bayedsolid Chapter 406 Shattered Dreams (Revised)
Chapter 406 Shattered Dreams (Revised)
The New Year is approaching.
The emperor lost interest in attending court, and the court officials also began to slack off.
A few days ago, news of victory was received from the border, and the people of the whole city are waiting for the army's triumphant return.
We eagerly await it every day.
Women long for their husbands, old women long for their children and grandchildren, children long for their fathers and brothers...
Having won the battle, their chances of returning alive are very high. We don't ask them to achieve great feats, we only ask that they return safely.
This is the long-cherished wish of almost all the people; coming back alive is more important than anything else.
The entire capital was filled with joy.
The happiest family was the Lu family.
Almost all the men of the Lu family were on the battlefield, and the women in the family longed for their safe return day and night.
Their lives and deaths touched the hearts of the entire city.
The Jiang family was also filled with joy.
But not for his son who was about to return from the war.
Instead, it was Jiang Yunze who was getting married. The wedding date had been moved up, the betrothal had been made, and the wedding was set for ten days from now.
Jiang Yunze felt that this was a perfect time to get married, so that the whole country could celebrate.
He walked home with light steps, and without even seeing Grandma Jiang, he went straight to Tao Tao Courtyard.
Tao Mei seems to have returned to her former self, gentle and considerate, making him nourishing soups every day.
They even come in different varieties.
Jiang Yunze, holding his daughter, plopped down at the table. "Tao Mei, what are we having for dinner today?"
"Husband, I've stewed some mutton to warm you up." Tao Tao instructed a servant to serve Jiang Yunze a bowl of stewed mutton soup.
She was feeding her daughter on the side.
Xiaoshu's meals are light and prepared separately.
Jiang Yunze was in an exceptionally good mood today, and even drank two extra bowls of soup.
"What happened to you today, my lord, that makes you so happy?" Tao Tao looked up at him, watching him drink bowl after bowl of soup.
My heart is extremely happy.
Today is the day Jiang Yunze proposes marriage to the Zhou family.
So she gave her a slightly higher dose.
After feeding her medicinal soup for several days, her husband is about to get married, and there probably won't be many more opportunities after that.
"Today I visited the Zhou family..."
Halfway through his sentence, Jiang Yunze suddenly changed the subject, "Just now, Minister Lu invited me to a chat, saying that he has a daughter, who is fourteen years old, and he wants to arrange a marriage between her and the Jiang family."
Tao Tao looked surprised. "You've taken a fancy to Feng-ge'er?"
"How could that be? This brat, instead of studying properly, went to join the army without a word. How many noble ladies would want him? At most, he could only marry a military officer's wife. But Yan-ge'er won first place in this autumn examination. In three months, it will be the spring examination. Even if he doesn't win first place, his name will definitely be on the list."
Jiang Yunze's face was beaming with joy.
Today is truly a day of double happiness.
Although Yan'er is a bit young and will have to wait a few more years to get married, we can arrange the marriage first.
Tao Tao looked up at him. "Husband, I went to the market the other day to buy almond cookies for my mother. I saw Yan-ge riding a horse with Miao-miao out of the city. Didn't he come back to see you?"
Although it is said that children's marriages are arranged by their parents and matchmakers.
But none of the children recognized Jiang Yunze, and they were unwilling to even step into the Jiang family's gate.
How could I possibly accept the marriage he proposed?
If things go wrong, we might offend Minister Lu.
Jiang Yunze put down his chopsticks, looking somewhat embarrassed. "This unfilial son, I can forgive him, but he is still a descendant of the Jiang family. He doesn't even come to see his grandmother after returning to the capital. Doesn't he care about being labeled as unfilial and disrespectful?"
"Yan-ge'er is the most promising child in the Jiang family, with a bright future ahead of him. Is my husband really willing to let him bear such a reputation?" Tao Tao sneered inwardly.
Jiang Ziyan is much more successful than his father, backed by the Cui family and supported by the Lu family.
They wouldn't even give Jiang Yunze a second glance.
In three to five years, his achievements might even surpass those of his father.
They even tried to threaten them with their reputation.
Jiang Yunze was speechless.
Indeed, even if this son disobeyed him and insisted on following Lu Qingyao, he couldn't bear to destroy him.
What the Jiang family will achieve in the future depends on him.
Even if he were to have another son with his new wife, it's not certain that he would be as successful as Yan Ge'er.
"Don't worry about this. Zhou will take care of it herself after she enters the family." Jiang Yunze noticed that Tao Tao seemed to be gloating.
When you're unhappy, you lose your appetite.
As he got up to leave, he ran into a servant who had rushed over to find him; the maid's face was ashen.
"Why are you so alarmed?"
"Master, the Third Miss...she..."
Jiang Yunze's heart skipped a beat.
Jin'er isn't a concubine by Prince Chen's side. Could it be that her identity has been discovered?
"What happened to Jin'er?"
"The Third Miss is gone. The Dali Temple summons you for questioning."
died!
How could he be dead?
Jiang Yunze stood there, stunned. "How could this be? She's not..."
Jin'er should be happily living as Prince Chen's favored concubine, how could she be gone?
He gasped and closed his eyes briefly.
He asked the maid, "How did Jin'er die?"
"I heard that she was found in a secret room in Prince Chen's villa. She had been dead for several days when she was found, but the maid who was with her was still alive."
"The secret chamber of Prince Chen?" Jiang Yunze's legs went weak, and he almost fell over.
If it's said that Jin'er is Prince Chen's concubine and she's in the secret room, then who is Prince Chen's concubine?
"vomit……"
Miaomiao was shocked when she heard about it and even vomited.
Jiang Zijin was actually imprisoned in a secret room by Prince Chen.
Those who committed suicide died tragically, their bodies even being gnawed on by rats.
Miao Miao didn't dare to go and see; she couldn't bear to hear her second brother talk about it.
The frustrating thing is that she actually asked the Emperor for a haunted house. It seems she can't keep this house anymore. I wonder if she can get a refund.
Jiang Zijin's death brought her a great deal of peace.
The main reason was that the dream was so vivid that she felt Jiang Zijin was like a time bomb planted next to King Jing and his wife.
History could repeat itself at any time.
Jiang Ziyan was also somewhat frightened, or rather, disgusted.
He witnessed firsthand how the wolfhounds found the secret chamber, how the officers broke it open, and how they carried the man out.
Because it was winter, there wasn't a strong smell, but it was gnawed by rats and was unbearable to look at.
There are many times when he can't understand it.
Why would Jiang Zijin, a young woman who had not yet reached marriageable age, do these things?
She could have done nothing at all, simply been a good girl like Jiang San Guniang, and gotten married and had children.
Why would someone choose to court death?
In the days that followed.
Miaomiao clung to her second brother like a little tail every day.
Her second brother would read for a while and then watch her practice calligraphy, using the calligraphy templates their father had sent her—it was like homework he was assigning her.
"Miaomiao has made great progress! She writes very well, she's amazing!" Jiang Ziyan decided that he would encourage his younger sister no matter how well or poorly she wrote.
The criticism should be left to her own father.
He just wanted to be a good older brother.
Jiang Miaomiao: ……
What's wrong with my second brother? He actually praised her; this is the first time he's ever done it.
Although, at least some of her handwriting is legible.
It's not exactly a dragon and phoenix dance, but at least it doesn't look like insect legs.
This is all thanks to her father, the prime minister, with his damned obsessive-compulsive disorder.
But my second brother's praise was so insincere; it didn't sound like it came from the heart.
I was practicing calligraphy when I heard a series of crackling sounds from the front yard.
It's the sound of abacus beads being moved...
……