Jiang Lingzhi felt the world go black; she nearly fainted. How could a simple conversation lead to a death sentence?
She hadn't even conceived an heir yet!
Just as she was about to wail about her miserable fate, Doctor Mu caught his breath, stroked his beard, and declared in a resonant tone, "We must obtain the family heirloom silver needle from the Valley Master!"
Jiang Lingzhi swallowed her tears.
So, it wasn't that it couldn't be treated.
She let out a sigh of relief. "Then I shall go to the Old Madame at once and ask her to send someone at full speed to Medicine King Valley to fetch that needle."
"That won't do!" Doctor Mu refused flatly, stroking his beard again. "That stubborn old man, the Valley Master, has a temperament as strange as they come. No one’s words carry any weight with him. Only if I go to him myself will he be willing to lend it."
Jiang Lingzhi furrowed her brows. After a moment of hesitation, she couldn't help but ask, "Doctor Mu... tell me the truth. You aren't actually planning on packing your bags and running off, are you?"
Doctor Mu immediately puffed up his cheeks and glared. "You little girl, what kind of nonsense are you spouting!"
He held up a hand. "Five days. I will definitely return in five days."
"Yes, yes, it was my small-mindedness." Jiang Lingzhi forced herself to set her heart at ease. "I shall leave it to you."
Doctor Mu worked quickly.
As soon as he finished speaking with her, he packed his things to bid farewell to the Duke and the Old Madame before heading to Medicine King Valley for the heirloom needle.
Following this, word of what had happened at Shun Garden spread throughout the entire Duke Estate.
Everyone knew that Xiao Jingyi had suddenly fallen gravely ill, and it was even possible that his time was truly running out.
Those who had envied Jiang Lingzhi for "flying onto a branch to become a phoenix" at the Peony Banquet yesterday were the same people sneering at her today, waiting to see her fall from her high perch.
The Duke and the Old Madame had come to check on him, instructing the servants to attend to him with the utmost care. Despite their efforts to console Jiang Lingzhi, they could not hide their own overwhelming grief.
Later, the Second Madame also sent her trusted Nanny Li, who carried several bolts of silk.
"Fourth Madame, our Second Madame said that these fabrics are soft to the touch, and she had me bring them for you and the General to have some summer clothes made."
Jiang Lingzhi looked closely at the fabric. It was *kesi* silk.
It was an even more precious material than the cloud brocade the estate had previously provided for her clothing.
Jiang Lingzhi felt a warmth in her heart. For the Second Madame to send such high-quality fabric at a time like this was clearly intended to put her at ease.
"Many thanks to the Second Sister-in-law. It was kind of her to take the trouble." She signaled for Yunrou to hand Nanny Li a purse.
Nanny Li spoke with a festive tone. "Thank you, Fourth Madame! Who in this entire estate doesn't know that you are the most prosperous and blessed wife? With your care, the Fourth Master will surely get better and better. I dare not refuse your reward; it’s a way for me to share in your good fortune."
Her words were amusing, and Jiang Lingzhi managed a faint smile. "No wonder the Second Sister-in-law values you so highly."
No sooner had she sent Nanny Li away than another maid came to report that Auntie Yuan requested an audience.
Xueying’s expression darkened, and she said indignantly, "What is she doing here at a time like this? Madam, let me go send her packing!"
Jiang Lingzhi said expressionlessly, "Tell her to come in."
Since a punching bag had delivered itself to her doorstep, she might as well make use of it.
Xueying looked helpless. "As you command."
She set down the silk she was holding and turned to go invite Jiang Lingyuan in.
Jiang Lingyuan was holding a brocade box. As she entered the courtyard, she noticed the exquisite scenery of Shun Garden.
A pear tree in the yard was covered in falling blossoms. Under the veranda, several Yao Yellow peonies were in full bloom, looking graceful and luxurious. The elegant panes on the windows shimmered in the sunlight.
Even the bright yellow glazed tiles on the eaves were a privilege reserved only for Old Madame Xiao’s Rongan Court, Xiao Jingxi’s Hefeng Garden, and here.
This was a favor bestowed by the Emperor.
Jiang Lingyuan had assumed that since Xiao Jingyi was a martial officer, his courtyard wouldn't be anything special. She hadn't expected it to be even more opulent and magnificent than their own Ya Garden in the First Branch.
This made her heart ache with jealousy.
Fortunately, as she stepped into the room, she saw Jiang Lingzhi’s sorrowful, dejected appearance, which brought her a sense of balance.
"Sister, it was my fault yesterday. Please don't take it to heart."
Jiang Lingyuan apologized perfunctorily while offering fake comfort. "The General is gravely ill, so you must not lose hope. Even if you are destined to live a lonely life as a widow, you must endure and carry on."
As she spoke, she took out the contents of the brocade box. "I heard that mourning clothes made outside use coarse hemp, which is harsh on the skin. I specially picked some soft white fabric to make you something comfortable to wear... eh..."
Before she could finish, her eyes fell upon the bolts of *kesi* silk lying casually on the bed, and her words died in her throat.
Having grown up in the Ministry of Rites official's manor, she naturally recognized *kesi* silk.
But her father disliked extravagance, and since the family followed the head’s lead, their clothing and jewelry were merely what one would expect from ordinary official households.
Moreover, as an adopted daughter and with her adoptive mother being a second wife, she couldn't afford to be wasteful.
The most she had ever used was *kesi* for a belt... how did Jiang Lingzhi have so much of it here?
Jiang Lingyuan’s heart, which had just been balanced, soured once more.
Why?!
Wasn’t the General about to die?
Jiang Lingzhi’s good days should have been coming to an end; why was she still so extravagant?
The *kesi* silk was almost blinding.
Jiang Lingzhi glanced at her. "I think it would be more fitting for you to wear that."
"Sister, what are you saying? My husband is as healthy as an ox, unlike you..."
Jiang Lingyuan had a look of schadenfreude in her eyes, though her tone remained innocent. "Sister, I know you are hurting, but the General’s illness is inevitable. As a wife, you must, of course, wear mourning clothes for your husband."
Her eyes darted around, landing on the *kesi* silk again, and she couldn't help but be greedy. "Sister, you surely won't have a chance to wear this *kesi*. Why not give it to me?"
Jiang Lingzhi sneered, "I’d rather burn it than give it to you."
The expression on Jiang Lingyuan’s face froze. How could she be so stingy!
Yet, she was so covetous that she swallowed her pride and pleaded, "Sister, then give me half a bolt, will you? I want to make a pomegranate skirt."
Jiang Lingzhi’s expression remained cold. She glanced at the mourning clothes and repeated, "I said, this outfit is most suitable for you. Go change into it and let me see."
Jiang Lingyuan’s face was filled with resistance. "You’ve gone mad!"
Jiang Lingyuan’s two maids, Chunliu and Xiayue, quickly stepped forward to shield her, glaring at Jiang Lingzhi. "Fourth Madame, isn't this too overbearing of you?"
"Di Qing, Di Hong!"
"Here!"
The two guards appeared like ghosts, quickly entering from outside. They grabbed Chunliu and Xiayue, one on each side, hauled them out of the room, and closed the door behind them.
Jiang Lingzhi picked up the mourning clothes and walked step by step toward the terrified Jiang Lingyuan.
Jiang Lingyuan turned pale with fear. When her back hit the door, she realized there was nowhere left to retreat.
Jiang Lingzhi stood half a step away from her. "Are you going to take it off yourself, or shall I help you change?"
Jiang Lingyuan struggled, trying to threaten her. "Sister, how can you humiliate me like this? I am Xiao Yan’s noble concubine, and I am carrying twins. I will be promoted to the primary wife sooner or later; the entire Duke Estate will be mine to command!"
Jiang Lingzhi hinted pointedly, "Is that so? Did your mother-in-law not torment you when she returned yesterday?"
Jiang Lingyuan bit her lip and said nothing.
Thinking of Lady Lu, her arrogance instantly withered... Yes, she still had Lady Lu above her. If she wanted to be in charge, she had plenty of days of suffering ahead of her.
Jiang Lingzhi didn't speak again. Instead, she reached out to Jiang Lingyuan’s collar and unfastened her buttons.
Jiang Lingyuan felt a chill on her neck. She wanted to struggle, but seeing Jiang Lingzhi’s crazed state, she was terrified that she might accidentally hurt the babies, so she didn't dare move.
She regretted coming to Shun Garden more than anything!
She trembled, "Sister, Sister, please forgive me. I didn't want to bring these clothes; it was my mother-in-law who forced me to. I didn't dare refuse..."
Jiang Lingzhi’s fingers moved down, undoing another button. "Is that so? Then you must wear them all the more. Perhaps it will truly curse her to death, and then you will be able to take charge."
Having said that, she lost her patience and tore open the remaining buttons.
The spring and summer clothing was already thin, and Jiang Lingyuan’s smooth, jade-like skin was immediately exposed to the air, causing goosebumps to rise.
"Cold, are you?" Jiang Lingzhi asked with concern. She pulled off her clothes and draped the mourning outfit over her. "You’re pregnant, you should wear more."
Jiang Lingzhi’s movements were extremely gentle, and the expression on her face was full of genuine concern; only those beautiful peach-blossom eyes were dark and bottomless, making one’s blood run cold.
Jiang Lingyuan’s eyes filled with tears, her face full of humiliation, yet she didn't dare to resist at all. "Sister..."
Jiang Lingzhi ignored her.
Jiang Lingyuan was truly aggrieved now. "Sister, it really was my mother-in-law who forced me to come. She has always held a grudge against you and told me to come and kick you while you were down. I didn't dare disobey her. Sister, you know how sinister and vicious my mother-in-law is. You don't know that she even seized my dowry yesterday to cover a deficit in the accounts..."
Jiang Lingzhi knew immediately that she was trying to sow discord. "My dear Lingyuan, I don't buy that."
Lady Lu had to hand over the keys and the seal tomorrow. Seizing Lingyuan’s dowry now was clearly to cover the deficit in the account books. After all, regarding today’s matter, the Old Madame was still leaving room for Lady Lu and wouldn't dig too deep.
Jiang Lingyuan was deliberately revealing this leverage to her, purely to make her deal with Lady Lu.
But even if she went to complain to the Old Madame, it was only a minor indiscretion. At most, the Old Madame would scold Lady Lu and have her return the dowry... why should she stick her neck out for Jiang Lingyuan?
The expression on Jiang Lingyuan’s face stagnated, and there was even disbelief in her eyes: "..."
She didn't understand how Jiang Lingzhi had suddenly become so clever—she had actually seen right through her!
"Alright." Jiang Lingzhi had fastened the last button and gave it a pat. "Go back. Your mother-in-law is still waiting for you."
When Jiang Lingyuan walked out of Shun Garden, she was crying miserably.
With red eyes, she tore at the clothes, but since she had no other garments underneath, she pulled at them a few times before not daring to tear them any further.
She cried, cursed, and stomped her feet, but then suddenly felt a cramp in her lower abdomen, which scared her into standing still, not daring to move again.
She looked around and saw a pavilion in the middle of the lotus pond. She immediately intended to lean on Chunliu for support to go there, and turned back to order Xiayue, "Go back and get me some clothes!"
...
By nightfall.
Jiang Lingzhi had just finished bathing when Yunrou came to report, looking conflicted. "Fourth Madame, that man has come to our Shun Garden. He says he wants to see you."
Jiang Lingzhi didn't react for a moment. "Which man?"
"It is the Eldest Young Master. He says he is waiting at the pavilion in the lotus pond... waiting for you..." Yunrou spoke with great difficulty.
As a servant, she was supposed to deliver messages diligently. But as a servant sent by the Old Madame, she had other duties. Now that the General was seriously ill, she was deeply afraid that the Fourth Madame and the Eldest Young Master would do something to betray him.
Jiang Lingzhi’s eyes turned cold. "He truly is shameless."
Yunrou’s mind was instantly at ease. *Phew, the Fourth Madame hates the Eldest Young Master, that’s good, that’s good!*
"Then this servant will go and reject him!"
"Wait."
Yunrou hesitated. "Madam..."
Jiang Lingzhi lowered her eyes and sighed. "If he has this intention, he will only come again if I reject him this time. Sooner or later, my reputation will be ruined by him."
Having said this, she turned back to look at Xiao Jingyi lying on the bed, her eyes filled with a trace of subtle grievance. If only he were well, no such stray dog would dare come to annoy her.
But if he were to pass away like this, and she was seen meeting in private with a nephew who had once been engaged to her, she wouldn't be able to live in this Duke Estate any longer.
After a moment of thought, she ordered Yunrou, "Go invite the Eldest Master over."
Xiao Yan sat in the pavilion, rubbing his hands in excitement.
The Fourth Uncle was ill, and Jiang Lingzhi would soon be a widow; she must be extremely vulnerable right now.
If he showed up at this moment to comfort her, it would surely be easy to succeed... When that time came, he would also get to taste the pleasure that his Fourth Uncle had enjoyed.
From afar, he saw Jiang Lingzhi approaching, her face bare of makeup, wearing a narrow-sleeved shirt with a honey-colored skirt. She looked fresh, clean, and naturally alluring, making his heart itch with desire.
He couldn't help but step forward, only to see that her father was following behind her.
And there were a group of servants, dozens of eyes watching.
Xiao Yan: "..."
*Doesn't she understand that I want to resume our old relationship? Why did she bring all these people along!*
Jiang Lingzhi entered the pavilion. As if she hadn't seen Xiao Yan’s dark expression, she smiled at Xiao Jingping. "Eldest Brother, please watch from here so that no rumors start spreading outside."
Xiao Jingping felt his head spinning. If he didn't come, it concerned his son—a father is at fault if his child isn't properly taught—and if Xiao Yan did something disgraceful, he would lose face along with him.
But since he had come, he had to drag his son’s face into the dirt!
Xiao Jingping sat down and glanced at Xiao Yan, his face very ugly. "What do you have to say to your Fourth Aunt? Speak!"
Xiao Yan had a sudden realization: it must be that his father insisted on coming, and Jiang Lingzhi certainly didn't want him there.
He looked deeply at Jiang Lingzhi with regret. "Fourth Aunt, I only wanted to tell you that Fourth Uncle... Fourth Uncle will definitely get better."
Xiao Jingping’s expression eased slightly. *Well, that sounds like a proper remark. At least if it gets out, no one will be able to say anything.*
Jiang Lingzhi replied blandly, "Many thanks for your concern, nephew."
Seeing that she wasn't very enthusiastic, Xiao Yan pondered saying something to coax her and comfort her.
"Even if Fourth Uncle is no longer here, I will take good care of you. After all, we were almost married as husband and wife."
Xiao Jingping’s eyes shifted, and he immediately warned, "What nonsense! That ancient, dusty business must not be mentioned again!"
"Father, she was almost my bride!" Xiao Yan, pampered by Lady Lu, was very stubborn. "How is it ancient and dusty? It was less than a month ago!"
Jiang Lingzhi put on a frightened expression and looked at Xiao Jingping. "Eldest Brother, listen to him. Even when the Emperor bestowed the title upon me, the imperial decree stated that the General and I were a match made in heaven. If the nephew says things like this and it gets out, what will the Emperor think?"
Xiao Jingping broke into a cold sweat. He raised his hand and slapped Xiao Yan across the face. "Shut up!"
Xiao Yan covered his face, stepping back in disbelief. "Father, you hit me? You haven't touched me since I was a child; you’re hitting me because of a woman?!"
Hearing Xiao Yan’s increasingly outrageous words, Xiao Jingping was about to explode. He raised his hand to slap him again. "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Xiao Yan hurried to dodge.
But the pavilion was only the size of a palm. Seeing that he was about to be caught, Xiao Yan panicked and planned to hide behind Jiang Lingzhi.
Jiang Lingzhi stepped back calmly. "Oh my, Eldest Brother, there are so many people watching, don't hit your nephew!"
When she saw Xiao Yan rushing toward her, she turned by coincidence, and her foot, which hadn't had time to pull back, tripped him.
With a *splash*, Xiao Yan stumbled forward and fell unexpectedly into the lotus pond.
A huge spray of water rose. The angry expression on Xiao Jingping’s face instantly turned to shock and panic.
He lunged to the edge of the pavilion and shouted at the water surface, "Yan’er!"
Xiao Yan struggled in the pond. He wasn't a good swimmer, and although the lotus pond wasn't deep, the bottom was full of silt. He couldn't stand steadily and swallowed several mouthfuls of water in no time.
With the sky turning dark, his panic intensified, and he struggled even more violently, choking on several more mouthfuls. "Father... Father, help me... help!"
Xiao Jingping hurried to summon people to fish him out.
Jiang Lingzhi took the opportunity to take her leave. "Eldest Brother, I shall head back first, so as not to delay you with your nephew."
Xiao Jingping could no longer be bothered with her; he waved his hand erratically. "Go ahead, Fourth Sister-in-law."
It took a great effort for the servants to fish Xiao Yan out. He was shivering all over, constantly vomiting dirty water.
"Ouch, a leech!"
The servant immediately saw that several plump leeches had bitten into Xiao Yan’s neck. He quickly pulled them off, then ripped open his clothes on the spot to see if there were any more.
Xiao Jingping frowned, looking at Xiao Yan, who was lying on the ground shivering and stark naked. His face turned livid. "Hurry and find some clean clothes for the Eldest Young Master!"
"Yes! Yes!"
A group of people scrambled around. It wasn't clear who it was, but someone discovered a set of clean clothes hidden by the stone table, eyes lit up, and they hurried to put them on Xiao Yan.
The sky gradually darkened, and Xiao Jingping rushed to direct the servants to carry Xiao Yan back to Ya Garden.
With a dark face, he turned and looked coldly at the Shun Garden behind him.
For a moment, he even felt that Lady Lu’s words weren't entirely wrong—the daughters of the Jiang family were indeed a bit of a curse to them.
When Lady Lu saw Xiao Yan being carried back shivering, still wearing the white clothes she had asked Jiang Lingyuan to send earlier that day, her pupils dilated for a split second, and she lunged forward to tear at the clothes.
"Take them off, take them off! Who told him to wear these!"
Xiao Jingping was unbearably annoyed. "Just let him wear them; hurry and go outside to invite a doctor!"
By then, Xiao Yan had already developed a high fever. Lady Lu’s eyes were red, and she didn't know how to explain it to Xiao Jingping, feeling utterly devastated.
...
Jiang Lingzhi finally had some peace.
She stared with wide eyes at the boundless night, thinking about everything that had happened today.
If this family in the First Branch was always going to be in such chaos, she wouldn't be able to live her life from here on out.
After much deliberation, she made up her mind that she would find someone to learn how to audit the accounts tomorrow.
She would definitely be able to find leverage against Lady Lu in those account books.
A single homecoming gift meant nothing, and seizing a daughter-in-law’s dowry meant nothing, but what about the mistakes of ten years combined?
Lady Lu would never be allowed to be the lady of the house again; it would be best if the entire First Branch were kicked out of the Duke Estate so they wouldn't have the energy to plot against her anymore.
The next day.