Chapter 24

Beside the small pavilion, under the willow tree.

Murong Sheng hardly dared to look up at the young girl in the plain dress before him.

Jiang Gui wanted to draw closer, but when she noticed him recoiling, she stopped with a look of sorrow. "Your Highness, are you injured?"

"A minor scrape, nothing to worry about." He looked left and right, pointedly avoiding her gaze.

"Your Highness, have you been well lately?"

"I am fine." He hesitated several times, wanting to speak, before finally forcing out a few words: "I am sorry."

At these words, Jiang Gui’s body swayed.

She had waited for so many days, longed for so long, only to be met with a simple apology.

"Your Highness, the things you said to me before—do they no longer count?"

"I am sorry."

When those three words left his lips again, the things Jiang Si had said echoed in his ears. He realized, belatedly, that she hadn't been wrong: he really was a scoundrel.

But a scoundrel he was!

"Jiang Gui, what passed between us has nothing to do with Jiang Wu. If you must hate someone, hate me. There is no need to vent your anger on her; she is, after all, an innocent party."

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned Jiang Si at all. His defense of her only added fuel to the fire.

"Your Highness, do you like my fifth sister?"

"Jiang Gui, there is nothing between Jiang Wu and me, and there never will be. You... you must not think like this." As he looked up, he caught a glimpse of a strange, unsettling expression on her face and felt a jolt of alarm.

Leaving behind another "I am sorry," he hurried away in a panic.

Jiang Gui’s expression flickered between hatred and resentment. As tears streamed down her face, she let out a laugh. "Sorry, sorry! Is that all an apology is worth?"

Time passed, and a flash of smoky blue appeared in her line of sight.

She wiped her tears and slowly looked up.

"Fifth sister, are you feeling quite triumphant now?"

A cold wind blew, and Jiang Si instinctively tightened her cloak. The wind in this century-old, prestigious Jiang household was truly chilling.

"Fourth sister, it was Murong Sheng who abandoned you. Why do you resent me instead of him?"

"If it weren't for you..."

"If it weren't for me, would the Prince be with you?" Jiang Si stepped closer, her clear, dark eyes acting like a mirror to the soul. "You used me before, taking advantage of my presence to enjoy his tender affection. Now that I am no longer willing, he ignores you. Isn't it laughable that the love between you and him couldn't survive without me?"

It was the original owner's death that had paved the way for them. Now that she refused to be caught in the middle as cannon fodder, their so-called true love had evaporated, which was nothing short of ridiculous.

"That's not true! He had me in his heart before; I could feel it."

"Then go find him."

"It's you... all of you won't let me be. You meddled, and the sixth brother struck the Prince. You two siblings are clearly out to ruin me!"

"If that is the reason he ignores you, then it only proves he never liked you that much to begin with."

"You lie!" Jiang Gui hissed.

She stared fixedly at the dress Jiang Si was wearing. She remembered this fabric; it had been part of a shipment sent to the manor. She had taken a fancy to it at first glance, knowing that her stepmother, aware of her preference for such elegant, understated colors, would surely give it to her.

To her surprise, the entire batch had been sent to the third branch, along with the cosmetics she favored. Even worse, the set of gemstone jewelry meant for her future dowry had been given away by her stepmother as well.

Everything that should have been hers had slipped away, one by one.

And it was all because of this fifth sister!

She had once foolishly thought this younger sister was simple-minded and that they would get along well, even after they were both married and living in different households.

She suddenly laughed, her emotions gradually stabilizing. "Fifth sister, you and I are ultimately different. I was born to the direct line of the Jiang family’s first branch, while you are merely the daughter of a concubine. Even if our marriages are both arranged by our elders, I will surely marry better than you."

Jiang Si looked at her and replied with a nonchalant "Oh."

...

The Jiang family’s internal punishments ranged from ten lashes for minor offenses to several dozen for serious ones.

Jiang Xuan had received twenty. The first few were genuine, but the subsequent dozen were merely for show. Even so, the few real strikes were more than most could endure.

With his back bandaged, he lay on his stomach to eat, wincing in pain while wolfing down his food.

"Yu-er, don't be sad. This little injury is nothing. After a good sleep, your second brother will be as good as new."

Jiang Si handed him water, signaling him to speak less.

Outside, the sky grew dim, and the night was much colder than the day. The servants lit lamps and added charcoal to the braziers. The fire burned quietly; judging by the small amount of charcoal, it wouldn't last long.

In the entire third branch, only Jiang Si had no restrictions on her daily expenses. She kept her composure, but after leaving, she instructed Zhu Ping to retrieve more charcoal and give it to the servants to add throughout the night, without letting Jiang Xuan know.

Around midnight, she was awakened.

Madam Gu looked anxious. "Something has happened to your eldest sister!"

By the calendar, Jiang Shan was over seven months pregnant, but not yet eight.

"They say she slipped and fell, and started bleeding in the night. 'Seven alive, eight dead'—this is a precarious time, and I don't know..."

"Mother, don't worry. Eldest sister will surely be blessed with good fortune."

Neither mother nor daughter slept that night. At dawn, news finally arrived from the Marquis of Weiqi's manor: Jiang Shan had given birth, and both mother and child were safe.

The messenger was Old Madam Liao, who served Madam Xie. She had accompanied Madam Xie to the manor during the night. Besides bringing word of their safety, she conveyed Madam Xie's wish for them to bring Jiang Gui along to the manor.

Upon arriving at the Marquis's estate, they were made to wait outside.

Compared to their previous visit, the atmosphere was far more oppressive. The servants stood as if paralyzed, their faces grave, not daring to draw a deep breath.

Madam Hua's voice was piercing, acting in concert with Hua Jinnian.

"To fall so suddenly—Shan-niang was truly too careless."

"Aunt, you don't know. I heard that someone had spilled water on the ground, which caused the cousin-in-law to slip. Really, the cousin-in-law is too much; she insists on managing all the household affairs even in her condition..."

Madam Gu could not stand it anymore and retorted sharply, "The person's life is what matters right now; what is the point of saying these things? If you cannot help, at least do not cause trouble here."

Madam Hua’s face darkened at the rebuke.

"In-law, your words..."

"In-law, my Shan-er has just walked through the gates of hell. Could you please not disturb her?"

Madam Gu’s words successfully silenced the aunt and niece from the Hua family.

Jiang Si saw it clearly: as they fell silent, they exchanged an obscure look. There was a glimmer of triumph and anticipation in their eyes, even a hint of excitement.

The adults were entirely focused on the room, as were the servants.

In a corner, Ru-er sat listlessly, unresponsive to anything the wet nurse said.

Jiang Si quietly approached. The nurse said, worriedly, "Fifth Miss, the Mistress... Ru-er hasn't eaten or drunk anything all night..."

With such a crisis unfolding, no one but this nurse seemed able to spare a thought for Ru-er. She was naturally timid, and she appeared to be deeply frightened.

"Ru-er, do you think this handkerchief of Fifth Aunt's is pretty?"

Ru-er's eyes flickered at the sound of her voice.

The handkerchief was not embroidered with flowers or grass, but with a small rabbit Jiang Si had stitched from memory. The rabbit looked a bit peculiar, but it was endearingly clumsy.

She twirled the handkerchief. "Look, isn't there nothing inside? Do you believe Fifth Aunt can make the rabbit spit out a piece of candy?"

At these words, the dullness in Ru-er's eyes brightened slightly.

After a few sleight-of-hand tricks with the handkerchief, a small piece of malt candy appeared.

"This is the candy the little rabbit brought for you. Would you like to taste it?" Jiang Si asked, offering it to her.

Ru-er’s eyes sparkled, her little face showing a mix of joy and shyness. Encouraged by Jiang Si, she took the candy. Taking this opportunity, Jiang Si quickly had the nurse bring over some porridge, coaxing Ru-er into drinking half a bowl.

The nurse was deeply moved, her eyes turning red.

Finally, the door opened, and all members of the Jiang family were allowed inside.

As Jiang Si started to move, she felt her skirt being tugged. Seeing Ru-er’s imploring gaze, she picked her up, and the child wrapped her arms tightly around her neck.

Madam Hua and Hua Jinnian tried to follow, but were blocked by Madam Yu and Madam Gu.

The air in the room was unpleasant; even the burning orchid incense could not mask the lingering scent of blood and medicine.

Jiang Shan leaned against the head of the bed, her face devoid of color. Madam Xie sat by the bedside, her eyes swollen and frightening. From their expressions, this did not seem like the joy of a new birth.

"Where is the child?" Madam Yu asked softly.

At this simple question, Madam Xie burst into tears. "The child was premature. The doctor says it will require very careful nursing."

"Sister-in-law, don't worry. With a family as prominent as the Marquis's, any medicine or tonic can be found. The child will surely grow up safe and healthy," Madam Gu consoled.

"I know." Madam Xie looked at her daughter, her eyes filled with sorrow.

Jiang Shan forced a smile. "Mother, please don't cry. I am quite well now."

She looked toward their direction and saw Jiang Gui first. "The doctor told me to rest well. I was thinking that the confinement period would be difficult, and I need someone to talk to. Gui-er, why don't you stay for a while?"

She looked to the side again, her expression one of surprise for a fleeting moment when she saw Ru-er, who was still clinging tightly to Jiang Si's neck.

After a long silence, she said, "Fifth sister, you stay as well."