Qiu Yelan actually knew that at least half of Madame Zhuang's consideration was for Qiu Jinglan, but it was at least nice to hear those warm words. After returning to the chamber, she happily summoned Mrs. Zhou, intending to take a few high-end items from her dowry to pay tribute to her mother-in-law as a token of gratitude.
However, just when she spoke briefly to Mrs. Zhou, Chunran led Dongran in and both of the maids looked extremely grave!
"What's wrong?" Qiu Yelan was shocked, "Is there anything wrong at Ruan's Mansion?" She at once thought of the real culprit she had speculated about earlier, "Could it be that Jiang Yayue and Jiang Yaqing were really killed by Qiu Jinglan? Has the truth been leaked out?"
Nevertheless, they shook their heads together and Dongran whispered, "Your Grace, let me speak to you alone!"
After sending away the subordinates, Dongran took a deep breath before speaking, "Young master sent someone i
However, Jiang Yashuang did not approve of his wife going with him, "The first branch and the third branch would like to see us in a bad situation. Now that you are pregnant, what if you get hurt in the heat of the moment?"Hearing this, Qiu Yelan suddenly changed her idea because she thought that it was possible for the first branch and the third branch to do such things."And since mother has recovered, we have been paying our respects to her every morning!" Jiang Yashuang added, "If I don't go, I can still say that I'm busy with my duties, but if you don't go, I don't know what our mother will think or worry about. So, I'll go alone to ask about it, and you go and stay with mother!"Qiu Yelan asked, "What about Sister Qizheng?""Just as we discussed yesterday, we'll talk about it together when I return!" Jiang Yashuang patted her back, "I'm going. You can take An to mother's place later, and be careful not to let her see
The moon was hazy that night. It was already spring, but the snow hadn't melted in Shazhou.The dim moonlight shone on the snow with a hazy feeling.Qiu Jinglan changed into regular clothes. He knocked at the back door of the mansion of Princess Royal. When he was led to the bank of the serpentine bridge, he saw Ou Qinglan was already quietly waiting in the corridor across the bridge.The ancestral home of the Ou Family was in Beijiang. Ou Qinglan inherited the tall and robust genes of her ancestors. Even though Qiu Jinglan was tall among men, Ou Qinglan was only half a head shorter.He looked across the lake. Even at night, her garnet dress was still very red! Her slender waist glimmered in a damask embroidered with mandala leaves. She had an indescribable grace in the overhead light."Miss Ou!" Such a beauty, the moonlight, and her striking eyes with tenderness would attract even the dandiest young men, such a
"I am beautiful and young. I am unmarried. I can read and write, and I play the musical instrument and play chess. I can ride and shoot as well as men. I can say I am good at both the pen and sword!" Ou Qinglan stared at the lake not far away and whispered, "There are few men with my talent, not to mention women... What's more, I love you so dearly!""So why do you reject me? What does your ideal wife look like? Tell me. I can do it."Qiu Jinglan smiled, "Miss Ou, if it is not our destiny to get together, you can't force me to accept you. Besides, you don't have to wrong yourself. There exist lots of excellent guys who expect to be your destiny, I guess.""I don't believe that you want to marry an ugly, old, married, illiterate, clueless, and weak wife." Ou Qinglan ignored his interruption and still looked at the lake, carefully continuing. "Qizheng told me that you attracted many young women in the past, all of whom were beautiful and t
The door opened with a creak.Ruan Yi was leaning against the wall near the back door outside the Princess Royal's Mansion. Upon hearing the slight sound, he immediately awakened from his nap. He rubbed his eyes and looked over, just in time to see Qiu Jinglan stepping out."Young master!" Ruan Yi greeted and passed Qiu Jinglan the stove for warming hands, "It's freezing tonight!"Qiu Jinglan waved his hand, "Keep it yourself. I'm okay." He sounded calm, but Ruan Yi vaguely saw his mouth tilt upwards into a smile with the help of the faint moonlight. Ruan Yi asked curiously, "Young master, how is Miss Ou?""It's all done." Qiu Jinglan understated, "Okay, let's go back! There is still something to do tomorrow."Ruan Yi heaved a sigh of relief and smiled happily, "Has the young lady finally agreed to stop pestering you? That's so great! Let me see. It is time for the Han Family to give an accurate answer tomorrow
After they finished dealing with their issues, Shazhou just became peaceful again. At the same time, in Jing City, there was a mess.First, Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi doubted that the fourth branch murdered their sons with Qiu Jinglan. However, under the pressure given by Marquess Qin, they didn’t dare to charge against the fourth branch or the Ruan's Mansion. So, they turned their targets to Qiu Qian and Mei Xue. They forcibly captured the two ladies. And they hoped that they could ask something valuable by torturing them.However, by the time they captured them, the fourth branch began to fight against them fiercely."Father, it must be the fourth branch!" said Lu who hugged her son, Jiang Jingzhao, and wept tears of sadness in front of Jiang Tianao. "Qiu Yelan said she just wanted to find someone from her maiden family. However, she stealthily captured all my second aunt's family members. Now all my brothers have been missing. It m
Two days later, the message came from He Shuijin and the others, saying that they had found the place where Qiu Qian and Mei Xue were being held and they had succeeded in buying over the guards. They asked Jiang Yashuang and his wife to superficially send someone to "kidnap" them so that the guards wouldn't have to be blamed for that.Jiang Yashuang sent some of his men and they were able to get them out easily. But...After the two were "kidnapped" and settled in another courtyard, Su He, ordered by Qiu Yelan to go to comfort them, soon came back to Marquess’s Mansion to report, "Madame, we kidnapped the wrong people! Those two are not Miss Qiu and Miss Mei at all!"Qiu Yelan was shocked and then furious, "Go to the third branch and ask what's going on!"At this time, they said that Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi were so cunning that they made a fool of the daughters-in-law. Su He went to the third branch and asked He Shuiji
The three of them were in a great hurry. They did not even bother to pretend to be sad for Jiang Qizheng and rushed into the mansion to chase after Sir Jibei. Could it be that Jiang Yadan had been secretly attacked by the first branch and the third branch in Shazhou or on the road?However, although Sir Jibei was old, he was a military officer and walked with long strides. At the moment, he had entered Marquess Qin's courtyard!"What are you doing in such a hurry?" Marquess Qin did not go to the gate to welcome Sir Jibei because he was the elder brother, but still waiting in the corridor of his own courtyard. Seeing Sir Jibei enter, he frowned. He did not ask anything but only ordered, "Go back to your mansion first. Ask your wife to make you a bowl of hot soup. And have a good sleep. We'll talk about the thing after you get enough energy!""Yayue and Yaqing..." Sir Jibei spoke up but then was interrupted by Marquess Qin, "They are alrea
At the moment, there was tension in the air in Marquis Qin’s study!Sir Jibei had not yet arrived, but the first branch and the third branch’s anxious men who could come were all there.Because of Madame Dou’s death, the first branch, except for Jiang Tianao, was in mourning apparel. And as for the third branch, two frightened-looking sons of concubines of Jiang Yaqing, who were less than ten years old, walked beside Jiang Yayi and Jiang Yaheng, wearing mourning apparel as well. Just by looking at the situation, one could see the determination of these two branches to get to the bottom of the matter!But Jiang Yashuang, who had been educated by Marquis Qin and Empress Dowager Jiang since he was young, was used to scenes. So, despite the stiff and heavy atmosphere in the study, he was far from being intimidated. When he entered the door, even though he was looked at by the two branches with hatred and indifference in their eyes, he calmly