LF Chapter 64
by VolareIn the March sunshine, the air was inevitably filled with the fragrant aroma of flowers. The refreshing scent rushed into one’s nostrils, intoxicating and sweet for carefree young people, but for those filled with passionate blood, it was perhaps more maddening than soul-devouring smoke.
Jiang Yinghua had just awoken from a long dream, but that person had not appeared in her dreams for many days. She couldn’t see her in reality, and even in dreams, it was a luxury.
Looking at Your Majesty sitting on the carved low couch, her face clearly showing anger, Jiang Yinghua only found it laughable. She was now trapped in a courtyard, living a life that was neither human nor ghost, controlled and threatened at every turn, yet she still displeased people. Human greed is truly never satisfied.
Her tone was colder than ever before, treating the person before her as a stranger with whom she had no connection. She turned her gaze away, facing the window, and said faintly:
“I have surely gone mad enough. For the rest of my life, I will willingly be a pawn in your hand, a bird in a cage, at your disposal, without a word of complaint. Your Majesty should be satisfied.”
Her voice was light and airy, lingering for a long time. The only sound in the room was the warbling song of early orioles outside, which, when heard, struck the Emperor as extremely ironic. Jiang Yinghua looked completely indifferent, not caring whether the Emperor responded or how she responded.
And the Emperor, sitting before the couch, clenched her fists tightly in her sleeves, her knuckles distinct and veins bulging, utterly disappointed by Jiang Yinghua’s perfunctory attitude, like a living corpse. She suddenly remembered the Empress Dowager saying that keeping her as an empty shell was useless, but now, this empty shell was clearly adept at infuriating people.
“I am speaking to you properly,” the Emperor said, trying her best to restrain her emotions, waving her hand to dismiss the attendants outside the hall. Her voice was as calm and gentle as possible, hoping that this person would change her attitude and abandon this “dead pig is not afraid of boiling water” demeanor.
“I don’t see anything inappropriate, and I am also responding to you properly. I said, everything will be as you wish. If you find me unsatisfactory, just send someone to fix me to your liking. The creatures in the Imperial Garden are all at the mercy of others; I should be no exception,” Jiang Yinghua said, her eyes indifferent, her voice without emotion. If you looked closely, you could see a hint of sinister sneer in her half-turned gaze.
“You are being presumptuous too early. If you continue with this sarcastic tone, I don’t mind bringing Yan Wanzhi back,” the Emperor said, her phoenix eyes half-closed, her gaze filled with danger.
“As you wish. I am not like you, with the confidence to go back on your word. I, on the other hand, am one who keeps my promises. If something happens to Yan Wanzhi, I will personally go to the River of Forgetfulness to find her. The pain of being separated in life is hard to bear, and I would like to ask her why she acted so recklessly back then, resulting in such a bleak ending today. If there are truly unspeakable difficulties, a pair of doomed lovers could also be a beautiful story, moving heaven and earth to tears.”
Jiang Yinghua simply refused to show even half her face, only looking at the flowering crabapple outside the courtyard, her face with a bewitching smile, speaking as if she truly had no worries.
She spoke lightly, but her palms were clearly covered in sweat. She only wanted the Emperor to give up Yan Wanzhi as a living target, otherwise, constant mentions of her in the future would make Jiang Yinghua’s life difficult and frightening. Even though the vast majority of shadow guards who had never met or been awakened were sent out by her, her mind could hardly be at peace for even a moment.
These words, accompanied by that contemptuous sneer, tasted different to the Emperor. She felt her temples throbbing, and since ascending the throne, no one had angered her so much.
She dragged her already exhausted body here, only to be rebuffed by Jiang Yinghua several times. Even her greatest patience was worn away. Hearing the absurd words of “doomed lovers” in that raised, provocative tone, the Emperor suddenly felt dizzy, and a hint of salty blood rose in her throat.
She couldn’t lose her temper here. Jiang Yinghua, who had been confined for a long time, was physically weak and couldn’t withstand beatings and abuse. Therefore, she quickly stood up, intending to leave in a huff, but suddenly felt a surge in her chest and vomited a mouthful of blood, splattering it on her dark purple casual clothes. The specks of red spread across the auspicious cloud patterns on her collar, very conspicuous.
The Emperor herself was also shocked. Had her body become so weak that it couldn’t even withstand an angry word? Had she really been angered to the point of vomiting blood?
Before she could think further, a wave of darkness swept before her eyes. She frantically raised her hand to find something to lean on, but knocked over the teacup on the small table in front of the couch. “Clang…” followed by the crisp sound of the teacup shattering on the ground, and the muffled thud of a person falling.
Hearing the sound of the teacup breaking, a hint of a smile froze on Jiang Yinghua’s face. She thought that person couldn’t keep up the act and was about to fly into a rage. But the sound that followed surprised her. It was too muffled, too heavy. She turned her head back in surprise, and when she saw the specks of red next to the brocade robe on the ground, her eyes widened in astonishment, her mouth half-open, and she stood there dumbfounded.
Her mind buzzed, and even her breathing stopped. She seemed to have been robbed of her soul, staggering over, her hands trembling, but not daring to touch her. She murmured, “Your Majesty…, Your… Majesty.”
The person on the ground didn’t respond. Jiang Yinghua completely panicked, pushed aside the person’s wide sleeves, reached out and pulled the person into her arms, and only then did she see the bloodstains on the Emperor’s mouth. Her heart leaped to her throat, and she shouted blankly, “Someone! Imperial physician, summon the imperial physician!”
The attendants outside heard the roar and were startled. They rushed into the hall and saw Jiang Yinghua sitting on the ground, hugging the unconscious Emperor in her arms. They were immediately paralyzed with fear. Fortunately, there were some who were brave enough to run all the way to the Imperial Physician’s Office to fetch someone.
Jiang Yinghua raised her sleeve and wiped the bloodstains on the Emperor’s face haphazardly. She couldn’t understand how a few words had turned into this. After all, they were blood relatives, and her original intention was never this. The chaotic rhythm of her breathing revealed her panic. Her cold fingertips landed on the Emperor’s tired face, and before she knew it, a tear had rolled down the corner of her eye.
The Empress Dowager, who had received the news from the eunuch, arrived even earlier than the imperial physician, her heart filled with anxiety. It was pitiful to see her, old as she was, rushing all the way here, panting for breath. Upon entering the hall, she saw Jiang Yinghua, stunned and with tears streaming down her face, hugging the Emperor, clutching her tightly, staring blankly. The group of palace servants who had been frightened out of their wits were prostrate on the ground, and not a single one had stepped forward to place the unconscious Emperor on the bed.
“Take Prince Zhao to the Court of the Daughters, to await punishment,” the Empress Dowager’s voice was icy cold. The guards who received the order stepped forward to take Jiang Yinghua away, and the attendants beside the Empress Dowager quickly helped the Emperor onto the bed.
Jiang Yinghua was still confused, and she didn’t care where they were taking her. Her mind was filled with the large patch of blood on the front of the Emperor’s clothes. She was bewildered. She asked herself if the words she had spoken were harsh, and the other person’s tone earlier was not agitated. They had sparred for many years, so how could she be so vulnerable?
The worried Empress Dowager ordered strict guards to prevent the news from spreading, and the entire Guangyuan Palace was watched by the Imperial Guards.
After the imperial physician arrived, he only said that it was due to a sudden rush of anger, which looked alarming but was not serious. However, the Emperor’s pulse was weak, and she must rest quietly in the coming days and not worry or overthink things. After acupuncture, the Emperor slowly woke up and saw the Empress Dowager watching over her at the bedside with concern.
She scanned the surroundings, knowing that she was still in Guangyuan Palace, and quickly struggled to get up, asking the Empress Dowager, “Where’s Hua’er?”
The Empress Dowager reached out to support her, blaming her, “Why are you getting up so quickly? Lie down and rest. Don’t worry, the news here is blocked. Wait until you are better before returning to Chengming Hall. I will deal with this rebellious child, Jiang Yinghua, for you.”
“Don’t blame her, Mother. Let Hua’er come to see me. If her heart is completely cold, she won’t be able to understand,” the Emperor knew that if the Empress Dowager was angry, it would be a matter of public affairs and justice. Naturally, she, the Emperor, was the priority, and Jiang Yinghua would likely suffer.
Seeing the Emperor speaking sincerely, the Empress Dowager was also helpless and instructed the attendant, “Bring her here.” The attendant obeyed the order and went out. She turned her head and said, “I will keep an eye on things here. You must not upset your mind again. If she listens to advice, then so be it, but if she continues to act recklessly, disregarding propriety and etiquette, I will be the first to disagree with your previous plans. If she is incorrigible, abolish her title and exile her to the borderlands.”
In just a moment, Jiang Yinghua, who had been thrown into the Court of the Daughters, was brought back. She followed the palace servants inside in a daze, carefully raising her eyes and seeing the Emperor leaning against the bed, already awake, and the Empress Dowager standing with her hands behind her back, glaring at her.
It’s good that she’s awake. Jiang Yinghua thought to herself, timidly not daring to step forward. The old nanny beside the Empress Dowager gave her a look, signaling her to go over as soon as possible. She twisted her fingers, clutching the hem of her skirt. The water-blue sleeves were still stained with some blood. After struggling for a long time, she raised her leaden legs and slowly walked to the couch, bent her knees, knelt down, and lowered her eyes without saying a word.
Children who have caused trouble are mostly like this. Jiang Yinghua, who was already twenty-four years old, was no exception. After all, the person who had been angered to the point of fainting was the Emperor. If something really happened to her, she would become a sinner cursed by the whole country, her infamy recorded in history. This crime was too heavy for her to bear.
The Emperor glanced at the red marks on her sleeves, knowing that her conscience had not been completely extinguished and that she still cared about her sister. Seeing her silence, she asked softly, “Scared?”
Jiang Yinghua’s head was lowered very low, and she timidly did not dare to speak. The earlier hostility had disappeared without a trace. The Emperor beckoned and said, “Come closer, let’s talk.”
As Jiang Yinghua hesitated, the Empress Dowager sternly scolded, “Can’t you hear? What are you dawdling for?”
Before she finished speaking, Jiang Yinghua quickly took a few steps on her knees and reached the couch. She was so obedient, which had not been seen for a long time. The Emperor raised her eyes and exchanged a glance with the Empress Dowager, reached out and hooked Jiang Yinghua’s lowered chin, examined her for a moment, and said:
“Your eyes are red, you still care about me after all. Do you have to use every sentence like a thorn, treat your own life as if it were worthless, to make yourself feel better? If something happened to me, would you really be happy?”
The way these words were spoken made it seem as if Jiang Yinghua had inexplicably gone crazy earlier. But at the moment, she did not dare to refute a word. Just now, it really made people feel uneasy. She silently shook her head, escaped the shackles, and moved her gaze away.
“Prince of Yun’an, in terms of appearance, background, and talent, is a rare beauty. Are you really unwilling to try getting along with him? I remember when you first met Yan Wanzhi, you hated her very much. You spent many years in the Northern Territory, with few people by your side, so it’s inevitable that you are attached to her. But is that really deep affection between you two? You are not young, but your life is monotonous. How can you understand love?” The Emperor pulled her up, sat her on the edge of the bed, and spoke softly, trying to take the opportunity to make Jiang Yinghua agree.
Jiang Yinghua thought to herself, I don’t understand love, so you understand it? You’ve been unmarried for half your life, why bother forcing and luring me like this. Since she is a beauty, why not take her into the harem? Why tear apart her love and trample on the person she cares about?
The corner of her mouth moved, and she caught a glimpse of the Empress Dowager’s sharp, cold gaze from above. In an instant, she seemed to understand. One plays the stern face, the other the kind face. Today’s ordeal was really difficult to overcome. After all, it was true that the Emperor vomited blood, and she couldn’t be allowed to be so presumptuous and wild in her retort.
“I will go find Ying Feng. Tonight is the King of the East Sea’s farewell banquet. I will go with… him.” Jiang Yinghua made a promise extremely unwillingly. “Your Majesty, please forgive me. I, I dare not mess around anymore. You should rest well. I will go to the side hall to call someone to change clothes and wash up. Is that okay?”
The Emperor lowered her eyes, the emotions in her eyes unclear, and only said faintly, “Go.”
The struggle in Jiang Yinghua’s eyes, the reluctance in her voice, did not escape Jiang Jingche’s cunning gaze. But the fact that this person could make concessions to this extent because of her physical condition made her understand that Jiang Yinghua was ultimately sentimental and nostalgic. She was like that to Yan Wanzhi, and even more so to these blood relatives. The things in her bones were the most difficult to change.
Jiang Yinghua tidied herself up, and the vermilion cloud brocade dress made her complexion look acceptable. She felt suffocated and walked very fast. She asked a palace servant where Ying Feng’s palace was located and rushed over eagerly, leaving the attendants behind her half a street away.
The people in Ying Feng’s courtyard were all transferred by the Emperor from the Inner Attendant’s Office and the Court of the Daughters, but the chief eunuch was from the East Sea. When Jiang Yinghua arrived alone, walking like the wind, the man was stunned for a moment. He had never seen Prince Zhao’s true appearance. He only felt that this person was domineering and headed straight for the main hall, with the guards saluting one after another, and he guessed the truth.
He hurriedly chased after her, wanting to stop her and then inform his master, “But is this Prince Zhao…”
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Yinghua glared at him and darted past him, angrily pushing open the door and entering the hall. In that instant, Ying Feng, who was changing clothes behind the screen, and her personal maid were shocked. Jiang Yinghua, seeing the scene before her, was also stunned on the spot, startled and breathing rapidly.
In a panic, the long strip of cloth that Ying Feng was tightening around her chest and abdomen fell to the ground. She frantically grabbed her clothes to cover her body, and the maid had already been frightened and trembled. But Jiang Yinghua had had enough shocks today and recovered faster. She quickly turned around, closed the door that she had kicked open, bolted it, and walked back with a cold face, raising her foot and ripping off Ying Feng’s fig leaf.
“The crime of deceiving the Emperor, does the prince know what the consequences are?”