LF Chapter 66
by VolareThe night was deep, and only the sound of the water clock dripping could be heard. Inside the main hall, both master and servant were silent, their breathing barely audible.
Jiang Yinghua had exhausted her mind. Her head was splitting, and her heart was filled with unease. Her face was pale. In the starry night, a comet streaked across the sky, and she caught it clearly in her blurry eyes. She couldn’t hold on any longer; she needed to rest. Thinking this, she propped herself up from the desk, only to be struck by a wave of dizziness. Her vision filled with golden stars, and she fell to the ground.
Qingyun swiftly caught her, pinching her philtrum in an attempt to rouse her. But her nervousness made her clumsy, and she had to call for help to carry Jiang Yinghua to her bed and send for the Imperial Physician.
At midnight, the palace was under curfew, and the inner court was locked down. At best, there would only be one or two medical officers on duty at the Imperial Medical Bureau. To summon an Imperial Physician at this hour required imperial approval. Upon hearing this, the guard hurried to Chengming Hall. Your Majesty had already retired for the night. After explaining the situation to the Inner Counselor, the eunuch rushed into the hall, and soon after, he returned with Your Majesty’s verbal decree to summon the Imperial Physician.
Jiang Jingche was awakened, but she couldn’t fall back asleep. She had expected Jiang Yinghua to be upset, but she hadn’t anticipated that the girl would abuse herself to the point of fainting, especially in the middle of the night. It was truly troublesome. Little did she know that her seemingly flawless plan had already been exploited.
At the third quarter of Chou hour, the Imperial Physician on full-day duty was led by a guard to Guangyuan Hall. In just a few days, he had been to Guangyuan Hall twice. Your Majesty and Prince Zhao were taking turns losing consciousness, which filled him with fear. He felt his head was hanging by a thread, afraid that the high and mighty monarch would become suspicious, suspecting that he had uncovered some forbidden secrets of the palace and would be discarded after serving his purpose.
As Yin hour passed, Your Majesty tossed and turned in her dragon bed, unable to find peace. She had no morning court session today and could have slept in, but she woke up even earlier than usual. After dressing, she went straight to Guangyuan Hall, arriving just as dawn was breaking, to check on her restless little ancestor.
Jiang Yinghua had been given a bowl of calming medicine and was sleeping fitfully. The Imperial Physician was waiting in the side hall, reporting that the cause of her illness was prolonged worry and emotional distress, leading to a deficiency of both Qi and blood. If not for her otherwise healthy constitution, the situation would have been truly dangerous.
Upon hearing this, Your Majesty’s expression turned somewhat grim. A deficiency of both Qi and blood… Jiang Yinghua’s feelings were truly profound and deeply rooted. When did these two develop feelings for each other? Had they managed to deceive everyone around them for years? Your Majesty suddenly recalled the scene of Jiang Yinghua sneaking out of the palace on the Mid-Autumn Festival to feed Yan Wanzhi dumplings. Could it be that this person’s heart had already been given away at that time?
Thinking of this, she felt powerless and realized that even if she forced the issue, there was no way for her younger sister and Ying Feng to be together. She had assumed that Yan Wanzhi and Jiang Yinghua’s feelings were recent and that she could break them up during their ambiguous and ignorant phase, never considering the deeper implications. Only now did she realize that if she could have special feelings, why couldn’t her sister, who shared the same mother, have them too?
Your Majesty quietly entered the sleeping chamber alone. In the pitch-black night, only a sliver of moonlight filtered through the window lattice. She slowly sat down in front of the bed, her gaze fixed on the thin face of the person on the bed. Even in her sleep, beads of sweat constantly dripped from her nose and forehead. Her eyes darted around restlessly, and muttered words accompanied her tightly furrowed brows, as if she were having a nightmare.
Like a hedgehog, she kept all her pain bottled up inside. Seeing that the person was sleeping uncomfortably, Your Majesty took a silk handkerchief and gently wiped away the sweat. In the quiet of the night, she could even hear Jiang Yinghua’s rapid heartbeat as she got closer.
The moment the silk handkerchief touched her cheek, Jiang Yinghua’s lips suddenly moved, “Don’t…” and she instantly woke up, her chest pounding alarmingly.
Beneath the fluttering curtains, a long, dark shadow loomed before her, making the little person, already tormented by nightmares, even more terrified. She abruptly sat up, “Who is it?”
Your Majesty turned and sat on the bedside, pulling the person into her arms, “Don’t be afraid, it’s I.”
Recognizing the person before her, Jiang Yinghua shrank back, moving to the inner side of the bed, leaning against the wall, and avoiding her from a distance.
The cold sweat that had been brought on by the shock was met by a cool breeze, causing her to shiver. She casually pulled over the brocade quilt and wrapped herself up tightly. Seeing that the person wasn’t leaving, she spoke, “Your Majesty ruthlessly deceived me, so why come here in the middle of the night? If Your Majesty is unwell, I will be infamous for all eternity.”
“Wanzhi is not dead; I have other arrangements for her. Would that put your mind at ease?” Your Majesty’s tone softened, as if she were chatting casually.
Jiang Yinghua hadn’t expected that she would change her mind so readily and confess everything. But perhaps she didn’t know yet that her secret guards were all dead. But this person’s tone and attitude struck Jiang Yinghua as odd. In the middle of the night, when the sky was dark, why would she condescend to come here to watch her sleep?
“Your Majesty, what exactly do you intend? I am not asking about Yan Wanzhi; I only want to ask you, why is everything so abnormal? What thoughts do you have about me? To say something disrespectful, my words a few days ago were harsh, but they weren’t that bad… Why did you suppress your anger, harm your health, and even faint?” In the dimly lit room, she couldn’t see her face clearly, so it was easier to say certain things.
Your Majesty gave a wry smile, “Not that bad? Why don’t you dare say it yourself? The Imperial Physician said you were too worried, so you shouldn’t exert yourself. I will tell you about these things later. Take good care of yourself; Yan Wanzhi, I will keep her for you.”
Keep her? Could she keep her? At this moment, she had changed her attitude, but that person was lost. Just as she was thinking this, a small eunuch by Your Majesty’s side had already rushed from Chengming Hall to Guangyuan Hall in a panic. He stumbled into the hall without announcing himself and knelt hastily in the outer chamber, “Your Majesty, something has happened!”
Jiang Jingche quickly got up and rebuked coldly, “Impudent! Who allowed you to enter?” She hurried to the outer chamber, giving him a look, signaling him to speak outside.
The person quickly followed Your Majesty out of the hall and hurriedly explained the whole story: “Your Majesty, just now the Deputy Director of the Secret Service delivered an urgent report via an eight-hundred-li express. Supervising Envoy Yan’s party did not arrive at the rendezvous point within the time limit. Corpses were discovered along the way, and she is missing. All twenty of her escorts have perished. Please advise on how to proceed.”
Upon hearing this, Your Majesty’s body shook. Twenty people guarding one person, and this kind of thing happened?
Jiang Yinghua quietly got out of bed and eavesdropped behind the hall door, her emotions not fluctuating much. Supervising Envoy? It was not that Yan Wanzhi insisted on going south; it was Your Majesty who had given other instructions. Jiang Yinghua felt a bitter taste in her mouth. No matter how she struggled and pleaded, she could not change Your Majesty’s plans.
She didn’t hear what Your Majesty said afterward. How difficult would it be to find someone who had been lost even by the Secret Service in such a vast territory? It would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Your Majesty turned around and entered the hall. Jiang Yinghua was standing in the center of the hall, waiting for her. She narrowed her phoenix eyes and asked coldly, “Did you hear?”
“Yes.” Jiang Yinghua replied softly, her emotions not appearing agitated. Your Majesty was surprised. This reaction was too calm. She was suspicious and probed, “Did you do it?”
Jiang Yinghua sneered, “You really think too highly of me. If I had that ability, would I be trapped in Guangyuan Hall, looking like this, all sickly? In your heart, am I a traitor who would even dare to tamper with your Secret Service?”
Your Majesty was silent for a long time before saying quietly, “Forget it, since there are no bodies, there should still be hope. I will tell you if I get any news. I will return first. Try to think positively.”
Seeing that the person was about to leave, Jiang Yinghua instead turned her eyes and stopped her, “Your Majesty, I have something to tell you. Could you stay for a moment longer?”
“What is it?” Your Majesty paused and turned back around.
“This matter is of great importance and may involve the honor of Great Chu. I implore Your Majesty to grant me a condition before I can tell the truth.” Jiang Yinghua said solemnly.
Your Majesty returned closer, the two separated by less than half an arm’s length, and said seriously, “Since you say it is of great importance, why are you being so secretive?”
“What I seek is but a body of freedom. If Your Majesty is willing to remove the guards outside the hall and lift the confinement, I will tell you everything I know.” Jiang Yinghua lifted her skirt and knelt down, her voice sincere.
“Granted, speak.” Your Majesty’s voice was cold as she lowered her eyes to examine the person before her.
“Would you please sit down? First agree to me not to be angry.” Jiang Yinghua got up, walked to the tea table on her own, scooped up a cup of warm tea, and stood earnestly in front of the table.
Your Majesty followed and sat down, unable to figure out what medicine she was selling in her gourd, her eyes faintly displeased.
Seeing that the person had sat down, Jiang Yinghua finally revealed the truth in a very soft voice: “Ying Feng, she is a woman.” Before she could finish speaking, Your Majesty slammed the table and stood up in anger, “What?!”
Jiang Yinghua’s pupils shrank in fright. She was still angry, but please don’t faint again. She quickly handed over a cup of clear tea, “Your Majesty, please calm down and allow me to finish speaking.” As she spoke, she tentatively pulled the person to sit down, her face uneasy.
Your Majesty gave Jiang Yinghua a dark look, seeing that the person did not seem to be joking, she sat back down, took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp, suppressing her shock. Seeing that the person was calm, Jiang Yinghua dared to explain the whole story, conveying all the words Ying Feng had said that day.
Your Majesty pondered in silence, and Jiang Yinghua took the opportunity to say:
“Your Majesty, if this matter is exposed, it will damage the imperial family’s reputation. Why don’t you send someone to investigate clearly? If it is true, this person may be useful, but if it is not true, cut off her wings and confine her to death. Moreover, my heart has already been given, and it is difficult for me to accept others. I observe that Ying Feng’s speech and knowledge are rare, and the Empress Dowager and you also love and pity her. You can leave her in the Forbidden City to serve, let her fulfill my filial piety under the Empress Dowager’s knees, which is also not impossible. If everything is true, Great Chu will not punish, but instead honor and support her, then we will gain a talented person.”
Your Majesty listened to her words, her eyes changing again and again. After listening to her babbling for a long time, she said quietly, “Prince Zhao, tell me, how do you want to honor and support her?”
“In my humble opinion, Ying Feng had no choice but to come here because she could not gain a foothold in the East Sea. It is possible to confer the title of a femalebut I am unwilling, and it would also be a violation of decorum. Why not hide her identity, not grant the name of fuma, and instead grant the title of a The Prince of the County(jùnwáng: a princely title? In this way, we can win Ying Feng’s heart of allegiance, and also let the people of the world praise Your Majesty’s emphasis on peace and harmony, and your magnanimity and kindness in cherishing talent, which may be a win-win situation.”
Jiang Yinghua methodically expressed the thoughts she had been pondering for a long time, not noticing the increasingly grim gaze above her.
After speaking, the room was silent. After waiting for a long time without a response, Jiang Yinghua felt uneasy. She glanced at Your Majesty out of the corner of her eye and saw that the person was squinting and staring at her with dark eyes, “How long have you been planning this, Prince Zhao? You shamelessly say it’s a win-win situation, but I see it’s just to make you happy.”
Jiang Yinghua suddenly knelt down, lowering her head and said:
“I do have selfish motives, and I dare not argue. But this matter concerns the safety and reputation of Great Chu, and I dare not make a decision on my own. I have never thought of deceiving you. I did not dare to report it rashly because I knew that you were unwell. As for the fuma matter, I beg Your Majesty for mercy and ask you to have compassion on me. If I am forced to marry again, I am afraid I will not be able to bear it.”
Jiang Yinghua prostrated on the ground, and as she spoke, her voice became choked with heavy nasal sounds.
Your Majesty lowered her eyes and pondered, sighing deeply, “I will discuss this matter with the Empress Dowager before making a decision. Before a decision is made, you will stay in Guangyuan Hall. The ban may be lifted, but you are not allowed to leave the palace. If you dare to escape privately, I will break your legs.”
“I obey.” Jiang Yinghua quickly responded. Any progress was a great thing. Step by step, slowly and surely, there was no need to rush.
*
A group of masked assassins threatened Yan Wanzhi and forced her to agree to leave with them.
Seeing that even Your Majesty’s secret agents could not match this group of people, Yan Wanzhi felt uneasy. Her eyes were blindfolded, and she was knocked unconscious and taken to an unfamiliar courtyard to be held in custody. Although she had been captured, her treatment was excellent. Her clothes and food were exquisite, and although the people around her were monitoring her, they also served her carefully and thoughtfully.
Trapped in the room for many days, Yan Wanzhi was puzzled. She had already been abandoned by Your Majesty. Although she still held an official position, she had been sent far away to the southern border, which was no different from exile. Under these dire circumstances, someone still remembered her. Could it be that they wanted to use her to threaten Jiang Yinghua?
But the matter between these two was probably only known to Your Majesty, who had eyes and ears everywhere. She had been interrogated alone in the Heavenly Prison, so no news should have leaked out. If it wasn’t to blackmail Jiang Yinghua, then they must have some scheme against her, or they wanted to know some secrets of the capital. The target should be Your Majesty.
The locked door creaked open, and a neatly dressed man came in. This person had been delivering food every day, and the dishes were never the same. Yan Wanzhi finally couldn’t help but ask, “You went to the trouble of plotting to bring me here that day, but you have left me here. When will the master you speak of appear?”
Before the person could respond, a deep voice came from the corridor, “Haha, Miss Mo is really impatient.”
Hearing this, Yan Wanzhi stood up from her seat in shock, her eyes fixed on the doorway, looking at this unfamiliar, frail old man, and said warily, “Who are you?”
“This old man is conveying a message to Miss Mo on behalf of the master. The master said that he can grant you everything you desire. Your brothers and fathers who died with hatred, and what you think about and miss in your heart, too. As long as Miss allies with the master, wealth and honor in the future, and even the position of Prime Minister, will be within easy reach.” The person stroked his beard, his eyes not avoiding hers at all.
“You have a big tone. Does your master have the ability to reach the heavens? Even the Emperor’s promises are difficult to fulfill. Why should I easily make a deal with you?” Yan Wanzhi frowned. The person behind this knew too much. Daring to promise someone the position of Prime Minister, he has designs on rebellion, but he must have the ability to do so.
“The master’s ability will be revealed to you as long as Miss agrees. For now, Miss should think about it quietly. In three days, this old man will come again to wait for your reply. Oh, by the way, the master also has a more obscure secret about Miss Mo’s background.” The person laughed loudly and strode away.