"Why is that?" Ye Yunniang couldn't understand the reason.
Chunyao explained that Zhuang Meixue's family, the Zhuangs, had originally been ordinary. But eight years ago, her paternal uncle had placed the right bet in court—supporting the prince who later became emperor.
That uncle had been promoted to Minister of War within eight years, now wielding great power.
Zhuang Meixue's youngest sister had leveraged her uncle's influence to enter the palace as an imperial consort.
The Zhuang family's rise was unstoppable, forcing even the Lin Family to step back temporarily.
If anything went wrong with Immortal Lady Ma's pregnancy protection, Zhuang Meixue would never let her off.
"Immortal Lady Ma is done for," Chunyao said, eagerly anticipating her downfall.
Ye Yunniang listened without commenting further. This wasn't something she could easily weigh in on.
Deep down, Ye Yunniang hoped Zhuang Meixue would successfully give birth. That way, she would produce milk, and Jiang Mingzhe would no longer seek her out.
She kept these thoughts to herself, never sharing them with anyone.
Ye Yunniang fed Jiang Tingjun his supplementary meals.
As he grew day by day, he no longer relied solely on breastmilk.
The kitchen prepared steamed egg custard, minced meat, and other dishes.
With solid food available, Jiang Tingjun's demand for milk gradually lessened.
Now, he nursed only once in the morning, once before bedtime, and once if he woke at night.
During the day, Zi Yuan and the others spent more time playing with him.
Ye Yunniang could sense that Zi Yuan and the servants were slowly distancing her from Jiang Tingjun.
A fleeting sadness washed over her, but it quickly faded. She had come to the Jiang Mansion as a wet nurse—her mother and Pan'er were still waiting for her.
On the 28th day of the first lunar month, Jiang Mingyue's betrothal ceremony took place.
The Jiang Mansion was adorned with lanterns and decorations, and everyone wore new clothes.
Ye Yunniang dressed in the new red cotton garment provided by the household and helped Jiang Tingjun into his fresh outfit.
The moment his clothes were on, Jiang Tingjun tried to dash outside.
He couldn't stand staying indoors—unless he was asleep, he always wanted to play outside.
Given the grand occasion, Fourth Madam Jiang had ordered that Jiang Tingjun remain in Fanghua Courtyard to avoid startling him or disturbing the distinguished guests.
The music and chatter from beyond the courtyard reached Jiang Tingjun's ears clearly. Again and again, he dodged the adults, trying to bolt toward the excitement.
The lively atmosphere outside was irresistible to him.
Ye Yunniang and the few maids left behind coaxed him, trying to keep him inside.
But Jiang Tingjun threw a tantrum, crying and refusing to relent.
Though her heart ached for him, Ye Yunniang couldn't disobey her mistress's orders. She could only try her best to soothe him, while the maids and elderly servants employed every trick they knew—all to no avail.
Finally, Zi Yuan returned with Fourth Madam Jiang's permission: Jiang Tingjun could play in the garden for a while.
To avoid disturbing the guests, Zi Yuan instructed Ye Yunniang to take him to a secluded spot in the garden.
Even there, Jiang Tingjun remained discontented, his gaze fixed longingly toward the source of the lively sounds. He wanted to join the festivities.
"Little master, look—fish!" Ye Yunniang gently turned Jiang Tingjun's head toward the nearby pond.
Inside swam several ornamental koi, their scales shimmering in shades of yellow, red, white, and black—a captivating sight.
Sure enough, Jiang Tingjun was mesmerized, his clamor for the festivities forgotten.
One of the elderly women nearby pulled a flatbread from her sleeve and handed it over.
Ye Yunniang took it, pinched off a small piece, and showed Jiang Tingjun how to toss it into the water to feed the fish.
As the food scattered, the fish swarmed close.
Delighted, Jiang Tingjun reached out, trying to grab one.
Ye Yunniang quickly stopped him—there was no way she'd let him touch the water.
Unhappy with the interference, Jiang Tingjun leaned forward, eager to plunge in.
"The water's cold—it'll freeze your hands!" But Jiang Tingjun paid no heed to Ye Yunniang's warning.
"Ah—fish!" In his excitement, he managed to cry out.
"Elder Sister Ye, the young master has spoken his first words," Hong Cai, who was standing guard nearby, exclaimed upon hearing the sound.
Ye Yunniang hadn’t expected that Jiang Tingjun’s first word would be "fish."
Just as she was about to teach him to say "father" and "mother," Zi Yuan arrived. She had been sent to take Jiang Tingjun to the front courtyard.
The family of Fourth Madam Jiang had come to visit and wanted to see the child.
"Wet nurse Ye, you may return to Zhiyu Pavilion for now," Zi Yuan instructed as she carried Jiang Tingjun away.
Ye Yunniang didn’t ask further and simply acknowledged the order.
Zi Yuan carried Jiang Tingjun toward the front courtyard, with Hong Cai and the others following behind.
The secluded spot was now left with only Ye Yunniang.
After crumbling the remaining bread in her hand to feed the fish, she stood up and made her way back to Zhiyu Pavilion.
To avoid running into any noble guests, she chose a smaller path. As she walked, she overheard a conversation.
"Are you really going to marry that good-for-nothing from the Lin Family?" a clear male voice asked.
"My parents have arranged the marriage. What choice do I have?" replied a sweet, melodious voice—one that sounded vaguely familiar.
"Can you bear to abandon me?"
"I can’t. But what can I do? Can you marry me?"
"You know I already have a wife. I’ve told you, I could—"
"My mother made me swear a deathbed oath. I will never become someone’s concubine."
"Mingyue, can you really throw away what we have?"
"Bo Lang, don’t force me."
"Mingyue, I can’t let you go. Please don’t marry him, alright? I’ll find a way to make you mine."
"What way? Divorce your wife?"
"That’s impossible. If I even mention divorce, my parents would beat me to death."
"Then there’s no other way."
"No, there is. We can—" The voices dropped to a whisper, and Ye Yunniang could no longer hear. But what she had already caught was enough to make her heart race.
In Jiang Mansion, the only one named Mingyue was Fifth Miss Jiang. On the very day of her engagement, she was secretly meeting her lover—even plotting to harm his lawful wife.
Should she expose this?
And to whom?
Ye Yunniang was frantic. Though she was just a young woman with little experience, she knew that if this scandal got out, the Jiang family would be ruined. She worked as a wet nurse in the household, and though she had suffered some grievances, Fourth Madam Jiang had treated her fairly well.
Yes, she had slapped her twice before, but later realized it was a misunderstanding and compensated her generously.
But if she spoke up, how should she say it? This was a matter of life and death.
Returning to Zhiyu Pavilion, Ye Yunniang agonized over what to do.
Should she tell someone or stay silent?
She pondered for hours without reaching a decision, until Li'er reminded her it was time to go to Fanghua Courtyard to tend to the young master.
Only then did Ye Yunniang notice that night had fallen.
After changing her clothes, she hurried to Fanghua Courtyard.
Jiang Tingjun was fast asleep.
Hong Cai and Granny Lü were keeping watch.
When Ye Yunniang entered, the two women stood up.
"Elder Sister Ye, please look after the young master for now. Granny Lü and I will go have dinner."
"Of course, go ahead. I’ll take care of him," Ye Yunniang replied, sitting by the bed.
Hong Cai and Granny Lü left the inner chamber.
Ye Yunniang reached out to touch Jiang Tingjun’s hand—it was warm. She tucked the blanket snugly around him.
"You’re such a good boy, sleeping so peacefully without a fuss. If only I hadn’t taken that path… If I hadn’t overheard those scheming words, I wouldn’t be so troubled now.
Little master, why can’t your Fifth Aunt Jiang Mingyue see reason? Why must she entangle herself with a married man? And now they’re even plotting against his wife. How wretched that poor woman must be, bound to such a heartless husband."
Ye Yunniang dared not confide in anyone, so she whispered her thoughts to the sleeping Jiang Tingjun instead.
Little did she know, someone hidden in the shadows overheard.
