A wicked mother swaps her son and sucks his blood? The true legitimate daughter is reborn and goes o

"I was so curious that I was talking to myself when my mother heard me. She threatened and interrogated me, and I had no choice but to tell her that you were hiding a woman..."

Xie Xuanjin finally raised his eyes and looked at him.

His gaze was so sharp that his last word almost trembled.

"Fourth Brother, hehe, hehe..."

Xie Yunli smiled obsequiously and ingratiatingly.

"Your mother said that you are of marriageable age and that you don't need to hide your feelings for any woman you like."

"My mother also said that she wants you to see her tomorrow. She wants to ask in person which family the girl is from, and she wants to act as matchmaker herself."

"..."

Xie Xuanjin's face grew increasingly gloomy.

Xie Yunli's heart skipped a beat, and he dared not continue speaking.

My mother originally wanted my fourth brother to see her today, but she has to go to the palace to see the Empress today.

He was worried that the Empress might find out about his fourth brother hiding a woman!

"Fourth... Brother..."

Fourth Brother's eyes are terrifying.

He'll probably be torn to pieces.

Xie Xuanjin remained silent for a moment, then coldly uttered two words, "Meddling!"

His gaze then turned to the window.

Xie Yunli: "..."

So... everything's alright?

Should we not pursue the matter of him revealing his secret?

Xie Yunli felt it was unreal and followed his gaze to look out the window.

He was very curious; what was outside the window?!

Outside the window, a carriage stopped outside the gate of the Yongning Marquis's residence.

There were three people in the carriage.

Madam Jiang was dressed in gorgeous clothes, her hair adorned with numerous hairpins.

She made a point of wearing all the presentable jewelry she could, so that the Yongning Marquis's mansion wouldn't look down on them.

Especially Lady Lu, the wife of the Marquis!

"Mother, the Yongning Marquis's mansion wants to change the marriage, humiliating us like this, and now they want us to take the initiative to propose to Song Qingning. This is clearly putting the Jiang family's face on the ground!"

Jiang Sheng's face was gloomy, his eyes filled with resentment.

He disagrees with changing the bride!

Madam Jiang comforted him, "Sheng'er, we have to swallow this insult. The Yongning Marquis's mansion will increase the dowry to make up for it. Once you pass the imperial examination and become an official, we'll give the Song family a good thrashing!"

"The imperial examination is approaching; that day is not far off!"

high school……

Jiang Sheng felt a little guilty.

At this moment, Jiang Sheng's older sister, Jiang Tong, chimed in, "Mother is right, little brother. We must seize what's in front of us, or we'll end up with nothing."

Jiang Sheng was reluctant, but he was persuaded nonetheless.

The three of them got off the carriage. Jiang Sheng carried several boxes of gifts, handed over the visiting cards, and entered the gate of the Yongning Marquis's residence.

Wangshu Tower.

Xie Xuanjin withdrew his gaze from those people.

Jiang Sheng? That man is Jiang Sheng!

With just one glance, Xie Xuanjin realized that Song Qingning had good judgment; Jiang Sheng really wasn't worth marrying!

Will she be able to handle it today?

Xie Xuanjin tapped his fingertips on the table, one tap after another, making Xie Yunli feel uneasy.

A moment later, he summoned his shadow guard, "Wan Liang, go and urge Minister Meng. The Shence Army is busy with military affairs and urgently needs manpower. Those who are due to take office should do so as soon as possible!"

"Yes." The shadow guard accepted the order.

Xie Yunli narrowed his eyes.

Is the Shence Army busy with military affairs?

With military affairs so busy, how could Fourth Brother still have the leisure to sit here drinking tea and watching...the street scene?

Xie Yunli was embarrassed and dared not say anything more.

The Duke of Meng's Mansion.

Meng Huaizhou was about to leave for the Ministry of War when he heard Xie Xuanjin send someone to urge him on, and he could not hide his surprise.

The appointment letter from the Ministry of War had already been issued.

He originally planned to inform Song Qingning together after the appointments from the Shence Army were finalized.

He thought he would have to wait a while longer with the Shence Army, but to his surprise, someone sent the appointment letter to the Ministry of War yesterday and urged him to put someone into office as soon as possible.

Busy with military affairs?

General Song's position is just a sinecure; the real job is in the Capital City Commandery. Why are you in such a hurry to urge them?

Meng Huaizhou found it strange.

Xie Xuanjin wasn't the only one who was strange; Song Qingning was too.

The day before yesterday, Song Qingning asked him to invite Duke Meng to a banquet at the Marquis's residence. It was an invitation organized by Marquis Song, and at the time he didn't think anything of it.

At this moment, however, he felt that something was about to happen at the Yongning Marquis's residence.

Meng Huaizhou dared not delay.

After getting into the carriage, I went straight to the Ministry of War, got the appointment letter, and then went to the Yongning Marquis's residence.

The Yongning Marquis's Residence.

Lord Song hosted a banquet at Chunhui Garden.

"Brother Meng, I am very pleased that you came today." Lord Song's face was greatly satisfied.

He had long wanted people to know that he had befriended Duke Meng.

When Qingning learned that he was hosting a banquet, she volunteered to invite Duke Meng on his behalf, and to her surprise, Duke Meng actually came.

"Brother Song, since you've hosted this banquet, of course I'll come," said Duke Meng with a smile.

The other guests present couldn't help but look at Lord Song with envy when they heard the two address each other as brothers.

Lord Song was in a very good mood.

The three members of the Jiang family passed by Chunhui Garden and heard the sounds of a banquet inside.

"Does the Marquis's residence have other guests today?" Madam Jiang casually asked the servant who had led the way.

The servant said, "This is a regular banquet hosted by the old Marquis for his friends, and today Duke Meng is also here."

"The old Duke Meng?!"

Jiang Sheng stopped in surprise.

Duke Meng was the father of Empress Meng, and thus held a noble status.

The Marquis of Yongning's mansion and the Duke of Meng's mansion have such a relationship!

At this moment, Jiang Sheng wished he could go in and show his face, but what status did he have to do so?

Aristocratic families value lineage and social standing, but even more so, they value the distinction between嫡子 (legitimate son)

The resources of the Yongning Marquis's mansion all belong to the eldest son's legitimate branch, while the second son's illegitimate branch doesn't even get a chance to benefit from them.

Even if he marries Song Qingning and receives a generous dowry, it will not benefit his future.

Jiang Sheng was unwilling to accept this.

The three were taken to the flower hall, which was separated from Chunhui Garden by a wall.

A servant brought tea.

After waiting for a long time, the owner did not come to greet us.

"This Lu family is deliberately ignoring us. They're really going too far!" Madam Jiang felt humiliated and gritted her teeth, wishing she could slam the door and leave.

But having finally entered the gates of the Yongning Marquis's residence, she couldn't leave like this.

Madam Jiang suppressed her anger.

Through the gauze curtains of the flower hall, Liu's mother saw Madam Jiang's anger.

Just as she was about to report to Madam Liu, she heard the young woman beside Madam Jiang say, "Mother, I want to go out for a walk and get some fresh air."

Before Madam Jiang could give her permission, the young woman left the flower hall.

Jiang Sheng also stood up, "I'll go for a walk too."

Liu's mother frowned, then went to Youlan Courtyard to report to Liu's mother about Madam Jiang's resentment towards Madam Lu.

Mrs. Liu was very satisfied.

The reason why Madam Lu did not go to entertain them was naturally because no one had informed her that the Jiang family had arrived.

She wanted to make the Jiang family resent the Lu family.

"I wonder who that young woman that Madam Jiang brought is. She's so unruly. Once she left the flower hall, she touched this and that. She's never seen the world before," said Liu Mama with disdain.

"Jiang Sheng has an older sister," Song Qingyan said.

Liu sneered, "It must be her. Jiang Sheng's older sister is married, but it's like she's not."

"Her mother-in-law is shrewd and controls the household affairs, not letting her get involved at all. But she is also a woman who loves to manage the household. If she can't manage her husband's family, she will manage her own family. The Jiang family's household affairs are still in the hands of her older sister, Jiang Sheng. I heard that Jiang Sheng listens to her."

"But it's good, Qingning will have someone to manage the household after she marries into the family, and she can enjoy a comfortable life."

While Liu said "enjoying peace and happiness," her eyes betrayed her schadenfreude.

After Song Qingning married into the family, she'll have two mothers-in-law who will make her life miserable!

"If that's the case, then Qingning is going to be very lucky. I really envy her." Song Qingyan covered her mouth with her embroidered handkerchief and chuckled.

At this time.

Song Qingning was sitting in the courtyard, taking inventory of the old Marquis's private treasury with the steward.

She invited the old Duke Meng on behalf of the old Marquis, and while he was in a good mood, she offered to help him take stock of his private treasury. The old Marquis agreed without hesitation.

He gave her the key to his private vault.

Taking stock of her secret stash was a trap she had tailored specifically for one person.

Jiang Sheng's older sister, Jiang Tong, was her sister-in-law in her previous life.

She likes to meddle in her family's affairs, and she will definitely come to such an important event as Jiang Sheng's marriage proposal.

Soon, a familiar figure came into her view.

Song Qingning glanced at the boxes of valuables on the ground in front of her, and a smile appeared on her lips.

The bait is in place, just waiting for the prey to take the bait.