Hailan gently pinched Jiang Xuesui's cheek, pulled her into an embrace, patted her back, and laughed. "Suijie'er, saying such things without shame—you don't even have a marital home yet, and you're already talking about motherhood. But I really do hope to hold your child one day. It's just a pity that I'll return to my hometown in a few years."
Jiang Xuesui blushed, burying her head in Hailan's arms and acting spoiled.
"You raised me, Aunt. Don't go home to retire; stay by my side."
"Suijie'er, there is no banquet that doesn't end." Hailan's eyes welled up. "When I leave, someone better than me will come to serve you. I have my own grandchildren to love and cherish. In these years, I've trained the young maids around you. Jinping is ambitious but loyal, Yuming is honest but a bit fragile, Baikou is careful and good at embroidery, Huamei is eloquent but impatient, and Songluo, Meirui, Miaoyun, Fuyu—although slightly inferior, they can still serve you well. I should let go and let you manage your own courtyard."
"What do I need to manage? They're all good; they've never let me down." Jiang Xuesui looked puzzled.
"That's because I'm here; they're all afraid of me. You usually hate to trouble them and rarely ask them to do anything. If I didn't nag them a few times, aside from the senior maids, the rest would act more like young ladies than you. With such a good nature, you'll exhaust yourself when you have to manage a household."
While Jiang Xuesui was reflecting, Hailan noticed her collar was bare.
"Where is the butterfly-shaped black jade lock pendant symbolizing long life that you usually wear?" Hailan asked urgently.
Jiang Xuesui didn't know where she had lost it; she quickly recounted where she had been today.
Hailan sent maids and servants to search for it immediately.
Losing a pendant wasn't a big deal in itself.
But if an outsider picked it up, especially someone with ulterior motives, it could tarnish the young lady's reputation.
As soon as Wen Qiao returned to Duke Xiangguo's Mansion, he saw He Lanlin from a distance at the second gate's spirit screen. He wanted to ask him something.
But seeing a pendant in He Lanlin's hand, Wen Qiao stopped to look closely. Recognizing the style, his heart suddenly raced.
Wen Qiao recognized it—the butterfly-shaped black jade lock pendant that Yuanyuan loved most.
Yuanyuan had given Xiao Lin her pendant.
Yuanyuan liked Xiao Lin.
He Lanlin also noticed Wen Qiao and hid the pendant in his sleeve before coming forward to greet him.
"Cousin, the emperor gifted me a pair of white peacocks. Keep them in your courtyard so Yuanyuan can play with them freely when she visits."
"I dislike offering gifts from others. If you want to give them to her directly, she'll appreciate your kindness. Putting them in my courtyard would make her thank me instead." Wen Qiao's expression was cold.
He Lanlin didn't care who earned her gratitude; he just wanted to give her the finest treasures to make her smile, and that was enough.
"Since you don't like it, I won't insist. I'll ask Aunt to raise the peacocks in the garden."
That was his fallback plan.
He wasn't petty.
If they were in the garden of Duke Xiangguo's Mansion, all the Wen family and their guests could see them.
But he only wanted to be good to Yuanyuan alone.
After taking leave of Wen Qiao, He Lanlin went to Fuxi Pavilion and told Lady Sang about the peacocks.
Lady Sang also told him about the lanterns.
He Lanlin nearly choked in shock.
"Aunt, who sent the lanterns is who sent them. I have to go explain this to Yuanyuan."
Lady Sang quickly grabbed him.
"Silly child, I can make decisions for your cousin. As long as you don't tell, I don't tell, and A Qiao doesn't tell, Yuanyuan will never know the real sender."
"Aunt, let go. Once you tell one lie, no matter how perfect, you'll need countless lies to cover it." He Lanlin was too straightforward to do something so shameless.
"Do it for your cousin's good. Anyone can give these lanterns to Yuanyuan except your cousin." Lady Sang's tone was almost pleading. "Princess Shanyang is truly the right match for your cousin. If she finds out A Qiao gave the lanterns to Yuanyuan, she'll target Yuanyuan even more."
"Aunt, Cousin doesn't like Princess Shanyang." He Lanlin retorted immediately.
For once, Lady Sang was assertive, but only for her younger son's sake.
"Marquis Lin'an and the Grand Princess of Chu have only one precious daughter, Princess Shanyang. If A Qiao becomes her husband, then the entire Marquis Lin'an and even the imperial family behind the Grand Princess will become his support. Marrying a princess is far more beneficial than marrying an ordinary noblewoman. The advantages are a thousand times greater."
Most importantly, A Qiao would then stop competing with her A Yu for the Duke of Xiangguo's title.
She had previously thought of forming ties with the Wu family.
First, she wanted A Qiao to marry a low-status girl like Wu Zhaodi so she could put on airs as a mother-in-law.
All these years, she couldn't hold her head up in front of her two sisters-in-law; it was suffocating. She could vent her anger on Wu Zhaodi.
Second, without a well-connected wife, A Qiao could never surpass A Yu on his own.
Then she could marry A Yu to a high-born lady, reducing the gap between the brothers in their official careers.
Now, Lady Sang had reached a tacit understanding with the Grand Princess of Chu.
A Qiao would be a live-in son-in-law for Princess Shanyang.
A son married out was like water poured out—no threat to A Yu's position.
In that moment, He Lanlin felt immense grief.
No amount of high-sounding words could conceal the fact that his aunt had already abandoned his cousin, her eldest son.
Princess Shanyang—the very match that noble sons would rather die than pursue.
Princess Shanyang: arrogant, headstrong, self-righteous, moody, impulsive, rash...
A joke circulated among the young men:
"If your enemy sees you marrying Princess Shanyang, he'll finally forgive you."