Chapter 50: The Three Generations Finally Recognize the True Face

Old Madam Jiang’s words abruptly silenced her usually aggressive second daughter-in-law, Madam Zhang.

As if decades of grievances were pouring out all at once, tears streamed down her face like broken pearls, far more genuine than the two squeezed-out drops she had managed during Jiang Shiyuan’s betrothal ceremony earlier.

As for Jiang Shijin, her impression of her father was far too faint. By comparison, most of her childhood memories centered around her eldest uncle. Unfortunately, the uncle she once regarded as the sky above her now had eyes only for his own biological daughter. Thus, while shedding feigned tears, Jiang Shijin was simultaneously scheming for the sake of her own household.

After a long bout of weeping by the three grandmothers and granddaughters, Old Madam Jiang was the first to regain her composure.

She had experienced the loss of her father, her husband, and her son; without a measure of inner fortitude, she could not have survived until now.

Therefore, rather than hiding away and shedding delicate tears, she preferred to find a way to recoup her losses. For instance, she was already plotting to meddle with that extraordinarily lavish betrothal gift, just so that father and daughter would realize that she, the old matriarch, still called the shots within the Jiang household.

"Enough, stop crying," Old Madam Jiang said. "Even if we cry our eyes blind, the second son is not coming back. Instead of that, we should be thinking about how to live well from now on. Look at the Peis’ display today; it is nothing like the casual talk the Marquis’s wife brought to our doorstep yesterday. What kind of person is this Pei Ziyu anyway? Shijin, have you made any inquiries?"

With no one visiting Old Madam Jiang, she was rarely invited to banquets in Xijing city anymore. In the past, she had attended a few times thanks to the prestige of the Marquis of Wenyuan’s Mansion, but alas, ever since the two families fell out over the broken engagement, no more invitations had been sent her way.

Consequently, any information she gathered came merely from rumors whispered by the servants, leaving her with very little knowledge of the young General Pei from the Hanzhou Pei family.

Madam Zhang was in the same boat, secretly believing that the Pei family could not possibly be as prestigious or distinguished as the Prince Chun Estate.

The person questioned, Jiang Shijin, felt like someone biting on coptis root—she could not voice her bitterness. Yet, with the Prince's Heir pressing her from the front and the impending intrusion of the Zhao sisters into the estate forcing her hand, she had no choice but to speak the truth if she wished to leverage her family’s help. She knitted her brows and said:

"This granddaughter previously knew very little about him either. It was only after eldest uncle had someone deliver a message to the Prince Chun Estate yesterday that I heard the Heir mention it. The Pei family does not hold much renown in Xijing city, but in Hanzhou, they are said to be an undisputed, prominent noble clan. Because they have produced generations of generals, their military power is immensely weighty. It is said they command an army of four hundred thousand, and the vast majority of it rests precisely in the hands of this young General Pei."

Upon hearing the words "command an army of four hundred thousand," both Old Madam Jiang and her second aunt, Madam Zhang, lost their composure.

This was a figure they dared not even imagine. Back in Xizhou, local troops were stationed for defense, but altogether they amounted to no more than fifty thousand men.

As the female relatives of the Xizhou Prefect, they had once been privileged to attend a military drill, and the shock of it had left them utterly overwhelmed. Now, they were told that the young man they had just seen was a commander of four hundred thousand troops, leaving them momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

"Then... does that mean the Heir is not as capable as this young General Pei?"

Madam Zhang’s remark was merely a spontaneous reaction, but to Jiang Shijin, it grated harshly on her ears. Yet she had no choice but to admit that it was indeed the case; otherwise, the Heir would not have driven her to cozy up to her eldest sister.

"Yes, what the Heir means is that I should smooth things over with my eldest sister so that he may lean more heavily on young General Pei when handling affairs at court in the future," Jiang Shijin replied. "However, I have completely offended my eldest sister because of the marriage arrangement. Even if I now have the heart to mend this rift, my eldest sister may not necessarily be willing."

Hearing this, Madam Zhang felt a sudden darkness wash over her vision.

After picking and choosing a son-in-law with such care, she never expected that they would still be overshadowed by the senior branch. Why on earth did that sickly creature have such good fortune? Were all the fine young men in the world blind that they only fancied this frail and delicate appearance?

She slumped back into the armchair, utterly defeated like a beaten rooster, hanging her head in deep dejection. Compared to her devastated state, Old Madam Jiang appeared somewhat more composed.

Such a fine match could be considered yet another soaring ambition realized for the Jiang family.

Earlier, she had felt a lingering sense of displeasure, but upon hearing these details, any resentment transformed into anticipation for her grandson's future prospects. She took Jiang Shijin’s hand and asked with a measure of agitation:

"Even the Heir to the Estate says so, does that mean Hui'er's future prospects are also hopeful? With such a formidable brother-in-law to support him, why worry about not being able to spread his wings at court? In days to come, our Jiang family might even produce a Director of Secretariat, just so all those households in Xijing city who look down upon us will have to come crawling to curry favor!"

Her thoughts reached far into the future. Meanwhile, Jiang Shijin, standing beside her, felt a choking discomfort in her chest, yet for the sake of her own future in the Prince's Estate, she had no alternative but to act along.

Just as Old Madam Jiang finished speaking, Jiang怀山 (Jiang Huaishan) and Jiang Shiyuan returned after seeing their guests off.

Seeing the shattered porcelain fragments scattered across the floor, Jiang Huaishan had not yet had the chance to ask the reason when Old Madam Jiang stepped forward as if nothing had happened, took Jiang Shiyuan’s hand, and said warmly:

"An old Daoist priest once foretold that our little A-Nian is a child blessed with supreme fortune. Now, even while ailing, she has managed to select such a fine family. Grandmother is truly overjoyed! It is only a pity that your brother is still studying at the academy; if he were present today, he would surely be just as happy for you as Grandmother is."

Jiang Shiyuan watched as her grandmother effortlessly changed her tune, then glanced at Madam Zhang, whose face was ashen with despair, and Jiang Shijin, whose eyes flickered with a mixture of wariness, reluctance, and a trace of entreaty. She understood instantly—they must have already learned about the Pei family's standing, which explained their reaction.

With a slight smile, Jiang Shiyuan imperceptibly withdrew her hand from Old Madam Jiang’s grasp and replied:

"Grandmother is right. Father has already sent a letter to older brother. I presume he will be able to take leave from the academy and return home by the time of my wedding."

"Quite so, quite so! You brother and sister are blood-related siblings from the same mother; there is no bond closer than that in all the world. Even after you are married, you must come back to visit the family often, especially for your brother's sake. Both of you are the future of the Jiang family."

At this point, if Jiang Shiyuan still failed to catch the implication, she would truly be a fool.

Yet right before Old Madam Jiang, she felt compelled to play out this innocent foolishness to the very end, putting on an expression of utter bewilderment. Unable to bear it any longer, the second aunt, Madam Zhang, felt her anger flare up. Not only had Jiang Shiyuan monopolized all the good fortune, but she was even putting on this act of feigned ignorance. Unable to hold back, Madam Zhang stepped forward to expose her:

"The eldest miss need not play the fool and feign ignorance. What mother means is that you must not forget your siblings at home simply because you are marrying into a prominent family. You are flesh and blood after all; when help is needed, you should have the grand son-in-law lend a hand."

"Oh, as for that, second aunt had better ask the Heir's Consort to go back and speak more often with the Heir himself," Jiang Shiyuan retorted smoothly. "After all, he is the only one in our household who is of imperial blood. The Pei family are merely subjects; they cannot compare."

Preemptively, Jiang Shiyuan blocked whatever else Madam Zhang had intended to say. Madam Zhang was furious, but before she could make a move, Jiang Huaishan refused to let the matter rest. With a stern face, he declared:

"I am marrying off my daughter in the hope that she will find a devoted husband who treats her well, not to routinely trade my daughters for the career advancement of the young men in this household. If Hui'er has any real ability, he will rise in the world even without his brother-in-law's help. If he lacks the mettle, the Pei family's assistance will be of no use either, let alone the help of anyone else in this household. What second sister-in-law is driving at, you and I know all too well—it is nothing more than the Heir currently experiencing some setbacks in his duties and wishing to cozy up to the Pei family through this connection. But let me tell you, this matter is out of the question, so do not dwell on it."

His past regrets stemmed from his reluctance to speak bluntly, always mindful of the family's surface harmony. Yet he had discovered that the more they conceded, the more aggressive Madam Zhang became.

Therefore, since this hard-won marriage had finally been settled, he would not yield if the second branch's messy affairs threatened to taint the Pei family's impression of his daughter. That was why he spoke with such directness.

Who would have thought that no sooner had the words left his mouth than Madam Zhang could even begin her usual routine of wailing and rolling on the floor, when Jiang Shijin, who had been standing upright just a moment before, suddenly collapsed in a dead faint. Everyone panicked, scrambling forward to catch her, leaving father and daughter Jiang Huaishan and Shiyuan staring at each other in bewildered silence.

Surely not—having failed to beg a favor, was she resorting to a pity scam now?