Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Upon returning home, Jiang Tingzhong, without a moment's delay, recounted in detail the events that had transpired at the Zhenxiu Pavilion to his father, Jiang Pingda, and uncle, Jiang Pingyao. After listening, Jiang Pingda summoned Jiang Ting'an, who had just been resting in bed, to inquire about the entire sequence of events. Jiang Pingyao, hearing of his son's injury, felt a pang of pity and tried to stop his elder brother, but was severely reprimanded by Jiang Pingda.

Jiang Pingyao, somewhat embarrassed, touched his nose and sat down to the side, not daring to say anything.

When Jiang Ting'an arrived, he hesitated for a long time without uttering a single coherent sentence. Only under the cold stares of Jiang Pingda and Jiang Tingzhong did he finally manage to squeeze out a single word.

"I didn't hear the exact words spoken. A friend of mine came to me and said that he heard someone next door cursing the Chiang family, and then I..."

Jiang Pingda was furious at his pathetic appearance, but seeing his arm in a sling, clearly broken, he suppressed the urge to kick him and asked...

"Which of your friends heard that?" Jiang Pingda asked again.

"I didn't notice. I was a bit tipsy at the time, and I didn't pay attention to who said it." Jiang Ting'an really didn't want to answer, but he could feel his uncle's anger about to erupt at any moment, and he was afraid that if he gave a wrong answer, the glass in his uncle's hand would fall on his head. But he couldn't not answer, and not only did he have to answer, but he also had to tell the truth honestly, without telling a single lie. After speaking, he looked up at his father, hoping that he could say a few words for him.

But Jiang Pingyao had just been reprimanded by his elder brother, so how could he dare to speak up now? Besides, he also felt that his son had acted cowardly, probably being used by someone else. Letting his elder brother scold him a few times would teach him a lesson.

"You...you idiot, how could our Jiang family have given birth to such a brainless moron? From now on, stay away from your cronies and study hard at home, so you won't get sold out one day and still be counting the money for the seller!"

Jiang Pingda, enraged, pointed at his nephew's forehead and began to curse. Jiang Tingzhong was startled to see his father like this; he hadn't seen him like this in years. It seemed that ever since his aunt entered the palace, his father had become extremely concerned with his image. Although a military general, he always preferred to present himself as a scholar, speaking and acting with great refinement. Now, it seemed he was truly enraged by that fool, Jiang Ting'an.

"Who is following Ting'an?"

The servants outside looked at each other, then finally steeled themselves and the four of them lifted the curtain and filed in. As soon as they entered, they obediently knelt on the ground.

"Greetings to the Master and Second Master! Master!"

Several servants knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

"You lot keep a close eye on your master. He's confined to the manor for three months and is not allowed to leave. If I ever hear that he's out with his cronies again, I'll break your legs first."

"Yes, yes, we will keep a close watch on Third Master and make sure he doesn't go out."

The servants on the ground hurriedly kowtowed in response to Jiang Pingda's words.

"Go ahead," Jiang Pingda snorted coldly, finally letting a few people go.

Several servants rushed forward and carefully carried the young master, whose arm was broken, back to his own Qinghui Courtyard. For the next three months, their job was to keep a close eye on this ancestor; otherwise, they would be the ones with broken legs.

"Brother, you were really harsh when you scolded An'er just now," Jiang Pingyao muttered with some dissatisfaction.

"Shut up! I haven't even scolded you yet. He's like this because you spoiled him. You've ruined a perfectly good child by raising him like that concubine." Jiang Pingda was furious at the sight of his younger brother.

When Jiang Pingyao heard his elder brother mention his beloved concubine, he grunted a couple of times, didn't reply, and just sat in his chair pretending to be dead.

Xia Yu returned to the palace and told Zhou Luo about the situation involving the Jiang and Shen families.

"It seems my sister's guess was right after all; the Jiang family is far too greedy," Zhou Luo said with a cold laugh.

Xia Yu didn't speak, but he knew that Zhou Luo was still too young to touch the Jiang family. If the other party continued to probe recklessly, the first thing Zhou Luo would do once she was powerful enough would be to eliminate the Jiang family.

The next day after court, Jiang Pingda went to see the Empress Dowager. What the brother and sister discussed in the hall is unknown. In any case, the Empress Dowager didn't mention anything about remarriage or the late emperor's dream to Zhou Luo again. A rare moment of peace and tranquility prevailed in both the court and the palace.

Xia Yu's Zhaohua Palace also received a box of jewels from the Jiang family as an apology. Xia Yu opened it and saw that every piece was exquisite, clearly carefully selected. Xia Yu ordered Nineteen to put the box away without saying anything. And that was the end of it.

Xia Yu had been eagerly anticipating Zhang Youtie and Liu Shi's arrival in the capital. Accompanying them were Aunt Liu, Old Master Zhang from the old house, Liu Shi, and Qiu Yu and Dong Yu.

"Mother, why didn't my brother come?" Xia Yu looked around but didn't see Changyun, and asked Liu Shi with some disappointment.

“Your brother went on a study tour with Xingche. We’ve already sent him a letter, and he should come directly to the capital once he receives it.”

"Driving?"

"Yeah, he's the second son of your Uncle Pork Dragon family, you've forgotten?"

"Oh, I remember now, he also passed the imperial examination?" Xia Yu asked, somewhat surprised. In his memory, Xingche was still a dusty little rascal.

"Yes, she's in the same class as your brother, but her ranking isn't as high as his." Madam Liu smiled and patted her daughter's head.

Xia Yu nodded in response and didn't say anything more.

Seeing the imposing guards in armor, swords at their waists, accompanying their granddaughter, Old Master Zhang and Madam Liu felt a surge of pride. That was their granddaughter, now the Grand Princess of Dahuai, the protector of the nation. Their Zhang family was no longer just peasants; they were now a noble family. She had fulfilled their ancestors' dreams, and the Zhang family had regained its former glory in her generation. The old man thought excitedly.

"Old woman, stand up straight and mind your manners. We are now the grandparents of the princess; we can't let our granddaughter lose face," Old Master Zhang whispered to Liu.

"I know, even Granny Lian taught me some manners. Just mind your own business." As she spoke, Madam Liu unconsciously straightened her posture again. She held a string of blessed Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, and with the careful attention of the two maids, her face did indeed have a more kind and benevolent appearance.