LF Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Success Within Reach, Yet Failing

Inside Tai Zhang Palace, the evening wind rustled, sweeping the few stubborn, withered leaves clinging to the old tree branches. The last rays of sunset faded, and the deep night gradually enshrouded the palace, a flock of crows skimming past the glazed azure roof tiles.

Jiang Jingche’s lonely figure was stretched and distorted by the dim candlelight, cast upon the bluestone floor tiles. “Where has Prince Zhao reached?” she asked.

Her eyes were unfocused, her face gaunt. Even her usual cold and dignified appearance couldn’t hide the worry and sadness within.

An Inner Counselor approached, his voice soft, “Those below reported this afternoon that she should arrive tomorrow.”

The next morning, Jiang Yinghua, escorted by a group of Imperial Guards, finally arrived in the capital on the last day of her seven-day grace period.

The group directly carried Jiang Yinghua into the inner palace, almost delivering her straight to Your Majesty’s Chengming Hall.

She left the capital in August, during the golden autumn season; her return was in late October, when withered leaves were already falling. As the harsh winter approached, the Imperial Palace was filled with a chilling cold.

Especially this early morning, when the sun was not yet visible, and the biting wind cut through everything.

Outside the carriage, palace servants were already waiting. Without Jiang Yinghua needing to ask, they led her towards Chengming Hall.

At the corridor in front of the hall, the old eunuch bowed and said, “Ninth Princess, by Your Majesty’s decree, please kneel here and await Her Majesty’s return from the morning court.”

Jiang Yinghua looked up at the sky. At this hour, the court session had only just begun, and waiting for its end would take at least an hour. Her Majesty was deliberately trying to wear her down, to give her a taste of what was to come.

The old eunuch stood by, his body bent, with an air of determination to achieve his goal. Jiang Yinghua glanced at him helplessly, stepped forward, lifted her skirt, and knelt down as instructed.

Hiss! The white jade stone steps were truly cold! Both cold and hard, the moment her knees touched them, she felt the chill to her bones.

The continuous journey, passing through areas recently ravaged by war, the bumps of the official roads, and the desolation of the marketplaces, had added much hardship to this trip. Jiang Yinghua was already exhausted. Before even seeing anyone after entering the palace, she had been given a lesson, causing her heart to be filled with resentment.

She stood there with a cold face, her aura making the palace servants uncomfortable. Everyone else kept their distance, detouring to avoid her. Thus, Jiang Yinghua gained some peace and closed her eyes to rest.

But the morning wind was unkind, often blowing a chilling gust that penetrated her clothes, freezing her teeth to chatter.

With her hands and feet ice-cold, and her back aching, Jiang Yinghua relied on the willpower she had gained from returning from the battlefield to maintain her awareness. She lowered her eyelids, furrowed her brow, and resisted the unbearable cold pain.

She didn’t know how long had passed, but the orange glow in her closed eyes was suddenly blocked by a shifting shadow. Instinctively, she looked up and met Your Majesty’s eyes, which suppressed anger. “Get in here,” the Emperor said.

Jiang Yinghua struggled to get up, staggering as she lifted her sore and numb legs, and moved into the warm Chengming Hall.

At this moment, the anger in her heart was real, and the fear of the person before her was also real. After entering the hall, she stood ten feet away from the Emperor, silently hanging her head.

A bright yellow, floor-length dress quietly fell into Jiang Yinghua’s downcast gaze. Seeing that she didn’t move, Your Majesty walked over herself.

“Ugh!” Before Jiang Yinghua could react, she received a kick to the back of her knees, and her body fell straight onto the bluestone bricks, her bones hitting the ground with a dull thud.

Was this really happening? Jiang Yinghua wondered to herself. Startled, she didn’t dare to act rashly for a moment. She straightened her body and stammered, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger.”

“After so many requests, I finally see the real person. Prince Zhao truly has her own ideas. If you hadn’t come, I was planning to personally invite you back to court,” Your Majesty said with sarcastic mockery, turning her back.

Jiang Yinghua knew that Her Majesty was using her title, omitting her name, which meant that she was truly angry. If so, then she should discuss official matters.

“Your Majesty, please allow me to speak. Since I was ordered to lead troops into battle, I should see it through to the end. How could I abandon my post and disappoint the soldiers?” Jiang Yinghua replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Your Majesty sneered, “Ordered? What was the order I gave you to do?”

“To quell the roving bandits in the prefectures,” Jiang Yinghua blurted out without thinking, then suddenly realized that Your Majesty was digging a pit for her to jump into. The military mutiny of the Provincial Governor was no longer the actions of mere bandits. It seemed that she really had no grounds to disobey the Imperial decree, to remain in the Northern Territory, and meddle in the battle of Fanyang.

After pondering for a moment, she decided to justify herself: “But these bandits were just a smokescreen for the military mutiny, a mere facade. Since I was the first to arrive, I knew the clearest picture. Although the soldiers were in danger several times, I dare not say that I was completely without fault, but the situation has been reversed. Pacifying the mutiny is only a matter of time, you were…”

“Enough! You dare to disobey orders on your first command, do you even have national laws or military regulations in your eyes?” Your Majesty suddenly raised her voice, sternly stopping her.

“When I was about to enter the court, you taught me that national affairs were important, to act expediently in emergencies, and that as a Prince, I should take the world as my responsibility. My mother also often taught me that as a subject and a sister, I should do my best to share your burdens. Now I follow your instructions, prioritizing the interests of the nation and the family in everything. I feared losing a good opportunity on the battlefield, charging into battle, taking the lead, but it was all wrong?” Jiang Yinghua felt inexplicably wronged when Your Majesty used national law to suppress her.

“In that case, please take back the Military Seal you gave me. This action is not in accordance with national law, and I cannot bear the responsibility.”

She took out the pouch that she always kept close to her heart, raised her hand, and handed it out.

Your Majesty clearly did not expect her to be so stubborn. In the past, a little scare would have been enough for her to obediently admit her mistakes. Today, Jiang Yinghua’s stubbornness increased Your Majesty’s anger by several degrees.

Since the communication route to the Northern Territory was smooth as usual, Your Majesty received news from the spies placed around Jiang Yinghua, leaving her with lingering fears. She had originally sent her to gain experience and accumulate some military achievements, but who would have thought that she would fall into a trap, fighting alone several times, and falling into danger.

The last time, it was even mentioned that this girl had personally fought with the rebel army and was seriously injured.

It was no exaggeration to say that Your Majesty was still somewhat afraid. What if this only sister of hers really died at a young age in the hands of the rebel army due to her own policy mistakes?

Leaving aside the affection for her close relatives, just looking at state affairs, Jiang Yinghua was, after all, a Prince. If she died so hastily, the imperial court and the royal family would lose face, which would be harmful and useless to the stability of the throne.

Burning with anger, Your Majesty clenched her knuckles until they cracked. She resisted the urge to slap her, and after a long silence, she coldly questioned:

“Since you say that, then you also know the laws and regulations. Which one allows a Prince to abuse private punishment and kill court officials? Which one allows you to commit murder and arson, regardless of the old, the young, and women?”

There was none.

Jiang Yinghua was speechless. She placed the Military Seal on the floor in front of her and did not respond again.

Everything she had done was a helpless act in a dangerous situation. The people she killed were suspicious and awaiting conviction. Even if she ignored the law, if she really waited for the court to investigate, and someone colluded with the rebel army behind her back, then tens of thousands of soldiers would die without a burial place. How could Your Majesty not understand this reason?

Originally a carefree little princess, she became a cold-hearted judge for the first time, and Jiang Yinghua’s heart was already heavy. She had never made such a choice before. A word from her meant several lives lost; but if she was soft-hearted, perhaps it would mean thousands of innocent souls.

Since Your Majesty asked knowing the answer, there was nothing to say. Jiang Yinghua lost her temper and the regret of not being able to personally destroy the rebel army. Now, she only felt unwilling and wronged.

Her older sister spoke so nicely, using the sisterly affection to manipulate her into submission, but in the end, she was still wary everywhere, with spies planted all around her. But she asked herself, what she had done was worthy of her duty and identity.

“Are you answering me!” Your Majesty assumed that Jiang Yinghua was being stubborn and scolded sternly.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yinghua was startled and shivered. She pursed her lips and said desperately with her head down, “I have nothing to say, I leave it to Your Majesty’s discretion.”

There was a long silence in the hall. After a while, Your Majesty coldly called out, “Someone come!”

Several Inner Counselors entered from outside, waiting with hands hanging down for instructions.

“Prince Zhao disregards national law, acting wantonly and arbitrarily. Imprison her in the Court of the Imperial Clan immediately and await punishment. Take her away.”

Your Majesty’s tone was calm as she instructed the attendants.

Jiang Yinghua raised her head in shock, unable to believe her ears. She stared blankly at her older sister, but she didn’t even look at her. Jiang Yinghua’s lips moved, but she didn’t know what to say. Two lines of clear tears finally stopped spinning in her eyes and fell straight down her cheeks.

None of the Inner Counselors dared to move. In their eyes, Prince Zhao was the only little ancestor in the kingdom other than Your Majesty. For a moment, they even hoped that Your Majesty would withdraw her order.

“Where are the Guards?” Seeing that no one moved, Your Majesty did not bother to speak with the Inner Counselors. As soon as she finished speaking, several armed guards rushed into the hall and went straight to Jiang Yinghua, escorting her out.

On the way to the Court of the Imperial Clan prison, Jiang Yinghua shed tears like rain. According to the rules of the kingdom, the final destination for guilty members of the Imperial Clan was none other than this place. Some were imprisoned for several months, scared into submission, and still lived a life of ease; some were trapped within the high walls for their entire lives, living like walking corpses; and some were given a cup of poison to end their lives.

“My older sister is really impartial,” Jiang Yinghua said in her heart, looking at the high walls of the Court of the Imperial Clan.

She asked herself, she was eight hundred miles away from being rebellious and threatening the throne, so how could she have such a bleak ending? The pain of misplaced loyalty made her vision go dark, her head buzzed, and she entered the prison in a daze.

Although called a prison, it was actually just an ordinary residence without luxurious furnishings and jade dishes, of course, there were also heavily guarded guards.

Jiang Yinghua was in this place, unable to understand. Could it be that the older sister who had once entrusted her trust on the top of the mountain could not tolerate others?

Her actions were worthy of her heart. If her mother knew, would she persuade her?

At first, she was lucky, hoping that the person would let go and let her go out.

After waiting for a few days without any movement, Jiang Yinghua’s only thought was like a firefly in the cold night, and it was instantly extinguished. She began to doubt herself, self-abandoned, decadent and muddleheaded, almost unaware of the day and night.

Several times, she drunkenly asked the guards for wine, but the guards would naturally not give it. Later, she went on a hunger strike and made trouble, making herself unconscious. When she woke up again, she was pricked into a hedgehog by the doctor.

In a blink of an eye, it was already the beginning of November, and Jiang Yinghua had been imprisoned for about ten days.

In the Empress Dowager’s bedroom in Tai Zhang Palace at night, Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager were sitting opposite each other, with a game of incomplete chess in front of them.

“Mother, what do you think of the arrangement for Hua’er?” Jiang Jingche tentatively asked.

The Empress Dowager held a white piece in her hand, scanned the incomplete game, pondered for a while, then dropped a piece and responded lightly, “Just do as the Emperor wants.”

“Yes, then will you take the time to go out of the palace to see Hua’er?” Jiang Jingche asked softly, dropping a black piece again.

“Since there is this arrangement, the overall situation is important, and I will not add to the chaos,” the Empress Dowager’s eyes were gloomy, and she sighed lightly. She had picked up a piece to drop, but after staring at it for a long time, she threw the chess piece back, and sighed helplessly, “I’m old, and my thinking is not as good as before. I can’t win, so I won’t play anymore.”