Chapter 17: Someone Wants to Replace Them

Chapter 17: Someone Wants to Take Your Place

Old Jiang spoke, his fierce eyes brimming with tears, and even a big, tough guy like him couldn't help but get people all choked up.

“I failed to keep my first wife safe—I ended up losing her. Then I married her sister after her, so both of the Xu sisters became my responsibility. If I turned around and became an ungrateful scoundrel, would I even be human? Absolutely not!”

The Prince of Huai fell silent for a moment, sighed after a long pause, and continued to persuade him.

“It’s not like I meant for you to betray Xu Shi, right? I said you should take her as an equal wife—it’s just a nice way of putting it. Can’t you understand what I mean?

Once our great cause is accomplished, who’s the wife and who’s the concubine will be entirely up to you. It’s just a word from you!”

He patted his brother’s shoulder in an earnest, weighty manner.

“Second Brother, all these years, I’ve always taught you that those who achieve great things must not sweat the small stuff.

Look at me and your sister-in-law—aren’t we a loving couple? But for the sake of our great cause, haven’t I been taking in women left and right? Has your sister-in-law made a peep? There’s a reason for all this—she knows in her heart that she’s the one I value most.

How can a grown man like you fuss over such trivial matters and delay our great cause? It’s simply outrageous!”

“Big Brother, since you already have so many women in your household, what’s one more? After all, in for a penny, in for a pound. Why do you have to make things difficult for me?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Huailiang received a hard kick to his calf, and Li Changhuai, enraged, delivered two more kicks in succession.

“Scram, you little shit! I just took in the elder Miss Zhu, and now you want me to take the younger one too? Do you not want me to have a home life? The scratches your sister-in-law gave me last time are still fresh!”

“Hah, so you’re afraid of your wife too, and yet you criticize me?”

“Bullshit! Is that what I call fear? That’s called respecting your sister-in-law!

You son of a gun, Jiang Tiesuo! What did we say when we swore brotherhood? Share blessings and hardships together, right? Is this how you share hardships with me?

You leave the job of marrying them all to me! Your scheming is right in my face!”

Jiang Huailiang backed away from the Prince of Huai’s spit, muttering unwillingly under his breath.

“That’s not what you said when you were trying to persuade me these past few days! What hardships? Aren’t they all supposed to be blessings with beauties? I look up to you as my big brother, which is why I’m leaving all these blessings to you…”

The Prince of Huai let out a cold laugh.

“If I give this ‘blessing’ to you, would you want it?”

“No!”

“I’ll kick you to death, you little shit! Share blessings together and let big brother take the hardships, is that it? Don’t you run!”

Over at the Prince of Huai’s residence, the two brothers were quick to turn on each other when necessary, and their daily routine of first arguing then fighting once again played out.

Meanwhile, back at Old Jiang’s home, another farce was unfolding today.

Zhu Mingzhi was not wearing the provocative red dress today but was instead dressed all in delicate white, looking frail, crying pitifully in the Jiang family’s main hall.

“Sister, please make room for me. I don’t mean to compete with you for anything—it’s just that the Prince of Huai has already given an explicit order for me to marry Eldest Brother Jiang as his wife.

If I disobey his order, how will I survive in the future? Sister, please, for the sake of us both being women, have pity on me!”

Her words were so disgusting. If Jiang Huailiang hadn’t already confessed everything, one might truly have been taken in by her crying.

Xu Shi raised an eyebrow, her face full of surprise.

"What do you mean by this, Miss Zhu? Could it be that the esteemed Prince of Yihuai has actually committed the wicked act of forcing a marriage upon a virtuous young woman?

If that is truly the case, then speak boldly and without fear. I, your sister-in-law, would even set aside my own dignity to accompany you before the Princess of Huai to demand justice!

I have heard that the Princess of Huai is known for her virtue and goodness—she would surely not turn a blind eye to such a pitiable plight. Shall we set off at once?"

Zhu Mingzhi was furious!

This infuriating woman, Xu Shi, how dare you humiliate me like this?

Considering the strict orders her family had given—if she couldn’t successfully marry the adopted brother of the Prince of Huai, she would be sent off to become a concubine for some other clan’s young master!

Although that rough military man Jiang Huailiang was beneath her notice, he truly was the best option available to her now.

Who asked her to be born into a lesser branch of the family?

She had initially thought that his wife, a woman from the countryside, would be easy to deal with—who knew she would turn out to be such a tough opponent?

Zhu Mingzhi wiped away her tears and her expression changed, her face now filled with haughty sarcasm and cold mockery.

"Xu Shi, how can you be so selfish? You know perfectly well that Eldest Brother Jiang marrying me is the best choice—how can you be so unworthy just to cling to your position as the wife?

Think about your own status, and then look at that face of yours—are you even worthy of being a general's lady? Wouldn’t Eldest Brother Jiang be laughed at in the future?

Even if it isn’t me today, someone else will surely replace you someday! If you were smart, you would—ah!"

Her unfinished words were cut off by a kick from behind. A shriek had just escaped her lips when Jiang Wan, who had crept over to eavesdrop, kicked it right back down her throat.

It had long been said that this one was a loose cannon.

When her buttons weren’t pushed, she seemed perfectly normal, but once she started going crazy—well, she usually performed quite consistently.

For example, right now, even though she hadn’t systematically learned martial arts, brute force beats skill. She kicked the Zhu family master and servant one after another like it was nothing.

"Second Young Mistress, be careful!

You villain, stop at once, or our Zhu family will—ah! Stop—"

Zhu Mingzhi’s maid was very protective of her mistress, standing in front of her and issuing threats, so she received the most kicks. Her mistress, meanwhile, pointed at her enemy in both pain and hatred.

"I am the Jiang family's wife, personally approved by the Prince of Yihuai! How dare you, Xu Shi, order someone to assault me? I—ah! I will certainly report you before the Prince of Huai!"

Before Xu Shi could say anything, she saw her eldest daughter, who had suddenly rushed out, grinned fiercely and delivered another kick.

"When did those perfectly good eyes of yours go blind? This young lady is proud of my name—I am Jiang Wan, the true eldest daughter of the Jiang family! The one beating you is me!"

"Eldest Daughter, stop kicking at once!"

Xu Shi rushed forward with a headache and grabbed her daughter, who had gone crazy again. This girl was always unleashing her fierce side unexpectedly—it was truly impossible to guard against!

Since the beating had already been delivered, Jiang Wan gave her mother face by lifting her foot off them. She then very primly straightened her dress—ah, once again, she was the dignified and proper true eldest daughter of the Jiang family.

"...Jiang Wan?"

Clutching her stomach, Zhu Mingzhi glared furiously at the mother and daughter standing before her.

"How dare you hit your elder? This is utterly impolite!"

"Your words are what’s impolite. How would I, your younger, not know when such an elder appeared in our family?"

Calmly patting her sleeves, she began to use her talent for language.

"Honored guests naturally receive kind words and good hospitality, but who expects a host not to drive away a rabid dog that comes to their door? You come to my home without reason, causing trouble and hurling insults at my mother—as her child, am I blind or deaf? How could I tolerate it?"