Chapter 117: Tears Don’t Suit Her

Chapter 117: If She Cries, She Won't Resemble Her Anymore

"Miss Jiang..." Xiao Xiuzhan blurted out, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Why are you here?"

"Customer, my name is Jiang Lian," Jiang Lian said shyly and timidly.

"Jiang Lian..." Xiao Xiuzhan scrutinized her closely. Though this woman bore a passing resemblance to Jiang Shuning, she was not the person herself.

Outwardly gentle and refined, Jiang Shuning actually exuded an aura of cool detachment, like the bright, pure moon in the night sky, making people hesitant to approach.

The woman before him, however, was clearly more soft and vulnerable, giving men the impression that she would be easier to conquer.

A suggestive, faint smile curled at the corner of Xiao Xiuzhan's mouth. "You're also surnamed Jiang? What is your relationship with Jiang Shuning?"

"I am Jiang Shuning's cousin," she answered.

"Cousin? No wonder you look so much like her." Xiao Xiuzhan reached out, his fingertips gently brushing her cheek, his gaze lingering on her face, so similar to Jiang Shuning's. "Do you know who I am?"

"I do." She looked at him, a blush rising on her cheeks. "You are my second sister's future husband, my brother-in-law."

"Brother-in-law?" Xiao Xiuzhan's body suddenly grew hot, and his gaze immediately turned lewd. "I like that title."

He bent down, carried her bridal-style in his arms, and strode toward the large bed not far away...

After several rounds of passion, the clouds dispersed and the rain ceased.

Xiao Xiuzhan, with a look of utter satisfaction, drew aside the bed curtains. As he leisurely dressed himself, he brazenly appraised the woman before him, who had just experienced intimacy for the first time.

Her face was flushed, her eyes still held traces of unshed tears, and she appeared utterly delicate and fragile.

He wondered if Jiang Shuning would also look this pitiable and lovable when she was intimate?

"Since you are Chancellor Jiang's niece, why have you fallen to seeking a living at the Spring Fragrance Pavilion?" he asked casually.

Jiang Lian shyly pulled the thin quilt up to her shoulders, lowered her eyelids, and said softly, "Brother-in-law, you may not know. My father is a concubine-born son of the Jiang family, far inferior to my uncle in both background and talent. After my second brother passed away, my father completely severed ties with the Chancellor's residence. Our family of three had no choice but to move out. Who knew the cost of living in the capital was so high? Our family savings were meager to begin with. I truly had no way out, so..."

At this point, her voice choked, and she began to sob quietly.

Xiao Xiuzhan stepped forward, lifted her chin, and said in a low, gentle voice, "Don't cry."

Thinking he was comforting her, Jiang Lian felt a warmth in her heart and softly called out, "Brother-in-law..."

"...If you cry, you won't resemble her anymore." Xiao Xiuzhan released his hand, a flicker of displeasure crossing his brow.

Jiang Shuning never shed tears easily, especially when looking at him. Her gaze was always sharp, tinged with a coldness, as if keeping everyone at a distance.

Initially, Xiao Xiuzhan had thought she was no different from other noble maidens—gentle, virtuous, skilled in culinary arts, a suitable candidate for a principal wife.

His initial desire to marry her was merely because he valued the influence of the Chancellor's residence. Additionally, the Empress Dowager held her in high regard. If he could take her as his wife, the benefits would naturally be considerable.

What truly stirred waves in his heart for her was that fleeting glimpse of her on the polo field.

On horseback, she was heroic and dashing, bold and passionate, so dazzling that one couldn't look away.

He finally understood why both the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince were so infatuated with her.

After the polo match, he dreamed of her for several consecutive days, even harboring the thought of making her his own.

Of course, that was merely a delusion in his dreams.

When awake, he was clearer than anyone that wanting to obtain her was no different from trying to pluck the moon from the sky.

But precisely because of this, he became even more unable to forget her.

Jiang Lian keenly caught the flash of weariness in Xiao Xiuzhan's eyes. Startled, she hurriedly wiped the tear stains from her face. "Your Highness, I know I was wrong. I will definitely not cry again in the future!"

"And don't call me brother-in-law. She would never address me that way." Xiao Xiuzhan gazed at her, his eyes inscrutable. "Address me as Third Prince."

"Yes, Third Prince!" Jiang Lian felt a surge of fear, her tone becoming increasingly respectful.

Xiao Xiuzhan reached out and lightly touched her cheek, his tone casual yet carrying a meaningful undertone. "It's alright. Learn slowly. This prince has plenty of patience."

She does look very much like her, just her temperament isn't quite right. With proper training, given time, she could definitely reach the point of being indistinguishable from the real one.

Summoning her courage, Jiang Lian tentatively asked, "May Lian stay by Your Highness's side? Even as a servant or maid, Lian would be willing!"

"Silly girl, how could this prince bear to make you a servant or maid?" Xiao Xiuzhan chuckled lightly. "Go quickly and pack your things. Come back to the palace with me. Tomorrow, I will send someone to deliver betrothal gifts to your home. From now on, you shall be this prince's honored concubine."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lian was overjoyed. Forgetting her current state of undress, she hurriedly got out of bed, knelt at his feet, and kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness!"

She thought to herself with secret satisfaction: Second Sister, no matter how beautiful your appearance is, what does it matter?

In the end, it is I who married the Third Prince first!

Xiao Xiuzhan rewarded the Brothel Madam with a considerable amount of silver and took Jiang Lian back to the palace.

The next day, he brought Jiang Lian to pay respects to Consort Xi.

Upon first seeing Jiang Lian, Consort Xi was taken aback and exclaimed in surprise, "Why have you brought Miss Jiang here?"

"Mother, look carefully. She is not the Miss Jiang from the Chancellor's residence," Xiao Xiuzhan said with a smile. "Her name is Jiang Lian. She is Jiang Shuning's cousin."

Jiang Lian quickly curtsied. "Your concubine pays her respects to Your Highness!"

Consort Xi looked closely and only then confirmed that the person before her was not Jiang Shuning. Her expression darkened. "Zhan, what is the meaning of this? With the grand wedding approaching, why are you taking in another Jiang family woman?"

"Mother, a word in private."

Xiao Xiuzhan left Jiang Lian in the side hall and moved to the rear garden alone with Consort Xi.

Inside the side hall, Jiang Lian curiously examined the resplendent, golden decorations all around, her heart filled with awe. She was completely unaware of the role she would play by Xiao Xiuzhan's side in the future.

"Mother, keeping this Jiang Lian by my side will be of great use," Xiao Xiuzhan began slowly. "Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother are now utterly infatuated with Jiang Shuning. This Jiang Lian resembles her in appearance. With a little training, she can pass for the real one. When the time comes, won't it be easy to control them?"

"She's just a woman who looks like her. Can she really be that useful?" Consort Xi still had doubts, a frown lingering between her brows.

"Mother, you may not know. Since ancient times, heroes find it hard to pass the test of a beauty," Xiao Xiuzhan said with a profound smile, a flash of calculation in his eyes. "Especially an unattainable woman—she haunts one's dreams even more. At such a time, an extremely similar substitute becomes particularly important."

Hearing this, Consort Xi nodded slightly. "If that's the case, then let her stay. However, she is merely an honored concubine and comes from a humble, minor family. The betrothal gifts need not be too extravagant, right?"

The inner treasury had very little left, and what remained still needed to be used for the Crown Prince's grand wedding preparations. There really wasn't much gold, silver, or jewelry that could be presented.

"Mother may decide," Xiao Xiuzhan said with a faint smile. "However, the betrothal gifts must appear decent on the surface to avoid losing the royal family's dignity."

"Rest assured, this consort will arrange everything meticulously and appropriately!" Consort Xi said solemnly.

Not long after, the grand wedding of the Crown Prince and Gu Wanying arrived as scheduled.

As the Crown Prince of Daye, the royal family organized an extremely lavish wedding for him. The list of betrothal gifts for Crown Princess Consort Gu Wanying was truly staggering: gold, silver, and jewelry glittered brilliantly; silks and satins were piled high like mountains; and groups of maids and servants were all well-trained. Every detail displayed the grandeur and honor of the royal family.

At the wedding banquet, the hall was packed with royalty, nobility, prominent families, and high-ranking court officials with their families. Amidst the clinking of wine cups, the scene was one of opulent splendor.

The Prime Minister's household was also on the guest list.

Jiang Yaozhen was among the guests at the lavish wedding banquet, her eyes alight with envy and anticipation.

Her wedding to Xiao Xiuzhan was scheduled only half a month later than the Crown Prince's. By then, she would undoubtedly become the center of attention, basking in unparalleled glory and prestige.

In the capital, aside from Gu Wanying, what other noble lady's wedding could compare to hers?

Jiang Yaozhen secretly felt proud.

However, when the betrothal gifts from the Third Prince were carried into the Prime Minister's residence, Jiang Yaozhen eagerly opened them for inspection, only to be instantly dumbfounded.

Those seemingly dazzling gold ornaments were actually crafted using a gold-plated silver technique.

At first glance, their color and patterns appeared indistinguishable from pure gold, making it difficult to tell the difference. Yet, once held in hand, their weight felt noticeably lighter, a stark contrast to the substantial heft of genuine gold.

What was even more difficult for her to accept was the phoenix crown, which should have been adorned with Eastern pearls, but was instead embellished with pearls of varying sizes and dull luster, appearing cheap and shabby.

Holding onto a sliver of hope, she meticulously searched through all the betrothal gifts, only to despairingly discover that whether it was gold, silver, jewels, jade, agate, or silks and satins, their value was vastly inferior to the betrothal gifts received by Gu Wanying, let alone comparable to them.

The maid Chun Hua could no longer contain her indignation and whispered in complaint, "Is this really the betrothal gift the Third Prince has given to our Second Young Lady? I'm afraid it's not even as good as the dowry the Master prepared for her!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yaozhen's face instantly darkened, turning as cold as ice. Her nails dug deeply into her palms, almost drawing blood.

What exactly did the Third Prince mean by this?

Was he trying to humiliate her?