Chapter 152: Selecting a Wife for General Guan

Jiang Lan glanced at the gift box held by the servant behind the old steward. Even at a glance, the box was clearly no ordinary item; it was evident that its contents were exceptionally precious.

Xichi, standing nearby, stepped forward to receive the gift and placed it properly, after which the steward withdrew.

Xue Mingrui glanced sidelong at Jiang Lan. Seeing that Jiang Lan was looking back at him, he remarked, "Don't you find it strange? Ever since you recovered from your severe injury, the Old Duke doesn't seem to keep you on such a tight leash anymore. He hasn't restricted you from going out either. Lately, your life has been going swimmingly—smooth and quite comfortable."

Faced with Xue Mingrui's unconcealed envy, Jiang Lan paid it no mind. What truly interested her was the phenomenon Xue Mingrui had just pointed out. Indeed, wasn't this Old Duke previously rather fond of keeping the original body strictly controlled? He used to forbid staying out overnight and even monitored the company she kept. Could the Old Duke have discovered something amiss?

As Jiang Lan pondered this, she quickly dismissed the thought. Logically speaking, the most normal reaction upon discovering that something was wrong with her would be akin to the original body's third uncle, who had successively invited over thirty Daoist priests in rotation to perform rituals and exorcise evil spirits.

Why was the Old Duke acting so uncharacteristically? Could there be some hidden story behind this?

Seeing Jiang Lan lost in thought, Xue Mingrui assumed he had touched a raw nerve. In the past, Jiang Lan had been extremely competitive, wanting to excel in everything she did, desperate to prove herself before the Old Duke.

He figured it must have been that recent incident which had caused the entire Jiang family to lose face, infuriating the Old Duke and leading to this prolonged period of cold shoulder toward his cousin.

Sometimes, Xue Mingrui simply could not fathom the Old Duke's methods.

When he asked his father, his father would only reply that the Old Duke had been overly harsh on his three children in the first half of his life, which ultimately led to the current state of affairs... Thus, perhaps the Old Duke wished to preserve the Jiang family's sole remaining direct descendant by molding Jiang Lan into a carefree wastrel, preventing him from shining too brightly so that he might simply survive. After all, having been so rigid and strict in the past, the Old Duke might have feared ruining the boy entirely.

Although Xue Mingrui felt his father's reasoning had some merit, many parts of it still did not make sense.

If the Old Duke feared that his cousin would attract too much attention and thus endanger his life, why not simply let his cousin hide his talents and bide his time? Why genuinely raise him to be a playboy? If a crisis were to strike, how would his cousin ever face it?

The Duke was a man of a lifetime's shrewdness; it was impossible he had not considered this. Xue Mingrui had even discussed the matter with his mother.

Lady Gu, however, had remarked that ever since the heir and his wife passed away, the Duke's Mansion had undergone a drastic change in temperament. There must be certain matters hidden within all this that remained unknown to them. These were simply individual destinies, so why force them?

When he asked his eldest brother, he was merely told that this was none of his business.

Compared to his eldest aunt's darling Heng cousin, Xue Mingrui still preferred Jiang Lan the most.

"Since everything is settled, I shall await your esteemed presence at the residence tomorrow. Tomorrow, my good brother, I will be counting on you."

Jiang Lan waved her hand dismissively, quickly sending him away.

Once Xue Mingrui had departed, Jiang Lan reopened the name roster on the desk. Within its pages were intricate relationship networks of many prominent families in the capital.

No doubt many aristocratic houses possessed such documents. Xue Mingrui must have known that neither the Old Duke nor the third uncle would explain the hidden currents within these circles to her, so he had transcribed a copy of his own reference material and passed it along to her.

However, the entries concerning the daughters of aristocratic families were rather obscure. Originally, she had hoped to catch a glimpse of Princess Shou'an's background and appearance, only to find mere sparse sentences noting only her lineage, parents, and brothers, while her talents and looks were left entirely unmentioned.

Whether this information had been omitted originally or deliberately left out by her cousin remained unknown.

The next day, early in the morning, Jiang Lan donned a cream-colored brocade long robe, topped with a jeweled crown, a golden fan tucked into her waist, and an exquisite piece of suet white jade hanging from her jade belt.

With Xichi following behind, Jiang Lan stood at the threshold.

Soon, her younger sister, Jiang Si, arrived.

Jiang Si was dressed in an ancient smoke-patterned azure silk gauze gown, paired with a misty water-colored hundred-flower skirt. A jade-bone fan was tied at her waist, making her look cool, elegant, and exceptionally striking.

Jiang Lan helped Jiang Si into the carriage, checked the retinue and gifts trailing behind, and gave the order: "Let's set off."

Jiang Si looked at Jiang Lan and asked, "It's only the *chen* hour. Aren't we setting off a bit too early?"

Jiang Lan smiled bitterly, pulled the roster from her bosom, and studied it while explaining, "There's nothing we can do. Who told our cousin to plead with me repeatedly yesterday? I had no choice."

"Did Second Cousin ask Brother to go over and help entertain the guests?" Jiang Si asked curiously, playing with her jade-bone fan.

"Indeed. Eldest Cousin has official business, so all the young male guests at the birthday banquet have fallen onto Second Cousin's shoulders. That's why he came looking for me to help out." Jiang Lan felt quite speechless. She had simply intended to visit her maternal grandmother's house in a leisurely manner; how had she ended up being roped into service? The way they conscripted laborers was far too shameless.

Jiang Si looked at her brother and said, "Brother, don't forget that the Xue residence has five branches. With Eldest Cousin away and Second Cousin overwhelmed, there are still the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Cousins... Even Ninth Cousin could go and help receive guests. Why on earth did Second Cousin come specifically to fetch you, Brother?"

Hearing Jiang Si put it this way, Jiang Lan also found it rather peculiar.

Logically speaking, entertaining guests alongside one's immediate brothers was the proper course of action. Dragging in a maternal cousin like her—what was the reason behind this?

Furthermore, although the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion had been established here for so long, Jiang Lan had genuinely never visited.

The carriage first turned onto an exceptionally wide avenue. Jiang Lan lifted the curtain to peer outside.

"The Prince of Anping's Mansion?"

Jiang Si looked over as well. "Did Brother's severe injury affect his memory that much? How could you forget this? The Duke of Yingguo's Mansion and the Prince of Anping's Mansion are on the very same lane."

Remembering the name roster in her hand, Jiang Lan muttered, "It seems the Prince of Anping's household was also invited this time. Just the other day, I happened to walk in on the Prince of Anping's private affairs. If we run into him today, I'm afraid I won't receive a very pleasant expression."

Jiang Si shook her head. "Brother, rest assured. The Prince of Anping will not attend a banquet of this sort. However, the Princess Consort is extremely fond of lively occasions and will certainly be present. Since their household has no legitimate daughters, and the Princess Consort is not overly rigid, she will likely bring her concubine-born daughters along to enjoy the festivities and attend the banquet."

"The Princess Consort of Anping? You mean the legitimate daughter of Grand Princess Jinyang—that Princess Consort and Commandery Princess?" Jiang Lan flipped through the roster in her hand, yet before she could turn to the correct page, Jiang Si provided a firm affirmation.

"What is the Princess Consort's character like?" Jiang Lan closed the booklet and inquired of her sister.

"Uh, well... unlike the Prince of Anping's formidable reputation at court, the Princess Consort is an exceptionally easygoing person. She often praises the young ladies who pay their respects to her. She is a thoroughly kind matron."

"I suppose this is what they call a fine flower stuck in cow dung."

Jiang Si smiled. "Although the Prince of Anping is somewhat overbearing in his actions and isn't particularly kind to our aunt, from the Princess Consort's perspective, the Prince of Anping is indeed an exceptional man of talent. Rumors say the Prince and Princess Consort are deeply devoted to one another."

Recalling that dark and windy night, the carriage belonging to the Prince of Anping's Mansion that carried the Princess of Liang, as well as the Prince of Anping himself whom she had witnessed with her own eyes—these were ironclad proofs. Jiang Lan desperately wanted to correct her sister's misunderstanding of the Prince of Anping.

Never mind; a young girl's perspective only extended this far. In the future, matters regarding a brother-in-law or the like would simply have to be vetted by herself.