Chapter 20: Was He Fanning the Flames?

By the time Jiang Jin arrived at Xuesong Studio, everyone who needed to be there had already gathered.

As soon as she stepped into the main hall, her Second Elder Brother, Jiang Yu, looked toward her.

At first glance, his expression remained as gentle as before.

But upon closer inspection, that gentleness seemed to conceal something else.

His gaze shifted away too quickly for Jiang Jin to discern what it was.

“Father, Mother, Second Elder Brother,” Jiang Jin greeted.

Lady Shen beckoned Jiang Jin over, having her sit beside her.

“Jin’er, did everything go smoothly in the palace today?”

Jiang Jin nodded. “Her Majesty the Empress Dowager was kind and did not trouble me.”

Lady Shen breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

Then, with a hint of guilt, she added, “You must be exhausted from the journey today and should be resting. But if this matter isn’t resolved, no one in the household will have any peace!”

Lady Shen spoke bluntly, then turned her gaze toward Minister Jiang.

Minister Jiang understood her implication, but torn between his promising son and his wife of several decades, he found it difficult to choose.

He sighed softly and shifted his attention to Cheng Wan, who had entered later.

“Cheng Wan, do you admit your guilt?” Minister Jiang slammed the table, causing the porcelain on it to clatter loudly.

Cheng Wan shrank back in fear, casting a pitiful look toward Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu’s pupils tightened, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair as he struggled to keep himself from standing up.

He looked at Cheng Wan with pity, nodding slightly to reassure her.

Bolstered by Jiang Yu’s silent support, Cheng Wan slowly regained her courage.

She shook her head defiantly. “Uncle, Wan’er doesn’t know what wrong I’ve committed to anger you so. Please enlighten me.”

“Is it that you don’t know what you did wrong, or that you refuse to admit it?” Minister Jiang snorted coldly and signaled to a servant.

Shortly after, several written accusations were presented.

“Let her see for herself,” Minister Jiang said coldly. “Let her see exactly where she went wrong!”

The servant handed the accusations to Cheng Wan. As she skimmed through them, her eyes suddenly widened in shock.

No!

This can’t be!

She clenched the papers tightly and looked up at Minister Jiang. “Uncle, these are nothing but baseless lies! Wan’er has never done any of these things. They’re all slandering me!”

Lady Shen sneered upon hearing this. “Slander you? What are you that they would sacrifice their own daughters’ lives to slander you?”

“Those two bodies were dug up from Tingfeng Pavilion! If I recall correctly, that flower bed—wasn’t it built on Jiang Yu’s orders to please you?”

Cheng Wan listened, her fingers curling tightly.

She bit her lip, her expression full of grievance.

“But there are so many people in Tingfeng Pavilion. Why must it be Wan’er?”

“Tingfeng Pavilion has only two masters. If it wasn’t you… could it have been Jiang Yu?”

Lady Shen raised an eyebrow, looking toward Jiang Yu.

Her voice suddenly turned icy.

“In the past, I didn’t interfere with Tingfeng Pavilion’s affairs not because I feared you, but out of respect for Old Madam. But now that a murder case has erupted, Jiang Yu—if you don’t care about your own future, at least don’t drag your siblings down with you!”

At this point, Jiang Yu, who had remained silent until now, finally moved.

He stood up and walked to Cheng Wan’s side, subtly shielding her behind him.

He bowed respectfully. “Father, Mother.”

“This matter is suspicious. Please allow me to explain.”

“Since both families claim their daughters have been missing for half a year, why didn’t they search for them earlier? Why wait until now, until today! In a few days, it will be—Father and Mother surely know what day it is. This matter may affect me, but the overall impact is limited.”

“However, if this is allowed to escalate, the one who will be most affected—is Third Sister!”

Jiang Jin listened. Though she did not agree with Jiang Yu’s words, he wasn’t wrong.

Why did it have to be today?

Her parents might not know the exact date of the Yong’an Marquis Mansion’s marriage proposal, only that it was in the coming days.

But she alone knew clearly—it was tomorrow!

If a major scandal erupted in the household, even if Brother-in-law Song Linyuan was eager to proceed, Lady Yong’an would absolutely refuse. Instead, she would use this as an opportunity to persuade the Marquis of Yong’an to cancel this tacitly agreed-upon “marriage alliance”!

After all, the daughter-in-law she had in mind had always been only one person.

For this, she was even willing to…

“Hah, you’ve even schemed against your own family! How impressive!”

Lady Shen looked at Minister Jiang, her brows furrowed tightly as she asked:

“Well? Are you just going to watch your ‘good son’ scheme against my daughter?”

“What do you mean ‘your son, my daughter’? Isn’t Jin’er our daughter? Madam, don’t speak in anger!”

Minister Jiang comforted Lady Shen, then turned his attention to Jiang Jin. “Jin’er, what do you think?”

Jiang Jin slowly raised her eyes, her gaze seemingly naive, but in truth, her mind was clear.

Her answer held no value—they never listened to her anyway.

Otherwise, in her past life, they wouldn’t have pushed her into the “pit of fire” that was the Yong’an Marquis Mansion, watching as she was slowly devoured, her vitality completely swallowed…

After a long silence, she finally said, “I leave it to Father and Mother’s arrangement!”

However, paper could never contain fire!

No matter how they handled it, those two families likely wouldn’t give up easily.

Otherwise… why would they have come at all?

Moreover, Jiang Jin suddenly thought of someone.

Aside from herself, she had also mentioned the specific three-day deadline to Ning Wang Xie Chengzhi.

And earlier in the carriage, he had said, “You will surely get your wish”!

Could it be… that he was also behind this, stirring the waters?

Otherwise, Jiang Jin couldn’t understand why this matter would suddenly erupt, and at such a timing.

Minister Jiang’s decision came quickly. Even if Lady Shen was unwilling, she had no choice but to compromise.

After all, the marriage alliance with the Yong’an Marquis Mansion was crucial. Nothing else could be allowed to stand in the way.

“The fault lies entirely with Cheng Wan alone. However, considering her youth, the loss of both parents, and her lonely upbringing without proper guidance, the Jiang family will do a good deed to the end and help resolve this matter.”

Minister Jiang looked at Jiang Yu, his tone firm. “But from today onward, Cheng Wan must immediately move out of the Jiang residence. From now on, she will have no further connection to the Jiang family!”

“If you refuse, prison will be your destination!”

These words were not directed at Cheng Wan.

If Jiang Yu insisted on his own way, Minister Jiang had hundreds of ways to make Cheng Wan’s life miserable.

Jiang Yu was his eldest son and currently the most promising descendant of the Jiang family.

For Jiang Yu’s sake, he had expended countless resources to secure the marriage alliance with the Grand Tutor’s household.

He did not want to see Jiang Yu scheming against his own sister for an outsider, nor did he wish for his future to be ruined by a woman!

Therefore, Cheng Wan—had to go!

Jiang Yu said nothing.

Cheng Wan was shielded behind him and did not see Minister Jiang’s expression or gaze. Thus, the intimidation in his words lost half its force by the time it reached her mind.

She instinctively wanted to plead further, but as soon as she took a step, Jiang Yu grabbed her hand.

She looked up, only to see his retreating back.

Yet the next moment, she heard her cousin, who had always doted on her and indulged her, reply coldly: “Very well.”

“Father, rest assured—she will move out tonight!”

Cheng Wan’s heart shattered in that instant.

But she never expected that what followed would be even more devastating.