Chapter 20

◎Wife Owner◎

Jiang He deliberately set up a gambling game at the East Suburbs Horse Ranch and made a lot of money. By sheer coincidence, the Fifth Prince joined in the fun and bet on her to win, eventually earning a considerable sum of money.

As a member of the royal family, the Fifth Prince was not short of money, so he did not care about these silver coins. However, what puzzled him was why Jiang He, as the legitimate daughter of a royal merchant and about to take over a business, seemed to care so much about the several thousand taels of silver in the gambling game.

Therefore, he deduced that the Jiang family was not short of money, but Jiang He was.

As for where this money went, it certainly wasn't recorded in the open, meaning Jiang He likely used the money for shady things.

The fifth prince was born into the royal family and was raised to be somewhat spoiled, but deep down he had the shrewdness and cunning of a royal.

My purpose in coming here today is not to find the red jade and agate hairpin, but to see Jiang He.

Jiang He was one of the wives His Majesty intended to choose for him. Originally, he did not want to marry into a merchant family, but after getting to know her better, he gradually changed his mind.

Jiang He has a calm and composed gaze, an extraordinary temperament, and an exceptionally outstanding appearance, not to mention the dashing and heroic demeanor she displayed while taming that Akhal-Teke horse at the East Suburbs Horse Ranch.

The Fifth Prince said with some regret, "I thought it would be worth it even if I spent a thousand taels to buy the red jade and agate hairpin, but I never thought that the Jiang family would not grant me this wish."

Jiang He remained unmoved.

She was short of money before because she had to bribe the wandering swordsmen, but now that Xue Lingyi has safely arrived at the place of exile, she no longer has this worry.

The Fifth Prince received no reply, so he picked up a white jade hairpin and suddenly said, "Since Miss Jiang returned and took over, the Jiang family business has been thriving. Miss Jiang is indeed worthy of her reputation. It seems that she will soon be able to wash away the title of the number one playboy in the capital."

Jiang He spoke humbly, bowing her head and saying, "Jiang He has always been a playboy; the Fifth Prince is too kind."

The Fifth Prince raised his narrow eyes slightly, his words carrying a hidden meaning: "I heard that Miss Jiang has recently taken a concubine, and Miss Jiang dotes on this concubine very much. It seems that good things are about to happen in the Jiang family."

Many people in the capital knew that Xue Lingyu had become a concubine in the Jiang family. Someone spread the rumor that Xue Lingyu was very much liked by Jiang He, and that Jiang He might even do something like favoring the concubine over the husband after the official husband entered the family.

As if hitting cotton, Jiang He said softly, "Thank you for your kind words, Fifth Prince."

She didn't mind solidifying this reputation and seeing if the Fifth Prince would still consider her as a potential wife if she truly was a woman who favored concubines over her husband.

After Jiang He left, a servant beside the Fifth Prince couldn't help but say:

“Your Highness, this Miss Jiang shows you no respect whatsoever. Why did you even bother leaving the palace? The other young ladies from noble families that His Majesty has chosen for you are all extremely attentive to you, not to mention that the Jiang family are merchants.”

The Jiang family is not what it used to be, but it is still not enough to compete with the royal family.

The Fifth Prince used his strength and broke the white jade hairpin in his hand with a smile: "A woman who can make Xue Lingyu willingly become a concubine must have her reasons."

The Fifth Prince maintained his smile, condescendingly instructing his servants to compensate the shop for the silver used to make the hairpin, and then left the shop as if nothing had happened.

After inspecting the shop, on the way back to the Jiang family, Yuange whispered to Jiang He, "Miss, what do you think the Fifth Prince is up to? Could it really be that he left the palace for a hairpin?"

"Why bother with all that?" Jiang He said coldly, though she found it somewhat amusing, after all, the Fifth Prince actually tried to lure her with money.

She took out a red jade and agate hairpin from her sleeve. She had always kept this hairpin close to her body and it had not been exposed to the light for a long time.

She wouldn't sell it even if offered a fortune.

Although Xue Lingyu didn't kneel for long, his body, which was on its period, couldn't take it anymore, and he had to be helped back by Yang Le.

As soon as she returned to the courtyard, she took off her shoes and socks and lay down on the bed. Yang Le even brought over several hot water bottles. After all this fuss, Xue Lingyu finally felt less cold.

Yang Le wanted to stay by the bedside, but Xue Lingyu said, "I want to be alone for a while."

He didn't want to see anyone from the Jiang family for the time being. Although he knew that Yang Le was acting against her will, he still felt uneasy having someone watching his every move.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Yang Le obediently withdrew, making sure to close the doors and windows before leaving.

Xue Lingyu wanted some peace and quiet, but the door was opened again shortly afterward, and the man's tone was somewhat unfriendly.

"Didn't I say I wanted to be alone for a while? What are you doing here again?"

Seeing that Yang Le didn't respond, and now even a lowly servant could bully him, Xue Lingyu finally became agitated, and his tone was very unfriendly, "I told you to get out, didn't you hear me?"

Jiang He paused for a moment before carefully saying, "It's not Yang Le, it's me."

Xue Lingyu's current behavior is just like his former self. As the eldest son of a prestigious family, he is of noble birth, outstanding in appearance, and has an innate arrogance, as well as a constant temper.

They are passionate and outspoken, never hiding their true feelings.

Upon seeing that it was Jiang He, Xue Lingyu took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

He had just been reprimanded, so he dared not lose his temper with his wife again, and could not utter a single harsh word.

Having just endured his misplaced anger, Jiang He wasn't angry at all. She walked to the bedside, naturally took his hand outside the blanket, and asked with concern, "Were you punished by Father to kneel?"

For the first time, Xue Lingyu felt the urge to struggle. Jiang He's hands were so warm that they made his heart skip a beat. He couldn't help but wonder, were all women like her? Or were men's constitutions just naturally special?

As soon as Jiang He returned, she learned that Xue Lingyu had been punished by her father to kneel. Although she did not know what Xue Lingyu had done wrong, she knew that he would suffer, so she rushed to the courtyard to see if he was alright.

Although Ruiming, who was beside Jiang's father, said that Xue Lingyu had only knelt for a while and was not injured, Jiang He still couldn't help but clench her fists when she saw how dejected he looked.

Xue Lingyu pulled her hand away and turned her face away, saying, "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have neglected my wife. Your Majesty's reprimand is correct."

He adopted an extremely humble posture, but Jiang He knew that his heart was still tightly closed, refusing to let her peek inside.

Jiang He tucked the blanket around him and said softly, "I know you don't want to call yourself a concubine or call me your wife."

A bitter smile played on her lips as she held the red jade and agate hairpin in front of Xue Lingyu. "This hairpin suits you perfectly, and besides, it was originally yours. Now it's being returned to its rightful owner."

Xue Lingyu turned her head and saw the familiar hairpin, glancing at Jiang He with considerable surprise.

He remembered that he sold the hairpin to a jewelry shop to buy medicine for his father. Jiang He was present at the time, and if it weren't for her words, the hairpin would not have been able to fetch such a high price.

Although this red jade agate hairpin was not the most valuable piece of his jewelry, it was no longer produced in Nandong County. Moreover, when he first saw this hairpin, it seemed to be made exactly to his liking, so he bought it without hesitation.

As his memories gradually surfaced, he suddenly realized that, if he remembered correctly, this hairpin should have come from the Jiang family's business.

Xue Lingyu held the hairpin, looked up at Jiang He, and murmured, "Jiang He..."

Jiang He pursed her lips and smiled with relief.

After Jiang He left, Xue Lingyu was surprised to find tears on her hairpin. It wasn't because she felt wronged by being forced to kneel, but because she was unexpectedly sad.

He recalled what Jiang's father had said to him that day.

Jiang He had no reason to force him to stay. After he left, she would marry her legal husband, who would give birth to her legitimate daughter.

Xue Lingyu suddenly couldn't stop her tears.

This wasn't the first time Su Yawan had wanted to curse Jiang He out. This woman had come to her Jingzhao government office and done so many thankless tasks, yet she still acted as if nothing had happened.

She always said she wouldn't do a losing business, but in reality, whenever it came to the Xue family, she always ended up losing countless amounts of money. And that was fine, but Xue Lingyu never gave her a kind look.

It was true before, and it is true now.

I wonder how much money the Jiang family has that allows her to squander it like this.

However, Su Yawan suppressed her anger and still had to analyze for Jiang He, "The Fifth Prince is obviously trying to test you. It seems that many people in the capital are eager to know your attitude towards Xue Lingyu. Although the Fifth Prince's test is related to marriage, it ultimately determines whether the Jiang family will take action when some people want to completely eradicate the Xue family."

Su Yawan sighed and shook his head, "Your taking Xue Lingyu as a concubine was both expected and unexpected, but now it seems to be a big problem."

Su Yawan suggested, "Let's summon Ji Xue back in a few days to protect you personally."

Jiang He nodded: "After a while, once things have calmed down, we'll call him back."

However, she had other plans.

Su Yawan added, "Xue Lingyi has safely arrived at her place of exile. The official in charge there is a good friend of mine, and everything has been taken care of. Xue Lingyi is not in any danger."

Everything was under Jiang He's control. She made herself some tea and said, "That's good then."

Su Yawan had a new question about what Jiang He had just told her: "Do you think the Fifth Prince has feelings for you? Otherwise, why would he specifically mention the red jade hairpin and even make a special trip out of the palace? You know, red jade represents longing and yearning. If he asked you for it, wouldn't that be hinting at something?"

“What I hate most is hints.” Jiang He’s eyes were very serious. “Even if the Fifth Prince explicitly hints, I don’t have that hairpin here, let alone a marriage decree.”

The hairpin has already been returned to its rightful owner. Unless Xue Lingyu no longer wants it, the Fifth Prince will never be able to get it back.

But if Xue Lingyu doesn't want it anymore, she will probably be very sad.

Jiang He was trying to convince herself not to be so sad when the time came.

After all, Xue Lingyu had never liked her.

A note from the author:

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 19:23:41 on January 2, 2022 and 19:25:32 on January 4, 2022!

Thank you to the little angel who threw the grenade: 23519860 (1 grenade);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!

◎Latest Comments:

[Sob, poor little thing, let me rub you.]

[If you don't like someone, you can refuse to pursue them... It doesn't warrant belittling the female lead and her family like the male lead and his family did... If it were me, remembering Xue would mean remembering the shame the Xue family brought. Yes, I'm that petty.]

【Press the claw】

Is the author not updating again today?

[Keep updating, author!]

I think Jiang He has always been very good to the male lead, doing so much for him in secret, but the male lead has always been indifferent to him.

[Update soon!!!]

I also think the female lead shouldn't be gentle; she should be designed to torment the male lead.

I think it could be a bit angsty, and the female lead shouldn't be too gentle.

[The female lead is so loyal! I think she has never looked down on the male lead. From the past to the present, she has always wanted to give him the best. It's just that now she realizes that the male lead doesn't like her, so her hard work has become selfless.]

[Actually, I think I can understand. I feel the author foreshadowed this earlier. For example, the female lead always had good intentions, but the male lead was too self-centered and misinterpreted her words, causing him to feel that she was humiliating him. The female lead may have intended to make him her legal wife. Moreover, there is no indication that the female lead has let go of the misunderstanding. Rather, it means that the female lead has realized that the male lead has never really liked her.]

[At first, it felt like there was some misunderstanding that hadn't been resolved, but suddenly it feels like I'm back to how I was chasing Ling Yu before, which feels a bit abrupt.]

[Hmm, actually, I really like the devoted and loyal type. A little awkwardness but still remembering to treat the other person well. But I feel the female lead is a bit unstable. I remember right after they got married, she even abandoned the male lead, which really hurt me. But it seems like the female lead suddenly changed in this chapter. I originally thought their love was deeply tragic, with an insurmountable gap between them, but suddenly, it seems like it just turned into a small misunderstanding. I don't really understand, I'm just sharing my thoughts. However, compared to the previous angst, I still prefer this kind of bittersweet romance, a little bit of heartache in a sweet love story. Actually, I don't even know what I'm saying. Ah, just pretend you didn't see this. Goodnight, good luck!]

[Waaaaah, my hands and feet are so cold! I wish I could be naturally warm!]

-over-