LF Chapter 75
by VolareIn the thirteenth year of Shaozheng, the first day of the first month. As the new year began, the snow cleared, and before the solemn and orderly Lizheng Hall plaza, banners fluttered, illuminating the vermillion steps.
As one of the few grand court assemblies of the year, held with the highest specifications, on this first day, from the Emperor above to the civil and military officials below, and even the meritorious nobles and their ladies, all were adorned in court attire, offering grand ceremonial greetings. Besides the officials of the imperial court, envoys from foreign lands also entered to offer congratulations, their ceremonial bearing at its peak. The Great Chu had flourished and prospered for many years, and the magnificent scene of all nations coming to pay tribute was once again present.
Beneath the surface of this prosperous and peaceful facade, undercurrents surged, known to very few. Your Majesty endured the heavyceremonial robes and headdress, struggling through the ceremonial process of the court assembly. Jiang Yinghua watched from below with a heavy heart, wishing these rituals would end as soon as possible. Ying Feng’s torment was no less than hers, but no matter what others did, it wouldn’t be as effective as letting everyone inside and outside see Your Majesty in her prime.
In such an occasion, Yan Wanzhi could only hide in the inner palace, killing time with nothing to do, repeatedly going over the countermeasures Jiang Yinghua had discussed with her last night.
Constantly busy with no time to spare, by the time Jiang Yinghua returned, the sky was full of stars, and Yan Wanzhi had been waiting in the courtyard for a long time. She quickly walked forward and grasped Yan Wanzhi’s hand, “Sister is as cold as an ice statue, how long have you been waiting here? It’s cold, you should at least wear a coat.”
“It’s alright.” Yan Wanzhi instead pulled Jiang Yinghua’s collar, “Did you find an opportunity to discuss yesterday’s matter with Your Majesty?”
“I was just about to tell you, I asked, and it turns out that Cao Song was the only one who secretly reported our matter to Your Majesty back then. I don’t like this person. Ever since he was imprisoned in Guangyuan Hall, he hasn’t been by her side. Now he’s in Prince Zhao Manor, so even if he’s Jialing Prince’s spy, he’s a useless piece. Starting him up rashly would stir up trouble, so Your Majesty had people eliminate him.”
There was some helplessness in Jiang Yinghua’s tone. She had originally wanted to use this person to spread some false information, but in the end, she struck out.
“Don’t worry too much. The main military officials in the southwest have all been replaced, and these old officials will enter the capital soon. You just need to keep an eye on them, screen them, and deal with them. I doubt Jialing Prince has the guts to directly raise troops.” Yan Wanzhi stroked her sleeve, a habit she had when deep in thought, unchanged for many years.
“If it weren’t for the sake of obtaining evidence, I would have killed him directly. His crimes are too numerous to count, and they involve our loved ones, so he’s not easy to deal with. Moreover, he’s had thoughts of rebellion for a long time, and I’m afraid he has quite a few spies in the court. Soldiers and generals are just the hard power; there are plenty of tricks behind the scenes. This time, you disappeared for a month, and I replaced the southwest generals, so he should have noticed. Let’s see if he makes a move.”
Jiang Yinghua pulled her into the warm palace hall, took a hand warmer from a palace servant, and placed it in Yan Wanzhi’s palm.
Yan Wanzhi’s eyes were deep and dark as she held the warm stove, her gaze examining Jiang Yinghua’s weary profile. “You’re already so tired today, can Your Majesty’s body still take it?”
“It’s strange, I think she’s doing fine. She seems more energetic these days than before.” Jiang Yinghua said, after eagerly gulping down a cup of tea, sounding rather cheerful.
Hearing this, Yan Wanzhi’s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly recalled her own mother, who had been bedridden for a long time, her vitality increasingly waning. A sudden improvement was not necessarily a good thing. But Jiang Yinghua was in a state of chaos, so it was better not to add to her worries.
She shifted the topic, her expression wavering, “I remember that the twentieth day of the first month is the Empress Dowager’s memorial day, also the hundredth anniversary of her birth. Every ten and every hundred years should be commemorated with grand ceremonies. Why don’t you try to summon him back to the capital? After all, she’s his Empress Mother.”
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, but he has cultivated Taoism since he was young and has long declared himself detached from the world, not concerned with mortal affairs. This kind of reason can’t bring him back. He has never returned for royal weddings or funerals.” Jiang Yinghua smiled wryly. It was precisely his many years of aloofness from the world that had numbed several monarchs, and no one was wary of him.
“Truly cold-blooded. This disposition doesn’t seem like Hua’er’s relative.” Yan Wanzhi blurted out without thinking. Although she hated the late Emperor, that man was refined and modest, not like this. How could a brother born of the same mother be like this?
Indeed, ruthless and heartless, killing his own brothers, nephews, and even his grandchildren. Jiang Huaijin’s heart was probably a millennium-old stubborn rock.
“By the way, today I went to the Empress Dowager’s Palace and entrusted the Military Seal there. Recently, I’ve always been restless, and I feel uneasy holding those things in my hands. If something goes wrong, remember to go find the Empress Mother.” Jiang Yinghua whispered, making Yan Wanzhi’s heart tremble.
“Why are you saying such ominous things? You’re in the Imperial Palace, what are you afraid of? He wouldn’t dare to assassinate you in the inner palace, would he?” Yan Wanzhi raised her hand and pressed it against her lips, somewhat annoyed.
Jiang Yinghua held her hand and smiled softly, “Okay, I won’t say it anymore. It’s late, let’s rest.”
The next morning, Yan Wanzhi opened her sleepy eyes and instinctively reached for the inner side of the bed, but her hand landed on the silken quilt. She suddenly sat up and looked around, but there was no sign of Jiang Yinghua. She got up in a panic and went out to ask the attendant, “Where did Her Highness go?”
The attendant shook her head, not knowing. Yan Wanzhi suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said, “Where is Qingyun? Call her here.”
The attendant shook her head again. “Qingyun left with Her Highness before dawn.” Hearing this, Yan Wanzhi was completely dumbfounded. She went back to the hall, threw on a coat, and rushed to Ying Feng’s residence. The guards stopped her outside the palace gate. “Who are you?”
Yan Wanzhi took out a jade pendant. “I am from Prince Zhao Manor, requesting to see His Highness Prince An.”
“My Prince left early this morning, please return, madam.” The guard said, urging her to leave.
For no reason, one was gone, and then another. She recalled the rambling words Jiang Yinghua had said last night and felt inexplicably panicked. That person must have gone out to do something dangerous without telling her. Now that the court officials were on leave, and Jiang Yinghua and Ying Feng had left with Qingyun, what were they doing? Thinking too much was useless. Her identity had not been revealed, so it was inconvenient to move around. There were two great Buddhas left in the palace that she dared not disturb, so she had no choice but to go back and wait for news.
When the two of them returned, it was already dusk the next day. Qingyun even had some injuries on her body.
Yan Wanzhi had not slept all night, anxiously watching the palace gate. Seeing Jiang Yinghua return safe and sound, she breathed a sigh of relief. When she saw the scratch on Qingyun’s neck, she anxiously pressed, “Where did you go? Was it dangerous? Why did you hide it from me?”
Jiang Yinghua looked despondent and quietly ordered the servants to take Qingyun to be treated. Then she gently patted Yan Wanzhi’s shoulder and said in a low voice, “Let’s go inside and talk.”
Yan Wanzhi impatiently followed her inside, anxiously watching her. “Did something happen?”
“It was the Right Chancellor. He retired this year and set off for home yesterday. He was a veteran of three dynasties, and Your Majesty trusted him. I told him about Jialing Prince. It was his own idea to first write letters to provoke a few suspected courtiers, using himself as bait to lure out traitors. Prince An and I took the opportunity to monitor the situation and protect him. But, but he still…”
Jiang Yinghua could not suppress the desolation in her heart. The flashing swords and shadows were still before her eyes, and the loyal minister died with his eyes unclosed, so tragic.
Yan Wanzhi understood the whole story and hugged Jiang Yinghua tightly, gently stroking her back to soothe her emotions. After a long time, she finally asked the question in her heart: “You two went out, you should have brought many people with you. Could the Secret Division and your shadow guards not protect the old Chancellor?”
“I was just about to ask you, the people who kidnapped you, were they all masked men with long sabers in hand and riding fine horses, occasionally using flying daggers in the dark?” Jiang Yinghua leaned on Yan Wanzhi’s shoulder, feeling very tired.
“Black-clothed and masked, with sharp long sabers, indeed, but relying on this clue alone is too thin.” Yan Wanzhi sighed and closed her eyes, recalling the tragic scene of the Secret Division brothers all dying under the swords back then.
“I wanted to capture one or two alive, but they were all fearless of death, with poison hidden in their mouths. I couldn’t capture the bandits. All of those Jing officials were arrested, so it was a clear confrontation, a complete showdown. Ying Feng didn’t come back, he went to meet the generals transferred back from the southwest. Those few people can’t be allowed to have any mishaps. When their mouths are pried open, maybe they’ll be useful.” Jiang Yinghua spoke slowly, her eyes flickering vacantly, extremely sleepy.
“Now that it’s come to this, let’s reveal my identity and let me help you, directly exposing the conspiracy between Jialing Prince and Western Liang.” Yan Wanzhi tentatively said, not wanting to be so passive.
Jiang Yinghua’s heart skipped a beat, she really understood the person before her, who actually harbored such thoughts. She gazed at Yan Wanzhi with clear eyes and slowly uttered two words: “Not allowed.”
Jiang Yinghua closed her eyes, and when she woke up again, it was already the next morning. Yan Wanzhi held her hand tightly, afraid that this person would disappear silently again. Jiang Yinghua saw that she was sleeping soundly and didn’t want to pull her hand away, so she just lay there with her.
In fact, Jiang Yinghua’s avoidance, using sleep as an excuse last night, was for her own selfish reasons. She asked Mo Jiu to send the Secret Division to investigate that bearded general. Now it had been a month. Only when she got that person’s confession and untied Yan Wanzhi’s knot in her heart would she dare to reveal her identity to the public. Otherwise, according to Yan Wanzhi’s disposition, she would probably take on the title of Commandery Princess and travel to Western Liang to negotiate for Great Chu.
The court officials would definitely be happy to see it, and Yan Wanzhi would definitely stubbornly go. This was not what Jiang Yinghua wanted, it was too dangerous. Even a carefully planned scheme to lure the enemy in had cost the life of an old minister. She was really afraid of these risky things.
Thus, Jiang Yinghua dragged on for seven or eight days, intentionally or unintentionally avoiding Yan Wanzhi, always playing hide-and-seek with her. She was nowhere to be seen during the day, and she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow at night. Finally, on the day of the Lantern Festival, when the court was on leave, Your Majesty was pulled out of the palace to relax by Ying Feng, who had returned from a business trip. Jiang Yinghua could not hide and was caught by Yan Wanzhi.
As luck would have it, the Secret Division really had news. It wasn’t that they had caught that person, but that spies had infiltrated his residence and accidentally discovered his records. The records were full of shady and disgraceful things, left as a backup, perhaps to save his life in the future. The secret agent stole that object, and it was already on its way.
Harshly pressed into a chair and questioned by Yan Wanzhi, Jiang Yinghua used all her charm to act spoiled, but Yan Wanzhi didn’t buy it at all. Helplessly, Jiang Yinghua had to tell the whole truth. “The day after tomorrow, there will be important news. If it’s satisfactory, then I’ll reveal your identity, okay?”
“What important news? Did you hear it from Liang Country?” Yan Wanzhi frowned immediately. “What kind of risky scheme did you set up again?”
“It’s that bearded general. This person is related to the old case of Marquis Jiayi. My people found his private records and stole them. They’re almost here.” Jiang Yinghua blinked her big eyes, looking very proud as she looked at Yan Wanzhi.
“Steal? Losing something so important, aren’t you forcing people to desperate measures?” Yan Wanzhi was so angry that she slammed the table. Why had this person been acting so crazy lately? What was she in such a hurry for?
“You’re right, I don’t have time to play games anymore. I just want to push people to the edge, then throw them a bone to make them open their mouths and bite, revealing their true colors.” Jiang Yinghua’s voice gradually turned cold, and her eyes revealed a fierce look.
“Those people in prison, did they give you important information? Where did you get your confidence?” Yan Wanzhi asked, staring at Jiang Yinghua in surprise.
“Under the Secret Division’s methods, how many people can resist? If you use their relatives to pressure them, it’s easy to handle. Jialing Prince buys these people off by threatening their families, but I do the opposite. Before arresting people, I send their relatives far away to safety, and send people to watch over those who can’t be sent away. In this way, why worry about not being able to pull out the carrot and the mud with it?” Jiang Yinghua curled her lips and smiled, pouring tea and drinking it by herself.
“So, you got the list? How many people are colluding with him? Have you sent people to keep an eye on them?” Yan Wanzhi asked anxiously.
“His methods are sophisticated. He’s not colluding with important officials in the capital, but with local petty officials. But after years of planning, the local officials have been hollowed out by their subordinates. He’s playing a trick of drawing firewood from under the pot. The list isn’t complete, but there are already more than forty people, no higher than the fifth rank, but many of them hold real power.” Jiang Yinghua deeply felt that she had met her match and was struggling to cope.
“Then how do you plan to solve this crisis? This scheme is insidious and damaging, more frightening than sending troops.” Yan Wanzhi’s brow furrowed deeply, and she felt that the situation was chaotic.
“Your Majesty has her own decisions. I gave her the list. If she wants to do it, let her do it.” Jiang Yinghua said with a melancholy air, her words light and airy.
“This matter is mentally exhausting, why did you become a hands-off manager?” Yan Wanzhi was full of suspicion, not understanding Jiang Yinghua’s decision.
Jiang Yinghua was silent for a long time, and then sighed weakly:
“Some time ago, the old imperial physician came to me, wanting me to advise Your Majesty. Why do you think her spirits have improved? She asked the imperial physician for strong medicine, forcibly holding on. Why do you think I frequently and openly pressured Jialing Prince? I’m afraid she can’t wait, and she’ll die with regrets. She wouldn’t like leaving a mess behind, let her do it.”
Yan Wanzhi was also silent for a while after hearing this. She deeply felt Your Majesty’s stubbornness and determination. But right now, Jiang Yinghua was in a state of chaos, and she was kept in the dark about everything. She had some use when discussing the battle against Western Liang before, but now she had become a leisurely person. After weighing it for a long time, Yan Wanzhi finally said what was in her heart:
“Hua’er, reveal my identity, let me enter the court. I have a 60% chance of persuading Western Liang to form an alliance with you.”
Jiang Yinghua’s heart skipped a beat. She really understood the person before her, who actually harbored such thoughts. She stared at Yan Wanzhi with clear eyes and slowly spat out two words: “Forbidden.”