Chapter Forty-Four: Sowing Discord

Jiang Yuanbai planned to send Jiang Li to the Hall of Enlightened Righteousness, and soon, the entire Jiang family was aware of it.

In the second household, Lady Lu spoke with Jiang Yuanping, saying, “What is eldest brother thinking? Why send Jiang Li there? If she goes, those young ladies attending classes will surely gossip about her behind her back, and might even bully her. Won’t that bring shame to our Jiang family?”

Raised in comfort since childhood, and married to the ever-smiling, even-tempered Jiang Yuanping, Lady Lu usually spoke her mind without restraint. The first half of her words seemed to consider Jiang Li’s interests, but the latter half sounded like she was blaming Jiang Li for disgracing the family; it was hard to tell whether her intentions were good or ill.

“Eldest brother has his own plans. Why are you worrying yourself?” Jiang Yuanping took a leisurely sip of tea, “Our second household doesn’t have a daughter anyway.”

“That’s true,” Lady Lu mused. “If there’s disgrace, it’s the main branch that suffers. But I don’t think Jiang Li is one to be trifled with. She’s only just returned to the manor, yet she’s already made sister-in-law lose face. It seems she’s matured considerably. I just wonder how long she can hold out—Madam Ji is not one to let go of a grudge lightly.”

Lady Lu’s tone suggested her relationship with Ji Shuran was not as amicable as it appeared on the surface.

“Best not to meddle,” Jiang Yuanping waved his hand, “Let there be peace under heaven.”

Meanwhile, in the Hall of Evening Phoenix, the Dowager Madam Jiang was also discussing the matter with Jiang Yuanbai.

“Yuanbai, what is it that you truly intend?” the old lady asked.

“Mother, Li’er is already fifteen. Commoners’ children begin their studies at fifteen, princes at eight, and sons of high officials at ten. Though Li’er is starting late, she is no different from the sons of commoners.”

The Dowager fixed her gaze on him. “You know that’s not what I’m asking. The age at which the second girl enters school is not what matters.”

Jiang Yuanbai hesitated for a moment. “Mother, although Li’er has made mistakes in the past, it’s never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost. She was too young then. We cannot let her youthful errors determine her future.”

The Dowager lowered her eyes, silent as she pondered. After a long while, she finally spoke, “Since you’ve made your decision, let it be so. Pearl,” she called to her maid, “bring the set of purplewood scholar’s tools from the storeroom and present them to the second young lady.”

Pearl hurried to comply, and seeing this, Jiang Yuanbai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After discussing matters concerning the upcoming studies, Jiang Yuanbai took his leave. Once he was gone, the Dowager’s maid Jadeite asked, “Madam, do you not wish for the second young lady to attend school?”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have given her the stationery,” the Dowager replied.

The gift of stationery was a clear sign of the Dowager’s support for Jiang Li’s enrollment. With this, no one else in the Jiang household would dare voice further objections.

“Then…” Jadeite was puzzled.

“I raised Yuanbai myself. He is a thoughtful man, and I fear he has his eyes on the second girl for his own purposes,” the Dowager sighed deeply. “But the second girl now is not someone so easily manipulated.”

“I only worry that father and daughter will grow estranged because of this, disturbing the peace of our household.”

…

While the Dowager spoke, in the rear garden of the Jiang residence, Jiang Youyao shattered a teapot in a fit of anger.

Jiang Yueru looked mournfully at the broken zisha teapot. Such an item would fetch a hundred silver taels on the market, yet Jiang Youyao had smashed it without a second thought.

“Jiang Li! Why would father send her to the Hall of Enlightened Righteousness? What did she say to him?” In front of Jiang Yueru and Jiang Yuyan, Jiang Youyao never concealed her fury.

Jiang Yuyan shrank back timidly, but Jiang Yueru echoed her, “She must have said something to Uncle. Jiang Li is truly something else. She’s barely returned, and Uncle’s heart already leans towards her. Oh, by the way,” Jiang Yueru added, eager to needle Jiang Youyao, “I heard grandmother has also given Jiang Li a set of purplewood scholar’s tools—the very set you asked for several times but were refused. Jiang Li is really extraordinary, winning over both Uncle and Grandmother.”

At this, Jiang Youyao was stunned, then demanded, “Is that true? Did Grandmother really give Jiang Li the purplewood scholar’s set?”

“Of course it’s true,” Jiang Yueru shrugged. “All the servants in the Hall of Evening Phoenix saw it.”

“That wretch!” Jiang Youyao was furious. She had coveted that set for a long time, but Grandmother would never give it to her. Now, Grandmother had gifted it to Jiang Li instead—a public humiliation, as if to declare Jiang Li her superior.

“No, I must go to my mother,” Jiang Youyao declared. “I can’t allow Jiang Li to go to the Hall of Enlightened Righteousness!”

“Third Sister,” Jiang Yueru caught her arm, “Both Grandmother and Uncle have already spoken. Jiang Li’s entry into the academy is a settled matter. It’s too late for you to say anything. Besides, in my opinion, Jiang Li is overreaching. Has she considered how many daughters of noble families attend the academy? None of them will befriend her. Her learning is shallow; who knows how many jokes she’ll make of herself. Won’t she just become your foil, the object of everyone’s ridicule?”

Hearing this, Jiang Youyao gradually calmed down. Jiang Yueru’s words made sense. “That may be, but having her always parading in front of me is insufferable!” Just the thought of Jiang Li possibly doing something to Zhou Yanbang across from the academy made Jiang Youyao unbearably uneasy.

“Third Sister, a little patience prevents greater mishaps,” Jiang Yueru smiled.

After Jiang Youyao left to compose herself, Jiang Yuyan asked, “Fifth Sister, why did you encourage Third Sister to target Second Sister?”

Jiang Yueru gave a cold laugh. “Who told her to overestimate herself?”

The third branch of the Jiang family was weak to begin with, being the line of a concubine’s son. The reason Jiang Yuyan and Jiang Yueru could attend the Hall of Enlightened Righteousness was only because Jiang Yuanxing constantly curried favor with Jiang Yuanbai. In her heart, Jiang Yueru was both insecure and proud. She aspired to nothing less than others, and in terms of talent, she was the most outstanding among all the Jiang daughters.

Jiang Youyao might be the family’s pearl, but Jiang Yueru coveted the reputation of a talented lady to embellish her own standing. It was her sole source of pride—that she was more accomplished than Jiang Li, the legitimate daughter, and could trample her underfoot.

But now, with Jiang Yuanbai sending Jiang Li to the academy, all four daughters of the Jiang family were on equal footing. Someone she once considered far beneath her had suddenly caught up, and so Jiang Yueru’s sense of superiority vanished. Jiang Li had become the cause of it all.

The only way to restore her sense of pride was for Jiang Li to fare worse than herself. The enmity between Jiang Youyao and Jiang Li was longstanding; a little provocation would spark endless conflict.

All Jiang Yueru needed to do was add fuel to the fire.