LF Chapter 37

Chapter 37: When Joy Reaches Its Peak, Sorrow Arises

Jiang Yinghua departed with the imperial guards, and the wonton stall regained its laughter and liveliness. Seeing her generosity, the stall owner grinned as if he had met the God of Wealth.

For a moment, Yan Wanzhi wanted to follow along. But then she thought, she was her adjutant, and it would be against the rules to accompany her to the night market. If Your Majesty found out, it would only add fuel to the fire, so she couldn’t reveal her identity.

Fortunately, the imperial guards had no doubts. Yan Wanzhi lingered for a moment, then discarded her bamboo hat, blended into the crowd, and wandered around for a long time. Only after the lantern festival ended did she quietly return to the manor.

Although Yan Wanzhi wasn’t skilled in martial arts, her experience in running the Secret Agency allowed her to avoid being followed. Seeing that no one was tailing her, she lingered, concerned about what Jiang Yinghua had said earlier.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yinghua obediently followed the imperial guards, turning through a deep alley until they reached a seemingly inconspicuous carriage. With no one around, one of them bowed to Jiang Yinghua and said, “Your Highness, please get in the carriage.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yinghua walked towards the carriage with a cold face, the carefree and bright demeanor from before nowhere to be seen.

Half an hour earlier, in the Tai Zhang Palace, Your Majesty had sent someone to the Empress Dowager’s Palace to inform Jiang Yinghua, but the palace staff reported that no one had seen the Ninth Princess. Having learned a lesson in the afternoon, Your Majesty sent two groups of people to search: one to scour the palace, and the other to intercept her at the Prince Zhao Manor. However, both returned empty-handed, reporting they had found nothing.

Your Majesty was furious, unsure what tricks Jiang Yinghua was playing. She quickly summoned the palace gate guards for questioning and learned that the princess had ridden out of the palace on her own. Anxious and angry, Your Majesty hastily decided to search the city. Unable to sit still, she changed into plain clothes and secretly left the palace with the imperial guards.

Therefore, when Jiang Yinghua stepped onto the carriage with a gloomy face, she didn’t think much of it, assuming they were ordered to take her back to the palace. Her reluctant expression was caught by Your Majesty, who was sitting steadily inside the carriage.

As soon as she entered the carriage and saw the person sitting before her, Jiang Yinghua was so startled that she almost cried out.

However, Your Majesty’s gaze was too cold, and a chilling light suppressed her shock in her throat. No matter how unwilling she was, alarming the Imperial presence to leave the palace was now a big deal.

Jiang Yinghua, being aware of the situation, softened her knees and knelt before Your Majesty.

At this moment, Your Majesty was like an ice sculpture, radiating a chilling presence. Her phoenix eyes stared at Jiang Yinghua, not uttering a word along the way.

Jiang Jingche had expected that this person might be temperamental upon her return, or that she might need to spend some effort to appease her, but she never imagined that she would act so recklessly and disregard everyone around her.

The journey was silent, and the ordinary carriage entered the palace city unnoticed, without attracting much attention from the guards, and stopped directly in the square in front of Chengming Hall.

Once the carriage came to a complete stop, none of the guards dared to approach. Jiang Jingche squeezed Jiang Yinghua’s arm forcefully, dragging her down from the carriage. Ignoring the gazes of the surrounding palace staff, she dragged her into Chengming Hall and threw her onto the ground.

The palace staff had never seen Your Majesty so distraught, and they knelt on the ground in fear, not daring to breathe. Jiang Jingche coldly instructed the old eunuch, “Inform the Empress Dowager that the person has been found.”

The old eunuch hurried out to deliver the message, and the remaining palace staff also wanted to slip away, but they heard Your Majesty continue, uttering two horrifying words in a deep voice, “Summon the rod!”

Jiang Yinghua, who had just gotten up from the ground, heard these two words, and her shock was no less than when Your Majesty had thrown her into the Imperial Prison. Sure enough, after all the twists and turns, she had returned to where she started. Disheartened, she was unwilling to beg for mercy or admit her mistake, and merely stared silently into the void.

The palace staff were terrified, each trembling and afraid to move.

Your Majesty’s sharp gaze swept over them, and those who were timid had already acknowledged and retreated. Only a small eunuch remained in the hall, suddenly kneeling and saying, “Your Majesty, please calm down. Today is a festival, and it is truly not appropriate… not appropriate to see bloodshed.”

Jiang Yinghua was surprised that a small palace servant would come out to protect her, and she glanced at him, but didn’t recognize him. Now that Your Majesty was burning with anger, this person was quite bold.

Hearing this, Your Majesty sneered, “You dare question my decision? You’re courting death!”

Jiang Yinghua frowned, sensing something was wrong, and hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, vent your anger on me, it has nothing to do with the servants.” After saying that, she looked at the trembling little eunuch and scolded, “Why aren’t you getting out of here?”

The little eunuch scrambled away, and Jiang Yinghua slumped to the ground in despair, her eyes stagnant, and her voice cold, “Kill me or beat me, as you please. Your Majesty is Supreme of the Ninety-Five, there’s no need to be angry for me, injuring your Imperial health.”

Hearing these words, Jiang Jingche looked at her unyielding appearance, and was instantly filled with resentment. She raised her hand and delivered a clear slap to Jiang Yinghua’s face, knocking her off balance and causing her to fall again.

The force was truly great. Moreover, hitting someone’s face was a sign of disrespect. Your Majesty was unwilling to show any mercy.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yinghua instead endured the pain and laughed mockingly, “To be able to make you lose your composure, my life has not been in vain. Why don’t you lock me up in the Imperial Prison? That palace servant is right, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, such a wonderful day. Show some concern for our mother, and even if you want to kill me, it’s not too late to wait until tomorrow.”

“Insolent!”

Before Your Majesty could speak, the Empress Dowager’s gloomy voice came from outside the hall. Hearing this, Jiang Yinghua was stunned. Shouldn’t her mother have retired for the night? Could she be coming to question her in person?

Jiang Jingche, who was about to deliver another slap to Jiang Yinghua, saw the Empress Dowager arrive and suppressed her anger.

The Empress Dowager glared at Jiang Yinghua and turned to persuade Jiang Jingche, “The Emperor has been tired all day. Give her to me. She’s been acting so recklessly and without discipline. Let me, her mother, teach her.”

Your Majesty lowered her eyes and remained silent, seeming to consider whether to release her. Although the Empress Dowager said so, Your Majesty knew that the Empress Dowager had come in person so late at night to protect this person.

Before Your Majesty could speak, the Empress Dowager scolded the palace staff behind her in a low voice, “What are you standing there for? Aren’t you going to take this rebellious child back to me?”

The people around the Empress Dowager were naturally alert. Hearing her words, they hurried forward, grabbing Jiang Yinghua from the ground and dragging her away. In a few breaths, they took her away from Chengming Hall.

Jiang Yinghua wasn’t stupid. If she persisted today, she would definitely not escape a beating. It was rare that her mother was willing to come, so she obediently followed them out. Once she had completely left the boundary of Chengming Hall, she said, “Alright, let go. I’ll walk myself.”

The palace staff naturally released her, following closely behind her, afraid that this ancestor would cause trouble again.

Jiang Yinghua entered the Empress Dowager’s palace and waited for a long time before seeing her return. Turning her eyes, she saw that the Empress Dowager’s face was ashen. Jiang Yinghua tried to soften her attitude and stepped forward, calling out softly in a trembling voice, “Mother.”

Before she could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager slapped Jiang Yinghua again, scolding, “I think you’ve lost your mind! What nonsense are you talking about!” Jiang Yinghua was stunned in place. Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager were truly alike. Now she had a slap mark on each side of her face, which was quite symmetrical.

“In your eyes, everything I do is wrong. I’m not my own master, and I’m constantly being blamed. Sooner or later, I’ll go crazy,” Jiang Yinghua said slowly, trying her best to calm her emotions as she explained.

“You haven’t listened to a word I’ve said. She’s your own sister, how could she harm you? Back then, the situation was dangerous, and she was protecting you,” the Empress Dowager scolded angrily, disappointed that she couldn’t turn Jiang Yinghua around.

“Protect me? There are many ways to protect me. Why did she have to throw me into prison and ignore me? Dare you say there wasn’t a hint of suspicion or intimidation in that? You wanted me to fear and submit, so why did you force me to be hypocritically close to you? You used a set of imperial tactics on me, and yet you expect me to uphold filial piety and show goodwill. How utterly hypocritical. If you don’t trust me, strip me of my title. I don’t care about being a prince.”

Hearing that this person was still trying to excuse her elder sister, Jiang Yinghua’s heart was as cold as ashes.

“Absurd. If you were just an ordinary court official, why would we bother to bring you back from the border?” Although the Empress Dowager’s angry expression hadn’t faded, she also knew where the problem lay and tried to use familial affection as bait.

“I didn’t want to come back in the first place. It was my fault for being deluded, and now I only feel a chilling cold. I regret it.” Jiang Yinghua’s eyes were filled with tears that flowed silently. “Empress Mother, what am I in your heart? A superfluous child who disappointed you from birth? Or a heartless knife to be manipulated and controlled, loyal to the imperial power?”

“Are you possessed?” The Empress Dowager was somewhat surprised. Jiang Yinghua, who had always been so well-behaved in front of her, was saying things that were completely out of line today.

Jiang Yinghua smiled bitterly and said, “My eldest brother died young, and my second brother is incompetent, so you conceived me again, hoping I would be a boy. When I was born a girl, you ignored me. If it weren’t for the Imperial Father’s love and pity, I…”

“Where did you hear these rumors?” The Empress Dowager’s eyes were filled with shock.

“Haha, rumors? Are those the rumors from your own mouth? From a young age, you only remembered me when there were changes in the family. Summon me when you need me, dismiss me when you’re done. But I also have a heart. The Imperial Father taught me a lot. I… I knew the imperial techniques of checks and balances and controlling people long ago. Why were you so cruel to me? I would rather be an ordinary person…” Jiang Yinghua choked with sobs, her tears streaming down her face.

Hearing these words, the Empress Dowager couldn’t hide her panic, and her body slumped as she fell onto the couch, remaining silent for a long time. As an elder, it was somewhat embarrassing to have her mistakes from many years ago exposed to her face. The Empress Dowager had never imagined that her private conversation with her eldest daughter had been overheard by this person.

What was supposed to be a joyous reunion had turned into such a mess. In essence, Jiang Yinghua hadn’t committed any major mistakes, but had merely avoided her two powerful and close relatives and left the palace to seek pleasure.

“Let me go, okay? I don’t want the title of prince, the status of an imperial descendant, or any power. Let her give me freedom, can she?” After a long silence, Jiang Yinghua wiped away the tears from her cheeks and asked in a softened tone.

In the dimly lit palace at night, the Empress Dowager’s eyes were dim, more desolate than the darkness of the night. After a long time, she sighed softly and said, “Follow me.” She then lifted her foot and left, and Jiang Yinghua followed hesitantly. She led her all the way north, taking her to the Fengxian Hall.

As she approached the hall, Jiang Yinghua saw the plaque above the hall and stopped immediately, her eyes filled with disappointment, and she turned to leave.

“Come back! Even if you want to leave, you should inform our ancestors. Go inside and reflect. I will discuss it with the Emperor.”

The Empress Dowager’s tone was firm, seemingly leaving no room for retreat. It was the same old trick, loyalty, filial piety, and rules, which never failed. Jiang Yinghua had been instilled with these ideas since she was a child, which shackled her mind and made it impossible for her to escape.

The next day, as dawn was about to break, the door to the Fengxian Hall was pushed open. Jiang Yinghua knelt upright inside, but her expression was somewhat dazed. Apart from the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty, no one else would dare to come here. She didn’t want to see either of them, so Jiang Yinghua had no intention of turning her head.

The person stood silently behind her for a long time, finally speaking, “The Empress Dowager has given you two choices: strip you of your title and have you remain in the capital to be married off, or increase your salary and send you back to the northern border to defend it. I want to know which you choose.”

Today, this person’s tone was uncharacteristically gentle, but the choices offered by the Empress Dowager sounded like she was abandoning her, but still wanted to make good use of her, and any hope for freedom was a luxury.

This was fine, since she had promised the Imperial Father back then, and she shouldn’t break her promise.

Jiang Yinghua pondered for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice, her tone disturbingly calm, “As a descendant of the Jiang family, I will return to the northern border and fulfill my responsibilities. I won’t bother you with this trip, and I won’t accept any favors or rewards. I will never return. If I displease the Emperor or my family, just send a cup of poison, and I will never disobey. I only ask that you show me mercy and give me face, so that I can reunite with my father and brothers in the afterlife.”

Your Majesty stood behind her, her brows deeply furrowed upon hearing these words. She didn’t know what the Empress Dowager had said to this person last night, or why she had been locked up in the Fengxian Hall.

“Do you want to know what my attitude is towards this matter?”

After pondering for a long time, Jiang Jingche tried to ask in as gentle a tone as possible, but the person in front of her wouldn’t even give her a response. Your Majesty was somewhat helpless, and lifted her foot to approach. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the faint red marks on Jiang Yinghua’s cheeks, and put aside her pride to comfort her, “Last night, I was overwhelmed with concern, and my mind was in chaos. We should be discussing serious matters now, and I shouldn’t be throwing a tantrum.”

Jiang Yinghua took a deep breath and slowly said, “In front of the ancestors, I dare not throw a tantrum. I ask myself, what I seek and what I choose is worthy of our ancestors and the people.”

Worthy of the ancestors and the people. These words disregarded the bond between mother and daughter, and between sisters. Your Majesty was saddened, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to ask anything more, and waved her hand, “If you don’t want to stay, go back to your manor. When you’ve calmed down, we’ll talk again another day.”

Jiang Yinghua kowtowed to the portraits of the ancestral gods in the Fengxian Hall, and then left the Tai Zhang Palace without looking back.

Having not slept a wink last night, Jiang Yinghua felt a splitting headache. She walked out of the palace gate aimlessly, and the hustle and bustle of the night market had long disappeared. She didn’t want to go back to the manor, she just wanted to walk alone, wandering around this hometown where she had grown up for more than ten years, but didn’t know well. She looked at the rows of houses and tiled roofs, her eyes blurred.

Beside Sajin Bridge, there was a wine shop with a fragrant aroma. Jiang Yinghua reached out and ordered a pot of fine wine, leaning against the bridge railing, seeking only to get drunk. She didn’t know how long had passed when someone stopped her hand holding the pot. “Your Highness, don’t drink anymore.”

There was a layer of blurry mist in front of her eyes, and she couldn’t be bothered to wipe it away. In a daze, she recognized the person, who turned out to be Yan Wanzhi. She sneered, “Why aren’t you attending the morning court?”

“You’ve forgotten, I’m your adjutant. Unless Your Majesty summons me, I don’t need to attend the morning court,” Yan Wanzhi explained patiently, assuming she was drunk.

“Hehe, adjutant, hahahaha, maybe not for long,” Jiang Yinghua said, snatching back the wine pot and drinking it herself.

“What do you mean by this?” Yan Wanzhi asked, puzzled.

“If Prince Zhao is gone, what’s the point of having a Prince Zhao’s adjutant?” Jiang Yinghua mocked, pretending not to care.

“Your Highness, be careful what you say. You’re drunk, let’s go back to the manor. I’ll take you,” Yan Wanzhi said, her face filled with worry, and tried to snatch the wine pot from her again.

Not only were the people in Tai Zhang Palace sleepless last night, but Yan Wanzhi was also worried and restless. This morning, she wanted to go to her manor to deliver the jade rabbit lantern she had won for her last night. On the way, she glanced and saw this familiar and dispirited figure.

Yan Wanzhi instructed the page next to her to settle the bill for the wine and helped Jiang Yinghua stagger onto her own carriage.

Indeed, Jiang Yinghua, this bottomless pit for alcohol, was truly drunk.

Slumped in the carriage, Jiang Yinghua spotted the lantern to the side with sharp eyes and pointed to it. “What’s that thing?”

Yan Wanzhi took it and handed it to her. “It’s the grand prize lantern from last night, a little jade rabbit.”

“Jade rabbit, rabbit, hmm… even a rabbit will bite when cornered. Why bully the rabbit?” Jiang Yinghua said drunkenly, at first just muttering, but later shouting.

Yan Wanzhi was startled by her. Words should not be spoken carelessly, she quickly took the lantern from her hand and covered Jiang Yinghua’s lips. “You’re tired, get some sleep.”

In a daze, Jiang Yinghua grabbed her hand and asked in a murmur, “If I go to that godforsaken place in the northern border and never come back in this lifetime, would… would you stay there with me?”

Yan Wanzhi was surprised why she would say this. Logically, ordering Jiang Yinghua to defend the border was just a temporary measure in a time of crisis, and Your Majesty wouldn’t be willing to do that.

Just as Yan Wanzhi was thinking this, she didn’t respond in time, and heard that person say again, “I knew it, no one cares about me, no one…”

Yan Wanzhi’s gaze fell on Jiang Yinghua’s face, and she seemed to see red marks on both sides of her cheeks under the tears. Yan Wanzhi didn’t dare to imagine what this person had gone through yesterday. Seeing that she was quiet and seemed to have fallen asleep, she whispered, “I care.”