Madame Tao, who claimed to be ill, was half-supported on the bed. She frowned as she listened to Mom Hu’s whisper of what happened this day, “I hear that Dr. Lin has diagnosed the first madame. Even if she can get through it, she may no longer see things through her eyes.”

“What did Chaohai say?”

“Lady Huizhi cried for a long time, but Old Master only let someone take her back to her room for rest…” Mom Hu answered, “He took Old Master Tianao to the study and talked with him alone.” After a pause, she continued, “I don’t know what they were talking about.”

Madame Tao sighed, “The first branch has colluded with the third branch to put the group of Qizheng at risk. As Tianchi’s wife came back, she tried to put the first branch to death. How could their grudges be resolved? It’s just because that bad something has happened to someone important of both sides and so it seems not to be the case to punish someone or not! I’m wondering what Chaohai is going to do with it.”

Mom Hu said softly, “That the fourth madame tried to kill the first madame was seen by quite a few people. And Old Master always loves the first branch. I guess that it will be worse for the fourth madame.”

“I don’t think so!” Madame Tao shook her head, “Chaohai didn’t do with her on the spot. When Yashuang comes back, it will be even more impossible for her to go harder… The position of Yashuang in Chaohai’s heart is not low!”

“But as something big has happened to the first madame, it can’t be swept under the carpet easily, right?” Mom Hu was a little worried. The first branch had occupied such a special status for so many years while this time lady of the house was beaten so badly in public that she was almost not able to breathe!

Madame Tao sneered, “Zheng’er is the trueborn granddaughter of our family! Doesn’t Xing have a noble origin? As for Ling Zui, he is the youngest trueborn son who Earl of Jingchuan and Princess Royal Maode love most. The deaths of the three can even be covered easily, not to mention the death of Madame Dou!”

“It’s the third branch that takes advantage of it this time!” Mom Hu said, “Because of the first madame, the fourth madame won’t have time to go after the third branch even though she does want to do so.”

“After all these years, you still don’t know what the first branch is.” Madame Tao sneered, “The third branch together with the first branch did harm to Zheng’er and others. But now only the first branch suffers large losses. Do you think they will be willing to let it go?”

“If Madame Dou really died, as a result, Jiang Yayue would be sure to conduct his filial mourning. Wouldn’t that be good for Jiang Yaqing? Do you think the first branch would be content to accept the result and swallow it?”

Mom Hu was suddenly shocked, “Did the fourth madame do it deliberately?”

“It’s just a trick to kill someone with a borrowed knife!” Madame Tao said coldly, “However, Tianchi’s wife seems not to have such a calculating mind. Mostly, it is Tianchi who is behind everything… Right, Zheng’er is the only trueborn daughter of the couple. She did nothing wrong but she was murdered at such a young age. In that context, if her parents didn’t pay it back, who would respect the descendants of the fourth branch?”

“So, is Old Master instructing Old Master Tianao at the moment?” How could Marquis Qin not see through such a thing that Madame Tao could figure out?

Madame Tao said with a smile, “So what? The fourth branch didn’t plot it. If the first branch didn’t crack down on the third branch, most of the consequences of what the two did together would be borne by the first branch while most of the benefits would be taken by the third branch. If it were you, could you stand it? Not to mention that people of the first branch are all feisty.”

Mom Hu thought for a while and said, “Even if it were me, I would not be willing to take it!”

“I am right, right?” Madame Tao said with a scornful laugh, “Jiang Tianao could have realized it even though there were no warnings of Chaohai. But if he did nothing to the third branch, he would suffer more losses!”

“But…” Mom Hu set her mouth in a line, “If the first branch implicated the third branch, the fourth branch would benefit from it, wouldn’t they? Despite the jealousy for the third branch, if the first branch had to choose between the third branch and the fourth branch…”

Madame Tao said with contempt, “Don’t they have Chaohai? As the fourth branch has made a family feud with the first branch, will he let the former develop at will?”

It was right. Even though Jiang Tianao didn’t have confidence in himself, he wouldn’t lose faith in Marquis Qin’s partiality to him. Over the years, whether he was justified or unjustified, right or wrong, did Marquis Qin not stand by his side and think for him with all his heart and soul?

“Anyway, I’ll stay sick and leave things aside this time. If someone comes, just get rid of them for me!” Madame Tao touched her hair and said with disinterest. “Tianchi’s wife is not the type to save the face of the elders. She can make Chaohai mad over and over again, let alone me! I’m old now. I really needn’t be humiliated in front of her!”

She leaned back and said lazily, “Besides, if it weren’t for the fact that Chaohai spoilt the first branch, how would this happen? He’s the one who needs to clean it up. Don’t count on me!”

Madame Tao made up her mind to keep herself away from the mess, let alone others. Jiang Yashuang was ordered to go out of the city for two days and it would take several days for him to get a message and reply to it. In the meantime, all the people in the Marquis Qin’s Mansion were on the ice!

However, apart from the big mess, she made on her first day in the first branch, Madame Zhuang only went to Sir Jibei’s Mansion to visit Madame Ou and catch up on old times with her. Madam Ou, who was in Beijiang with her husband before, got on with Madame Zhuang for a dozen years. And they were on good terms. So, Madame Zhuang ignored Madame Tao but showed her respect to Madame Ou.

When Madame Zhuang went to Sir Jibei’s Mansion, the sixth madame Mi was terrified. But Madame Zhuang, her cousin-in-law, was visiting the Mansion and she was the only daughter-in-law there. She had no choice but to accompany her.

Fortunately, Madame Zhuang did nothing to her. It was not known whether it was because Madame Zhuang didn’t know how she treated Qiu Yelan, or just gave it up for the sake of Madame Ou.

“Had Madame Zhuang gone to Sir Jibei’s Mansion?” While Madame Zhuang was talking and laughing with Madame Ou, in the Marquis Qin’s Mansion, Marquis Qin asked evenly, “I seemed to have made it clear that she shall stay in the place of the fourth branch and not go anywhere else, didn’t I?”

The old servant nodded, “The fourth madame intends to defy you.”

“Perhaps She thinks that Tianchi and Yashuang are there and I can do nothing to her, doesn’t she?” said Marquis Qin with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He instructed faintly, “Go down to the fourth branch’s house and take Yazhu’s daughter out to his wife!”

“Yes!”

“Tell Yazhu’s wife to pack up her things and set off to Beijiang within three days!”

The old servant said blankly, “What about the sixteenth young master…”

“Of course, he should go with them!” Marquis Qin said coldly, “Tell Yazhu’s wife that if Madame Zhuang were in Beijiang, they might not even have the chance to visit her father-in-law when they went there! Do as much as they can while Madame Zhuang is not over there now!”

The old servant said carefully, “If the sixteenth young master made something in the army, then for the nineteenth young master…” He thought in his mind, “The nineteenth young master is the future head of the family that is groomed carefully by you! You cannot transfer your anger to the nineteenth young master just because of the fourth madame and drive him over the edge, right?”

“It is Madame Zhuang who is to blame!” Marquis Qin said with no expression on his face, “Isn’t she good at making a scene and dragging it out? Let’s see how many mistakes her husband and son’s future can offset for her!”

It was obvious that Madame Zhuang’s disrespect really pissed Marquis Qin off. Thus, Marquis Qin made up his mind to promote Jiang Yazhu as a warning for her!

The old servant knew that it was no use persuading Marquis Qin to reconsider and so he only sighed in his heart and said, “Yes!”

When Sheng Shishui saw that her daughter was sent back by the old servant who served Marquis Qin, she was so ecstatic that she kowtowed towards the direction where Marquis Qin resided, holding her daughter Jiang Huihuan in her arms.

Not knowing that Madame Zhuang had no intention to kill Jiang Huihuan, she was ready to part with her daughter forever. Now the life changed suddenly. Her daughter was sent back safely. She could not describe how grateful she was for the change!

Seeing that, the old servant was also touched. He didn’t have much contact with those people in the backyard, but he knew that Sheng Shishui had always been filial and prudent. And the best part was that after marrying into this family, she persuaded Jiang Yazhu to be a better person. This time when Madame Zhuang came back, she did her utmost to satisfy her. But Madame Zhuang just didn’t treat her as a person. The old servant’s heart softened and he gave a bit more advice, “It’s better if the fourth madame does not know that you are packing up… And you do the same when you set out.”

“It is said that as the fourth master has no children around him all these years, he misses all the young masters and ladies.”

“I have to stay away from my mother-in-law!” Sheng Shishui sent him out with great gratitude. And then she embraced her daughter and checked her out carefully. Only when she found her daughter was unharmed and in good spirits did she feel relieved and vow to herself, “I must get round my father-in-law!”

Under the intended covering of Marquis Qin, Jiang Yazhu and his wife managed to pack up their things secretly without disturbing anyone.

As Madame Zhuang knew that Jiang Huihuan had been picked up by someone sent by Marquis Qin, she would not just let it go. It was only because that Mrs. Chang and the others persuaded her that since Marquis Qin directly interfered with the matter of a grand granddaughter who he had never asked about, it was clear that he was expressing his displeasure at her as she went out without permission. So, before Jiang Yashuang came back, it was better not to make Marquis Qin angry again.

At last, she decided to send Mom Chang to send several books, “Behavioral Norms of Girls”, to Sheng Shishui and ordered her to take her daughter’s place and copy out the books, which somewhat helped to save her face.

Sheng Shishui took the books courteously but she threw them into the box at once as she turned around, “Keep the door these days. If someone comes, just tell them that I’m busy copying out books and have no time to receive them… It will save me the trouble of explaining why there are packed things.”

On the afternoon of the day when Sheng Shishui received the books, Jiang Yashuang returned to Marquis Qin’s Mansion. As soon as he walked in the door, he was taken to the study by Marquis Qin as a punching bag. After he heard what Madame Zhuang did in the first branch, he was astonished. But he wouldn’t refuse to take Madame Zhuang’s side for that. He tried to justify her while Marquis Qin just listened to him with a cold smile. In the end, he said simply, “Anyway, now that your eldest aunt is about to die. And Madame Zhuang did that as everybody watched! This is not something that can be denied… I’ll give you two days to discuss with Madame Zhuang about how to deal with it, but if you can’t come up with something convincing, don’t blame me for being cruel!”

Jiang Yashuang sighed and returned to the fourth branch. He came to visit his mother first. When the biological mother and son met again after such a long time, they were extraordinarily emotional and full of tears. Madame Zhuang watched her young son, who was so handsome, feeling both proud and indebted. But when she thought of Jiang Yashuang’s twin sister Jiang Qizheng, she felt extremely sad. “Up to now we have no messages about your sister from Shazhou. Once upon a time…”

With that, before Mrs. Chang and the others could persuade her, Madam Zhuang suddenly coughed violently and blood was faintly seeping out of the corners of her mouth!

“Mother!”

“Madame!”

Jiang Yashuang, Mrs. Chang and the others all got shocked. They hurried to pat her back and send someone to summon a doctor. When it was in an uproar, Jiang Yashuang seemed to see a familiar figure hovering outside the door. His heart, which was already on edge for her mother, almost jumped into his throat. Hurrying out, he asked, “Su He, why do you get here? Does something happen to Lanlan?”

Fortunately, Su He shook her head and said, “Madame was fine! But… Miss Qiu in the Jiang’s residence said she wanted to meet madame. Madame is willing to do so but she is afraid that Mrs. Qu will try to stand in their way…”

“Those two came from a common family. It is better to see them when I’m free to accompany Lanlan!” Hearing that his wife was fine, Jiang Yashuang heaved a great sigh of relief. At that moment he was not in the mood to care about that trivial matter, “Is there anything else?”

“But Miss Qiu said it was urgent!” Su He was worried, “Madame is worried that she really has something important to say and is afraid of holding that up!”

Jiang Yashuang rubbed between his eyes, “You go there for Lanlan and see what’s up with her!”