Though the news that Madame Zhuang would return to Jing City created a disturbance in the court, she didn’t arrive yet. There were so many things to deal with.

For Qiu Yelan, the rumor which ruined Wang Qingqian’s reputation wasn’t finished yet.

“As you are unwilling to tell me what you have found out in the Governor’s Office, I will not ask you anymore.” Qiu Yelan held a bolster and complained to her husband, “But her reputation should be clarified. Though Zhaoyi Miao and Prince of Wei know she is innocent, it won’t be wonderful if we don’t clarify the issue to the public for her.”

Jiang Yashuang felt strange, “Haven’t I asked the government to clarify it for her?”

“Shall we ask our aunt to reward her something as a kind of comfort?” Qiu Yelan acted coquettishly to him. “I don’t want to extort. But if the future daughter-in-law like her comes across something which will almost ruin her reputation, it will be the best way to refute the rumor to be rewarded by the imperial household.”

“Did our aunt never reward cousin Wang?” Jiang Yashuang felt strange. “As customary, she should have already rewarded her.”

Qiu Yelan hugged him, “If she had done, I wouldn’t have mentioned it.” She felt this was an unlucky sign. No matter Empress Dowager Jiang forgot it or intentionally did it, outsiders would think that Empress Dowager Jian had a bad impression of Wang Qingqian.

For the imperial household, it was acknowledged what would happen to a daughter-in-law if Empress Dowager had a bad impression of her.

Qiu Yelan was kept in the house to nourish the fetus. So, she had no way to enter the Palace. As a result, she could not get the latest news inside. She had no choice but to rely on her husband to say something nice for Wang Qingqian.

Jiang Yashuang frowned, “Tomorrow I will go to ask my aunt.”

He stared at her warily, “When I go to the Palace, you are not allowed to run out! Otherwise, if something like this happens again, I will not help you anymore. I will just stay at home and monitor you!”

“I will follow your order!” Qiu Yelan promised him without hesitation.

“I would be a fool if I believed you.” Seeing her promise so quickly and that what she said was the same as what she did last time without even changing a word, he hummed, “I will send you to my grandmother’s mansion to let her monitor you.”

Qiu Yelan felt funny. She punched him and then said playfully, “Are you treating me as a kid?”

“A kid is not as tricky as you!” Jiang Yashuang flicked her forehead, “Don’t be naughty. It is cold. Though it is spring, the temperature is still low. It is rainy and snowy all the time. If you go out and fall, you won’t even have any time to regret it. Tomorrow wait for me to send you to my grandmother’s place. Do not go anywhere else!”

He did what he said. The next day he sent his wife to pay respects to his grandmother who was in the back hall. He excused, “Lanlan hasn’t come here to give her regards to you for a long time. So, she misses you so much. She says she must have lunch with you today.” He left his wife to Madame Tao to take care of and then went away.

Madame Tao definitely knew what he thought, but she was lonely without any kids accompanying her. When Qiu Yelan came here, she asked maids to take An to have fun with Madame Tao. So, Madame Tao didn’t feel bothered with them.

They didn’t even start to have a chat when a servant came to tell her, “Madame, the eighth Madame wants to visit you!”

Madame Tao was a little surprised, “Why does she come here?” Madame Tao was always attentive but not strict with her stepsons and their wives. As a stepmother, she would be concerned about them. But she would play dumb when it came to disciplining them.

Among those kids, because Jiang Tianxiao was the youngest kid of Marquess Qin, whose biological mother was still alive and still served Marquess Qin to sleep, Madame Qin never disciplined him. As a result, his wife, Huang, never came to greet Madame Tao.

Now hearing that she wanted to visit her, Madame Tao was surprised and then she understood her after thinking. She said to Qiu Yelan, “I believe she comes here because of you!”

Qiu Yelan felt strange, “Why?” She didn’t remember she had anything to do with her.

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“Now the Prefectural Governor in Shazhou is her uncle.” Madame Tao explained to her, which enlightened her at once. Jiang Qizheng was killed in Shazhou. Whether the Prefectural Governor in Shazhou was involved or not, not to mention whether he was aware of it or not, he should take responsibility for what happened in the area he managed!

She figured out the reasons and so she knew why Huang came here. Although Huang was not much older than her, she was still an elder. As an aunt of their misbegotten uncle, she had little reason to go to her nephew’s house. Besides, they had no previous interaction. So, she also couldn’t find a proper person to pass on a message. Of course, it might be that she was afraid of Jiang Yashuang.

She finally left their house to Madame Tao’s place. How could Huang let this chance go?

But Qiu Yelan didn’t want to promise her anything, “I said something for Qiu Feng for the sake of Chunfu Princess several days ago, because of which Yashuang was hard on me. If I promised to intercede for the Prefectural Governor, he would probably get angry. If I were him, I would be angry, too!”

So, she told Madame Tao, “I am just a woman. I dare not to say anything about matters in the court!”

Madame Tao knew she would not promise her. Qiu Yelan did not lack anything and she was not greedy. She was also not afraid of giving offense. Why would she risk breaking up with her husband to help Huang?

Besides, Madame Zhuang was on her way to Jing City. She was not the foolish daughter-in-law. So, she would not intercede for an officer who had to take responsibility for her sister-in-law’s death.

“Go and tell Huang that I am busy. If she doesn’t have anything urgent, ask her to leave.” Madame Tao had put her bet on the fourth branch quite early. After Qiu Yelan expressed clearly that she didn’t want to get involved, Madame Tao decided to help her to stop Huang.

Madame Tao was unwilling to meet Huang and she dared not to break in. So, she left unwillingly.

Qiu Yelan believed this thing came to an end. However, after she was picked up in the afternoon by Jiang Yashuang, she even didn’t have time to ask about what happened in the Palace when Mrs. Zhou came in with a strange expression, “The eighth madame, Huang, asked her maids to send a box of snacks just now. She said these snacks were made by her in the kitchen. She knew that you have a good appetite because of pregnancy. So, she sent some snacks to you.”

That was true. Qiu Yelan had a good appetite indeed. So, ladies in those branches who got along well with her would send some infrequent snacks to her. Jiang Yashuang heard and asked, “Shall we eat immediately or ask the chef to heat it for us?”

“We cannot heat it.” Mrs. Zhou took out a wad of bills. She said reluctantly, “What is put in the box is money.”

Jiang Yashuang was stunned. But he was the government official who was also the key one to cultivate. He didn’t need Qiu Yelan to remind him. His face scowled, “Does she send the money for Huang Si?”

“I don’t know.” Mrs. Zhou had no idea about Huang Si indeed, “I just feel the box is strange. So, I come here to tell you.”

“Thanks a lot!” To the dowry servant of his wife, especially Mrs. Zhou and her granddaughter who suffered a lot with his wife, Jiang Yashuang was polite. At that moment, Jiang Yashuang said, inclining his head in a nod, “Please put the stuff into the box and return it. Tell her the stuff is not suitable for Lanlan. Besides, our chef makes delicacies every day. So Lanlan doesn’t want to eat food made by others.”

Mrs. Zhou obeyed and left. Jiang Yashuang was not in the mood to tell his experience in the Palace. He asked his wife, “Is this her first time to do such a thing?”

“Today when I was in grandma’s place, she came here. Grandma told me her intention. I said I didn’t want to meet her and thus grandma asked her to leave.” Qiu Yelan shrugged, “I didn’t expect that she brought a box of snacks to come here.”

“The previous Prefectural Governor in Shazhou is capable. Otherwise, he could not guard Xijiang with Kuang Shihan in peace for so many years.” Jiang Yashuang looked surly. “After Kuang Shihan was killed, I didn’t approve to replace the old Prefectural Governor. After all, he governed Shazhou for so many years and knew Shazhou well. We should win him over instead of replacing him. However, the Huang Family asked my eighth uncle to persuade my grandfather to replace the Prefectural Governor with Huang Si. If he did a good job, I would remark on nothing. Since he did a bad job, he should get punishment. Otherwise, is it proper for him to take the advancement and avoid a punishment? Why should he be so lucky?”

It was not Jiang Yashuang’s fault that he was so angry. If the previous Prefectural Governor hadn’t been replaced by Huang Si, under the deep-rooted power in Shazhou, perhaps he could have prevented Jiang Qizheng from tragedy.

Qiu Yelan was surprised, “Do you mean that Huang Si’s position, the Prefectural Governor, was asked by the Huang Family? They even drove the former Prefectural Governor away, didn’t they? Does the Huang Family know about the competence in the Western Army? Which side does our eighth uncle take?”

Jiang Yashuang hummed, “He wants to please the two sides so that he can benefit from the competition. Now he wants to beg for mercy. He is an elder. So, I don’t want to judge him. My mother will come back soon. Let him explain to my mother.”

Though he had no impression of his mother, he still expected her to come back, “It is said that my mother is fierce. I am wondering what she will do for the justice of my sister’s death.”

Qiu Yelan was about to answer him but Jiang Yashuang got upset, “It is a pity that my mother never stayed in Jing City before. Otherwise, my sister would have her mother to talk with. She might not leave my nephew and go on the long journey because of Xing’s instigation. Now that kid even doesn’t have a name, while he has lost his mother already.”

“Though it has been several days, possibly they are fine. We haven’t received any message yet.” Qiu Yelan didn’t believe what she said. But she didn’t know she told the truth.

They were silent for a while and then Qiu Yelan tried to ask her husband about the situation in the Palace.

Jiang Yashuang said calmly, “There are so many issues to handle these days. My aunt forgets it. Now the empress’s decree may have been sent to Lian Family.”

He continued, “When I was about to leave there, I met Emperor. He asked me about Wang Qingqian and told the Lian Family to relieve. People in the imperial household are clear about it. So, they won’t let her be wronged.”

Qiu Yelan was not familiar with Emperor. So, she had no interest in him. She didn’t continue to ask and only said, “Fine.”

They were talking when the servants came in and said, “Madame Shi and Madame He comes here. They say they have something to tell master and madam.”

The couple was stunned. Soon they woke up and looked at each other, “Do they come here for our cousin?”

“I think they want to explain.” Jiang Yashuang said dispiritedly, “I am tired. I don’t want to meet them. Do you want to talk with them by yourself?”

What did it matter? Qiu Yelan was more worried about her health. She touched his forehead and said anxiously, “Are you exhausted?”

“Nope.” Jiang Yashuang looked at the Flower Hall significantly, “I just don’t want to meet them.”

He paused and then said, “If they want to explain, you can handle it. I don’t want to go out. I don’t want to answer anything.”

Qiu Yelan perceived that he wanted to do something by taking advantage of this thing. So, he didn’t want to meet Madame Shi and He Shuijin. But it was not a proper time to ask him. So, she nodded and went out.

Jiang Yashuang had a deep thought for a while in the room. He stood up and walked into the study. He took out a paper which was made in special material from a secret compartment. He started to write seriously…