Tianliangyuan

Chapter 102 Madam Jiang's Life Isn't Easy

Jiang Ning knew she had made a big mistake, and since her grandfather wouldn't see her at all, she didn't dare to expect to have a few of the Jiang family's secret guards as part of her dowry. But at the very least, she should have some capable people from the Jiang family.

In the end, there were none.

Moreover, after this incident, Grand Tutor Jiang conducted a thorough investigation and disposed of all the staff in Jiang Ning's courtyard.

Now that she's married, the servants assigned to Jiang Ning are all newly arranged by Grand Tutor Jiang. Fortunately, Madam Deng pleaded repeatedly, and as her own mother, she was adding to her daughter's dowry, so she wasn't restricted. That's how she got the few people Madam Deng arranged for her.

But how can the people under Deng's command compare to those under Jiang's?

Jiang Ning already had a guess in her heart that her grandfather's arrangement was probably to abandon her, his granddaughter.

Jiang Ning was unwilling. How could he help the Prince of Zhong ascend to the throne if he relied solely on himself?

But her grandfather was in a bad mood, and her attempts to see him were all in vain. She was even locked in the courtyard and not allowed to leave. She could only settle down and prepare for her marriage, and find another opportunity to persuade her grandfather later.

Although Jiang Ning was a concubine, she still held the rank of Ruren, so it was impossible for her to be quietly carried into the Prince Zhong's mansion in a sedan chair.

The proper etiquette must be observed, but Jiang Ning could not ask for more.

Jiang Taifu was willing to fight for her on the surface because the Jiang family cared about their reputation!

The Jiang family didn't touch a single penny of the betrothal gifts sent by the Prince Zhong's Mansion; Jiang Ning took them all back as part of her dowry.

Jiang Ning, dressed in a rose-red wedding gown, was filled with regret!

She can't even wear bright red, and she'll never be able to wear that color again in the future. How can she not be angry?

The Prince of Zhong also knew about what happened that day. In fact, he had entrusted Jiang Ning with the task. He was not stupid. He had seen Jiang Ning's performance that day. He himself was not heavily influenced by the Chinese medicine, but Jiang Ning was more deeply affected.

As for how the princess managed to prevent anyone from discovering anything strange about Jiang Ning, the Prince of Zhong had no idea.

This incident also shows that Zhao Yue's methods are clearly superior and more precise than Jiang Ning's!

Although the Loyal King harbored some dissatisfaction with Zhao Yue, he felt even more strongly that he had made the right choice in selecting her as his principal wife.

After all, at the crucial moment, Zhao Yue protected her husband and did not embarrass him. Instead, she became the victim and took this opportunity to further her relationship with the Jiang family.

Overall, the outcome was what King Chung wanted.

The Prince of Zhong had been thinking about how to get Jiang Ning into his residence, and had been troubled by this matter for a long time. He never expected that a single person could reverse the situation so quickly.

Now that Jiang Ning has become his concubine, she will naturally only be able to offer him advice and strategies in the future.

The next day, Zhao Yue drank the matriarchal tea without any hesitation.

Moreover, Zhao Yue is a smart person. Jiang Ning was originally beautiful, and with the support of the Jiang family, Zhao Yue naturally wouldn't have any formal dissatisfaction with her.

The tea ceremony went smoothly. As the principal wife, Zhao Yue gave her a reward and said a few polite words before asking her to get up.

Jiang Ning was not made things difficult for, which was somewhat unexpected.

Before coming, she had been thinking about how to deal with the princess if she made things difficult for her, and she even thought about how to act weak in front of the prince.

As a result, this is it?

Seeing that his wives and concubines were getting along well, the Prince of Zhong was naturally very satisfied. After saying a few words, he went to his study in the front courtyard.

The atmosphere in the room changed noticeably as soon as the man left.

Zhao Yue's expression remained indifferent, but her gaze towards Jiang Ning clearly carried a hint of mockery.

"Before you entered the manor, I was summoned to the palace by the Empress for a talk. Because of your affair with the Prince, I was reprimanded quite a bit. Now that you have married into the family, you must put the Prince first in everything. The Empress instructed you to cultivate your virtues and conduct as a wife. I have no reason to lie to you about this. Of course, if you don't believe me, you can use your status as a member of the Jiang family to go to the palace and ask for clarification."

Jiang Ning's expression changed slightly. Was she going to confront the Empress?

How could she possibly have the guts?

Even if she had the guts, she wouldn't have the face to do it!

"I understand. From now on, I will behave myself and dare not cause any trouble for Your Highness and Your Highness. After I return today, I will study the 'Admonitions for Women' carefully."

Zhao Yue nodded, looking relieved: "It's good that you understand. Our prince is the eldest son of a concubine, and it's difficult for him to act in the court. As his female relatives, we will inevitably have to move around in the palace in the future. You should be careful with your words and actions and not bring shame to the prince's mansion."

"Yes, Your Highness, I will follow your instructions."

"Alright, you've worked hard serving the Prince last night, so go back and rest. You don't need to come to pay your respects every day. Just come to greet him on the first and fifth of each month, morning and evening."

"Yes, thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I will take my leave now."

From then on, the positions of one principal wife and two concubines in the Prince Zhong's mansion were filled. The remaining women in the mansion were either concubines or maids.

These concubines may seem like ordinary concubines, but they are still subject to regulations. A prince can have a maximum of ten concubines, and among them are those bestowed by the prince himself, as well as concubines brought by the princess from her maiden home.

To put it bluntly, they were the princess's dowry maids, which is not uncommon among aristocratic families.

Moreover, a princess consort usually brings at least two concubines with her. These concubines are generally from collateral branches of the maternal family or are daughters of concubines, not ordinary maids or respectable women. So don't underestimate a concubine; perhaps her family background is higher than that of a mere lady.

Jiang Ning understood this point, which is why she dared not be careless when she greeted her sisters for the first time today.

Among the concubines brought by the princess, one was a concubine's daughter from a collateral branch of the Zhao family, and the other was sent from Zhao Yue's family. She was also a daughter of an official, but of a lower rank.

After entering the manor, Jiang Ning spent several days copying the "Admonitions for Women" and getting to know the women in the backyard of the manor.

Jiang Ning was angry. In her previous life, she married into the royal family as the Princess Consort of An, so she naturally had a high status. But this time, she was just a concubine, so she didn't receive much respect in the backyard of the Prince's mansion.

Of course, this is most likely due to her bad reputation.

Looking at the food laid out in front of her, Jiang Ning had no appetite at all.

"We've been eating this kind of food for almost ten days. Can't we change it?"

A young maidservant bowed and said, "Reporting to Madam Jiang, the dishes are different every day, and this is in accordance with the regulations and provisions of the Prince's Mansion."

Jiang Ning was only a concubine, and her dietary rules were that lunch was more substantial, but it still consisted of one meat dish, three vegetable dishes, and a soup.

Jiang Ning was used to enjoying love, how could she possibly stand this?

“I understand the rules of the Prince’s Mansion. What if I pay for it myself?”

"Reporting to Madam Jiang, the Princess Consort has already given orders on this matter. If each household uses its own money to subsidize the meals, the Princess Consort will not interfere. However, it is not allowed to be too extravagant and wasteful, lest people impeach the Prince for his extravagant lifestyle."

Jiang Ning was furious. In other words, even if she used her own money to make up for it, she could not exceed the allowances for the prince and princess!

Jiang Ning slammed down her chopsticks in anger: "I'm not eating! Go tell the servants to prepare the carriage, I'm leaving the manor."