own separate courtyard.”
“Wanning, I leave this matter to you to arrange.”
Since Concubine Liu entered the Marquis’s Manor and gave birth to Jiang Wanru, the two had lived together in Bihe Courtyard. For all these years, Jiang Zheng only occasionally visited Bihe Courtyard to have lunch with them; he never stayed the night. He had also exempted Concubine Liu from the daily morning greetings.
However, Concubine Liu insisted on going to the main wife Madame Zhou’s courtyard every day to pay her respects, bringing Jiang Wanru along once she was born. On one hand, it was to show her “devotion” to Jiang Zheng; on the other, it was to disgust Madame Zhou. Even though Jiang Zheng had no feelings for Concubine Liu, her mere presence reminded Madame Zhou of his betrayal, making her vividly imagine the night Jiang Zheng spent with her…
“Yes,” Jiang Wanning replied. “The Xuemei Courtyard next to mine happens to be empty. It’s a bit small, but it’s close to my courtyard. This way, we sisters can be together all the time. It’s just that Sister will have to endure living in a somewhat cramped space.”
Xuemei Courtyard only had one main room and didn’t even have its own small kitchen.
“After the period of National Mourning, you will both be married off anyway. The size doesn’t matter,” Jiang Zheng stated.
“That is what I thought as well. If Sister is unwilling, I wouldn’t mind swapping with her,” Jiang Wanning added.
She said this knowing full well that Jiang Wanru would never refuse; Wanru was an expert at playing the obedient child.
Sure enough, Jiang Wanru spoke up: “It’s all the same to me wherever I live.”
Jiang Zheng gave a faint “mm” in response.
Jiang Wanning smiled. “It works out perfectly. Since Sister needs a light diet, I’ll have someone prepare it in my small kitchen and send it over. It will be very convenient. I’ll give the orders to have the courtyard cleaned up so Sister can move in tonight.”
“Thank you, Big Sister,” Jiang Wanru said, forcing a look of joy.
Jiang Zheng didn’t look at Concubine Liu, who was still kneeling in the courtyard, and walked straight toward Madame Zhou’s courtyard.
Concubine Liu was bewildered. In the past, as long as she acted pitiful, obedient, and weak, Jiang Zheng would remit her punishment and even compensate her with jewelry. Why was today different? And that Jiang Wanning—though every word seemed to be in her defense, they all sounded like they were stoking the fire.
The night wind made the leaves rustle.
Jiang Wanning stood by the window, listening to Hai Tang’s report.
“Miss, following your instructions, I dragged him into an alley in a secluded area and gave him a beating.”
Jiang Wanning let out a long, satisfied breath. “Did you hit him right in the face?”
“I did.”
Just then, Shao Yao walked in carrying ginger tea.
Jiang Wanning took the tea and stirred it with a spoon. “Shao Yao, pass down the order: from now on, Jiang Wanru’s meals are only to consist of plain porridge and side dishes. Nothing else is allowed until her face is fully healed. If anyone disobeys, kill them under the pretense of attempted harm against the Marquis’s second daughter.”
“Miss… would that be too much?”
“Do exactly as the Miss says,” Hai Tang interjected. “The Miss is also using this to purge Concubine Liu’s people from the manor.”
Shao Yao understood immediately. “I see.”
“Is that person still not awake?” Jiang Wanning asked.
Hai Tang knew who she was referring to and shook her head. “From what I can see, it seems he is unwilling to wake up. He keeps mumbling in a daze about going back, going home.”
“That is a sickness of the heart,” Jiang Wanning remarked. “Take good care of him; this person is very important to me. Tell Wang Fu that he can begin the operation.”
“Yes.”
The next day.
When Concubine Liu was sent back to Bihe Courtyard, her face was deathly pale; she had caught a severe cold.
Jiang Wanning “kindly” found a doctor for her, but then, following the “medical advice,” she made Concubine Liu’s diet just as plain as Jiang Wanru’s. She cut off all fruit and vegetable deliveries to Bihe Courtyard.
“Mother, how are you?” Jiang Wanru rushed into Bihe Courtyard.
Seeing her daughter, Concubine Liu dragged her weak body up. “Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to be copying scriptures? You mustn’t let them catch you making another mistake.”
“They punished me by making me copy scriptures, but they didn’t ground me. Jiang Wanning said I could come to visit you.”
Concubine Liu snorted coldly. “How ‘kind’ of her.”
“Mother, how are you? Nanny Zhang, how is my mother? Has the medicine been prescribed?”
Nanny Zhang looked concerned. “The medicine was prescribed, but she isn’t showing much improvement. She’s only had one dose. It’s just the food they sent…”
“I feel that Jiang Wanning is doing this on purpose,” Nanny Zhang said with a sharp look.
“After the matter with the Heir was exposed, even if she were truly magnanimous, she would definitely feel uncomfortable. I know her; she seems like someone who takes losses, but in reality, she has a temperament that refuses to lose out. I just didn’t expect her to retaliate in this way.”
“Mother, Nanny. What should we do next?”
Concubine Liu leaned weakly against the bedside, coughing. “Don’t… don’t be afraid. For now, we must focus on recovering our health. Nanny, take some of my private savings and send someone reliable out to buy some food and supplies. Also, hire another doctor to examine me and Ru’er.”
Just as Concubine Liu finished speaking, someone at the door announced, “Concubine, Manager Wang from Liangfu House has arrived.”
Hearing this, Nanny Zhang rose to open the door. Jiang Wanru tucked the quilt around Concubine Liu.
The door opened and Wang Fu walked in. “This lowly one greets the Concubine.”
“Cough… what is it? Why have you come to the manor so suddenly?” Generally, unless it was something extremely important, she never let her outside plants come to the manor to report.
Wang Fu looked left and right.
“Nanny Zhang is one of us; there’s no need to hide anything,” Concubine Liu said. There was no one else in the room.
“Yes,” Wang Fu said. “Concubine, this lowly one has found a way to make a fortune.”
Nanny Zhang grew cautious upon hearing this. “A matter like this could have waited until the Concubine sent someone to Liangfu House. Why come so suddenly?”
“The Concubine doesn’t know—this method is a rare opportunity. I only dared to report to you after gathering inside information to ensure it was foolproof. If this deal goes well, the profit will be at least this much.”
Wang Fu held up three fingers.
“Three times the profit?”
“Correct,” Wang Fu said. “And that is a conservative estimate.”
Human nature is greedy. Upon hearing this, the eyes of the other three in the room began to glow.
“What kind of business is it?” Concubine Liu asked.
Wang Fu explained the plan exactly as Jiang Wanning had told him. As soon as he finished, Concubine Liu said, “No, this move is too risky.”
“Mother, I actually think this is a good opportunity,” Jiang Wanru interjected.