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Lu Man paused in her movements, gently touching his shoulder and whispered, “So, Third Young Master went to investigate that matter.” She continued, “As far as I know, Empress Wang ‘s chief eunuch is Eunuch Li.”
Jiang Zhanwei nodded, “Indeed, Empress Wang’s personal chief eunuch is Li, but Eunuch Cai is the overseer of Kunning Palace. He became lame in his early years, making it inconvenient to serve the master. Empress Wang showed favor by allowing him to stay in Kunning Palace to manage household affairs. Since he has not appeared in public for many years, few people mention him.”
Lu Man remarked, “Those people are all dead, and Eunuch Cai, as Empress Wang’s trusted eunuch, has always stayed in Kunning Palace. Since no one can see him, it’s impossible to get him to talk.”
Jiang Zhanwei acknowledged, “The hometown of Imperial Physician Kang is also known, surprisingly, it’s in Huzhou Province, over a hundred miles from our Jiang family’s ancestral home. I’ve arranged for someone to gather information about him, hoping he is alive.”
Realizing the difficulty of obtaining this information, Lu Man expressed disappointment, “If Imperial Physician Kang dies, won’t we lose all leads?”
Jiang Zhanwei took Lu Man’s hand, pulling her from behind to sit on his lap. He whispered in her ear, “Silly girl, there will always be traces of what happened. Let your husband handle these court matters. Just enjoy your life as Third Young Madam. In the future, try not to treat patients personally, teach your skills to younger brother-in-law so he can go in your place.”
Seeing Lu Man’s serious expression, Jiang Zhanwei chuckled softly, lifting her and walking towards the bed.
Lu Man hurried, “Your hair isn’t dry yet, and I haven’t checked your injuries…”
Jiang Zhanwei placed her on the bed, pressing his body against hers.
Her lips were as soft as petals, skin smooth as cream, breath fragrant, seductive… Jiang Zhanwei, fueled by days of restraint, ignited like a burning flame, consuming both himself and Lu Man.
The next day, Lu Man sat up, feeling sore all over, with a dry and hoarse throat. She glared fiercely at Jiang Zhanwei’s back.
Tao blushed as she helped Lu Man dress and freshen up.
Recalling the events from last night, feeling weak all over, with Jiang Zhanwei carrying her to the bathing room, bathing her himself. Perhaps even this maid witnessed that intimate scene.
Moreover, the significant commotion might have been overheard by her.
Lu Man felt extremely embarrassed but pretended not to care.
Outside, with the cold wind biting, Jiang Zhanwei was practicing martial arts in the front yard with Jiang Zhankui. Jiang Jiu hadn’t seen his brother for a long time and hurriedly ran out to see him upon hearing of his return.
Lu Man went to the east wing. Rising early, Jiang Yue was in a bad mood, crying with eyes closed, refusing to get dressed.
Deliberately, Lu Man remarked, “Yue must not want to see brother Kaipei, brother Ming, and little Uncle Mo. So, you continue sleeping. Mommy and Daddy will take Uncle and Auntie to brother Kaipei’s house to play.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yue stopped crying, wide-eyed, and asked, “Daddy?”
Lu Man smiled, “Yes, your Daddy is back.”
Jiang Yue joyfully raised her chubby hands, mimicking the “OK” gesture her mother taught her. She then shouted, “Go, go, Pei, Mo, Ming, let’s fight!”
As Lu Man dressed her, she frowned, “Girls shouldn’t always think about fighting. Last time, you pushed brother Ming, making him bleed from the nose. Auntie Min has been upset and hasn’t visited us in a long time.”
Lu Man felt helpless. Min Jiaming, the son of Fourth Lady Min, was polite, studious, and already memorized several poems at such a young age. He loved reciting them with Jiang Yue, who also enjoyed his company but ended up fighting with him soon after.
Min Jiaming, just a few months older than Jiang Yue, was no match for her and would end up in tears every time they fought. Last time, Jiang Yue pushed him, causing a nosebleed that made Lady Min cry. Lu Man felt guilty, sending ointments and gifts, but Lady Min remained displeased.
After dressing the little girl and feeding her, they headed to the dining room where the three siblings were already seated.
Jiang Jiu was happily talking about the jade hairpin Second Master Jiang had gifted her, expressing how beautiful it was and how much she liked it.
Jiang Zhanwei’s expression was unreadable. Seeing his daughter’s arrival, he smiled brightly, reaching out to embrace Jiang Yue.
The little girl nestled in her father’s arms, enjoying their closeness.
After finishing their meal and dressing up, they waited for He Cheng to arrive. Together, they took a carriage to the front courtyard of Princess Changting’s residence, where they met with the household members before proceeding to the Xie family residence.
Due to Princess Changting’s noble status, she and the men entered through the main gate. The other female relatives went through the side gate, disembarking there before transferring to the Xie family’s mule carriage to reach the inner courtyard.
The mule carriage directly headed to the flower hall, where Lady Yang, Madam Xie, and several young daughters-in-law welcomed the guests with radiant smiles.
Lady Yang chuckled and took Jiang Yue from Mama Li’s arms, giving her a kiss, and said, “Brother Kaipei has been waiting for you, and brother Ming is here too, playing in the courtyard.”
Jiang Yue called out “Auntie” and then exclaimed, “Kaipei, Ming, let’s play, let’s fight.”
Lady Yang chuckled again, “Good girl, brother Kaipei can take a few hits, but don’t hit brother Ming, he’s gentle.”
Her words elicited laughter from everyone.
A lady in splendid attire quipped, “Only you, eagerly wanting your own son to get a beating.”
As they entered the courtyard, they heard Kaipei’s loud voice, “Sister Yue, come here, ride the big horse.”
In a corner of the veranda, Xie Kaipei, Min Jiaming, and a few other boys were playing on bamboo horses, surrounded by maidservants.
Excited, Jiang Yue slid down from Lady Yang’s arms and ran towards them, followed closely by Mama Li and Zhenzhu.
Third Madam Jiang and a few others went inside to pay respects to Madam Xie and socialize with familiar faces. Jiang Jiu went out to play with the young girls of the Xie family.
Amidst the gathering of esteemed guests, Lu Man spotted a familiar figure amidst the extravagance—Shu Mingwei.
She was dressed in a pomegranate-red embroidered jacket, a willow-colored floral skirt, the well-fitted attire accentuating her slender figure. Mingwei stood at the side room entrance, chatting and laughing with a few young girls, occasionally covering her laughter with a magenta handkerchief.
Observing her grace and charm at that moment, radiating beauty and a captivating smile, Lu Man found her very pleasing. Despite overhearing her conversation with Miss Xia and her impertinence at the tavern, she couldn’t help but feel a fondness for this beautiful and elegant young woman.