Mad Queen Leaves the Palace

Two days later, Li Yuan came to the Jiang residence with a letter. When Jiang Xiuzhi saw the five thousand taels of silver notes, she thought to herself that her stingy sister was actually willing to invest so much; it seemed this business would definitely make money. She immediately pulled Xiao Lan along: "Lanlan, Auntie will invest more for you. How much more do you need? Auntie will cover it all. But Auntie's money is still in the General's Mansion. How about this, after Doctor Cui examines Yu Yu's leg tomorrow, we'll leave the day after tomorrow. Once we get to the capital, Auntie will have at least ten thousand taels, let alone five thousand."

"Aunt, don't worry. You didn't even ask how the money was invested, how the dividends would be distributed, or when the profits would be distributed. You didn't ask any detailed questions. Aren't you afraid of losing your money?"

"What are you afraid of? You're here. Your aunt trusts you. Besides, even your mother, who's such a tightwad, can come up with five thousand taels. This deal must be right." Jiang Xiuzhi knew she wasn't as smart as her sister, but she had never suffered a loss from doing things with Jiang Nihuang since she was a child.

"Aunt, don't worry. Let me tell you what I'm thinking. I'll go to the capital the day after tomorrow. Once there, I'll familiarize myself with the area and see where and how to open a shop. We can't just use the General's Mansion's name for this. There's also the academy registration and entrance exams. All of that might take more than half a month. So, I'll leave first the day after tomorrow. You and Yu-mei stay at Grandmother's house for another half a month or a month until Yu-mei's leg injury heals. Then we can return to the capital. Besides, there will be many things that require your attention when we return to the capital, so you'll be very busy and probably won't have time to take care of Yu-mei. This month will be a time for rest, and you should also think about how to settle Yu-mei after we return to the capital." Xiao Lan thought back to this time in her previous life, when Jiang Xiuzhi and Wu Yu-yu hadn't returned to the capital. A month later, Wu Yu-yu's leg was severely lame, and by the time Jiang Xiuzhi went to see a doctor, it was too late for optimal treatment. Because of this, the relationship between Wu De and Jiang Xiuzhi became increasingly tense. Jiang Xiuzhi would either stay briefly at her estate outside the capital or return to Shaozhou City, only returning to the General's Mansion during festivals to preside over banquets. Wu Yuyu, due to her limp, stayed confined to her room, never venturing out, let alone attending school. After Jiang Xiuzhi's death, Wu Yuyu, lacking both talent and health, despite being the General's legitimate daughter, could not find a suitable husband and was forced to marry a son from a minor family.

In this life, Wu Yuyu's legs weren't lame, and many things were different. Xiao Lan hoped her aunt wouldn't die a miserable death like in her previous life, and that her cousin would find a good marriage. So, these past few days, whenever Xiao Lan wasn't out on business, she spent her free time chatting with Jiang Xiuzhi, trying to comfort her. She hoped Jiang Xiuzhi could mend her relationship with Wu De, even if Wu De followed the same path as in her previous life. She hoped Jiang Xiuzhi would stand up for herself and not let things slide like she did in her past life, ultimately allowing those women to make a mess of the General's Mansion. Jiang Xiuzhi also didn't earn a good reputation.

Now that I've been given a second chance at life, I not only want to get rid of all the bad people and bad things from my past life, but I also hope that my family and friends can all have a peaceful end.

“You know how naughty my daughter is, she always complains of a headache whenever she studies. If she hadn’t broken her leg this time, she’d be climbing trees every day,” Jiang Xiuzhi said, her head aching at the mention of her daughter’s studies. When Wu Yuyu was little, she was especially clingy to Wu De, who took her everywhere he went. A good father-daughter relationship is a good thing, but the problem was that Wu De was a general, always going to military camps or training grounds. Jiang Xiuzhi had risked her life to give birth to this little dumpling, only to have Wu De raise her into a dark-skinned, skinny tomboy. The worst part was that Wu De didn’t think he was wrong. Normally, children start school at four or five. But with Wu Yuyu, if she begged Wu De, he would take her away from school, dragging her until she was eight before she finally started. Even then, it was only after much pleading from Jiang Xiuzhi that the father and daughter reluctantly agreed. Wu Yuyu started school later than other children, so naturally she couldn't keep up with the other kids in school. She was often laughed at, and eventually, she disliked going to school, reflexively complaining of a headache whenever she picked up a book. Jiang Xiuzhi couldn't hit her daughter, and scolding her was useless. She really had no idea what to do. Therefore, she hadn't even considered what to do with Wu Yuyu when they returned to the capital.

"The various academies have already finished recruiting students this year, but with my uncle's connections, getting her into the Imperial Academy shouldn't be a problem, right?" Xiao Lan had already planned things out for Wu Yuyu. Although the Imperial Academy also required entrance exams, they were only for the children of imperial relatives and officials of the fourth rank or above in the capital, so the exams were relatively easy. Frankly, as long as you could read a few characters, you could basically get in. After all, once inside the Imperial Academy, students would be divided into classes A, B, and C based on their grades. Students in the same class would have similar academic performance, so no one would look down on anyone else. This was perfect for Wu Yuyu. Moreover, those who could get in were all children of officials, so it would be good for Wu Yuyu to make more connections.

“But you know your uncle, he’s a stubborn man, he never plays the game of officialdom. Those who joined the army with him all rose through the ranks, the lowest being a second-rank General of the Cavalry. He’s been stuck in his fourth-rank position as a General of the Vanguard for six years, and that was only because I pulled some strings beforehand,” Jiang Xiuzhi sighed. Her relationship with Wu De had deteriorated significantly in recent years; she didn’t want to get involved in family matters, and she even stopped trying to help Wu De with his career by networking with the ladies.

"Aunt, you should talk to Uncle properly. Putting everything else aside, a legitimate daughter of a general's family shouldn't be someone who hasn't received much education. Besides, the students at the Imperial Academy are all sons of officials, so having classmates like that will give my cousin more connections. And most importantly, my cousin will eventually have to find a husband. Whether it's a high-ranking family or a scholarly family, the most important things when choosing a daughter-in-law are background and talent. With her education at the Imperial Academy, my cousin will have more options when choosing a husband." Xiao Lan said slowly, "Aunt, I'm going to the capital first this time, and according to etiquette, I must visit Uncle at the General's Mansion. Is there anything you'd like me to bring for Uncle?"

"It's nothing, we'll be back in about a month. By the way, Lanlan, why don't you go see your uncle and talk to him about this, and ask him to find a way for Yu'er to get into the Imperial Academy?"

Upon hearing Jiang Xiuzhi's words, Xiao Lan thought to herself, "How come my aunt is still the same as in my past life? She's so shrewd in front of outsiders, but when it comes to our own family matters, she suddenly becomes so clueless." Moreover, although her current self is eight years in the future, to outsiders she is the sixteen-year-old Xiao Lan. These are things her current self shouldn't be saying. She quickly said to Jiang Xiuzhi...

"Aunt, there are some things I can say to you, but Uncle, although he is an elder, is also a man, and there are some things I cannot say to him. Perhaps Aunt could write a letter to Uncle explaining the seriousness of the matter, and when I arrive in the capital, I will go to the General's Mansion as soon as possible. If things proceed quickly, my cousin can enter the Imperial Academy a month later when she returns to the capital. Is that alright?"

“Alright, there are some things you really can’t say. I’ll write a letter, and you can give it to him later.” Jiang Xiuzhi thought about it and realized that there were indeed some things that were not suitable for a young girl to say.

Seeing that Jiang Xiuzhi had agreed, Xiao Lan finally felt relieved. She reminded herself to be more careful in her words and actions in the future, and never let anyone realize that her inner self was from eight years in the future. This wasn't a society governed by law; people here could be ruthless enough to sacrifice themselves to the heavens. Thinking of this, Xiao Lan gently patted her chest and said seriously to Jiang Xiuzhi, "Aunt, there's something important I need to tell you now."