The Double-Chapter 46 - 44 Provocation

46: Chapter 44 Provocation

46 -44 Provocation

Jiang Yuanbai planned to send Jiang Li to Mingyi Hall, and soon the whole Jiang Family knew about it.

When Lady Lu of the second branch spoke with Jiang Yuanping, she even said, “What was eldest brother thinking?

Why would he think of sending Jiang Li there?

If Jiang Li enters, those young ladies at school will surely gossip about her behind her back, and she might even be bullied.

Wouldn’t that shame our Jiang Family?”

Lady Lu had been pampered since childhood, and Jiang Yuanping was always smiling with a good temper, so she spoke without much restraint.

Her words seemed to consider Jiang Li’s feelings but also seemed to reproach Jiang Li for losing face, and it was unclear whether her intentions were good or bad.

“Eldest brother has his own plans in mind, so there’s no need for you to worry,” said Jiang Yuanping leisurely as he sipped his tea.

“Our second branch doesn’t have a daughter anyway.”

“That’s true,” thought Lady Lu.

“If anyone is to lose face, it will be the main branch.

But from what I see, Jiang Li is no pushover.

She has but recently returned to the residence and has already made eldest sister-in-law look pitiful.

It seems she has learned quite a bit since before.

It’s just that I don’t know how long she can keep it up, as I’ve never seen Lady Ji suffer a loss and let it go.”

From Lady Lu’s tone, it was apparent that her relationship with Ji Shuran was not as harmonious as it seemed on the surface.

“Let’s not meddle in it,” said Jiang Yuanping with a wave of his hand.

“All is peaceful under Heaven.”

In Night Wind Hall, Madam Jiang the Elder was also discussing this matter with Jiang Yuanbai.

“Yuan Bai, what exactly are you thinking?” asked Madam Jiang the Elder.

“Mother, Lili is already fifteen.

Commoners’ children go to school at fifteen, whereas princes and the crown prince begin at the age of eight, and the children of the ministers and nobility at ten.

Although Lili is starting late, it’s the same as with the commoners’ children,” he replied.

Madam Jiang the Elder looked at Jiang Yuanbai: “You know that’s not what I’m asking.

The second girl’s age for schooling is not important.”

Jiang Yuanbai hesitated for a moment: “Mother, although Lili made mistakes in the past, it’s not too late to mend.

She was too young at the time, and we should not let the mistakes of youth affect her future.”

Madam Jiang the Elder lowered her gaze, lost in thought.

After a long while, she said, “Since you have already made up your mind, just go ahead with it.

Pearl,” she called to her maid, “fetch the purple wooden stationery set from the storeroom and send it to the second girl.”

Pearl hurried to get up, and seeing this, Jiang Yuanbai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After discussing some matters about schooling with Madam Jiang the Elder, Jiang Yuanbai took his leave.

After Jiang Yuanbai left, Madam Jiang the Elder’s maid Feicui asked, “Does the old madam not wish for the Second Miss to attend school?”

“If I didn’t wish for it, I wouldn’t be sending her stationery,” said the old madam.

Sending stationery was Madam Jiang the Elder’s way of showing support for Jiang Li’s schooling.

When other members of the Jiang Residence saw this, no matter what other opinions they had, they would no longer voice them.

“But…” Feicui was puzzled.

“Yuan Bai was raised under my eye.

He is a man of deep thoughts, and I’m afraid he has taken a liking to the second girl and intends to use her for some purpose,” Madam Jiang the Elder sighed deeply.

“But the Second Miss nowadays is not someone anyone can easily manipulate.”

“I’m afraid that this will cause a rift between father and daughter, bringing unrest to the household.”

…

While Madam Jiang the Elder was speaking, back in the garden of the Jiang Residence, Jiang Youyao smashed a teapot to pieces.

Jiang Yue looked at the broken Yixing clay teapot with distress.

Such a teapot, if sold outside, could fetch one hundred taels of silver, yet Jiang Youyao had shattered it without the slightest care.

“Jiang Li!

Why did father send Jiang Li to Mingyi Hall?

What on earth did she say to him!” In front of Jiang Yue and Jiang Yuyan, Jiang Youyao never hid her fury.

Jiang Yuyan shrank back timidly, but Jiang Yue encouraged her, saying, “It must be that Jiang Li said something to our uncle.

There’s something really strange about that girl.

She hasn’t been back in the residence long, and uncle’s heart has already leaned her way.

Oh, by the way,” Jiang Yue also wanted to sting Jiang Youyao a little, so she added, “I heard that grandmother also gave Jiang Li a set of purple wooden stationery, the very set you, third sister, asked from grandmother but didn’t receive.

Jiang Li really is something else, winning over our uncle is one thing, but now even grandmother is pleased with her.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Youyao froze for a moment, then urgently inquired, “Is that true?

Did grandmother really give Jiang Li a set of purple wooden stationery?”

“Of course, it’s true.” Jiang Yue shrugged her shoulders.

“All the servants in Night Wind Hall saw it.”

“That bitch!” Jiang Youyao was furious.

She had really liked that set of purple wooden stationery and had asked Madam Jiang the Elder for it several times without receiving it, and now Madam Jiang the Elder had given it to Jiang Li.

Wasn’t this a slap in her face, telling everyone that Jiang Youyao was inferior to Jiang Li?

“No way, I’m going to find my mother,” Jiang Youyao said.

“We can’t let Jiang Li go to Mingyi Hall!”

“Third sister,” Jiang Yue held her back, “since the old madam and our uncle have spoken, Jiang Li’s entry into Mingyi Hall is already a certainty.

It’s too late to argue now, but I think, Jiang Li going to Mingyi Hall is simply overestimating herself.

Has she even considered how many young ladies from noble families are in Mingyi Hall, and which one of them would dare to associate with her?

With her shallow learning, who knows how many jokes she will make of herself?

Then, won’t she just become a foil for you, the laughing stock of others?”

Reassured by her words, Jiang Youyao gradually calmed down.

What Jiang Yue said made sense.

She added, “It’s true, but her constantly flaunting herself in my face is unbearable!” Just thinking of Jiang Li possibly going to the Imperial College and doing something with Zhou Yanbang made Jiang Youyao extremely uncomfortable.

“Third sister, ‘A small impatience spoils great plans,'” Jiang Yue said with a smile.

After Jiang Youyao left with her emotions settled, Jiang Yuyan asked, “Fifth sister, why are you inciting third sister to go against second sister?”

Jiang Yue sneered, “Who asked her to overestimate herself!”

The third branch of the Jiang Family was already weak, being an illegitimate branch, after all.

That Jiang Yuyan and Jiang Yue could study in Mingyi Hall was an opportunity gained only through Jiang Yuanxing’s constant flattery of Jiang Yuanbai.

In Jiang Yue’s heart, there was both inferiority and pride.

Her aspirations were sky-high.

She was resolved to be inferior to no one, and in terms of learning, she was indeed the most distinguished in the Jiang Family.

Even without the reputation of a talented lady, Jiang Youyao was still the pearl in the palm of the Jiang Family, but Jiang Yue needed that reputation as the talented lady to add luster to herself.

That was the only thing Jiang Yue could take pride in, being more talented than Jiang Li and stepping over the legitimate daughter Jiang Li, thus giving herself a sense of superiority.

But now, Jiang Yuanbai had allowed Jiang Li to go to Mingyi Hall.

With this development, all four daughters of the Jiang Family were equal, and someone who had previously been far beneath her had suddenly caught up.

This destroyed Jiang Yue’s sense of superiority, with Jiang Li being the chief culprit in all this.

To regain her sense of superiority, Jiang Li’s circumstances had to be worse than her own.

Jiang Youyao and Jiang Li were already at odds, and a slight provocation between them would undoubtedly lead to countless conflicts.

All Jiang Yue needed to do was fuel the fire from the sidelines.