“You!…”
Jiang Wenxiang pointed at her, his finger trembling uncontrollably.
But Jiang Qingran didn’t even give him a chance to speak. “And you claim His Majesty was merciful in arranging my marriage to the Seventh Prince? Forget His Majesty—do any of the neighbors even remember the Jiang family has a fifth daughter? Clearly, you just wanted to exploit a loophole in the imperial decree to make me take Jiang Qingyue’s place in the marriage. Why bother lying? Falsifying an imperial decree is a capital offense!”
Jiang Wenxiang was shaking so badly he could hardly stand. This Zaixing was pinning the label of rebel on him with every word.
Jiang Qingran curled her lips playfully and continued, “If you insist on making me marry, fine. As the only legitimate daughter of Chengxiangfu, and marrying a prince at that, I demand a dowry of one hundred and eighty-eight chests and one hundred thousand taels of sycee. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”
“Monster! You monster!” Old Lady Jiang cried, pounding her chest in fury. “Why don’t you just rob us? Jiang Qingran, you’re nothing but a discarded daughter of the Jiang family. You’re not worth ten taels of sycee, let alone one hundred thousand!”
Jiang Qingran lifted her chin and smiled disdainfully. “I may not be worth it, but Jiang Qingyue is. Didn’t you say that when she was born, auspicious signs appeared in the sky, phoenixes soared high, and she was destined to be a Fu Nu, the mother of the nation? If she marries the Seventh Prince, she’ll likely spend her life as a common hen. Unless, of course, she truly has inherited the skills of Songhe Shenyi as the rumors say and can cure the Seventh Prince’s legs. Then perhaps the Seventh Prince might still have a chance to contend for the position of Chujun in the future.”
But even if the Seventh Prince were in perfect health, with his birth mother being a palace maid, the throne would never be his to claim.
As the prime minister of the nation, Jiang Wenxiang understood this better than anyone.
The Third Prince, however, was different. He was born of the empress—a legitimate son! In all likelihood, he would be named Chujun in the future. His Yue’er must become the principal consort of the Third Prince.
With this thought, Jiang Wenxiang hardened his heart. “Fine, I agree.”
Once he became Guozhang in the future, crushing Jiang Qingran would be as easy as squashing an ant.
“I don’t trust your character, Prime Minister. I want the one hundred thousand taels of sycee now.”
Jiang Wenxiang clenched his fists. “Don’t push me too far! One hundred thousand taels is no small sum. Where am I supposed to get that for you right now?”
“Heh…” Jiang Qingran let out a mocking laugh. “If any other official said that, it might be believable. But you? Even three hundred thousand would be easy for you. Jiang Wenxiang, I’m no longer the helpless child from ten years ago who endured your beatings and insults without fighting back. Don’t try to play games with me. If I don’t see the silver notes by the end of today, the Seventh Princess Consort will undoubtedly be Jiang Qingyue.”
Suppressing the hatred in her heart, Shen Ruoliu quickly forced a smile and said, “Ranran, don’t be angry. Your father and I will gather the silver for you today.”
“Insolent!”
Jiang Qingran glared at her coldly and sharply. “My name is not something a lowly concubine like you is allowed to utter!”
“Jiang Qingran!”
The third young master, Jiang Yuanrui, couldn’t bear to see his mother humiliated. He stepped forward, intending to shove Jiang Qingran.
Sitting calmly in her chair, Jiang Qingran reached out, grabbed his arm, and with a forceful twist, a loud “crack” echoed—his arm was dislocated.
“Ah!…”
A piercing howl reverberated through the mansion as Jiang Yuanrui broke out in a cold sweat from the pain.
“Oh dear! Oh dear! I can’t go on living!” Old Lady Jiang cried, stamping her feet. “Jiang Qingran, Jiang Qingran, we’ve agreed to everything you demanded. Why must you inflict such cruelty on your own elder brother?”
Jiang Qingran smiled gently, looking utterly innocent.
“As a mere illegitimate son, strictly speaking, he should be bowing and greeting me respectfully. Yet he came at me trying to strike me. Old Lady Jiang, why haven’t you reprimanded him for attempting to poison me?”
Old Lady Jiang felt as if a heavy stone had been lodged in her heart, suffocating her.
“We are all family. There’s no need to keep emphasizing legitimacy and illegitimacy in every sentence.”
“Oh~” Jiang Qingran drew out her tone, “So you’ve just abolished the laws that have governed Dong Que Guo for thousands of years? It seems you’re already convinced that your son, the minister, will inevitably rebel in the future, and that his rebellion will surely succeed!”