The cousin's family is extremely wealthy; she deserves to be a concubine.

But then, for some unknown reason, Jiang Huaiji learned about his own background.

Based on Hua Sirong's observations and probing over the past few days, Jiang's mother was unaware that the son she had raised for nearly twenty years was not her biological child.

Now is the crucial moment for seizing power.

Fearing that the matter would be exposed and the Second Prince would lose his eligibility as the heir to the throne, Master Jiang pulled her into the scheme.

They wanted to take advantage of the newlyweds to get the young couple out of Beijing and avoid the limelight.

This plan was originally flawless. Once the second prince ascended the throne, his younger brother, who had sacrificed his identity for him, would certainly receive more preferential treatment, even if he could not be recognized as a member of the imperial family.

However, the reality is that Jiang Huaiji did not buy it; he seemed unwilling to be the one sacrificed.

The fact that the Second Prince gladly allowed Jiang Huaiji to stay in the capital led Hua Sirong to conclude that Pei Enhan was not aware of the matter.

Oh, right, there are also the He and Meng families.

Do either of them have insiders?

This is a good question.

Judging from how much He Zhizhu and He Zhizhang wanted to get close to the Second Prince, it was clear that the heads of the Marquis's mansion were unaware of this matter.

In He Zhizhu's prophetic dream, the relationship between the Second Prince and Jiang Huaiji should not have been revealed.

No, that's not right!

Hua Sirong sat up in bed, absentmindedly biting her fingernails. One question after another popped into her mind as she mentally rehearsed and tried to confirm or deny them...

According to He Zhizhu, in her previous life, Hua Sirong was sent by her husband to curry favor with Shangguan. Unexpectedly, through a series of coincidences, she became the new emperor's favored concubine.

If the new emperor is the second prince, then she will become the second prince's favorite concubine!

However, if Jiang Huaiji and the Second Prince were brothers, the Second Prince would not have committed the heinous act of taking his brother's wife for himself.

Even if the Second Prince was unaware, it was impossible for Master Jiang to simply stand by and watch such a thing happen.

Hua Sirong suddenly widened her eyes, her face filled with disbelief.

She suddenly had a bold guess!

If—and she meant if—she became a favored concubine while her husband remained Jiang Huaiji, was it possible that Jiang Huaiji had taken the place of the Second Prince?

She was shocked by her own thought!

But then she realized it was too absurd.

Jiang Huaiji and Pei Enhan should not look alike, otherwise how could Jiang Huaiji appear in public and even work in the Second Prince's residence?

Since the two do not look alike, it is unrealistic for Jiang Huaiji to replace the Second Prince without anyone noticing.

At the very least, it's difficult!

She gently stroked her belly. No wonder the royals disliked twins; there was always the risk of them usurping the throne.

Hopefully, she's carrying a single baby.

Perhaps because she had used her brain a lot today, Hua Sirong fell into a deep sleep without realizing it.

The following day, Granny Yan insisted that she go with Hua Sirong to the Jiang family to take care of their daily needs.

After much deliberation, Hua Sirong still refused.

The reason is simple: Granny Yan is an old nanny who has retired from the palace, and her identity is too sensitive.

Jiang Huaiji's current identity is questionable, and Hua Sirong doesn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble for the time being.

However, before returning to the Jiang family, Hua Sirong secretly met with Manager Ning, her father's most capable manager.

Since Hua Sirong got married, Manager Ning has been coming to the capital.

We had only communicated by letter before, and had never met in person.

Hua Sirong originally thought that she had married an ordinary person, and even with the backing of the Jiang family, it was nothing in the capital, a place full of nobles.

But Hua Sirong discovered Jiang Huaiji's secret, and she didn't know what Jiang Huaiji really wanted.

Is it recognition of his status, or does he also have his eye on that position?

She couldn't ask, and had no way of knowing the answer.

But now that things have come to this, it's impossible for her to divorce Jiang Huaiji.

Moreover, now that she is pregnant, she naturally has to plan for her future and that of her child.

So, these elderly people, including Manager Ning, are the support she has built for herself.

I just hope that in a critical moment, I can protect her and the child.

Manager Ning looked much older than last year, but he was still very respectful to Hua Sirong, saying, "Miss, you have suffered a lot these past year."

"Why didn't you use the seal that I gave you back then, Miss?"

Our family has plenty of money, how come Miss has learned to be frugal?

"Even if you throw money at them, wouldn't everyone in the Marquis's mansion treat you like a goddess?"

Hua Sirong's gloomy mood of the past few days dissipated considerably thanks to Manager Ning's amusing antics.

She helped Manager Ning to his feet, saying, "Uncle Ning, please don't call yourself an old servant. Even when my father was alive, he wouldn't dare to order you around so casually."

I know nothing about this, and I certainly wouldn't dare to tell you what to do.

Manager Ning waved his hand, "Although I did not sell myself to your family, your father saved my life, and in my heart, I have long considered myself a member of the Hua family."

Since the master is not here, Miss, you are my mistress, and I will simply follow your orders.

"I've taken care of the properties in Xishan. Now I can stay in the capital with peace of mind. If you need anything, Miss, just let me know."

After listening to Manager Ning's words, Hua Sirong was deeply moved. "I dare not give orders, but I do have something to ask of Uncle Ning."

Uncle Ning said I could use the seal to withdraw silver, but I thought that no matter how much silver I had, it would eventually run out.

Now that I have a child, and my husband's future also needs to be taken care of, there are expenses everywhere.

I was thinking, instead of letting the silver sit there and rust, why not take out some and let it generate more money?

“When my father was alive, he often said that money lying around is just dead stuff. Only money can make money grow and make the family’s wealth grow more and more.”

Manager Ning nodded in satisfaction, "Miss, just give the order. Even if some of the men left by the master are dismissed, it won't affect what you need to do."

Hua Sirong's eyes brightened slightly. "Thank you for your support, Uncle Ning."

Manager Ning asked with a smile, "When Miss came to the capital earlier, I took the initiative to bring back many of the family's connections."

Now that Miss has given instructions, why don't I continue to follow Master's previous arrangements?

After I've sorted through the ledgers, I'll ask you, young lady, to see what needs to be added or subtracted. What do you think, Miss?

Hua Sirong was extremely satisfied. "I am currently pregnant and my energy is not as good as before. I think Uncle Ning's idea is very good."

For now, let's do as Uncle Ning says. If anything changes later, I will inform Uncle Ning.

Finally, Hua Sirong added, "By the way, Uncle Ning, I don't want anyone else to know about this. Please keep it a secret even from Aunt Wang and Chunyan."

Especially the Jiang family, and my husband's family.

I hope that even if he finds out, he'll only think we have a past friendship, and that there's absolutely no other connection between us.

Although Manager Ning found it strange, he still nodded in agreement, "My business operations have nothing to do with Miss."

Hua Sirong nodded in satisfaction.

Having settled this important matter, Hua Sirong felt extremely exhausted. After resting outside for the night, there was no reason for her to linger at the Hua residence and not return home. She had no choice but to pull herself together and return to the Jiang family.