Real Empress from a noble family

In Jing City, Hall of Taishi, Palace of Ganquan, the imperial city…

Empress Dowager Jiang stared at Chu Weisang who was standing on the red steps. She asked impatiently, "Why do you come here, Emperor?"

"I hear that you have no appetite for food and drinks. I am worried about you and so I come here to take care of you." Chu Weisang respectfully took the edible bird's nest from the golden tray which the maid knelt to hold. "Being healthy is the most important thing for you. Please have some for the sake of all people and the country."

Empress Dowager Jiang frowned. Among the three kids who were kidnapped in the attack in Shazhou, she didn't mind Ling Zui, but Jiang Qizheng was her nephew who she had watched group up. Even if she ignored their connection, the consequence caused by her death was very tricky. In such a situation, she was not in the mood to have some edible bird's nest.

"My father can maintain peace now and my fourth brother and his wife only dare to be furious. But he is old and how many years can he maintain? After he dies, the fourth branch must take revenge on the first branch and the third branch. I can think of this point that my father must be able to think of as well. To save the first branch and the third branch, he might give the Western Army to them as the last choice in case that the fourth branch has massive forces to revenge for their daughter!"

Empress Dowager Jiang was so distracted, "The aim to establish the Wester Army is to fight against the western savages. If my father gives the power to the first branch and the third branch, the army will become a tool to fight against the fourth branch. My father is still alive and the guys in the two branches dare to kill their nephew. If he dies, I can't imagine how malicious they will be. For their interest, they can ignore the whole country's interest. They even might command the army to enter the Jing City…"

That Jiang Qizheng went through such an accident made Empress Dowager Jiang feel there would be a political storm, while the thing that Ou Qinglan was kidnapped distracted her personally. Princess Royal Yongfu, the only daughter she gave birth to, was married to Ou Bicheng.

"There is only one daughter in the whole Ou Family. They regard her as a treasure. Even her young aunt, who had always been strict with her juniors, personally asked her father to intercede for her." Empress Dowager felt the life was difficult to go through. She thought, "If the girl died because of the internal strife in the Jiang Family in Shazhou, the Ou Family would never let it go! The Ou Family stands by the fourth branch's side. Now as the two kids in the two families go through the misfortune together, they must be incompatible as fire and water with the first branch and the third branch. For the sake of power and reason, I should support the fourth branch and the Ou Family. But father…"

From the perspective of Marquess Qin, he was also in the dilemmatic state to handle this thing. He was not so decentered to the first branch. He would not still take sides on the first branch as the daughter born by the legal wife of the fourth branch was killed. In fact, the first branch, the third branch, and the fourth branch were all families of his sons. Though he wanted to punish the first branch and the third branch to vent the anger of the fourth branch, he was unwilling to kill his grandson to compensate a daughter who had been married. Especially Jiang Yayue and Jiang Yaqing were outstanding among those kids in the Jiang Family.

But if he didn't kill them, were there any kinds of punishment that could vent the anger of the fourth branch?

The fourth branch would revenge them. Those kids would fight against each other.

Marquess Qin was unwilling to see that situation. He had no choice but to rub salt in the wound of the fourth branch and Ou Family. He didn't punish the first branch and the third branch. Instead, he enforced their power to make the fourth branch not dare to start the revenge.

If they wanted Marquess Qin not to take sides, they had to make him believe that the fourth branch would never revenge. However, Empress Dowager Jiang knew this was impossible, not to mention anyone else. Madame Zhuang had the worst temper. She rushed into the first branch's mansion to beat a servant to death who accompanied Madame Dou to get married because of a tiny matter. What would she do if her daughter was killed by them?

She would cut all the people in the first branch and the third branch into pieces!

If she could not change the mind of Marquess Qin, Empress Dowager Jiang should be anxious about her political investment and her daughter's future. "Though the fourth branch has the power of the Northern Army, they are weak in the court. Now that Xue Chang is the prime minister, Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi have started to recruit followers to manage the affairs of the country. If they united the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, they would defeat the fourth branch completely. If they led the Western Army, they wouldn't have to push the fourth branch too far hurriedly. If the fourth branch were not stable, the best end for me would only be a puppet."

"My daughter Yongfu would have a bad ending."

The more Empress Dowager thought, the more disappointed she became. After a while, she raised her head, finding that Chu Weisang hadn't left yet. He was looking at her respectfully and worriedly.

"I'm fine!" Though she knew the filial piety of Chu Weisang was because of scare, not sincerity, she also knew she treated him badly. Seeing him waiting for her so long, she felt sorry. She said gently, "I shouldn't have made you so worried about me. Put the bowl here. I will have it. Go back to your palace. It is cold outside. Pay attention to your health!"

Chu Weisang said tactfully, "Mother, the bowl of the edible bird's nest just now got cold. I have asked them to get a warm one. Could you please allow me to serve you to finish it? And then I will leave."

Seeing that his eyes were full of expectation, Empress Dowager Jiang's heart melted. She nodded.

A few moments later, the servants brought a new bowl. Chu Weisang picked it up with two hands and stepped forward. He served Empress Dowager Jiang to have it by himself.

And then he asked about Empress Dowager's and Princess Royal Yongfu's recent situation. He spent a lot of time in the Hall of Taishi. After making Empress Dowager Jiang be happy, he left.

After he went out from Palace of Ganquan, an exhausted expression appeared on his face. He was so tired that he almost fell down when he got off the imperial carriage as it arrived at Fu Ning Palace. Old Princess Wu was waiting for him at the stage and she was shocked by seeing that. She didn't care about her deportment at all and came to support him, "Be careful, my son!"

Old Princess Wu was Wu Jieyu when the former emperor was alive. Chu Weisang was born by her.

After Chu Weisang became the emperor, he should have called his official mother as mother Empress Dowager and called his biological mother as deity Empress Dowager. But he was afraid that the Jiang Family was unsatisfied. As a result, Madame Wu found some excuses to become an old Princess. She was so well-advised that she gained the chance to visit Chu Weisang at any time she wanted.

She didn't have any other kids. So, the old Princess Wu came here to visit her son every other day. They were naturally affectionate.

On the outside of the palace, old Princess Wu was afraid of Empress Dowager Jiang and so she dared not to precept her son in the public. After stepping into the palace and clearing up the gatherings, she started to talk, "You are an adult. Why don't you cherish yourself? Today it is so cold outside. Even if you want to serve Empress Dowager, you must take care of yourself as well. The servants around you…"

Thinking of those guys sent by Empress Dowager Jiang, old Princess Wu's face stiffed and stopped. She sighed, "No matter what happens, you should mind your health."

"I will die, not to mention keeping health." Chu Weisang sneered and said as he sipped the tea his mom gave him.

Old Princess Wu was shocked by his words. She almost overturned the table in front of her, "What nonsense?"

"Jiang Yadan escorted Jiang Qizheng, Ou Qinglan, and Ling Zui to Shazhou. However, they were attacked on the road a hundred miles away from Shazhou!" Chu Weisang said in a low voice, "Except for Jiang Yadan, the other three might have died!"

Old Princess Wu dazzled and then she relieved, "What does that have to do with us?"

Though as a puppet she didn't qualify to make a decision, she had the easiness that she didn't have to make a decision.

Chu Weisang looked at old Princess Wu, "Mom, do you think that it is not our business?" He smiled bitterly, "If I were right, I would be framed as the one who devised the accident."

"What?" Old Princess Wu was shocked, "What does it have to do with you?"

She was frightened!

"You spare no effort to serve Empress Dowager. I think that she is satisfied with you. How can she be upset?" Old Princess cried right away. She lived here for so many years. She was used to be afraid of Empress Dowager Jiang. At this moment when she heard that her son would be a scapegoat, the first reaction was not furious but grievance, "Are we not well-advised enough?"

Chu Weisang also choked with sobs, "No, it was just… Marquess Qin can't admit that the guys who attacked and tried to murder Jiang Qizheng in the name of Kuang Qingwu are the first branch and the third branch in the Jiang Family!"

Old Princess Wu dazed, "Do you mean that…"

"Any other guys are not capable of being the scapegoat to stop the fourth branch to revenge. Don't you think that they will come to me?"

"Empress Dowager Gu just passed away. Can't it be the residual party of her?" Old Princess Wu was helpless. She thought of this excuse, "After all Empress Dowager Gu was involved in political affairs for so many years. It is not easy to clear her party up completely!"

Chu Weisang smiled bitterly, "Mom, the Jiang Family now don't need to explain to common people. They have to make up an explanation to the fourth branch!"

Not waiting for his mom to say something, he continued, "And the fourth branch is pretty sure that the thing is done by the third branch and the first branch. So, the scapegoat should not only be qualified, but reasonable. Even if they can't make the fourth branch fully convinced, they have to make them trust a half."

"Though I am the emperor, I am not resigned to be a puppet. So, I take advantage of the residual party my grandmother left to egg on Kuang Qingwu to murder Jiang Qizheng and her fellows. And I try to frame on the first branch and the third branch!" Chu Weisang sneered, "And then the Jiang Family kill me or discard me. Here is the story. Marquess Qin can reasonably ask his kid to become reconciled. He will tell them not to fall into my trap of sowing discord. That's the best ending to the Jiang Family."

Old Princess Wu's face was covered with tears, "But we…"

She pressed on her chest and asked imploringly, "We can figure out some way to solve it, can't we? You are smart, my son. I am not a match for you. You will have a solution, right?"

Chu Weisang muted and then he said coldly, "The only way is to make the fourth branch completely turn against the first branch and the third branch. Even if they frame me for the matter that Jiang Qizheng was attacked, they can't compensate it! And then Marquess Qin will not do superfluous things."

Old Princess Wu ignited hopes in her heart, "What should we do?"

"We have to kill Jiang Yayue and Jiang Yaqing." At the same moment, in the Ruan's Mansion, Jiang Yashuang's hands were clasped behind him. He stood in the study of Qiu Jinglan and said calmly, "My grandfather wants to cover it up. But I can't endure it. This time my eighteenth sister, Xing, and Ling Zui were attacked. What about next time? Will it be my eighth brother, my nephew, even you or me?"

He shook his head, "It is human nature that much will have more. Moreover, their son still is alive, but why are our sisters dead? Why can they get the Western Army by trampling on their blood and their life?"

"Jiang Yayue and Jiang Yaqing have to die!"

"If they died, you brother would take over the Western Army reasonably. The first branch and the third branch would never expect to compete with your branch. They would never dare to treat us as nonentities!"

"I hope them die!" Ou Bicheng sat seriously not far away. He didn't have an expression on his face, "But Qiu Jinglan can't achieve it. Since the first branch and the third branch attacked Xing, they must be on guard against Qiu Jinglan. If Qiu Jinglan made it, he wouldn't do it by himself. He is not a member of the Jiang family. Though Marquess Qin cherishes talents and he has to consider Commandery Princess Ningyi who is pregnant, he still may kill him when he is furious. Qiu Jinglan loves Commandery Princess Ningyi so much that he doesn't even see his nephew. How can he be willing to die?"

"I know." Jiang Yashuang said, "I don't wish him to do it. If he were caught by my grandfather and killed, I wouldn't be able to explain to Ningyi. I can't find another one to take over the Western Army, either!"

Ou Bicheng frowned, "Is there anyone else that you can count on?"