When Wei Luo approached, Yin Hui didn’t intend to guard against him and took the initiative to explain, “This is the relationship between the aristocratic family and high-ranking officials in the capital that my grandfather sorted out. He was afraid that I wouldn’t understand anything since I just came to the capital, so he specially sorted it out for me.”
Wei Luo noticed that Yin Hui’s eyes were red, indicating that she must have cried again.
However, the old man was so kind to her, no wonder she was moved.
Wei Luo leaned over and read two pages with her.
The old man was worthy of being an experienced fellow; he listed the relationship between each family clearly and concisely at a glance.
“Let’s rest first, and read it slowly later,” Wei Luo said as he lay down under the blanket.
Yin Hui put the booklet beside the pillow and, after lying down, looked at him. “My lord, although my second uncle’s family is not good, my cousin and I have never been enemies. Now we are in the capital, tell me, should I invite her to come to the mansion?”
Wei Luo said, “Yes, if she is virtuous, you can meet her often, but if she is like her parents, then forget it.”
Jiang Weijia was a promising official, and having such an official was beneficial. Although it might have been embarrassing, Wei Luo didn’t seek anything from Jiang Weijia, let alone try to win him over.
Yin Hui understood what Wei Luo meant, and she didn’t bother to involve herself in fake sister relationships.
The next day, Yin Hui sent someone to The Jiang Mansion to send the letter.
In the Jiang Mansion, Jiang Weijia had gone to work in the Ministry of Officials, and Yin Rong was dealing with some chores with the nanny in charge.
Yin Rong was in a daze after receiving the invitation from the Shu Mansion.
Her cousin, who had been doted on by their grandfather and admired by relatives since childhood, had suddenly ascended to become an incomparably noble princess.
Before her marriage, Yin Rong knew that her parents and elder brothers wouldn’t provide much assistance, except for giving her a dowry. They treated her as an outsider and prohibited her from knowing the family’s secrets. Yin Hui maintained correspondence, and if Jiang Weijia needed help in his official career, she could still turn to Yin Hui for favors.
However, when she wrote the first letter to Yin Hui, Jiang Weijia found out and withheld the letter, instructing her not to write again.
Confused, Yin Rong didn’t understand.
Jiang Weijia bluntly stated, “As far as I know, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and even you have old grievances with the third madam. Since there was no harmony between you before leaving the house, where did the sisterhood come from this time?”
Realizing that her seemingly gentle husband had already investigated the situation of the Yin family, Yin Rong felt anger rising within her. She lashed out, “I want to curry favor with her for our family.”
Unspoken was another ugly truth—that Jiang Weijia had married her because he liked her connection with the Yan Palace. She wondered why he bothered to pretend to be so self-reliant.
Fearing her true feelings might be revealed, Yin Rong lowered her head after speaking, watching him slowly cut her letter with the scissors. He remarked, “I have made my own arrangements for my official career. Just do your job well, and you don’t have to get involved in official affairs.”
As a result, Yin Rong felt awkward for a while, angered by Jiang Wei’s harsh words, and worried about whether he would come to hate her.
Fortunately, Jiang Weijia continued to treat her with the same gentleness and consideration. The couple only accepted two maids, refrained from having children, and never took concubines.
Later, her elder brother sued King Yan and her grandfather over an incident.
Yin Rong was afraid of death; she feared that her family’s comfortable life would be disrupted by her brother or grandfather. Perhaps due to Jiang Weijia’s relatively modest official position, the court did not pay much attention to him. Local officials assumed that Jiang Weijia, being the eldest brother’s direct brother-in-law, would align with the eldest brother’s interests. Hence, they didnt guard against Jiang Weijia. Even Yin Rong herself saw through Jiang Weijia’s plan when he intended to secretly send her and the children to Yandi to avoid potential disaster.
Panicked, she feared the consequences if King Yan were to lose, and Jiang Weijian faced execution by the court. In such a scenario, she and her children would have nowhere to escape.
Jiang Weijia simply held her hand and assured her to trust him, emphasizing that he would never risk the lives of his family.
During those times, Yin Rong didn’t trust her grandfather or her eldest brother in court. She only had faith in her husband, the father of her children.
Events later proved that Jiang Weijia was correct. King Yan ascended to the throne, Jiang Weijia became a fifth-rank Beijing official, and Yin Rong was elevated to the status of a wife of an important official.
Unfortunately, Yin Hui was better off than her. Compared with her princess status, what was she, the official’s lady?
Despite knowing that comparisons were futile, Yin Rong couldn’t help but feel unwilling.
When Jiang Weijia returned at dusk, Yin Rong showed him the invitation card from the Shu Mansion.
While Jiang Weijia was engrossed in reading the letter, Yin Rong observed her husband closely. In that moment, she discerned a subtle expression of joy on his gentle and handsome face.
Yin Rong grasped that her husband was genuinely inclined to seek favor with the nobility. Prior to marrying her, he aspired to ascend to the Yan Palace. However, at this juncture, he seemed eager to align himself with Prince Shu.
“It’s uncommon for the princess to still harbor thoughts about the old connections, so you should prepare thoroughly and take the children with you,” Jiang Weijia remarked, setting the letter aside with a smile.
Yin Rong found herself in a complex emotional state and awkwardly admitted, “I haven’t seen her for several years. I’m afraid I won’t know what to say to her.”
Jiang Wei suggested, “Start by discussing the past. Seize an opportunity to apologize for Yin Wen’s situation. Then, shift the conversation to the children. As sisters, your bond is stronger than with outsiders.”
Yin Rong nodded automatically.
Jiang Weijia studied her for a moment and then suddenly inquired, “Are you envious that the Princess is leading a better life than you?”
Yin Rong’s complexion changed drastically, and she hastily refuted the suggestion.
Maintaining a serious expression, Jiang Weijia said, “There’s no ‘best’. Our journey to this point has not been easy. You’ve gained the favor of the Princess, and the Emperor may overlook that I am, in fact, the brother-in-law of the eldest son of the Yin family.”
Yin Rong, fearing him, felt even more embarrassed when he mentioned Yin Wen. She reassured him repeatedly that she wasn’t jealous of Yin Hui.