Chapter 53 It Doesn’t Matter Anymore

Chapter 53 It Doesn't Matter Anymore

The quick-witted Cuizhu, who was behind her, immediately draped the prepared brocade cloak with scattered golden flowers over Jiang Wanrou, saying, "The wind is strong, Madam. Please take care."

Jiang Wanrou pulled the cloak around her and strode into the main hall. The Marquis of Ning'an had a penchant for elegance. The hall was adorned with antique and refined furnishings, with bronze candlesticks at each corner and bookshelves on both walls filled with classical books and antiques.

But now it was in complete disarray.

Jiang Wanrou stepped around the shattered porcelain pieces on the floor, her gaze sweeping over the stunned Marquis of Ning'an and Madame Qin before settling on the Marquis.

"Father."

She didn’t bow, speaking indifferently, "I have something to discuss. Please dismiss the others so we can talk alone."

The Marquis of Ning'an was a tall, slender, and scholarly middle-aged man. The dark blue robe he wore on his thin frame gave him an ethereal appearance. His face was fair, adorned with a handsome beard. If not for his recent argument with Madame Qin, which had left his face flushed with anger, he would have been the epitome of the refined and dashing scholar-official so admired at the time.

Seeing this noblewoman suddenly enter, the Marquis was momentarily stunned, only realizing who she was when she addressed him. It was his sixth daughter.

He hadn’t seen her since she married.

Jiang Wanrou had little affection for the Marquis's household. She only returned to see Aunt Li and, by extension, the old lady. Even Madame Qin, with whom she had a mutual dislike, she had met a few times out of courtesy, but she felt estranged from her own father, the Marquis.

She had endured great suffering in her childhood, being ignored, bullied, starved, and punished, all at the hands of Madame Qin. She despised that wicked woman deeply, and in countless nights of hunger and cold, she silently vowed that if she ever gained power, she would make that woman's life a living nightmare!

This thought had lingered in her mind for a long time. When the case of Prince Gong broke out, Jiang Wanxue, the "Princess," was no longer a threat. She had hinted to Aunt Li about elevating her to the position of the primary wife. After all, Madame Qin's family was already wiped out, and dealing with a divorced woman would be simple.

However, Aunt Li refused. At that time, her lung disease had worsened, and Jiang Wanrou was concerned about her health, so the matter was put on hold. Later, when she became pregnant and Lu Feng went south to Jiangnan, she caught Zhou Miaoyin sneaking around.

At first, before knowing Zhou Miaoyin was a spy, Zhou had confidently offered to "share the burden" by becoming Lu Feng's concubine. Jiang Wanrou maintained a calm exterior, but in her heart, she was seething with thoughts of killing her.

A mere criminal, daring to steal her man? Jintao had seen through her thoughts and subtly offered to help, but in the end, Jiang Wanrou did not act, partly because of her child and partly because she thought of Madame Qin.

Unlike Lu Feng, Jiang Wanrou was just an ordinary woman, deeply respectful of gods and spirits. Pregnant, she feared that any bloodshed would bring retribution to her child. Huai Yi, at that time, would dutifully read to the unborn siblings every day, his tender voice reciting, "At the beginning of life, nature is good." She couldn’t even bring herself to look into Huai Yi’s eyes.

At that moment, she inexplicably thought of Madame Qin. If she couldn’t even stand a fifteen-year-old girl, how was she any different from Madame Qin back then?

Now that she was in Madame Qin's position, was she destined to become the very person she had once despised?

Madame Qin and the Marquis of Ning'an had been married since their youth. Over the years, she had watched him take in one beautiful concubine after another, fathering illegitimate children. Could she not hate him?

Jiang Wanrou hadn't forgiven Madame Qin, but she had suddenly realized something.

In the inner household, wives and concubines were naturally opposed. It was either the east wind prevailing over the west wind or vice versa. Madame Qin's tactics were cruel, and encountering such a mistress was simply her misfortune.

But what about the Marquis of Ning'an? He was her father. Why had he abandoned her, allowing her and her mother to be bullied? He had been so kind to her in her childhood, carrying her on his shoulders, taking her to see the lanterns with a smile. She and her mother had done nothing wrong, so why had he suddenly changed overnight?

...

Jiang Wanrou's feelings toward the Marquis of Ning'an were complex. Undoubtedly, she hated him for abandoning her and her mother like trash; yet she couldn't forget his past kindness. She wanted to demand why he had abandoned them. She wanted him to weep and beg for forgiveness for her and her mother! The mixed feelings of love and hate in her heart made it difficult for her to face the Marquis, so she buried this deep-seated pain and treated him with cold indifference.

Jiang Wanrou was good at comforting herself. She believed that the hardships of her childhood weren’t entirely bad. Lu Feng was overbearing and controlling, and others might not be able to endure his overbearing nature, but for her, it was just right. At least with him, she never feared abandonment.

...

Last night, Lu Feng had been too rough, and Jiang Wanrou still felt a bit sore. She found an official’s chair and sat down, waiting for the Marquis to settle his household affairs.

Perhaps it had been too long since they last met, but now, seeing the Marquis of Ning'an again, she felt little emotional disturbance. She simply wanted to conclude her business quickly, see Aunt Li, and return home early.

The sun was already setting, and by the time she returned to the mansion, it might already be dark. She needed to keep an eye on Huai Yi, making sure he didn't stay up late reading and went to bed early. The little ones were fussy, and only she could calm them. And there was Lu Feng—he had been coming home early recently, and if she wasn't there, the maids in Jinguang Courtyard would be frightened of him.

Unbeknownst to her, the emptiness in her heart gradually faded, and Madame Qin no longer affected her. Jiang Wanrou leaned back in her chair, watching coldly as Madame Qin left, then turned her gaze to the Marquis of Ning'an, who looked awkward.

She carried herself with more ease than the master of the house.

Perhaps because of Jiang Wanrou's unannounced arrival, or perhaps because of the earlier quarrel with Madame Qin, which had been witnessed by Jiang Wanrou, a junior, the Marquis of Ning'an felt somewhat embarrassed. He cleared his throat, paced back and forth, and said, "You returned home without notifying anyone, causing embarrassment."

Jiang Wanrou glanced at him indifferently and replied, "I’m not the one who’s the laughingstock of the Marquis’s household."

The Emperor acted with swift and ruthless efficiency. After dismissing the official, he immediately had the Marquis of Ning'an's official hat and feathers stripped off and escorted out of the palace. The entire court watched, and for a proud scholar like the Marquis of Ning'an, it was a great humiliation.

Jiang Wanrou’s words made the Marquis turn red with embarrassment. At home, he was the master of the house, but outside, though he was merely a scholar in the Hanlin Academy, he had three excellent sons-in-law: Prince Gong, Lu Feng, and Pei Zhang. Their successes and failures always reflected well on him.

Few had the audacity to challenge him so directly. He was about to reprimand her when he looked up and saw a dignified lady. Her face was as smooth and pale as a silver plate, her hair piled high like clouds, adorned with dazzling golden hairpins, and on each side of her bun was a matching kingfisher-feather ruby gilded hairpin, with long tassels falling on either side of her jade-like face. She smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in her eyes.

The Marquis of Ning'an was slightly startled. Was this still his once inconspicuous daughter? Among the Marquis's daughters, the sixth was the most dull and uninteresting. He had never even looked at her properly before. How could she now possess such presence?

Like attracts like. Jiang Wanrou herself hadn't noticed that, after being with Lu Feng for so long, she had taken on some of his aura. Even a hint of it was enough to command respect.

The Marquis of Ning'an lifted his robe and sat down, wanting to drink some water to hide his embarrassment, but found nothing at hand. Madame Qin had smashed the cups on the table earlier.

When the master and mistress argued, the servants kept their distance. There was no one outside either. Just as the awkwardness peaked, Jiang Wanrou spoke:

"Father, you have an excellent son-in-law. My husband told me yesterday that he would protect you."

Hearing this, the Marquis of Ning'an was overjoyed, but before he could smile, Jiang Wanrou added, "I heard the family recently welcomed a new heir? Father, you’re getting on in years; it’s time to enjoy your grandchildren."

"Wouldn’t it be perfect to retire now?"

"Foolish!" The Marquis of Ning'an clenched his fists, but mindful of Jiang Wanrou's status, he did not slam the table or glare.

Suppressing his anger, he said, "I am in the prime of my life, the perfect time to serve the court. You, a foolish woman with no foresight, should hold your tongue."

When the Emperor conquered the land, there were too many casualties, so he used old ministers as much as possible, adopting a policy of appeasement. The Marquis of Ning'an had been a minister who surrendered from the previous dynasty, granted favor, unlike the Duke of Lu, whose title was hereditary. By his generation, only the hollow title of the Marquis remained, with no one to inherit it.

Now he held a position in the Hanlin Academy and had several sons-in-law, making it seem prosperous. However, while the Marquis's daughters were all outstanding, the male descendants were of little use. With no male heir to support the family, the Marquis of Ning'an was reluctant to retire.

Jiang Wanrou chuckled and mocked, "If not for me, Father, you’d be rotting in the Ministry of Justice’s prison!"

"If Father resigns voluntarily, he can still preserve his reputation. But if Lord Pei investigates thoroughly... I hear Lord Pei is known for his unwavering impartiality."

"Father must have visited the Pei residence, right? Let me guess, you couldn’t even get past the gate?"

The Marquis of Ning'an's face grew increasingly grim. Finally, Jiang Wanrou said softly, "This is what my husband desires as well."

—Jiang Wanrou was bluffing.

Lu Feng had promised to protect her family, and while Jiang Wanrou was moved, she also had her considerations.

Lu Feng cared for her aunt and her face, and she, in turn, cared for him.

He already carried the stigma of being a 'powerful minister,' and now that she knew his true identity, she realized how many eyes were fixed on him.

While in power, it was manageable, but if he were to fall, everyone would turn against him, and who knows how much filth would be thrown at him. She couldn't offer much help, but at least she wouldn't drag him down.

She couldn't let the Marquis's household become an excuse for others to attack him in the future.

After much thought, she concluded that having the Marquis of Ning'an resign voluntarily was the best solution. Lu Feng had described him as a "coward," so he likely wouldn't commit truly heinous acts. As for other trivial matters, given his voluntary resignation, they could be swept under the rug.

Even without her official position, she still held the title of marquisate, and with her additional care, the concubine's life wouldn't be too difficult. This was the compromise Jiang Wanrou had devised.

Moreover, although she was born into the marquisate, she had never enjoyed its wealth and luxury. Now, the Marquis of Ning'an expected her to ensure his safety—as if that were possible!

Jiang Wanrou didn't say much to the Marquis of Ning'an. She wasn't here today to chat or negotiate. The Marquis of Ning'an had no way out; he had no choice but to listen to her.

After saying what she needed to, Jiang Wanrou brushed off her skirt and stood to leave. Suddenly, the Marquis of Ning'an called out to her, "Rou... Rou'er, do you... harbor resentment towards the marquisate?"

"Resentment towards me?"

At this moment, the sun was setting, and the sky was ablaze with fiery clouds. Jiang Wanrou thought for a while and smiled, "It doesn't matter anymore."

She was no longer the helpless young girl she once was.