Real Empress from a Noble Family

Chapter 429 I Consider You My Sister from Now On!

Both Jiang Yashuang and Qiu Yelan knew that although Qiu Qian grabbed the antidote from the first branch, the third branch was also suspected. Even if Madame He was seen as a bad housekeeper and made some changes during this time, it couldn’t be rendered into such a bad situation in such a short period as He Shuijin laid a solid foundation for her before she left only a few months ago.

As the Jiang Family didn’t divide up family property or live apart, the spending of food and clothing of each branch went into public accounts, for which the third branch Madame He was responsible. If she was useless, then the problems would not only emerge in the bodyguards but also in the management of the mansion, including the shares of each branch. So, the fourth branch could find the problems and take precautions even though they never got involved in the housekeeping matters.

But the monthly shares were as usual in these months. How could the third branch not be suspected?

But the fourth branch had been feuding with more than just these two branches over the years. So, who could know if there were other people involved this time? Obviously, they had to find out the truth.

“You should just give up.” Qiu Qian said bluntly, “I was willing to get involved in this because you treated me and Mei Xue well with the generous daily provision and protected us from humiliation when we were under your house arrest after the Gu Family fell, even though you had ulterior motives. Now that your child is safe and sound, you should find out the real culprit by yourselves. As Mei Xue said it was most likely to be the internal struggle in your family. People like us who get involved in your family matters will be considered as seeking death!”

Jiang Yashuang said calmly, “You just tell us the truth. I’ll keep you safe with my own life! In addition, if you have any conditions, just tell us.”

Qiu Qian replied without raising her head, “No need! Now it’s not the time yet for you to be in charge of the Jiang Family. Even though your life is valuable, for us, if we lose our own lives, what’s the use of having your life?”

“Before we got back here, our grandfather also stated that this matter would be thoroughly investigated until we could find out the real culprit and punish him.” Qiu Yelan also tried to relieve her.

But Qiu Qian sneered, “That’s your grandfather, not mine! Marquess Qin would definitely have a good word for both of you as you are his excellent grandson as well as his daughter-in-law. But for the culprit like me who causes his children and grandchildren to feud with each other, how could he show the same mercy? He also didn’t need to get to the bottom of this incident. He could make me die in my boots easily. This might implicate my brother and Mei Xue. Is this how you plan to repay me?”

“…” The couple didn’t say anything for a while and then continued, “But you did find the antidote from the first branch and then the first branch is certainly involved!”

“Not necessarily!” Qiu Qian faintly said, “Firstly, I could find the way to grab the antidote and run away. I didn’t know whether those several old ladies were from the big branch. Secondly, even if they were, I did not hear them mentioning any members of your family. It’s most likely that the secret pawn is trying to provoke conflicts. Anyway, I only care about saving your son. I really don’t care about who is the real culprit.”

Qiu Yelan couldn’t help but say, “Qiu Qian, do you know many people have known that you brought the antidote to us? Now if you are unwilling to tell us the real culprit, do you think the real culprit will spare you? You simply tell us and leave us to dispose of him. You will be much safer, right?”

“But I didn’t say where I took the antidote!” Qiu Qian shook her head and said, “Now because there are only three of us here, I told you that I grabbed it from the first branch. I am afraid that if I don’t tell you clearly the process of getting the antidote, you will end up suspecting me. So, I will not admit anything I said in this room the moment I leave here. I will also spread the information that I will leave you a note, to tell the truth, if the real culprit dares to kill me. But if I’m safe, I won’t tell the secret. Today, I don’t report the real culprit. He has the reason to believe that I won’t report him at a later time. Anyway, if you want me to tell the real culprit, you can send someone to torture me. If you are unwilling to get the truth in this way, then let me go. And by the way, return the things I left behind in the first branch.”

Jiang Yashuang’s expression got unpleasant and he said, “You simply underestimate us!”

This remark indicated that the couple wouldn’t make her report the real culprit in a coercive way. Even though Jiang Yashuang and his wife Qiu Yelan were not fainthearted and hesitant in action, they were not ungrateful either as Qiu Qian just saved their son’s life despite the grudges between them.

“If you really are unwilling to tell the truth, then so be it.” Qiu Yelan glanced at her husband and said, “It’s already November. My brother might not come back this year. We have to wait until next year when he gets married. What exactly does he promise to offer you?”

Qiu Qian curled her lip and said, “Tianya! Can you give me that?”

“Tianya?” The couple froze for a moment and said, “Really?”

“Otherwise, do you think the three of us would like to do so much willingly?” Qiu Qian pursed her lips, “After the revenge, he will pursue his official career and hands us Tianya. From then on, we won’t have any contacts between us. This is the deal that he and my brother made in those years! But the revenge had been taken for so many years. He is trying to stay at Shazhou and refuses to come back. Do you think that it is necessary to hurry him to come back soon?”

Qiu Yelan subconsciously explained for Qiu Jinglan, “He has been really busy all the time.”

“That’s why we have nothing better to do now!” Qiu Qian sighed, “Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother to sneak around here!”

“Did your brother take Deng Yi away?” Jiang Yashuang suddenly asked, “What exactly did Gu Yan hand over to him?”

Qiu Qian hummed, “Gu Yan said so? I really don’t know whether he wants to trap Deng Yi or protect him? It was my brother who took Deng Yi away but it had nothing to do with Gu Yan! In the beginning, Gu Yan forced my brother to kill the former emperor and then intended to kill my brother afterwards. It was Deng Yi who saved my brother and asked my brother to take him out of the control of the Gus. So, my brother fled with him together!”

“And what about now?”

“Now he’s helping Mei Xue and working as a bookkeeper for a few of our stores!” Speaking here, Qiu Qian seemed to remember something and clapped her hands, saying, “All right. Do you wanna repay me? Mei Xue told me to ask for a favor for him if possible. He is good at keeping accounts. Nowadays he indeed has nowhere to go. But he is a trustworthy person as Mei Xue stated!”

Qiu Yelan and Jiang Yashuang were speechless when hearing that. Deng Yi was considered as a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations by the Gu family and as a person of great ability and tremendous potential. Now he ended up being valued because of his ability to keep accounts.”

Reorganizing his emotions, Jiang Yashuang said, “As long as he does leave the Gus and does not bear us no malice, helping him is just a piece of cake.” He mused, “Do you have any other requests?”

“Money!” Qiu Qian did not hesitate to say, “Tianya used to be extremely rich, but the money has almost been spent up by Qiu Jinglan. Even if it’s not, he might not be willing to leave us much. Therefore, we are now short of money. Many people in Tianya have died in the hands of Qiu Jinglan and training people are also costly!”

“Ok, no problem.” Jiang Yashuang agreed without hesitation, not even bothering to ask how much money she needed as he had the reason to promise that because of the current power and influence of the Jiang family.

“Do you really plan to wander around the corners of the country and have nothing serious to do?” Qiu Yelan couldn’t help but ask, “In terms of bloodline, you are also from the Prince’s Mansion of Xihe…”

Qiu Qian interrupted her and asked in reply, “Have you seen that I act like a lady from a royal family?” When she said this, she sat on the seat, grabbed a large handful of candied fruit in her hand, and threw one into her mouth while talking, with an expression of not caring what other people thinking of her. Though beautiful and lovely she was, she behaved recklessly with unruly expressions in her eyes. Even a maid from a rich family was even more civilized than her.

“You are good-looking!” Qiu Yelan hesitated for a moment before saying.

This comment made all three people in the room laugh out loud, making the atmosphere much lighter.

“Being good-looking is just superficial. But I didn’t notice anything wrong with you when you used to study at the all-girls school of Prince’s Mansion of Xihe.” Qiu Yelan continued, “How about your brother’s face…” It was appropriate to say grace instead of grievance in such a situation. But she only mentioned without further discussion, “No matter what it is, you are a girl and have grown up. You shouldn’t accompany your brother to wander around with nothing serious to do. From my perspective, you should return to your original family. But you don’t have to bother Yang. I promise to arrange the whole thing for you.”

“We are not the kind of persons who are willing to be officials!” Qiu Qian narrowed her eyes and said lightly, “Originally my brother participated in the imperial examination with an aim of completing his mission. My brother’s face was destroyed. This incident, for persons with powers and influences like you, should be a family feud. But for us, it is just trivial. In fact, my brother doesn’t really care about the status of Hanlin Academy. So, we’d rather wander around all the corners of the country.”

Qiu Yelan could tell that she really meant it. She sighed and said cautiously, “No matter what it is, we are originally cousins in terms of bloodline! This time you saved my child. From now on I consider you as my sister! And if you need anything, just ask!”

“My father’s relics…” Qiu Qian said with a dark face, “I’ve mentioned it for the third time, haven’t I?”

Jiang Yashuang said awkwardly, “I will immediately send someone to look for it in the first branch!”

Jiang Yashuang demanded Su He take Qiu Qian to the guest room to rest and then made his trusted guards responsible for her safety. Their courtyard was in such a mess after the searching so they decided to direct towards Madame Tao’s courtyard to see their son.

Just before entering the door, they saw the old servant of Marquess Qin waiting quietly behind the door with his arms folding in his sleeves and his figure slightly hunched.

“Mr. Jiang, what’s wrong?” Jiang Yashuang was personally taught by Marquess Qin so he was quite familiar with the trusted servant Mr. Jiang who used to be the personal guard of Marquess Qin when he was still in the army and had saved him many times. Marquess Qin trusted him deeply and conferred him the surname Jiang. So, Jiang Yashuang’s generation had to respect him as their uncle.

It seemed like that he was waiting for someone. The couple was taken aback and couldn’t help but get worried.

Mr. Jiang came over and bowed, telling that Marquess Qin and Jiang Jinglang were fine. “Marquess Qin is already asleep. So, I took the opportunity to get away and came over to see whether you would come over here again.”

Jiang Yashuang mused and said softly, “Do you have anything to say to us?”

“Since you’re asking, I guess you know what I’m going to say.” Mr. Jiang sighed and said in a choked voice, “Marquess Qin is even five years older than Sir Jibei… The Kui County is still afraid to send us messages until now.”

“Although Marquess Qin knew what was happening this time, if you continue to dig the truth, it will be such a big blow for him when the truth comes out.” The old servant, who used to be calm and sensible, sobbed like a child at the moment, “So, I’m begging you to pretend nothing happened given the late death of Sir Jibei, which already caused a heavy blow to Marquess Qin.”

Qiu Yelan subconsciously glanced at her husband. Jiang Yashuang was looking at Mr. Jiang silently with a pale face.

“Of course, Marquess Qin had told that you didn’t need to report to him. But you could imagine that even though both of you wouldn’t tell him, could you make sure that the others wouldn’t tell him the truth?” The old man wept bitterly, trembling to kneel down, and continued, “You two… actually didn’t necessarily to endure this for much longer… I just saw Marquess Qin… vomiting blood… right after you two left!”

“Marquess Qin hid the handkerchief in his sleeve and winked at me to keep silent…”

“If you continue to dig the truth…”

“And then Marquess Qin would…”

The old man’s suppressed cries drifted in the evening’s afterglow, making the season even bleaker.

Qiu Yelan clung to her husband’s sleeve with her mind in turmoil.

After a long hesitation, she noticed that Jiang Yashuang, with his eyes closed, seemingly used all his strength to squeeze out a word “Ok!”