Volume One, Chapter 19: Mother, I Hurt Too

"Do you truly believe that if this matter were to come to light, the Empress and the Emperor would choose to protect you and me over His Highness the Crown Prince?!"

Or perhaps, there would be no need to wait for the Emperor to find out. If the Empress were to discover that someone had been inciting the Crown Prince in such a manner, she would never spare the Jiang family!

While the imperial court does have systems for the donation of offices and patronage appointments, Jiang Ruoqi’s current position is utterly illegitimate!

"Father has attained the rank of Minister, and the Empress favors our family; countless eyes are fixed upon the Jiang residence. Yet you, of all people, insist on handing our enemies the very evidence they need to destroy us!"

At these words, Jiang Cheng was suddenly struck with realization. A chill ran down his spine, and cold sweat poured forth. How had he failed to foresee this?

Jiang Ruozhen and Jiang Ruoqi, however, did not fully grasp the gravity of the situation. Mother Jiang, only half-understanding, stammered, "Regardless, you should not have... you should not have pushed Ruozhen..."

"Fool! Hold your tongue!!!" The Old Madam, unable to endure any longer, slammed her hand against the table and pointed a trembling finger at Mother Jiang’s nose.

"Chen Huilan! Has your mind been clouded by lard? Even now, you still insist on shielding Jiang Ruozhen with your eyes shut! Must you wait until our entire clan is executed to be satisfied?!"

"Mother, I meant no such thing!" Mother Jiang’s face turned deathly pale, and she could only weep, not daring to utter another word.

Execution of the entire clan? Her Ruozhen had only done a favor for her brother; how could it be so grave? Mother Jiang harbored resentment toward the Old Madam for exaggerating, thinking she was merely bullying her precious Ruozhen. Yet, she dared not voice this, for if word spread that she was disrespectful to her mother-in-law, what face would she have left?

The Old Madam closed her eyes. Chen Huilan was not the only one in the Jiang residence whose judgment was blinded. If she did not impose a severe punishment now to serve as a warning, there was no telling what catastrophe they would cause next!

"Someone! Bring the family discipline rod!"

The Old Madam’s aged voice was exceptionally forceful. Everyone present, save for Jiang Zhinian, was struck with panic. The Jiang family’s disciplinary measures were no mere formality; they involved being beaten with a heavy golden staff, thicker than a human wrist.

A roaring sound filled Mother Jiang’s ears, and she burst into desperate sobs. "No! Mother! Please, no! Ruozhen is frail; she cannot withstand such an ordeal! This matter... they were innocent of malice, they did not know it would lead to such a disaster!"

She scrambled toward Jiang Zhinian and grabbed her hands, pleading, "Zhinian, please, spare my Ruozhen! I beg you as a mother! My Ruozhen has suffered so much! Just let her go!"

Jiang Zhinian’s hands were already injured, and the sudden pressure forced a cry of pain from her lips as the pristine white bandages instantly bloomed with fresh, crimson blood. She tried to pull away, but Mother Jiang clung to her.

"Zhinian, Mother begs you! Please!"

"I promise she will never provoke you again, will you agree?"

Jiang Ruozhen rushed over to pull Mother Jiang away. "Mother, do not beg her! I am fine!"

Jiang Zhinian watched the mother who once hummed softly to lull her to sleep and combed her hair with her own hands. Now, that same mother was weeping, nearly kneeling to beg her—begging her to forgive the very person who had stolen her marriage and driven her to her death.

"But..."

She pried Mother Jiang’s fingers away, inch by agonizing inch, and slowly withdrew her hands. A single tear fell onto Mother Jiang’s palm.

"Mother, it hurts for me, too..."

Fresh blood stained the bandages and dripped onto the floor from Jiang Zhinian’s fingertips.

Only then did the Old Madam notice the wounds on Jiang Zhinian’s hands. The others saw them too, and Mother Jiang froze, a heavy, sinking pain gripping her heart.

The Old Madam’s exclamation and the voice of Zheliu rang in her ears, mingled with a faint, distant memory: a young Jiang Zhinian holding her hand, repeating, "Mother, I want to hear you tell me a story..."

Back then, Jiang Zhinian’s hands were so small, clutching her own. Those small hands seemed to overlap with the blood-soaked ones before her, fading from soft, pink innocence into this crimson reality.

Mother Jiang’s legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor, unable to rise no matter how Jiang Ruozhen and Jiang Ruoqi tried to help.

***

The Old Madam had Jiang Zhinian escorted back to Linlang Pavilion and followed her inside. Though Jiang Zhinian remained silent throughout the walk, the Old Madam looked at her and swallowed the tears rising in her throat.

Before the doctor arrived, the Old Madam ordered a maid skilled in medicine to attend to Jiang Zhinian. As the layers of bandages were peeled away, the raw flesh beneath was revealed. Though there were only a few lacerations, they looked particularly gruesome.

"You are injured to this extent and still do not know how to cherish yourself!" the Old Madam said, her tone laced with worry and urgency. She had not known that Jiang Zhinian was wounded on both her face and hands; had she known, she would never have allowed her to attend that gathering.

Jiang Zhinian smiled faintly. "Grandmother summoned me, so naturally, I had to go."

The Old Madam chided her angrily, "I may not have known what they were plotting, but did you not know? If you were feeling unwell, you should have rested."

"You could have simply found an excuse to decline. Do you think Grandmother would have made things difficult for you?"

Grandmother would certainly not have been harsh, but Jiang Zhinian did not want the Jiang family to slander her in front of her grandmother at will. Her grandmother was the only family she had left. She dared not gamble on whether her grandmother would believe her regardless of what the Jiang family said.

The Old Madam reached out and cupped Jiang Zhinian’s chin, carefully examining the marks on her face. Though they had bled and scabbed over, the wounds were fortunately not deep. With proper care, they should not leave scars. Only then did she let go, relieved.

"A young girl, ruining her face like this—how will you ever marry?"

"Then I shall not marry; staying by Grandmother’s side is just as well." As Jiang Zhinian’s lips curved into a smile, a stinging pain in her hand caused her to shed tears.

The Old Madam quickly commanded, "Be gentle!"

"And you, what nonsense are you spouting? You are to marry into the Eastern Palace in the future; what would it look like if such words were repeated?"

With that, the Old Madam kept a close watch on the maid, fearing she might apply too much pressure. She did not notice the smile on Jiang Zhinian’s face gradually fading.

Grandmother was destined to be disappointed. She would never marry Shen Huaian again.

Zheliu brought out the medicine given by Xu Wenjing. The Old Madam, avoiding Jiang Zhinian’s presence, stepped outside Linlang Pavilion to question Nanny Zhu.

"Has the situation at Luoxue Pavilion calmed down?"

Since she had accompanied Jiang Zhinian to Linlang Pavilion, she had not attended to the others.

Nanny Zhu replied, "It has quieted for the moment. The Master, the Mistress, and the eldest young master are currently in Luoxue Pavilion keeping the second young lady company."

Hearing this, the Old Madam’s anger flared anew.

"Jiang Ruoqi is to receive thirty strokes of the rod. Once it is done, have him come to me to reflect for a few days! If he is not disciplined further, he will turn this household upside down!"

Nanny Zhu nodded, then hesitated. "And the second young lady..."

Jiang Ruoqi was easy enough to handle, but Jiang Ruozhen was a different matter. Her daughter-in-law treated Jiang Ruozhen like the apple of her eye; if she forced a punishment on the girl, it would surely create a rift between them.

Yet, if she did not punish her, it would be unjust to Zhinian. Furthermore, having first addressed the Crown Prince by his given name and now causing such an incident, it was clear that Jiang Ruozhen lacked all sense of decorum. If left without strict discipline and allowed to be coddled by Chen, there was no telling what chaos would ensue.

The Old Madam pondered for a long time, looked back at Jiang Zhinian’s room, and sighed. "Go and have Jiang Ruozhen taken to the ancestral hall. She shall watch with her own eyes as her brother is flogged!"