Chapter 106 [The End] Jiang Mian of the Jiang Family, "The Mistress..."

Chapter 8 [The End] Jiang Mian of the Jiang Family, "The Mistress of the House..."

After returning from the Imperial Academy, Cong Shan had no choice but to cover his slightly swollen lips with a handkerchief. Jiang Mian then nibbled at them like a puppy, hurting him in the process.

When Jiang Yuan returned, she learned that Cong Shan had to go out today because Mr. Song had an urgent matter. She didn't say anything, but only told Cong Shan to tell Mr. Song that after getting married, he would no longer be able to study at the Imperial Academy. He should just stay at his wife's home and be a virtuous and gentle husband.

Even though they were unwilling to do good, they had no choice but to agree.

Half a month later, the rankings of this year's candidates were posted on the official list, and Jiang Mian's name was prominently displayed on it, ranking in the top ten. This was already quite good for her, considering that she had never been interested in studying and had only crammed for a few days before the exam.

The Jiang family had been merchants for generations, and it was a rare treat to have someone who had passed the imperial examinations, which made Jiang He extremely happy.

“When Mian’er picked up a calligraphy brush during her first birthday celebration, I knew she would have this day. If the ancestors of the Jiang family knew this news, they would surely be very pleased in the afterlife.”

Jiang He was so excited that she wanted to go to the ancestral hall to offer incense.

The saying goes, "Catch a son-in-law after the list of successful candidates is passed." Jiang Mian had just finished checking her ranking and should be able to secure a place in the palace examination. There were already many wealthy merchants eyeing her with great interest. Most of these wealthy merchants only had one son, and their huge family businesses had no one to inherit them. They wanted to find a son-in-law to help manage their family businesses, and after their death, their property would be left to their son-in-law.

Scholars from ordinary backgrounds naturally could not resist such temptations. After all, they could gain fame, wealth, and a beautiful husband all at once. Such good fortune was something that could not be achieved even in several lifetimes.

However, Jiang Mian had no interest in any of this. The Jiang family was the richest family in the capital, and she had never lacked money in her life. Besides, she was already engaged.

However, some wealthy businessmen would rather have their sons become concubines than not have Jiang Mian become their son-in-law.

The scene was quite chaotic. Jiang Mian felt like her arm was about to be pulled out. These wealthy businessmen were all familiar faces; she had done business with her mother several times. Her attitude was not too forceful, and after a long standoff, she finally managed to escape back home.

Cong Shan came with his mother to see the results. His mother wouldn't let him get out of the carriage, but he could hear people praising Jiang Mian from inside the carriage. Moreover, many people wanted to marry their sons to her. He almost couldn't resist getting out of the carriage.

Jiang Yuan had looked at this year's list. Most of the students on it came from the Imperial Academy, and there were also a few from poor families. But they were all people who studied Confucian classics diligently. Talented people who specialized in practical skills were really rare.

The Ministry of Works is currently lacking in talent, and she is about to retire due to old age. If a successor cannot be found, the Ministry of Works may be doomed in her hands.

Fortunately, she still saw Jiang Mian's name on the list.

Her future son-in-law had studied under Mr. Song since childhood and was well-versed in mechanical arts. He was a rare talent in construction, and it was fortunate that Jiang Mian would carry on her mantle.

Feng Man is lacking this kind of talent.

Jiang Yuan couldn't help but praise Jiang Mian several times in front of Cong Shan. She had already planned that on the day of the palace examination, she would personally request His Majesty to transfer Jiang Mian to the Ministry of Works so that she could inherit her mantle.

Despite her good intentions, Jiang Mian remained unenthusiastic. As before, she was still very popular, and wealthy merchants were willing to give her their sons as concubines. If Jiang Mian accepted them all, her harem would surely be full of people.

Jiang Mian was unaware that her future husband had suddenly become jealous. She was preparing for the imperial examination. Although the emperor was her aunt and had doted on her since childhood, Jiang Mian adhered to the principle of never taking shortcuts and was determined to pass the imperial examination based on her own true abilities.

At the very least, she shouldn't be assigned to a place like the Ministry of Rites, which is full of rules and regulations, or she really will go crazy.

As Jiang Mian grew up, she became increasingly tall and slender, with her hair tied in a high ponytail, exuding a capable and dashing air. She looked more and more like Jiang He when she was young, especially her eyes. When they curved, paired with that carefree expression, Xue Lingyu sometimes almost mistook her for a young Jiang He.

Although their daughters are both so grown up, Xue Lingyu is still stunningly beautiful. Time has not been kind to her; instead, she has become even more mature and charming.

Nowadays, all the noble lords in the capital envy him for having a wife who dotes on him and two outstanding children.

Jiang Xi inherited Xue Lingyu's embroidery skills and was praised as a master embroiderer at a young age. He is now slowly learning to manage the Jiang family's business. Jiang He has already considered passing the business on to her son. After all, the eldest son of the He family also supported a huge business as a man, so her son will not be much worse.

On the day of the imperial examination, Jiang Mian dressed up carefully to make herself look more mature so that she wouldn't be called a little kid. Among the high school students in this year, she was the youngest, and her reputation for being ignorant and incompetent had been around for the longest time.

However, the exams were all sealed, and the names were covered up before grading. The chief examiner was the most upright and incorruptible Minister of Personnel, who would never have shown favoritism or cheated. Therefore, no one questioned Jiang Mian's results.

Even though Jiang Mian dressed deliberately to look older, her youthful and innocent face still made Emperor Wei see her among the students. The mischievous little girl from childhood had grown up to become a rising star who could serve the court.

The palace examination proceeded as scheduled. The emperor first posed a question, asking the students how to solve the flooding problem of the Wei River. The students answered one by one in the order they drew lots.

The students before Jiang Mian gave superficial answers, which were all high-sounding words but could not come up with a thorough solution. When it was Jiang Mian's turn, she gave a detailed solution based on what she had learned in the past.

In the end, only the girl's clear voice remained in the hall, and no one dared to breathe too loudly.

“The construction of water conservancy projects downstream will serve as a connecting hub, and over time, this will solve the problem of flooding in the Wei River.”

After Jiang Mian finished speaking, she bowed to the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I have finished speaking."

The Emperor looked at her with admiration and couldn't help but clap his hands, saying, "Well done! You are indeed a young talent. You have such abilities. It was my mistake not to recognize this gem of a person before."

Jiang Yuan then stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, Jiang Mian has been studying under Mr. Song of the Imperial Academy since childhood, and now she has such abilities. It would be most suitable for her to join my Ministry of Works.”

Not only did Jiang Yuan step forward, but the other five factions were not to be outdone and wanted to compete for Jiang Mian. In the end, Emperor Wei still had to ask Jiang Mian for her opinion.

Jiang Mian declared firmly, "Your humble servant is willing to become Lord Jiang's disciple."

She disliked reading and had no desire to work in the Hanlin Academy compiling ancient books. If she could enter the Ministry of Works and do some practical work, that would be fine. More importantly, Jiang Yuan was the mother of Congshan's brother and her future mother-in-law.

The court officials were not surprised at all when they saw that Jiang Mian had chosen the Minister of Works, after all, they were father-in-law and son-in-law. It seemed that the future successor of the Minister of Works was a sure thing.

Afterwards, the emperor asked the students a few more questions. Among the students this year, there were many outstanding individuals. One of the students who was drawn two after Jiang Mian was particularly learned and came from a poor family with no ties. He was exactly the kind of loyal minister the emperor had in mind.

Jiang Mian ultimately achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examination, which made her extremely happy.

It's said that the third-ranked scholar was the best-looking among the top three, which means she was quite good-looking. This title is indirectly praising her.

The emperor eventually appointed her as a fifth-rank official in the Water Department, in charge of bridges and embankments.

When Cong Shan learned of this news, he was embroidering his wedding dress. He couldn't help but feel happy for Jiang Mian. Unfortunately, he was born a man and could not serve the court or benefit the people. But he was also very gratified that Jiang Mian was able to do these things.

Once he finished embroidering the wedding dress, the wedding day would arrive.

Jiang Mian, who was usually so mischievous, became much more well-behaved during his wedding days. She didn't sneak off to see him, but she did send him many strange and unusual trinkets, all of which she made herself.

On the day of the wedding, Congshan put these trinkets in a box and took them to the Jiang residence.

The Crown Princess, the Second Prince, and even the Phoenix Prince personally attended the ceremony at the Jiang residence.

Jiang Mian's best friend, Hong Ying, the young lady of the Marquis of Yingwu's family, kept nagging the groom to bring her the fan that covered her face. Jiang Mian punched her, and only then did Hong Ying quiet down.

Cong Shan was teased until her neck turned red, and her face, hidden by the fan, looked even more charming and shy.

After paying respects to Heaven and Earth, to their parents, and then performing the husband-wife bowing ceremony, Congshan was taken to the bridal chamber.

Jiang Mian had the best alcohol tolerance in the Jiang family. She drank more than a dozen cups in a row. As long as someone offered her a drink, she could drink it without getting red in the face or out of breath. She showed no signs of getting drunk. Meanwhile, the people who drank with her were already so drunk that they had to be helped by servants to walk.

None of these people could compare to her. Jiang Mian put down her wine glass with some regret. It seemed she still couldn't get drunk.

She straightened her clothes, and after making sure everything was alright, she went to the bridal chamber, where her brother Congshan was waiting for her.

Throughout the day, Cong Shan only ate a few pastries. Although he ate little and had a small appetite, he still felt a bit hungry. In order to wait for Jiang Mian, he maintained a certain reserve and did not eat the food on the table.

These were specially ordered by Jiang Mian to be sent to him by his servants to fill his stomach; they were all his favorite foods.

Besides his parents, only Jiang Mian understood his preferences.

When the door was finally pushed open, Cong Shan breathed a sigh of relief, but then he thought that eating in front of Jiang Mian would be even more unrefined. He figured he could just bear with it and the night would pass.

He slowly lowered the fan, revealing a delicate little face. Perhaps Jiang Mian's gaze was too intense, for he didn't dare to raise his head.

"Junior sister..."

Jiang Mian took the fan from his hand, raised an eyebrow and said, "Still calling me junior sister?"

Cong Shan, still not quite used to it, looked up at Jiang Mian, pursed his lips, and whispered, "My lady..."

His stomach suddenly started growling at that moment, which made him feel like crying.

Why haven't you touched any of the food on the table? Don't you like it?

Cong Shan shook his head and said, "No..."

"If you don't eat now, you won't have the energy later." Jiang Mian smiled and led him to the table. The food was already cold. Jiang Mian was about to ask someone to heat it up when Cong Shan immediately stopped her.

"I'll just have some pastries; I like them."

If word gets out that the groom was eating on his wedding night, he'll definitely be laughed at.

After eating a few simple pastries, Shan felt a surge of energy and sat up straight, saying, "I'm done eating."

The bright red mark between Cong Shan's eyebrows, which complemented the nail polish on her hands, made Jiang Mian exclaim, "The mark between Cong Shan's eyebrows is so beautiful."

Cong Shan also has a virginity mark on his arm, which means he is still a virgin, but it will disappear after tonight.

As Jiang Mian drew closer, just as Cong Shan thought she was about to do something, Jiang Mian cupped his face and said earnestly, "Brother Cong Shan, I have something to tell you. After you marry me, you can still go in and out of the Imperial Academy as before and do what you like. You should focus on making yourself happy and not worry about what others think."

“My mother and father are both enlightened people, and the Jiang family doesn’t need a young master who strictly adheres to the rules and is extremely rigid. You can just be yourself.”

Jiang Mian pressed her forehead against his and murmured, "No matter what you do, I will support you."

This was completely different from what Congshan had thought before. He believed that getting married would mean entering a new cage, having to abandon his previous preferences to compromise, and giving up things he liked, putting his wife first.

Jiang Mian now tells him that he can continue doing what he likes.

Cong Shan's eyes welled up with tears, his pupils turning slightly red. Jiang Mian held him in her arms and gently told him not to cry.

"Brother Congshan, don't cry anymore, or what will you do when your tears run dry?" Jiang Mian wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, buried her face in his snow-white neck, and deeply inhaled his sweet scent.

After passing the imperial examination, it's time for the wedding night.

"Promise me you won't...you won't take a concubine..." Congshan's voice was choked with sobs, yet it revealed a hint of stubbornness.

He felt extremely wronged; his junior sister, his wife, was loved by so many people.

Jiang Mian promised in a hoarse voice, "I only want Brother Congshan."

She didn't know how many times he called her "brother." At first, he would respond, but when he discovered that every time she called him, he would bite her with a mischievous glint in his eye, he simply stopped responding and kept his mouth tightly shut.

The cinnabar mark on her forehead slowly disappeared as the bloodstain appeared.