One family

Listening to Minister Jiang's words, Mother Jiang and Jiang Xiurong stopped laughing while they both donned a smile that showed how much they loved Minister Jiang and his just spoken words that made their hearts go warm all over again.

Jiang Xiurong raised her head from her mother's lap as she sat straight to see her father and smile at him. Mother Jiang too smiled at him and answered his previous question, "We were just crying thinking about our Xiurong leaving the manor after her marriage. We just couldn't bear to separate with each other. I really did not expect for this day to come so soon though I had always known that such a day would come into our lives."

At the end of her words, the previously shown smile disappeared as sadness once again loomed over them.

Minister Jiang too felt sad when he heard her words as he looked at his daughter who was still in his wife's arms, "Xiurong, tell your Father that you don't like this marriage, okay? I will immediately go to the Emperor and ask for the decree to be taken back." He sounded eager for his daughter to really object to the marriage as he did not want his daughter to leave him soon.

He would rather offend the Emperor than part ways with his beloved daughter. Listening to his words, the women chuckled simultaneously as they looked at each other and smiled.

Mother Jiang repeated the words that Jiang Xiurong just spoke to her while Minister Jiang nodded his head listening to them. "Hmm. Good. If the Fifth Prince really loves you, then this marriage would be worth it. If he ever makes you feel sad, don't bear them by yourself and immediately come to your Father and inform me. I would take care of him. So what if he is a Prince. No one is more special than my beloved daughter and no one is allowed to hurt her. Do you understand?"

Jiang Xiurong felt warm as she heard her Father's words as she nodded and smiled, "Thank you Father."

Minister Jiang took a seat beside Jiang Xiurong on the other side from Mother Jiang as he placed a hand on her shoulder as he spoke, "Silly girl, why are you thanking your Father. It is the duty of your Father to always protect you. No matter if you are in our manor, or in the royal palace, you will always be my daughter and our family will always be together just like how we are now."

Jiang Xiurong nodded her head at her Father's words, "Yes Father. Our family will always be together no matter where we stay."

Mother Jiang spoke after listening to their words, " I wish my elder sister is now with us too. Our family would have been complete during our Xiurong's wedding."

Her words immediately stagnated the air in the room as no one took a breath anymore. Jiang Xiurong is the first to react as her warm countenance was lost in a second as she looked coldly, "Mother, please don't talk about Elder Aunt anymore. It is her fault for whatever happened to her. She doesn't deserve to be a part of this family."

Mother Jiang wanted to speak more, "Xiurong, as you know, your mother too hates your Elder Aunt but whatever happened, she is still a part of the family. You should.."

Before she could speak any further, Jiang Xiurong interrupted, "Mother, please. I would never want to listen to the mention of Elder Aunt in this manor again."

Looking at their daughter's determined look, both Minister Jiang and Mother Jiang sighed as they shook their heads. They both understood their daughter's emotions and decided to give her some space to relax. They just patted her shoulder and left the chamber together leaving Jiang Xiurong to sit in her place alone in the place.

As soon as there was no one in the chamber, the coldness that Jiang Xiurong emanated was multiplied by many times as her eyes contained many complicated emotions which are very different from the time she looked at both her parents earlier.

On the outside of the chamber, the Jiang couple too had a different expression which no one had ever seen before. There is excitement in their faces but it still felt weird from their usual polite ones. They looked more like a cunning pair that just planned to loot a house and were successful.

No one would recognize that it was Minister Jiang and his wife if they saw them with such weird expressions at this moment. In everyone's image they are an ideal couple who are always polite and courteous to everyone irrespective of the status of the person on the other side.

But now? There is no politeness nor courteousness in them. Instead they look like a pair of devils that are out to destroy the world.