Chapter 457 - 453: Glorious Wealth and Honour_1

“Isn’t that concubine’s daughter of age?” Yingbao asked.

Chunnian nodded: “Indeed, she’s not young anymore, she seems to be about fourteen or fifteen.”

She glanced at her daughter, lowered her voice and said: “The neighbors are all talking about it. The concubine has hired a boatwoman to teach her daughter the pipa. I really don’t know what she’s thinking. Don’t let Wei Zhan go and visit tomorrow.”

Yingbao chuckled: “How did Wei Zhan get involved in this?”

Chunnian gave her daughter a reproachful look: “I don’t believe you didn’t understand.”

“I did.” Yingbao hugged her mother’s arm and laughed: “But Wei Zhan is not that kind of person.”

“Don’t be too sure.” Chunnian said: “We must be cautious. If something embarrassing happens, our family will be disgraced.”

“I get it.”

The next day, Yingbao, her mother, second aunt, eldest aunt, and eldest sister-in-law visited Jiang Yunniang’s house.

Erni, who was heavily pregnant and found it difficult to move, stayed at home to keep their grandparents company.

Willow Branch Lane was not far away, but the lane was narrow and could not accommodate a carriage.

So, Yingbao and the others entered the lane, escorted by a dozen guards and palace attendants.

The residents of the lane came out one after another, whispering curiously, “Which noble family does she belong to? Why have they come here?”

“Who knows.”

“Let’s follow and take a look…”

The crowd quietly followed the procession, slowly heading towards a certain house.

Yingbao and her company were all dressed in silk dresses, adorned with jingling jewelry, and wore either a top-quality fox fur cloak or a silk cloak.

Golden hairpins swayed lightly on their heads. Yanru and Chou Rong even wore a circle of gold-studded hairpins, looking extravagantly wealthy.

At this moment, Yunniang and her son and daughter-in-law had already been waiting at the entrance of their house. As soon as they saw Yingbao and the others from afar, they hurried over to greet them.

“Baobao.” Yunniang grabbed Yingbao’s hand and beckoned her siblings and nieces: “Please, come in.”

Zhang Yuying and her husband paid their respects to their aunts before Yingbao and Chou Rong. Then, they led everyone into the yard.

The yard was large, with two entrance halls and about a dozen rooms.

As soon as Yingbao looked up, she noticed Zhang Yukan and his wife, Zhang Jia’s concubine and her daughter.

Zhang Yukan stepped forward and bowed to Yingbao: “Nephew pays his respects to aunt.”

He then greeted Yingbao and Chou Rong: “Cousin Yingbao, sister-in-law, greetings.”

Chou Rong returned the greeting, and Yingbao nodded at him, “You too, cousin.”

Zhang Yukan’s wife and children also came forward to pay respects.

Magnolia stepped forward to give the children red envelopes as New Year gifts.

Once they entered the main hall, Yingbao took her place in the seat of honor.

Chunnian, eldest sister-in-law Zhou, second sister-in-law Yanru, and niece Chou Rong sat on either side.

At this point, the concubine and her daughter came in and bowed to Yingbao: “The humble woman pays her respects to the Commandery Princess.”

Being a smart woman, Jiaoniang knew that the daughter of the Jiang family was now the high and mighty Commandery Princess.

All of Qinchuan County belonged to her now. Even the County Magistrate had to pay his respects to her, let alone ordinary folk like them.

Furthermore, Jiaoniang had heard that the husband of the Commandery Princess had also arrived in Qinchuan County and held a high rank.

She sneaked a glance at Yingbao, who was sitting rightfully in the place of honor, and felt nervous. “She wouldn’t come to settle accounts with me, would she?”

Yingbao nodded in acknowledgement, then turned to Jiang Yunniang, “Aunty, where is Hong Xiao?”

“She returned to her husband’s home yesterday.” Jiang Yunniang said: “Her husband’s house is far away from here, it’s not very convenient for her to travel back and forth.”

Yingbao nodded.

Aunty Jiang Yunniang then took a seat next to them and started to chat.

She was speaking enthusiastically, when the concubine suddenly pushed her daughter in front of Yingbao, saying, “Commandery Princess, this is my daughter, and your cousin. She’s fourteen this year, and can recognize a few characters. Would you consider allowing her to serve you?”

Yingbao: …

“There are many who serve me, I don’t need your daughter.” Yingbao glanced at her impassively and then looked at the “cousin” in question.

Undeniably, the girl was indeed beautiful, possessing a delicate state that evoked sympathy at sight.

But even in her beauty, Yingbao held no interest and certainly would not take her under her wing.

Caught by surprise, the concubine didn’t expect that the same girl who had nodded at her earlier would reject her so directly now.

Just as she was about to say something, Yunniang couldn’t hold back her anger anymore, and roared, “Take your daughter and leave this place, now!”

As much as the concubine wanted to retort, she didn’t dare to. Begrudgingly, she led her daughter out of the room.

Upon returning to their room, she became more resentful.

Despite being children of the same father, why was her son accepted by the Jiang Family, yet they didn’t extend a shred of goodwill to her daughter?

No! She would not surrender so easily!

If her daughter could forge a connection with the Commandery Princess, or even the princess’s husband, then they would be able to enjoy endless riches and honour in the future.

Moreover, Wangshu was so beautiful, she didn’t believe that anyone would not be drawn to her.

Beneath thoughts of a brighter future, the concubine’s determination only waxed hotter.

Had she known the Jiang Family possessed such fortune, she would never have antagonised them. If they hadn’t fallen out, and her husband hadn’t died, would her daughter be ostracised by the Jiang Family?

The more the concubine pondered, the more regret she felt. She spent a long while instructing Wangshu.

Wangshu shyly nodded, whispering, “Mother, I understand.”

…

Midday came, and after a meal at Yunniang’s place, Yingbao and the others left their holiday gifts behind and took their leave.

Just as they reached the entrance, they saw the concubine’s daughter kneeling on the ground, knocking her head repeatedly towards Yingbao, “Commandery Princess, I am your cousin, and your aunt’s daughter. I am ready to serve you for the rest of my life, unchanging until death. Please accept me, I can do anything.”

Yunniang was rendered absolutely speechless by the mother-daughter duo’s audacity, wishing she could step forward to kick them.

“Wangshu! What are you trying to do?” She thundered angrily.

Magnolia and several guards stepped forward, ready to drag away the kneeling girl.

Yingbao waved her hand for them to stop, leaned over to ask the girl on the ground, “What can you do? Tell me.”

The girl thought for a moment, then said, “I can play the lute, and I can also perform the Rainbow Feathers Dance.”

“Anything else?” asked Yingbao.

The girl looked lost for a moment, then said, “I…I can sing songs.”

Yingbao let out a laugh, “Then you should find work at the Tile House, not here.” She didn’t want to indulge a woman with hidden motives, even if she was barely in her teens.

Strangely, the girl didn’t seem embarrassed, but earnestly said, “But mother said that going to you is our only chance of a better life, failing which we can try the Tile House.”

For a second, everything fell into silence.

Yunniang was utterly humiliated.

She rushed back into the house, grabbed a handful of the concubine’s hair, and began to drag her outside.

Although the concubine was younger and seemed frail, she mustered all her strength to resist Yunniang, Yuying’s wife then dashed towards them. She grabbed the concubine’s hair and together with Yunniang dragged her out of the courtyard.

“Get out! Take your daughter and get out of my house!” Yuying’s wife was equally enraged.

Living under the same roof with such a scandalous woman would certainly bring trouble to their family. They would be drowned in the spit of their neighbours from left and right.

Seeing her aunt-in-law being forced out of the courtyard, Yukan’s wife rushed out to interfere. But Yuying’s wife was not afraid and began to argue with her.

While grappling and cursing, she yelled, “You can get out too! This house is in my husband’s name and has nothing to do with my mother-in-law. Letting you stay here is already out of consideration for our familial ties. Since your whole family wants to go to the brothel or Tile House, then hurry up and go!”

Then she shouted: “Yuying! Throw all their things out! If not, I’ll divorce you!”