When Qinghe heard Madam say this, her eyes suddenly widened. She remembered!
Wasn’t this Miss Song the young man who had previously stayed by the Young General’s side and stopped her?
It was just that she had changed into women’s clothing and put on makeup, so Qinghe had failed to recognize her for a moment.
So she was actually a woman!
Not only was she a woman, she was also going to marry the Young General as his equal wife!
How could this be allowed?
What was Miss supposed to do? What was she supposed to do?
This Song Xiuyi was nothing more than a wild girl from a village. How could she possibly be worthy of their Young General?
And she had disguised herself as a man and mixed among the army to accompany the Young General. She was truly shameless.
Disdain entered Qinghe’s eyes as she looked at Song Xiuyi. She knew very well that she was only a servant and had no place to speak at a time like this, so she merely whispered into Jiang Youning’s ear, “Miss, you absolutely must not agree. Miss Song clearly isn’t any good-natured person.”
Jiang Youning’s expression did not change. She knew perfectly well what Qinghe was plotting. Still, Qinghe was not wrong—Song Xiuyi truly was no good-natured person.
The gloom in Song Xiuyi’s heart had vanished completely. As long as she could marry Cousin, what did it matter if she suffered a little?
Once she married into Protector-General’s Manor, with Aunt’s support, she would naturally be able to control this Jiang Youning, who had been born with a father but raised without a mother!
Song Xiuyi had completely forgotten that both her own parents had also died. What difference was there between her and Jiang Youning?
In her previous life, at this same moment, Jiang Youning had initially been immersed in the excitement of soon marrying Xu Qiming. Song Ying’s sudden arrangement had left her unable to think for a while, and in the end, under the joint pressure of Xu Yuanshan and Song Ying, she had endured her sorrow and nodded in agreement.
Now, seeing Jiang Youning lower her head and remain silent, Song Ying exchanged a glance with Xu Yuanshan, then said with a smile:
“Youning, Aunt knows this is a little difficult for you to accept at once. But men will always have three wives and four concubines. Rather than Qiming marrying someone from outside, wouldn’t it be better for him to marry someone from the family? It would be more intimate. With Xiuyi helping you take care of Qiming, you would have less to worry about, wouldn’t you?”
Jiang Youning raised her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “Aunt, since the founding of Dayue, there has never been a precedent of a wife and an equal wife entering an official household at the same time. If outsiders found out, they would surely laugh at Youning.”
“Youning, you’re overthinking it. You are the formally wedded daughter-in-law of Protector-General’s Manor. Who would dare laugh at you? Others would only praise you for being virtuous and magnanimous.
“Even if Qiming marries Xiuyi, you will still be the person he cares about most, right, Qiming?” Song Ying looked toward Xu Qiming, who was sitting nearby, hinting with her eyes that he should say something.
Xu Qiming pulled his gaze away from Song Xiuyi and looked at Jiang Youning, suppressing the impatience in his eyes. “Since you are about to marry me as my wife, so long as you are virtuous and magnanimous, respect your parents-in-law, and manage the manor well, I will naturally treat you with the rites due to a principal wife.”
Hearing Xu Qiming say this, Jiang Youning let out a cold laugh inwardly. Treat her with the rites due to a principal wife?
The prerequisite was that she had to be virtuous and magnanimous, honor her parents-in-law, and manage the manor well. In other words, she could not be jealous, and she would also have to bring out her own money to support and manage Protector-General’s Manor.
There was not a single word about loving her, cherishing her, or respecting her.
Jiang Youning, Jiang Youning—just how blind and foolish had you been in your previous life to fail to hear the disdain in Xu Qiming’s words and see through the Xu Family’s hypocrisy, needlessly disappointing everything Mother had arranged for you before her death?
When Qingyang heard Madam Xu say this, she was more shocked than anyone else. She was shocked that Madam had never considered that Miss had eagerly awaited the Young General’s return so they could marry, only for him to demand that he marry an equal wife as well, humiliating Miss in the process.
She was even more shocked by the fact that Miss had previously claimed the Imperial Proclamation. Could it be that Miss had known long ago that this would happen?
If General Xu and Madam knew that Miss was about to become Princess Jing, what would they think of what they had done today?
But Miss was not an immortal. How could she have known in advance that the Young General would marry Miss Song as his equal wife?
After the shock came, fury filled Qingyang’s chest.
The Young General was truly inhuman!
It had been seven years. Miss had lived in the Protector-General's Manor for seven years, giving the Young General her whole heart and soul.
During all the years the Young General was away, Miss went to Xuhua Temple every ten days to pray for him.
To show her sincerity, Miss had always abandoned her sedan chair and climbed from the foot of the mountain to the temple at its summit. Then she would kneel before the Buddha for two whole hours.
And now, when the Young General returned, he said he wanted to marry an equal wife. Where did that leave Miss?
In that case, perhaps it was a good thing that Miss was not marrying the Young General.
But then she thought about it again. Miss had claimed the Imperial Proclamation and was going to marry a dying man. How much better could her situation be?
At this thought, Qingyang’s nose stung, and her eyes reddened. Why was Miss’s fate so bitter?
“See, Youning? Even if he marries Xiuyi, you are still the person Qiming cares about most. Aunt will treat you like her own daughter and take your side. I absolutely will not let Qiming bully you in the slightest.” Song Ying’s voice was gentle and soft.
Jiang Youning lowered her head and lightly wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
She had to perform the scene convincingly before she could make her next move.
Seeing Jiang Youning like this, Song Ying rolled her eyes and instructed, “Nanny Li, go and bring me my ruby jewelry set for Youning.”
Nanny Li quickly brought over a jewelry set. It was far finer than the hairpin and bracelet previously given to Jiang Youning. Song Xiuyi stared at it, her eyes going wide, and a trace of jealousy flashed through them.
“Youning, take this. Qiming is the General’s eldest son, and sooner or later, Protector-General’s Manor will be handed over to him. At that time, you will be the lady of the manor, and everything will be up to you.
“A woman spends her entire life hoping to marry a good husband, does she not? In the future, your children will inherit everything in Protector-General’s Manor as well.” Song Ying’s words were full of temptation.
“Aunt, what if I refuse?” Jiang Youning raised her head and said faintly, her eyes rimmed with red.
Song Ying froze. She had not expected Jiang Youning to voice her opposition, and displeasure entered her tone.
“Youning, Aunt has watched you grow up. You have always been an obedient and sensible good child. Aunt believes you will come to understand.
“You and Qiming grew up together. Naturally, Aunt hopes to see two lovers become husband and wife. It will also make it easier for Qiming to look after you. Otherwise, I would have no way to explain myself to your mother in the afterlife.”
“So, Aunt, if I refuse, I cannot marry the Young General, can I?” Jiang Youning wiped her tears with her handkerchief.
“Youning, you have liked Qiming for so many years. Let alone the Protector-General's Manor—even throughout the entire capital, who does not know it?
“Besides him, whom else could you marry?
“Don’t worry. Aunt will certainly prepare a generous betrothal gift and marry you into Protector-General’s Manor with great pomp.”
Song Ying merely thought Jiang Youning was throwing a tantrum. It had never occurred to her that Jiang Youning might be willing to give up her son.
As for the betrothal gift, the money would only be entering one pocket and leaving through the other. How much she gave would be up to her.
What was inside the trunks did not matter. Outsiders would only look at the trunks; they could not see what was inside them.
Jiang Youning pondered for a moment before saying, “Aunt, the Young General and I do not actually have a marriage contract. Since the Young General and Miss Song are in love with each other, I am willing to withdraw. Would it not be better for the Young General to marry Miss Song as his principal wife?”
Strictly speaking, there had never been any marriage contract between her and Xu Qiming. When Mother had given birth to her, Song Ying had jokingly mentioned that Jiang Youning should marry her son, but the two families had never exchanged any tokens or Birth-Date Cards. It could not be considered valid.
In her previous life, it had merely been her wishful thinking. She had believed that she was destined to marry Xu Qiming in this lifetime.
“No!”
“No!”
“No!”
As soon as Jiang Youning finished speaking, three voices rang out at the same time. They belonged to Xu Yuanshan, Song Ying, and Xu Qiming.
Xu Yuanshan’s brows drew together slightly. “Youning, your uncle promised your father back then that he would take care of you for the rest of your life. If you do not marry Qiming, how could your uncle rest easy?”
“Exactly, Youning. You must not be willful. If you marry someone else and are bullied, neither your uncle nor your aunt will be able to protect you.”
Song Ying took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, where there were no tears at all, as though Jiang Youning had already been abused in someone else’s household.
What a joke. How could they allow Jiang Youning to marry someone else? Wouldn’t that mean the Jiang Family’s assets and the Jiang Family Army’s influence would all benefit outsiders?
Only Song Xiuyi’s eyes filled with delight when she heard Jiang Youning say this. She looked at Xu Qiming with some excitement, hoping he would nod and agree.