The Old Marquis and Jiang Yucheng held secret talks throughout the night, an event of such magnitude that it drew attention from all corners of the Marquis Manor.
In the dim light before dawn, a shadowy figure stealthily left the outer courtyard of the main study and crept furtively toward the Main Courtyard, Ruian Hall.
Shortly after, a lamp was lit in the rear chamber of Ruian Hall. Hua Momo gently awakened the Old Madam: “Old Madam, my husband has come! He wishes to report to you!”
The Old Madam slightly opened her eyes: “Quickly, let him in!”
Soon, a short man entered, bowing humbly. After swiftly paying his respects, without waiting for the Old Madam’s inquiry, he got straight to the point: “I kept watch outside the main study all night. I saw the Eldest Master follow the Old Marquis into the room, then dismiss all the servants. The lights remained on all night—they must have been discussing important matters.”
The Old Madam’s expression immediately darkened: “What important matters? Neither informing me nor summoning the Fourth and Fifth Masters?”
Hua Momo ventured to console her: “I heard that during yesterday’s full moon banquet, the Eldest Branch’s young miss was nearly kidnapped by her wet nurse. Perhaps the Old Marquis is punishing the Eldest Master for this! If he can’t even manage affairs within his own courtyard, how could the Old Marquis trust him with the entire Marquis Manor?”
The Old Madam’s expression softened at once, and she instructed: “Continue keeping watch. Do your best to find out exactly what the Old Marquis and the Eldest Master discussed!”
The man obediently kowtowed and hurried out.
The Old Madam sank into contemplation, her features appearing shadowy and indistinct in the flickering lamplight.
When Jiang Xianian woke the next day, she noticed her brothers and sister had become even more affectionate toward her. Not only did her third brother, who usually disliked school, find every excuse to avoid attending classes, but even her diligent second brother seemed tempted to take a leave of absence.
[It must be my charm that has won over my dear brothers and sister, hehe…] Jiang Xianian thought with immense satisfaction.
Qiao Shi and her children couldn’t help but chuckle—Niannian was just too adorable!
After the laughter subsided, Qiao Shi said seriously, “You must go to school first. We can discuss whatever matters when you return.”
Meaning she would inform them of subsequent events later.
The second and third sons had no choice but to leave reluctantly.
The eldest sister, who didn’t need to attend school, was overjoyed and clung to Jiang Xianian, refusing to let go.
Not long after, Jiang Yucheng returned and announced, “Jing Yiniang’s brother has been captured. Wife, come with me to interrogate him. Qiao’er, you stay here and watch your younger sister.”
Jiang Xianian immediately protested, wriggling and squirming so vigorously that her eldest sister nearly lost hold of her.
[I want to go! I want to go! How can I only get half the gossip? I want to see Jing Yiniang and her lover fight!]
Qiao Shi, however, understood Jiang Yucheng’s perspective. As a father, he didn’t want to lose face in front of his children over being cuckolded; he wished to maintain his dignified fatherly image.
Seeing Jiang Xianian’s tantrum, Qiao Shi quickly soothed her: “Niannian, don’t fret. Let me talk to your father.”
Jiang Xianian stopped wriggling at once but continued to whimper softly to express her discontent.
Qiao Shi pulled Jiang Yucheng aside and whispered a few words to him. His expression immediately turned as if constipated, and he reluctantly agreed: “Alright, I’ll listen to you, wife. But you must help me preserve some dignity.”
Qiao Shi replied with mild amusement, “If you treat Niannian well, she’ll naturally think of you as a good father.”
Watching the loving interaction between the couple, Jiang Xianian sighed: [Father and Mother are so affectionate! Their little gestures are so sweet!]
The couple immediately stiffened and quickly resumed their serious and proper demeanor.
Finally able to continue watching the drama, Jiang Xianian returned to the small courtyard from last night with anticipation.
Soon, the manor guards dragged Jing Yiniang out. After a night of torment, she looked visibly haggard.
Jiang Xianian focused her attention on Jing Yiniang’s “brother.” The moment the man was dragged out, he panicked and shouted, “What are you doing? Let me go!”
As soon as he was thrown before Jiang Yucheng, he immediately switched to a sycophantic demeanor: “Greetings, Master! Does the Master remember me? I am Jing Yiniang’s brother from your household. In a way, I’m half a brother-in-law, right? Master, you…”
Seeing her brother shamelessly trying to claim relations, the previously calm Jing Yiniang suddenly became agitated. She lunged at her brother, grabbing him: “I’ve told you before—you’re not even worthy of polishing the Master’s shoes! What brother-in-law? Stop making false claims!”
Before any questioning could begin, the two started brawling, leaving the Jiang family speechless.
Jiang Xianian, however, watched with great interest: [They’re fighting! They’re fighting!]
[What a grand opening today!]
[This man has no honor—showing no regard for past affection! He even pulled out a chunk of Jing Yiniang’s hair. That must hurt!]
Hearing her daughter’s words, Qiao Shi quickly signaled her husband with a glance. Jiang Yucheng promptly ordered, “Separate them!”
The manor guards stepped forward, pulling the two apart and forcing them to kneel on the ground under restraint: “Behave yourselves!”
The man immediately became as timid as a quail. Jiang Xianian couldn’t help but feel disdain: [He’s so spineless. Jing Yiniang really has bad luck.]
Jiang Yucheng asked the man, “Did you have any involvement in the kidnapping of our Marquis Manor’s young lady?”
The man immediately tried to clear himself excitedly: “It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me! She made me do it!” Pointing at Jing Yiniang, he shouted, “She coaxed me, saying that if her daughter could win the Lady’s favor, I, as the uncle, could also enjoy the benefits! She told me the routes within the Marquis Manor and gave me the silver. I… I was just following her orders!”
Watching the man shift all the blame onto Jing Yiniang, Qiao Shi couldn’t help but agree with her daughter—Jing Yiniang truly had bad luck. With a brother like this, he couldn’t shoulder any responsibility at all.
[Uncle?] Jiang Xianian’s voice sounded utterly confused. [But you’re clearly the biological father of Jing Yiniang’s child! How wild are these two? They’re actually lovers but insist on pretending to be siblings in public! So the ancients were conservative in words but bold in actions, huh?!]
Qiao Shi was instantly struck speechless with shock. She recalled how, in the three years since Jing Yiniang had entered the household, this “brother” had visited his “sister” frequently. So it wasn’t about a brother caring for his sister’s well-being—it was lovers meeting in secret! No wonder he came so often!
Jiang Yucheng felt his head buzzing. So the adulterer he had been brooding over all night was right under his nose?!
Overwhelmed with rage, he rushed forward and kicked the man squarely. The man immediately spat out a mouthful of blood with a “pfft” sound.
Jiang Xianian was also startled. 【I think I heard the sound of ribs cracking, but that man deserved it! Father kicked him well!】
Hearing his daughter’s soft and adorable voice, Jiang Yucheng gradually regained his composure. Though still furious, he refrained from further violence.
“Jing Yiniang, tell me honestly—how long have you been committing adultery with him? Is Qing’er his child?!” Jiang Yucheng’s voice was icy cold, carrying a murderous intent that evoked genuine fear and despair.
Jiang Xianian blinked. 【Father is amazing! Their affair was so well hidden, yet he uncovered it so quickly! If I didn’t have the System to check, I wouldn’t have known about this layer either!】
Jiang Yucheng flushed with embarrassment: I only found out because you tipped me off, daughter.
Jing Yiniang remained silent. Just as everyone thought she was too ashamed to speak, she suddenly burst into laughter: “Adultery? Haha…”
After laughing for a while, she finally said, “If we’re talking about our feelings, they go back more than twenty years. Isn’t it obvious who the one intruding is?!”
Her words left everyone stunned. Was Jing Yiniang actually blaming Jiang Yucheng?
Jiang Yucheng felt wrongly accused and deeply aggrieved: “If the two of you had such deep feelings, why did you enter the Marquis Manor to become my concubine?! You could have just married him directly and lived as an ordinary couple!”
Jing Yiniang looked at Jiang Yucheng with eyes full of hatred and helplessness: “We were about to get married—the wedding date was already set. But then the Marquis Manor sent people, saying the young master had taken a fancy to me and wanted me as his concubine! The Marquis Manor is a powerful household with lackeys everywhere—what could we do? We had no choice but to call off the wedding and have me enter the manor immediately!”
From her accusatory tone and aggrieved voice, it was clear she wasn’t lying.
Jiang Xianian couldn’t help but ponder: 【Could it be that my father is really a scoundrel who bullies men and women, forcibly tearing apart relationships?】
Jiang Yucheng shuddered, nearly blurting out to his dear daughter: No! Your father is not that kind of person!
After recovering from her shock, Qiao Shi tugged at Jiang Yucheng’s sleeve and asked Jing Yiniang, “But when you entered the manor, your entire family seemed perfectly willing. Why didn’t anyone mention your prior engagement at the time? If they had, our Marquis Manor would never have forced you or your parents. The master is not the type to bully others or break up relationships.”
Jiang Yucheng shot his wife a grateful look, thankful that she had cleared his name. He hoped his little daughter would no longer doubt her father’s character!
Jing Yiniang gritted her teeth and said resentfully, “Speak up? Back then, the people from the Marquis Manor made it clear—if our family dared to defy the young master’s wishes, they would make our entire family disappear from this city! For the sake of my parents and brothers, how could I dare to say a word? I feared that uttering even one word would lead to our entire family being wiped out!”
Jiang Yucheng was so angry his chest felt tight. Sensing that reasoning with Jing Yiniang was futile, he turned to the man and asked, “Is what she said true?”
The man nodded humbly and said, “M-more or less. It’s just that her family suddenly called off the engagement. My parents had a big fight with her family, and we’ve had no contact since.”
Jiang Yucheng and Qiao Shi exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion and bewilderment in each other’s eyes. This matter was completely different from what they remembered.
At the time, the matchmaker said that Jing Yiniang had a chaste and gentle temperament. Her parents felt that a humble family was unworthy of her character and appearance, preferring her to become a concubine in a wealthy household rather than the legal wife of a modest family.
What twists and misunderstandings lay behind this?
Seeing that the truth couldn’t be argued out, Jiang Xianian simply turned to the System: [Let me check what really happened.]
The Jiang family immediately grew expectant, especially Jiang Yucheng: Daughter, quickly find out what’s going on and clear your father’s name!