Real Empress from a noble family

Mi Yinyin acted so inappropriately in the banquet and was ordered to go back home by Madame Ou. But it wasn't over for her punishment.

The next morning, the news came over from the Mansion of Sir Jibei that Mi Yinyin was sick because of her exposure to wind on the way back home last night.

"Such a coincidence?" Madame Zhuang smiled contemptuously when hearing of the news, "Now she knows she made a huge mistake, but it's too late! Didn't she have any idea of how important the day was? If it hadn't been for a long-running feud, how could she had ruined the biggest day of Empress? How dare she do that? Her maiden family still needs to rely on our Jiang Family. And she has married Jiang Yalan for so many years but given birth to no children. And even her husband doesn't like her. But she is still so capricious. Does she really think naively that our family will tolerate her doing anything she is capable of, even before the whole imperial court, and we've owned so much to her?"

Qiu Yelan laughed, "I think she knows that the sixth aunt overindulges her and that's why she is so capricious. She didn't even care to act so improperly before the whole imperial court and their wives and children. But more importantly, the elders of our family were all there watching her acting so rudely."

She turned her eyeballs and said, "Mother, do you think this time she can still dodge any punishment? I've heard that the youngest aunt has never intervened in the family affairs of the others in her family. By the way, Min Yinyin is her niece."

"Have you forgotten about your Aunt Tianhe?" Madame Zhuang glanced at her daughter-in-law, "Besides, Fubing has become the most powerful woman in our country since she received the decree yesterday! And there is a big difference of status between them. As long as the Mi Family weren't that stupid, they would understand that this time Mi Yinyin was unable to avoid punishment. If she insisted to protect such a capricious niece from any punishment, I'm afraid your Aunt Tianhe wouldn't allow her to do that."

It turned out that Madame Zhuang knew well Madame Ou.

When Madame Ou heard that Mi Yinyin was sick, she didn't show any annoyance, but said lightly, "Mi Yinyin has always been in poor health and she may be weaker than such an old woman like me. Yesterday was a big day and she was asked to attend the wedding ceremony. Who knows she got sick because of that! Such a pity girl."

Because Madame Mi had not spent much time with her mother-in-law, she knew little about her temperament, but she could tell that her mother-in-law was annoyed. Suddenly, her heart stuttered in her chest, but she forced a smile and said, "You are right, mother. I've already sent someone to tell her to stay home from now on and focus on recuperating herself."

The reason why she told Madame Ou that she grounded Min Yinyin was hoping that Min Yinyin would get less punishment. Meanwhile, she was trying to say that Min Yinyin didn't have the opportunity to stir up trouble again because she was grounded.

But Madame Ou looked more pleased with her words and blamed her, "Have you grounded her? Does anyone want to be ill? She must feel upset at a time when she is ill. And you will compound her illness by criticizing her. She is your niece as well as your daughter-in-law! You should love dearly and pity her!"

"Mother…" Even if Madame Mi didn't know well about Madame Ou, she could tell that she was extremely angry and determined to punish Min Yinyin. Her expression suddenly changed and pleaded, "Mother! This is my fault. I haven't taught her how to act properly! I beg you for the sake of…"

Madame Ou ignored her and interrupted her, "Since it's the case, how can you continue to teach her to act appropriately? From my perspective, it's better to let her go back to her maiden family for recuperation. And she can get well faster with her mother's careful attendance, right? "

Madame Mi burst into tears suddenly.

She had been in charge of the family since she married her husband. How could she not understand what Madame Ou really meant? Unless something really important happened in the maiden family and someone was sent to her husband's family to ask for permission, and the husband's family forgave her, for instance, her eldest daughter-in-law's father was seriously ill and asked her only daughter to come home to attend to him, otherwise, how could a married daughter go back to her maiden family alone?

Mi Yinyin would definitely attract a lot of flak when she was sent home at a time when she was "sick", let alone she cried in public at Emperor and Empress's wedding.

Moreover, Madame Ou only said that she would get better and faster if she went back to her maiden family, but she didn't say that she would take her back when she was well! She simply meant to keep Mi Yinyin at her maiden family forever.

Madame Mi pleaded but ended in vain. She didn't know how she got back into her room.

She really didn't know how to relay the meaning of Madame Ou to Mi Yinyin whom she treated as her daughter. She was silently weeping in her room with the maids and servants around her not daring to breathe… Suddenly someone came in to report, "Young master is back!"

These words reminded Madame Mi, "The most suitable person who could plead with Madame Ou for Mi Yinyin this time is her son Jiang Yalan!"

But when she called her youngest son Jiang Yalan to the front, she cried and complained about Madame Ou's decision of dealing with his wife. But before she could ask his son Jiang Yalan to plead for his wife, Jiang Yalan interrupted her and coldly snorted, "The reason I'm here now is to ask your permission for me to divorce my wife!"

Madame Mi couldn't help but slap her son, "Do you have no heart? She is your true cousin from a proper official family! If you repudiate her, what other choice does she have but to die? And how could your uncle's family live their life in the future if you divorce her daughter?"

Most of the children of the Jiang Family were dandies, but the grandchildren generally were awed by their mother. Jiang Yalan was one of them. He didn't get angry after his mother slapped him, and just lightly said, "You've always considered your brother's family and Mi Yinyin. If doing this could make you happy, I promised I would never mention the divorce again."

He said these words in a tone so calm that it was frightening. Madame Mi also noticed that even though she was crying. She could not help but be stunned, "My son…"

"If you have no other orders, I have to go back to my room to take a bath and change my wet clothes because of the sweat since I stayed out all night." Jiang Yalan lowered his head and said softly.

"… Ok, go." Madame Mi was confronting with mixed feelings right now and didn't know what to say. She only said bitterly after a moment's hesitation.

When he stepped across two thresholds, he looked around and found no one. And then Jiang Yalan raised his hand to wipe his eyes, bit his lips hard, and walked towards his room.

In June, although it was still morning, the sun was baking the whole city. But Jiang Yalan felt like living in a world of ice and snow, "This is not the first time Mi Yinyin causes trouble. She didn't know how to behave properly when Cousin Xin was the Empress-to-be, but now that Cousin Xin has become Empress, a motherly model of the country, she still doesn't know how to behave, not to mention that I have nothing to do with Cousin Xin. Is it possible in her eyes that she still considers Cousin Xin as someone whose parents are far away and has only an elderly temperate grandmother to depend on in Jing City?"

He was the trueborn son and Sir Jibei didn't have so many children. Even though he wasn't the eldest son, he was still offered many opportunities to expand his horizons and observe the deliberations of his elders and their aids and staff since he was young.

Even though he didn't achieve success in his life and idled away most of his time in pleasure-seeking, he had broad horizons. Although Emperor was a puppet, the Jiang Family couldn't act as regent without him. They could take Emperor lightly in private. But the Jiang Family, even including Qiu Yelan who was taken seriously by the family in these months, behaved properly and courteously before Empress in the imperial garden last time in public.

Moreover, Empress was also from the Jiang Family and Mi Yinyin depended on the Jiang Family. So, Mi Yinyin should have always been on the side of Empress.

"But now Mi Yinyin has repeatedly offended Cousin Xin. She has long caused trouble because of being jealous of Cousin Xin, which often ends up with more trouble for me. As my wife, she always angers Cousin Xin. Even if Cousin Xi knows that it is not my intention, she may bother herself about the offence a few times. But if my wife continues to offend her, it is possible that she may vent her anger on me someday." Jiang Yalan clenched his teeth with his forehead veins appearing, "She will simply ruin my future!"

Xin Fubing might just start her new life as Empress and she might not have the direct influence at the imperial court yet. But as the niece of Empress Dowager Jiang, coupled with her mother's close relationship with Empress Dowager Jiang, she was fully capable of influencing the imperial court by virtue of Empress Dowager Jiang.

And she already had such an influence right this moment.

And when Empress Dowager Jiang got old one day and Xin Fubing gave birth to a son, she might have the opportunity to act as a regent Empress or Empress Dowager. Until then, it would be a piece of cake if she wanted to make things difficult for Mi Yinyin and Jiang Yalan. After all, even if Jiang Yalan was the trueborn grandson of the Jiang Family, but the Jiang Family had so many children and grandchildren. And they have been busy trying to trip each other up. If Jiang Yalan was punished by Empress, the other children or grandchildren from the Jiang Family would love to see it because a rival was eliminated.

"A wife like Mi Yinyin who is not virtuous is a real trouble-maker, but my mother has a partiality for her just because she is her niece!" Jiang Yalan felt sad and resentful, "I really don't know who is her real flesh and blood."

He felt that he couldn't allow things to develop in a worse direction.

He took a bath and changed his clothes after returning to his room, but he didn't bother to see Mi Yinyin who was "lying sick" in the inner room and sobbing from time to time. He left the house hurriedly towards the direction of Marquess Qin's Mansion.

At Marquess Qin's Mansion, Madame Zhuang was describing the grand wedding to Qiu Yelan, except for the trouble Mi Yinyin caused. Yesterday was very smooth and festive. The imperial wedding was so spectacular that ordinary people could hardly imagine and it was beyond the understanding of those who were not wealthy enough. The vivid description enabled Qiu Yelan to broaden her vision and delighted so many maids like Su He.

At a time when they heard that Jiang Yalan had come to pay his respects to Madame Zhuang, they all felt surprised, "What brought him here?"

Yesterday, Mi Yinyin acted so improperly. So, Jiang Yalan was held responsible for her poor discipline as her husband. Was it reasonable that he should be at home to receive criticism, right?

Madame Zhuang suddenly realized and said, "I'm afraid he's here to beg me to take him to the northern border!"

Qiu Yelan understood as soon as she heard what Madame Zhuang said and sighed, "The sixth aunt has always overindulged her niece. And Jiang Yalan may not know what to do with her mother so he has to come and beg you!"

"Don't worry, I'm not afraid of getting into trouble!" Madame Zhuang knew that her daughter-in-law was trying to warn her, but she didn't care, "Besides, your sixth aunt has always had a partiality for her maiden family. But your youngest uncle and her wife don't think Mi Yinyin is anything cute!"

A few moments later, Mrs. Chang led Jiang Yalan in. And unsurprisingly, Jiang Yalan asked in a roundabout way whether Madam Zhuang would still go to the northern border and when she would go after paying his respects.

Madame Zhuang disliked Mi Yinyin under the influence of her son as well as her daughter-in-law. So, she readily said, "I wanted to leave a few days ago. But given His Majesty's wedding, I chose to stay to observe the ceremony. I am expecting to leave in a couple of days!"

Jiang Yalan then said bluntly, "I haven't seen my fourth uncle for some years and I have long longed for a life in the northern border. Could you take me with you when departing for the northern border?"

"Of course." Madame Zhuang was not afraid of offending the Mi Family, not to mention Madame Mi and her niece. So, she agreed without thinking, "Just go back to pack your things. I will send someone to tell you tomorrow or the day after tomorrow when I set the exact departure date! The boys from the Jiang Family should have gone to the northern border to improve their capabilities. Moreover, Jiang Yashuang and his wife will go there in two years. If you are willing to stay there for two years, then you will have company!"

"Thank you!" Jiang Yalan sighed with relief. He didn't want to turn against the Mi family, but he was fed up with Mi Yinyin. So, he just decided to stay away. So even if Mi Yinyin caused trouble again, he was nominally responsible for her poor discipline. But anyone sensible would know that it had nothing to do with him due to the long-distance, right?

"If Mi Yinyin is sensible, she shouldn't offer to follow me to the northern border!" Jiang Yalan thought, "But if she offers to go there with me, then…"

He sneered, "The northern border is bitterly cold. The fourth uncle and his wife sent Jiang Yazhu, Jiang Qizheng, and Jiang Yashuang back to be raised… Given Mi Yinyin's poor health, even if she dares to go there, she is unable to live long!"

Although he was still unable to forget Xin Fubing, he also kind of liked Min Yinyin when they got married. But with consecutive suspicion and trouble she made, that bit of affection had long been dissipated!

And now Jiang Yalan was so fed up with her and only wished to get rid of her as soon as possible!