Chapter 333 Provocation? Why Couldn’t We Do It?
The bad news from Xijiang was good news for Qiu Yelan because Qiu Jinglan’s injury was cured and he could go to battle. The life of the Kuang family was coming to an end. She was relaxed, so she was overjoyed for several days. She was so happy that she gave all the people in her yard an extra month’s payment.
But Jiang Yashuang reminded that, “Do you forget that your brother is not only for revenge.” She realized suddenly, “Do you mean the Western Army?”
“Although brother’s revenge is quite dangerous this time, the whole plan is going very well,” Jiang Yashuang didn’t look good. He seldom had a poke face in front of his wife. Now this situation was difficult. “What Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi said in front of grandfather was that the Qiu family and the Ruan family have profound backgrounds. But if we don’t take any action to get rid of your brother, the Western Arm will not be able to be tamed!”
“What do you mean?” Qiu Yelan almost jumped up with anger!
Jiang Yashuang quickly grabbed her with his hand and yelled, “Quiet! Others who are close to Jiang Tianao told me this privately. Now my grandfather hasn’t agreed yet, but if they know you know it, my grandfather will have to do it.”
If Qiu Jinglan knew that Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi suggested that it was better to kill him, he wouldn’t retaliate against them, would he? At that time, Marquess Qin had to kill him first for the safety of his nephew and son!
“You could know the news because Jiang Tianao failed to persuade Marquess Qin and told you on purpose. He wanted to let me know and then let my brother know, so your grandfather would kill my brother, right?” Qiu Yelan thought for a moment and understood. The anger in her heart was indescribable and she asked coldly, “What are you going to do? You have said that my brother is in charge of the Western Arm, which is best for the fourth branch and us! The purpose of Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi was to prevent us from becoming too powerful!”
Provocation? Why Couldn’t We Do It?
Although she knew that Jiang Yashuang was unhappy about Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi, she didn’t mind wrecking their relationship again. Qiu Yelan said with a sneer, “In the past few years, all of them stared at our fourth branch with jealousy and thought we took the biggest advantage of the Northern Army! These bad people deserve it! Although our father is the Great General of North, it is so hard for him! He suffered for many years. He took that position because he defended the frontier for decades and went through trials and hardships!”
“We even need to bear the pain of family separation over the years. Since I married you, I haven’t met Aunt Weng yet. Besides, none of Jiang Yadan’s daughters and sons have met grandfather and grandmother. Except for Jiang Yadan, Jiang Yazhu, Jiang Qizheng and you, who else remembered the appearance of father and mother? Jiang Yadan may have a little bit of memory, but is it all blurred?”
Qiu Yelan gritted her teeth and said, “No fruit will be reaped without hard work! Those people are daydreaming. They need them to endure hardships, but they stay in Jing City to enjoy the prosperity! When they want to gain the power, they yearn for that in other people’s hands. Ahh! Do we owe them?”
“Father and mother understand it!” Jiang Yashuang shook his head and signaled his wife to be calm. “Grandfather is old and my uncles are at odds with each other. It is inevitable that they have their own plans! Although we have the Northern Army, it is also the disadvantage for us because father is in charge of the Northern Army outside Jing City. Mother went outside with father. My brother doesn’t care about power and my grandfather doesn’t think highly of Jiang Yazhu. We need to take responsibility!”
Seeing him calm down, Qiu Yelan also calmed down and said, “In that case, I want to visit Madame Sun of the Xue Family tomorrow. Can you ask grandmother to let me go?”
Did Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi think that they could decide Qiu Jinglan’s life because of the Jiang family’s help this time? His biggest support wasn’t from the Jiang family but the chancellor Xue Chang!
Although Xue Chang had no army, the Empress’ party wouldn’t dare to be impolite towards him. It could be seen from this political selection in the East Palace. Xue Chang’s grandson, Xue Nongying, was seriously injured two years ago. He was a Xiucai, one who pa.s.sed the imperial examination at the county level at that time. He had to take the provincial examination, imperial examination in spring, and the Palace examination one after another before he officially entered the official career!
Although Xue Chang was physically strong, he could shelter his grandson for many years after he formally became an official. If he wanted to shelter his grandson, in addition to finding a good father-in-law for Xue Nongying, he needed to cultivate more students to help Xue Nongying in the future!
Qiu Jinglan was Xue Chang’s most proud student.
If anyone wanted to destroy Qiu Jinglan, Xue Chang wouldn’t be willing to let it go! Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi were no exception.
“I’m afraid that it was because Marquess Qin took Xue Chang into consideration that he rejected Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi’s proposal!” Qiu Yelan gritted her teeth and decided to take all measures to gain the favor of the Xue family!
Jiang Yashuang agreed with her that they could use Xue Chang to put pressure on Marquess Qin and keep Qiu Jinglan safe, “If you don’t say, I will still remind you of it. At that time, we wanted to deceive Empress Dowager Gu, so we didn’t often visit them in the past. Now you don’t have to think too much and you should visit the Xue family more frequently on behalf of your brother!”
It was an implicit reminder. “After all, your brother hasn’t married yet, so he can only rely on you to mediate the relationship between the family members.”
“Who is Xue Nongqing? Although Xue Fangmi messed up everything, the situation changed. It doesn’t matter to marry Xue Nongqing now,” Qiu Yelan knew what her husband meant and pondered. “Xue Nongqing is high in favor with her parents and elder brothers. If my brother marries her, the Xue family will work hard. The background of Xue family is really good. The problem is that Xue Nongqing is too kind and has a good temper!”
Even with the support of the Jiang family’s fourth branch and Xue Chang, the pressure that Qiu Jinglan would face in the struggle of taking charge of the Western Army was dangerous. Girls like Xue Nongqing who was too kind and gentle were not suitable for this.
Jiang Yashuang didn’t think so. He said, “Your brother is doubtful. If our sister-in-law has a deep mind in the future, won’t your brother be worried?”
That was true. After all, he grew up in an organization of “Tianya”, which was a killer organization. It would be destroyed soon without the help of Prince’s Mansion of Xihe. According to this, Qiu Jinglan’s wife really couldn’t be too smart, otherwise, he would be suspicious even if she was his wife.
“Xue Nongqing was absolutely not smart but kind. My brother sought revenge for the smallest grievance though, he would fight back unless there was a greater advantage to endure it. However, Xue Nongqing would repay your grievances with virtue. Are they suitable?”
Based on Qiu Yelan’s understanding of her brother, he wouldn’t be touched by a pure and innocent heart. He wouldn’t start a true love because of the kind and beautiful character. He would only be glad that there was no such a foolish sister in his family to make him angry.
“Xue Nongqing was not suitable for my brother. Ou Qinglan may be better!”
Qiu Dilan frowned and said, “Let my brother decide this matter by himself. I’ll be close with the Xue family first.”
Anyway, she was the one who saved Xue Nongying. Even if Qiu Jinglan didn’t marry Xue Nongqing, the Xue family would not refuse her visit.
The next day she sent the visiting letter to the Xue Mansion. When she went there on the third day, Madam Sun took her daughter to welcome her at the entrance with great enthusiasm, “I have heard that the Jiang family is busy these days, so I don’t bother you, Your Grace. I wanted to ask Qing’er to visit you after New Year, your Grace!”
“You are so polite. I even won’t dare to come again.” Qiu Yelan came close to her, so she refused to let Madam Sun use the polite words and hurriedly stopped her, “You can treat me as a junior. I am no older than Miss Nongqing. You needn’t to be so polite to me!”
Madam Sun had Xue Nongying, her only son, so she was good to his son’s savior. Now she smiled deeper because of Qiu Yelan’s words, “Let me call you Miss Yelan. You become more beautiful over these days. Your visiting makes our garden more brilliant!”
Qiu Yelan was very satisfied that she called herself “Your Grace” instead of Mrs. Jiang at first. This showed that she was Qiu Jinglan’s younger sister, which was more important than the t.i.tle of grandson’s wife of the Jiang family.
The Xue family was shocked about her sudden visit. They guessed her visit was for the Jiang family, so they used this t.i.tle to give a hint Qiu Yelan’s brother and their family were close. Don’t harm them because of her husband!
They exchanged greetings and entered the room. Xue Nongying willingly came over to thank her after hearing the news. He was in a coma after being injured. When he woke up, he had been in the Xue family. At that time, Xue Chang’s relationship with the Empress’ party and Qiu Jinglan was a secret. Therefore, he couldn’t thank Qiu Yelan for his life-saving grace in person, but this time he could take the chance to make up for it.
Naturally, Qiu Yelan refused to accept his full courtesy. After a long while, she reluctantly accepted it and returned him half courtesy as a peer. After this set of etiquette, she asked something about Xue Nongying’s health. Madam Sun smiled and said with a bit insincere, “He is good now. I only have a son, so I spoil him. Let him continue to have a rest. He is still too young for the imperial examinations. Take his time by himself.”
After having lunch at the Xue family, Xue Nongqing volunteered to take Qiu Yelan to visit the garden. She said secretly, “My brother can act as usual. However, his injury is too bad, so he gets tired so easily! We send him to study, but he became dizzy after studying for two days, so he rests at home!”
“Take care!” Qiu Yelan said with concern. “Don’t worry too much. After all, your brother is young. He will be better later!” She was a little bit happy. If Xue Nongying didn’t get better, Xue Chang would be more concentrated on Qiu Jinglan in terms of political cultivation, which was beneficial to Qiu Jinglan.
After comforting Xue Nongqing and spending a while with her in the garden, Qiu Yelan turned down Madam Sun’s detainment and insisted to leave because it was late. Although she was eager to have more contacts with the Xue family now, it was the first time she visited the Xue Mansion, so she could not stay here too late.
Before leaving, she didn’t forget to invite Xue Nongqing to play with her in her spare time, “I was busy before, but now I am free. I really hope that you can visit me more frequently!” Although she didn’t finish sorting out the account of Qingfeng Ji, it was not in a hurry since the Empress’ party took the advantage. Anyway, if there was no time to sort it out, she could fake it!
He Shuijin would help her to fake it. She had the witnesses from the Empress’ party. It was enough to defeat the Empress Dowager’s party at the right time!
Considering that there were no peer girls in the Jiang family who had not been married and Nongqing would be embarra.s.sed, Qiu Yelan mentioned that Zhuang Man and Xin Fubing often went to play with her and implied that Xue Nongqing could go with them, so that she would not be embarra.s.sed to visit her.
After this visit, on the way back to Marquess’s Mansion, Qiu Yelan thought, “Although I didn’t mention my brother, Xue Chang should know that she was for her brother this time. She suddenly became enthusiastic about the Xue family because her brother came into the trouble that needed him to help. Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi would not be good! Hey!”