LF Chapter 69
by VolareIt was deep autumn, and the maple leaves were a rich red. In the twilight of the Forbidden City, fallen leaves carpeted the long palace paths.
Every day at dusk, Jiang Yinghua liked to stand under the eaves of Guangyuan Palace, watching the setting sun and quietly waiting for the night to deepen and the moon to rise high. It was said that the night moon conveyed affection, and though separated by distance, sharing the same moonlight was another form of companionship.
The Inner Counselor serving Your Majesty hurried over as the sky darkened, carrying stationery and other items to Chengming Hall. Moving the memorials back and forth was quite troublesome, so Your Majesty, with a wave of her hand, directly allowed Jiang Yinghua to enter her palace to work. This way, there was no need to send messengers back and forth, saving time and effort.
The night was dark, and the autumn wind was sharp. An old eunuch raised his hand to drape a cloak over Jiang Yinghua. “Your Highness, Chengming Hall is ready. It’s cold at night, so you should finish reviewing the memorials early and get some rest.”
“Thank you, lead the way. I’ll go now.” Jiang Yinghua shifted her gaze from the cold moonlight and gave the old eunuch a faint smile. The old Inner Counselor’s hand trembled as he held the palace lantern in front, his white hair glaringly bright. “I remember, when Emperor Father was alive, you were already serving in the palace,” Jiang Yinghua said softly, her eyes distant.
“Yes, this humble servant has been in this palace for fifty years. I served the late Emperor, and then Your Majesty. Now I am fortunate to have your favor, and you do not discard me,” the old Inner Counselor responded carefully in a very weak voice.
Jiang Yinghua pondered secretly. If what her elder sister said was true, and Emperor Father, Second Brother, and Elder Sister had all been poisoned, then where would this difficult-to-detect chronic poison be placed, so that it only harmed the ruler, while the attendants who were with them every day lived long and healthy lives?
The sound of the heavy carved doors of Chengming Hall opening and closing was quite dull, pulling her wandering thoughts back. The vast palace had five layers, with the Imperial Archives for handling affairs in the outermost layer, so there was no need to worry about disturbing Your Majesty’s rest in the inner chambers.
Since taking over the Secret Service, Jiang Yinghua had also been secretly investigating for a long time. She had always hoped to find a clue and catch the mastermind behind the scenes. All for the sake of a glimmer of hope in her heart. If that person had an antidote, how wonderful it would be. She could cure Your Majesty’s poison and then be free to go and find Yan Wanzhi, no longer bound by the pressing matters of the court.
Settling down at the desk, all the attendants came forward to prepare what she needed and then hurried away. The people before the Emperor were always cautious and followed the rules. Jiang Yinghua looked at the mountain of memorials piled up and sighed silently in her heart. She casually picked up a writing brush and dipped it into the vermilion ink in the inkstone.
Spreading out a memorial, she scanned it quickly and began to write at the end. After only two strokes, Jiang Yinghua frowned slightly. She picked up the brush, pulled over a piece of white Xuan paper and made a few strokes, then waved and called a small Inner Counselor over. “Why is this vermilion so bright today, and it spreads more easily? Has it been changed?”
The little Inner Counselor was confused and bowed, saying, “Your Highness, this servant only knows that the vermilion ink in Chengming Hall is supplied by the Inner Court Bureau, and I don’t know anything else.”
“Call your master in here.” Jiang Yinghua didn’t like this vermilion and stubbornly insisted on having the old Inner Counselor brought in. Soon, the old man entered. “Your Highness, what is not to your liking?”
“Just now, I found this vermilion difficult to use. Has the procurement department of the Inner Court changed the source?” Jiang Yinghua threw the brush aside and waited for a response.
“Reporting to Your Highness, it is not a procurement error. The vermilion ink in Your Majesty’s palace has not been changed for decades. This is the Imperial vermilion, and its quality is excellent. It is only a pity that its production is extremely low. The annual tribute from Sichuan is only enough for Your Majesty’s expenses,” the old Inner Counselor explained seriously. “If Your Highness does not like it, how about this old servant re-adjusting the ink for you? This vermilion contains Rue Dragon Brain, which refreshes the mind and eyes and can also slightly relieve your fatigue.”
Expensive inkstones all had some spices added to them. Jiang Yinghua had smelled the scent when she picked it up, and although she didn’t like strong fragrances, she wasn’t so picky. Since she couldn’t appreciate this expensive Imperial vermilion, she waved her hand and made an excuse. “No need, it would be presumptuous for me to use this. Go and bring the vermilion from Guangyuan Palace to replace it. I’m more used to the previous one.”
Four or five days passed like this. On the evening of the fifteenth of October, Jiang Yinghua was sitting blankly behind the desk in the main hall, trying to digest the annoyance of being chattered at by the court officials all day. A little eunuch ran in excitedly, without even following the rules of reporting, and knelt directly in front of the hall. “Your Highness, there’s news!”
Jiang Yinghua was already in a bad mood and rebuked him in a deep voice. “This is Your Majesty’s palace, who allowed you to shout so loudly? What is the matter that you are so unruly?”
The little Inner Counselor didn’t mind and hurriedly explained, “Your Highness, it’s, it’s an urgent report from the Secret Service, with access rights for you alone.”
The Secret Service? It had been a long time since there had been such important intelligence. Jiang Yinghua quickly got up and went forward. “Quick, present it.”
Taking the sealed report from the man’s hand, Jiang Yinghua eagerly tore it open, her hands trembling. As she read, her breathing became more rapid, and even her heartbeat became erratic.
This was not the clue to the person using poison that she had been hoping for, nor was it a clue to Yan Wanzhi. Instead, it was an urgent border report. But this urgent border report could not be said to have no connection to these two things; it could only be said that the connection was somewhat hidden.
Five days ago, secret agents on the northwest border discovered that the Liang people, who had been annexed by both Da Chu and the Xiongnu several years ago, had disagreed with the Xiongnu Khan and had separated their troops to establish themselves two years ago, once again establishing a country called Western Liang.
Shortly after Liang became independent, the king, who had taken the title of king, died suddenly. Since then, only the Empress Dowager had been in charge of the government. Her own mess was too much to handle, so it was not a hidden danger that Da Chu cared about. But suddenly, Liang welcomed a princess who had been wandering outside. She was skilled in both civil and military affairs, and she had recently been sent to the border to inspect.
Because of this, the Northwest Secret Service sent out many people to investigate. An informant managed to infiltrate the Western Liang army and obtained the true face of the princess, risking his life to send back a portrait. Along with the report was a small portrait of a face that made Jiang Yinghua’s heart tremble—a face that was exactly like Yan Wanzhi’s.
The report mentioned that the new commander, after integrating the intelligence from various branches, had deduced the possible route and time nodes for the princess’s entry into Western Liang. Coincidentally, she had disguised herself as a merchant caravan and traveled west along Da Chu’s northern border, starting in the first month of Shaozheng ten years, and arriving in the Western Liang capital after five months.
Jiang Yinghua was both happy and worried about this news, but mostly she was shocked. Whether this Princess Yan Wanzhi was real or fake, and who had kidnapped her and sent her to the northern border without being noticed by the Secret Service and Shadow Guards, and how she was able to leave for Western Liang in such an aboveboard manner…
Having entered Western Liang several years ago and gained the trust of the Western Liang rulers with her talent, why hadn’t she sent back any news? Could it be that she was going to completely become an enemy of Da Chu?
Jiang Yinghua waved her hand weakly, dismissing all the palace servants in the room. Her mind was in chaos, and she lost her ability to think calmly, so she had to put aside these sudden clues and close her eyes to concentrate.
Late at night, Jiang Yinghua finally calmed down. The affairs of the country were important and could not be delayed. She immediately summoned the commander of the Secret Service, ordering him to closely monitor the movements of Western Liang. She also issued several edicts, ordering the northwest border defense to be on high alert. After arranging the important matters, she returned to Guangyuan Palace and summoned Qingyun, ordering all the Shadow Guards outside to retrace the route deduced by the Secret Service and investigate any clues left by Yan Wanzhi in the northern border.
Calming down to think, anyone who had the ability to raise private troops and collude with Western Liang to rob and plunder court officials must be a person of high position and power. Jiang Yinghua suddenly recalled her previous speculation that perhaps the person who poisoned and the person who was causing trouble were the same person. And each step of this meticulously planned chess game was to silently accumulate power for himself, so that he could seize the throne in one fell swoop.
Jiang Yinghua didn’t close her eyes all night, screening the important officials and members of the imperial family in her mind. Those who had once held military power, those who had once stayed in Ningzhou, those who had once guarded the northern border… After thinking about it in a whirlwind, there weren’t many people, but it was certainly not just a few. Investigating rashly would definitely be like startling the snake in the grass. She suddenly understood Your Majesty’s prudence and suspicion. It was lonely at the top, and in times of crisis, looking at the court officials who bowed their heads, after all, people’s hearts were separated by their stomachs, and it was indeed somewhat uneasy.
The next day, she couldn’t digest so many unresolved doubts on her own, so she had to tentatively seek Your Majesty’s help to solve them. After all, Yan Wanzhi had said that Your Majesty knew about her background, but Jiang Yinghua knew nothing about it. How she became the Princess of Western Liang was too surprising.
At the first light of dawn, Jiang Yinghua went to Chengming Hall. At this time every day, she should be preparing to listen to the court session, but today she couldn’t help but leave the court officials to wait. As soon as she entered, Jiang Yinghua made a silent gesture to the attendants and whispered, “Don’t announce, it’s easy to be startled in the morning. I’ll go in quietly.”
The attendants wisely and carefully retreated. Jiang Yinghua walked in like a little cat, but the scene behind the screen shocked her, and she was about to flee in a panic. But in her panic, she always lacked discretion, and kicked the bottom of the antique shelf, making a muffled sound.
“Who?” Your Majesty’s voice inside was fierce. Jiang Yinghua resigned herself to closing her eyes, timidly turned back across the screen, bowed, and muttered, “It’s your subject.”
Ying Feng got up from the bed in a panic, lowered his head awkwardly to the side, and even forgot the etiquette. Jiang Yinghua’s awkward blush also covered her face. She only knew that Ying Feng had been taking care of Your Majesty very diligently over the years, but she never thought… She wished she could gouge out her own eyes and help these two to enjoy themselves.
Your Majesty had experienced great storms after all. Looking at the small appearance of these two, she chuckled and said, “Feng’er, go out first.” Ying Feng slipped away quickly, and after he disappeared, Your Majesty slowly sat up and said quietly, “The Regent is becoming more and more daring now, entering my bedroom without announcing it. Then why bother blushing and being nervous?”
Jiang Yinghua was ashamed, lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes, secretly muttering, “He Ying Feng is at least in the eyes of outsiders your brother-in-law, Your Majesty. The two of you are being a little too much.”
“Why aren’t you at the court session at this hour? What are you doing here?” Your Majesty didn’t make it difficult for her anymore, but sat upright on the couch and asked seriously.
Jiang Yinghua then remembered the business at hand, took out yesterday’s report from her sleeve and presented it, before softly saying, “Your subject came to ask Your Majesty about Yan Wanzhi’s background. How did she become the recognized Princess of Western Liang?”
Your Majesty also looked puzzled, quickly scanned the contents of the report, and pondered for a long time before saying, “You have to investigate the details yourself. I only know that her original name was Mo Xueyan, the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Jiayi that year. As for why she had connections with Western Liang, I really don’t know. But you should remember the former Liang royal surname. The records of the various countries have been taught to you since you were a child.”
“Marquis of Jiayi? The Marquis of Jiayi who was beheaded for treason when Emperor Father was seriously ill?” Jiang Yinghua’s mind was again overwhelmed like being struck by lightning, and she asked incredulously with wide eyes.
“That’s an old story. There was no solid evidence back then, and I also secretly investigated it. It was your Third Brother who was plotting something wrong and framing him by colluding with bandits. If I hadn’t known Marquis of Jiayi’s character well, I wouldn’t have left his orphaned daughter by my side. Speaking of this, I remember that one of the accusations against the Marquis’s household was colluding with foreign enemies. At that time, Former Liang was still around.”
Your Majesty got up, sighed, and then recalled the past with a distant gaze.
Jiang Yinghua suddenly woke up and understood Yan Wanzhi’s motives for killing Prince Yong alone. This late truth was too late.
Your Majesty glanced at her and saw that she looked lost, so she said, “I submitted a memorial to explain that matter back then; even Uncle Prince Jialing, who didn’t care about worldly affairs, submitted a memorial out of friendship. But Marquis of Jiayi committed suicide in prison and died without proof. How can we tell the difference? The past is all in the past. What are you going to do now?”
Jiang Yinghua’s mind was a little muddled, and she casually said, “I’ve made all the arrangements for the border defense.” After a long time, she blinked and thought, before muttering to herself, as if talking to herself:
“The Former Liang royal surname is Wansiqi. Many people who entered Da Chu simplified it to Mo. Third Brother once framed Marquis of Jiayi for colluding with foreign enemies, and Father put him to death. Perhaps this Marquis was originally a Liang person. Father should have known the truth. Your Majesty, do I have the right to access the historical records of the reigns of Grandfather and Father? I want to investigate this Marquis Mo.”
“No need to investigate. Marquis Mo saved Father and Prince Ruyang in the northwest back then, and was only promoted to a higher rank. Prince Ruyang has been dead for many years, and I wanted to investigate back then, but the clues have all been cut off. Prince Yong once stayed in Prince Ruyang’s mansion when he was young, and he may have known the truth. That was the purpose of me wanting you to escort him to the capital. But you let him go in private, and Yan Wanzhi, whether she was afraid of me or blinded by personal revenge, actually killed him without authorization. The two of you today are reaping the bitter fruit.”
Your Majesty said in a flat tone, and the look in her eyes towards Jiang Yinghua was very complicated.
Jiang Yinghua sighed weakly, her tone dissatisfied: “The meddling rats in the sewers know everything, but Your Majesty hides everything from me, and Yan Wanzhi also hides everything from me. How can I know anything if I don’t know anything, and the clues in my hands are never equal…”
She smiled bitterly, but in an instant, some thoughts flashed through her mind, and she said in surprise:
“That’s not right. If Your Majesty can’t find any clues to investigate thoroughly, then how did the person who kidnapped Yan Wanzhi send her to Western Liang? Yan Wanzhi was by your side for many years, and she was young when it happened. If you didn’t know Marquis Mo’s true identity, she wouldn’t have known either. In that case, her return to Western Liang alone could only be because the person who kidnapped her knew the truth. Who is this person?”
One sentence awakened the dreamer. Your Majesty had been sick for a long time, and her mind was a little muddled. In the past, Jiang Yinghua wouldn’t have needed to point these things out.
She stared and thought for a long time before saying:
“Marquis Mo stayed in Da Chu, and no matter the reason, he was diligent for many years. He must have been at odds with Former Liang, and Yan Wanzhi definitely didn’t know the inside story. That person didn’t have much social interaction back then. I was thick-skinned and often went to ask him for advice on military strategy, and that’s how I became familiar with him. If it’s as you say, then I’ve overlooked one person, a family member that we rarely mention.” After Your Majesty finished speaking, she curled her lips and looked at Jiang Yinghua with a deep smile, but the look was a little bitter.
“Family member… You just said that the person who interceded for Marquis Mo… was Uncle Prince Jialing!” Jiang Yinghua lowered her eyes to recall, but the moment she said these words, she covered her mouth, stunned in place for a long time, her chest heaving violently, and she said sharply, “Someone!”
Your Majesty was confused by her reaction. How could she suddenly go crazy like this? She grabbed Jiang Yinghua’s wrist. “What are you panicking about? What do you want to do by yelling in my palace? Tell me first.”