Real Empress from a noble family

Chapter 236 Your Brother Wants Who to Replace Me?

Even though He Shuijin took such a drastic measure, Qiu Yelan had no intention to take action.

After all, it was just their speculation that Jiang Yadan would force Madame Tao Junior to give way to An Zhenshang, and things hadn't come to such a pass yet. What was more, if they really struck the An Family, it would be hard to wind this matter up. Feng Rugui was a staunch supporter of the Jiang Family!

Once Jiang Yadan knew it, it would be hard for them to explain it to him as sisters-in-law, as well as his two younger brothers Jiang Yaheng and Jiang Yashuang.

Qiu Yelan had a good impression of Madame Tao Junior indeed, but she couldn't risk everything for her.

So, after careful thinking, she decided to wait and see the changes, "If not, just reveal this idea to Madame Tao and let her handle that!"

After Jiang Yashuang came back that day, he asked how things were going on with Madame Tao Junior. When he heard that Sheng Shishui had a narrow escape, his frowning brows became even tighter, "It happened after I left? Such a coincidence?"

"Yeah." Qiu Yelan said nonchalantly, "However, it's fortunate that Yanniang is a wisenheimer. She thought because of what happened to the eighth sister-in-law yesterday, Madame Tao Junior was the focus of the whole family then and we didn't have time to care about the sixteenth sister-in-law, so she could muddle through with what she did… But it was exposed that very day, and grandmother was so angry that she didn't even listen to the pleas of the sixteenth sister-in-law and intended to drown her in the river that very day. In order to survive, she yelled that she had seen Madame Feng had trysts with a strange man, which gave the eighth sister-in-law time to breathe. She was so pressed!"

Jiang Yashuang kept silent for a while, and asked thoughtfully, "How is the eighth sister-in-law now?"

"Grandma tortured Madame Feng's close maids. Someone said that Madame Feng did go out several times at night when the brother was not at home. The reason was that she was bored in the house and wanted to take a walk in the big garden." Qiu Yelan talked about what she got just now plainly, "But Madame Feng insisted that the servant was talking nonsense."

In addition to the garden in their own courtyard where they lived, there was also a big public garden in Marquess's Mansion which was located on the northeast corner of Marquess's Mansion. It covered a vast area and the lake in it could accommodate more than a dozen boats to float on it. When people in the mansion were tired of enjoying the small garden in their yards, they often went to the big garden indeed. But as a concubine, it was impossible to act as freely as an official wife.

And even if she had been an official wife, if she went into the garden in the middle of the night when her husband was not home, everyone would suspect her!

Seeing Jiang Yashuang was still frowning, Qiu Yelan continued, "Grandmother asked brother what to do with this matter just now as it was not early. Brother said he had never heard of such a thing before, so he took the eighth sister-in-law and Madame Feng home to ask them carefully, and he would reply to grandma tomorrow."

"You will go to brother with me in a while." Jiang Yashuang rubbed his eyebrows and said lightly, "After we go over, we'll talk separately. You need to comfort the eighth sister-in-law!"

When Qiu Yelan was about to agree, Jiang Yashuang said in a low voice, "Find an opportunity to order her servants to pay attention to her these days, and don't make anything bad happen!"

"I'm afraid it will be inconvenient for me to talk to the eighth sister-in-law's servants. I will talk to Su He later and let her remind them." Qiu Yelan's heart sank. She had been thinking about how to help Madame Tao Junior out of crime, and if it wasn't for Jiang Yashuang's reminding, she almost forgot that it was not only the outsiders who could destroy Madame Tao Junior, but also herself!

Her natal family's setting her up, which was no longer a threat, could let her heart die. That was the family that gave birth to her and raised her!

If Jiang Yadan revealed that he didn't want her anymore, after being abandoned by both her natal family and her husband, how could she hold on then?

What was more, Madame Tao Junior always resigned herself to adversity!

At the moment, Qiu Yelan hurriedly called Su He to wait for her to enter the inner chamber to change clothes immediately, and took the opportunity to tell her what to say in a while, "Remember to talk to the maid who didn't set up the eighth sister-in-law this time."

"Madame, don't worry. I'll remember that! Madame Tao Junior's maid Cuizhan is lowly though, this time she tried her best to argue for Madam Tao Junior. Sister Xiaran and others told me that when they came back from several inquiries." Su He promised, "I'll ask her to follow Madame Tao Junior closely!"

When going out, Jiang Yashuang had also changed his official uniforms into homely robes. The couple went to Jiang Yadan's yard together. It was so quiet there. After a long while, seeing Jiang Jingheng and Jiang Huiwan who were playing in the yard, they sensed some liveliness.

"Uncle! Aunt!" Seeing Jiang Yashuang and Qiu Yelan, the servants who were waiting for the two children hurriedly reminded them.

The two little siblings hit each other for fun while walking over to greet them. Qiu Yelan estimated that their biological mothers were not Luan or Madame Feng, but someone else. A brother who was as old as them died yesterday, while they could have fun at this time. Even if the children were forgetful, it showed the deep contradictions among Jiang Yadan's concubines.

Jiang Yashuang looked at his nephew and niece who were grinning, looking somewhat gloomy. The reason why children at this age could be indifferent to the death of their half-brother was that the people who raised them didn't teach them well, and it was improper to blame the kids. Therefore, though his lips moved slightly, he refrained finally but asked, "Are your father and mother in it?"

He glanced at the main room while speaking.

Jiang Jingheng and Jiang Huiwan looked at each other and replied together, "Father is with the twentieth sister, and mother is inside."

"Go and let my brother talk with me in the study." Jiang Yashuang ordered a servant in the porch, and then said to his wife, "Aren't you looking for the eighth sister-in-law? She happened to be inside."

Qiu Yelan nodded in accordance with his words, "I will go in."

"Our mother is crying inside. I'll report to her, aunt!" When she finished speaking, Jiang Jingheng and Jiang Huiwan suddenly showed a strange expression on their faces, and both shouted. Without waiting for Qiu Yelan to agree, they ran towards the main room!

"Follow up quickly and don't let them fall!" Jiang Yashuang shouted at the servants who were looking after them immediately when seeing that. While the two children did not fall, but when they ran to the porch outside the room, they didn't mean to enter the door at all but slipped under the window, then jumped up and pounded the closed window hard, yelling at the same time, "Mom! The nineteenth aunt wants to see you!"

Before they finished their words, there was the sound of broken porcelain from the inner chamber. The people inside must have been frightened by the sudden shouting and pounding!

Jiang Yashuang turned livid at that moment.

Qiu Yelan sneered in her heart, looked at her husband, and said in a low voice, "Last time you said that Jingheng and Jinghu have never been naughty in front of you, right?" That must be because you were stared at by Marquess Qin to focus on your study most of the time and rarely saw these nephews and nieces!

"You go to comfort the eighth sister-in-law." Jiang Yashuang looked at his triumphant nephew and niece who successfully frightened their official mother in the room with obvious anger, "Let their nurses take them away. It's late and they should go back to rest. Why they still run around in the courtyard?"

Qiu Yelan knew that he would definitely tell Jiang Yadan about it in a while, so she didn't mention it anymore, but nodded and led Su He into the room.

Before she asked someone to report, Madame Tao Junior, who looked so haggard, had come out with Cuizhan by her side. A soaked veil was tied to her forehead, and her voice was very weak, "Nineteenth sister-in-law, I'm so tired so I didn't go out to meet you. I'm sorry about that."

"Sister-in-law, just lie down. You needn't get up for me!" Qiu Yelan hurried up to support her.

Cuizhan said angrily, "Madame was about to fall asleep just now, but she almost fell to the ground because they frightened her just now!"

"Su He, didn't you hear what Jiang Yashuang said just now? Go and ask their nurses to take them away!" Qiu Yelan sighed, "Eighth sister-in-law, you are so kind that you pampered them so much!"

Cuizhan said, "It's not because of our madame…"

"Stop that!" Madame Tao Junior interrupted her wearily. She had been helped into the inner chamber at this time and lay back with the help of her sister-in-law and the confidant maid. She wanted to say something, but couldn't help shedding tears.

Seeing this, Qiu Yelan felt a little bit sour. When she was thinking about changing the subject, Madame Tao Junior wiped her face hastily and then forced a smile to ask, "Jiang Yashuang is here too? Why didn't he come in? I watched him grow up. You are here too, so he needn't be so shy."

"He went to the study to wait for his brother." Qiu Yelan pursed her lips, "I come here to chat with you."

"Really?" Madame Tao Junior smiled self-deprecatingly, and said after a while, "Thank you so much." She then bit her lower lip hard, "Oh! I forgot to make you some tea. Cuizhan, why didn't you remind me?"

Cuizhan hurriedly confessed her ignorance and intended to make tea. But when she was about to leave, Madame Tao Junior ordered, "Make a cup of tea which I usually drink for the nineteenth sister-in-law first, and then go to the storeroom to get the good tea which Her Majesty awarded us last year!"

Qiu Yelan's heart throbbed when she heard the words. It was clear that she intended to send Cuizhan away to talk to her secretly.

After Cuizhan left, hearing no movement outside, Madame Tao Junior then said in a low voice as expected, "Nineteenth sister-in-law, tell me honestly. Your brother wants who to take over my position?"

Qiu Yelan never expected her to be so clear and blunt. She was shocked. Pausing for a while, she forced a smile, "No! Why do you think this way, eighth sister-in-law? You are fine now, so how can anyone else take over your position?"

"Are you still hiding it from me now?" Madame Tao Junior smiled bitterly and said, "Yanniang made a confession about Madame Feng to survive. With grandmother there, this time, the trouble caused by our branch would be over then no matter who was behind the scene. Jiang Yashuang and you are newly-married, and he works as an official now. I'm afraid he doesn't even have enough time to accompany you after work. So why do you come here so late? You talk to me just to let Su He take the opportunity to talk to Cuizhan. You're afraid that I will take my own life. While Jiang Yashuang goes to talk to your brother to speak up for me, right?"

Without waiting for Qiu Yelan's answer, she sighed and continued, "Actually, in the evening, when grandmother asked about your brother's opinions about Madame Feng and he said that he would ask me about that, I knew that he was not satisfied with the result! I've thought that he always loves Madame Feng, but when he came back, he asked people to lock her in the firewood room, ignored her crying, and went directly to the room of Yan… Since he wasn't dissatisfied with grandma's disposal for Madame Feng, what else can it be? He just wants me to give way!"

She was so clear that Qiu Yelan found it extremely difficult to brush her off. After a hard thought, she bit the bullet to lie, "We heard that brother did not deal with Madame Feng immediately, and we were afraid that he would be coaxed by her sweet words!"

"When you came, you must have seen what Jingheng and Huiwan did outside, right?" Madame Tao Junior looked at her deeply and sighed, "It was so late, but the two children were still playing outside my room. Someone let them do that deliberately to bother me… Although they always ignored me before, when people came here, they would restrain themselves. They know there will be a new hostess soon, so they are against me deliberately to claim credit from the new hostess then."

Her voice was choking, "Even they have known that. Aren't you going to tell me yet?"