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Seeing Young Madam Han act this way, Lu Man inwardly scoffed. If she had known this earlier, why bother with it in the first place? She truly felt that her side of the family was being taken advantage of as if they were illegitimate and could be manipulated.
However, considering Princess Changting’s preference for family harmony, despite feeling embarrassed by the situation, Lu Man wouldn’t show disrespect. After all, sometimes it was necessary to yield, even if reluctantly.
Lu Man decided not to bring up the matter and engaged in casual conversation about the weather. Despite Young Madam Han’s warmth, it felt as though she was speaking to cotton, as the effort was futile. After exchanging a few words, Young Madam Han left with the children.
During dinner that evening, the topic resurfaced.
Jiang Zhankui smiled at Lu Man and said, “Sister-in-law, you thought it through. If we had caused a scene, Miss Rou wouldn’t have reprimanded like this, and Grandmother and Uncle would have only focused on us. They wouldn’t be pleased with us for causing trouble and wouldn’t blame it on eldest Brother and Sister-in-law.”
Jiang Jiu, puzzled, asked, “Then why didn’t we discreetly pass on the message last time?”
Before Lu Man could respond, Jiang Zhankui explained, “During the previous incident, our sister-in-law was still in a difficult situation. Even if we had passed on the message discreetly or directly, she wouldn’t have been receptive.” He chuckled proudly and continued, “That’s the power of influence! Plus, last time involved Second Master, and this time involves the Marquis. Different treatment, that’s also influence.” After saying this, he straightened his chest, feeling the need to work harder and speak with “influence” in the future.
Having interacted frequently with Lu Man, Jiang Zhankui had picked up some modern terms, with “influence” being one of them.
Seeing a hint of confusion in Jiang Jiu’s eyes, Lu Man smiled. Jiang Zhankui was too shrewd for his age, the behavior of the young girl was more typical of an eight-year-old child.
For the next couple of weeks, Marquis Jiang stayed in the outer courtyard, not setting foot in Qingfeng Courtyard, and Miss Rou refrained from making her presence known.
At the end of July, there was another victory report from the border. The army had won a significant battle. This victory essentially determined the outcome of the war, despite the enemies’ continued resistance. Their days were numbered, akin to locusts in autumn—they wouldn’t last much longer. Barring any unforeseen events, the war was expected to conclude by the end of the year or early the next year.
This time, the significant victory was largely attributed to the Black Furry Camp led by Jiang Zhanwei.
Jiang Zhanwei, along with a few others, climbed a mountain where the enemy was known to pass and poured a dispersal agent into a stream upstream. This formula was purchased by Jiang Zhanwei from a foreigner at a high price, and it was colorless and tasteless.
The stream wound its way down from the mountain, flowing for several miles before joining the Ink River, conveniently passing through the area where the enemy’s main forces were cooking.
After drinking the stream water and consuming food cooked using it, a large number of enemy soldiers began experiencing symptoms such as chills, high fever, headaches, weakness, vomiting, skin discoloration, and rash. The military physicians diagnosed it as the plague.
Hearing about a significant number of soldiers being infected with the plague, the enemy panicked. They swiftly isolated the sick soldiers and even killed some who were severely ill. The sick felt they were at death’s door, while the healthy feared they had been infected. The morale of the enemy soldiers plummeted, and they lost the will to fight.
The Dachun army advanced rapidly, decimating half of the enemy’s main forces…
Meanwhile, General Xie highly praised Huang Ke Lai’s miraculous healing effects on external injuries, surpassing any other medicine. It was rightfully dubbed the “miracle drug”, and they hoped to send more to the border.
The Emperor was overjoyed and publicly commended our brave soldiers, General Xie’s effective leadership, and Jiang Zhanwei’s strategic brilliance. He also instructed Marquis Jiang to see if Lu Man could procure more Huang Ke Lai and offered twenty pills from the palace to be sent to the border.
That evening, Lu Man and the others were invited to Crane Hall for dinner. After the meal, they listened to the elders and the eldest Young Master recount stories of the mighty army, the clever tactics of the Black Furry Camp using telescopes and camouflage, and their agile maneuvers to evade the enemy’s spies, which greatly pleased the Emperor.
Third Master Jiang stroked his short beard and chuckled, “I believe Zhanwei might be promoted by three ranks when he returns.”
Young Madam Han’s eyes widened in astonishment, “So you mean, upon his return, he could potentially become a third-grade official? Goodness, how young he is, and he’s only turning twenty-two next year.”
Marquis Jiang nodded in agreement, saying, “Barring any unforeseen events, that seems certain.”
He felt a tinge of bitterness in his heart. His mother had been trying to find ways to advance his position to the third-grade level, but despite two years of effort, she hadn’t succeeded. Meanwhile, that young lad was on the verge of ascending. Although the rank of third-grade military officer didn’t quite match that of a civilian official, considering the age gap, the lad’s future prospects were limitless.
Now, he couldn’t afford to alienate Jiang Zhanwei. Building a good relationship with the lad was crucial, he was a significant asset. However, the lad harbored deep-seated grievances towards the household, making it challenging to establish rapport. Glancing at Lu Man, he was relieved that the lad had married a wife who was sensible…
Although Second Master Jiang didn’t say much, his hearty laughter resonated from before dinner to after, with an exaggerated expression that seemed rather abrupt. Second Madam furrowed her brows, enduring the discomfort, resisting the urge to leave.
Princess Changting knew well that the prescription couldn’t have been obtained by Jiang Zhanwei from a foreigner, it must have been provided by Lu Man. Observing her granddaughter-in-law sitting quietly, though smiling, with an air of calmness and composure, unperturbed by honor or disgrace.
Thinking further about her stubborn and unconventional third grandson, if only he has the same temperament as his granddaughter-in-law, she wouldn’t have to worry…
While everyone else was joyful, the old Marquis was displeased. Suddenly, a sense of clarity struck him as he pounded the table and exclaimed, “I’ve long seen through that illegitimate child’s mischievous deeds, he always engages in underhanded activities. If he’s capable of poisoning outside, who’s to say he won’t do the same at home? Speak up, who allowed him to enlist? Who let him go? Aren’t you afraid that once he achieves fame and fortune, he’ll come back and disrupt this household with his unsavory methods?”
Jiang Yue happened to be sitting beside him on the couch, and seeing his eyes widen and voice escalate, thinking he was scolding her, she was frightened and burst into tears.
The old Marquis was taken aback by Jiang Yue’s sudden outburst, saying, “Sweetie, who upset you? Tell Great-Grandfather, and I’ll take care of it for you. Oh, please don’t cry, it hurts Great-Grandfather’s heart to see you cry like this.”
Ignoring him, Jiang Yue reached out to Lu Man, who got up and comforted her, taking her back to her seat and soothing her.
Lu Man was also displeased with how the old Marquis berated Jiang Zhanwei, finding it unfair. Jiang Zhankui and Jiang Jiu’s faces flushed with anger, and Jiang Jiu was on the brink of tears. The earlier joy had vanished in an instant.
The old Marquis, now more astute, could read people’s expressions. He inquired, “Zhanwei’s wife, who are you showing that displeased face to? Tell me, who upset you, and I’ll take care of it for you.”
Lu Man, feeling indignant, retorted, “Grandfather, scolding your grandson like this makes us all lose face. I dare not show my displeasure to others.”