Chapter 18- Is She Really That Foolish and Incompetent?

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Chapter 18

“Why are you still awake at this hour?” The Third Madam looked up, seeing Jiang Ruoting sitting across from her, a slight frown of displeasure on her face. “Aren’t you supposed to go boating with the other young ladies tomorrow?”

As the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, she couldn’t afford to go out looking tired and haggard. It would be seen as improper and might damage her reputation. Besides managing the household, the Third Madam was most concerned with her two children. Her son’s health was often poor, and she couldn’t afford to be lax with her daughter either. She wanted her son to inherit the family estate and her daughter to marry into the royal family, securing wealth and honor for the three of them. How could she allow any slack before these goals were achieved?

“I’m not sleepy yet, Mother,” Jiang Ruoting said.

“I saw the lights still on in your room, so I came to check on you. What is it that’s troubling you?”

The Third Madam had always been skilled at managing the household. Ever since Jiang Ruohua’s mother passed away, the enormous Guogong Manor had been under her control, and there hadn’t been a single misstep in all these years. Outsiders praised her for her virtues, calling her a model of a capable and kind-hearted housewife.

But it seemed there was a problem with one of the shops again.

“There’s been another issue with the shops. I’ll need to go personally tomorrow,” the Third Madam said, feeling a headache coming on. “I don’t know if we’ve offended something recently, but we’ve been plagued with bad luck. It seems I’ll have to find some time to ward off this misfortune; things can’t go on like this.”

The issues with the shops had to be handled by her personally. Just looking at the account books full of holes made her head ache. Over the years, it was always the shops originally belonging to the Guogong Manor or those from her dowry that had problems, while the shops left by Jiang Ruohua’s mother, even without an owner overseeing them, had run smoothly for over ten years without a hitch.

The imbalance was infuriating for the Third Madam, making her feel that some people were just born to bring her bad luck—just having them around was an eyesore!

“Don’t worry, Mother. You still have me,” Jiang Ruoting said. “You can focus on the issues with the shops tomorrow, and I’ll help you with everything else.”

But the Third Madam wasn’t ready to agree. “There are some things you shouldn’t do, or you’ll dirty your own hands. Do you still care about your reputation?”

She didn’t plan to let her daughter get directly involved in anything until after she was married into the royal family. It was crucial to keep her daughter clean, with no blood on her hands, and maintain the best reputation for her to marry into the royal family.

“I was wrong, Mother,” Jiang Ruoting quickly apologized, bowing her head. “I was just thinking that her annulled marriage is quite strange, and there are rumors outside that she’s changed her nature. I’m worried she might have noticed something.”

The Third Madam glanced up. She understood her daughter’s concerns and why she had pushed for Concubine Yuan to be handed over to Jiang Ruohua. It was a test. People don’t just change overnight, and combined with recent events, the rumors about Jiang Ruohua’s change in behavior were indeed suspicious. The Third Madam herself had doubts, wondering if Jiang Ruohua had discovered something.

“It’s fine to test Concubine Yuan. After all, she’s just a concubine; no matter what, she won’t be able to cause much trouble,” the Third Madam said, not too worried. In fact, if Jiang Ruohua really had discovered something and tried to team up with Concubine Yuan, it would be even better.

She would show Jiang Ruohua and Concubine Yuan just how futile their efforts would be.

A concubine and a young girl—if they really did what she suspected, it would only make things easier for her.

“Mother, I think we can’t afford to be careless,” Jiang Ruoting said. “Jiang Ruohua is clever. You spent so much effort to make her as foolish and useless as she is now. But is she really that foolish?”

“I’ve been thinking about it these past few days, and something feels off. The rumors outside may not be groundless, and we, of all people, know Jiang Ruohua’s true nature best. If she really has noticed something, knowing her, she wouldn’t act rashly.”

These words struck a chord with the Third Madam’s suspicions. She indeed found the annulled marriage strange, but she also felt she knew Jiang Ruohua too well. The contradiction made her increasingly suspicious, but for now, she didn’t know how to deal with Jiang Ruohua.

Even with the marriage annulled, Jiang Ruohua still had value, and she had a father who wielded military power. For now, the Third Madam couldn’t make a move against her.

It was because of this that the Third Madam felt an inexplicable sense of powerlessness.

“You may have a point,” the Third Madam thought for a moment. “But if you’re going to test her, you must do it carefully. You know her true nature, so be cautious.”

“Don’t worry, Mother,” Jiang Ruoting said. “I understand the importance of this and won’t make any mistakes.”

“Good.” Despite her daughter’s assurances, the Third Madam still felt uneasy. “Ruoting, you must understand that a person’s background, even if off by a little, can lead to a world of difference in the future. All that I’ve done for you and your brother is for your future. Your father and I were not fortunate enough to be born to the main wife and become legitimate heirs, but you and your brother don’t have to carry that burden forever.”

Compared to Jiang Ruohua, Jiang Ruoting, despite also being a legitimate daughter, was viewed differently by others. Not only was Jiang Ruohua’s father a high-ranking official with military power, but the distinction between legitimate and concubine-born also played a role. Although the Guogong did not intend to divide the family, and both were considered legitimate daughters, outsiders knew which marriage would be more beneficial.

For Jiang Ruoting to rise to prominence, someone had to be her stepping stone. By carefully planning in secret, she could eventually replace Jiang Ruohua and enjoy true wealth, power, and status.

…

“Why did the young miss suddenly take out the zither?”

After changing the lamp, Yinqiu blew out the remaining candle stub, watching as Jiang Ruohua gently wiped the dust off the zither that had been neglected for a long time. She couldn’t help but be surprised.

Ever since the young miss’s marriage was arranged, the Third Madam had brought in a so-called governess from the palace to teach her proper etiquette day in and day out, leaving little time for anything else.

Fingertips lightly brushed the strings, and even though it had been unused for a long time, the zither’s quality shone through, its sound far surpassing other ordinary instruments. Feeling inspired, Jiang Ruohua played the first part of a tune but stopped midway.

“Why did you stop playing, Miss? I was listening intently,” Huachan, who hadn’t had enough of the music, asked eagerly. “It was truly beautiful.”

“Beautiful, yes, but a bit too flashy,” Jiang Ruohua replied with a smile. She had simply felt like playing for a moment. In the dream where she was left alone after marrying, she had learned to pass the time by practicing the zither, and her skills had improved. She remembered that Jiang Ruoting was likely to invite her to go boating tomorrow, which reminded her that she had this zither.

It seemed the skills she had honed in the dream had carried over, but for her, it felt too ostentatious. After all, it was unrealistic for someone who hadn’t practiced in years to suddenly play so well.