"Madam Lu, the gatekeepers did not receive a calling card today. I was unaware of your arrival at the Chancellor's Estate and kept you waiting—how very abrupt of me!"
"May I ask, Madam Lu, what brings you to the Chancellor's Estate today?"
Jiang Shuying stood by the main seat, a charming smile on her face as she looked at Li Wanqing, appearing entirely approachable.
Su Jinhuan, however, could not help but tilt her head slightly to look at Li Wanqing. Seeing the stiff expression on Li Wanqing’s face, she suppressed a smile. Jiang Shuying’s words, while seemingly polite, were in fact a veiled mockery, implying that someone of Li Wanqing’s standing should have known to submit a calling card upon visiting the Chancellor's Estate. To arrive unannounced was a sign of ignorance regarding protocol.
Li Wanqing clearly understood the subtext, hence her stiff expression and momentary loss of composure. But the sight of Su Jinhuan nearby instantly restored her confidence. *Even if you, Jiang Shuying, pride yourself on a higher status and try to find fault with me, so what? Isn't your precious, beloved daughter hopelessly in love with my son? Once your precious daughter enters my Lu household, she will have no choice but to obey me and serve me well. Your arrogance today is nothing but a fleeting moment of hollow satisfaction.*
With this thought, Li Wanqing’s expression softened. She took a deep breath, feigned ignorance of Jiang Shuying’s jab, and replied with a smile: "How can you say that, Sister Jiang? If I could facilitate a happy union between our two families today, I would consider waiting even several hours to be time well spent."
At the mention of this, Jiang Shuying’s expression turned cold instantly; she could no longer maintain even a facade of a smile. Setting aside Lu Jin'an's character for a moment, one had to wonder by what right the current Anping Marquis Estate thought they were worthy of having her Jinhuan marry into their family. This Li Wanqing was truly blind to the heights of the heavens and the depth of the earth!
"Sister? I wasn't aware that I had gained such a younger sister!"
"I suggest you weigh your words carefully, Madam Lu!"
Jiang Shuying was seething with anger, yet Li Wanqing’s smile only deepened. Even as Jiang Shuying snapped at her, her expression remained unchanged. The more Jiang Shuying lost her composure, the more it proved how much the matter of Su Jinhuan affected her. *No matter how haughty you are, or how much you look down on my Anping Marquis Estate, so what? Your daughter still has to marry into my family, doesn't she?*
Sure enough, Su Jinhuan spoke up from the side: "Mother!"
"Please, do not take it to heart. It is not worth damaging your health over this."
Watching the daughter she had raised with such tender care, Jiang Shuying was at a loss. *Is that Lu Jin'an truly so wonderful? I merely retorted to his mother a few times, and Jinhuan is already stepping in to stop me.* Putting other things aside, Li Wanqing was clearly not a kind soul. If Jinhuan truly insisted on marrying into the Anping Marquis Estate, she would undoubtedly suffer.
At this thought, Jiang Shuying began to faintly regret her earlier behavior. *If my momentary sharpness causes Jinhuan to suffer more in the future, what then?* Thinking this, Jiang Shuying managed to squeeze out a semblance of kindness toward Li Wanqing.
Li Wanqing took in every detail, feeling triumphant. *Hmph, in the end, you still have to curry favor with me.* Consequently, her desire to see Su Jinhuan married into the Anping Marquis Estate grew even stronger. It wasn't about the marriage itself; it was about the principle. Even if just to spite Jiang Shuying, she would ensure Su Jinhuan married in.
Setting aside Jiang Shuying for the moment, she turned toward Su Jinhuan, her gaze now carrying a touch of genuine warmth. "Jinhuan is truly a good child; you know how to be considerate of your parents' hardships."
Hearing Li Wanqing praise Su Jinhuan, and wanting to ease the tension with her, Jiang Shuying chimed in: "That goes without saying. My Jinhuan is naturally wonderful!" Her tone was filled with unconcealable pride.
Su Jinhuan felt a warmth in her chest. She had clearly observed the shift in Jiang Shuying’s attitude and understood exactly why it had happened. Today, she would absolutely vent this frustration on Jiang Shuying's behalf.
Li Wanqing did not stop there. "Of course, my An is also quite impressive."
"His appearance is top-tier; I don’t know how many young ladies’ hearts he has stirred. Furthermore, An is now a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of War. His future is limitless!"
"In my opinion, the two of you are a talented man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match—a pair made in heaven. Why don't we finalize the engagement today? What do you think?"
Li Wanqing looked at Su Jinhuan with a confidence that suggested she held victory in her hands. By rights, a marriage proposal should involve the commands of parents and the words of a matchmaker, but Li Wanqing had bypassed Jiang Shuying entirely to question Su Jinhuan directly. This was a grave insult to Jiang Shuying.
Jiang Shuying, however, bit her tongue and refrained from erupting. Li Wanqing felt even more smug, her speech becoming more reckless. "Our An, marrying you, is more than sufficient."
"Let us set the date early and marry early; the most important thing is to carry on the bloodline of our Anping Marquis Estate!"
Jiang Shuying repeatedly wanted to snap back, but she forced herself to endure it. *It doesn't matter. For Jinhuan's sake, anything is fine. As long as Jinhuan can be happy!*
Li Wanqing was already convinced of her success. Sure enough, upon hearing this, Su Jinhuan could not hide her smile. "Looking at it this way, it does seem quite good!"
Li Wanqing’s smile deepened, and she felt incredibly excited. She glanced at Jiang Shuying with a triumphant look. *As I thought, this Su Jinhuan really is infatuated with my An. It really is my An—though, of course, he is so outstanding. Never mind this Su Jinhuan; he would be more than enough to marry a princess. To marry this Su Jinhuan, I fear, is actually a bit of a slight to him.*
Jiang Shuying wanted to speak, but after a moment’s thought, she forced herself to stop. This was Jinhuan’s own choice; she had no right to interfere!
Unexpectedly, in the next second, Su Jinhuan said something shocking. "However, may I ask, Auntie, who exactly is this 'An' you speak of?"
*Who is An? Who is her son?*
Jiang Shuying was stunned. Li Wanqing was even more stupefied! What was this? She had come to discuss the marriage in accordance with her son's wishes, and based on Su Jinhuan’s earlier reaction, she had assumed the deal was set in stone. Yet, Su Jinhuan had suddenly blurted out, "Who is An?" How absurd!
Li Wanqing paused for a moment but quickly composed herself and squeezed out a smile: "Jinhuan, you really do love to joke. An is my son, Lu Jin'an, the heir of the Anping Marquis Estate."
"The Anping Marquis Estate!" Su Jinhuan murmured lightly.
"Yes, yes, that’s right!" Li Wanqing nodded repeatedly. *It’s fine. Being slighted a bit today is nothing. Once Su Jinhuan marries in, I have plenty of ways to get it back.*
Unexpectedly, Su Jinhuan suddenly stopped smiling and sat down beside Jiang Shuying. "By the rules, one really should submit a calling card first, shouldn't one?"
"It seems the Anping Marquis Estate has more than just its family conduct in need of improvement!"
*More than just family conduct? What else could there be?* Naturally, it was the thick-skinned audacity of a toad wishing to eat swan meat. Li Wanqing’s face turned from red to white, then back to red. She felt restless and could barely hold onto the teacup in her hand.
Still, she was unwilling to give up: "Then, a moment ago, when I kept referring to him as 'An,' why didn't you object?"
With this commotion, Jiang Shuying finally realized that Su Jinhuan was doing this on purpose. However, while it was one thing for her to snap at the other side for coming to propose, if Jinhuan’s mockery were to be spread by Li Wanqing, it might ruin her reputation. She was just about to change the subject when Su Jinhuan said something else that left her stunned.
"I recall that Young General Mo has 'An' as his given name."
"I had assumed it was someone from the General's Estate arriving." Su Jinhuan paused, her tone laced with mockery. "Who would have thought? It was the Anping Marquis Estate!"
If she had simply refused, that would have been fine, but Su Jinhuan had deliberately compared them to the General's Estate. When the two were placed side-by-side, the disparity was clear at a glance.
Li Wanqing felt instantly humiliated, as if she had been slapped in the face in public. At the same time, she was furious. *This Su Jinhuan is truly a spoiled and willful creature; she is certainly no good.* But on the surface, she forced herself to maintain her dignity, and in her heart, she became even more determined to have Su Jinhuan enter the Anping Marquis Estate.
"In that case, it was merely a misunderstanding."
"However, Jinhuan, are you currently engaged? If not, perhaps we could find a time for you and my An to meet."
Once these words were out, even Su Jinhuan was shocked. She had not expected that even after things had reached this point, Li Wanqing would still be able to bring up a marriage proposal. Her skin was truly thick. Or perhaps, this was an inexplicable, misplaced confidence in Lu Jin'an? Did she really think her son was a treasure that everyone loved?
In her past life, she had been blind. In this life, she would never repeat the same mistake. This "treasure" could be taken by whoever wanted it!
As for the rest, there was no need for her to speak. Jiang Shuying was born into a prominent Jiangnan family; her grandfather was the teacher of the late Emperor. Jiang Shuying had read widely since childhood and had traveled across the land with her grandfather, considering herself a judge of many people. If nothing else, one look at Li Wanqing was enough to see she was not a kind soul. Could a son raised by such a person be any good? As the saying goes, a child takes after their mother, and a daughter takes after their father. This Lu Jin'an was likely exactly like Li Wanqing.
"Madam Lu, you certainly do love to joke!"
"My Jinhuan has been pampered in luxury since she was a child. She cannot endure a hard life and will not marry down!"
"Madam Lu, your tea is cold!"
Understanding Su Jinhuan’s intent, Jiang Shuying’s tone turned sharp. The phrases "love to joke," "cannot endure a hard life," and "marry down" were each a dagger plunged into Li Wanqing’s heart. As for the comment that "the tea is cold," it was, naturally, a demand for her to leave.
Even with her thick skin, Li Wanqing felt she could no longer remain seated. She thought to say a few polite parting words to preserve some dignity, but Jiang Shuying did not give her the chance.
"Han Shuang, show the guest out!"
"Lest Madam Lu lose her way!"
Li Wanqing had only just stood up and nearly tripped. She had no choice but to bite her tongue and swallow the insult. No matter what, she was the mistress of the Anping Marquis Estate; she was not so foolish that she couldn't find her way out of the Chancellor's Estate. Jiang Shuying’s words were yet another slap in the face. Helpless, she had no way to retort.
Han Shuang suppressed a smile and said, "Madam Lu, please!"
Li Wanqing could only leave in a fit of fury. Su Jinhuan also struggled to hide her laughter. Only after Li Wanqing had departed did she finally burst into giggles. It was simply that she had never seen Jiang Shuying behave in such a manner before. Watching Li Wanqing slink away had truly been impossible to resist.
Jiang Shuying, however, kept her face cold and tapped her daughter on the head.
"Do you know where you went wrong?"