LF Chapter 60
by VolareAt the hour of the fifth watch, when the winter night was at its coldest, Jiang Yinghua, galloping through the deserted streets, felt unbearably hot.
The curfew hadn’t lifted, and the city gates were heavily guarded. Jiang Yinghua headed straight for the South Gate, making such a spectacle of herself that no one could figure out her intentions, and no one dared to stop her.
Most crucially, the Emperor’s guards followed her, inspiring terror in anyone who saw them.
No sooner had she left Chengming Hall than Your Majesty followed, the clatter of hooves on the white jade palace road resonating with each beat.
Jiang Jingche stood with her hands clasped behind her back, surveying the imperial guards who had gathered because of the commotion. Finally, she spoke, “Where is Captain Qiao?”
“Your Majesty, I am here.” A young officer quickly stepped forward and bowed to Your Majesty on the jade steps.
“Take some men and follow her. If she dares to cause trouble, seize the person and bring her back, without mercy!” Your Majesty ordered calmly, then turned and returned to the warm hall, her silhouette radiating an indescribable weariness. Even the most magnificent brocade robe could not conceal the wounds in her heart.
Captain Qiao grumbled inwardly, *You speak lightly enough. Prince Zhao slipped away right under your nose, and you were helpless. Now you want me to catch her. If I were to actually hurt this little cousin, my head would be the first to roll.*
However, an imperial decree was not to be disobeyed. Captain Qiao Yuanli led dozens of men in swift pursuit, also leaving the palace gates.
The guards at the palace gates were dumbfounded. The imperial guards had been coming and going all night, something unprecedented in these peaceful times.
Jiang Yinghua’s insistence on breaking into the palace at night and then charging through the city gates was intended to give those rigid old conservatives at the Censorate something to complain about after the break. With such outrageous behavior, Your Majesty couldn’t protect her. This commotion would likely cost her the title of Prince, and the East Sea might not want to betroth their Prince of Yun’an to such a rascal.
Without Yan Wanzhi by her side, who would she share her accomplishments for the country with? She might as well not be this thankless Prince. Having guarded the border for many years, she asked herself, she had done nothing to be ashamed of for Great Chu, but she couldn’t earn any affection from her own family.
The imperial guards wouldn’t follow for long. If Jiang Yinghua insisted on going far away, they would eventually turn back. After all, their primary duty was to protect Your Majesty’s palace. After leaving the capital by a hundred *li*, Jiang Yinghua was exhausted. As dawn gradually broke, she looked back and saw that the imperial guards were indeed gone.
Getting rid of them was for the best.
However, her hasty decision in her anxiety meant that she had left without a penny to her name. Penniless and on the run, unable to reveal her identity, Jiang Yinghua had to find a money house as soon as possible to get some silver for her journey.
She rode straight for the next city, suddenly feeling like the tables had turned. At this moment, she was worse off than that rebellious Third Brother. At least when he was released, Jiang Yinghua had given him enough travel expenses.
Suddenly, she recalled the words Your Majesty had said to her on the city tower during her last return to the capital. This time, she was not just disobedient, but reckless, unafraid of losing her head. Walking in the cold morning wind, she shivered slightly, unsure whether it was the cold of the first month or the fear that was rising in her heart.
Qiao Yuanli, having received his orders, hurried in pursuit and ran into the imperial guards hidden in the shadows outside the city. After a brief exchange, the imperial guards returned to the palace, handing over the task to their brothers in the imperial army.
Jiang Yinghua arrived at the next town around *chen shi* (7-9 AM), and as soon as she entered the city, she anxiously looked for a money house. Before Your Majesty could react, she withdrew several thousand *liang* of silver notes from the money house, turned her horse around, and left without a moment’s delay.
Fleeing among the bustling crowds left the already lagging imperial army in a daze. Helpless, Qiao Yuanli had to order his men to split into three groups. Jiang Yinghua wouldn’t have entered the city without a reason, so he personally led a group to inquire within the city. Before long, he learned that she had withdrawn silver notes and exchanged some for loose silver.
In broad daylight, Jiang Yinghua probably wouldn’t dare to linger. Traveling outward, with bandits rampant at night, and fleeing privately, she definitely wouldn’t dare to stay in official government inns. Therefore, she would find a town and rest at a decent inn or restaurant.
Thinking this, Qiao Yuanli quickly ordered his men to mark every relatively clean and orderly inn within a radius of two hundred *li*. He planned to follow the clues and wait for her.
Having spent many years with Yan Wanzhi, who was in charge of the Secret Office, Jiang Yinghua was well aware of these methods of capturing people. As clever as she was, having finally slipped away, how could she be easily caught? Therefore, she did the opposite, quietly returning to the capital while the imperial army was racking its brains, pulling off a trick of hiding in plain sight.
To make it easier to hide, Jiang Yinghua didn’t choose a well-known residence but opened a room in a small inn in the bustling city, sending a message to the Shadow Guards to bring her some food and news.
After waiting bitterly for half a month, there was no sign of any action against Yan Wanzhi from the court. With that, Jiang Yinghua briefly calmed herself and began to work on another matter.
But things didn’t go as she expected. She had broken into the palace late at night and had been missing for half a month, yet there wasn’t the slightest movement from the court. No one impeached her, and the Shadow Guards couldn’t find out about Your Majesty’s plans to capture her. All they knew was that the Prince Zhao Manor was tightly closed, claiming to the outside world that Prince Zhao had returned to the capital in haste and had contracted an illness requiring rest.
It was too quiet. Not only had her plans failed, but now the imperial army and guards were nowhere to be seen, making Jiang Yinghua somewhat guilty. Even going out required careful consideration.
It wasn’t until the evening of the 29th day of the first month that a Shadow Guard hurried over, cupping his hands and saying, “Master, there’s news. The East Sea Prince and his party will land at Lianzhou Port on the third day of the second month and head towards the capital.”
Finally, they’re here. Jiang Yinghua had been waiting for almost a month and finally had news.
Lianzhou Port was more than eight hundred *li* from the capital. The Prince’s entourage and the welcoming officials were numerous, so their progress would be slow. Jiang Yinghua roughly calculated that if she were to intercept them, it would be best to do so as far away from the capital as possible. So, upon receiving the news, she couldn’t sit still. The next morning, as soon as the city gates opened, she, dressed in men’s clothing, headed straight for Lianzhou.
Along the way, the Shadow Guard told Jiang Yinghua the news he had gathered. It was said that the East Sea Prince’s name was Ying Feng, and he was the only son of the Grand Princess Yunxiao, the Empress Dowager’s half-sister, and the East Sea King. Because of his fair complexion, radiant eyes, vermilion lips, and gentle demeanor, he had earned the nickname “Jade-faced Buddha.”
Hearing this description, he must be a handsome gentleman. But everyone had their own tastes, and Jiang Yinghua had already been captivated by one person, and there was no room in her heart for anyone else.
The master and servant traveled five days through wind and rain, daring to rest only in the roadside forests each night, fearing that they would be discovered.
Upon hearing that the Prince and his party would stay overnight in Lianzhou to rest on the day of their arrival, Jiang Yinghua spurred her horse straight to the Lianzhou post house.
But when she arrived, she found that the guards accompanying him, plus the welcoming guards sent by the court, surrounded the post house, layer upon layer, making it impenetrable. Your Majesty was truly concerned about this future brother-in-law.
In this situation, it was only a pipe dream for Jiang Yinghua to contact the person privately and discuss the rejection of the marriage. After waiting outside for two days and nights without finding an opportunity, Jiang Yinghua had no choice but to leave. She planned in her heart that if she couldn’t negotiate privately, she might as well reject him openly, disgracing the East Sea and sending him back in anger.
Ying Feng was already twenty-six years old. Not having married at this age meant that he was either very proud or arrogant. Marrying Great Chu, seeking protection, and entering the Prince’s manor would be enough of a compromise, and he must be filled with unwillingness. If Jiang Yinghua publicly rejected him, he should be unable to bear it, leave in anger, and return to the East Sea.
Thinking this, Jiang Yinghua ordered the Shadow Guard to separate from her, calculated the time, and ambushed the party on a must-pass official road, waiting for the convoy to appear before stepping forward to intercept it.
Your Majesty had truly given Ying Feng enough face. As the entourage under the distant yellow dust approached, Jiang Yinghua narrowed her eyes and saw that the leader of the welcoming party was actually the Grand Clan Elder of the Great Chu royal family, her royal uncle, Prince Yongchang.
Jiang Yinghua sneered in her heart. No matter how grand your formation, a mere island of the East Sea was nothing to her. She was determined to offend them today.
The convoy moved forward majestically under the guidance of the guards. Jiang Yinghua galloped out of the forest, heading straight for the official road, running towards the direction of the convoy.
Before long, she faced the convoy. The guards, seeing her alone, assumed she was a troublemaker and formed a line to arrest her.
Jiang Yinghua stood firm on her horse, holding her sword, and shouted at the wide carriage in the middle of the convoy, “Please, Prince Ying Feng, come out and meet me!”
The leading officer didn’t recognize Jiang Yinghua, stepped forward with his sword, and rebuked, “Where did this rogue come from, intercepting the East Sea Prince’s entourage? You’re courting death!”
“Stop!” Prince Yongchang, behind him, squinted with his dim old eyes. Although he couldn’t see clearly, he recognized the voice. He spurred his horse forward, waved back the guards, and, with his horse’s head next to Jiang Yinghua’s, lowered his voice and said, “Ninth girl, why are you here? Go back quickly!”
“Royal Uncle, today’s matter has nothing to do with you.” Jiang Yinghua coldly tossed out a sentence, urging her horse forward two steps, and mocked, “What? Is the Prince behaving like an ancient tortoise, or is he a delicate beauty afraid to meet people?”
Hearing these words, the serving maids in the carriage were furious, “Prince, what’s wrong with the soldiers of Great Chu? They’re letting such a rogue utter such nonsense? This servant will go and deal with her.”
The person sitting in the center, holding a warm stove in his hands, raised his hand to stop the attendant beside him, the corners of his lips slightly raised, and smiled, “This is interesting.”
Ying Feng, wearing a treasure-blue brocade robe and a fox fur coat, slowly stepped out of the carriage, stood on the shaft, glanced at Jiang Yinghua, and bowed, “I am Ying Feng. May I ask who you are?”
“I am Jiang Yinghua, Prince Zhao of Great Chu. Now that you’re out, let’s go somewhere else. I’ll talk to you frankly.” Jiang Yinghua coldly looked at the person standing on the carriage. In terms of appearance, he was truly no less than Yan Wanzhi. But thinking that it was because of this person that Yan Wanzhi had been imprisoned and suffered so much, she hated him.
Ying Feng didn’t seem surprised, standing calmly in place, and replied softly, “It is Ying Feng’s honor to be greeted by Prince Zhao in person. Why don’t you say what you want to say here?”
Jiang Yinghua sneered, giving him face when he didn’t want it, and didn’t blame her for being ruthless, “Alright, East Sea Prince, listen clearly. I, Jiang Yinghua, already have someone I love and will never marry you. If you know what’s good for you, go back where you came from!”
Prince Yongchang was shocked, his old face turning red with anger, and he scolded, “Old Ninth, you’re being absurd! You dare to defy His Majesty’s decree! Don’t you have any decorum in front of foreigners? What do you mean by having someone you love?”
Jiang Yinghua pretended not to hear, her eyes measuring Ying Feng’s expression, waiting to see his embarrassing performance.
Ying Feng did indeed lose his smile upon hearing this, pondering for only a moment before smiling again and saying:
“Prince Zhao is straightforward, and Ying Feng admires that. But this marriage is not something you or I can decide. The agreement between Your Majesty and my father, the King, is not something I can decide on my own. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
Hearing these words, Jiang Yinghua felt a chill in her heart. This person was definitely not easy to deal with. So patient, he was truly deep. “Prince is eloquent, but I advise you, there are few people and few ears here. If you make a big scene again after entering the capital, even if you return to the East Sea, you will still lose face.”
Before she finished speaking, the sound of hooves and neighing horses could be heard behind her. Qiao Yuanli couldn’t find any trace of Jiang Yinghua, so he reported to Your Majesty. Your Majesty secretly mobilized hundreds of imperial troops, sending them south in batches, and had already ambushed them in the necessary places for the Prince to enter the capital. Qiao Yuanli had long received the order to lead the men to ambush the Prince’s carriages all the way along the official road.
“Your Highness, Your Majesty has ordered you to return to the capital with me.” Qiao Yuanli led the men to surround Jiang Yinghua, dismounted, and bowed.
Jiang Yinghua narrowed her phoenix eyes, her face covered with frost, and coldly surveyed the imperial troops, silent.
Ying Feng, seeing this situation from the carriage, knew that the Prince’s farce was about to end. He turned his eyes and, in order to ease the relationship, opened his mouth and said:
“General, Prince Zhao has been on the road and must be very tired. It’s hundreds of *li* from here to the capital, and riding a horse would be very bumpy. I wonder if this Prince has the face to ask Prince Zhao to ride in this Prince’s carriage and return to the capital together?”
Wanting to sell favors and please people at this juncture, Jiang Yinghua thought that Ying Feng deserved the name “Jade-faced Buddha” and was probably a smiling tiger who hid a knife in his smile.
What was good was the purpose of coming to reject the marriage, how could there be reason to return to the capital together? He sure knew how to find an opportunity for himself.
Qiao Yuanli didn’t dare to say much. He couldn’t wait for this hot potato to be picked up by someone, saving him from being frightened.
“Prince’s breadth, truly makes this Prince admire. Since you’re so open-minded, we’ll meet again in the capital. I only hope that at that time, Prince won’t regret it.” Jiang Yinghua said, turned her horse’s head, and whipped it to leave.
The insensitive imperial troops surrounded her, afraid to let her go, and were stared at by Jiang Yinghua’s stern eyes, shuddering.
Qiao Yuanli flew onto his horse, followed closely behind Jiang Yinghua, and quickly called out, “Your Highness, wait for me, I have something to say.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yinghua slowed down, “How about Cousin give me a hint? If I escape again, will you be alive when you return?”
“To be honest, I dare to let you go alone because the road ahead is already covered with imperial troops. Your Highness, go back to the capital. If you continue to waste time, you’re the one who will suffer.” Qiao Yuanli rode side by side with her, not hiding Your Majesty’s arrangements.
Hearing this, Jiang Yinghua laughed coldly and turned her head, “Cousin, take care of yourself.”
After speaking, Jiang Yinghua flicked her whip straight at Qiao Yuanli’s face. Qiao Yuanli leaned over to dodge in surprise, and in this gap, Jiang Yinghua directly changed direction, straight for the forest path. In a moment, she disappeared into the forest, leaving no trace.
Qiao Yuanli was furious and slapped his forehead, regretting that he had scared her with the imperial troops all over the road. She, Prince Zhao, even dared to draw a knife in front of the Emperor, so how could she be so timid?
“Pass down the order, surround the area fifty *li* along the way, brothers!” Qiao Yuanli ordered loudly, quickly rushing towards the direction Jiang Yinghua escaped.