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Lu Man unhappily remarked, “Why not send General Lu Fangrong to the border? He stays in the capital and causes trouble for no reason, which is quite annoying.”
Jiang Zhanwei was accustomed to Lu Man speaking so openly about her own father. Perhaps Jiang Zhanwei himself was an unconventional person, making them equally matched.
Jiang Zhanwei said, “Although I don’t agree with many of General Lu’s actions, on the battlefield, he is a brave and valiant man, a hero of Dachun. We owe part of our final victory to him. Regardless, I cannot erase his military achievements.”
Unexpectedly, Jiang Zhanwei had such an honest and fair side, making Lu Man pout.
Seeing her embarrassed, Jiang Zhanwei embraced her and said, “Only those who have been in battle understand the meaning of surviving and the difficulty of keeping our brothers alive. Manman, you will never truly understand our feelings. When we went to the border, our Black Furry Camp had a thousand men, but only five hundred and ninety-six returned. Without General Lu, half of them might not have made it back. His promotion by three ranks is well-deserved.” He then whispered to Lu Man, “I still need him now. We will recruit skilled men and have him train a unit as excellent as the original Black Furry Camp. I put a lot of effort into building that camp, and whether I lead it in the future or not, it will obey me… As for General Lu, when he returns to camp, I will keep him there so he can’t cause trouble. Just ignore him for this month.” He sounded relaxed and somewhat smug.
It turned out he had this ulterior motive.
His warm breath tickled Lu Man’s ear, making her chuckle, then she turned her head and asked, “Are you still mad at your grandmother?” She advised, “I think what your grandmother did was for your own good. Maybe even the Emperor thinks the same, but he wants it conveyed through your grandmother. You are still young, talented, and have a bright future ahead.”
To balance things out, the Emperor suppressed Jiang Zhanwei but would promote the Marquis and the Third Master Jiang, just like the Xie family. However, Duke Xie resigning was an exchange of interests between father and son, also for the Xie family’s future—the Crown Princess. Whereas Jiang Zhanwei contributed to his two uncles for the family’s sake.
Thinking about this, Lu Man felt a twinge of pain. However, she was reluctant to let Jiang Zhanwei clash too much with the Princess, especially since Jiang Zhanwei couldn’t currently outmaneuver her. Moreover, part of the Princess’s actions were in line with the Emperor’s wishes. Of course, she definitely had her son’s best interests at heart.
Jiang Zhanwei whispered, “Brother Xie mentioned that the Emperor’s arrangement is to make better use of me in the future. I suspect that he sees me and Brother Xie as pillars for training the Crown Prince in military matters. I am young, unconventional, lacking Brother Xie’s stability and comprehensive skills. Perhaps there are other reasons why the Emperor does not want me above Brother Xie. However, my military achievements this time far surpass Brother Xie’s, hence this staged arrangement. The current position suits me well, I don’t feel shortchanged and dare not feel so. As for finances, the Emperor probably expects my grandmother to compensate. In that case, I must ask for a substantial amount.” He released Lu Man’s hand, his mouth curling in mockery, his tone turning colder. He continued, “After the New Year, Uncle and Third Uncle will likely be promoted again. Barring any surprises, it will be a very favorable development.”
Lu Man’s mouth slightly agape, realizing the Emperor’s intentions.
Jiang Zhanwei added, “Yesterday, I proposed elevating my birth mother to a noble concubine. Initially, my grandmother was reluctant, suggesting she could only be a concubine. Today, my grandmother has clearly agreed to elevate her. Not only will I have her as a noble concubine, I will also seek an official decree for her. Although there is a rule against ennobling birth mothers, exceptions can be made based on human sentiments, as seen in previous cases. My title and position aren’t yet at a level to request an official decree for a non-principal mother, but with my grandmother’s strong advocacy, it can be achieved. Moreover, if she receives the decree, she can be buried in the Jiang family ancestral grave.”
Noble concubine, official decree, burial in the ancestral grave. If Jiang Zhanwei can indeed secure these three benefits for Miss Zhou, he would have more than fulfilled his longstanding determination, making this exchange of interests worth it.
Observing Jiang Zhanwei, Lu Man thought to herself, as she had said before, he had the capability and wasn’t one to suffer in silence.
However, the prospect of coercing the elderly lady, who had been dominant all her life, to agree willingly posed a challenge. This matter contradicted ancestral traditions, especially with her being a “model of the noble family”. While official matters could be handled privately, this particular issue couldn’t. Additionally, allowing a noble concubine into the ancestral grave required convincing the patriarch and elders of the family.
These two dilemmas were more intricate than seeking official positions.
As the Second Master cherished his wife dearly, would he agree to this request? The Second Madam held herself in high regard, could she tolerate her husband having a noble concubine, especially one with an official decree to be buried in the ancestral grave, even if the woman had passed away?
Lu Man felt uncertain and remarked, “Would the Second Master and Second Madam agree? What about grandmother, being coerced in this way, would she consent? Even if she does, would the Ministry of Rites approve?”
Jiang Zhanwei coldly stated, “Grandmother will surely be willing to use money to appease my discontent rather than openly cause trouble for the Emperor. However, she is wise to discern the pros and cons. I will subtly remind her of past events, to prevent me from drifting away completely, while also benefiting the Second Master and Third Uncle. Additionally, she will eventually understand the matter that only you and I can handle secretly. She has the audacity to repeatedly ask the Emperor for positions for her legitimate son and grandson, she should also seek the Emperor’s favor for me, her suppressed and repeatedly exploited illegitimate grandson. The Emperor, aware of suppressing me, will likely ease the way. If my grandmother agrees, what can the Second Master do if he disagrees? They often say, in conflicts between family and personal interests, the individual will always yield to the family. Besides, the Second… branch has always been seen as easily manipulated.”
The final statement criticized his past ineffectiveness and the Second Master’s incompetence. He hesitated to directly call the Second Master a soft egg and instead used the term “Second branch.”
Lu Man sensed that he might be considering over the matter of marrying a bride to bring fortune to the old Marquis again. Though he seemed relatively satisfied with her as the bride outwardly, deep down, it was a lifelong shame inflicted upon him by the family.
At that time, there were three siblings suitable for marrying the bride the will bring fortune for the old Marquis. Jiang Zhanwei was already engaged and about to marry, Jiang Zhanyu was ill, and he was the only legitimate son of the Second Madam. Therefore, if fairness prevailed, Jiang Zhankun should have been designated to marry the said bride, as the Third branch had three healthy legitimate sons.
Yet, the family chose to assign the unwanted bride to the softest and most submissive Second branch…