Although an equal wife and a principal wife were both wives, strictly speaking, an equal wife was merely a little higher in status than an ordinary concubine. Whenever something truly happened, it was still the principal wife of the household who had the final say.
An equal wife was not even qualified to attend certain formal occasions. If the household possessed a title of nobility, an equal wife's children were not qualified to inherit it either.
Song Xiuyi thought that if she could become Cousin's principal wife, then once Cousin established further military merits in the future, wouldn't she have a chance to become an imperially conferred lady?
Yet before she could finish imagining the glory that awaited her, she heard Xu Qiming voice his opposition. The light in Song Xiuyi's eyes dimmed somewhat.
Then she consoled herself: It was fine. Cousin had told her that they had to get everything in Jiang Youning's hands first.
Once everything was under Cousin's control, they could slowly deal with that little slut Jiang Youning.
Thinking this, Song Xiuyi stepped forward and dropped to her knees in front of everyone with a thump.
“Aunt, Uncle, Cousin, since Sister Jiang cannot tolerate me, Xiuyi is willing to leave the general's manor. I only ask that Sister Jiang not take her anger out on Cousin because of me and affect the relationship between the two of you.”
After saying this, Song Xiuyi looked at Xu Qiming, her eyes filled with deep affection. Large tears slid from her eyes, making her appear even more pitiful.
Xu Qiming's heart ached. He stepped forward and helped Song Xiuyi up. Taking advantage of the momentum, Song Xiuyi leaned into his arms and sobbed softly.
Xu Qiming looked at Jiang Youning, his tone carrying anger. “Jiang Youning, stop throwing a childish tantrum. Yier is already willing to wrong herself by becoming an equal wife. What more are you dissatisfied with?
“At worst, I promise you that from now on, I will go to your courtyard on the first and fifteenth of every month. You should be satisfied with that.”
Going to her courtyard on the first and fifteenth of the month? Heh. That was a rule in the palace. No matter how much the emperor favored a consort, on the first and fifteenth of every month he still had to go to the Empress's palace.
Xu Qiming was treating himself as the emperor.
Well, after acting a little longer, it was about time to bring this to a close.
Jiang Youning looked at Xu Qiming with reddened eyes, appearing both wounded and stubborn, without saying a word.
Song Ying exchanged a glance with Nanny Li. Nanny Li stepped forward and presented the ruby jewelry set.
“Miss Jiang, accept it. Don't disappoint Madam's kind intentions.”
Although no one said it outright, everyone understood that as long as Jiang Youning accepted the jewelry set, it would amount to agreeing to the matter.
“Miss…” Qingyang did not reach out to take it. She did not want her mistress to suffer such humiliation.
Qinghe stepped forward and accepted it instead. She was a servant and had no way to influence her masters' decision.
After what had just happened, she could see that the Young General cared deeply about Song Xiuyi. The Young General was determined to marry this equal wife, and given her mistress's personality, she absolutely would not dare refuse. The matter had already become a foregone conclusion.
Fortunately, her own mistress was the principal wife, so she still had a chance.
For now, it would be better to take this ruby jewelry set first and discuss the rest later.
Seeing Qinghe accept the ruby jewelry set, Jiang Youning said nothing. Song Ying and Xu Yuanshan exchanged another glance and finally let out a sigh of relief.
Sure enough, this little girl was easy to manipulate.
Jiang Youning glanced at Qinghe. Qinghe was busy examining the jewelry set in her hands, her eyes filled with undisguised excitement and greed. She completely failed to notice the coldness in her mistress's gaze.
Song Ying wore a satisfied expression. “That's more like it. Youning, you will soon be the principal wife of my general's manor, so you should be a little more magnanimous. I'll have someone deliver your betrothal gifts another day, then choose an auspicious date and arrange your marriage.”
Jiang Youning pressed her lips together lightly, her eyes reddened, looking as though she were holding back her sorrow. “Then, Uncle and Aunt, I would like to return to Jiang Residence first and sort through the things my mother left me.”
Only then did Song Ying remember this matter. Her eyes flickered. “Youning, you're just a young girl and don't know how to manage these things. Just stay here in the manor and await your marriage in peace. As for the things in Jiang Residence, I can send someone over to inventory them.”
In her previous life, Jiang Youning had not suspected anything. Carrying the seal and betrothal documents her mother had left her, she had gone to the Jingzhao Prefecture and obtained the inventory of Jiang Residence's storehouse and the keys, then handed them to Song Ying to conduct the inventory. After that, she had left the matter entirely in her hands.
It was not until the day of her wedding, when people from Jingzhao Prefecture supervised the process and checked off the long dowry inventory as box after box was carried out of Jiang Residence, that Jiang Youning learned just how many things her mother had left her and how great their value was—far beyond anything she had imagined.
She and Xu Qiming had already completed their wedding rites, yet only half of the dowry had been carried into Xu Residence.
From things as small as the ink, paper, writing brushes, and inkstones to things as large as a golden-thread nanmu coffin, her mother had prepared everything for her.
Even “ten miles of red dowry” was not enough to describe what her mother had left her.
Jiang Youning had known since childhood that it was her mother who managed the entire Jiang Residence. She always gave the best to her father, her brother, and Jiang Youning herself. Even the monthly wages of the servants at Jiang Residence were higher than those at other households.
Her father and brother's salaries were not particularly high. To maintain the Jiang Residence's enormous expenses, their income was certainly insufficient. It all depended on the businesses her mother managed.
Other aristocratic families did not allow the women of their households to show themselves in public by conducting business, but her father was different.
As long as her mother liked it, he supported whatever she wanted to do.
Only because of this had her mother been able to display her talents and save up such a large dowry for her.
The only thing to blame was that in her previous life, she had been unable to distinguish people clearly and had handed all her mother's hard work over to the Xu Family. In the end, she had suffered the fate of being poisoned to death.
Now, she had to find a way to return to Jiang Residence first. If she directly asked to go back, Song Ying and Xu Yuanshan would certainly not let her.
They might even forcibly confine her in Xu Residence and have Xu Qiming do something irreversible to her. By then, even if she exposed the Imperial Proclamation, it would be useless.
But if she were inventorying the property and preparing her dowry, that would naturally be different.
That was Jiang Youning's true objective. If she had agreed too quickly earlier, she might have aroused Song Ying's suspicions.
She was now in Xu Residence, alone and without support. She had to be careful and cautious, planning every step. Otherwise, one wrong move could cause her to fall into ruin once again.
As long as she returned to Jiang Residence, it would not be so easy for them to forcibly bring her back.
“Aunt, aside from the things listed in the Jingzhao Prefecture's inventory, my mother also purchased many valuable things for the household. Those aren't on the list.
“She told me that she had hidden them away. Since I'm about to marry, those things won't be of much use if they remain in Jiang Residence. It would be better to inventory them and bring them all to my husband's family.
“Nanny Li isn't familiar with Jiang Residence, so it would be better for me to make a trip there myself.
“Besides, there are quite a lot of things in the residence, and taking inventory will require some time. When the time comes, I can simply marry from Jiang Residence.”
When Song Ying heard this, she felt that it made some sense. After all, when a family arranged a marriage, they could not possibly have Jiang Youning marry from their own residence. That would not conform to proper etiquette.
Jiang Youning had to bring all the Jiang family's possessions over. It would be fine to let her go and inventory them first. If necessary, Song Ying could have Nanny Li accompany her to keep watch. She did not believe that this little girl would dare play any tricks.
Song Ying turned her head and saw Song Xiuyi. An idea came to her. She stepped forward, gently took Jiang Youning's hands, and gazed at her warmly.
“Youning, look, Xiuyi has lost her parents just like you. It wouldn't be proper for her to marry from our residence either. Why don't you let her go to Jiang Residence with you?
“First, you will both be sisters in the future and will serve Qiming together. You can become familiar with each other and deepen your relationship, so that it will be easier for you to get along later.
“Second, Xiuyi can help inventory the things at Jiang Residence, making things easier for you.
“On the day of the wedding, Qiming won't have to run around either. He can go straight to Jiang Residence and bring both of you back as his brides. It will save a great deal of trouble. I'm sure you can understand Qiming, can't you?”
When Qingyang heard this, she felt so stifled that her chest hurt.
If her mistress truly agreed to marry the Young General, then having the Young General marry an equal wife on the same day would already be an insult to her.
Yet they actually wanted Song Xiuyi to marry from Jiang Residence as well. This was not merely pressing her mistress's—or rather, the Jiang family's—dignity onto the ground and rubbing it there. They even wanted to spit on it a few times.
Qingyang could no longer suppress the anger in her chest and spoke up. “Madam, I'm afraid this isn't appropriate. Miss Song has no familial connection whatsoever to Jiang Residence. How could she marry from Jiang Residence?
“The Young General is marrying an equal wife at the same time, which has already made everyone look down on Miss. If Miss Song also marries from Jiang Residence, how do you expect the people of the capital to view our mistress?
“Madam, aren't you afraid people will say that the general's manor is bullying our mistress because she is an orphan?”
Song Ying's expression changed, and she immediately shouted angrily, “Nanny Li, slap her!”