Chapter 262 - The Jiang Family’s Ambition

Consort Cui was planning to counterattack Grand Princess Daiguo, trying to win the Empress Dowager’s heart back, while outside the temporary palace, most people were talking about Jiang Muting.

“The people from the palace investigated, so all people know that Muting loves Marquis Yuan.” Wei Yinlian came to see Song Yixiao early in the morning and told her as soon as they met. “It happens that the secret spreads that she and the Master Mingfei were locked up in a room! Now all people talk about her and speak randomly. Many remarks are…offensive to the ear!”

Then she added, “Fortunately, after the members of the Jiang Family went back that day, they shut the door and refused to see any guest. Otherwise, these days, only the ones who watch the fun will annoy them to death. I have heard that Lord Jiang is writing a letter to admit his error and ask for punishment. He confessed…”

She paused for a while and then continued with a complicated expression on her face, “He failed in raising a good daughter.”

Song Yixiao understood the purpose of her visit and kept quiet for a moment. Then she sighed helplessly. “After coming back that day, I asked my husband what Marquis Yuan would do, but he said that he didn’t know, either.”

“Xue’e married at a young age!” Wei Yinlian came to sound her out for her friend, yet she failed. Her face darkened, and she sighed. “Otherwise, we can go to her mansion with the reason that we want to visit her, yet now I can do nothing but come to you.”

Then she continued, “Although Muting is always favored by her family, after she aroused the gossips, her sisters-in-law would say something even though Lord Jiang and his wife love their daughter. Madam Zhuge and the others are not to blame. After all, they have children and should consider for their children. This is human nature. No matter how much Lord Jiang favors Muting, he can’t ignore his grandchildren’s future, so Muting is in a difficult position.”

Song Yixiao rubbed the jade bracelet on her wrist and stated after a while, “You also know that Marquis Yuan is not stupid. Even if nobody tells him about something like this, can’t he guess?”

Wei Yinlian heard that and stayed silent for a while. Then she asked, “So we can only see if he has a conscience?”

“After all, even if you force him to marry Muting now, what can we do once he feels resentful and treats her badly in the future?” Song Yixiao continued indirectly, “It’s not that I don’t care about Muting or I am afraid of forwarding your words to her. The problem is that marriage is not something about a moment but a lifetime. If Marquis Yuan really doesn’t love Muting, it’s better to take the opportunity and let her control herself and forget him. Marquis Yuan is not the only good man in the world, right?”

Although she said that and then saw Wei Yinlian off as a result, after she saw Jian Xubai, she expressed, “It is not Yuan Xuepei who did that, yet Muting’s fame was harmed because of him. Now if he continues to stand by and do nothing, Muting would be ruined all her life at the worst, and at least, she might be depressed for a lifetime in the future.”

If Jian Xubai had to make a choice between Jiang Muting and Yuan Xuepei, of course he would choose the latter, so he thought that since Yuan Xuepei didn’t do that, even if Jiang Muting’s fame was ruined, they didn’t have a reason to demand Yuan Xuepei to stand out and give an explanation. After all, marriage was not like anything else, and the two sides couldn’t be forced. However, Jian Xubai knew that his wife kept a good relationship with Jiang Muting. If he said that directly, Song Yixiao would get mad at him.

So he pondered for a moment and then replied cautiously, “After all, it is something about a lifetime. Xuepei has never considered marrying Miss Jiang. It has just happened, so he has to think about it. He didn’t say that he would stand by and do nothing, right?”

Song Yixiao thought for a while and believed it was true. Then she pursed her lips. “I don’t know how long he would think about it. I am afraid that to the Jiang Family, the day seems like a year now.”

Nevertheless, Song Yixiao guessed wrong. The atmosphere in the Jiang Family was tense indeed at the moment, but they didn’t think that the day seemed like a year.

It was because when Jiang Yin called in his sons secretly to discuss official business, he affirmed first, “This time, Muting’s fame was ruined, but in fact, it may be something good for our family.”

Seeing that his sons looked at one another speechlessly in disbelief, he explained, “It’s obvious that Grand Princess Daiguo would expose the two servants Consort Cui had arranged. Muting was just chosen by her as a pretense. However, there were so many people at Grand Princess Daiguo’s birthday party. Why did she choose Muting?”

His eldest son Jiang Muying asked subconsciously, “Because Muting loves Yuan?”

“Yuan is young and disabled. What does he have except a hereditary title of nobility?” Jiang Yin hated Yuan Xuepei these two days and sneered with disdain after hearing that. “What profit can Grand Princess Daiguo get after harming him? Can she shake the crown prince’s foundation?”

His face darkened. “It’s because of our family.”

“Father, do you mean that our family is the target?” The children of the Jiang Family were capable, so a lady from this family became Virtuous Consort Jiang. Of course, Jiang Yin’s sons were not mediocrities. As soon as he reminded them, his sons looked as if deep in thought. Jiang Muying muttered, “So Muting is implicated?”

Jiang Yin nodded. “Right!”

“Who on earth have their eyes on us?” Jiang Yin’s second son Jiang Mufang furrowed his brows. “If it’s Grand Princess Daiguo, even after Muting was locked up in a room with her husband’s nephew, how would our family marry Muting to such a person as Ji Mingfei? If it’s the crown prince’s follower, not to mention that Yuan hasn’t said anything yet, even after he proposes marriage and we agree, we won’t necessarily follow the crown prince, right? After all, as long as we don’t support Prince of Wei or Prince of Zhao, Yuan doesn’t dare to treat Muting badly.”

“Of course, both of them target us!” Jiang Yin stated, “Otherwise, look. The cause is that Yuan Xuepei is not strict with the family members and the people sent to serve Grand Princess Daiguo by Consort Cui did most of the jobs. In the end, Grand Princess Daiguo got the profit. Which side is innocent, Prince of Wei or the crown prince? Prince of Wei joined hands with Prince of Zhao earlier. When the people sent from the palace investigated, how could Empress Su not help them?”

Jiang Muying and his brothers showed dark faces while listening. One of them commented, “What happened at the imperial court should be solved by men, but even an innocent woman is implicated. How can a gentleman do that?”

“You are naïve to say that.” Jiang Yin was calm. “The fight for the title of heir to the throne is never a fight among gentlemen. It’s normal to fight by hook or by crook. No outsider is present now, so I will say something of a taboo. Do you think that His Majesty has never done anything evil except killing his brothers, sisters and nephews openly after he took the throne?”

He paused for a while and gave his sons time to think it over. Then he continued, “Our family has a place of our own at the imperial court now, and under the situation, it is normal that some people are scheming against us. The problem is that Prince of Zhao has the Su Family, and Prince of Wei has Grand Princess Daiguo and Marquis Fuyang, while the crown prince has Gu Shao. The three people who join the fight have their own indispensable and capable assistants. Our family is just average. No matter which side we choose, we can’t be the first to be trusted or relied on.”

Jiang Yin said that not because he would rather show up prominently among the ordinary people than be the last one among the capable men. The main reason was what he said next. “So even if we follow the right person, when we get repaid in the future, we would get the least. After all, compared with the current situation of our family, it can’t be said to be rich.”

And the whole family would be at the risk of being destroyed.

So Jiang Yin thought, “It’s better to continue to be neutral. When the new emperor ascends the throne, even if we can’t get any profit, we would be elbowed out at most, but our descendants won’t be implicated.”

“However, since both of them target us, how would they allow us to be neutral?” Jiang Muying and Jiang Mufang looked at each other and asked in unison, “I am afraid that such schemes against us would be endless.”

“So I said that after your sister suffered from injustice this time, although our family is implicated and humiliated, it may not be something bad.” Coldness flashed in Jiang Yin’s eyes, and he added in a deep voice, “I have written a letter to admit my error and ask for punishment, confessing that I failed in raising a good daughter. In the letter, I asked to resign my position…”

Seeing that his sons turned pale while hearing that and opened their mouths, trying to say something, he waved his hand and stopped them, continuing, “His Majesty won’t agree. Then I will send another letter to ask him to send me away as a local official. After all, what happened to Muting gave rise to much discussion. How can her father not give an explanation? In order to correct the common practice, His Majesty should punish me anyway.”

While speaking, he lowered his voice. “Moreover, the crown prince, Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao have their own assistants who can be pillars, but no matter who will ascend the throne in the future, do you think that His Majesty will trust Gu Shao, Marquis Fuyang and Grand Princess Daiguo or the Su Family?”

Emperor Xianjia wouldn’t rest assured.

When he took the throne, he was at the crown prince’s age, but his life experience was greatly different from the crown prince’s. Emperor Xianjia was a winner after fighting in the unpredictably changing situation and bad environment, so when he was just in his early twenties, as soon as he ascended the throne, he could ignore all civil and military officials’ advice and kill all his half-sisters and half-brothers except Dedicated Prince of Yi, and he could control the powerful ministers such as Gu Shao and Jian Pingyu. If he told them to leave office, they had to leave.

However, which one among his sons could do that, including the crown prince he had taught meticulously in person and Prince of Zhao who was cultivated with effort by the empress and the Su Family?

Not to mention Prince of Wei, he would probably be a puppet in front of the mighty Grand Princess Daiguo if he took the throne.

“This is our chance to be officials holding the highest position.” Jiang Yin narrowed his eyes. “His Majesty doesn’t trust Gu Shao and the others, but he wouldn’t kill all of them, so he has to hide it and prepares to restrain them in the future. However, if he wants to restrain the meritorious statesmen who supported him since before he took the throne, they must not be the new emperor’s enemies. Otherwise, it will be a joke that he restrains them. He has to find one from the people who remain neutral now.”

“If we continue to be at the imperial court, according to the fiercer fight for the title of heir to the throne currently, it will be quite difficult for our family to remain neutral. So it’s better to step back because of your sister’s affair. Perhaps we can get more profits.”

Jiang Muying and the others looked at one another and stayed silent, yet smiles could be seen in their eyes gradually. “Father, you are thoughtful and farsighted. We will follow you.”

Although things went on well with their career now, who wouldn’t hope to be promoted?

According to Jiang Yin’s analysis, as long as they remained neutral, what awaited the Jiang Family in the future might be the position as the assistant specially left to the new emperor by Emperor Xianjia. And it was different from Gu Shao who was tragic. It was the position of official entrusted with the task of assisting the new emperor by the old emperor before he died, and they would gain both fame and wealth.

After deciding the Jiang Family’s goal, Jiang Muying instantly thought of their family affairs again and had a headache. “But what should we do with Muting’s marriage?”

“Tomorrow!” Jiang Mufang’s face darkened. “Tomorrow evening at latest. If Yuan continues to play dead, we definitely can’t spare him.”

Although currently, Jiang Muting had something to do with Yuan Xuepei and Ji Mingfei, the Jiang Family never considered the chance that the latter would be Muting’s husband. Instead, they were waiting for Yuan Xuepei’s response all the time. After all, Yuan Xuepei’s leg was hurt, but first, he had a hereditary title of nobility; second, Jiang Muting loved him; third, he was not inferior in other aspects except his disabled leg.

In the past, the Jiang Family objected to this marriage because he was disabled and had different political views.

Later, because all people knew the gossips, the Jiang Family prepared to admit that they failed in cultivating a good daughter, so this marriage had nothing to do with politics, and nobody could talk about this. Therefore, it was better to make the girl’s wish come true.

The problem was, the damned Yuan didn’t want to take the responsibility?

While the members of the Jiang Family thought of this, even Jiang Yin who was the shrewdest felt a rage surging.