Chapter 268: Shooting Oneself In The Foot
Jiang Yihuan didn’t expect Marquis Jing’an to take away her household management power.
A madam without power is like a cat without claws, with no deterrence at all. Besides, she was used to freely using silver for her life, and now if she could only reach out to others for silver to spend, that would be even more unbearable than killing her. Most importantly… Xiao Yanci always asked her for silver. If she lost household management power, there would be no way to satisfy Xiao Yanci’s appetite, and at that time Xiao Yanci would definitely cause her trouble.
“Marquis, you know our Lin’er’s situation, if…” Jiang Yihuan covered her face and cried.
“I heard that the heir apparent of Marquis Jing’an is a premature baby, and because he was premature, his body has always been in poor health.” Su Yaoguang asked, “Since Jing’er is here, have her take the pulse for the young heir apparent of Marquis Jing’an and check his physical condition. Actually, not every premature baby’s body is weak; some can be nursed back to health.”
Panic flashed in Jiang Yihuan’s eyes.
“No need. The imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital have seen Lin’er and confirmed it’s just ordinary premature symptoms. As long as he’s carefully nurtured, he’ll be fine when he grows up.” Jiang Yihuan said this while holding Marquis Jing’an’s arm and shaking it coquettishly, “Marquis, your concubine isn’t greedy for this household management power. It’s just that Lin’er needs careful care. If I don’t manage the inner chambers, won’t everything require advance reporting? Our Lin’er is so weak; how could he endure so many rules?”
“Marquis, do you want Jing’er to see your beloved son?” Su Yaoguang continued, “A grand young master, if because of his weak body he can’t do this or that, and acts timidly in everything, even when he grows up, I’m afraid he won’t be able to support your Marquis Manor. While there’s still time now, he should be nursed early. Of course, if the marquis doesn’t want his son to grow into a towering man, then pretend we said nothing. Today we were meddling in trivial matters.”
“Someone, bring the young heir over.” Marquis Jing’an shouted.
Jiang Yihuan’s face turned very ugly.
That group of people with Su Yaoguang were all her nemeses. Especially that Su Yaoguang, simply like a lingering disaster star, everywhere she went.
If that bitch Jiang Jing saw Lin’er, would she discover something?
Jiang Yihuan grew increasingly guilty but couldn’t stop them from bringing Lin’er over, or else Marquis Jing’an would suspect even more.
Not long after, the wet nurse carried the several-months-old Lin’er over.
Jiang Yihuan enthusiastically took him, looking tenderly at the child in her arms: “Little Lin’er, did you miss your parents? Come, look, parents are here.”
Marquis Jing’an saw the child’s cute little face, his eyes full of a father’s tenderness.
Su Yaoguang looked at the child and no matter how she saw it, felt something strange.
Jiang Jing said in her ear: “Not a premature baby.”
No need to take the pulse at all; just looking at the child’s condition, Jiang Jing could determine it wasn’t a premature baby.
If the child wasn’t premature but was born not long after she entered the manor, yet claimed to be premature publicly, there was only one possibility: the child wasn’t Marquis Jing’an’s.
Jiang Yihuan pretended to hand the child to Jiang Jing, but as soon as the child approached Jiang Jing, he burst into loud cries.
Jiang Yihuan acted heartbroken, holding the child and coaxing him, saying to Marquis Jing’an: “Marquis, you saw it. Our child hasn’t seen them before and is shy with strangers.”
First Madam said: “Let me hold him!”
“First Madam, you’re still ill; it wouldn’t be suitable to hold a child!” Disgust flashed in Jiang Yihuan’s eyes.
She was already so ill, who knows when she might suddenly die, yet she still wanted to hold her child.
First Madam didn’t mind her rude words at all; her magnanimity even made Marquis Jing’an feel a bit sympathetic.
“I’m still ill and unsuitable to hold a child, but my old woman has raised children for decades and is best at caring for them. Let her hold him!”
The people who fell into the water earlier had already been carried away.
Although they woke up, such an embarrassing incident happened, so they couldn’t stay here and slipped away while no one noticed them.
Now here were only the people from Jing’an Marquis Manor and guests like Su Yaoguang.
The old wet nurse didn’t wait for Jiang Yihuan to refuse and directly took the child.
Once the child was in the old wet nurse’s hands, he stopped crying after a short while.
Thus, Jiang Jing could take his pulse.
Jiang Yihuan nervously watched Jiang Jing’s actions.
She had already thought it through: if Jiang Jing said something unfavorable to her, like the child not being premature, she would insist they were trying to stir up relationships.
She had bribed so many doctors; they could all testify it was a premature baby. If it blew up, she could bring those doctors for confrontation. She didn’t believe Marquis Jing’an would disbelieve seven or eight doctors and instead believe a young girl.
Su Yaoguang and Jiang Jing exchanged a glance.
The latter said: “The young master does have some deficiency symptoms. At his age, it’s not convenient to take medicine. Have the wet nurse eat more good things and feed him her milk; he can nourish his body that way.”
“Does the child have any other problems?” Marquis Jing’an asked.
“Although he has some deficiency symptoms, it’s not a big problem; nursing for a while will fix it. As for other things, there is actually one, but I don’t know if I should say it.”
“Doctor Jiang, please speak.” Marquis Jing’an said, “As a doctor, some conditions cannot be concealed. Whatever problem the child has, just say it.”
When Jiang Jing mentioned the deficiency symptoms, Jiang Yihuan thought these people had a change of heart and finally stopped causing her trouble, but she was too happy too soon. She knew these people had vicious minds and wouldn’t stop until they saw her downfall. But this time she wouldn’t lose. She had finally climbed onto a man like Marquis Jing’an; in the future, she would definitely become a marquise enjoying glory and wealth.
The child was her biggest bargaining chip; she absolutely wouldn’t let anything happen to the child.
“This is my child; I know best if he has any problems. We have all heard of Doctor Jiang’s medical skill. Actually, it’s not necessary to diagnose some problem for others; sometimes you can just say directly that he’s healthy and has no issues.” Jiang Yihuan said sarcastically.
“The child’s body is very healthy, but I see his brain seems…” Jiang Jing trailed off.
“What do you mean by that?” Marquis Jing’an frowned.
A strange light flashed in First Madam’s eyes.
Marquis Jing’an had longed day and night for this chubby boy.
For this child, she definitely felt annoyed, but she never thought of harming him. No matter what grudges there were between adults, the child was the most innocent. Therefore, no matter how much First Madam disliked that adulterous pair, she never thought of hurting the child.
Now hearing Jiang Jing’s implication, had something gone wrong with the child after all?
“What I mean is his brain development seems poor; he might be an idiot.” Jiang Jing said, “Marquis, children his age have developmental comparisons. A child this age shouldn’t have such dull eyes. Look, I’m waving things in front of him, and he has no reaction at all.”
“Impossible, you’re the idiot; my son can’t be an idiot.” Jiang Yihuan cursed, “Even if you’re not on good terms with me, you shouldn’t curse my child.”
But Marquis Jing’an took it in.
He had seen many children and naturally knew what reactions they should have.
“Someone…” Marquis Jing’an said, “Summon the imperial physician…”
Regarding matters concerning the child, Marquis Jing’an didn’t dare neglect and immediately had the best doctor in the capital city come to see his son.
“If there’s nothing else here, let’s change places to have tea!” First Madam said, “I think Second Madam has no mood to entertain guests anymore. The guests I invited should be received by me personally. Marquis, you first take your younger sister back to her courtyard and wait for the doctor to arrive.”
Jiang Yihuan indeed had no mind to make trouble now.
Her mind was full of whether her son was an idiot.
In fact, she hadn’t paid much attention to him daily; the wet nurse had always cared for him. Now asked about the child’s reactions and changes, she actually couldn’t answer.
First Madam took Su Yaoguang and the others back to her courtyard.
Back in the courtyard, the Su family sisters grew increasingly curious about Jiang Jing’s diagnosis. Earlier in front of the marquis, they restrained themselves and couldn’t ask directly. Now the two concerned about whether the child was an idiot weren’t here, so they could freely ask what they wanted.
“Jing’er, what you said earlier—was it true or just to make trouble for Jiang Yihuan?” Zhang Pandi asked curiously.
Several pairs of eyes looked at Jiang Jing.
Jiang Jing said: “It’s true. That child is mostly likely an idiot.”
Su Yaoguang looked at First Madam: “Now it seems Jiang Yihuan’s biggest bargaining chip is a useless one. First Madam, if the child is an idiot, Marquis Jing’an will definitely be very angry.”
“He’s most treasured and anticipated this child. Perhaps that woman has some seductive skills, but sitting in his position, what kind of woman hasn’t he seen? Such a mediocre woman wouldn’t make him dote on the concubine and wipe out the wife. From the start, she relied on this child for her current status. If the child is truly a wasted piece, she has no value left.”
“First Madam, don’t underestimate this woman. For her to survive to today, it’s absolutely because she’s ruthless enough.” Su Yaoguang said, “If you knew what she did before, you wouldn’t underestimate this opponent. Also, if I’m not wrong, this child isn’t the marquis’s at all. She could borrow seed to have a child once, she could do it twice. Anyway, for a child, as long as she gives birth and says it’s the marquis’s, once he’s happy, her position is still secure.”
“You say the child isn’t the marquis’s; do you have evidence?”
“That child isn’t a premature baby.” Jiang Jing said, “That’s the biggest evidence.”
“He’s clearly not premature, yet Jiang Yihuan insists he is. If not guilty, then why?” Zhang Zhaodi said, “That woman wasn’t chaste before, entangled unclearly with several men at once. There’s a saying that one’s nature is hard to change; can you expect such a person to reform?”
“If that’s the case, I just need to sit and wait for her to dig her own grave.” First Madam said, “By the way, Doctor Jiang, can you check if my body is suitable for childbearing?”
“Madam’s body is too weak now and not suitable yet, but if nursed for another half year, there won’t be a problem.”
“But after so many years, I’ve never had any offspring. A few years ago my body wasn’t as weak as now, yet still no offspring.”
In the early years, her husband-and-wife feelings with Marquis Jing’an were still decent. Only in recent years, with her poor health unable to satisfy his needs physically, did their relationship grow colder.
Actually, she hadn’t stopped him; there were several concubines in his inner chambers. Those concubines hadn’t borne even half a child. Three years ago, one concubine got pregnant, and everyone was very happy then, including her as the mistress of the house who was delighted, thinking the issue of no heir for Jing’an Marquis Manor was finally resolved. No matter how sour or upset she felt, she wholeheartedly arranged people to care for that concubine, but the concubine still miscarried.
Because of that, Marquis Jing’an grew even colder toward her. In his view, as the main wife, she couldn’t tolerate an illegitimate son and thus harmed the child. In fact, she only learned the truth much later. It turned out the child that concubine carried wasn’t the marquis’s, but during her visit home to her parents, she had a moment of passion with her old lover male cousin, had that one night, and came back pregnant with that child. The concubine was timid and didn’t dare confuse the bloodline, so afterward she tried every way to abort the child.
Apart from that incident, the entire inner chambers only had Jiang Yihuan giving birth to this child. But from the current situation, even this child wasn’t the marquis’s.
Could she boldly guess that the one truly unable to father children wasn’t these women, but Marquis Jing’an, the man who needed to sow the seed?
“Madam, childbearing doesn’t rely only on women; men are also very important. If there’s a chance another day, I’ll take the marquis’s pulse and see his physical condition.”
Jiang Jing’s words made First Madam even more convinced of her guess.
But those men were always proud; they wouldn’t admit it was their problem.
“By now the imperial physician should have arrived; I wonder what the diagnosis is.” First Madam muttered to herself, “Someone…”
She called out toward the outside.
A servant came in.
First Madam instructed a few words, roughly meaning to inquire about the situation there and ask what the imperial physician said.
Not long after, the servant returned with the news from there.
“First Madam, the imperial physician says the young heir apparent is indeed not normal; he seems to lack intelligence.”
“If the child was abnormal, it should have been discovered long ago. For it not to be noticed until now, it means that Second Madam isn’t so popular either.” Su Yaoguang said.
“Exactly. Generally, wet nurses are experienced, women who have had children; they can spot if something’s off with the child while feeding him. If the wet nurse didn’t dare say, it means the mistress of the house isn’t friendly to them daily.”
“If I’m not wrong, once this diagnosis comes out, that vicious woman Jiang Yihuan will push the blame onto others again, like those wet nurses who fed him.” Su Yaoguang said, “Poor those wet nurses; I wonder if they can escape this calamity.”
