Madam Jiang had left, and Eldest Madam Jiang had no options left. She went to Jin Wang’s residence to look for Duan Huirou, trying to force her to save Jiang Sujie.
Duan Huirou refused to see her. So Eldest Madam Jiang wailed and wept outside the prince’s estate, looking as if she’d been terribly wronged.
Duan Huirou was so agitated she fainted from anger. Duan Qi brought people and dragged Eldest Madam Jiang away from the gates of the residence, then sent her directly back to the Jiang household, bluntly saying: “If Eldest Aunt cares so deeply for Jiang Yiniang, then pack up and go care for her at the imperial tombs. I’ll personally escort you there, to fulfill your kind motherly heart. And if anyone else in the Jiang family is concerned for Jiang Yiniang, I can send them all together.”
“Jiang Yiniang is the deposed Crown Prince’s concubine. Forget our Duan family—even in Jin Wang’s residence, who would dare bring her back to the capital? That would be disobeying an imperial edict, a crime of deceiving the Emperor. If His Majesty blames someone, it will be a matter of punishment.”
Eldest Madam Jiang might love her daughter, but dragging others into it to save her was one thing—going herself to such a bitter, harsh place to care for her was another.
She rolled her eyes back and pretended to faint. After waking, she never brought up the matter again.
That winter, before the New Year, Old Madam Jiang passed away. Duan Huirou was still in her confinement period after childbirth and naturally couldn’t attend the funeral. Mingxi had a grudge against the Jiang family and certainly wouldn’t go either.
In the Dingyuan Marquis residence, since Madam Jiang and the Eldest Master had returned to their hometown to offer ancestral sacrifices, the old master said it was too cold—by the time word was sent and they returned, it might delay the burial. So Duan Yu was told to fulfill the duty of filial mourning in the Madam’s place.
With the death of the Old Madam, the last pillar of the Jiang family in the capital had fallen. The mourning period hadn’t even ended, and the various branches of the Jiang family began clamoring for the household to be divided.
Eldest Madam Jiang had long used her status to suppress the other branches. But now, with the Old Madam gone, it was natural for the family to split.
The Jiang family division became a farce. It was discovered that the household’s central treasury was completely empty. The branches conducted overnight audits and found out that the dowry Jiang Sujie had received was twice that of the other Jiang daughters—and all taken from the public family funds.
Back when the Old Madam was alive, she had the authority to suppress dissent, so no one dared to question it. But now it was different. The branches ended up fighting like dogs, destroying all the honor the Jiang ancestors had earned, turning the family into a laughingstock of the capital.
After the family split, the other branches returned to Luozhou. There they still had land and property, and life wouldn’t be hard. In the capital, their reputation was ruined, the younger generation lacked ability, and expenses were high—they were spending more than they earned. It was better to return home.
Eldest Madam Jiang refused to leave. Eldest Master Jiang was never truly suited to officialdom anyway, and now with the family scandal, his reputation was in tatters. He spent money to arrange an out-of-capital post and took his concubine with him, leaving Madam Jiang behind in the capital.
Mingxi merely listened and let it go. The Jiang family’s affairs now had nothing to do with her.
As the end of the year approached again, His Majesty fell mildly ill after sealing his brush for the year. The imperial physicians came and went, and several Wangyes who entered the palace to serve were turned away.
The Emperor stayed alone in the Chongzheng Hall—even concubines were not allowed near. The atmosphere in the palace turned tense.
After the Emperor fell ill, Xiao Muchen continued performing his duties as usual, showing no change at all. Courtiers tried to curry favor, but he ignored them. He returned home from the office and shut his doors to all visitors.
Consort Shu sent word from the palace: Don’t act rashly—go about your duties as normal.
Mingxi’s heart sank.
A few days later, an imperial edict was suddenly issued summoning Xiao Rong and Xiao Zhiyi to the palace. Mingxi’s heart trembled. Her brows furrowed—what did the Emperor want with children so young?
But with the edict issued, she couldn’t defy it. She could only repeatedly instruct her daughter to behave well and not cause any trouble once inside the palace.
Seeing her mother’s grave expression, Xiao Zhiyi dared not act up like usual. She nodded obediently, though she didn’t really understand.
Xiao Muchen personally escorted their daughter to the palace. Turning to Mingxi, he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll stay with the children.”
Mingxi didn’t want to let them go, but she had no choice. She watched as the Father and daughter boarded the carriage and departed, her heart growing increasingly anxious.
The daughter of Qi Wangfei and the son of Kang Wangfei were too young to even walk, so the Emperor naturally didn’t summon them.
Kang Wangfei didn’t mind, but Qi Wangfei was full of regret—such a great opportunity, and her daughter missed it.
Xiao Rong was a few months older than Xiao Zhiyi, but when the two stood together, you couldn’t tell—Xiao Zhiyi was about the same height.
Xiao Rong had a quiet, gentle nature. When he saw the Emperor, he saluted properly and then stood awkwardly to the side with a nervous expression—clearly he had been warned at home and was afraid of this royal grandfather he had never met.
Xiao Zhiyi was different. At the residence, she was a wild monkey. Before entering the palace, both Mingxi and Xiao Muchen had reminded her to behave—but they forgot to tell her about the proper conduct between ruler and subject.
The Emperor had just taken his medicine and was observing the two children. One looked about to cry, the other was curiously inspecting him, her bright little eyes sparkling, her chubby hands waving without the slightest fear of strangers.
“Come here. Let Grandfather take a look at you,” the Emperor beckoned them over.
Yu Wang gently nudged his son, whispering, “Go on.”
Xiao Muchen looked down and met his daughter’s questioning gaze. He nodded. “Go.”
Xiao Rong was too scared to move, staying rooted in place. But Xiao Zhiyi darted forward, tilted her head, and said:“Royal Grandfather, I brought you candied fruit. Medicine tastes bitter, eat this and your mouth will feel sweet again.”
She rummaged through the little pouch at her waist, pulled out a candied plum, and held out her tiny arm, offering it directly to the Emperor’s mouth.
Everyone in the room froze.
Who dared feed the Emperor anything?
Xiao Muchen instinctively stepped forward. “Royal Father, please forgive her. Zhiyi has been spoiled at home…”
Before he could finish, the Emperor had already taken the candy and put it in his mouth. Ignoring his son, he looked at his little granddaughter and smiled.
“It is sweet. You gave it to Grandfather—what will you eat?”
Xiao Zhiyi patted her little chest. “I have more.” She pulled out another one to eat, but then paused. Suddenly, she turned and stuffed it into Xiao Rong’s mouth.
“You get one too. Eat.”
Xiao Rong: …
Yu Wang: …
On the other side, the emperor also fell silent for a moment, then looked up at Xiao Muchen. Xiao Muchen was still standing there with no expression, like a wooden statue.
“You gave them to us, so that means you’ll have fewer to eat,” the emperor teased Zhiyi with a smile.
Zhiyi had just stuffed a piece of candied fruit into her mouth. She mumbled, “It’s okay! Eat and then buy more. My mother said, if you have something tasty, you should share it with the people you like.”
Xiao Muchen’s mouth twitched. He saw very clearly that his daughter’s little pouch had five or six kinds of preserved fruits—and the ones she gave the emperor and her cousin were the ones she liked the least.
“I hear from your Father that you practice martial arts at home? Is it hard?”
“It’s not hard at all. It’s fun! Does Royal Grandpa want to come see? I have my own plum blossom stakes and my own little weapons. What I really want most is Mom’s red-tassel spear, but she said that was a gift from Dad and she can’t give it to me. She told me to find someone to give me one. Royal Grandpa, can you give me a spear?”
The emperor fell silent again.
He lifted his eyelids and glanced at his stone-faced son.
Xiao Muchen remained expressionless.
Yu Wang looked at the eloquent Zhiyi, then looked at his own son—and fell silent too.
He truly didn’t understand. How could that stiff, stubborn Old Four produce a daughter so silver-tongued?
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this chapter was really enjoyable…little zhiyi is cute and also sly little fox, sharing what she likes the least