As usual, Madame Zhang walked all the wives out on behalf of the third branch.

When she opened the door, she saw Jiang Yashuang waiting under the stairs like that from a couple of days ago.

Because it was snowing, he had an umbrella. He didn’t ask Jiang Tan to hold it but held it by himself. Jiang Tan stood in the near distance, wearing a raincoat. Both of them were tall men. In the snow, the way they stood reminded people of all the fine and elegant trees described in the books.

It was already dark. The lanterns that hanged in front of the door of the third branch looked vague in the snow and wind. Under the dim light, Jiang Yashuang who heard the noise turned around. His face was like fine jade. His eyebrows were dark like ink and his eyes were shining like stars. When he smiled, his face lit up and made the red plum blossoming in the near distance look dark.

Such a handsome husband was also so considerate.

Madame Zhang and others were envious and jealous. They complained in a somewhat joking tone, “You’re here to pick up again? Are you afraid that we’re going to hurt Qiu Yelan?”

Jiang Yashuang greeted the sisters-in-law with a smile and then supported his wife who was hurrying down the stairs. He then said with a smile, “Of course not. Grandfather just called me in. I passed here when coming back. I guessed you guys had finished your work, so I waited here for a while.”

None of them believed him, “You come here every day. Do you think we don’t know? No need to find excuses! We’re fine with you picking her up!”

Madame Zhuang Junior made fun of him, “They are embarrassed. That’s why they find the excuses!”

“Grandfather really called me in. If you don’t believe it, ask the guards!” Jiang Yashuang pointed at the guards standing by the sides. They didn’t look at him and all kept a straight face. None of them attempted to corroborate his story. Madame Zhang and others laughed louder, “We see you here every day anyway!”

“You come here, rain or shine. Who can compare to you?”

“He uses grandfather as excuses? We shouldn’t make fun of him anymore. In case he really gets angry. Haha!”

Qiu Yelan felt sweet. With her personality, if she was not pretending, she really didn’t care about this kind of joke. She didn’t think she needed to be shy, so she wasn’t even blushing. She stood by the side and listened to Jiang Yashuang explaining. Soon he realized even though he was good at words, it was very unwise to fight with a group of sisters-in-law.

So he quickly decided to give up, “It’s getting late. Let’s not waste more of their time to go back!”

And then he saluted, dragged Qiu Yelan with him, and left!

After some distance, they could still hear the laughter in front of the door of the third branch. Seeing her husband walking quickly, Qiu Yelan couldn’t help but laugh, “If you’re afraid of them to make fun of you, you don’t need to come. We’re at home. It’s just a short walk!”

“Isn’t it because of you?” Jiang Yashuang squeezed her hand and said, “You won’t take the sedan and must walk. It’s snowing and windy. Even though there are hallways in most of the places, but there are also some dirt roads. When you come in the morning, the sun is up. It’s fine. But when you are back, it’s already dark. The lantern is not bright enough. If I don’t come to get you, what if you fall?”

“I’m home all day long and can’t go anywhere. If I take the sedan to the third branch, my bones would get rusty!” Qiu Yelan smiled and leaned a bit on him, “Ok, ok, I know you’re worried about me! I’ll cook some dishes for you when we get back. What do you want to eat?”

Jiang Yashuang looked at her gently. He thought for a while and shook his head, “You’re so busy recently. You should get some rest when you go back. Don’t get too tired. We can talk about that after these busy days.”

They went back to their residence sweetly and had dinner sweetly. When they finished washing up and got back to the inner chamber, they also did some sweet things after getting into bed. Afterward, Qiu Yelan lied in her husband’s arms lazily and begged to stop. Jiang Yashuang then let her go reluctantly.

They were young and energetic. After doing it, they were not tired. They naturally started to talk.

After flirting for a while, Qiu Yelan remembered the joke Madame Zhuang Junior told. She was still uneased. Thinking about it, she tried to mention it to her husband, “I heard the eleventh sister-in-law mentioning that three Premiers are trying to find the real criminal and they are checking everything. They even asked why Empress Dowager Ye asked for an extra basket of eggs last December.”

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“That’s true.” Jiang Yashuang was a man after all and the one who had all the attention of Marquess Qin and Empress Jiang. He knew more than Madame Zhuang Junior. It was not something that he couldn’t tell his wife. Since Jiang Yahong told Madame Zhuang Junior and now Qiu Yelan asked, he didn’t hide anything and said all about it, “Empress Dowager Ye is really having a very tough life these years. Even though Empress Dowager Gu doesn’t really want to kill her now, she’s still remaining careful just in case. For the things she gets, she takes what my aunt gives her and never asks for more. I remember some years ago, the servants were corrupted and did something shady in secret. She didn’t eat for a few days and she didn’t say anything. The ones who served her couldn’t stand it anymore and told my aunt in Beique Hall, so she knew about that. This time she suddenly asked for something. This is the first time. It’s a special time, so the Premiers naturally asked.”

Seeing her wife biting her lips as if she had been thinking hard, he was surprised and asked, “What? You think there’s something wrong with this?”

“No!” Qiu Yelan immediately denied, “I just remembered the eleventh sister-in-law saying that Empress Dowager Ye was old and it was not strange that she wanted to eat something soft. Yet the three Premiers asked her like this. As you said, she doesn’t like to bother others. Now she probably doesn’t even dare to ask for eggs. She was the second Empress of the former Emperor. She used to be in charge of the harem. Empress Dowager Gu needed to salute her when seeing her. Now, this is what she ends up with… It’s just…”

“That’s life.” Jiang Yashuang smiled faintly. He looked down and kissed her forehead, “Now our family is rich and powerful. Once we lose it, the Dou Family will be our example. So, no matter using what means, I will help the elders to keep this power so that the things and people I love will not be stepped on by others!”

Qiu Yelan leaned on his chest and smiled, “Keep fighting!”

She slighted over Jiang Yashuang this night. The next morning, Jiang Yashuang left early as usual. He went to serve Marquess Qin in the study. He was also there to listen to how Marquess Qin dealt with affairs and people.

After tidying up, Qiu Yelan saw there was still some time left before going to the third branch. She dazed for a while and asked Su He who was looking at her worriedly, “Ask Mrs. Li to make red date cakes at noon. Make some more and give them to all the branches and families.”

Su He counted and was surprised, “That’s a lot!” She reconfirmed, “All branches are fine. But all families… Which families?”

“Cousin Ruan and uncle Zhuang. Also Sir Jibei’s Mansion.” Qiu Yelan rubbed in between her eyebrows, “Also Prince’s Mansion of Xihe… Then Xin Family, Chunfu Princess’s Mansion, and Prince Qiyang’s Mansion. Oh, also uncle Lian!”

She didn’t care about the maiden families of her sisters-in-law. Her target was Prince Qiyang’s Mansion anyway.

Therefore, after Su He went to ask Mrs. Li to prepare the cakes, she called Xiaran and told her quietly, “Prince Qiyang and his wife are not very healthy. Duanrou is very filial. She used to ask me how to cook in the Summer Palace. I was busy and didn’t have time to teach her. This time you go to give the cakes to Prince Qiyang’s Mansion. Tell her I know how to cook some in-season dishes that are good for health. Try to get her to come! As soon as possible!”

Xiaran nodded, “I’ll make sure of that!”

This was Xiaran’s merit. She knew what to ask and what not to. If it was Su He, she would ask everything. Su He was originally also very obedient. Qiu Yelan spoiled her. Now if she wanted to do something that she didn’t want to explain, she had to send Su He away.

“Maybe I should help her find a husband and get married!” Qiu Yelan couldn’t help but think, but, “I feel so reluctant… She’s so pretty and cute. She has been with me for so long. Now someone else will get her… I finally understand how people feel when marrying their daughters!”

Thinking about marrying daughters, she thought about Jiang Qizheng. She wanted to visit Chunfu Princess’s Mansion the other day, yet Madame Tao stopped her.

Madame Tao explained, “There are only Zheng’er and her husband in the mansion. You’re a woman. He will not welcome you when you go. He has to avoid you. Zheng’er has just hurt her foot and she still has to host you. You’re not visiting. You’re causing trouble. I have already sent people over for visit and showed our attitude. You don’t need to worry about this!”

Qiu Yelan hoped that the person Madame Tao sent over didn’t notice anything wrong, and she blamed herself for not thinking through it. She had to excuse herself embarrassedly…

“So much trouble!” She shook her head and lied on the desk weakly, “Ok, so what to do with this? Empress Dowager Ye… Eggs… Three Premiers… How can they not have any instincts if they could get to this position? It looks ridiculous but they may be right! But… maybe they don’t know this common knowledge?”

Even though Qiu Yelan suspected that she had hit the sweet spot of the poisoning story, she didn’t feel like telling Jiang Yashuang or anyone in the Jiang Family. Because in her mind Empress Dowager Ye would be relevant!

She never met Empress Dowager Ye. But since knowing the incident of poison Youmianxiang, she felt that this bloodline had it rough. Empress Dowager Ye, Prince Qiyang and his wife, Chu Chunxiao… They were such a miserable family!

If Empress Dowager Ye was involved in killing the Emperor, the Jiang Family would get rid of her in secret to prevent Empress Dowager’s party from blaming it on the Jiang Family instead of handing her over. No matter how many years she was protected by the Jiang Family. In case that she would target Empress Jiang someday!

“Chu Chunxiao should be fine. After all, Empress Jiang needs her to marry Xiao Su…” Qiu Yelan rubbed her forehead annoyingly, “But it’s harder to tell for Prince Qiyang and his wife. Prince Qiyang is dumb, but the Jiang Family had done too many bad things. They won’t spare him just because he’s dumb. Even though Princess Qiyang is from the Jiang Family, the Jiang Family did marry her to Prince Qiyang. Even though it was the plot of Madame Dou, they did marry her over. So the Jiang Family really doesn’t care about this daughter! Empress Dowager Ye had been hanging on for so many years. She must have some plan. But as for poisoning the Emperor this time, it looks like she did this because she was backed into a corner because of Chu Chunxiao’s marriage!”

Thus, personally speaking, Qiu Yelan didn’t want to expose this Empress Dowager.

But she had to think for herself. What did Empress Dowager Ye want to do? Did she have any other plan? What kind of damage would she do to the Jiang Family and the Empress’s party?

It was impossible for Qiu Yelan to become the next Dou Family just because she pitied Empress Dowager Ye. That was why she wanted Xiaran to get Chu Chunxiao over. She didn’t have time to visit Prince Qiyang’s Mansion. She could only wait for Chu Chunxiao to come. She was the only one who could see Empress Dowager Ye quite often