Even though Jiang Yashuang was dubious, he quickly thought about it and decided not to expose her. After all, Qiu Yelan came to distract him herself, blocking his view to let Su He hide the paper bag. Clearly, his wife didn’t want him to know about it. If he exposed her on sight, she may get angry. In the end, no matter whether he learned the truth or not, he would hurt their relationship.

So he pretended not to notice what Su He did. He allowed her to leave and sat back on the bed holding Qiu Yelan’s hand. Jiang Yashuang smiled and said, “Nothing. My aunt was played by Empress Dowager. She thought Jiang Yadan went into the Princess’s bedroom. She called me over hurriedly to discuss how to deal with it. Yet in the end, she helped Gu Yan.”

Qiu Yelan glanced at him, “If it was Gu Yan, how come Jiang Tan said it was your perfume bag that the maids of the Princess picked up?”

“Empress Dowager Gu made my aunt believe it was Jiang Yadan who did it. Jiang Qiyun’s incident was huge trouble for our family, even you were implicated.” Jiang Yashuang didn’t want his wife to have grudges with the elders. He sweet-talked for Qiu Yelan in front of the Empress and Madame Tao. Now he also wouldn’t give her the chance to blame the elders, so he said, “My aunt thought for a long time and couldn’t come up with a nice plan. So I said she could just say it was my perfume bag. It doesn’t have a name on it anyway. With your look, no one will think I covet the Princess.”

“What was the result then?” Qiu Yelan was dubious and asked, “Everything was solved?”

“The maids of Princess Lexin were killed. So this has passed.” Jiang Yashuang sneered, “After all, it’s not something appropriate. No one is gaining anything if nobody lets it go. I’m a man so I have certain advantages. As long as you don’t doubt me, they can say everything they want outside. Who can do anything to me?”

Qiu Yelan snorted, “I will doubt you. Tell me now, what bad things have you done since you went to the Palace?”

Jiang Yashuang laughed. He held her in his arms and said, “I beat up Gu Yan for you! Do you still remember?”

“So what you did for me is a bad thing?” Qiu Yelan pushed him and also laughed, “Are you trying to get beat up yourself?”

After joking around, the atmosphere lightened up in the room.

They were being a happy couple here, yet in the Green Villa, Qiu Jinglan and Ruan Ciyi were frowning at the paper bag that Su He just delivered. The bag was opened. What was inside was normal, just a piece of lotus root starch osmanthus sugar cake.

“Since He Shuijin was pregnant, Madame He has been sending her this osmanthus cake?” Qiu Jinglan looked carefully at the cake for a while and asked Su He.

Su He had her hands down and said, “Not only osmanthus cake. The fourteenth madame told the Commandery Princess that since she was found pregnant, Madame He brought her cakes every day. She changed the type frequently. For example, the day before yesterday, she had almond tofu; before that was red-date cakes… Madame Shi and Madame Zhang are all quite jealous. But these days, the fourteenth madame had not been feeling well. She even checked the kitchen thoroughly for this but found nothing. The only thing she could think of was these cakes from Madame He that she can’t check.”

Su He paused, seeing Qiu Jinglan and Ruan Ciyi being silent, she continued, “The Commandery Princess thought that someone is using Madame He to hurt the fourteenth madame. But it seems that the fourteenth madame is actually suspecting Madame He. This is unbelievable!”

Indeed, Madame He was not only the mother-in-law of He Shuijin but her own aunt. He Shuijin’s husband, Jiang Yaheng, was also the son of Madame He. No one would suspect that Madame He was plotting to hurt her own daughter-in-law and grandchild.

“She can easily do it just because of that.” But Qiu Jinglan was worldly and Ruan Ciyi had seen many dirty things in the backyard. They were not surprised, “Even if she is caught, she can just blame it on some servant and get away with it!”

“I guess the fourteenth madame tried her best to hide this piece of cake.” Ruan Ciyi sneered, “There’s definitely something wrong with this cake!”

Qiu Jinglan thought for a while and asked Su He, “Did my sister say anything when she asked you to bring this cake over?”

“Commandery Princess didn’t want to handle this, but the fourteenth madame was begging her. And she thought if Madame He actually wanted to hurt her own niece, daughter-in-law, and the grandchild in her mother’s belly, then she is too scary. Commandery Princess wanted to take care of Madame He before something happens to her!” Su He said honestly, “So she wanted young master and Lady Ciyi to help and have someone look into this in secret. Please hide this from the Jiang Family!”

Ruan Ciyi looked at Qiu Jinglan, “This fourteenth madame is clever. She and Madame He have the same maiden family, so she can’t ask them to look into this. If Madame He finds out, she will be in trouble! If she is still taking care of the family matters, she may have other means. But now she is just resting and bearing the child. She can’t even go in or out easily. It’s not so easy for her to find someone trustworthy to help.”

“She asked my sister for help because we don’t have any grudges with He Family and the third branch of Jiang Family. If we find out there’s something wrong with this cake, we won’t go public, risking becoming enemies with He Family and Jiang Family. We will only tell her to let her handle it. I’m afraid that’s what she wants.” Qiu Jinglan sneered, “Otherwise, Madame Tao will be willing to help her with that. But then she won’t be able to control it.”

Ruan Ciyi snorted, “If this kind of treacherous act is discovered, let alone Madame He, He Family will be disgraced! But then, why would Madame He do this to her own daughter-in-law? She is an elder, even if there’s something wrong with He Shuijin, it’s not hard to discipline her! And I don’t think the fourteenth madame will offend Madame He. She is clever. Why will she make this kind of mistake?”

Qiu Jinglan said, “Yelan didn’t even figure this out. How will we know?”

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He frowned and said, “But this Madame He is vicious. Her own niece and grandchild couldn’t stop her. This kind of person should be eliminated sooner than later!”

He then asked Ruan Yi to take the cake to someone trustworthy.

While the losers of Jiang Family were fighting to drag their family down, Empress Dowager Gu was also having a hard time.

“Gu Yan, are you crazy?!” Empress Dowager had a straight face and was scolding Gu Yan who was kneeling underneath, “You like beautiful young men and boys. I looked the other way for that. Now you want a Prince! That’s my grandchild! Do you think my Princes and Princesses are just yours because I can’t live without your Prince’s Mansion of Guangyang?”

Empress Dowager got more furious while talking. She took the fruit bowl by her hand and smashed it on Gu Yan’s face!

“Please calm down!” Even though this hall was spacious and there was some distance between Empress Dowager’s seat and Gu Yan, and Empress Dowager Gu was also old and losing strength and aim, when a bowl of fruit went down, Gu Yan was still hit hard. He wanted to avoid it but he didn’t dare to. He could only beg, “I didn’t think straight!”

He then said in injured tones, “How dare I offend a Prince? It was the Tenth Prince… He approached me…”

“Shut up!” Empress Dowager Gu was furious. She stood up quickly, pointing at him, and said coldly, “You insulted a lot of good boys outside, even your cousin Yi! I’ve turned a blind eye all these years and now you dare to slander a Prince?! Do you think I don’t know what you are?! How old is the Tenth Prince this year? And he knows how to seduce you?! Do you think I live in a Palace or a brothel?”

Empress Dowager wanted to puke blood. The Tenth Prince and Princess Lexin were not Empress Jiang’s children. The things she would consider were not to implicate herself and not to lose the dignity of Tian Family, which may make her seem useless.

But for Empress Dowager Gu, they were all her blood!

Even though Empress Dowager Gu forced her son to be a puppet, she still treated her grandchildren well. Who could tolerate her children to be played with, even if they were the children she didn’t pay much attention to?!

If she were not remembering how her brother begged her to look after his children before he died, Empress Dowager Gu would kill Gu Yan, “I treat Gu Family well. But don’t forget, I get to be in charge, not because of Gu Family, but the Emperor! I took his power but that doesn’t mean you get to humiliate his bloodline! Do you understand that? If you don’t…”

Gu Yan was scared by Empress Dowager’s look. He kowtowed with all his strength, “I know I’m wrong now! I won’t do it again!”

“Get lost!” Empress Dowager Gu shouted angrily, “You’re not allowed to enter the Palace unless there’s an emergency!!”

After kicking Gu Yan out, Empress Dowager was still angry. She then called Maid Zheng in, “Go to the gate of the Palace and tell them Gu Yan is not allowed to enter unless summoned! If he dares to sneak in and I find out who let him in, I will kill all his family!!”

Maid Zheng answered, trembling with fear. Empress Dowager Gu was still furious and said, “Have someone look into Boshi’s other children. Even though Gu Yan is the eldest legitimate son, his brothers are still Boshi’s blood!”

Boshi was Duke of Guangyang, Gu Shuo’s courtesy name. Hearing that, Maid Zheng knew Empress Dowager was going to change the Young Prince of Duke of Guangyang. She knew Empress Dowager was angry right now and it wouldn’t look good to say something nice for Gu Yan. But she had to say it, “I know you feel sorry for Princess Lexin and the Tenth Prince. I shouldn’t say anything, but deposing the Young Prince needs to go through the government. What will be the excuse?”

Empress Dowager finally used Jiang Yadan to plot against Empress Jiang. It would be wise to cover this up! Why would she bring this up again when things had quietened down?

Even if she didn’t use this excuse, the charge that could depose a Young Prince who had been titled for many years would give Empress Jiang a chance for more drama.

Empress Dowager Gu had been in power for many years. Hearing this, she went silent for a while and sighed, “Just let him go this time…”

She paused and said, “Next time when Shou’an comes, tell her I hate Gu Yan and wants to change a Young Prince.”

This would be a warning to let the Prince’s Mansion of Guangyang know that they still couldn’t see Empress Dowager Gu’s children as nothing even though they were well-treated!

Maid Zheng answered respectfully. She was happy, “Even if Princess Shou’an guesses that Empress Dowager is just warning them but hasn’t made the decision, she won’t dare to slight! Then she’ll treat me better! This would be a great chance to get more money!”

At this moment, a servant came in and said, “The reason why Commandery Princess Ningtai died has been found out!”

Empress Dowager Gu snorted and said, “Say it!”