Chapter 25

Apart from Jiang Si and Jiang Si (the fourth sister), the ones who remained were Lady Xie.

Lady Xie stayed by Jiang Shan’s side, never taking a single step away, refusing to let anyone else handle the chores of caring for her. From time to time, she would turn her head to wipe away tears, her voice raspy from the toll of her grief.

When Lady Gu and Lady Yu departed, their expressions were complex, especially Lady Gu’s. Lady Gu looked at her young, naive daughter with worry, wanting to say something several times, only to swallow the words back down.

Jiang Si saw them out and whispered comfortingly, "Mother, please rest assured. I know what I am doing."

"You... you are still just a child. What could you possibly know?"

"I know what you are worried about, Mother." Jiang Si looked back toward the courtyard where Jiang Shan lay and said in an even lower voice, "Eldest Sister does not seem well. She kept me and the Fourth Sister here because she must have some plan in mind."

"Yu-er!" Lady Gu was startled; she glanced around, her eyes filled with unease. "You see it? Let me tell you, your nature is too simple; this is no place for you. Do you understand what I mean?"

Regardless of the fact that her daughter’s fate was unusual, even if it weren't, this situation was not appropriate for her.

"Mother, I understand. I am just here to keep Eldest Sister company. I won't have any ulterior motives."

Hearing her daughter’s words, Lady Gu finally felt a little more at ease.

She affectionately tucked the cloak around Jiang Si and sighed with emotion, "I always thought of you as a child. Who would have thought that, without realizing it, you have grown up? Since you can see the situation clearly, I trust you know what to do. Yu-er, take care of yourself. In a few days, Mother will come to take you home."

Jiang Si gave a very obedient, "Yes."

As she walked back, she heard the panicked voices of the servants from afar, mentioning things like, "The Heir’s wife has fainted again." Shortly after, the imperial physicians arrived in a rush, only to leave while shaking their heads.

There was a faint sound of weeping from inside the room; it sounded like Lady Xie.

Lady Xie cried with great restraint, terrified of being overheard, yet even so, the intensity of her grief made it difficult to control her emotions. She looked at her daughter, who seemed drained of all blood and strength, and choked on her sobs.

"Shan-er, my... my poor daughter... how could it come to this... how could it come to this!"

A premature birth followed by a severe hemorrhage—she had barely managed to claw her way back from the gates of death, yet there was no hope for recovery. How she wanted to ask the Heavens why such a tragedy had to befall her daughter.

Jiang Shan had awakened, her eyelids half-lifted with effort, and even speaking seemed to exhaust her. "Mother, please don't cry. At this point, I only worry about Ru-er and An-er. They are still so young... What do you think of the Fourth Sister?"

An-er was the nickname she had given her newborn son, hoping for his peace and health.

Lady Xie wept and shook her head, frantically wiping her tears as she suppressed her grief. "She seemed decent enough before, but lately... her character seems a bit crooked."

She then recounted the recent events.

Jiang Shan remained silent for a long while before saying, "If that is the case, then we hold leverage over her. Wouldn't that be even better?"

"No!" Lady Xie disagreed. "To climb the social ladder, she even schemes against her own sisters. Do you think she will treat Ru-er and An-er as her own? Once she has children of her own, she will scheme for them instead. What will become of Ru-er and An-er then?"

"Mother, if you don't mind me saying, if we are worried about that, we can eliminate the threat once and for all." A look of determination and ruthlessness flashed in Jiang Shan's eyes.

Lady Xie understood her meaning, but she hesitated.

"If we truly did that, she would inevitably harbor resentment."

"Ru-er and An-er are the Heir's own flesh and blood. I believe he will not allow them to be schemed against." She sighed. "Mother, I have no other choice. You have seen it yourself... Lady Hua and that Hua Jinniang are waiting like hungry tigers. If they succeed, what kind of life will Ru-er and An-er have? An-er was born premature and is already weak; if they..."

She did not need to finish her sentence; Lady Xie knew exactly what it meant.

Even though she had no evidence regarding her fall, she knew who the culprit was. Therefore, even if she had to spend her last breath, she could not let those who harmed her succeed.

A mother knows her daughter best; Lady Xie’s thoughts aligned with hers.

However, Lady Xie had already lost faith in Jiang Si (the third daughter) and could not possibly trust her.

"Otherwise, there are still two cousins from your maternal uncle's family..."

"Mother, what do you think of the Fifth Sister?" Jiang Shan suddenly thought of something. "I noticed that Ru-er seems to like her."

"She won't do!" Lady Xie rejected the idea firmly. "Your Fifth Sister is still just a child at heart, far too innocent. Not to mention that your Third Aunt dotes on her and would never agree to let her be a step-wife or a replacement. Even if she did, with that temperament, could she possibly fight against your step-mother-in-law? She wouldn't even be able to protect herself, let alone Ru-er and An-er."

"Then what should we do?" Jiang Shan’s weak voice was filled with despair. "Mother, I don't have much time left..."

The muffled sobbing began again, clearly audible to those outside.

Jiang Si did not enter. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Si (the third daughter) there as well.

Jiang Si was still dressed in plain clothes, her face devoid of makeup. She appeared very sad and distressed, but the look she cast toward Jiang Si (the protagonist) was full of hidden meaning.

"Fifth Sister, why is it that you are always involved?"

"Eldest Sister was the one who asked me to stay. If Fourth Sister was unhappy about it, why didn't you say so then?"

Jiang Si (the third daughter) curled her lips in what looked like a sneer. "I am the Eldest Sister’s biological sister; I am closer to her. I believe she knows who to choose."

Clearly, she also understood Jiang Shan’s intentions and was very tempted by the prospect. Seeing Jiang Si (the protagonist) leave without a word, she assumed she had successfully discouraged her, her eyes filled with certainty.

Jiang Si (the protagonist) did not return to her residence in the Marquis's estate; she slipped out through the back gate. Instead of returning to the Jiang family home, she headed straight for the Fangye Prince’s estate.

The Fangye Prince’s estate was located near the Imperial Palace, yet it was a rare sanctuary of tranquility.

She announced her presence, stating she had an urgent matter to discuss with the Prince.

The gatekeeper, seeing a beautiful and youthful girl, could not bring himself to scold her harshly. He gently explained that the Prince was in meditation and saw no guests.

Before coming, she had anticipated the high threshold of the Prince’s estate and knew it would not be easy to see Murong Fan.

She slipped a small piece of silver to the gatekeeper. "I have some acquaintance with the Prince; he may not refuse to see me. Please, I beg you to pass on the message."

The gatekeeper looked her over carefully, pondered for a moment, and told her to wait before closing the door.

She stood by the gate, waiting quietly.

A quarter of an hour later, the door opened.

A steward emerged, calling himself Xu.

Steward Xu had a round, ruddy face and wore dark green silk robes embroidered with clusters of the character for "Fortune." He looked less like a steward and more like a wealthy landlord.

He narrowed his eyes into slits and chuckled, "Miss Jiang, the Prince will see you."

After walking for some time inside the estate, he pointed to a spot in the distance. "Miss Jiang, the Prince is waiting for you there."

Jiang Si looked in the direction he pointed and saw a pine tree and a pavilion atop a craggy rock mountain. A figure stood in the pavilion, his robes fluttering, as elegant as an immortal, as if he might ride the wind away at any moment.

Stone steps wound around the mountain; from afar it looked gentle, but up close, it was steep.

She had climbed with a burst of energy, but once she reached the summit, she felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. After all, she and Murong Fan were unrelated, and she had yet to repay his previous kindness, only to come and ask for more.

She hesitated, afraid to approach.

"Your Highness."

Hearing her voice, Murong Fan seemed to heave a low sigh before slowly turning around.

"You want me to save your eldest sister?"

"Yes." She was not surprised that her thoughts were seen through; after all, this was Murong Fan.

Murong Fan lowered his eyes, his peaceful gaze enveloping her.

Once again, she felt that unconditional tolerance, which only made her feel more guilty.

After a long while, she heard Murong Fan say a single word: "Very well."

"Thank you, Your Highness." She thanked him repeatedly and, seeing Murong Fan turn back around, wisely took her leave.

At the foot of the mountain, she could not help but look up. The man at the summit was like a jade tree, born in harmony with the heavens and growing according to the earth—detached, refined, and peerless.

Looking at him, she felt an indescribable sense of isolation. As the saying goes, it is lonely at the top; as they say, a genius has no peers. For someone like Murong Fan, did he ever feel lonely?

Her steps slowed, then she turned back, lifting her skirt to climb the stone steps once more.

The wind howled, stirring all things, including the human heart.

Hearing the movement, Murong Fan turned around.

A small, flushed face came into view, breathless from the climb, featuring delicate features and bright, lively eyes that gazed at him with a mix of shyness and emotion.

"Your Highness, let me perform a magic trick for you."