She thought and thought, but in the end, she still felt somewhat deflated. Xiao Shao held her so tightly that she couldn't break free to see his expression, nor could she discern the emotions behind his embrace. The lingering warmth on her lips made Jiang Ruan pause, her fair cheeks flushing slightly.
Taking a deep breath, she said coldly, "Xiao Shao, since you're drunk, I'll treat you as sober. I won't refuse the Empress Dowager's arranged marriage. Once I enter the Brocade Hero King Manor, we'll be on the same boat." She paused before adding, "Since you don’t seem to like Ye Li much either, how about I eliminate him for you?"
She was never one to suffer losses. Even when she stood to gain, she framed it as doing Xiao Shao a favor.
"You kissed me—just drunken recklessness. I won’t hold it against you." Her tone was frank and unbothered, but she didn’t see the faintly raised brow or the captivating glint in the eyes of the man holding her.
Well, there was one thing she probably didn’t know: the men of the Xiao family were never ones to get drunk, no matter how much they drank.
By the next day, the news of Xiao Shao embracing and kissing Jiang Ruan in his "drunken" state had spread throughout the Brocade Hero King Manor. The servants were once again in awe of their master’s boldness—this was what they called decisiveness! Though everyone knew full well that in all their years, they had never seen Xiao Shao truly drunk, they couldn’t help but admire how their prince had struck with such impact after long silence.
Jiang Ruan remained oblivious to all this. The night before, she had no idea when Xiao Shao had finally fallen asleep. She had Tianzhu help him to his room, but her own thoughts kept her awake all night. By the time she left the manor the next morning, faint shadows darkened her eyes.
Instead of returning to the palace, she ordered the carriage to take her back to the Jiang residence. With Jiang Xin Zhi’s affairs now the talk of the city, the Jiang family must have already heard. Perfect—she was eager to see if her net had caught anything.
...
At the Jiang residence, Jiang Quan was unusually present that day. In the study, Jiang Chao sat across from him, his expression grave.
"You say the Eighth Prince wants to marry Jiang Ruan?" Jiang Quan frowned. "Why would His Highness have such an idea?" Had it been Jiang Susu, Jiang Quan might have been pleased—even eager. But hearing that Ye Li wanted Jiang Ruan made him uneasy.
A trace of barely concealed gloom flashed in Jiang Chao’s eyes. "That is indeed His Highness’s intention."
"Then what about Su Su?" Jiang Quan’s expression darkened. "She’s of marriageable age. Earlier, the Eighth Prince tacitly acknowledged his connection with her. She’s remained unmarried all this time—why the sudden change?" His tone now carried clear dissatisfaction with Ye Li.
Years ago, the Jiang family had intended to align themselves with the Eighth Prince and had subtly probed Ye Li’s stance. With only two legitimate daughters, Jiang Quan naturally favored Jiang Susu and had always envisioned her as Ye Li’s princess consort. With this in mind, Jiang Susu’s marriage had been left unsettled, dragging on until now. A few more years, and she’d be considered an old maid. It had seemed like a done deal—at the very least, with the Xiahou family’s influence, she could have been a concubine. But now, how had Jiang Ruan suddenly become the one?In Jiang Quan's eyes, even the most witless Jiang Li was better than Jiang Ruan. For some reason, he harbored an inexplicable fear toward this eldest daughter who always smiled gently. Perhaps it was his guilt toward Zhao Mei, or perhaps it was because Jiang Ruan's eyes seemed to see right through people. Every time he met her gaze, he felt deeply unsettled. To Jiang Quan, both Jiang Ruan and Jiang Xin Zhi were adversaries—people he could not control.
If Jiang Ruan were truly married into the Eighth Prince's household, who knew what trouble she might bring to the Jiang family and himself once she gained power? Jiang Quan had never trusted Jiang Ruan.
Jiang Chao shot Jiang Quan a mocking glance, though it was well-hidden and went unnoticed. He said, "The Eighth Prince specifically asked for Eldest Sister. No matter how dissatisfied you are, Father, surely you wouldn’t dare negotiate with His Highness to swap in Second Sister instead?"
Jiang Chao was not without grievances toward Jiang Quan. Ever since the incident with Xia Yan, he had seen clearly that despite Jiang Quan's claims of affection, when it came to matters of life and death, he would never risk himself for them. Even knowing Xia Yan had been framed, as her husband, Jiang Quan had chosen to believe the slander. Now, though Jiang Chao was a favorite in the Eighth Prince's circle, his colleagues still looked at him with a hint of ridicule—all thanks to his father's poor judgment. How could Jiang Chao not resent him?
Since Xia Yan's downfall, the relationship between Jiang Chao and Jiang Quan had grown increasingly distant—polite, but lacking warmth. Whether Jiang Quan realized this or not was unclear; perhaps he knew but chose to ignore it, maintaining a facade of harmony.
"You—" Jiang Quan caught the faint sarcasm in Jiang Chao's words and was about to lose his temper when he suddenly reconsidered, softening his tone. "What kind of talk is that? Su Su is your own sister. Do you truly wish her ill?"
Jiang Chao remained silent. Of course, he knew that if Jiang Ruan married the Eighth Prince, Ye Li, given the enmity between them, it would bring nothing but harm. Yet Jiang Chao saw the situation clearly: Ye Li was determined to have Jiang Ruan. Beyond the Zhao family's backing and Jiang Xin Zhi as leverage, as a man, he understood the look in Ye Li's eyes when he regarded Jiang Ruan. Ye Li was already interested in her—a man's interest in a woman.
Jiang Chao smirked faintly. "Father, there's no need for such worries. If the Eighth Prince wants Eldest Sister and the Emperor agrees, we cannot refuse. If you're concerned she might say something untoward to His Highness, it’s unnecessary. Because if Eldest Sister marries the Eighth Prince while bearing a deep-seated grudge against him, even within the prince's household, their resentment will only fester."
"You mean..." Jiang Quan's eyes lit up.
Jiang Chao smiled leisurely, tracing a slow circle on the table with his four-fingered hand. "The Eighth Prince wants to marry Eldest Sister partly to win over Eldest Brother. But if Eldest Brother truly falls under the Eighth Prince's influence, it may not bode well for our Jiang family."Jiang Quan's expression froze. Jiang Xin Zhi and Jiang Ruan were of one mind, both unwilling to see him prosper. If Jiang Xin Zhi were truly taken under Ye Li's wing and managed to escape this calamity, he would be adorned with glory and wield immense power, a far cry from his past self. The Jiang family would then become dispensable. If Ye Li had to choose between Jiang Xin Zhi and the Jiang family, he might not necessarily choose the latter over the former. In that case, Jiang Xin Zhi's existence would pose a significant threat to the Jiang household.
Jiang Quan turned to Jiang Chao, whose expression was dark and foreboding, yet his words sent chills down the spine: "If something were to happen to Eldest Brother, and it was traced back to the Eighth Prince, Eldest Sister would surely turn against him. With Eldest Brother gone, he would be of no use to the Eighth Prince, and Eldest Sister's hatred would prevent the Zhao family from offering any assistance. In that case, if the Eighth Prince still wishes to ally with the Jiang family, he would need another connection." He smiled faintly. "By then, sending Second Sister into the prince's residence would be as easy as lifting a finger."
(End of Chapter)
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