When my vicious stepmother mistakenly married me to the Immortal Lord

Anding Marquis Mansion, Fanghua Courtyard.

The night is quiet, the silver moon casts its clear light, the snow covering the green tiles is as white as frost, the cold wind whispers softly, and the shadows of the bamboos sway.

Madam Du Shulan had just helped Marquis Jiang Buli to sleep when she slowly walked out of the inner room and into the courtyard.

At this time, Nanny Chang was already waiting in the shadows behind the corridor.

Upon seeing Du Shulan, she hurried forward and whispered in her ear, "Madam, this old servant has already brought the Black Witch back from Witch Town and has placed her in the city."

Du Shulan's eyes flickered slightly. She raised her bare hands and smoothed the hair on her temples. She glanced at Nanny Chang and asked calmly, "No one has discovered us, right?"

Nanny Chang lowered her head and said, "Don't worry, Madam. I have acted cautiously and have not attracted anyone's attention along the way. It's just that..."

Du Shulan frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in her tone: "Just what? If you have something to say, just say it directly, don't hesitate."

Nanny Chang gritted her teeth and said quickly, "But the black witch said that the gold bracelet is not enough. She also wants four boys and girls born in the yin hour and yin month as sacrifices before she is willing to perform witchcraft for us."

Upon hearing this, Du Shulan's expression suddenly changed, and her tone turned cold: "She has quite a big appetite. A boy or girl born in a yin month and a yin hour, this is not a simple request."

Nanny Chang carefully observed Du Shulan's expression and tentatively suggested, "Madam, why don't we think of a way to select someone from the servants in the mansion? Perhaps..."

"No!" Du Shulan flatly refused. "The servants in the mansion are all recorded. If someone suddenly disappears, it will definitely arouse suspicion. Moreover, if this matter gets out, will our mansion's reputation be ruined?"

Nanny Chang was frightened by Du Shulan's tone and quickly bowed her head and said, "Madam is right. I was not thoughtful enough."

"Go to the brokerage tomorrow and see if there's anyone suitable to buy. Money isn't a problem. Remember, you have to do it in secret, so no one can see."

Nanny Chang was startled and quickly responded, "Yes, Madam, I will do it tomorrow morning."

Du Shulan nodded slightly, a chill in her eyes, "If this thing fails, you know the consequences."

Nanny Chang shuddered and quickly bowed and retreated, "This old servant understands and will definitely live up to the Madam's trust."

*

The winter sun shines obliquely on the quiet courtyard, the white snow covering the eaves and tiles is crystal clear, and the warmth is slightly intoxicating in the afternoon.

The medicinal meal Jiang Song is going to cook for Xie Changyan today is a "Snow Clam and Bird's Nest Soup".

This medicinal food uses snow frog as the main ingredient, supplemented with bird's nest, rock sugar, wolfberry and other medicinal ingredients, and stewed into a soup that can not only nourish the body, but also moisten the lungs and beautify the skin.

It is just right for Xie Changyan, who has been suffering from a cough and a bad complexion recently.

Jiang Song was busy in the kitchen. She soaked the snow frog and bird's nest separately, then put them into a stewing pot and added appropriate amount of water and rock sugar.

Then she placed the stew pot on the stove and simmered it.

During the stewing process, she gently stirred it with chopsticks from time to time to ensure that the medicinal ingredients were fully blended.

An hour later, the snow frog and bird's nest soup was finally ready.

Jiang Song poured the stewed medicinal food into an exquisite porcelain bowl and sprinkled a few bright red wolfberries on it. The aroma immediately filled the air, making people salivate.

Just as he was about to ask Xiuyun to deliver it to Xie Changyan, he saw Xie Yunni walking briskly to the kitchen door.

"Sister-in-law, what are you making? It smells so good!" Xie Yunni came over curiously and saw the bowl of snow clam and bird's nest soup on the table at a glance.

Jiang Song chuckled, "This is a snow frog and bird's nest soup I made for my husband. He's had a bit of a cough lately, and this medicinal food could help alleviate it a bit."

Xie Yunni heard this, and a trace of envy flashed in her eyes: "Sister-in-law is really clever and skillful, brother is so lucky."

Jiang Song shook his head slightly: "Yun Ni, you're too kind. This is just what I should do."

As she spoke, she handed the porcelain cup to Xiuyun who was standing beside her: "Hurry up and give it to your husband. Don't make him wait too long."

Xiuyun took the porcelain cup and walked out carefully.

Jiang Song took out two exquisite porcelain bowls from the cupboard, divided the remaining medicinal food into the bowls, and then handed one bowl to Xie Yunni.

"Yun Ni, you should try it too. This medicinal food is good for your health."

Xie Yunni took the porcelain bowl with surprise. Looking at the crystal clear and fragrant snow frog and bird's nest soup in the bowl, the corners of her mouth could not help but rise: "Thank you, sister-in-law. I won't be polite then."

The two sat at the small table in the kitchen, slowly savoring the medicinal food.

Xie Yunni took a bite and her eyes lit up immediately: "Wow, it's delicious! Sister-in-law, your cooking skills are amazing!"

Jiang Song smiled: "As long as you like it. This medicinal food is actually not difficult to prepare, it just requires some patience and time. If you are interested, I can teach you."

Xie Yunni nodded quickly: "Okay, okay! Sister-in-law, please teach me when you have the chance someday. I also want to learn how to make medicinal food."

"By the way, Yun Ni, what brings you here today?" Jiang Song asked.

"Oh, sister-in-law, look at my memory. I was so busy eating that I forgot about the important things." Xie Yunni slapped her forehead and said in annoyance. Then she smiled mysteriously, "Sister-in-law, guess what I brought you?"

Jiang Song looked at Xie Yunni's mysterious expression and couldn't help but chuckle: "Yunni, stop keeping me in suspense and show it to me."

Xie Yunni chuckled and pulled out a book from behind her. "Here, this is 'A Collection of Military Strategies and Essays', a must-read for Fengwu Academy's literary exam! I brought it back from the academy especially for you, sister-in-law."

Jiang Song took the book, flipped through a few pages, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "This book is exactly what I want, Yun Ni, you really helped me a lot."

Although Fengwu Academy prioritizes martial arts over strategy in its selection process, the literary examination cannot be ignored.

The noble ladies in the imperial capital who were willing to apply for Fengwu Academy had hired famous teachers to teach them both literary and military strategies since they were young, in order to stand out in the selection.

A concubine's daughter like Jiang Song, who was ignored by everyone, lost at the starting line from the very beginning. If she had not studied hard in private, she would probably not even be able to reach the threshold of the literary examination.

When she was preparing for the "Martial Arts Strategy" exam, she read many books on military strategy, history, and martial arts tactics.

Because the content is scattered and unsystematic, even if Jiang Song has a photographic memory, it is difficult for him to quickly extract the essence from the vast ocean of books.

The book "Selected Military Strategies and Theories" is a careful selection and in-depth analysis of military strategies, tactics and actual combat cases from past dynasties. It is undoubtedly a timely help for people like her who are in urgent need of systematic learning.

Although it was just a programmatic list of books, it was enough for her to quickly build her own strategic thinking framework within a limited time and be fully prepared for the upcoming literary examination.

"Yun Ni, where did you get this book?" Jiang Song asked curiously.

Xie Yunni smiled proudly: "Hehe, this is the internal information of our inner courtyard. You can't buy it outside. I specially asked the teacher at the library for permission to lend it to you, sister-in-law."

Yes, for a genius like Xie Yunni who could be admitted to the top ten of Fengwu Academy, such carefully compiled information was naturally no problem, and it was not surprising that he could get it easily.

What is rare is that although Fengwu Academy's workload is always heavy, she still cares about Jiang Song's needs. This thought makes Jiang Song feel warm in his heart.

Jiang Song was touched and took Xie Yunni's hand and said, "Yunni, thank you. This gives me confidence that I will pass the written test."

Xie Yunni patted her chest and said proudly, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. I also hope that you can achieve your wish. Next year, when you go to Fengwu Academy, I will protect you and we will venture into the world together, hahaha!"

Jiang Song was infected by Xie Yunni's ambition and couldn't help laughing: "Okay, let's go out into the world together!"