Chapter 140: A Family Reunion
The meal was enjoyed by both host and guest.
In Jiang Wan’s dream, Heir Han treated her very well, just like a true elder.
He considered her in everything.
Jiang Wan also unconsciously developed feelings of admiration and affection for him.
Heir Han was surprised to discover that in the Jiang Family, it wasn’t just Madam Jiang, Madam Wu, who was extremely beautiful—her appearance and charm were exactly to his taste—but her daughter had actually grown up to be even more beautiful.
It was rare to see a young girl with such exquisite features even in the capital.
However, he was not interested in young girls.
Instead, he found Madam Wu even more alluring, especially since she had given birth to such a beautiful daughter.
The Jiang Family was extremely warm and welcoming.
Furthermore, it did not seem fake; their warmth was genuine and sincere.
Old Madam Jiang looked at him with quite a loving gaze, which he did not find strange; the Emperor doted on him, so what elder would dare not be loving towards him?
Except for his mother.
He rarely saw his mother, and had very few memories of her. The few times they met, she was always cold and distant.
His mother was cold to everyone, not just him.
Of course, he did not lack affection in his life.
The current Emperor was his own uncle, so he could walk sideways wherever he went—who would dare to give him a hard time?
His Father was also completely compliant with him, rarely asking him to do anything.
He was showered with endless affection; aside from not being able to pluck the stars or the moon from the sky, everything else he wanted was within his grasp.
Heir Han found this Jiang Huaisheng quite interesting.
When he called him Elder Brother, he actually responded quite naturally.
Everyone knew that he usually only called someone “Elder Brother” for the sake of his sister-in-law; who in the capital had the face to be his “Elder Brother”?
This family was very kind and friendly, but it seemed like they were a bit slow-witted.
Heir Han, arrogant in his ways, poured a lot of wine for Jiang Huaisheng.
Jiang Huaisheng initially said that he had accidentally injured his face and should not drink alcohol.
But when Heir Han’s expression darkened and he became displeased, Jiang Huaisheng had no choice but to drink with him.
Heir Han was quite skilled at pleasing people and getting them to drink.
After all, he had lived by his uncle the Emperor’s side for many years, and the person he most needed to please was his uncle, so he certainly knew how to speak pleasantly.
His emotional intelligence was also on point; at the very least, he never dared to do anything outrageous in the palace.
“Elder Brother, you and I hit it off immediately. One day when you return to the capital, I will take you to meet my uncle. You are so learned and talented that my uncle will definitely like you. He treasures talent above all else.”
Heir Han kept saying “uncle” with every breath, making Jiang Huaisheng feel lightheaded—that was the Emperor, after all—and he was also quite drunk.
He even imagined that one day he would return to the capital, rise through the ranks, and sit in a position higher than Father had held back then, surpassing his predecessor and living up to Father’s high expectations.
Although in his memory, Father had evaluated him: “Huaisheng, you are steady and have good talent, but you lack experience and cunning. I do not expect you to achieve high office or great wealth; I only hope you can live a stable life.”
Father had bestowed upon him the courtesy name “Shoucheng” (City Defender), Jiang Shoucheng.
Father’s greatest expectation for him was that if he could guard a single city, that would be remarkable enough.
But he remembered Father’s evaluation of his younger brother: “Changtian, you are naturally intelligent, adaptable, and will surely achieve great things.”
After drinking, Jiang Huaisheng thought of the past, of Father, and of his younger brother who had now become his enemy, feeling a bit sorrowful. He had never expected that the brother Father loved so dearly was not actually his biological brother.
Now he was more like an enemy than an enemy, wanting to put their whole family to death. On the contrary, this Heir Han from the capital felt closer to him than his own brother.
Jiang Huaisheng was drunk, drinking so much that he lost his composure, and tears even streamed down his face.
He did not understand; the younger brother he had carried on his back, the obedient brother who had sat on his back, the brother who had said he wanted to grow up to be like his Elder Brother—how had he turned into this?
Old Madam Jiang watched with inexplicable gratification as Huaisheng and Heir Han cherished each other and drank happily while talking.
Men were drinking and talking; as an elder woman of the inner household, it was not appropriate for her to join them.
She returned to her room, but Jiang Wan accompanied her.
Her emotions were fluctuating quite a bit, and she was even a little uncomposed.
She never expected to meet this child under such circumstances.
He even asked how her hand was.
Old Madam Jiang only said she had accidentally injured it.
After saying this, her eyes turned red with grievance.
It was all that beast’s doing.
…
Over there, Jiang Huaisheng was already very drunk.
Heir Han frowned as he listened to this man complain endlessly about his younger brother. So it turned out that the Rebel Jiang the Second was actually a child adopted by his family?
What kind of person was this?
People had rebelled, so you should be following them to enjoy good food and drink, what are you complaining about? Otherwise, you should just uphold justice and destroy your own kin.
Heir Han could not understand this person’s train of thought, nor did he care much.
He sent someone to invite the sister-in-law over; since the Elder Brother was drunk, the sister-in-law should come to take care of him, right?
Madam Wu had just felt that something was a bit off, but she and her husband were childhood sweethearts and had married quite early. After marriage, Old Madam Jiang was not very willing for her to go out and socialize, and no one would tell her about Heir Han.
She thought she might be overthinking it; it was said that Heir Han had just gotten married and was someone showered with endless affection by the Emperor, so how could he have designs on a woman like her who had just given birth and already had three children?
She even wondered if it was because she hadn’t been intimate with her husband in a long time that she had developed such strange thoughts.
She reflected on herself for a moment.
Now that she heard her husband was drunk, she had the wet nurse take care of Shushu and went to look after her husband.
Madam Wu was wearing a white dress; she had no jewelry on her head, only a single jade hairpin, and she wore no earrings because she often played with her baby and felt that Shushu liked to touch her ears, so wearing earrings was not good for the child.
She had weaned the baby after giving birth, and her figure had recovered quite well.
After all, they had wet nurses, and she already had experience.
A white dress was actually less likely to look old because there was no color to fade, though it was a bit easy to get dirty; she just needed to be careful in her daily life.
When Madam Wu entered the room, she found her husband already drunk and lying on the couch, looking quite disheveled.
“Sister-in-law, Elder Brother has drunk too much. Let me help you support him back to the room.”
Madam Wu felt that uncomfortable feeling rising again; this Heir Han addressed her too intimately.
However, in the presence of others, she must be overthinking it.
She wanted to have a maid help, but the Jiang Mansion was no longer in the days where maidservants were everywhere; they had been greatly reduced.
A single maid could not support him.
Heir Han enthusiastically stepped forward to help.
They supported Jiang Huaisheng back to the room together, and the maid went to fetch water to serve them.
Heir Han actually did not leave; instead, he admired the room.
It was spacious and tidy, with a vanity mirror, and their belongings were placed together, showing that their relationship was quite good.
Madam Wu took off her husband’s shoes.
Heir Han actually wanted to step forward to help.
He wrapped his arms around Madam Wu from behind, grabbing her hands.
“Sister-in-law, I will help you. How could I let you do such rough work? He really doesn’t know how to cherish a beautiful woman.”
Madam Wu was both ashamed and embarrassed; her husband was sleeping on the bed right in front of them, yet this Heir Han was actually bold enough to do such a thing, and why hadn’t the maid come in yet?
“Let me go.”
“I won’t.”
Madam Wu felt as if all the strength in her body had been drained away; she could not struggle.
Old Madam Jiang recalled the past, leaning on the couch as if all the strength in her body had been drained away, tears streaming down her face.
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