Summer, Third Year of Suihe.
The Jiang Fu. The trees were thick and green. The winding corridor was hidden among the trees. It was not easy to notice a person walking in it.
Mu Mingtang was wearing a light blue, silver-collared coat with six pleated skirts as she stood behind the trees. The two people outside were focused on talking and did not notice her.
She was wearing light clothes and blended in with the mottled shadows of the trees. If one did not look carefully, it would not be easy to notice her. But Mu Mingtang knew that the real reason was that Prince Jin was too happy to have reunited with his old love. So much so that he, who was always vigilant, did not notice someone standing behind the trees.
"Brother Ji, I let you down in the past. Blame me for being bewitched and deceived. Not only did I misunderstand you, I even abandoned my parents and ran away from home. Fortunately, you have been well for the past year. Otherwise, I really … "
The woman in green suddenly choked and could not speak. She did not wear any makeup and was dressed simply. At first glance, she was not stunning, but the more one looked at her, the more beautiful she became. Her eyes were big and her eyebrows were high. She looked strong and stubborn. Now that her eyes were filled with tears and she was trying hard not to let them fall, it made one's heart ache.
Xie Xuanji's heart ached. He could not help but take a step forward and hold the woman's arms. He obviously wanted to use force, but he restrained himself and did not dare to be rude to the beauty. "Mingwei, everything is fine as long as you are back. All these years, the position of the Jiang family has been reserved for you. As long as you are back, nothing will change. "
The woman called Mingwei's tears fell. "But, Brother Ji, I am no longer worthy of you. I was deceived by the Rong people and did not know how I fell into bewitchment. I even suspected your intentions and ran away from the marriage during the Lantern Festival. I thought a lot this year, but the more I understood, the more I did not dare to come back to see you. Even if the Rong people held me hostage, it was because I did not know how to judge people. I brought this upon myself and can't blame anyone else. Knowing that you are well, I am already satisfied and do not dare to expect anything else. I heard that you're engaged to her. That's great. She'll definitely take good care of you for me. "
"No, Mingwei." Xie Xuanji seemed to be anxious. He took a step forward and was almost in front of Jiang Mingwei. He bowed and looked at Jiang Mingwei, his eyes focused and deep. "I've said it before. As long as you come back, I'll always be here. The marriage contract was extended to Jiang Mingtang only because the imperial edict had already been announced to the world. Uncle Jiang couldn't disobey the imperial edict, so he could only adopt a daughter outside and come back to take your place. But what's real is real, and what's fake is fake. Now that you're back, what's the point of having a substitute? Jin Wangfei will always be you. "
"But I was kidnapped by the Rong people and my whereabouts were unknown for a year. The royal family values chastity the most. I know that I'm still clean, but how can others believe it? If I marry you, won't I implicate you and make you a laughingstock? "
Jiang Mingwei seemed to be ashamed and ashamed towards the end. She couldn't help but lower her head, revealing a slender neck. Xie Xuanji was overjoyed when he heard this. He had always been cultured, refined, and calm. But now, he couldn't help but laugh. He almost forgot himself and pulled Jiang Mingwei into his arms. "That's great. Mingwei, do you know how happy I was when I heard what you said just now? You didn't belong to another man. You're still a virgin. I'm simply overjoyed. Don't worry. Other than you, me, Uncle Jiang, and Madam Jiang, no one else will know about your disappearance this year. If others ask, you can just say that you're recuperating outside. As for Imperial Father and Imperial Mother, I'll talk to them. You just need to be at ease and prepare for your marriage. "
Jiang Mingwei's face turned red when she heard Xie Xuanji's words. After a while, she seemed to have suddenly thought of something. Her face paled, but she still gently pushed Xie Xuanji away. "Older Brother Ji, I'm very touched by your feelings for me. But now, I'm no longer worthy of you. Your fiancée has become someone else. She's more obedient and filial than me. She won't anger her parents like I do. My parents must have adopted her because they thought that she was more considerate than me and more suitable to be a daughter. Since the engagement has already changed, I should be tactful and leave far away. If I appear again, not only will I delay your marriage, but I'll also make Second Miss unhappy. "
"Mingwei, what are you saying?" Xie Xuanji said coldly without hesitation. "I've never had any feelings for her. I've always treated her as a substitute for you. Uncle Jiang and the others are the same. If she didn't look a bit like you, how could she have entered the Jiang Family with her lowly refugee status? She was originally a refugee. Now that she's enjoyed a year of wealth in the Jiang Family, it's already a great fortune. It's good that she knows how to be grateful. If she doesn't know her place and dares to target you, I definitely won't let her off. "
Jiang Mingwei's eyelashes were filled with tears. Her usually strong eyes were filled with tears, but they didn't fall. "Older Brother Ji …"
"Mingwei." Xie Xuanji's heart was broken by her gaze. He couldn't help but hug her tightly. "It's good that you're back. Uncle Jiang and I have been waiting for you for a year. Now, it's time for everything to return to its rightful owner. "
… …
How touching. Mu Mingtang's lips curled into a faint smile. The more he smiled, the more he felt that he was a joke. Childhood sweethearts, two innocent young people who brushed past each other because of a misunderstanding. Now, after going around in circles, the two of them finally reunited. They expressed their feelings to each other and resolved the misunderstanding. What would happen next would probably be to enter marriage with the blessings of both parents and live happily ever after.
What a touching scene, what an enviable relationship. And Mu Mingtang was the intruder in this pair of childhood sweethearts. He was the one who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. He was also the only outsider in this entire incident.
The "her" that Jiang Mingwei mentioned, and the "substitute" that Xie Xuanji mentioned, was Mu Mingtang.
Just as Xie Xuanji said, Mu Mingtang's background was indeed not high. Especially when compared to the two people in front of them. Xie Xuanji was a prince and had been conferred the title of Prince Jin. The other person, Jiang Mingwei, was the daughter of a high-ranking official. She and Xie Xuanji were childhood sweethearts and grew up together. As for Mu Mingtang, he wasn't even from the capital.
She was originally from Xiangyang. Her family wasn't a scholarly family, nor was it a family of officials. Instead, they were merchants who reeked of the stench of money. Although her background wasn't high, her parents were harmonious and her family was wealthy. Under the love of her parents, Mu Mingtang grew up smoothly until she was 12 years old. Originally, her life should have been like many ordinary girls in small cities. Her family was ordinary, her parents doted on her, and she would grow up step by step. Then, when she was of marriageable age, she would marry another ordinary man, have children, and form an ordinary family.
The first half of Mu Mingtang's life was exactly the same. However, when she was 12 years old, all the peace was broken.
In the third year of Hongjia, Xiangyang was besieged. After resisting for a few days, the governor saw that the people of Jie were coming aggressively. The governor was greedy for life and actually abandoned the huge city of Xiangyang and all the civilians in the city to escape in the middle of the night. When the governor left, he took with him all the elite soldiers and weapons in the city. Without weapons and command, Xiangyang collapsed on its own. The people of Jie entered the city and started a massacre. Mu Mingtang's parents were killed by the people of Jie in order to protect Mu Mingtang's escape.
Unfortunately, even so, Mu Mingtang did not manage to escape Xiangyang in the end. After all, there were many ordinary people in the world. Mu Mingtang did not have the martial arts to leap over roofs and vault over walls, nor did she have the wisdom to remain calm in the face of danger. Halfway through, she was discovered by the people of Jie. She almost died with her parents. Fortunately, Wu 'an Marquis entered the city and she managed to survive.
After that, Mu Mingtang followed many refugees and headed north to find a place to settle down. After her hometown was destroyed, Mu Mingtang went from a well-off young miss of a merchant family to a penniless refugee who could be stepped on by anyone. She was a girl, and a beautiful girl of 12 or 13 years old. It was obvious what she would have experienced on the road.
Mu Mingtang's journey was very difficult. Fortunately, she met Granny Zhou, whose family was also destroyed. Granny Zhou protected her in the name of her granddaughter, so she was able to survive and reach Yingtian Prefecture in one piece.
After that, Mu Mingtang and Granny Zhou stopped in Chenliu and planned to start a new life. Although Mu Mingtang and Granny Zhou did not know each other, Mu Mingtang really treated Granny Zhou as her grandmother and planned to take care of Granny Zhou in the future. The two of them depended on each other. They did needlework, washing clothes, weaving bamboo strips, and anything else. In the end, when their lives finally improved, Granny Zhou fell ill due to overwork.
Mu Mingtang used up all of her family's wealth to seek medical treatment for Granny Zhou, but Granny Zhou did not make it. She died before spring arrived. After Granny Zhou died, Mu Mingtang cried loudly and wanted to bury Granny Zhou with dignity. Heroes were born in troubled times, but they were just ordinary people. They did not have the martial arts to charge and break through enemy lines, nor did they have the talent to raise their arms and call for help. They could only live like weeds. Granny Zhou did not have any dignity when she was alive, but after she died, she could leave with dignity.
Unexpectedly, the heavens were not willing to let Mu Mingtang fulfill such a humble wish. After Granny Zhou died, the pawnshop owner saw that Mu Mingtang was quite beautiful and had bad intentions. He told the people on the street that Mu Mingtang was a thief. Otherwise, how could a weak woman like her take out pawned things from time to time?
Mu Mingtang was so angry that she cursed at the pawnshop owner on the street. Mu Mingtang had already trained her body to be as strong as copper muscles and iron bones during her escape. She was fierce and fierce when she cursed. The pawnshop owner was so angry that he jumped and could not help but hit her. Mu Mingtang was able to survive until now. Her naivety and reserve in the boudoir had long been tempered. Seeing the situation, she also bit and scratched the pawnshop owner. In the end, they were stopped by a group of well-dressed imperial bodyguards.
When Mu Mingtang and the pawnshop owner were pulled apart by the imperial bodyguards, she did not know what happened. However, when she saw the other party's clothes, she knew that they were people she could not afford to offend. People who wanted to make a living were the most sensible. Mu Mingtang immediately restrained her arrogance and lowered her head, not daring to say a word. At this time, a maidservant came down from a carriage that was parked far away. That maidservant was wearing a clean blue dress. Her hair was tightly pressed and the soles of her shoes were cleaner than Mu Mingtang's face. When the maidservant saw Mu Mingtang's appearance, she seemed to dislike her for a moment. Then, she pinched her nose and said: "Your ancestors were lucky. Come with me, our madam wants to see you. "
To be called madam, the person's identity was not a small matter. Moreover, the other party had a carriage and could order imperial bodyguards around. Perhaps they were from the government. Mu Mingtang followed with fear and trepidation. Later, she found that her identity not only limited her knowledge, it also limited her imagination. The person who stopped her that day was not only someone from the government's family, but also the wife of the Deputy Commissioner of the Third Bureau.
The Third Bureau was in charge of salt, iron, and the Ministry of Revenue. It was the highest organization in charge of the nation's finances. The Deputy Commissioner of the Third Bureau was the second-in-command of the Ministry of Revenue. In Mu Mingtang's understanding, he was the deputy to the Prime Minister who was in charge of the nation's finances.
Mu Mingtang did not expect that she would bump into the Deputy Prime Minister's wife when she was just fighting. Madam Jiang looked at Mu Mingtang for a while, then had someone take her back. Mu Mingtang muddleheaded and trembling as she arrived in the capital. She bathed for a long time that night. The next day, she changed her clothes and was brought in front of Madam Jiang and Lord Jiang.
Lord Jiang looked at her for a long time, then nodded slightly to Madam Jiang: "We'll do as you say."
Do what? What did Madam Jiang say?
Mu Mingtang did not understand, but she soon found out.
Her life was turned upside down. She was adopted by Madam Jiang and became the second daughter of the Deputy Commissioner of the Third Bureau, Jiang Honghao, Jiang Mingtang. That was the daughter of a government official, the daughter of a prestigious family. Mu Mingtang, who had struggled to climb her way up among the refugees, could never have imagined that she would have such good fortune. Officials, commoners, and merchants were like a natural moat. In the past, even if it was the daughter of an advisor in the Xiangyang government, the Mu family would have to run away with their tails between their legs, let alone the daughter of a Deputy Prime Minister in the central government.
Mu Mingtang's rise was too fast. Even she was afraid of it. As the saying goes, the children of prestigious families are neither servile nor overbearing, but when a villain achieves success, they become rampant. Mu Mingtang could understand this mentality very well. She was too afraid of losing everything, so she did whatever Madam Jiang asked her to do. She did whatever the servant girl told her to do.
Mu Mingtang later found out that the reason Madam Jiang appeared in Chenliu that day was because she went out to look for the missing Eldest Miss, Jiang Mingwei.
The servant girls all said that the Lantern Festival was too crowded, so the Eldest Miss went out to look at the lanterns and accidentally got lost. Even if Mu Mingtang had never been to the government, she could still feel that this sentence was wrong. She was originally a merchant's daughter. When she went out to look at the lanterns, her parents would arrange for servant girls to guard her. Eldest Miss Jiang was a dignified daughter of a noble family, so how could Madam Jiang neglect the guards? However, Eldest Miss Jiang just had to get lost. No matter how she got lost, Madam Jiang said so. Madam Jiang found Chenliu all the way, but did not see any trace of her daughter. Instead, she caught a glimpse of Mu Mingtang on the street.
At that time, Mu Mingtang was scolding and hitting people, so she was very conspicuous. Madam Jiang looked for a while and found that Mu Mingtang was about the same age as her lost daughter. Even the shape of their faces was somewhat similar.
That was why Madam Jiang brought Mu Mingtang back. After Jiang Honghao saw her, he felt that it was also a solution that was not a solution, so he agreed to it. Later, Mu Mingtang was adopted by the Jiang Family, changed her surname to Jiang, and was recorded as the Second Miss. She was to be the substitute for the lost Eldest Miss Jiang Mingwei.
Mu Mingtang knew her identity from the beginning. Her parents missed their beloved daughter and searched for her for a long time to no avail, so they put someone who looked like her in front of them to comfort them. Mu Mingtang understood very well, so she was willing to be another person's shadow. She wore Jiang Mingwei's favorite colors, lived in Jiang Mingwei's former house, learned to speak like Jiang Mingwei, and learned to walk like Jiang Mingwei.
She gradually erased Mu Mingtang's characteristics from herself. Madam Jiang disliked her for being vulgar and disliked her for fighting on the street. Mu Mingtang broke the claws and teeth that she had honed in troubled times. She became gentle, well-behaved, smiled without showing her teeth, and walked without showing her steps. No matter what she said, her voice was soft and gentle, and she spoke slowly.
She hid her true personality completely and forcibly changed into another person's appearance. She was afraid of being thrown out of the Jiang Fu. She was afraid that she would go back to those precarious days where she had to fight with wild dogs for food. In troubled times, dignity was useless, let alone imitating another person.
Mu Mingtang was locked up and trained intensively for a year. Finally, she transformed into the virtuous lady that Madam Jiang wanted. It was easy to resemble the skin, but difficult to resemble the bones. She naturally could not be compared to Jiang Mingwei, who was born rich. Regardless of whether it was her knowledge or her conversational skills, the difference was too great. But when she did not speak, Mu Mingtang already had some of Jiang Mingwei's shadow.
Madam Jiang was reluctantly satisfied. In March of this year, she officially brought Mu Mingtang out to the open road. Afterwards, Mu Mingtang truly understood why the Jiang Family wanted to adopt an adopted daughter, and why Madam Jiang was so anxious to train her well.
As it turned out, the glory of the Jiang Fu was not only Jiang Honghao's position in the province, but also Jiang Mingwei's marriage to a prince.
There was no reason for the Emperor to take back his words, let alone an imperial edict to bestow a marriage. Jiang Mingwei had disappeared during the Lantern Festival last year. It was easy for her to find her freedom, but it was difficult for the Jiang Family to step down. Madam Jiang had personally chased after Chen Liu. On one hand, she was worried about her daughter. On the other hand, she was also worried about the marriage between the Jiang Family and Prince Jin.
Prince Jin was a legitimate prince and had a virtuous reputation. He was the most popular candidate for the position of heir apparent in the imperial court. If it were not for the fact that the Emperor had been neighbors with the Jiang Family before he ascended the throne, he would never have bestowed such a great honor on the Jiang Family. Jiang Mingwei had run away from the marriage — of course, that was Mu Mingtang's own explanation. Madam Jiang had always insisted that her daughter had been kidnapped — this recognition from the Emperor had become a death sentence for Jiang Honghao. When Jiang Honghao found out that Jiang Mingwei had disappeared, he was furious. He was so angry that he immediately said that he did not have a daughter like Jiang Mingwei. He even refused to send people to chase after Jiang Mingwei. Madam Jiang loved her daughter dearly, but she was also saddened by her husband's heartlessness. Her husband did not care, so she could only take care of things herself. Later, by chance, she met Mu Mingtang. Madam Jiang was at her wit's end, so she thought of a plan to substitute one person for another.
Madam Jiang only hoped that Jiang Mingwei had acted on a whim and would return when his mood had dissipated. If he did not return, or if it was too late, then letting Mu Mingtang take his place would be a way to remedy the situation. After all, the Emperor did not say that the daughter of Prince Jin and Jiang Honghao had to be Jiang Mingwei. After adopting Mu Mingtang, Mu Mingtang could be considered Jiang Honghao's daughter.
In March, Madam Jiang completely gave up on Jiang Mingwei and officially introduced her second daughter, "Jiang Mingtang", to the wives of the officials in the capital. In April, Mu Mingtang and Prince Jin, Xie Xuanji, looked at each other through a screen under the care of their elders. Even if they were an engaged couple meeting before the wedding, they tacitly agreed to the marriage.
In Mu Mingtang's opinion, Prince Jin was truly infatuated with Jiang Mingwei. Jiang Mingwei ran away from the marriage and was suspected to have eloped. Prince Jin, as the prince and fiancé, did not fly into a rage. Instead, he quietly helped Madam Jiang look for Jiang Mingwei. Later, seeing that the wedding date was approaching, Xie Xuanji did not say anything and accepted the imitation that the Jiang Family arranged for him.
His infatuation with Mu Mingtang moved when she saw it. As a substitute, Mu Mingtang knew her position very well. She knew that in Madam Jiang's eyes and heart, she had always been thinking about her own daughter. Even Prince Jin's gaze when looking at her was similar to Jiang Mingwei's. Mu Mingtang could enjoy a life of luxury in this lifetime and even become a princess in the end. She was already in fear and trepidation. She was not greedy, and she did not expect Prince Jin's love.
She was already prepared to exist as Jiang Mingwei's shadow for the rest of her life. Before marriage, she would be a good daughter who was similar to Jiang Mingwei but more docile than Jiang Mingwei. After marriage, she would be the projection of the white moonlight in Prince Jin's heart. As for who Mu Mingtang was, what she liked, and what kind of person she used to be, it was not important.
Who would have thought that today, at the birthday banquet that the Jiang couple had arranged for Mu Mingtang, the main character, Jiang Mingwei, would actually appear?
Jiang Mingwei did not appear in front of anyone, but Mu Mingtang discovered that Prince Jin had suddenly disappeared. Her inexplicable intuition told her that something was wrong. Mu Mingtang quietly followed them. She did not expect to hear such a touching play.
She stood behind the shadow of the tree and listened to the sincere confession of the affectionate prince and the white moonlight for a long time. She felt that their love was really great.
Prince Jin's deep love and single-mindedness for his lover were moving.
So what about her, a clumsy substitute, a lowly refugee, how was she going to deal with it?
Mu Mingtang did not want to listen anymore, so she turned around and walked back. Halfway back, the maidservant who had come out to look for her chased after her. When the maidservant saw her, she immediately raised her eyebrows in disdain. "Second Miss, Madam said that you can't wander around. Why can't you remember?"
The maidservant stood in the other direction and did not see the figure behind the bushes. When Xie Xuanji and Jiang Mingwei heard the sound, they both stopped talking. Xie Xuanji's expression changed. He quickly bypassed the cover and saw a light blue figure slowly moving away in the corridor. Her outer cover was printed with silver frost. When it covered the light blue silk, it looked like a frost cloud.
She always wore light and high-class green and jade white. She always carried the alienation of a passerby in the human world. From Xie Xuanji's point of view, this figure really looked like Jiang Mingwei's.
But Xie Xuanji knew that was not the case. Xie Xuanji secretly frowned. Why was she here?
The maidservant naturally nagged that Mu Mingtang was not ladylike and elegant enough, but Mu Mingtang endured it. In the past, she did not think about it, but today, she realized that in the Jiang family, even a maidservant dared to openly dislike her.
That's right, because she was a substitute. Jiang Mingwei's imitation, the substitute of the white moonlight in Prince Jin's heart. Unfortunately, she failed to draw a tiger and ended up looking like a dog. It felt like she was trying to imitate someone else.
The maidservant chattered endlessly, but Mu Mingtang just ignored it. She did not argue or respond. She quietly waited, waiting for the Jiang family to deal with her.
She originally thought that Jiang Honghao, or at least Madame Jiang, would send someone to talk to her at night. However, Mu Mingtang realized that she really couldn't be self-righteous. She waited for a long time, but no one came to look for her. There was only a granny who said to her coldly, "Second Miss, this is Eldest Miss' room. Eldest Miss doesn't like others to touch her things. Please move out. "
Mu Mingtang was stunned for a while. She stood up and nodded, "That makes sense. This was originally Elder Sister's room. Now that Elder Sister is back, I have no reason to occupy her room. I will tidy up the furniture. "
"No need." The mama looked down at her indifferently and said, "All the furnishings in the room are Eldest Miss's, even her clothes. Second Miss, it's enough for you to come out. "
Mu Mingtang thought that the Jiang family had adopted her after all. This year, they had given her luxurious clothes and jade food and shelter. Therefore, she endured the humiliation and did not say anything. She left the room where she had lived for a year in humiliation and moved to the cold guest room. During the year of her exile, Mu Mingtang had long been taught the fickleness of human nature. She had become practical and philistine. What was the point of losing face? It was enough as long as she lived well.
Mu Mingtang thought that since she was so tactful, someone from the Jiang family would definitely come to find her to exchange pleasantries.
As it turned out, Mu Mingtang still overestimated herself. She was left in the guest room and lived there for three days without any notice. At noon on the fourth day, someone finally came to find her. "Second Miss, the master wants to see you."
Mu Mingtang tidied herself up and walked to the study like a well-behaved gift. In the study, Jiang Honghao was already sitting. What surprised her was that Xie Xuanji was also there.
Mu Mingtang only glanced at him and then withdrew her gaze. She bowed to Jiang Honghao in a very ladylike manner. "Father."
As for Xie Xuanji, they were originally engaged. Now that they were not, Mu Mingtang had no reason to talk to a man outside of the family. Jiang Honghao did not say anything, so Mu Mingtang could not take the initiative to greet Xie Xuanji.
"En." Jiang Honghao only nodded. He looked at the young girl in front of him and thought about what would happen in a while. It was rare for him to feel some pity for her. In any case, she had stayed with the Jiang family for a year. When she got married in two days, he would prepare more dowry for her.
Jiang Honghao was very satisfied with his kindness. He stroked his beard and said, "Presumably, you already know that your eldest sister is back. Prince Jin's engagement was originally with Mingwei. He had no choice but to let you take his place. You should understand, right? "
Mu Mingtang meekly bowed her head. "I understand."
"That's good. But don't worry. Since you have become my adopted daughter, I will not treat you unfairly. A few days ago, Prince Jin asked His Majesty for permission. Today, His Majesty agreed to let you marry into Prince Qiyang's Mansion. "
Jiang Honghao said with a smile. "Although you are my adopted daughter, the Jiang family is not a family that favors one and discriminates against the other. After you marry into Prince Qiyang's Mansion, you will still be a Princess. In the future, you two sisters will become sisters-in-law. You will have to look after each other in the imperial family so that you won't let me down. For you to be where you are today, your luck is truly extraordinary. "
Mu Mingtang was stunned for a long time before she realized what Jiang Honghao was talking about. She would still be a Princess, but not to Prince Jin, but to Prince Qiyang?
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