“Yunxi is back, come over quickly. Where are Momo and Mianmian?” Grandmother looked behind the siblings but didn’t see the two little ones.
Jiang Yunxi sat down beside her. “Prince Han took them to the military camp.”
“To the military camp?” Grandmother was somewhat surprised, but considering that Zhan Beiyuan was willing to take the two children to such an important place as the military camp, he must genuinely like them.
“Let the father and his two sons spend some quality time together,” Jiang Yunxi said with a smile.
“Oh dear, you should have gone with them. The military camp is dangerous, and men aren’t that attentive after all. You should have been there to keep an eye on them,” Grandmother quickly added. It shouldn’t be just the father and his two sons; it should be the family of four spending quality time together.
Jiang Yunxi understood the implication in her words but didn’t explain further. “Next time, we’ll all go together.”
Hearing this, Grandmother smiled with satisfaction.
Jiang Chenyu felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. It was clear now—there was always a difference between biological and non-biological grandchildren. As soon as Jiang Yunxi arrived, Grandmother’s attention was entirely drawn to her. “Sister Yunxi,” she called softly with a faint smile.
“Why are you unwilling to marry?” Jiang Yunxi asked directly.
“Sister Yunxi wants me to marry off?” Jiang Chenyu bit her red lips and whispered. See, she could never truly accept her.
“Chenyu…”
“Don’t speak yet,” Jiang Yunxi said, looking at the man who had spoken.
“Oh,” Jiang Jingyan met her sharp gaze and obediently closed his mouth.
“Whether you marry or not has nothing to do with me. I’m just curious. Most noble ladies are betrothed by the age of sixteen or seventeen, but you, once the eldest legitimate daughter of Yingguo Gongfu, why haven’t you married?” Jiang Yunxi spoke bluntly.
“I admired The Crown Prince. After he married the Crown Princess, I lost all desire to marry,” Jiang Chenyu met her gaze, her eyes slightly red.
“Is that really the case?” Jiang Yunxi’s expression was thoughtful.
Jiang Chenyu held her gaze. “Yes, I’ve admired The Crown Prince since long ago. Grandmother and Second Brother both know this.”
Grandmother said, “She truly admired The Crown Prince, but becoming the Crown Princess isn’t easy. Chenyu, you should let go and find someone who truly cares for you to spend your life with.”
She spoke these last words while looking at Jiang Chenyu.
“Grandmother, I… I’ll consider it…” Jiang Chenyu appeared on the verge of tears.
“You two go out first. I need to speak with Grandmother alone,” Jiang Yunxi said thoughtfully. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something inexplicably strange about Jiang Chenyu remaining unmarried.
Jiang Jingyan and Jiang Chenyu left together.
Grandmother affectionately took Jiang Yunxi’s hand. “What did you want to tell me?”
“Neither Eldest Brother nor Second Brother is married?” Jiang Yunxi asked.
“This is my greatest worry. Your eldest brother is twenty-four, and your second brother is twenty-three. Neither of them has taken a wife. Even your cousins from the second and third branches haven’t married. It truly worries me to death,” Grandmother sighed with a troubled expression.
After some thought, Jiang Yunxi said gravely, “Grandmother, Jiang Chenyu can no longer stay at Yingguo Gongfu.”
Grandmother’s expression changed slightly. “Why… why do you say that?”
“I suspect someone has tampered with Yingguo Gongfu, causing Eldest Brother and the others to be unable to marry. The other party likely wants Yingguo Gongfu to have no descendants,” Jiang Yunxi’s expression gradually turned cold, her gaze sharp and penetrating.
“Now that you mention it… none of the women who married out from Yingguo Gongfu have had children either.” Grandmother’s face instantly paled, her eyes widening in shock.
Several of the young ladies had been married for years without bearing any offspring.
Although they were the legitimate wives of their households, their lives were not particularly easy.
Which woman in the inner chambers didn’t rely on children to secure her position?
Over the years, the young ladies had sought out various doctors and taken countless medicines, yet they still couldn’t conceive.
Hearing her say this, Jiang Yunxi became even more certain that her judgment was correct. As for why she herself had a child, it was likely because her soul came from another world, combined with Zhan Beiyuan’s unique fate, which allowed her to become pregnant.
“Grandmother, I need to carefully examine the feng shui of Yingguo Gongfu. I’ll discuss it with you later.”
With those words, she quickly headed outside.
In truth, the moment she first entered Yingguo Gongfu, she had felt an unusual sensation. At the time, she thought it was because she was visiting this unfamiliar home for the first time. But now, upon reflection, she realized she must have sensed the abnormal energy field back then.
Jiang Yunxi took the shortest possible time to thoroughly inspect every corner of Yingguo Gongfu. This time, she could clearly sense something was wrong, but she couldn’t pinpoint what exactly had been done to the estate.
She chuckled softly to herself. It seemed she had encountered a formidable opponent this time.
When Grandmother saw Jiang Yunxi return, she hurried over to her. “Did you notice anything?”
“I can’t be entirely certain what it is, but I’m sure someone has tampered with Yingguo Gongfu.” Jiang Yunxi frowned. It was likely a Formation Array.
“To do something like this without anyone noticing, the perpetrator must be quite skilled, and they must harbor deep hatred for Yingguo Gongfu. Otherwise, why would they want to cut off the Jiang family’s lineage? It’s truly vicious.” Grandmother clutched her chest, her voice trembling with anger.
“Does Yingguo Gongfu have any sworn enemies?” Jiang Yunxi asked.
Grandmother thought carefully before replying, “The Jiang family has always focused on leading troops and fighting battles, rarely involving themselves in court politics. I haven’t heard of any deeply entrenched enemies.”
“Was I born at home?”
“Yes.”
“Then it shouldn’t have been a mistake. Someone must have deliberately switched me at birth and later abandoned me.” Jiang Yunxi’s beautiful eyes turned icy cold.
This was a conspiracy that had begun the moment she was born.
Her adoptive parents had beaten and scolded her since childhood, never hiding the fact that she was found and taken in.
That was why she was certain Jiang Chenyu was not their biological daughter.
Grandmother trembled with rage, her lips quivering. “So, someone has been targeting Yingguo Gongfu for over twenty years. It’s fortunate you returned, or else Yingguo Gongfu would have been completely wiped out.”
“Thankfully, your grandfather appeared to you in a dream.”
“Without that dream, I would never have known you and Chenyu were switched.”
“Grandfather appeared to me in a dream too, and I even spoke with him.” Jiang Yunxi smiled.
“You spoke with him…” Grandmother looked astonished. The old man had been dead for over a decade—shouldn’t he have already undergone Reincarnation?
Jiang Yunxi understood what she was thinking. “Grandfather didn’t go through Reincarnation. He now holds a minor official position in Diyu, helping to manage the souls and spirits.”
Grandmother was shocked once more. “Is that even possible?”
She had always thought that after death, people went to Diyu, drank Meng Po’s soup, and then proceeded to Reincarnation.
“By rights, Grandfather should have undergone Reincarnation, but when he arrived, Diyu was in chaos. He used his military leadership skills to restore order, and the King of Hell decided to keep him there, granting him a minor official position.”
“Because of his outstanding work performance, he had the opportunity to send dreams to you and me,” Jiang Yunxi said slowly. This was likely due to the accumulated merits of the ancestors of Yingguo Gongfu over generations.
That was why Grandfather had the chance to remain in Diyu.
Otherwise, Yingguo Gongfu might not have discovered the mix-up of the legitimate eldest daughter even on the day of its destruction.