Chapter 46
Incitement

“Third Sister?” Lin Jiayue smiled at Jiang Jing, who was dressed up beautifully today. She had been waiting for Jiang Jing for a while.

“Concubine Lin?” Jiang Jing blushed, not knowing why Lin Jiayue was calling her.

“Are you going to the opera stage to greet the ladies?”

“Yes.” Jiang Jing tugged at her silver-embroidered dress, her face turning red with shyness.

Today, she was going to meet her future husband’s family, so she dressed up nicely. The new long dress, paired with the jewelry sent by Song Wan, made her look both delicate and elegant.

Jiang Jing had never thought she could look so beautiful.

“If you have nothing else, Concubine Lin, I’ll go greet my sister-in-law first.”

Madam Zhou had instructed her all morning to behave well today. Now that she was about to meet Madam Lan, she was feeling anxious and had no time to chat with Lin Jiayue.

As Jiang Jing lifted her skirt to leave, Lin Jiayue said, “Do you know who that Young Master Lan is? Have you ever met him?”

“Concubine Lin, what are you talking about? Which… which unmarried girl has met an outsider? What do you mean by that?”

Seeing Jiang Jing’s puzzled face, Lin Jiayue quickly said, “I didn’t mean it that way. I just have a few things to tell you… about the young master of the Lan family.”

After sending away the maid beside Jiang Jing, Lin Jiayue pulled her behind the rockery in Haitang Garden. She looked Jiang Jing up and down, feeling increasingly displeased.

Both Jiang Man and Jiang Xingjian praised Young Master Lan, but she found it laughable. A young girl who had never met the man was going to marry him and have children. How could such an arranged marriage be happy?

Even if she broke off this marriage, she would be doing a good deed.

“You’ve never met Young Master Lan, and you’re already talking about marriage. Isn’t that a bit too hasty? You’re only fourteen, right? As far as I know, Young Master Lan is at least seven or eight years older than you. Do you think you’ll be happy together?”

“Marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers. Proper young ladies have never met their husbands before marriage. What are you trying to say, Concubine Lin?”

Jiang Jing knew that Lin Jiayue and Jiang Xingjian had been together without a matchmaker, so what was she trying to imply by saying this to her now?

Jiang Jing turned to leave, but Lin Jiayue stopped her again. “I know you don’t believe me, but I’m really doing this for your own good.”

Lin Jiayue, feeling anxious, said, “I know everyone says this marriage with the Lan family is great, but have you ever thought about what exactly is so great about it?”

“The Lan family is indeed wealthy, but why would a man from such a wealthy family marry so late and choose a young girl born from a concubine like you? Have you ever thought that this so-called ‘great’ marriage is good for the Marquis’ residence, but is it good for you?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” Jiang Jing clutched her handkerchief, her big eyes staring at Lin Jiayue.

Lin Jiayue’s words hit close to her heart. She had never met Young Master Lan and didn’t know what kind of person he was. Especially when Madam Zhou and everyone around her praised the marriage, she felt even more anxious. How could such a good marriage fall to her?

Jiang Jing lowered her head, her breathing becoming more rapid.

Seeing this, Lin Jiayue pursed her lips and said, “I’ll be straightforward. The reason this marriage was arranged is because Song Wan’s brother knows Young Master Lan.”

“The Marquis’ residence arranged this marriage because the Lan family is wealthy and will be helpful to the Marquis’ residence in the future.”

“But I still feel it’s not right.” Lin Jiayue stroked Jiang Jing’s long hair, worried. “In the past, the Marquis’ residence needed a strong marriage alliance because of financial difficulties, but now that the Marquis’ residence has me, they no longer need that. You’re only fourteen years old. How can Song Wan use a young girl’s youth to exchange for money?”

“She expects you to support the Marquis’ residence, but has she thought about what will happen after you marry into the Lan family? Can you really ask the Lan family for money to support your natal family?”

Jiang Jing’s heart trembled. “That’s… that’s impossible.”

As a married woman, how could she ask her husband’s family for money to support her natal family? Moreover, she was just a concubine’s daughter, with only her birth mother, Madam Zhou, close to her. Why should the Marquis’ residence use her to fill their financial gap? A wife who constantly asks her husband’s family for money would never be loved by her husband’s family. Didn’t her sister-in-law consider her future situation?

Jiang Jing, anxious and sweating, didn’t know what to do.

“I haven’t met this so-called Young Master Lan, but I think there must be a big problem if he’s still unmarried at his age.”

Lin Jiayue pulled Jiang Jing aside and frowned. “Ever since Xingjian told me that Young Master Lan knows Song Wan’s brother, I realized the key to this matter.”

“Song Wan is probably using you as a favor to give to the Lan family.”

She had thought about this for a long time before coming to this conclusion.

Lin Jiayue never believed that Song Wan couldn’t see the future situation of the two families, but Jiang Xingjian seemed blinded, insisting that she wouldn’t manipulate such an important matter.

But how could she not? A woman’s marriage was the easiest thing to exploit. Jiang Jing, being a concubine’s daughter with no background or support, could be easily manipulated by Song Wan.

“By marrying you into the Lan family, she can gain praise from Consort Jiang, Jiang Xingjian, and the old madam, as well as earn favor from the Lan family for her brother. It’s a triple win for her, but it only wrongs you. Such a clever scheme, who could say it’s not brilliant?”

Lin Jiayue frowned. “I admit I have my own selfish motives and don’t want this marriage to succeed, giving her all the praise. But I also genuinely care about you.”

“This marriage clearly benefits everyone except you. Think about it carefully.”

She was sincere in her words. Whether Jiang Jing would wisely resist or foolishly comply with Song Wan was beyond her control.

After speaking, Lin Jiayue left the rockery.

Lin Jiayue left gracefully, but Jiang Jing was left sweating profusely in the rockery. When the maid found her, she was still in a daze. Her face was pale, almost scaring the maid to tears.

“Miss, what’s wrong? Please don’t scare Xing’er.”

With red eyes, Jiang Jing angrily and anxiously recounted Lin Jiayue’s words to Xing’er.

“Miss, is what Concubine Lin said true? Does Young Master Lan really have problems?”

“I don’t know, but she was right about one thing. How could such a good marriage fall to me?”

In the Marquis’ residence, no one cared about her. She and Madam Zhou had been bullied by Madam Liu since childhood. Even the favored maids dared to bully them. Although the madam never oppressed them, she also never cared, as if they didn’t exist. How could someone like her, a concubine’s daughter, have a good marriage?

Madam Zhou was a weakness that could be used against her. If she couldn’t bring money to the Marquis’ residence, they would surely use Madam Zhou to control her.

The more Jiang Jing thought about it, the more frightened she became. She grabbed Xing’er’s hand and said, “I can’t sit idly by. If what Concubine Lin said is true, my life and my mother’s will be worse than before.”