Just like now, Pei Zhishuo didn't even realize that the people who had turned their household upside down were Jiang Xinyue and her father, and yet he dared to repeatedly provoke her.
Jiang Yankun almost couldn't help but light a candle for him.
Princess Lihua was just a small interlude. A moment later, Jiang Xinyue's gaze landed on the Jiang family members. Seeing Jiang Yuncai glaring angrily at a certain minister's wife, she lightly frowned and said, "Your Majesty, I'm feeling a bit tired and would like to return to rest."
She was pregnant, and after a long day at the New Year's banquet, she was feeling the strain.
The Xuanwu Emperor nodded, showing concern. "If you feel unwell, make sure to call someone from the Imperial Hospital immediately. I'll come to see you later."
Jiang Xinyue nodded. Before leaving, she gave Xi Que a meaningful look, glancing in the direction of her mother and aunt.
Although Xi Que wasn't particularly clever, their long-standing master-servant rapport meant that with just a glance from Jiang Xinyue, she understood the underlying message without needing further explanation.
Su Ruyue's eyes darted around, avoiding Jiang Yuncai's gaze, and she kept hiding behind Lady Su.
Noticing this, Lady Su shielded her daughter and met Jiang Yuncai's gaze with a cold stare, forcing her to back down. "Ruyue, don't be afraid. She was the one who acted recklessly, knowing the Pei family was targeting them, yet she still ran around. It's her fault that her sister's reputation was ruined. Our decision to break off the engagement is justified."
Although the Su family knew Jiang Yuncai was innocent and that this had nothing to do with Jiang Yunxia, the fact remained that the Su family was a prestigious clan in the capital. The Jiang family's rise was largely due to having a favored concubine, but compared to the Su family, they were still far behind.
So, was there anything wrong with not wanting their son to marry Jiang Yunxia?
Who knew when the enemies of the Imperial Noble Consort might expose that she had a cousin who had once been sold to a brothel?
If people then discovered that Jiang Yunxia was the sister of that cousin, where would the Su family's reputation stand?
At that point, no one would care if she had been rescued quickly or if she was innocent. People would talk, and the rumors would be as vicious as possible.
Their decision to break the engagement was reasonable.
Even if the Jiang family complained to the Imperial Noble Consort, there was no way they could force their second son to marry Jiang Yunxia.
"Madam, the Imperial Noble Consort invites you and your sister-in-law to Hexi Palace for a chat."
The servants of Hexi Palace, as usual, had received generous rewards this year, making them even more attentive in serving their mistress.
Lady Sun had last visited to beg Jiang Xinyue to save Jiang Yuncai. At the time, she was too busy crying and didn't notice the opulence and refinement of Hexi Palace.
This time, as Xi Que led her in again, her eyes couldn't stop taking in the surroundings. She marveled at Jiang Xinyue's skills in managing her palace, where even the seemingly insignificant decorative grasses in the courtyard were rare purple pearl grass, a sight rarely seen in the common realm.
Not to mention the precious yet casually placed flowers and plants in the front courtyard and along the corridors.
The entire palace was exquisitely arranged, with a natural landscape connecting the front and back courtyards, featuring exotic flowers and plants, mist-shrouded waters, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere.
However, at the moment, she had little time to admire it.
Ever since Jiang Xinyue asked why her eldest cousin hadn't come, Jiang Yuncai's tears had been falling non-stop. "It's all my fault. I've dragged my sister down, causing her to be broken off from the engagement with the Su family. My sister and Su Changlin were deeply in love, but the Su family probably guessed what happened that day and insisted on breaking off the engagement. Father thought Su Changlin wasn't dependable, so he took back my sister's betrothal papers and ended the engagement with the Su family."
"What my aunt said is correct. If Su Changlin had truly expressed his feelings to my eldest cousin, but couldn't even persuade his own parents, even if I were to have the Emperor issue a decree to forcefully marry my cousin into the Su family, she would only suffer."
If Su Changlin truly cared, he should have done everything in his power to marry his cousin and protect her for life.
As the second son of the family, and knowing that Lady Su doted on him, he had plenty of ways to persuade his mother if he wanted to.
Now, by hurting Jiang Yunxia's feelings, it was clear he had chosen his parents over his lover. What more was there to say?
Marriage was about two people leaving their families to build a new life together, not about the woman leaving her family to integrate into the man's family, enduring grievances, demeaning herself to serve her in-laws, just to gain their approval.
Therefore, some of the traditions passed down from our ancestors are worth preserving, while others need to be discarded to change the status of women in the family.
Lady Sun sighed. "That's true, but Xia Jie is stubborn. Since the engagement was broken off, she's lost all vitality. The other day, she went out in thin clothes to drink in the courtyard, caught a cold from the cold wind, and has been bedridden with a fever ever since."
Lady Sun was also angry with Jiang Yunxia for being so disheartened after the broken engagement, giving the treacherous Su family something to laugh at.
It would make it seem like the Jiang daughters couldn't marry anyone else and were clinging to the Su family.
Yet, she couldn't bear to scold her too harshly, as this was an unwarranted disaster for Jiang Yunxia.
Thinking of this, Lady Sun couldn't help but slap herself. "It's all my fault. I didn't warn them about the Pei family's threats. I thought, in a public place with so many people, what could happen? But... it ended up like this..."
"Aunt, there's no need to blame yourself," Jiang Xinyue consoled her. "Even the most careful plans can have a flaw. Those people are hiding in the shadows, like rats in the gutter, waiting for a chance to bite us. Avoiding them isn't a long-term solution. All I can say is, learn from this experience. In the future, please take my words to heart."
It was no longer helpful to blame anyone. Instead of complaining, it was better to find a way to help Jiang Yunxia see clearly.
At the back gate of the Jiang residence—
Su Changlin, the second son of the Su family, carried a small bundle and, with the help of a servant, climbed over the wall.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Jiang Yunxia sat leaning against the bed, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as she coughed a few times. She said to the maids by her side, "You all should go. Tonight is New Year's Eve. You should be with your families. I'll be fine. I'll take my medicine and sleep."
The maids looked at each other. "But Madam said we should stay with you, and we mustn't let you catch any more cold air."
Jiang Yunxia shook her head again. "I won't go out. I don't have the strength to move anyway."
After saying this, she closed her eyes, seeming to have exhausted all her strength from speaking.
