Qiu Yelan’s presentiment became real. Jiang Family insisted that Marquess Qin was drunk, not in a coma. But he couldn’t be disturbed during those few days while they were hiding the truth of his illness. So, other than the maid who was sent by Empress Dowager Gu to spy on the name of visiting saw Marquess Qin who was lying in bed, other visitors including key members of the Empress’s party didn’t get to go into the inner chamber.

Of course, those key members of the Empress’s party were informed that Marquess Qin would be able to recover in a few days. And they all said the same thing to others after they left. That they left after chatting with Marquess Qin for a while. Marquess was absolutely in good health!

However, the ghost-writers of Empress Dowager’s party also did their job!

So, although the Empress’s party was so eager to prove that Marquess was in good health, Empress Dowager’s party still managed to spread the rumor that Marquess Qin was dying!

It was not that the ghost-writers of Empress’s party weren’t capable. It was because Empress Dowager Gu’s maid reported that Marquess Qin looked fine after getting back to the palace. But Empress Dowager Gu who decided to swoop in deliberately gave them a lot of life-saving medicine to add fuel to the fire. Marquess Qin didn’t show himself in public at every moment and refute the rumor with his action. No wonder others had doubts.

After all, everyone knew that they wouldn’t admit it even Marquess Qin was sick for real!

“This won’t work. Grandfather still needs five or six days to recover. And it’s according to what the imperial doctor said. If grandfather doesn’t recover then, his health will be our most concern after all,” seeing this situation, Qiu Yelan surely couldn’t sit tight. She found a way to meet Jiang Yashuang in the Summer Palace, “Now the rumor has spread all over the place that grandfather’s illness is severe. It’s said that they need to carry the memorials which suggest impeaching our family and our in-laws with a large bamboo basket every day? If this goes on, something might happen in these few days!”

Empress Dowager’s party requested to make Prince of Zhou the Crown Prince on yesterday’s Imperial Court Assembly in the Summer Palace. It hadn’t been settled yet. But the Empress’s party’s depression contrasted sharply with Empress Dowager’s party’s high spirits which made Empress Jiang throw a fit after getting back to her palace. She had to admit that the advantages she built up in the earlier stage through elaboration and propagandizing how intelligent and sensible the Seventh Prince was almost disappeared due to Marquess Qin’s illness!

Jiang Yashuang also knew that. He reached out and touched his wife’s hair. He said in a soft voice, “I know. I have already begun to make arrangements!”

Hearing that, Qiu Yelan was stunned. She didn’t ask him about his arrangements. Instead, she said, “I have an idea!”

“Um?”

“The rumor is that the grandfather is seriously ill. Because he hasn’t been seen recently, right?” Qiu Yelan nestled into his arms voluntarily. She tapped on his chest coquettishly and said in a soft voice, “Then find a proper reason! For example, family business?”

Jiang Yashuang lifted his eyebrows and put his arms around her waist. He said with a faint smile, “Yadan already has a bad reputation outside. Do you still not want to let him off the hook?”

As smart as him, he knew Qiu Yelan’s agenda the moment he heard the words “family business”. Her plan was to tie the mess of Jiang Yadan’s harem to Marquess Qin’s absence. Jiang Tianchi and his wife weren’t in the city. Madame Tao was a step-grandmother. It was inconvenient for her to force her grandson. However, Jiang Yadan’s wife who he detested was Madame Tao’s grandniece!

It was said that an honest official could hardly judge a family affair. Even Marquess Qin was very scheming, he still needed a few days to think about it considering that he was caught between his wife and his grandson. Qiu Yelan’s train of thought wasn’t hard to guess. Her purpose was obvious that she wanted to secure Madame Tao Junior’s position.

After all, Madame Tao Junior had a good reputation and was born in a famous family. Although now few people dared to mention that Tao Yinsong promoted Marquess Qin back then, it didn’t mean that others didn’t remember it. If this thing didn’t become a big deal, then it was okay. But if it did and Madame Tao Junior had no specific charges, Marquess Qin would protect her for sure! After all, it was not a difficult thing for Marquess Qin to do!

“Just because he has a bad reputation. What does it matter if it’s a little worse? Expose this thing and let the world know what Jiang Yadan and An are like. We may be able to eliminate future trouble once and for all!”

Qiu Yelan criticized inwardly. But she said with a coquettish voice, “I don’t have a problem with Yadan! But just think about it. If doing so can take some pressure off aunt and eldest uncle while they are in the Imperial Court, isn’t it a good thing? I heard from aunt’s maid that aunt hasn’t been able to sleep for four hours a day recently. She lost a lot of weight because of it. And she gave His Majesty who went to her to ask rankings for concubines a good scolding today because she was upset. Maid Lin could hardly persuade her. It’s said that His Majesty had tears on his face when he left. It’s really…”

Jiang Yashuang was used to her aunt being bossy and doughty. But he still felt troubled after hearing that she scolded His Majesty until he cried, “Other than having a weak temperament, His Majesty is well behaved. Aunt really went too far by doing that. Moreover, when the officials hear about it, even if they don’t say anything, they will like aunt less because of it!”

It was said that all beings grieved for their fellow beings. This was an age of male superiority after all. Empress and Empress Dowager fighting for power already made a lot of officials feel that women usurped men’s power. And the emperor was being bullied like a doormat. How could the male officials have a good impression of Empress when they found out about it? Even the core members of Empress’s party, including Jiang Yashuang, wanted Empress to have power over Emperor from a political point of view. But they really didn’t want to see Emperor suffer in Empress’s hand personally.

“Then did you go and persuade aunt?” Jiang Yashuang sighed and asked.

“The maid asked me not to go in when I went there. She said aunt was still angry,” Qiu Yelan thought you were way more important to the Empress than me. Why would I get myself into the mess when the Empress was angry? But it was too pitiless telling Jiang Yashuang like that. She changed her way of speaking, “I was afraid that I might make aunt angrier if I didn’t listen to the maid. So, I went to find Yongfu. I thought that aunt would listen to Princess Yongfu no matter how angry she was… But I didn’t find her. So, I was worried and came to see you.”

Jiang Yashuang lowered his head and kissed her on her forehead. He said with a bitter smile, “Yongfu… that silly girl never cares much about the current political situation. Who knows where she is now!”

Feeling that they were away from the topic, Qiu Yelan brought up the topic again, “About grandfather’s absence recently?”

“It’s inappropriate,” just when Jiang Yashuang shook his head, Qiu Yelan hit him violently, “You only care for Yadan. Don’t you care for eighth sister-in-law? You told me before that she helped grandmother raise you when you were a kid!”

“How could I not help eighth sister-in-law?” Jiang Yashuang sighed, “But have you ever considered it? It seems reasonable. But it doesn’t bear scrutiny. What kind of person grandfather is? The rumor has been spread so widely recently. If he is really fine, how could he not show himself just because he is caught between Yadan and grandmother?”

Qiu Yelan wasn’t willing to give up, “We can let Tao Family pretend to come to our family for an explanation. Badgering with grandfather or something like that?”

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“It also won’t work. Not everyone in our family knows about grandfather’s real condition!” Jiang Yashuang smiled, “Tao Family… what if they reveal that grandfather really has been ill abed recently?”

He lowered his voice, “You know that Tao Family has been on the wane for all these years. Especially, the rank of nobility in Tao Family has reached the last level. But their family has never had a brilliant son! Even they agree to help this time, they may make some demands which grandfather is less willing to grant. For example, the prestige in the Imperial Court. And Jingxu hasn’t married yet!”

“They really consider their daughters as goods. They don’t care for them at all?” Qiu Yelan was angry, “They messed with eighth sister-in-law first. And then they couldn’t marry their daughter into our family. Now they start to think about marrying their granddaughter into our family? They should know that first aunt is always disrespectful to her grandmother. How could she let her grandson marry Tao Family’s daughter? Even if she let it happen, considering how first aunt is, how could she treat her nicely?”

Jiang Yashuang sighed, “So, your way is impossible.”

“Then let’s hear yours,” Qiu Yelan leaned her head on his shoulder with frustration and said in a low voice, “We must help eighth sister-in-law no matter what!”

“You will have to do it,” Jiang Yashuang pinched her cheek and pretended not to hear her last sentence. He said in a soft voice, “If you hadn’t come to see me, I would find a way to see you in two hours.”

Qiu Yelan was surprised, “Me?”

“Your cousin Commandery Princess Ningtai has been seeing Kuang Qingwu in private for a year. Yongfu said that she told you this the day you arrived here?” Jiang Yashuang asked in a gentle tone.

Qiu Yelan was enlightened, “That’s right. But then I met Princess Changping and quarreled with her. So, I forgot…” because Qiu Yelan was estranged from Prince’s Mansion of Xihe now. And she didn’t care about Ningtai. So, she didn’t keep it in mind. She remembered it when Jiang Yashuang reminded her, “Kuang Qingwu seduces Ningtai. We do need to ask for an explanation about it!”

But on a second thought, “In order to patch things with Tang Family, after Changping Princess married Tang Zimo, Empress Dowager Gu married Tang Zimo’s sister to Gu Yan. She could marry two people of different generations. If she knows Kuang Qingwu is seeing Ningtai, she will kill Ningtai and make Princess Changping marry him, right?”

Even word got out that Kuang Qingwu was seeing Ningtai, Empress Dowager Gu definitely wouldn’t care considering that she let her daughter’s sister-in-law be her grandnephew’s wife!

Xingkang Grand Princess marrying Kuang Shihan who had a secret crush on Princess Ruan and had a bastard son Kuang Qingwu was an example!

So, “You want me to expose it and take Ningtai to Jiang Family to stay for a while?” otherwise she wouldn’t live long staying in the Prince’s Mansion of Xihe!

Jiang Yashuang shook his head, “Empress Dowager Gu won’t care too much about it. After all, Commandery Princess Ningtai will just become a member of Kuang Family after marrying Kuang Qingwu! Although Kuang Qingwu is Kuang Shihan’s only son, he is not qualified to be in charge of the Western Army!”

He lifted Qiu Yelan’s chin up with his fingers gently. They looked into each other’s eyes. Qiu Yelan just felt that his look was deep. He seemed to have another agenda, “Kuang Shihan’s biggest worry is not his only son marrying the wrong person. It’s… your brother!”

“You want to expose my brother’s origin? How could you!” Qiu Yelan was greatly frightened. She flapped his hand away and said in a serious tone, “I would never agree!”

“Brother asked me to find a nice guy for Cousin Ruan last year. He plans to let Cousin Ruan marry again after their mourning periods are over at the end of this year!” Jiang Yashuang looked at her and said quietly, “After the spring festival, brother will find a job in the Western Army and go to the west…”

Qiu Yelan’s face went pale instantly, “Is he crazy?” she grabbed his sleeve tightly, “What about you? Didn’t you try to stop him?”

“Don’t you know brother’s temper?” Jiang Yashuang exhaled, “If there is anyone who could stop him from doing it, it has to be you. Not me. So, I said that you had to do it!”

Qiu Yelan thought about it, “So what you said doesn’t mean that I should seek justice for Ningtai? Then if I convince my brother not to reveal his origin, what do you plan to do about grandfather’s situation?”

“The Duke of Puyang Xiao Su is sure of playing the martyr. And it can be traced back to Duke of Guangyang’s son Gu Yan. Of course, the reason is that the Duke of Puyang’s villa is close to Marquess Zhang’s villa. His servant accidentally found out that Commandery Princess Ningtai was seeing Kuang Qingwu!’ Jiang Yashuang said calmly, “Trying to kill a prince with a different surname. This kind of charge should make Empress Dowager’s party worry for a while… It should give grandfather enough time!”

Qiu Yelan nodded slightly, “I haven’t seen Princess Yongfu these few days. It turns out she…”

“Xiao Su demanded it himself,” Jiang Yashuang took a look at her, “You have met Xiao Su before. Did you forget that he was handsome and although he was a man, he had a vulnerable vibe because of his illness?”

“Do you mean that Gu Yan did something to him?” Qiu Yelan was stupefied!

Jiang Yashuang shook his head, “Duanrou happened to pass by with others at that moment. So, he didn’t suffer heavy losses. But he was frightened… Then old Princess Qin asked for aunt’s permission. Aunt allowed him to bring a few people with him and never leave his side even inside the palace. However, Xiao Su never forgot the humiliation!”

Of course. As a man, it was frustrated enough getting molested by another man. Let alone Xiao Su was a hereditary Prince. Although Gu Yan was a Young Prince, the Prince’s Mansion of Guangyang who got their title after Empress Dowager Gu gained power was like a nouveau riche in the eyes of the old families which got their titles since the founding!

For a straight guy, the only thing that would be worse than getting molested by another man might be getting molested by a man who he despised.

“Gu Yan really has a death wish!” Qiu Yelan sighed with emotion. But then her hair stood on end. She grabbed Jiang Yashuang’s sleeve and said seriously, “I think it’s necessary for you to find out what those people who were offended by Yadan are doing now!”

Duke of Guangyang’s son was bad. But there were more people dragging our feet in our family!