Raindrops the size of copper coins hammered against the stone slabs, splashing into fine, fragmented spray. Jiang Wan stood under the eaves of the front hall, listening to the wailing coming from the Warm Chamber behind her, her fingertips tightening slightly against her sleeves.
"Father! You must seek justice for your daughter!" Jiang Rou's wail was sharp and shrill, carrying her customary affectation. "Elder sister... she not only refused to help me up, but she also goaded me with her words, saying that since I am born of a concubine, I ought to make way for her!"
Madame Li’s voice followed immediately after, carrying a hint of barely perceptible incitement: "Marquis, just listen to that. This is your fine daughter! While it is true that there is a distinction between the legitimate and the illegitimate, she cannot simply bully her younger sister like this!"
Jiang Wan took a deep breath and pushed open the half-ajar carved wooden door. Inside the Warm Chamber, Jiang Rou was buried in Madame Li’s embrace, sobbing as if her heart were breaking, her pearls and emeralds scattered across the floor. Madame Li patted Jiang Rou’s back while casting a glance toward the doorway, the corner of her mouth curling into a triumphant smirk.
At the head of the room, the Marquis of Dingbei, Jiang Zhenshan, sat in the grand armchair, his expression gloomy. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest. Nearly forty, he possessed a dignified countenance, and the stone-blue brocade robe he wore only heightened his cold, stern aura. Hearing the commotion, he lifted his eyes toward the door, and when his gaze fell upon Jiang Wan, a flash of barely perceptible annoyance crossed his face.
"Father." Jiang Wan curtsied, her voice calm and rippleless.
In her previous life, whenever she and Jiang Rou clashed, her father would always blame her without asking for the truth. Back then, she did not understand why he was so indifferent to his legitimate daughter yet so indulgent toward his illegitimate one. It wasn't until she was suffering in the desolate courtyard that she learned from the servants that her father had long since been swayed by Madame Li’s pillow talk, convinced she was a fool who "cared nothing for the family, only for a man."
"Hmph!" Jiang Zhenshan snorted coldly, his gaze landing on Jiang Wan’s plain, unadorned face. "What are you making a scene about now? Where is the decorum?"
Hearing this, Jiang Rou began to sob even more violently: "Father! Elder sister, she..."
"Enough!" Jiang Zhenshan slammed his hand against the armrest, cutting her off. "Is this just some petty squabble between sisters, yet you must make it known to everyone? Wan’er, you are the legitimate elder sister; can you not yield to your younger sister a little?"
Jiang Wan’s heart sank abruptly. Just as in her past life, her father hadn't even asked a question before pronouncing her guilty.
"Father," Jiang Wan raised her head, meeting his cold, indifferent gaze. "It is not that your daughter refuses to yield to her sister, but rather that her actions today have truly made it difficult for me to..."
"Silence!" Jiang Zhenshan stood up abruptly, looking down at her. "I think you are becoming more and more outrageous! First, you were obsessed with the Crown Prince, causing a scandal throughout the city, and now you are acting out of jealousy toward your sister! You are dragging the reputation of the Dingbei Marquis Manor through the mud!"
These words were like a cold blade, stabbing fiercely into Jiang Wan’s heart. In her previous life, she had indeed done many foolish things for the Crown Prince, causing her father to lose all face. But that was in the past—why would he not even grant her a single chance to explain?
"Father, your daughter knows she was wrong." Jiang Wan lowered her eyes, masking the pain in them. "It was your daughter’s foolishness in the past, mistaking fish eyes for pearls. From this day forward, I will surely conduct myself properly and no longer cause you trouble."
Her voice was soft, yet it held a hint of barely perceptible firmness.
Jiang Zhenshan paused, clearly not having expected this reaction. In the past, Jiang Wan would either weep and defend herself or stubbornly talk back; when had she ever appeared so docile yet distant?
Seeing this, Madame Li quickly seized the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot: "Marquis, look at Wan’er's attitude now..."
"Enough!" Jiang Zhenshan waved his hand, looking somewhat weary. "Everyone, behave yourselves! Especially you, Jiang Wan," he said, looking at her with a sharp gaze, "if you dare to do anything shameful again, do not blame me for confining you to the manor, never to step outside the gates for the rest of your life!"
Having said that, he ignored everyone and left the Warm Chamber with a flick of his sleeves.
Jiang Wan stood still, watching her father’s resolute back, her fingernails digging deep into her palms. The pain kept her clear-headed, and it made her understand one truth: relying on her father to uphold justice was nothing more than a pipe dream.
"Elder sister, look, Father is angry now!" Seeing that Jiang Zhenshan had left, Jiang Rou immediately stopped her tears, a triumphant smile appearing on her face. "Who told you not to admit your fault just now? Now look, Father surely hates you even more!"
Madame Li also walked over, sighing hypocritically: "Wan’er, it is not that Mother wants to lecture you, but you really should change your temper. We are all one family; why fight until it’s so ugly?"
Jiang Wan lifted her head, her gaze scanning the mother and daughter coldly. "One family? I think not."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Madame Li’s expression darkened.
"It means nothing," Jiang Wan said flatly. "I just feel that some people, relying on Father’s favor, have forgotten their place."
Having said this, she stopped looking at them and turned to leave.
"Jiang Wan! You stop right there!" Jiang Rou stamped her feet in anger.
Jiang Wan did not pause, walking straight out of the Warm Chamber. The rain had stopped at some point, and sunlight filtered through the clouds, spilling onto the damp stone slabs and reflecting with a blinding glare.
Lü'e ran over with an umbrella. Seeing Jiang Wan’s poor expression, she whispered, "Miss, are you alright? The Marquis, he..."
"I am fine." Jiang Wan took the umbrella, her voice calm. "Let’s go. Back to our rooms."
Upon returning to Lanzhi Courtyard, Jiang Wan sat before the mirror, looking at that youthful face. Her father’s indifference was like a basin of cold water, extinguishing the last shred of fantasy in her heart.
"Miss, is the Marquis... still angry with you?" Lü'e could not help but ask.
Jiang Wan picked up a jade hairpin, gently wiping the patterns on it, a cold, sharp smile playing on her lips: "He is more than just angry. He simply does not want to see me at all."
"Then what should we do, Miss?" Lü'e paced anxiously. "If the Marquis remains like this, how will you ever establish yourself in the manor?"
"Establish myself?" Jiang Wan set down the hairpin, her eyes firm. "Lü'e, remember this: to establish oneself in the Marquis Manor, one does not rely on the expressions of others, but on one's own ability."
She recalled her father’s disappointment in her previous life and remembered how, in the end, he would not even step into the cold courtyard. In this life, she would not only change her own fate but also make her father see that his legitimate daughter was not as useless as he imagined!
"Miss, do you have a plan?" Lü'e asked, looking at the light in Jiang Wan’s eyes.
Jiang Wan stood up and walked to the window, looking at the lush, leafy parasol tree in the courtyard, and spoke slowly: "Doesn’t Father think I only know how to circle around the Crown Prince and ignore the affairs of the manor? Then I will show him—I, Jiang Wan, can not only manage myself, but I can also manage the family business of this Marquis Manor!"
She recalled that in the front hall, the Old Madame had mentioned the difficulty of collecting rent at the West City Farmstead. In her previous life, that farmstead was eventually abandoned due to tenants refusing to pay rent, becoming a source of constant distress for her father. Perhaps this was the first step toward changing his opinion of her.
"Lü'e, go and call Steward Liu; I have something to ask him."
"Yes, Miss." Lü'e quickly replied and hurried off.
Jiang Wan walked to the desk, laid out paper, and ground the ink. She remembered hearing from servants in her past life that the tenants' refusal to pay rent at the West City Farmstead seemed to be connected to a local ruffian and bully. That bully was named Wang Tiger, and relying on his skill in fisticuffs, he bullied the tenants and even embezzled the rent meant for the Marquis Manor.
"Wang Tiger..." Jiang Wan picked up her brush and wrote the three characters on the paper, her eyes icy. "In my past life, you helped Madame Li and Jiang Rou plot against me. In this life, I will certainly make you pay the price!"
She set down the brush and walked to the window, gazing at the distant sky. Though her father’s indifference chilled her, it also made her more clear-headed. This Marquis Manor had never been a sanctuary for her. If she wanted to survive and take revenge, she had to rely on herself.
"Miss, Steward Liu is here," Lü'e called from outside.
"Let him in." Jiang Wan straightened her clothes, returning to a calm expression.
Liu Fu was an old servant of the manor, in charge of the affairs at the West City Farmstead. He walked in, and upon seeing Jiang Wan, he was somewhat surprised. "Eldest Miss, you were looking for this old servant?"
"Yes," Jiang Wan nodded, signaling for him to sit. "I heard that the rent from the West City Farmstead hasn't been collected in full?"
Liu Fu sighed, a look of distress on his face. "Indeed, Eldest Miss. I don't know what has gotten into the tenants; this year they refuse to pay rent, claiming the harvest was poor and they can't afford it. I went a few times, but they turned me away."
"The harvest was poor?" Jiang Wan raised an eyebrow. "How is it that I heard this year the weather was favorable, and the yield at the West City Farmstead was even better than in previous years?"
Liu Fu’s expression changed, and he quickly said, "Eldest Miss is sharp! It was indeed favorable weather, and the harvest was good. It is just... there is a ruffian named Wang Tiger who is making trouble in the middle, inciting the tenants to refuse rent, claiming the Marquis Manor treats them harshly, and demanding they give the rent to him so he can negotiate with the manor."
It was indeed Wang Tiger!
Jiang Wan sneered inwardly, though her face remained unmoved. "Oh? This Wang Tiger has such great ability?"
"He certainly does!" Liu Fu lamented. "That Wang Tiger relies on his martial arts and has gathered a group of thugs. The tenants are all afraid of him and have no choice but to hand the rent to him. When I tried to reason with him, I was even beaten for my trouble!"
"Preposterous!" Jiang Wan slapped the table. "This Wang Tiger is truly lawless! Steward Liu, do you know the background of this Wang Tiger?"
"Reporting to Eldest Miss, this Wang Tiger was originally just a rascal from the west side of the city. Later, I don't know how, but he latched onto an official’s family in the city and began to act like a tyrant." Liu Fu said. "I heard that the person behind him seems to be... to be somewhat linked to the Second Mistress."
Jiang Wan understood. Madame Li always liked to raise these thugs to consolidate her influence. The person behind Wang Tiger was, nine times out of ten, Madame Li.
"Very well, I understand." Jiang Wan waved her hand. "Steward Liu, you may go for now. I will find a way to resolve this matter."
Liu Fu hesitated. "Eldest Miss, this Wang Tiger is not someone to be trifled with. Perhaps you should tell the Marquis..."
"Father is busy with official business; there is no need to disturb him with such trifles," Jiang Wan said coolly. "You may go now and wait for my word."
Seeing that Jiang Wan was determined, Liu Fu could only bow and retreat.
Lü'e looked at Jiang Wan, worried. "Miss, that Wang Tiger is very vicious. You must be careful!"
Jiang Wan smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I will be fine."
She walked back to her desk, picked up the brush again, wrote "Wang Tiger" on the paper, and drew a circle around it.
"Wang Tiger, Madame Li, Jiang Rou..." Jiang Wan softly whispered their names, her eyes growing colder. "What you owe me, I will collect back, piece by piece, little by little."
The sunlight outside the window grew brighter, shining through the lattices onto Jiang Wan’s face, reflecting the firm light in her eyes. Although her father’s indifference chilled her heart, it only made her more determined to rely on herself.
She would support the sky of this Marquis Manor herself sooner or later! And the first step was to resolve the problem at the West City Farmstead, to let her father see that his legitimate daughter was not as useless as he imagined!