Real Empress from a noble family

Fortunately, they cooked one more dish that day. Before the sea cucumber with minced meat which was due to avoiding Mrs. Zhou's nagging was served onto the plate, Jiang Yashuang showed himself at the door. He did not change into regular clothes and sneak into the kitchen for tasting the food as usual. Instead, he sent a servant with a word, "I invited Ou Bicheng. He missed his lunch today. Can we begin having lunch now?"

"Food is ready, but not enough." Jiang Yashuang got used to the food prepared by Qiu Yelan before they got married. After they got married, he often asked her to cook for him. As Qiu Yelan had nothing to do, she agreed with him. As usual, she only cooked one or two dishes for themselves as she did not want to make herself too tired. But now, there was a friend to entertain. Even he had been a friend of Jiang Yashuang since his childhood, it would be too low to serve one or two dishes for a friend.

Luckily, Mrs. Li was also a good cook like her. As a saying went, beauty was in the eye of the beholder. Loving Qiu Yelan deeply made Jiang Yashuang think that her food was better than Mrs. Li's. As a result, Mrs. Li, who had been trusted by Old Princess Lian for her culinary skills since her young age, could only cook for the servants now.

"Go to the big kitchen and select some clean food," commanded Qiu Yelan. "And then serve Yashuang and his friend with dishes I cooked and the selected ones… By the way, ask Yashuang secretly if it is enough. If it is not enough, I will cook more for them."

The maid accepted her order and went away. She came back after a while, reporting, "The young master said it is enough. He asked us to take some bottles of wine for them."

Jiang Yashuang was not much of a drinker. So, the wine was for his friend, Ou Bicheng.

The words surprised Qiu Yelan, "What happened to Ou Bicheng? Why does he want so much wine?" Even if Ou Bicheng was much of a drinker, he must have food first as Jiang Yashuang urged food for him when he just arrived. Under this circumstance, he should have some food first. Why did he want to drink wine before dinner?

"I don't know, my lady. But our young master's and Mr. Ou's faces are looking not good. I guess something happened," said the maid, bowing her head.

"What on earth happened?" Murmured Qiu Yelan, "Wondering if it is related to us."

As Ou Bicheng was having dinner with Jiang Yashuang, the couple had dinner separately.

After having dinner cooked only for her by Mrs. Li, Qiu Yelan had a shower and read several pages. Seeing Jiang Yashuang not coming back, she began to confuse. As she planned to send a maid to ask him to go home, Jiang Yashuang showed himself at the door. He looked tired. After entering the room, he asked the maids to exit the door. He hugged and said sweet words to Qiu Yelan before having a shower.

He looked better after having a shower and changing the regular clothes. Before Qiu Yelan asked him, he held her up, rushing to the bed.

After they had done their business, Qiu Yelan got a minute to ask what was going on about Ou Bicheng, "He required us to send several bottles of wine. And the maid told me that he looked not good. You know, I was so worried about you guys… What happened on earth?"

"It is Ou Bicheng's own business. He came over here just for his business." Jiang Yashuang held her fingers in his hands, playing with them. He continued to say slowly, "Empress Jiang and grandfather wanted to betroth Cousin Xin to the Seventh Prince. However, Cousin Xin is crazy about Ou Bicheng… She suddenly went to see Ou Bicheng, begging for his idea. Her sudden presence frightened Ou Bicheng who fled over the wall, running to the Hanlin Academy for me. But we both had no idea what to do next. So, he got himself drunk."

Qiu Yelan paused for a while, "Where is Cousin Xin now?"

"Xing walked her home," sighed Jiang Yashuang. "Actually, Ou Bicheng does not want to marry Cousin Xin. But he also feels sorry for Cousin Xin to marry the Seventh Prince. He came here for my idea. How should I know what to do then?"

Speaking of this, he changed the subject suddenly, "By the way, the mourning period of your brother is almost coming to an end…"

"What do you mean?" His words angered Qiu Yelan. She punched him lightly, "You do know that she likes Ou Bicheng. But you want to let her marry my brother?! Do you think my brother is not wanted?!"

Realizing she was angry, Jiang Yashuang replied promptly, "How do you get that? Why do I let Cousin Xin marry your brother? I am just thinking there are some changes in the Hanlin Academy. I just want to plan a future for your brother! That's all."

Knowing his purpose, Qiu Yelan became pleased. She kissed him as a sign of encouragement and reparation. And then she said sweetly, "So, what's your plan for my brother? I won't forgive you if it is not a lucrative job!"

"There is no lucrative job in the Hanlin Academy. You know that. Noble reputation is far more important than a lucrative job," said Jiang Yashuang, leaving him at a loss of more words. He lowered his head, biting lightly on her cheek and continued, "I have got some good news. The new Hanlin academician Cheng Jin is a follower of Prime Minister Xue. He won't do bad things to your brother."

They talked about Qiu Jinglan would face in the future after the mourning period. The subject was turned back to Ou Bicheng and Xin Fubing again, "So, Xin Fubing does not want to marry the Seventh Prince. She wants Ou Bicheng to help her out of the unwanted marriage?"

Anyway, Qiu Yelan felt something wrong in the whole thing.

"Why didn't she tell her idea to the seniors by herself?"

"She is a girl named after Xin," Jiang Yashuang felt helpless. "Although my uncle did not agree with the marriage, my grandmother has nodded. And I guess her parents will agree with the marriage after receiving the news. She must be frustrated. Or true to her nature, she wouldn't go and talk with Ou Bicheng directly."

Qiu Yelan sighed, "It is really a big trouble… But I think you can do her a favor if it is merely about marrying the Seventh Prince. I heard that Her Majesty loves you much." She had a good impression of Xin Fubing. In particular, before she got married, Xin Fubing went to her home with Zhuang Man for her marriage preparation. It was natural she would help her out a little bit.

"That was why Ou Bicheng came here and met me," said Jiang Yashuang. "It is a difficult thing to deal with because, I know, Empress Jiang has no other options but Cousin Xin. There are many girls in the Jiang Family who are older enough to get married. But there are few who are qualified to marry the Seventh Prince, in particular, given age, talent and appearance. A girl who would marry the Seventh Prince should not be dwarfed by the second young lady of the Tang Family and Princess Shou'an. To simply put, if the girl were not Cousin Xin, she might be a girl from the Dou Family, which was not an option Empress Jiang liked to face."

He paused for a while and continued, "And I have asked for leave for half a day to meet Cousin Xin. She told me that if Ou Bicheng was not willing to marry her after she begged, she had no choice but to marry the Seventh Prince."

"…" Qiu Yelan asked, "And then why did Ou Bicheng come over here, getting himself drunk?" She had let him go off, right?

"The problem is that when she said this to Ou Bicheng, she looked pale. He worried about her much," Jiang Yashuang said with a bitter smile. "To be honest, I am also afraid that she may commit suicide because of this."

The key problem of the marriage was that each of them had their own lovers in their deep heart. But it was about marriage. Obviously, Ou Bicheng did not love Xin Fubing. Even when Xin Fubing went there, begging him without regarding the girl's face, he escaped. Ou Bicheng couldn't be forced to marry Xin Fubing merely for Xin Fubing's happiness. If so, Ou Bicheng might kill himself in the end…

What a mess. Qiu Yelan thought it for a while. She had no idea except a headache. "Forget it. Sleep now!"

To think about it tomorrow!

Jiang Yashuang kissed her and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

As the trouble had been at the door, it wouldn't go away itself. The next day, when Jiang Yashuang got up for work, Ou Bicheng had to get up in the guest room, going to work with him.

Before noon, Ou Qinglan showed herself at the door with pale-faced Xin Fubing, "I heard that my brother was here yesterday. Is he okay?"

"He went to work with Yashuang in the morning," said Qiu Yelan, looking at poor Xin Fubing who had been thinner in several days. After telling them where Ou Bicheng was, she invited them to the room, "What happened on earth?"

After being seated, Qiu Yelan noticed that usually gorgeous Ou Qinglan did not look much good today. She realized Ou Qinglan must have been staying with Xin Fubing the whole night. Hence, she did not ask more about it. She just said to Xin Fubing, "Yashuang have told me the trouble you are facing. Don't be frustrated. I am also thinking of ways to help you out. But I haven't got a good idea yet."

Xin Fubing smiled bitterly, "Why should I be frustrated? I have done a thing many girls won't do. There is nothing I am afraid of now."

"Don't say that," Ou Qinglan whispered, adding, "Not everyone has a stone heart like my brother… Right?"

Qiu Yelan paused for a while, realizing the word "right" was for her. Suddenly, it dawned on her that Ou Qinglan's haggardness was not necessarily a result of caring too much about Xin Fubing last night, but rather an association with herself from Xin Fubing's begging for a man's marriage.

But my brother had a colder heart than your brother's!

Qiu Yelan lost her words shortly. She had no clue for an answer Ou Qinglan hoped. She said ambiguously, "Anyway, we should figure out how we can stop you from being married and living in the palace. As for Ou Bicheng… He just said he was reluctant to… It might… Have a turning point…"

"Forget it!" said Ou Qinglan, realizing her answer was not the one she hoped. She paused for a while, and then raised her head, "I know my brother well. If he did not have his dreamed girl, he would never have refused Cousin Xin's request under this circumstance! Not to mention escaping over the wall!"

Not expecting that she would say so, Qiu Yelan was stunned. She immediately turned to Xin Fubing. She had known that Ou Qinglan was a straightforward girl. But she said too frankly which might hurt Xin Fubing's feelings.

Xin Fubing's long eyelashes trembled, and the hand that was squeezing the handkerchief clenched for an instant, so tightly that the veins on the back of it were shown!

But a little while later, she relaxed and said quietly, "I know I am not the one for him. At most, he sees me as a distant cousin."

"This… Might be the thing we called fate, maybe?" As being seen through by Ou Qinglan, Qiu Yelan didn't know what to say suddenly. But she must say something to comfort her, "The relationship between people… It is… "

She was racking her brain for words when Shen Shui quietly came in to report, "The young lady He Shuijin is here."

"He Shuijin is here? What a relief!" Before Qiu Yelan got relaxed completely, Xin Fubing suddenly stood up when she heard "the young lady He Shuijin." "As you have a visitor. I think I am leaving now. Xing, follow me!"

Ou Qinglan grunted too, standing up and saying goodbye.

Qiu Yelan was surprised when she noticed Xin Fubing's obvious hostility towards He Shuijin. He Shuijin was shrewd, but very composed, which made it hard to turn the tables on her even if you saw through what she was doing. For example, Qiu Yelan and Jiang Yashuang both saw her recent improper moves, but they couldn't go and fight with her because of her moves.

And more importantly, there was nothing He Shuijin could get from Xin Fubing.

Was it possible that it was He Shuijin's idea to let her marry the Seventh Prince?

But He Shuijin did not go to the palace recently! She was merely a grandson's wife. It was unlikely that she had the chance to advise Marquess Qin who Sir Jibei's granddaughter should marry.

"I see that you two don't look good. How about having a rest over here?" asked Qiu Yelan, holding them in their arms. "I have set a bed in my study. How about you go to my study, having a rest there. I will go outside, talking with He Shuijin. I promise I won't let you meet her!"

Xin Fubing felt relief after hearing that she did not need to meet He Shuijin. She thought for a while before saying, "So, thank you, Yelan."

"Please don't say that," said Qiu Yelan, holding her hand tightly. She continued to say seriously, "No matter what will happen, your health is the top priority. I have cooked the bird nest soup in my private kitchen. I think it is ready now. You go to my study and I will ask my maid to serve it for you. After that, you take a break!"

After sending them to her study, Qiu Yelan changed her dress which was for meeting guests before she went to the garden. In the place where she lived, if one wanted to enter into the master's hall, she must go through two rows of houses. However, if she took the garden, she could reach there only by going through the garden. In this way, the sisters-in-law of the Jiang Family usually used the back door of the garden to visit each other.

At this moment, He Shuijin had picked off a branch of moonflower, playing with a pair of dangling cranes while Qiu Yelan saw her. She promptly threw the branch into the pool, raising her body and whispering to Qiu Yelan directly, "Is Cousin Xin angry about me?"