activa-t Chapter 445
Chapter 445
Madam Feng was unaware that the father and sons were in the study. She merely assumed that Jiang Huaishan had gone to Madam Song's place for the night."How should I know where the master is?" Madam Feng said with a hint of impatience.
She thought with dissatisfaction, Where else could he be? He must have been seduced by that vixen, Madam Song.
At this thought, Madam Feng could only shoot a glance at the older female servant beside her, signaling her to hurry and look for him.
"Heavens, how did the study catch fire?"
However, before the servant could set off to find him, Madam Song's voice rang out.
Madam Feng frowned and looked around for Jiang Huaishan's figure, only to find that Madam Song had come alone.
"Where is the master?" Madam Feng glared at Madam Song in displeasure and demanded.
"Sister, isn't the master in your courtyard?" Madam Song felt a bit bitter. If the master hadn't come to her, didn't that mean he went to Madam Feng's courtyard?
"The master didn't come to me." Madam Feng frowned, feeling displeased. She wondered, Could the master have gone somewhere else?
At this, Madam Song's expression also turned ugly.
"Butler, is there anyone in the study?" Jiang Yuanrang asked with a frown, looking at the two women who only cared about their jealous squabbling.
In his heart, however, he was wondering, Could my good second uncle happen to be in the study?
If so, why didn't he come out immediately after the fire started?
"Well... Eldest Young Master, the fire in the study is too intense. We haven't been able to rush in yet," the butler said, looking anxiously toward the study. He prayed inwardly that no lives would be lost.
"There's someone inside!"
A servant boy's voice suddenly rang out.
"Could the master be in the study?" Madam Song, who had just been arguing fiercely with Madam Feng, suddenly exclaimed.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and save him!" Hearing this, Madam Feng also began to feel uneasy.
If her master was truly in the study with such a massive fire raging, he would be either dead or severely injured!
At this thought, Madam Feng paced around in a panic.
"Where are the Second Young Master and Fourth Young Master?" Seeing Jiang Yuanjie rushing over, Madam Feng asked with dissatisfaction.
After all, the son born of Madam Song had arrived, yet neither of her own two sons had shown up.
Madam Feng could not help but feel anxious over her two troublesome sons' behavior.
However, at this moment, everyone was rushing to save whoever was in the study, and no one responded to Madam Feng's words.
"Mother, you must save Silang!" Madam Luo, who had rushed over upon hearing about the fire in the study, cried out.
"What happened to Li'er?" Hearing this, Madam Feng's heart skipped a beat.
She had a bad premonition. Could both my sons and my husband be in the study?
"Momo, go look for the Second Master!" Madam Feng said to the servant beside her, her voice trembling.
Madam Feng was terrified. If both of her sons were in the study, she dared not imagine the consequences.
"Young Master, do you think the Second Master really is in the study with the Second Young Master and Fourth Young Master?" Xiao Wu scanned the area and noticed that from the second branch, only the Third Young Master, Jiang Yuanjie, was standing by Madam Song's side. He couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
"We'll know in a moment." Jiang Yuanrang merely looked toward the study.
A mocking smile curled the corners of his lips. If his good second uncle really burned in the fire, it would probably be retribution, wouldn't it?
The fire in the study burned for a full two hours before it was brought under control. At that moment, three charred corpses were carried out from the study.
"Master!" Both Madam Feng and Madam Song recognized Jiang Huaishan.
And what caused Madam Feng to completely break down was the realization that the other two were her sons.
Unfortunately, no matter how loudly she cried, it could not save the three of them.
A gloomy cloud of misery hung over the second branch.
Jiang Yuanrang merely watched with cold eyes.
Even though today's incident was not his doing, he still felt a sense of deep satisfaction.
Over the years, his good second uncle had caused him no shortage of trouble.
Just when everyone thought the three men were dead, a faint cough was heard.
"The Second Master is still alive! Hurry up and fetch a doctor!" Hearing the sound, the butler quickly urged the servants to get a doctor.
Hearing that Jiang Huaishan was alive, Madam Feng quickly looked at her two sons. Her two daughters-in-law were already crying their eyes out.
"Butler, investigate why the study in the west wing caught fire," Jiang Yuanrang ordered, and then left.
After all, his relationship with the second branch was not very harmonious.
Ordering the butler to fetch a doctor was already the utmost he could do out of basic decency.
However, he felt a bit of regret in his heart. Why hadn't they burned to death?
"Young Master, the second branch might just blame this fire on you," Xiao Wu thought of this and cursed their bad luck inwardly.
Why hadn't that man burned to death?
Was it really true that the good die young, while a scourge lives for a thousand years?
At this thought, Xiao Wu carefully glanced at his young master.
He saw that his young master's face showed neither anger nor a trace of smugness.
"Xiao Wu, I need to take a trip to the capital soon," Jiang Yuanrang said directly, without looking at Xiao Wu.
"Young Master, how long will you be in the capital?" Xiao Wu merely assumed his master had business to attend to there.
He didn't find it strange. After all, his young master often traveled to various places for business. Although he had never heard his young master mention going to the capital before, it didn't mean he wouldn't expand the Jiang family's business there.
Thinking of this, Xiao Wu felt somewhat excited. After all, this meant he would also be able to go to the capital and broaden his horizons in the future.
"I'm not sure. Later, tell the shopkeepers to consult Shopkeeper Zhou if anything comes up. If it's something even Shopkeeper Zhou cannot decide, tell him to go to my mother." Jiang Yuanrang had made up his mind to visit the capital.
He wanted to ask that woman in person: why did she abandon him back then?
Could it have actually been an accident?
Did that woman also feel the same heart-wrenching sorrow back then as Madam Feng did today?
"Yes! Young Master, do I not need to accompany you?" Xiao Wu was a bit disappointed. He thought that since Changfeng hadn't returned, he would be able to accompany the young master on this trip.
"There's no need. Someone will come to pick me up early tomorrow morning. When the time comes, let my mother and Shopkeeper Zhou know on my behalf." Jiang Yuanrang's voice was cold and clear, as if he were truly just going on a long journey.
Although Xiao Wu found it strange, he figured his young master always had his own plans, so he didn't dare say much.
Despite feeling a bit regretful, he reasoned that since the Jiang family would have business in the capital in the future, it was only a matter of time before he got to go there.
In the capital, Shangguan Mu looked at the fawning face of Prince Lanhuai and sneered in his heart.
This Prince Lanhuai was said to be the Emperor's own uncle, yet his demeanor was quite surprising to him.
"I wonder what business Prince Lanhuai has with me?" Shangguan Mu picked up his teacup and asked with a hint of disdain.
However, Shangguan Mu was actually quite curious about what chips Prince Lanhuai would offer him for seeking him out.
After all, he never engaged in loss-making business.
"The Third Prince jests. You have traveled from afar and are an honored guest of our Lanno Kingdom. There's no business, no business at all," Prince Lanhuai said with a smile.
In his mind, he was trying to come up with a suitable pretext to propose that Shangguan Mu marry his daughter, Princess Fuan.