Chapter 62: Jiang Huaishan Harshly Disciplines the Second Branch's Nephew

Hearing such remarks, not only Jiang Shiyuan, but also Pei Zisu standing beside her wore an increasingly grim expression. He had long since heard rumors about the relatives of the Jiang family, though he had paid little mind to them on the day he formally proposed marriage. Today, however, he got a crystal-clear look at Jiang Shiyue’s tendency to bite the hand that fed her at the mere drop of a hat.

Had someone dared to sow discord in such a manner within the army, he would have had them dealt with by military law long ago. Thus, he looked upon Jiang Shiyue as though she were already a dead woman.

He was about to interject with a few words when Princess Qinghuan preempted him.

"Who are you?"

Jiang Shiyue had never shown her face before Princess Qinghuan. Hearing this voice, she assumed the princess was about to dispense justice on her behalf, so she hurriedly stepped forward, maintaining her tearful, aggrieved expression.

"Reporting to Your Highness, I am the youngest daughter of the Jiang family, of the Shi generation, given the single name Yue."

"Oh, Jiang Shiyue?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Believing she had caught the princess's eye and was about to be championed, she was instead met with Princess Qinghuan's chilling voice.

"You dared to refer to yourself casually as 'I' in the presence of this Princess, that is your first crime. Today is the Marquis's Lady's birthday banquet, yet you are bawling and wailing without an ounce of decorum, that is your second crime. The eldest daughter of the Jiang family has always enjoyed a reputation for modesty and propriety, yet you tried by every word to cast her in an unrighteous light, that is your third crime. Someone come, drag her out and give her thirty slaps across the face, as a warning to others!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Before Jiang Shiyue even had time for her expression to turn to one of terror, the matrons following the princess had already stepped forward to drag her away. The various matrons and young ladies stood by as spectators.

Among the female guests at today's banquet, none dared to place themselves on equal footing with Princess Qinghuan. If one crossed paths with someone else, a simple reprimand might suffice to let the matter pass, but Princess Qinghuan’s temperament was utterly unforgiving. Thus, Jiang Shiyue was truly damned by the worst of luck.

It was only when the slaps began to land one after another that Jiang Shiyue finally shrieked in pain.

"Princess, spare my life! Princess, spare my life!"

"Grandmother, Grandmother, save me! Save me!"

Now she had indeed managed to draw everyone's attention, but instead of being surrounded by stars as she had imagined, she had become a rat scurrying across the street.

While Old Madam Jiang felt a pang of heartache, she was far more mortified that the Jiang family had lost all face. After all, the girl was brought by her, and to be beaten like this in the very household of their in-laws was more than her pride could bear. She quietly walked over to Jiang Shiyuan, tugged at her sleeve, and said anxiously,

"A-nian, quickly put in a good word with the Princess. If this goes on any further, Xiao-yue’s face will be ruined beyond repair."

"Grandmother thinks too highly of me. A sickly invalid like myself possesses no such clout before the Princess."

Jiang Shiyuan was genuinely angered today, which accounted for her sharp retort.

Her decisive refusal deeply offended Old Madam Jiang. Just as her second daughter-in-law had predicted, before the girl had even married out, her heart was already turned against them. Would they all have to walk on eggshells around her in the future?

A flash of fury crossed the old woman's eyes, but constrained by the presence of the princess, she dared not say more.

Jiang Huaishan and Jiang Shilin, drawn over by the commotion, were utterly shocked by the scene. No matter what, Jiang Shiyue was Jiang Shilin's own sister, and seeing her subjected to such humiliation naturally made him want to step in and stop it. However, before he could even lift a foot, Jiang Huaishan yanked him away forcefully.

"Eldest Uncle, that is my sister."

Jiang Huaishan dragged him along while reprimanding him severely.

"Right now, she is the only one being beaten. If you insist on playing the hero, you'll both be getting beaten. Today's banquet at the Marquis's estate is for celebrating the Marquis's Lady's birthday, not a spectacle for the entire city of Xijing to watch you two siblings get disciplined."

Not until they reached a secluded spot by the waterside pavilion did Jiang Huaishan release his grip.

Jiang Shilin stood opposite him with a dejected expression. Lacking the ability to stop his sister from being beaten and lacking the courage to openly defy his eldest uncle, he looked as though he were about to burst into tears.

Seeing him like this, Jiang Huaishan could not help but sigh.

For his second brother's lineage to have been mismanaged to this state was indeed a failure of duty on his part as the eldest brother. He reached out to pat the boy's back, softening his tone.

"Lin'er, aside from your eldest brother, you are the only male heir left in the household, and the main pillar the second branch must rely upon in the future. If you lose your backbone the moment you encounter trouble, how will you shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the Jiang family in the future? I know you have suffered grievances growing up in Madam Hai's quarters all these years, but a true man must learn what it means to bide his time and what it means to shoulder responsibility without shrinking away."

"Eldest Uncle, I... I truly cannot shoulder such a great responsibility. I am incapable in both literary and martial arts, and my mind is a complete mess when it comes to business. Mother was right, I... I am simply good for nothing."

The mother he spoke of was naturally his second aunt, Madam Zhang.

Hearing this, Jiang Huaishan's aversion to his second sister-in-law deepened further. With a cold snort, he said,

"What kind of thing is she? If you are good for nothing, what about her? What has she managed to accomplish after scheming for all these years? Look at what has become of the daughter she raised herself."

Foolish as Jiang Shilin was, he was well aware of the friction between the first and second branches, so he dared not meddle too deeply. His timid and stammering appearance made Jiang Huaishan sigh repeatedly in his heart.

Over the past few days, he had tried every method he could think of and sought out every tutor available, yet his nephew remained the same. Suddenly, recalling what he had just discussed with his eldest brother-in-law regarding Kuan'er heading south to Hanzhou, he felt that perhaps this could serve as an outlet.

"If you stay here, I fear you will remain just as spineless three or five years from now. Have you ever considered going to the military camp to temper yourself?"

"Ah? I... I cannot do it, Eldest Uncle."

Seeing his nephew's timid reaction, Jiang Huaishan concluded that without drastic measures, the boy truly had no future ahead of him. Feigning stern displeasure, he declared,

"Since you are like this, I have no way to teach you. It is better to send you outside and let you suffer some hard knocks."

At these words, Jiang Shilin swallowed hard, trembling with fear, yet he lacked even the courage to argue. He could only follow silently behind his eldest uncle as they returned from the pavilion. By the time they arrived, Jiang Shiyue's punishment had concluded.

Her cheeks were swollen high, and her once-exquisite hairdo was now disheveled.

That was not even the worst of it. When she lifted her gaze and caught the disdainful looks from the matrons and young ladies, it felt like a knife twisting in her heart. Tears fell onto her raw wounds, causing her to writhe in pain, yet not a single person present dared to utter a word in her defense.

Jiang Shishuo had a soft heart. Seeing Princess Qinghuan depart, she immediately stepped forward to support her fourth sister, only to be violently shoved away, receiving a glare filled with inexplicable hatred.

"Third Sister, come here."

Jiang Shiyuan called out, then turned to instruct a maid from the Marquis's estate nearby,

"Escort the Fourth Young Lady to the guest chamber to rest, and have the estate physician look at her. Make sure it doesn't leave scars."

"Understood."

With the Marquis's maid stepping forward, Jiang Shiyue finally dared not throw another tantrum. She followed her to the guest chamber, while Old Madam Jiang flung her sleeve down in anger, cast a resentful glare at Jiang Shiyuan, and trailed after them.

Once the two of them had departed, Pei Zisu remarked with a hint of cold detachment,

"Grandmother and granddaughter alike excel only at bullying those within their own walls."

His words struck right at the heart of the matter. Weren't they acting so lawlessly precisely because they knew Jiang Shiyuan and Jiang Shishuo had gentle tempers? She wouldn't dare act so presumptuously in front of a maid from the Marquis's estate, let alone anyone else.

"Are you alright?"

Jiang Shiyuan asked Jiang Shishuo. She had clearly seen Jiang Shiyue give her a vicious shove earlier, leaving dust on Jiang Shishuo's dress from the fall, which prompted her concern.

"I'm fine, Eldest Sister, don't worry. Fourth Sister... given how she behaved today, do you think she might do something foolish?"