bestfiction Chapter 766 Some were homeless, some were sick, some went mad
Chapter 766 Some were homeless, some were sick, some went mad
Qiao Lian'er took out several heavy silver ingots from his sleeve, along with a thousand-tael silver note, and handed them to Xiao Lan.
"That should be enough for your expenses during this period. As for the rest, consider it as travel expenses to the capital."
"Princess, I'll figure something out myself." Xiao Lan was about to push the money back when she saw it.
Qiao Lian'er stopped her hand: "If you feel bad, then remember it for now, and we'll talk about it later."
Xiao Lan thought about how she wanted to take her younger brother out of this remote mountain village and to a faraway place, but without money, she couldn't go anywhere, so she had no choice but to accept the money.
Any words of gratitude would be superfluous. She simply said, "Princess, please take care on your journey home."
Qiao Lian'er left the horses and carriages for them to use, and she would buy them from a carriage and horse shop when she arrived in Yunzhou.
The rice cakes from Yunzhou were delicious, and she brought two for each person in her family. They were still piping hot when they arrived in the capital.
From the moment they set off for Yunzhou to their return to the capital, it only took a day.
Only after confirming that Xiao Lan was from Yunzhou did Qiao Lian'er mention this to the Qiao family.
"Yunzhou is so far away. Why did Xiaolan come all the way from such a far place to the capital?" Madam Feng asked in confusion.
"It's about finding relatives, but we haven't found them yet," Qiao Lian'er said, using this as an excuse.
Xiao Lan must have gone to the Jiang family, but she ended up like this; someone in the Jiang family must have treated her badly.
The fewer people who know about it, the better, until everything is fully investigated.
Da Meng stared blankly at the empty room where Xiao Lan had stayed.
"Will she return to the capital?"
"Yes." Qiao Lian'er then explained Xiao Lan's family situation. Knowing that Xiao Lan had lost her father at a young age and that her mother was now bedridden, the Qiao family members felt pity for her.
"Poor child," said Old Mrs. Qiao, "he has suffered one misfortune after another."
"Hey Lian'er, did you leave Xiao Lan some money for herself? She must have come all this way to seek refuge with relatives because of her mother's illness, hoping to save her mother." Da Meng's tone became urgent as he thought of this.
He now longs to go to Xiaolan's hometown and see her one last time.
"If I hadn't stayed, Brother Da Meng would be rushing to Yunzhou right now," Qiao Lian'er joked.
Da Meng breathed a sigh of relief and scratched his head sheepishly: "I was just worried that she would be left without a home and that she would be far away from here, and I wouldn't be able to take care of her."
Qiao Laosan and Lu Shi exchanged a glance. It seemed that this child really cared about Miss Xiao Lan.
They initially thought that Da Meng would find a woman from a high-class family, someone of equal social standing, but if he truly liked her and she had good character, her family background wouldn't be so important.
The Qiao family also came from a remote mountain village, so they wouldn't have any such reservations.
"She came looking for her relatives, lost her memory, and was poisoned. What happened?" Qiao Xi'er pondered.
As soon as she said that, everyone immediately realized what she meant.
“Yes, Lian’er, Miss Xiao Lan was perfectly fine, how could she have been harmed by someone?” Qiao Yunni said, “You said she would come back again, will those people harm her again?”
"So I'll figure things out first, so I can be on guard," Qiao Lian'er said.
"Lian'er, if you need my help, just say so." Da Meng patted his chest.
"I want everything to go smoothly and comfortably for Miss Xiaolan after she returns."
Qiao Lian'er then learned more about the Jiang family's situation.
The family that Madam Yin was referring to was the most prominent Jiang family in the capital. After the passing of the old master Jiang, his eldest son Jiang Zhongmao inherited the title. Jiang Zhongmao was quite capable, and under his management, the Jiang family continued its former glory and prospered.
However, it seems that Madam Chiang, the Princess of Shouguang, fell ill three years ago and has not made any public appearances since then.
He has a son, who seems to be of little use; he is born somewhat eccentric and confused, and one cannot place high hopes on him.
Another woman, who was rather cold towards Madame Chiang, was about to get married, and Madame Chiang was still prepared to give all of her dowry as part of her dowry.
Although her daughter wasn't particularly close to her, she was still her own flesh and blood. To prevent her daughter from being mistreated after marrying into her husband's family and to ensure she had someone to rely on, Madam Chiang still prioritized her daughter's well-being.
Madame Chiang Kai-shek is in such a state now that not only is her health poor, but she also cannot experience the joys of family life.
On the contrary, Concubine Wei gave birth to two sons, and the three of them were united and happy. Three years ago, when Madam Jiang fell ill, Concubine Wei's power continued to grow, and now she controls the entire inner quarters, completely sidelining Princess Shouguang.
Qiao Lian'er rubbed her temples. If you delve deeper, you'll find that behind every powerful and influential family lies countless shady power struggles and unsavory secrets.
Princess Shouguang claimed to be ill, but it was actually due to her defeat in the long-standing struggle with the Wei family.
The daughter of Princess Shouguang, Jiang Shuxue, is actually born to Lady Wei. Poor Princess Shouguang, she raised someone else's daughter for more than ten years, and in the end, she had to give up all her dowry. Once she had used up all her value, her death was imminent.
Qiao Lian'er stroked the teacup: "This matter is not easy to handle."
Pei Shijiu sat opposite her, playing with a folding fan in his hand.
“I know the eldest son, Jiang Shijing, better than you do.”
"How to say."
"In fact, when Jiang Shijing was three years old, he showed intelligence beyond his peers. By the age of seven, he had thoroughly read the Four Books and Five Classics and had considerable insights. He was also proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. It is no exaggeration to call him a genius."
"From the age of ten, Jiang Shijing began to become abnormal. He spoke incoherently and acted madly, as if he had taken Wushi Powder. He did not get better year by year. He was the eldest son on whom Lord Jiang had placed great hopes, but he became a worry for him, or even a disgrace. He never mentioned him in front of others again."
Qiao Lian'er said, "This Wei family is incredibly cunning. They've caused the main family to become homeless, sick, or even insane."
Pei Shijiu simply smiled nonchalantly, as if he had long been used to it.
“There are many things that are much dirtier than this. Water flows downhill, and people strive to rise higher. Those who climb up, whether in the imperial court or the inner quarters, are all extraordinary.”
"However, if you want to help Princess Shouguang, I will fully cooperate."
Qiao Lian'er hesitated. Should she get involved in the Jiang family's mess for Xiao Lan's sake? Once she started doing something like this, she had to do it thoroughly and resolve the trouble completely.
She realized that Xiao Lan had saved Da Meng Ge and was taken to the Qiao family by him. It was impossible for the Wei family not to know about this. Their resentment and hostility towards the Qiao family probably started long ago.
The Wei family will continue to deal with Xiao Lan, and the Qiao family cannot stand idly by; they will inevitably clash sooner or later.
Since it was Heaven's will that this was arranged, she went along with it.
If Brother Da Meng marries Miss Xiao Lan, it would be equivalent to a marriage alliance between the Qiao and Jiang families, which would be like gaining an ally. It would be beneficial to do this, so why not?