LF Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Enlisting in the Army

Jiang Yinghua listened to Your Majesty’s questioning, taking two steps back in dejection. All the thoughts and considerations from crying in the manor yesterday flooded her mind…

“I… I don’t know. Perhaps, Hua’er just wants to make a name for herself, without hiding under your and mother’s wings. Like elder brother, like you, to be able to genuinely do something for the court and the people with your own abilities.

We have the same parents, Hua’er doesn’t want to be a useless person who is always protected, letting court officials gossip behind her back.”

Jiang Yinghua’s words seemed more like a soliloquy than a response to Your Majesty’s question.

Your Majesty scrutinized her reaction, pondered with hands clasped behind her back for a moment, then walked up to her and softly asked, “Recently, some people in the court have been gossiping about the Star Plucking Tower incident. Does it make you feel embarrassed? If so, I can send Yan Wanzhi away. I will deal with those troublemakers for you.”

“No, it has nothing to do with them. Elder sister, Hua’er, Hua’er doesn’t like… doesn’t like arguing with a bunch of civil officials. I beg you…” Jiang Yinghua hid her hands in her sleeves, clenching them tightly, and stammered.

“Enough, how old are you? You haven’t dispelled this thought yet. The Empress Mother also forbids you from enlisting in the army. You are not to mention it again.” Your Majesty warned her in a low voice, the expression on her face already unpleasant.

“Throughout history, there have been many great generals who achieved fame at a young age. Moreover, most famous generals precisely gained their lasting reputation because they joined the army as youths. Age has never been a problem in commanding troops.” Jiang Yinghua stubbornly retorted, raising her head to look directly at Your Majesty’s slightly angry gaze.

Your Majesty snorted coldly, “You got tricked just by going to a restaurant for a drink, and you dare to compare yourself to famous generals who achieved fame at a young age? Where does your confidence come from?”

Jiang Yinghua had always possessed a fierce spirit of not admitting defeat since she was young. Now, being ridiculed by her elder sister, she felt unwilling, but even more so, she felt remorse, “Hua’er treated him as family, that’s why… I will never make this mistake again in my life. Hua’er’s family is only in Tai Zhang Palace, only you and the Empress Mother. No matter where I fly, my heart will always be here.”

Having said that, she felt the time was right. It would be better to come clean, so she added, “Hua’er’s mind is made up. If you don’t allow it, I will send a memorial to the Ministry of Communications every day.”

“You’re rebelling against me!”

Upon hearing the first half of her words, Your Majesty, who was somewhat moved, became enraged when she threatened her with the Ministry of Communications. She raised her hand and smashed a plum vase on the Bogu shelf next to her into pieces.

Jiang Yinghua suddenly knelt down, not caring about the shards of porcelain beneath her, and sobbed as she argued:

“Your Majesty, you have already sent General Wu far to the Southern Frontier. Whether this battle is fought or not, he will not be able to return for a while. May I ask who else in the court is a commanding general you can trust? You have only been on the throne for a few months, and now you are unprecedentedly in charge of two countries. Hua’er feels sorry for you and sincerely wants to share your burdens.

If it weren’t for my foolishness in falling into the Prince of Yun’an’s trap, so many things wouldn’t have been dumped on you all at once, and Yan Wanzhi, such a capable person, wouldn’t be unemployed at home. I feel ashamed and have no face to face you and the Empress Mother. Just, just treat me as if I’m being conscripted into the army, okay?”

Your Majesty was somewhat taken aback. Her younger sister today was so stubborn, even playing the emotional card to persuade her, even to the point of putting on a melodramatic act in front of her: “Get up. What nonsense are you talking about? Are you blind? You’re kneeling on so many shards?”

Jiang Yinghua lowered her eyes and remained silent, still kneeling on the ground, fidgeting with her fingers.

In the end, Your Majesty couldn’t bear to see her sister hurt by the shards and pulled her up.

For a long time, the room was silent.

Seeing Your Majesty pacing silently, Jiang Yinghua felt that it wasn’t entirely hopeless and finally tentatively said, “If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as elder sister agreeing. The Supreme of the Ninety-Five, no take-backs.”

Jiang Jingche stopped walking, glared at her, and said, “If you can persuade the Empress Mother, I will allow it.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Overjoyed, Jiang Yinghua picked up her skirt, turned around, and rushed out of the palace, heading towards the palace gate.

That evening, Jiang Yinghua held a large banquet in the Prince Zhao Manor, even forcing the wooden-headed guard that Your Majesty had recently bestowed upon her to drink several jars of wine.

Close to midnight, just before curfew, Jiang Yinghua, alone with her horse, slipped out of the Prince Zhao Manor and galloped towards the North City Gate.

As she approached a teahouse at the foot of the Imperial City, a horse rushed towards her. As the two passed by, the rider tightened the reins and tentatively called out in a low voice, “Your Highness?”

Jiang Yinghua, wearing a bamboo hat, didn’t clearly see who it was, but she recognized the voice. Hearing this, she slowed down, turned around, lifted her cloak, and smiled freely at the person before her, “It’s so late, go back to sleep early. How can you do a good job if you ruin your brain? It won’t be easy to see each other in the future, take care!”

With that, she whipped her horse again and left the city without looking back.

Yan Wanzhi had a stomach full of questions, but Jiang Yinghua’s horsemanship was superb, not giving her any time to respond.

In the middle of the night, this little Highness, all alone and in a hurry, where was she going?

Yan Wanzhi repeatedly pondered Jiang Yinghua’s words, “It won’t be easy to see each other in the future.” Suddenly, she finally understood that this little Highness was going to throw the young her into the military camp to stop the rumors and get Your Majesty to let her return to court.

Why bother? Your Majesty wouldn’t mind the rumors, and Yan Wanzhi wouldn’t mind the rumors either, because the two of them knew it all along.

Yan Wanzhi had recently been taking advantage of the excuse of being at home on leave to tirelessly plan, collecting military reports from all over and consolidating the defenses in various places. Foolish Prince Zhao, you didn’t need to do anything. You could have stayed in the capital in peace and grown up carefree.

Thinking of this, Yan Wanzhi turned her horse around and hurriedly chased after her. Before she reached the city gate, she was stopped by the night patrol. Curfew had arrived. Without an imperial decree, it was a crime not only to leave the city but even to walk on the streets.

Yan Wanzhi helplessly shook her head and went with the night patrol soldiers to see the garrison commander. She didn’t defend herself but instead revealed her official rank and name, reminding the garrison commander that the person who had just left the city was of noble birth. If he knew what was good for him, he should send someone to follow and protect her.

How could the garrison commander not know? Although that person had covered her face, the exit pass she possessed was extremely rare. Already full of suspicion, he was now confirmed, so he hurriedly sent someone to follow.

After settling everything properly, the garrison commander returned, looked at Yan Wanzhi, and didn’t know how to deal with her: “You, why are you here? What should I do with you?”

“General is a smart person, naturally should do what you should do.” Yan Wanzhi smiled and cupped her fist.

The garrison commander understood and said loudly, “Then I will have to trouble Scholar Yan to go to the garrison headquarters with me when it’s dawn. I will personally submit a memorial to Your Majesty.”

Yan Wanzhi nodded and rested there peacefully.

At dawn the next day, Yan Wanzhi was escorted to the Thirteenth Garrison of the Defense Command. Before the corresponding memorial could be submitted to Your Majesty, she had already received the news that she had been arrested and taken to the garrison headquarters, and immediately ordered her to be brought over.

At the same time, the palace gates opened wide, and a small eunuch hurriedly entered the palace, heading straight to the Empress Dowager’s Palace, saying he was delivering a handwritten letter from Prince Zhao that needed to be presented to the Empress Dowager in person.

In the main hall, after hearing the whole story of what happened to Yan Wanzhi, the anger in Your Majesty’s heart burst forth.

Inside the Empress Dowager’s Palace, the old woman who had just awakened was clutching an absurd handwritten letter, even more angry that her beard was trembling.

The credit for both of these things had to be attributed to Jiang Yinghua.

Yesterday at dawn, the guards of Prince Zhao Manor woke up dizzy from their sleep, and what met their eyes was a group of drunk servants and attendants lying scattered all over the ground.

As for the owner, she had long since disappeared.

In the huge Prince Zhao Manor, some were asleep, some were unconscious from the drugs, silent and without a sound. The main hall was dark.

Realizing that something was wrong, the guards scrambled to their feet, shaking the companions who were still somewhat conscious, and headed straight for the main hall.

Lighting the candles, they saw a handwritten letter lying quietly on the desk, next to it a note:

“Tomorrow morning, present it to the Empress Dowager for her review on my behalf.”

The guards looked at Jiang Yinghua’s handwritten letter to the Empress Dowager with the wax seal, but no one dared to open it. Fortunately, dawn was approaching, so they rushed to wait outside the palace gate early, so as not to miss the time.

But they had no idea when their master had left.

Inside the main hall, Your Majesty pondered for a moment, calmed her emotions, and asked Yan Wanzhi, “You said just now that the patrol camp sent someone to follow last night? Did any news come back before you came?”

“No news has been received. I venture to guess that if Your Highness went north all the way, she should have gone to the three camps of the Jingbei Imperial Guards seventy miles outside the northern suburbs. It’s difficult to travel at night, so it should take about one round trip, we should have news by this afternoon.” Yan Wanzhi very carefully estimated the journey and replied in a solemn tone.

“Since that’s the case, you go back to your manor today to wait for news. The news of Prince Zhao leaving the capital should be blocked. No word should be spread. How is the matter I asked you to handle coming along? How many more days will it take?” Your Majesty sat back at the desk, leisurely speaking.

“I have already opened up the north-south double-line spy network, and the timeliness of military intelligence gathering is still acceptable. According to the returned message, the Southern Line garrison can be fully assembled within three days.” Yan Wanzhi replied.

“Okay, come to court in three days.” Your Majesty closed her eyes to rest and lightly ordered, leaning back in her chair.

“I obey the decree. If Your Majesty has nothing else, I will return to my manor to wait for news from the patrol camp and present it later.” Yan Wanzhi raised her eyes and saw Your Majesty waving her hand, bowed, and hurriedly left the main hall, running anxiously towards the palace.

Before Yan Wanzhi came to deliver the news, at noon, the Empress Dowager sent someone to invite Your Majesty to have lunch together.

As soon as Jiang Jingche stepped into the palace, she saw the Empress Dowager sitting at the table with a worried look on her face, seemingly uninterested in the table full of delicacies. On the empty seat left for her was a piece of paper covered with dense handwriting.

Jiang Jingche walked over, picked up the paper, glanced over it, and knew why the Empress Dowager had called her over at noon.

Jiang Yinghua wrote clearly in the letter that she had gone alone to the three northern camps of the Imperial Guards, only to be stationed as an ordinary soldier. She said that she had obtained Your Majesty’s approval, and if the old mother had any complaints, she could send someone to arrest her and lock her up in the Imperial Clan Court to vent her anger. As long as the Empress Dowager softened her heart and was willing to let her go in the future, she would try her best to escape again.

Only Jiang Yinghua dared to write such outrageous words on paper.

Jiang Jingche lowered her eyes and bowed, “Mother, please calm your anger. This girl is acting absurdly. I will scold her. If you don’t want, I will bring her back. I never agreed to her going to the Northern Camp to mess around.”

The Empress Dowager pondered for a long time, waved her hand and said, “Sit down, let’s eat, mother and daughter.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jingche sat down, personally serving the Empress Dowager with her favorite dishes, but the Empress Dowager had no intention of eating at all.

Ever since the Star Plucking Tower incident, Jiang Yinghua had been left aside by the Empress Dowager, and she had never entered the palace to pay her respects.

Now that she had received news that she had joined the army of her own accord, the Empress Dowager felt really bad in her heart, “Let her make a scene. Tell the people in the Northern Camp not to give her any special treatment. Once she has suffered hardship and fatigue, she will naturally come back.”

The Empress Dowager’s tone was full of helplessness. After saying that, she drank a spoonful of soup and never touched any of the dishes on the table again.

Coming out of the Empress Dowager’s Palace, Jiang Jingche frowned and turned to ask the close attendant, “Has there been any news from Yan Wanzhi?”