Chapter 168: Won’t This Be Discovered Eventually?
Madam Yu took it over, symbolically took a sip, then placed it on the table. With a face full of smiles, she removed an emerald bracelet from her own hand and stuffed it into hers.
“This is Mother’s meeting gift to you. From now on, you are one of us in the Yu Family. Mother hopes you can live well with Chang’er, with husband and wife in harmony.”
“This concubine will.” Jiang Ruanxi knew she was referring to the matter of consummation. She did not refuse the gift, which meant she accepted it.
After that, she took the tea handed over by Wei Chang and drank it down.
Madam Yu picked up a handkerchief to cover her face and coughed lightly.
“I’m a bit tired. Since you have already paid respects with tea, you can go back. If you still don’t want to return to the Capital, you don’t need to come to my courtyard every day. Our family doesn’t have so many vulgar customs.”
Jiang Ruanxi hadn’t expected her to say this. She had thought she was like Madam Zhou, wanting to control her a bit.
Since she had brought it up, she was also happy to accept.
After they left, the Nameless Daoist came out from behind the screen.
Madam Yu removed the handkerchief, on which there was a pool of blood.
The Nameless Daoist was shocked. “Old Madam, you…”
Madam Yu seemed not to care at all. She folded the handkerchief and asked indifferently, “How many days do I have left now?”
The Nameless Daoist furrowed his brows, closed his eyes, and calculated with his fingers.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes with a grave expression. “Old Madam, you have at most one year left at present. But don’t worry, I will think of a way to let you…”
“No need for such trouble. Ever since that person stole my fate, I knew I wouldn’t live long. My only wish was to see my son Chang settle down and establish a career, which has now been fulfilled. I am already content. The only regret is that I cannot personally kill the enemy.”
“Old Madam, don’t think like that. Second Master has not yet consummated with Madam, so it can’t be considered passing the crisis. The Yu Family’s matters still need you to hold them up…” The Nameless Daoist earnestly advised, “Old Madam will also personally see her retribution.”
“My life is of no concern. You must make those two consummate in the next couple of days. Just say my time is short, and Chang naturally won’t dare to delay.”
She had long stopped caring about her own life and death, but she cared about her son’s fate.
“Good.”
**
Bridal Chamber.
Jiang Ruanxi sat to one side, looking at the bracelet in her hand. With a heavy expression, she said, “Second Master, shall we talk about what happened earlier?”
Wei Chang’s hand paused as he poured water for her. He frowned slightly at her form of address, but it quickly disappeared.
After pouring the water for her and sending all the servants out, only the two of them were left in the room.
After taking a sip of tea, he slowly said, “You also know that my mother and the Empress are blood sisters.”
Jiang Ruanxi nodded. She knew this matter, but she didn’t know why he, as the Crown Prince, who shouldn’t have been the Empress’s son, became Madam Yu’s son.
“My mother was born with the fate of an empress, but midway her fate was exchanged by someone.”
Jiang Ruanxi was full of shock.
She had thought that her own fate being exchanged was a long-planned scheme by the Jiang Family for some objective, a taboo, and that only she was unlucky enough to be targeted.
But she hadn’t expected Madam Yu’s fate to have been exchanged as well.
“It was exchanged by the Empress.”
“Mm.”
“Then you…”
“Exchanging fate originally defies Heaven’s Mandate and requires paying a price. Although she obtained the empress’s fate, she was unable to bear children her whole life. That year, my mother went to the Imperial Palace and was favored after drinking. When the Empress learned of this, she did not tell His Majesty. Instead, after my mother gave birth, she kept the child and sent away the mother, taking me away to raise as her own child. Afterward, she sent people to kill my mother.”
Jiang Ruanxi was completely shocked speechless.
A mocking smile tugged at the corners of Wei Chang’s mouth. “All these years, she thought my mother was dead, but she didn’t know that my mother was originally from Wuyou Valley and also the Nameless Daoist’s lifesaver. From the time I was old enough to understand, I knew my own background.”
Jiang Ruanxi was still a bit unclear.
“But Mother is alive with the identity of someone from the Yu Family, the Empress’s maternal family. How could she not know if Mother is still alive?”
“Because my mother is not living with her own identity, but with the identity of my maternal grandfather’s adopted daughter.”
Jiang Ruanxi was secretly shocked and roughly understood what was going on.
“But if the Empress summons Mother, won’t it be discovered sooner or later?”
“Back then, my maternal grandfather adopted this righteous daughter precisely because she resembled my mother, and that woman knew this. Mother’s time is already short, and that woman knows she is gravely ill. These years, she has been secluded in the Imperial Palace, caught up in all sorts of overt and covert struggles, with no time to concern herself with Mother’s matters. To show her magnanimity, she occasionally bestows rewards on Mother in the name of maternal family ties.”
As Wei Chang said this, his words were undoubtedly full of sarcasm.
Jiang Ruanxi, however, sighed endlessly. The Royal Family appeared glamorous on the surface, but in reality, it was so filthy and unbearable inside.
“So, all these years outside the Imperial City, you have been living with the identity of Second Master Yu?”
Jiang Ruanxi always felt that things were more complicated than she had imagined. Could the Empress really have no suspicion at all?
“Yes, in the Capital, I am the lofty Crown Prince, but in Lingnan, I am Second Master Yu. This identity of mine can make Mother a little happier.”
Jiang Ruanxi felt a bit heartbroken for his experiences. Calling his enemy “mother” must be more uncomfortable than being killed.
“Second Master, it’s chaos outside. Go take a look quickly?”
Suddenly, an anxious voice came from outside the door.
A guard was shouting from outside the door.
Wei Chang frowned slightly, but Jiang Ruanxi said, “Second Master, we have plenty of time. You can tell me slowly later. Go take a look first.”
“Mm.”
Wei Chang opened the door and said indifferently, “What happened?”
“Second Master, chaos has broken out on the streets outside. Everyone is scrambling for grain like madmen. Now, because of the grain price issue, they have all gathered at the Yamen. The Prefect doesn’t know what to do and has specially come to invite you over.”
Wei Chang’s brows furrowed tightly. “Wasn’t it settled last night that as long as we hold out for a few more days, the grain transferred from nearby will arrive in Lingnan?”
“This subordinate doesn’t know the specific situation.”
Wei Chang’s expression immediately turned gloomy. Jiang Ruanxi heard the situation outside and walked out to stand before Wei Chang. “Second Master, why don’t you go take a look? Only by understanding the specific situation can you know how to resolve it.”
“Yes, come with me.”
“It wouldn’t be good for me to go, right?” Jiang Ruanxi was stunned.
“There’s nothing bad about it. You are my madam. You will have to face such scenes in the future, so adapt in advance.”
Jiang Ruanxi felt there was some reason in what he said and went with him.
