Real Empress from a noble family

At the moment, there was tension in the air in Marquis Qin's study!

Sir Jibei had not yet arrived, but the first branch and the third branch's anxious men who could come were all there.

Because of Madame Dou's death, the first branch, except for Jiang Tianao, was in mourning apparel. And as for the third branch, two frightened-looking sons of concubines of Jiang Yaqing, who were less than ten years old, walked beside Jiang Yayi and Jiang Yaheng, wearing mourning apparel as well. Just by looking at the situation, one could see the determination of these two branches to get to the bottom of the matter!

But Jiang Yashuang, who had been educated by Marquis Qin and Empress Dowager Jiang since he was young, was used to scenes. So, despite the stiff and heavy atmosphere in the study, he was far from being intimidated. When he entered the door, even though he was looked at by the two branches with hatred and indifference in their eyes, he calmly saluted Marquis Qin according to the etiquette and then sat down in his seat, waiting patiently.

He was worried about his wife and arrived late. He didn't wait long before someone at the door passed on the message that the group of Sir Jibei had already entered the mansion. "Madame said she was concerned about Marquis Qin's health and so she came along. Besides, she brought Miss Ou and Young Earl Ling along!"

"Ou Qinglan and Ling Zui?" The first branch and the third branch, who bore serious resentment, were astonished to hear that. They looked at Jiang Yashuang all together, "It is understandable that grand aunt comes along as she is worried about grand uncle. But what about Ou Qinglan and Ling Zui? They are killed, together with Jiang Qizheng, aren't they?"

It was Jiang Yahong who asked the question. He was indeed the man who had betrayed his branch for his own future. At the moment, he looked shocked with anger and suspicion, showing the proper attitude of a son standing up for the first branch. Who would believe that he was simply overjoyed at the deaths of his official mother and official brother?

But Jiang Yashuang was more than ready for that. His face was more shocked than Jiang Yahong's. Furthermore, his surprise was mixed with anticipation and apprehension and he even made a motion that he was about to stand up, "Is my eighteenth sister still alive?"

The impromptu performance between the cousins made the atmosphere in the study become weirder and weirder, which seemed that the night was falling.

The group of Sir Jibei had already entered the mansion and they would arrive here a few moments later.

"My youngest grand uncle!" Seeing that Ou Qinglan and Ling Zui who were behind Sir Jibei and his wife were still alive, the first branch and the third branch were both horrified and furious! When Sir Jibei was invited by Marquis Qin to sit down beside him, Jiang Yahong, who had performed before, couldn't wait to jump out and shout in grief and anger, "How come these two are still alive?"

"What did we ever do to you?" Before Sir Jibei answered, Ou Qinglan had already spoken with a puzzled expression, "Or are we in your way when we survive?"

Ling Zui retorted almost lazily, "Maybe the Eleventh Young Master believes that none of us are supposed to survive!"

Jiang Yashuang commended their close cooperation secretly. What they said meant that the first branch and the third branch knew about the attack on Jiang Qizheng and the others, and they were certain that Ou Qinglan and Ling Zui could not survive.

Jiang Tianao gave a piercing look at him, "Shut up! Who has taught you that you are allowed to shout at your youngest grand uncle!" And then he made amends to Sir Jibei on behalf of Jiang Yahong. However, Sir Jibei ignored their argument and said to Marquis Qin with a cold look, "My second brother, what happened in Shazhou is extremely complicated and many people of our family are involved. So, I bring Xing and Ling Zui here to corroborate it!"

Marquis Qin nodded, "Go ahead!"

Sir Jibei said coldly, "When I arrived in Shazhou, Yayue and Yaqing were assassinated and died." Hearing this, the people of the first branch and the third branch looked even more sad and angry. Sir Jibei paused, to allow them to restrain their emotions before continuing, "Their assassination had everything to do with the previous attack on Qizheng and the others. So, Xing and Ling Zui, you tell everyone here in detail about your journey to the west!"

On the way back, Ou Qinglan and Ling Zui had been working exclusively on getting their story straight, and now they were really familiar with it, "Finally we arrived in Shazhou but we didn't expect that we should come with an attack… When we found it was Kuang Qingwu who attacked us, we didn't think about surviving, but we were stopped from committing suicide. And to our surprise, he didn't make us suffer. Except for being confined, we were well treated. And we all three were locked in the same place… By taking advantage of the opportunity, Qizheng was able to write blood letters… At last, we were saved!"

"So, it was Qiu Jinglan's secret pawn sent around Kuang Qingwu who managed to leave secret marks that helped Qiu Jinglan find where Kuang Qingwu was hiding and thus save you, wasn't it?" Jiang Tianao asked expressionlessly, "But as the secret pawn, who was beside Kuang Qingwu, was aware of his movements and could get Qiu Jinglan informed, why didn't he warn him when Kuang Qingwu attacked you?"

"Moreover, Kuang Qingwu had terrorized Shazhou for a long time. Since that Qiu Jinglan planted someone around him, why not inform the army as soon as possible and destroy him?" Jiang Tianqi also said coldly, "Or, why not just sacrifice himself to kill Kuang Qingwu in one blow?"

Ou Qinglan turned down the corners of her mouth and said nothing.

"Shouldn't you know that better?" Ling Zui said coldly, "Why are you blaming Chunjun on the contrary?"

Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi suddenly froze and looked at Marquis Qin and Sir Jibei, the two brothers.

Sir Jibei glanced at Marquis Qin, who was silent, and calmly said, "Although Gu was killed and the remainders were cleared before, the Gu Family had been in power for more than 30 years, there are many remaining villains! The border army in particular is too important to ignore! Therefore, we secretly told Qiu Jinglan to let go of Kuang Qingwu and let him stay in Shazhou as a bandit. As such, the remaining members of the Gu Family would come into the trap. So, we can kill them all!"

After a pause, he continued, "It is a big deal. We didn't tell you to avoid giving away it."

Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi were so angry that they in turn gave a smile, "My third uncle, considering how Kuang Qingwu acted these days, he had been clearing the way for Qiu Jinglan!"

In great anger, the two men even said what Marquis Qin had privately advised them before, "Moreover, my second uncle had said Kuang Qingwu was likely to be recruited by Qiu Jinglan and allowed to become a bandit, right? My second uncle had told Yayue and Yaqing to kill him first when they had the chance after going to Shazhou. How come it was our family who tacitly allowed Qiu Jinglan to do this?"

After these words, although Marquis Qin still looked indifferent and did not say anything, the hearts of Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi jolted and they felt something was wrong inwardly, "We shouldn't have said that!"

Even if they wanted to say it, they shouldn't have said it so honestly and unabashedly. It was Sir Jibei's defense that surprised and angered them so much that they were out of line! After all, everyone knew that Marquis Qin was partial to the first branch and even the third branch that stood with the first branch in the confrontation against the fourth branch took advantage of it as well. But, in the end, the scene must be taken good care of!

However, Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi now gave out what Marquis Qin did in private.

At that moment, anyone could see the anger gathering between Jiang Yashuang's eyes!

Even Old Master Tianxiao, who came here to watch, started to look bad. He was born by a concubine but he was the son of Marquis Qin. And normally, he was the most favored youngest child. While he was listening and watching how his father showed preference to his cousin and trueborn brother… He thought of his treatment only to find that even though his biological mother smoothed things over with Marquis Qin during pillow talk, there was little change!

"When I first proposed with my second brother that Qiu Jinglan should do this, he indeed did not agree." Sir Jibei had communicated with Marquis Qin through private letters on his way back. He knew that there was such a loophole and so he naturally thought about countermeasures. As such, he explained calmly at this moment, "He believed that as the chief villain, Gu had been killed, the remainders would not be able to make it even if they still had mischievous intentions!"

He then turned it and said, "But I don't have the same courage as my second brother! As far as I was concerned, those who were in fear of being implicated in the collapse of the Gu Family could be let go of, but those who were still thinking of making waves could not be spared! So, when my second brother refused my proposal, I sent someone to tell Qiu Jinglan to do so. Because my second brother did not agree, I did not let him read the letter I gave Qiu Jinglan."

He said tonelessly, "If you don't believe me, you can ask Qiu Jinglan for the handwritten letter later!"

"Since you have personally been to Shazhou and met with Qiu Jinglan, what kind of handwriting can he not offer?" The first branch and the third branch were furious in their heart. Jiang Yahong, who had been scolded by Jiang Tianao, squinting his eyes, suddenly said, "My youngest grand uncle, there is one thing that I still don't know!"

"Say it!"

"Miss Ou and Ling Zui said they, together with my eighteenth sister, were well treated after being taken captive. They were just confined. So, is my eighteenth sister alive or dead?"

Just then it became so silent in the study that all could hear a pin drop!

Under everyone's gaze, Sir Jibei said indifferently, "Of course she is still alive!" He didn't need Jiang Yahong to continue asking and said in a rush, "However, she was shocked and her fingers were badly injured because of writing the blood letters. And she fell ill all of a sudden when Qiu Feng rushed over. Now the couple is staying in Shazhou for rest and will not be back until some days later!"

Confirming that Jiang Qizheng was still alive, Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi both rose to their feet!

The cousins, who were more than half a hundred years old and in the position of great power, both turned purple and had veins on their foreheads as they looked deadly at Jiang Yashuang, the only member of the fourth branch present today!

They looked very fierce as if they were about to tear him the next moment, "What a ruthless tactic! We really underestimate you, the fourth branch. You dare… Qizheng didn't die… The daughter of the Ou Family… Ling Zui… What a trick!" At the time, how could they not think that everything was a plot by the fourth branch to kill Jiang Yayue and Jiang Yaqing?

A smile appeared on the corner of Jiang Yashuang's mouth when Sir Jibei confirmed Jiang Qizheng's safety, and a look of relief and excitement appeared on his face. But now it suddenly disappeared without a trace. He said coldly, "My uncles, what do you mean by that? Is it not a happy event that my eighteenth sister is still alive?"

Ou Qinglan looked at Madame Ou and said in injured tones, "My grandmother, why do so many people want something to happen to us? Who did we piss off?"

Madame Ou said coldly, "Don't be so nosy. You have your parents and brothers who support you anyway!"

Madame Ou was a bit annoyed by her words. It had been another night since Sir Jibei's return. Madame Ou, as Sir Jibei's wife, naturally knew the whole story from her husband. She was the type of person who would be partial towards her relatives rather than the others who had good reasons. She had been with the fourth branch for many years in Beijiang and was psychologically inclined towards them. When she heard what had happened, she automatically assumed that the first branch and the third branch brought this on themselves!

Now she saw that the two branches did not repent, instead, they held her husband in question. Besides, their words were filled with implications, meaning that "Xing, you should all die." Therefore, Madame Ou's tone suddenly turned sour.

However, Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi were not in the mood to pay attention to the two women of the Ou Family at this time. In their rage, they almost made a move against Jiang Yashuang. But after being rebuked by Marquis Qin and Sir Jibei in unison and pacified by their respective sons and grandsons for a long time, they gritted their teeth and questioned, "Since Jiang Qizheng was treated very well when she was confined and was locked up with Ling Zui and Ou Qinglan, why did she write blood letters? Even if she was so panicked and scared that she wanted to write, why didn't Ling Zui and Ou Qinglan stop her?"

Sweeping his eyes over Ling Zui's and Ou Qinglan's unscathed fingertips, Jiang Tianao sneered out, "If it was Jiang Qizheng who dropped the brush as a representative, then what about the blood? Did Ling Zui and Ou Qinglan just stand and watch as Jiang Qizheng bit through her fingers alone and used her own blood as ink?"

"And the two guards who sent the blood letters to my fourth brother and his wife!"

"No matter how well Kuang Qingwu treated them, they were under his confinement! How could he let go of their guards! Don't say that the guards escaped on their own! If they were so powerful, why did they fail to protect Jiang Qizheng and the others from falling into the hands of Kuang Qingwu?"

"Moreover, the guards took the blood letters of Jiang Qizheng and asked for help from Beijiang. It was a long journey from Shazhou to Beijiang. From the west to the north, they did not inform any official. They had to ask help from distant Beijiang to solve problems in Shazhou. It was…"

Jiang Tianqi opened his eyes quite wide with indignation and he almost shouted, "It was a certainty that no matter how far they ran to get the rescue, nothing would happen to Jiang Qizheng and the others!"

"My youngest grand uncle, we all know that you have treated my fourth brother as your son." Jiang Tianao took a deep breath and said with a sad smile. "But how old are Yayue and Yaqing? They were in their prime… And their sons are young… Since I was a child, I have never asked you for anything…"

He lifted the corners of his robe and fell heavily to his knees with a thud!

The force of his kneeling was so strong that one could feel the pain of him even if the floor was covered with a thick blanket. "Now for the first time, I am asking you. Please give justice to my first son! Will you?"

Before he finished his sentences, he was already in tears!