Chapter 252: Madness
After experiencing the little interlude just now, everyone had roughly figured out the temperament of Su Yaoguang and her daughter. Anyone with a bit of brains wouldn’t touch that bad luck again.
Throughout the entire banquet, everyone got along peacefully without even a single argument, and they enjoyed a rare quiet meal.
After the meal, servants from the General’s mansion brought digestive tea and post-meal fruits.
The women formed an alliance, chatting with Zhang Zhaodi. Some fawned over her, while others wanted to suppress her—the scene was incredibly entertaining.
“Madam, this is from the General.” A servant brought a cloak and said to Zhang Zhaodi, “The General said the wind is a bit strong today and asked you to keep warm.”
Zhang Zhaodi smiled and said: “Our General is always like this, worrying about everything. I’m a grown woman, yet he still worries I can’t take care of myself. But after all, we haven’t seen each other for many years, and he feels he owes me, so it’s normal for him to indulge me in everything. Madam Xia, Madam Yang, Madam Li, and Madam Wang are the truly fortunate ones, sharing daily life with their husbands, enjoying unwavering love for ten years without long separations—surely everything goes smoothly for them.”
The crowd of madams: “…”
Su Yaoguang saw that Zhang Zhaodi hadn’t suffered any loss and had even openly and subtly mocked those sharp-tongued madams.
Which noble family’s inner chambers didn’t have a multitude of wives and concubines? The inner chambers of those few madams she mentioned were especially chaotic. Precisely because these women weren’t happy themselves, seeing others more content than them made them want to tear apart that happiness. Little did they know, others weren’t idiots—how could they let them have their way?
Su Yaoguang ran into a few noblewomen and was pulled away by them to drink tea.
“This is the Second Madam of Jing’an Marquis Manor.” One noblewoman introduced a young woman with her back turned to Su Yaoguang.
That young woman had her back to her, holding a child in her arms. At this moment, she handed the child to a servant nearby and slowly turned around.
When Su Yaoguang saw the face in front of her, the smile on her face disappeared.
Jiang Yihuan.
The Second Madam of Jing’an Marquis Manor?
Meaning, after being abandoned by Xiao Yanci, she had latched onto a new high branch—and that person was a marquis?
She was holding a child earlier, right? That child couldn’t be hers, could it?
Su Yaoguang’s expression was strange, while Jiang Yihuan across from her looked calm, smiling as usual, as if the two didn’t know each other.
“You’re the only daughter of the Great General Who Protects the Nation, Su, right? I feel an instant connection with you. If you have time, come to Jing’an Marquis Manor for tea.”
“Sure, Second Madam,” Su Yaoguang said. “But you look so familiar, like someone I knew before. That person was surnamed Jiang. I wonder what the Second Madam’s surname is?”
“My surname is Fang,” the Second Madam of Jing’an Marquis Manor, Fang Shi, said. “Was that Jiang friend you mentioned very close to you?”
“Very close, like sisters,” Su Yaoguang wiped away tears. “We were the best of sisters, growing up together since childhood. But one day she fell in love with a heartless, ruthless man and was abandoned by him. I don’t know what happened to her now. If I could, I’d really like to find him and tell him that man has now become the Third Scholar—quite capable…”
At this point, Su Yaoguang covered her mouth, looking as if she had said something she shouldn’t and accidentally revealed everything.
The others, hearing this, showed shocked expressions.
“Third Scholar? Could it be the newly selected Third Scholar?” People nearby whispered.
“Didn’t that Xiao the Third Scholar get engaged to Prime Minister Wang’s family and is about to marry Wang Ruyan? If that man was previously married, wouldn’t Wang Ruyan become the second wife, no different from a concubine? Do you think Wang Ruyan knows about this?”
“She’s such a proud person—surely she doesn’t know! If she did, she’d have no face to show.”
“Do you think this Second Madam is really the friend Miss Su mentioned?”
Fang Shi listened to their conversation and heard Su Yaoguang mention Xiao Yanci’s matters. With a stern face, she said: “I am the Second Madam of Jing’an Marquis Manor. The current Heir Apparent of Jing’an Marquis Manor is my son. I’m not the friend you mentioned, nor do I know any newly selected Third Scholar. Even if your friend was truly bullied by the newly selected Third Scholar, that’s your friend’s business—don’t pin it on me.”
“Second Madam, don’t get so agitated. I just said you look similar, not that you are that woman. My friend has a mole on her wrist—Second Madam doesn’t have one, right?”
Fang Shi pressed her wrist, her expression indifferent as she said: “Of course not.”
The child’s crying sound eased the current awkward atmosphere. Fang Shi used caring for the child as an excuse, saying the child didn’t like crowded places, so she left the General’s mansion with the child and her servants.
Su Yaoguang watched Fang Shi’s departing figure, certain that this person was Jiang Yihuan.
If she was Jiang Yihuan, then what was going on with the current situation?
“That Fang Shi just now is the Second Madam. As far as I know, Jing’an Marquis Manor currently has only one single line of descent. Where did this Second Madam come from?”
“Miss Su may not know this. This Second Madam doesn’t refer to the wife of the second oldest in the family, but rather that she is Marquis Jing’an’s second wife. Compared to the original principal wife, she is the concubine who was just promoted. Marquis Jing’an’s original principal wife is frail and bedridden year-round. The inner chambers were previously managed by her dowry old woman, but now this commoner wife is in charge.”
“That child just now…”
“That’s the son this Second Madam bore for Marquis Jing’an. Marquis Jing’an had three daughters before and no sons. This time, he went to his manor to recuperate for half a year. When he returned to the capital city, he unexpectedly brought back a pregnant woman.”
“The original principal wife was already weak and sickly and hadn’t managed his affairs for a long time. Unexpectedly, out of kindness, she let the other stay to nurture the fetus. Once the child was born, a concubine directly became a concubine wife. Marquis Jing’an told the original principal wife it was to give the child status. Marquis Jing’an is fifty this year and finally has his own son—how could he not be happy? He gives her whatever she wants. This isn’t a secret in the capital city; everyone knows.”
Su Yaoguang had heard this story before when doing business, but no one told her the female protagonist was actually Jiang Yihuan, that shameless woman who wouldn’t go away.
Jiang Yihuan had now become Marquis Jing’an’s wife, and Xiao Yanci had latched onto the Wang family. This pair was truly a scum man and cheap woman, both liking to hug big legs and cling to relationships.
If Xiao Yanci knew Jiang Yihuan had entered the capital city and even become a principal wife among the nobles, who knows what reaction he’d have.
“What are you thinking about?” Zhou Wangshu waved his hand in front of Su Yaoguang.
Su Yaoguang looked around and found that the others had left. The pavilion, which had been full of people, now only had her and Zhou Wangshu.
“When did they leave?”
“While you were spacing out. I saw you were thinking about something and didn’t disturb you. Instead, I had the butler see the customers out.”
“I saw someone just now.” Su Yaoguang pulled Zhou Wangshu to sit down and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. “How much alcohol did you drink?”
“My father-in-law’s military general friends are too good at drinking. If not for my father-in-law’s pity on me, I wouldn’t have gotten off the wine table!” After Zhou Wangshu finished speaking, he asked, “Who did you see?”
“Jiang Yihuan,” Su Yaoguang said. “I tested her, and she denied being Jiang Yihuan, claiming her surname is Fang. Others call her Madam Fang. But after fighting with Jiang Yihuan for so long, even her own mother might not recognize her, but I couldn’t possibly mistake her. I’d recognize that woman even if she turned to ash.”
“If it’s her, then she’s pretty lucky. Her brother died suspiciously back then, and later her mother went missing strangely. Everyone thought the missing her was probably dead too. Unexpectedly, not only did she not die, but she’s living so comfortably.”
“Marquis Jing’an’s Second Madam…” Zhou Wangshu tried hard to recall the earlier scene. “That’s a rather honest and simple man. With so many people pouring drinks on me earlier, only he blocked some for me, so I have a deep impression of him.”
“Honest and simple is just right. Jiang Yihuan always targets such men. But to cling to power, she really went all out—a man old enough to be her father, and she even bore him a child.”
“Alright, let’s not think about this anymore,” Zhou Wangshu said. “If she doesn’t provoke you, we’ll pretend she doesn’t exist. Whether she’s Fang Shi or Jiang Yihuan, it has nothing to do with us.”
“Her matters have nothing to do with us, but…” Su Yaoguang leaned in mysteriously and said, “They do with Xiao Ci. Let’s find a way to let this pair of old lovers meet and learn each other’s new identities. At least we’ll have some good shows to watch.”
“You, always hoping for chaos under heaven.” Zhou Wangshu pinched her nose. “Leave this matter to me. I’ll make sure this pair of old lovers meets soon—maybe we’ll even see a scene of rekindled old flames.”
Su Yaoguang pondered.
Rekindled old flames?
When the two parted back then, it was so unpleasant. Most importantly, Jiang Yihuan was caught red-handed committing adultery by him. Any man with a bit of pride couldn’t possibly have any ties with such a woman in this lifetime. But this Xiao Ci wasn’t an ordinary man.
Today’s banquet didn’t invite the Wang family, so naturally Xiao Ci wasn’t invited either.
This good show of old lovers reuniting could only be staged another day. Today they had the energy to perform, but the venue wasn’t right.
At this moment, in the horse-drawn carriage, “Fang Shi”—that is, Jiang Yihuan—viciously twisted her handkerchief, her face as dark as storm clouds.
The maidservant beside her didn’t dare breathe.
This Second Madam was unlike the First Madam. The First Madam appeared stern but was kind-hearted and rarely made things hard for servants. Even when servants made mistakes, her handling left them convinced.
This Second Madam Fang Shi was different. She was gentle and compliant in front of the marquis, but once he was gone, her face immediately changed.
Now, she didn’t know which nerve had short-circuited, but her expression was ferociously ugly, her eyes as if they wanted to swallow someone alive.
“Is the Great General Who Protects the Nation greater, or is our marquis greater?”
The maidservant hurriedly said: “Our marquis’s title is hereditary and will be passed to the young master in the future. No matter how impressive the Great General Who Protects the Nation is, that position was earned through his own ability. The Great General Who Protects the Nation has no son. Once he’s no longer favored by the Emperor, that great general position will sooner or later belong to someone else. At that time, what are a general’s mansion’s madam and miss? Just common people, far inferior to our Marquis Manor.”
Jiang Yihuan’s expression improved somewhat.
“Right, my marquis’s title is hereditary. In the future, I will be the marquis’s mother.” Jiang Yihuan looked at the child in the cradle, her eyes full of burning ambition.
Before coming to this banquet, she didn’t know that the Great General Who Protects the Nation’s wife and daughter were this mother-daughter pair. She had spotted Su Yaoguang first, which allowed her to respond so calmly.
She denied being Jiang Yihuan. With Su Yaoguang’s brain, she surely couldn’t see through it.
Jiang Yihuan had died that day when she stumbled upon Xiao Yanci killing her own mother.
Xiao Yanci…
Just thinking of this man’s name made Jiang Yihuan tremble all over.
Before, when Su Yaoguang said Jiang Yihui’s death was related to Xiao Yanci, she still thought it was Su Yaoguang deliberately stirring up their relationship. Until her mother went missing, and she herself happened to witness her “disappearance” firsthand, she didn’t dare show up and secretly left that county town.
But she, Jiang Yihuan, had always been lucky.
After leaving the county town, her travel expenses ran out, so she decided to beg while persevering. As a result, she met Marquis Jing’an Li Su here.
Li Su was poisoned and needed someone for the antidote, and she was that antidote.
This segment was very similar to the encounters between men and women in storybooks. In many storybooks, men and women, due to some improper poison or spring breeze once, end up with physical ties and begin emotional entanglements.
The difference was that the male protagonist in her storybook was too old and too ugly. She had to close her eyes and endure the disgust to serve him.
Sure enough, her efforts paid off. She really got pregnant on the road and successfully secured a place by his side.
He brought her back to the Marquis Manor. At first, she was just a serving concubine. Until she gave birth to the manor’s only son, and after blowing pillow talk time and again, she successfully took the position of concubine wife and gave her son inheritance rights.
“Second Madam, I heard the First Madam’s health has improved and she’ll soon take charge again,” the maidservant beside her said. “The already-married eldest daughter found her a doctor from somewhere, and that doctor’s medical skill is extremely brilliant.”
“What’s that doctor’s surname and name?” Once she found out clearly and bribed them with some silver, when that First Madam died from illness would be up to her.
“Seems to be surnamed Jiang, working in a shop selling cosmetics, called… Peach Blossom Charm.” The maidservant said, “Right, that Doctor Jiang is the physician in Peach Blossom Charm.”
Jiang Yihuan’s face turned ugly: “Why is it them again? Do they have a grudge against me? I run into them everywhere.”
“Does Madam know this physician? Do we still need to find her?” the maidservant asked.
“No need to find her; it’s useless anyway.” When Jiang Yihuan heard the physician was Jiang Jing, she knew her previous plan couldn’t be carried out.
Jiang Jing’s medical skill was brilliant. She had to stop her from treating that First Madam, or her own position as Second Madam truly wouldn’t be secure.
