She wanted to give her parents some space to talk.

[Father hugged Mother and cried, Mother cried with Father.]

Jiang Yuanxi let out a long sigh.

[Adults crying is even more troublesome than children. A piece of candy wouldn’t be enough to comfort them. Looks like I have to squeeze in with my third brother tonight.]

Jiang Yuanfan saw his sister coming, put down his book, and naturally lifted her onto the bed.

After tucking her in, Jiang Yuanfan continued studying by the dim lantern light.

Jiang Yuanxi curled up under the blanket.

[Third Brother is studying so hard, but he’s really not cut out for reading.]

Memorization alone wouldn’t get him far—true learning required the right approach.

[Life is like a play. Using limited time to do what one truly wants is the right path.]

Under the flickering light, Jiang Yuanfan stared at a single page for a long time without turning it.

His little sister, despite her young age, saw things more clearly than he did.

From the bed, Jiang Yuanxi smacked her lips.

[For example, I prefer a life of eating and idling around.]

[Of course, while also protecting my family and fighting off monsters.]

Jiang Yuanxi closed her eyes.

[What should I eat tomorrow? Braised pork knuckles… or maybe more braised pork knuckles…]

Jiang Yuanfan: “…”

He sat silently in the candlelight for a long time.

Strangely, he couldn’t absorb a single word from his book.

In the end, he took off his shoes and climbed into bed.

Outside, Qingfeng stood guard.

Seeing the candlelight go out, he was shocked.

Young Master is sleeping this early?

But since his master had gone to sleep, he was off duty.

For the first time in years, he got off work early.

Qingfeng sped away, fearing the candle might be relit at any moment.

..

At breakfast, Jiang Fengyuan appeared with swollen red eyes, looking like a ripe peach.

Jiang Yuansheng and the others pretended not to notice.

Third Brother had already told them everything from the previous night.

Their grandmother had been wrongfully killed, while the old woman currently occupying her place was nothing but a tyrant.

It was time to deal with the parasites in their family.

After breakfast, Jiang Fengyuan carried Jiang Yuanxi to the study with his sons.

To prevent eavesdropping, Madam Chen cleared the surrounding area of servants.

Jiang Yuansheng spoke first.

“Father, that old woman’s intentions are clear as day. She will definitely target us again. Since we are difficult to deal with, she will likely set her sights on Yuanxi instead.”

He worried that the wicked woman might find an opportunity to strike.

Jiang Yuancheng grinned. “Don’t worry, big brother. Tomorrow, I’ll go find some rat poison and take care of all of them!”

The words had barely left his mouth when Jiang Yuanyuan smacked him.

“If you want to die, don’t drag us down with you.”

[How did his brain even work? Saying something that foolish…]

Jiang Yuancheng rubbed his head and obediently lay down on the table.

Jiang Yuanxi chuckled.

[Fourth Brother is so cute—naive and straightforward.]

Jiang Yuancheng blushed.

His little sister had complimented him!

[By all logic, the person sent to Liangzhou should have been from the Duke of An’s faction. The Duke of Li was captured, and the Duke of An feared the Emperor would discover the truth from back then.]

[So he sent assassins after Grandfather. But with Second Brother there, they wouldn’t succeed.]

Jiang Yuansheng took out a letter.

“This letter was sent back by Yuanwu’s people. They captured some of the attackers, and upon interrogation, discovered that they were not from the same group that attacked us.”

Jiang Fengyuan frowned. “Could it be… your grandfather?”

Jiang Yuansheng nodded. “Exactly.”

Liangzhou was remote, and the Chen family was new there with few connections.

The Duke of An took advantage of this, sending assassins without even bothering to disguise them.

Thus, Jiang Yuanwu had little difficulty tracing them back to their master.

Jiang Yuanyuan frowned. “Back then, the Chen family was framed. Besides the Duke of Li and the Duke of An, we don’t know who else was involved. Now that the Duke of Li is dead, who do we even seek justice from?”

The brothers fell into deep thought.

[Find the old woman.]

Jiang Yuanxi didn’t know exactly who was behind it.

But according to the novel, the Old Madam was involved in all of the Duke of An’s schemes.

So the key to breaking the case lay with her.

Jiang Yuansheng was about to speak when his little sister beat him to it.

She was so clever—one day, she would surely surprise the whole family.

He continued, “Father, back then, you were able to marry Mother because the Old Madam helped behind the scenes.”

The Jiang family had been struggling at the time. The Old Madam had orchestrated everything so that Chen Shi would marry Jiang Fengyuan.

Jiang Yuanyuan frowned. “Why didn’t the old woman arrange for her own son to marry Mother?”

The Chen family had been powerful, and Mother was noble, talented, and beautiful.

Would the Old Madam really let such an opportunity go to Father?

Jiang Fengyuan grinned smugly. “Of course, because I was handsome and charming! Your mother fell for me at first sight. Jiang Qisheng, that scoundrel, could never match up to me.”

Jiang Yuanyuan: “…”

Their second uncle was indeed a scoundrel, but when had Father become so narcissistic?

Jiang Yuanxi glanced up and saw her father’s scruffy, unshaven face.

[Father’s confidence in his looks is seriously misplaced…]

Chen Shi glared at Jiang Fengyuan, her face turning slightly red.

Jiang Fengyuan coughed. “Yuan’er, don’t interrupt. Yuansheng, go on.”

Jiang Yuansheng smirked slightly.

“Since the Old Madam was involved in everything, she must know the truth. Even if the Duke of An didn’t tell her, she would have found out herself.”

Madam Chen nodded. “So the Old Madam is the only lead?”

Jiang Yuansheng confirmed it.

Madam Chen was puzzled. “But why would the Duke of An go after your maternal grandfather’s family?”

Many feared the Chen family’s power and wanted them gone.

But the Duke of An was connected to them through marriage—he stood to benefit from their support.

Why would he give up such an advantage?

[Because of his pride. He didn’t want people saying the Duke of An’s success relied on the Chen family.]

[And also, because…]

Jiang Yuansheng explained, “If the Chen family didn’t fall, then Father would have been the rightful heir to the Duke’s title.”

“Even if the Duke of An didn’t act, the Old Madam wouldn’t have allowed that to happen.”

Jiang Fengyuan clenched his fists in silence.

Jiang Yuanyuan grew anxious. “Big Brother, what do we do next?”

Jiang Yuansheng sipped his tea calmly. “Simple. We let them have the title.”

[Big Brother is so smart—no wonder he’s the top scholar in the capital!]

Jiang Yuanxi gazed at him in admiration.

[One day, I’ll be the top female scholar. Together, we’ll be an unstoppable duo!]

Her playful words lightened the tense atmosphere.

Madam Chen covered her mouth, laughing softly.

Jiang Fengyuan proudly lifted his chin.

Just look at the children he had raised!

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuancheng held his head, utterly confused.

[What kind of girl would be lucky enough to have my big brother fall into her lap?]

Jiang Yuansheng choked on his tea.

Blushing, he quickly took another sip.

He had to focus on his exams—marriage could wait!

Jiang Yuanyuan secretly observed, enjoying the rare sight of his eldest brother flustered.

Tomorrow, they would confront the old woman—and he couldn’t wait to see her reaction.