LF Chapter 67
by VolareThe white horse flashes past, and the spring deepens. Fragrant blossoms scatter, and green shade thickens. It is the finest time in the human world, in the clear, good weather of April.
Yan Wanzhi wasn’t quite sure where she was, but she knew she couldn’t be far from Ningzhou. After all, the April weather was already quite hot, like early summer in the capital. She had never been so far south, but she had heard Jiang Yinghua describe the seasonal scenery there. Roughly matching the surrounding plants, she confirmed her guess.
The people guarding her changed the variety of dishes every day, with flavors from all over the country, probably afraid she would glean clues and deduce the truth, confusing her thoughts.
Daring to covet the throne of Great Chu, Yan Wanzhi vaguely felt that the mastermind behind this was a member of the Jiang family clan. If that were the case, the state would be in danger, and Jiang Yinghua would hardly be spared.
What puzzled Yan Wanzhi most was that this person knew her background and dared to say that her identity as the orphaned daughter of the Marquis of Jiayi hid another layer of obscurity. Few people knew these things. Prince Yong was dead, so how did this person know the inside story, and what was this so-called obscurity? Could it be that someone else was interfering in the case of her father and brothers?
Yan Wanzhi stared blankly at the lush bamboo forest outside the window, lost in thought. These people guarded her so tightly that she couldn’t send out even the slightest message. Having been missing for so long, she wondered if Your Majesty was still looking for her? Did Jiang Yinghua still remember her, the “ungrateful” scoundrel?
The three-day deadline with the old man had long passed, and Yan Wanzhi had not explicitly responded. They were just waiting it out, not anxious. So, it was Yan Wanzhi’s turn to be anxious. In the end, she pretended to agree. “If you don’t enter the tiger’s den, how can you catch the tiger’s cubs?” Even if this was the gate to hell, she had to brace herself and Break through.
Upon receiving Yan Wanzhi’s earnest reply, these people escorted her along the waterway to the north, stopping and going, hiding and concealing, taking a month to reach a new place.
Yan Wanzhi was led into a spacious and exquisite courtyard. Although in the north, the scenery in the garden was built in the southern style, very elegant and refined.
“Madam Mo, the head of the family is waiting for you in the study. Please.” An old man led Yan Wanzhi inside, stopping in front of a simple house deep in the inner garden, raising his hand to invite her.
Yan Wanzhi cautiously pushed open the door and entered. After seeing the person’s appearance clearly, she exclaimed in horror, “It’s you!”
*
Tai Zhang Palace, Your Majesty and Jiang Yinghua’s people were secretly searching for Yan Wanzhi’s whereabouts, but after several months, the person seemed to have evaporated from the world, without a trace. A fine case of disappearing without a trace, leaving Jiang Yinghua with a splitting headache. Whenever she had free time, she would stay in the palace’s Buddhist hall for half a day, making people think she was bewitched.
After revealing Ying Feng’s background, within two days, Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager summoned him. Jiang Yinghua only knew that the person had entered the Empress Dowager’s Palace for a full three hours before being released. But she never expected the subsequent developments.
After that, Ying Feng never provoked Jiang Yinghua, but went in and out of the Empress Dowager’s Palace every day, and occasionally visited Chengming Hall. In terms of freedom and favor, it seemed that he was living more comfortably than Jiang Yinghua.
Jiang Yinghua was very puzzled, but in April, she received an imperial decree. Your Majesty did not appoint Ying Feng as Jiang Yinghua’sImperial Consort, but instead waved her hand and granted him the title of Prince, making him Prince An. Thus, he was on equal footing with Jiang Yinghua. When this news came out, she deeply felt that she had shot herself in the foot, causing herself endless trouble.
As for her, she seemed to have been forgotten in the palace, truly becoming a idle person without any real power or errands. If Yan Wanzhi hadn’t gone missing, such happy days would have been a beautiful thing that Jiang Yinghua had been looking forward to for years. She vaguely understood that fate was the instigator, giving and taking away, always robbing one of the two.
Time flew by, and the years flourished. It was now June, and Jiang Yinghua, looking at the pond full of lotuses in the Imperial Garden, thought of many years ago in the Prince Zhao Manor, blowing the evening breeze, also by a pond of red lotuses, drinking and chatting with Yan Wanzhi. Now, only she was left alone. Jiang Yinghua couldn’t bear it anymore. The Secret Agency, the Shadow Guards, were usually so impressive, but how could it be so difficult to find a person?
On the tenth day of June, Jiang Yinghua, who was idle and lingering in the Buddhist hall and gardens, finally braced herself and initiative went to Chengming Hall. On the way, she happened to bump into the high-spirited Ying Feng, wearing a Prince’s python robe, making him look like a noble young master.
The two looked at each other, and there was some inexplicable embarrassment. Jiang Yinghua had revealed his secret, and Ying Feng naturally knew. The two had been hiding for a long time, and the sudden encounter was indeed awkward. Fortunately, Ying Feng was older and knew that Jiang Yinghua was sad about losing her beloved, so he lowered himself and bowed his hand, saying, “Prince Zhao is well.”
“How dare I trouble such a favorite in front of Your Majesty to greet me? Prince An, please go first.” Jiang Yinghua slightly stepped aside, giving way on the palace road, with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
Ying Feng smiled. Suddenly recalling the memorial on Your Majesty’s desk just now, he kindly reminded, “Prince Zhao is going to Chengming Hall? By chance, I guess Your Majesty is looking for you. After a long rest, it’s time to do something.”
This person really knew how to annoy people. Saying such words, he had a gentle expression, a charming smile, and beautiful eyes, as if he was truly speaking from the heart, full of good advice.
Jiang Yinghua just couldn’t stand to look at him. She made way, but he didn’t go. Jiang Yinghua then flicked her sleeves and left. Ying Feng stood in place and sneered, “Not very old, but with a big temper.”
Jiang Yinghua hurried to Chengming Hall. Entering the palace gate, she saw Your Majesty coming out of the hall, followed by a dense crowd of palace servants, obviously about to go out. Jiang Yinghua remembered that today was a holiday, perhaps this person had other arrangements, and secretly thought she had come at the wrong time.
Seeing her younger sister, who had been hiding like a tortoise for a few months, Your Majesty was also a little surprised, and slowly approached, saying, “I was going to Changqing Garden outside the palace, and sent Ying Feng to handle it. Since you’re here, let’s go together.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yinghua was dissatisfied, wondering why Ying Feng was everywhere. Due to Your Majesty’s order, and because she had a request to make today, she had no choice but to agree, bowing and saying, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The group slowly left the palace gate, and a large palanquin was parked on the palace road ahead. Jiang Yinghua reached out her hand, letting Your Majesty hold it to board the carriage, and she followed up as well. Just now, she felt that Your Majesty’s steps were faintly unsteady, and the strength in her hand was also soft. This person had been strange lately.
No attendants were allowed inside the carriage. Your Majesty, looking at the dazed Jiang Yinghua, suddenly asked, “Feng’er said, you gave her a letter of divorce on the day of your wedding?”
Well, that guy had learned the trick of complaining behind her back quickly. Jiang Yinghua’s heart trembled, and her expression changed immediately. She slid off the seat and fell to the ground, timidly saying, “There was such a thing. Since she is a woman, allow me to fool around once, it’s not a big deal, right?”
Your Majesty took out a crumpled paper ball from her sleeve and threw it to Jiang Yinghua, coldly saying, “Keep it yourself.”
Jiang Yinghua was puzzled, hurriedly picked it up, unfolded it, and glanced at it. It was the letter of divorce she had written. Your Majesty’s vermilion pen had revised it, erased many harsh words, and circled a “Approved” at the end.
Jiang Yinghua was shocked. This meant that Your Majesty had secretly fulfilled her wish. She didn’t care about Your Majesty’s maintaining Ying Feng’s face by changing the wording. She carefully put the piece of paper into her sleeve and softly said, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your fulfillment.”
Your Majesty snorted coldly and said, “You only visit when you need something. Speak, you initiative came to the door, what do you want?”
Jiang Yinghua straightened herself and requested in a serious tone, “Since Your Majesty has asked, I will speak frankly. Yan Wanzhi has been missing for three months without any news. I have nothing to do in the palace, and I beg you to allow me to go out and look for her.”
“Give up on that idea early, I won’t allow it.” Your Majesty blurted out without thinking, directly rejecting her.
Jiang Yinghua couldn’t hide her disappointment, remained silent for a long time, and then pursed her lips and said, “I won’t mess around, I’ll just go to Ningzhou to take a look, and come back if I don’t succeed. Please grant my request, okay?”
Ningzhou? Hearing these two words, Your Majesty’s phoenix eyes narrowed immediately, “How did you know about Ningzhou, confess honestly!”
Jiang Yinghua’s mind buzzed, and she instantly slumped to the ground. She was really confused, how could she have let the news from the Shadow Guards slip? Now she was completely finished. How could she come up with a big lie to deceive Your Majesty?
“Return to the palace!” Your Majesty ordered loudly, seeing Jiang Yinghua’s reaction, she knew that things were not simple, and she no longer had the mood to visit the garden. The carriage turned around and went back not far.
Jiang Yinghua nervously dug her nails into her flesh, her eyes flickering in the swaying carriage, without saying a word. When the carriage stopped, Your Majesty grabbed her and dragged her directly into Chengming Hall, “I have plenty of time to spend with you today.”
She was breathing heavily in a panic, hanging her head, but her thoughts were blank. Your Majesty had never mentioned that Yan Wanzhi had gone missing in Ningzhou, and she couldn’t make up this lie.
The two remained deadlocked for half an hour, Jiang Yinghua’s face was pale, Your Majesty watched coldly, and sneered, “Why? After thinking for so long, you still don’t have a convincing excuse to deceive me? You’re giving me attitude, waiting for me to investigate?”
Jiang Yinghua hadn’t heard this kind of sinister voice for a long time. If she really became suspicious and investigated, she was afraid that she would use torture to screen the people in Guangyuan Hall like a storm, and the whole story would come to light. Knowing that she couldn’t hide it, Jiang Yinghua could only say in a trembling voice, “It’s my people, no… it’s, it’s the guards that Emperor Father left for me, no, not bad people.”
Jiang Yinghua’s scalp tingled, and her heart was in her throat. Your Majesty was suspicious, reached out and grabbed Jiang Yinghua’s collar, forcing her to look at her, and said in a deep voice, “Speak clearly, how come I and the Empress Dowager don’t know that Emperor Father left you any guards?”
“It was Emperor Father who left them, I didn’t know before, I don’t, I dare not lie.” Jiang Yinghua’s tongue was tied in knots with nervousness, “I haven’t used them, it’s… it’s Yan Wanzhi’s matter that made me lose my composure, and I had no choice but to use them.”
Your Majesty’s sharp eyes scrutinized the person in front of her. Jiang Yinghua was indeed frightened and didn’t seem to be lying, so she asked again, “How many people, how was the message delivered, who contacted you, explain it yourself, don’t wait for me to ask you one by one!”
Although she was frightened, Jiang Yinghua wasn’t stupid enough to spill everything. The existence of the Shadow Guards was absolutely unacceptable to the monarch, and if she spoke, they would be wiped out.
“I only know that there are roughly thirty people, I don’t know their names. They followed me to the Northern Border after I came out of the Zongzheng Prison and initiative contacted me. The token was a gold hairpin from Emperor Father.
As for this time, it was also on the night of the wedding that I accidentally received a note and let them protect Yan Wanzhi. These people have been investigating the whereabouts of people and have never acted recklessly. Please, Your Majesty, see clearly.” Jiang Yinghua half-truthfully deceived her.
“Still not honest, your words are inconsistent, are you fooling a ghost?” Your Majesty’s voice became more and more gloomy, and she raised her hand and threw paper and pen on the ground, “Write down the list and the meeting password!”
Jiang Yinghua refused, only saying that she really didn’t know their names and had never initiative contacted them. Your Majesty was furious and threatened Jiang Yinghua to confess by arresting all the palace servants who had contacted Jiang Yinghua in the past three months.
Hearing this, Jiang Yinghua burst into tears, sobbing and crawling forward two steps, hugging Your Majesty’s legs, and begging in a trembling voice:
“Please calm down, Elder Sister, please, please don’t do this, the palace servants are innocent. They are called Shadow Guards, only to protect Hua’er, please spare them for Emperor Father’s sake. It’s Hua’er’s fault, Hua’er shouldn’t have wanted them, shouldn’t have assigned them tasks, punish Hua’er. Please, Elder Sister, have mercy, please. Hua’er can’t say, if I say it, I’ll have no face to see Father, Wuwu…”
This person was becoming more and more shrewd, learning to use the late Emperor to pressure her. She didn’t know when she had last called her elder sister, but now she was calling her so smoothly. She was crying and humming, panting for breath. Your Majesty was even more dizzy with anger, thinking that she hadn’t even said she was going to kill anyone, she was just asking for clarification, Jiang Yinghua was overthinking it.
Your Majesty reached out to break Jiang Yinghua’s arm, but the scoundrel was hugging too tightly and couldn’t pull her away at all. She helplessly said, “Go write the list, I will investigate and release the people.” Jiang Yinghua shook her head like a rattle drum, “Then don’t blame me for using methods, come…”
Before Jiang Yinghua could finish her words, she wiped her snot and tears on Your Majesty’s clothes, crying hoarsely, “Sister, don’t!” Your Majesty was furious, tearing at her skirt, “Let go!” Jiang Yinghua simply dragged on the skirt, clinging to it like a pendant, “No…, Wuwu, won’t let go. They are the only thing Father left behind… Wuwu… can’t.”
Your Majesty was at her wit’s end by her shrewishness and rogue behavior. She couldn’t let the guards come in and see such an undignified appearance. Jiang Yinghua was half-hanging on her, refusing to let go, and she didn’t have the strength to break free. For a moment, her blood rushed up, and she felt dizzy. Weakly, she said:
“Jiang Yinghua, I warn you, let go…”
“Really can’t…” Jiang Yinghua cried and snorted, and the strength in her arms increased. Today, she had finally caught Your Majesty in a weak and powerless state and was determined to exhaust her with this bastard trick. After all, Jiang Yinghua could be shameless, but the emperor needed face. In this way, she could drag it out for a while, waiting for someone to reluctantly let go, and then there would be room for maneuver. As for the consequences and reckoning, she couldn’t care less about them right now.
Until Your Majesty softly fell to the ground, her hand supporting her forehead, panting with her eyes half-closed, and met Jiang Yinghua’s eyes, the thick-skinned Jiang Yinghua realized that she seemed to have made trouble again… She quickly withdrew her hand, wiped her tears haphazardly, and stammered, “You, are you unwell? I…I’ll go get the imperial physician.”
After saying that, she struggled to pull out the skirt that was pressed under Your Majesty, and was about to get up and go out. Your Majesty weakly grabbed her, and weakly said:
“Come back, help me to bed.”