Real Empress from a noble family

A few moments later, a dozen pieces of evidence put on plates were brought in, along with a string of people who were handcuffed together. Marquess Qin's study was designed earlier to double as a meeting room so it was spacious enough. Otherwise, there would be no room for so many witnesses and they would have to go outside together to watch.

Sir Jibei had the physical evidence on the plate distributed to the first branch and the third branch, and then said coldly, "You can personally see the physical evidence and ask the human evidence! I'll wait here, but if you have any doubts, just say so!"

Jiang Tianao and Jiang Tianqi took the physical evidence and looked at the human evidence, feeling bitter, "My third uncle has already said that the deaths of Yayue and Yaqing had nothing to do with the fourth branch. So, how could there be anything left in the evidence that had anything to do with them?"

Sir Jibei, who was the former commander of the Northern Army, was able to command great armies with nothing wrong, let alone a case of assassination.

So, it was no use seeing the evidence.

Besides, Marquess Qin was already unsatisfied with them for questioning Sir Jibei. If they questioned him again, it would only make Marquess Qin feel even worse. And how could Sir Jibei not hold a grudge in his heart?

"But should our first trueborn sons die in vain?" The two cousins looked at each other with resignation in their eyes, "My third Uncle is determined to take sides. He ignores the fact that our two branches have already had a grudge against the fourth branch. Once the fourth branch comes out on top, where is our way out?"

Jiang Tianqi subconsciously looked at Marquess Qin only to see that his father's gaze lowered and he calmly looked at the tea bowl in his hand. As such, no one could know what he was thinking.

"I am your first trueborn son! Yayue is your first trueborn grandson! Even though he is not as outstanding as the fourth branch's Jiang Yashuang, he is still one of the outstanding sons of our family! And how could a youngest grandson's status compare with that of the eldest grandson?"

He was both sad and indignant in his heart and almost wanted to rush up and roar, "To repay the eldest uncle's kindness, you always let Jiang Tianao hold me back. It's okay because he is my elder cousin. Everyone should show respect for seniority. But my fourth brother Tianchi is younger than me! Even though he left the prosperous Jing City to join the army back then and went through a lot of hardships to get to become what he is today, the Northern Army has been given to him! It was the place where our Jiang Family rose! What right does he have to take the Western Army too?"

"You think even if you leave one day, he will not kill me because I am his eldest brother! But even if that is true, do I, as the eldest brother, have to live on my brother's face in the future?"

The thought of that situation made him want to run his head into the ground right now!

Wasn't he humble enough in his life because of Jiang Tianao?

Wordlessly, two lines of his tears fell.

But although Marquess Qin, who sat at the top, glanced at him, his eyes remained calm without any pity or guilt, looking so unruffled!

This calm gaze made Jiang Tianqi sink down and miss the power. He knew that even if he really rushed up and roared, he would not be able to scare Marquess Qin. He had no one else to turn to.

There was complete evidence in his youngest uncle's hands and his father had no intention of overturning it… What else could he do?

But while he couldn't do anything more, Jiang Tianao still had more leverage to use!

"My third uncle, you are too serious. How can I doubt what you have said?" Jiang Tianao said this respectfully but with a hidden sneer. He couldn't doubt it but it didn't mean that he was not suspicious of it in his mind. Without waiting for Marquess Qin or Sir Jibei to say anything, he added, "My third uncle, thank you for bustling about and figuring out the thing. Now the results are here. I know that my wife and son were both murdered. And as I was mistakenly tricked, I had conflicts with my families so many times! I am so distressed that I would like to leave first!"

And he was just going to let it go, wasn't he?

Ou Qinglan and Ling Zui were not deep ones. Having heard that, they were all surprised in their faces.

On the contrary, Jiang Yashuang's face remained calm. But his gaze dropped, which revealed a touch of gloom!

Surely Jiang Tianao had more to say.

He bowed towards Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei, who had no comment. His body slightly hunched and he said in his quavering voice, "After Dou died, I didn't feel well either… And later I heard about the death of Yayue, I have been trying to be strong these days… I just want to wait for my third uncle to come back so I can find out the truth… Now I have known. So, I'm thinking about… It's time for me to get back to Kui City, isn't it?"

Only when the words left his mouth, both Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei changed their faces and looked up at him angrily together!

It sounded like that Jiang Tianao was saying that he had suffered the loss of his wife and son in quick succession and thus he thought of resigning. But his two uncles were no fools. How could they not see that he was making a threat? "You won't give me an explanation, will you? And then I'll go back to Kui County and tell my father!"

Though Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei knew Kui Xiannan, when he knew the whole story, he wouldn't help Jiang Tianao! Maybe he would even smack him! But Jiang Yayue was the first trueborn grandchild of Kui Xiannan! He had never seen Kui Xiannan more than a few times in his life. However, Kui Xiannan had lost his grandson in old age, how could he not be sad?

Furthermore, Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei did not dare to tell Kui Xiannan everything that had happened. Because that would certainly not cover up the conflict among the first branch, the third branch, and the fourth branch, as well as the internal strife in the Jiang family that everyone in the court knew about!

When people were as old as Kui Xiannan, what did they care most about? Their children and grandchildren, of course!

If he knew that the Jiang family in Jing City was in such a state, he probably wouldn't close his eyes when he died, even if he wouldn't die on the spot!

"If you don't feel well, just take a few more days off!" Marquess Qin took a deep breath and concealed his emotions. He said expressionlessly, "As for Kui County, I suggest you not go there! Your father is already at such an old age, don't tell him that Dou and Yayue have gone! Although this has already been ordered, how can you have a few people with you when returning to Kui County in person? And there will be so many people, how could we hide it from him?"

Sir Jibei was more of a violent man than Marquess Qin, but his tolerance for Jiang Tianao was not the same as his counterpart's. At this moment, he simply talked things out, "If you're not satisfied with the results of my investigation, you can send your own people to Shazhou to find out the truth!"

"As for your father, he's an old man and has suffered enough in his early years! For god's sake, leave him alone!"

Jiang Tianao lowered his head to hide the resentment in his eyes and instead he said, "My two uncles, you have misunderstood me! I am just thinking of my father because of the death of Yayue! As the eldest son of my father, I have not been with my father for many years due to my being an official, which is unfilial. Now that I have experienced the pain of losing my son, I feel I owe my father a lot for all these years, which is why I want to return to my hometown to make up for it!"

What he said made sense. Thus, Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei were so angry that they trembled slightly, but they had nothing to say. After all, Jiang Tian asserted that he wanted to return to his hometown to do his filial duty. Nowadays the filial piety was the most important thing. Especially, these two uncles were also known for their being respectful and filial to Kui Xiannan. As such, what else could they say?

But while they could not reason with Jiang Tianao, they could control him in his actions.

Marquess Qin waved his sleeves, "In any case, you can resign. But you cannot return to Kui County! There is nothing to say about this!"

Since he had given the word, Jiang Tianao could not leave even if he wanted to.

But it could not stop Jiang Tianao. He said indifferently at once, "But I think my letter to my father is on the way. In the letter, I have already told him that I will return to my hometown in the recent days to spend time with him… If my father doesn't see me back in a few days, I'm afraid he will be worried! Even if I write again to say that I have changed my mind, I'm afraid that my father will be disappointed!"

"…" Marquess Qin could not say anything and his face instantly turned red!

A vein throbbed stood out on Sir Jibei's forehead. He was so angered that he smiled instead, "Well! How well you have done! In that case, how about I accompany you on another trip to Kui County? I've already been to Shazhou with you, can't I go to the hometown? Just let my eldest brother judge whether I've treated you badly or not!"

"My third uncle, you misunderstand me. Both you and my second uncle have taken good care of me over the years. How could you not treat me well?" Jiang Tianao hid his resentment and said unwillingly, "I just want to show filial piety to my father."

As the atmosphere in the study grew stagnant, Jiang Yashuang suddenly smiled lightly and said, "My grandfather! My youngest grand uncle! May I say a few words?"

"Go ahead!" Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei were both very restless, but when they saw that Jiang Yashuang, one of the most anticipated grandsons of the Jiang Family, was the one speaking, they held back their fury and nodded slightly.

"My grandfather and my youngest grand uncle, since my eldest uncle was so filial, you can just go with him." Jiang Yashuang said airily, "But my grandfather's concern was true. It would be hard not to leak the news of the deaths of my eldest aunt and second brother if my eldest uncle went back with so many men! My eldest grand uncle is so old. How can he stand this? So, my eldest uncle had better set off with several subordinates when he resigns. Even if my eleventh brother and his nephews are with him, it will be best to reduce the subordinates. The fewer subordinates he takes, the better! This is the only way to prevent my eldest grand uncle from learning the bad news! Is this a good compromise?"

Because Ou Qinglan had always been bold and her grandmother, Madame Ou, was just present, she didn't even think to interpose and add her voice, "Yashuang, there is no use you asking this! Uncle Jiang is so filial to his father. How could he say no? Maybe he'd like to go back alone! In that way, no one would talk!"

The muscles on Jiang Tianao's face twitched and he wanted to slap Jiang Yashuang and Ou Qinglan to death!

Taking fewer people? Would he still make it back to Kui County alive?

When his son Jiang Yayue went to Shazhou, he had arranged so many people and so many things, both explicitly and implicitly. But what happened? He died just like that! Not even one of his men survived!

Moreover, Jiang Yashuang even told him to take just three or five people on the way, and Ou Qinglan even tried to suggest him to go back to his hometown alone. Were they trying to send him to his death?

"According to the way the two uncles are acting nowadays, the bad news is definitely not allowed to be told to my father!" Jiang Tianao secretly gritted his teeth, "If I die halfway, they will just let the thing go away. The two evils!"

But he had said so certainly before, as if "no one should stop me from returning to my hometown to do my filial duty", and now it was difficult for him to change his words. He waited while Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei didn't come to the rescue. Since then, he began to realize that he had offended his two uncles. And they were waiting gleefully for him to fail… So, he made up his mind and said in a deep voice, "That's a great idea!"

He raised his eyes to look at Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei, "My two uncles, I will set off later with three or five people and I hope you will agree with that!"

He thought to himself, "I do have pissed you off, but how can you really see me on my way like this?"

"Not to mention the fact that I am my father's eldest trueborn son, just as I said earlier, I have written a letter to inform my father that I am returning home to be with him! If I fail to arrive in Kui County, let's see how you can explain to him!"