“Seriously?” Jiang Tianhe asked his people with an ugly expression. “Madame Mi went to the palace and asked Fubing to help the little b*tch of the first branch? Why did mother agree to let her enter the palace?”

The man replied, “Madame Mi told Madame Ou that before Sir Jibei passed away, Her Majesty promised to take good care of Miss Huizhi of the Jiang Family! Now Miss Huizhi has been wronged by the fourth branch. If she did not report to Her Majesty, others would think that Her Majesty didn’t think highly of her promise because they believed that Her Majesty knew it. So, for the sake of Her Grace’s reputation…”

“Nonsense! Did my mother believe it?” Jiang Tianhe laughed with anger, “Didn’t she just want to have trouble with me? Fubing is pregnant now and Madame Mi is really cruel to be an aunt. If so…”

In the fourth branch of the Marquess’s Mansion, Qiu Yelan smiled and looked at Jiang Qizheng sitting beside her. They hadn’t met for more than one year. Chunfu Princess didn’t look bad as she lived in hardship and remote areas. She even looked better than two years ago. She was just tired because of the long journey though.

Obviously, she had a very good relationship with Qiu Feng right now. Otherwise, as Jiang Qizheng had been spoiled since childhood, with her frailty and delicacy, she would definitely not have the spirit or energy that she had now. People were in high spirits when getting involved in happy events.

“How time flies!” Qiu Yelan watched Jiang Qizheng, whose childishness and innocence were replaced by calmness. Qiu Feng, who was covered in luxuriant clothes, respectfully answered Madame Zhuang’s questions. Qiu Yelan sighed with emotion, “This couple has changed a lot these two years!”

When she thought, the conversation between Madame Zhuang and Qiu Feng came to an end. Madame Zhuang was unhappy with Qiu Feng because he neglected her daughter at the beginning, but Jiang Qizheng couldn’t help but help them make peace. Obviously, she was unwilling to see the conflict between her mother and husband. Madame Zhuang had two sons, but only one daughter, so she spoiled her daughter. At the beginning, she was a little unhappy. Seeing Qiu Feng was respectful, she turned her attitude, “You must be tired after the long journey so let’s talk tomorrow. You can greet your grandmother first and then go to the Mansion of Sir Jibei to see your uncle!”

Jiang Qizheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thanked her mother, and solemnly bowed to Qiu Yelan, “Thanks for taking care of Fu’er.”

“Sister, are we strangers?” Qiu Yelan wanted to stop her and smiled, “Furthermore, Lang’er was not born before. An’er was so lonely and it would be better to have Fu’er keep company!”

They exchanged a few words and then Madame Zhuang said, “We are a family. Don’t be polite. Qizheng, you go to greet your grandmother with your husband. Yelan, you stay. I have something to tell you!”

After Jiang Qizheng left with Qiu Feng, Qiu Yelan asked, “What is that, mother?”

“Since they have come back, it’s not good for you to take care of Fu’er anymore.” Madame Zhuang thought for a while and said, “If you can often go to visit your eighth sister-in-law, she can feel better.”

Qiu Yelan knew what she meant. It was that she didn’t want to have any gossip between her daughters-in-law.

Chu Yitong was unreasonably troublesome. She became the mother of a group of children before she got married. She was finally pregnant, but the time was embarrassing. It was easy to end her pregnancy by accident! Considering that she was sad now, her behavior was understandable.

“Don’t worry. I asked someone to get some ingredients yesterday. I plan to make a can of nourishing porridge for my eighth sister-in-law by myself!” Qiu Yelan sighed in her heart and smiled, “Of course, I share it with mother, grandmother, the youngest grand aunt, and my eighteenth sister.”

“Thank you!” Madame Zhuang was very satisfied with her daughter-in-law’s obedience. For her own people, Madame Zhuang was fair and generous so she took off her dowry bracelet as a reward, “I can’t eat yours for nothing. This is for you!”

Qiu Yelan smiled and refused it, “Showing filial respect for you is my duty, mother. We are a family!”

“You are right but this is a reward for you!” Madame Zhuang said kindly, “As your mother, all of my things will be yours in the end.”

Seeing that she really wanted to give it to her, Qiu Yelan thought about it and didn’t refuse it anymore. She smiled and took it, “Thanks, mother!”

And then they talked about Ling Zui’s marriage to Zhuang Man, and Qiu Yelan went back to her yard to make porridge.

She said she would cook it, but in fact, she just went into the kitchen, put the cleansed ingredients into the pot, and asked the people to light up the fire. After that, she went back to the room and had a rest. When she came into the room, Jiang Jingkun jumped over, hugged her legs, and tumbled her down suddenly. Qiu Yelan sighed and hugged him, “Why did you get off the bed? Don’t I tell you to have a rest on the couch?”

The wet nurse who followed hurriedly bowed and explained, “The junior young master thought that the couch was too small so he wanted to walk on the ground!”

“Tomorrow, please change the blanket on the floor and pick up a thicker one!” Qiu Yelan looked down at the ground and said, “Don’t be too thick to prevent him from walking. Find one that if he falls, he won’t get any injuries!”

Jiang Jingkun was known as three years old this year, but his real age was not two years old. Although he could walk and talk, he was not very proficient. Qiu Yelan was afraid that he got hurt when he was eager to learn these two things without any protection.

After playing with her nephew for a while, Qiu Yelan coaxed him to see Jiang Jinglang and took advantage of the opportunity to slip away to the kitchen by herself because the porridge was done. Jiang Jingkun and Jiang Jinglang played a drum-shaped rattle together.

“Don’t add the green onion to this bowl because my eighth sister-in-law doesn’t like it.” Qiu Yelan tasted the porridge and thought it was yummy, so she asked the servants to serve the dishes according to everyone’s preference. “Add more pickles to the bowl for mother. Add some preserved eggs to the bowl for grandmother because she is too old to bite pickles. It is not suitable for the youngest grand aunt to eat meat today so we should put a portion of braised tofu.”

In order to fulfill Madame Zhuang’s instructions, all servants delivered the porridge, but Qiu Yelan delivered it to Chu Yitong in person.

When she arrived at Chu Yitong’s yard, she was blocked by Mrs. Zhu, “Just now madame Chu fell asleep. She didn’t sleep well over the past two days. If you go into her room, I am afraid that it will wake her up, madame Qiu.”

Qiu Yelan frowned, doubting her words, but when she thought about Madame Zhuang, she said calmly, “In this case, I won’t bother her. I made the porridge for her. Please pass it to my sister-in-law!”

Ms. Zhu thanked her, took the food box with both hands, respectfully sent her to the door, watching her going to the palanquin before closing the door.

Although Mrs. Zhu had a good attitude, Su He and others still felt unhappy for Qiu Yelan on the way back, “It is Madame who gave you a bracelet for this pot of porridge. However, madame Chu even refused to show her face when you cooked and sent it in person.”

“Don’t you listen to Mrs. Zhu? Madame Chu doesn’t feel well so I can’t bother her.” Qiu Yelan was not very happy but she still scolded the servants, “We are a family so I don’t care about it. Why do you say this?”

Of course, Madame Zhuang and others knew this. Thinking that Chu Yitong was in confinement because of childbirth, it was hard for them to blame her, but they comforted Qiu Yelan.

Jiang Yashuang felt aggrieved for his wife when he knew it, “The eighth sister-in-law is young and she gets pregnant for the first time. I think she doesn’t understand it now. You shouldn’t care about her these days. She will come to make amends with you later when she understands!”

“It’s fine.” Qiu Yelan was unfamiliar with Chu Yitong and this little dispute wouldn’t make her hate. Now she cared more about Shazhou, “Is there a war in Xijiang? How about my brother’s marriage?”

Speaking of this, Jiang Yashuang also sighed, “He cannot return! But the Ou Family is not unreasonable so let’s talk about it later!”

“The war in Beijiang has been going on for several months and it won’t be finished quickly. If there is going to be a war in Xijiang…” Qiu Yelan pondered, “I don’t know if the national treasury is enough.”

Although Xue Chang governed the country well and managed Darui’s financial resources well under the pressure of years of chaotic politics and power struggles between the heroines, the cost of wars was extraordinary. Qiu Yelan knew that the current political situation was not good. It would be worse than the time when two empresses fought for power. At that time, the two restrained each other and Xue Chang balanced them. Many corrupt officials were afraid of being caught by political enemies who might put them to death.

Now?

The Jiang Family had the final say so Xue Chang was just relying on his talent to protect himself. How about his subordinates? If things went on like this, Xue Chang might remain in power and it would not be able to stop the decline of national power.

“It is okay for one or two years.” Jiang Yashuang groaned, “If they delay it, I am afraid it will be troublesome. But the war in Beijiang will be stopped in one or two years!”

As for Beijiang, Jiang Tianchi did it with an unintentional positive outcome. Because of Sir Jibei’s death, even Marquess Qin was deceived at first and Jiang Tianchi succeeded in cheating Beihu. Although the war was not over, they got the upper hand.

What needed to be worried about was Xijiang. Han Jishan lacked ability and Qiu Jinglan was young and had few qualifications. Although the Kuang Family had been cleared several times, it was hard to say whether there was anyone left.

Domestic strife had been over. If the aggression of the western savages…

“After Beijiang is settled, it will be hard to say whether the western savages dare to attack.” Jiang Yashuang thought for a while and said, “Anyway, there is nothing to worry about now so let’s talk about it later!”

“This is only for Darui as a whole. The Northern Army first calms Beijiang and then helps the Western Army settle Xijiang, so there is no need to worry about Darui’s safety!” Qiu Yelan pursed her lips and thought, “The Western Army enjoys the same reputation as the Northern Army, but it has to rely on the Northern Army to resist foreign aggression, which shows their incompetence.”

Previously, Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei did not want to find out the truth of Jiang Yayue’s and Jiang Yaqing’s deaths and allowed Qiu Jinglan to develop in the Western Army. The biggest reason was that Qiu Jinglan had the support of the Ruan Family and the Qiu Family in the army.

If it was because of the defeats of the Western Army, the soldiers were dissatisfied and the morale of the army was shaken, and Qiu Jinglan had a bad name of coward. How could he stay in the Western Army by then?

“Xijiang starts a battle and wins, and then my brother can take charge of the Western Army! If he loses, I am afraid that the first branch and the third branch will make trouble!” Qiu Yelan thought, “Even Marquess Qin will not really be willing to give up the Western Army!”