LF Chapter 79

The heatwave was scorching, and the green trees provided thick shade. Cicadas chirped in the forest canopy, and dragonflies danced among the stamens.

Having finished the morning court session, Jiang Yinghua leaned languidly against the beauty couch, occasionally covering a yawn with her hand. The ice basin beside her emitted wisps of cool air, slightly reducing the heat from outside.

Being the Emperor was a tough job, waking up earlier than a rooster and going to bed later than a dog.

Just as her upper and lower eyelids were about to embrace each other intimately, Qingyun entered the hall in a flash and bowed with folded hands, “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager sent someone to ask if the green plums in the Imperial Garden are ripe and should be picked and sent to you?”

Jiang Yinghua waved her hand, “What would I do with them?” She was about to dismiss him when she suddenly remembered the promise she made on New Year’s Eve. She sat up with a carp-like leap, “Hey, come back. Tell them to send some over.”

Qingyun left in confusion, wondering what riddle these two were playing.

As soon as he was gone, Jiang Yinghua instructed her attendant, “Summon Scholar Yan.” The young eunuch hurried to deliver the decree. Before long, Yan Wanzhi, braving the scorching sun, entered the hall, her purple robe soaked with sweat, clinging to her body, sticky and uncomfortable.

Jiang Yinghua glanced at her disheveled appearance, waved away the attendants, and said softly, “Come and sit down, have some ice cream to cool off. Why the rush? I wasn’t urging you.”

“In the middle of the day, if you have nothing to do, you’re usually resting. This is unusual, how could I not be anxious?” Yan Wanzhi simply placed her hand on the ice basin. Jiang Yinghua took the fan that a young palace maid had left behind and gently fanned her twice.

“The Empress Dowager brought it up. How’s the interrogation of the Prince Jialing going? Does he still refuse to say where his private army is hidden?” Jiang Yinghua rubbed her temples with one hand and glanced at Yan Wanzhi.

Yan Wanzhi, seeing that she was very tired, turned to take some iced grapes from the fruit plate, washed her hands, and began peeling them for her. “Whenever we ask about that, he laughs like crazy and never answers seriously. Should we use more… force? I’m worried all day about this ‘big gift’ he keeps mentioning. Here, open your mouth.”

She gently squeezed a grape, and Jiang Yinghua’s cherry-like mouth opened slightly, her pearly teeth closing slightly as a round, clear grape slid into her mouth. “Is it sweet?” Yan Wanzhi asked with a smile, throwing away the grape skin.

“Sweet. Take some with you later; I don’t have time to eat them. It would be a waste to leave them for the little maids.” Jiang Yinghua swallowed the cool grape and pointed to the fruit plate beside her. Yan Wanzhi quickly peeled another one and fed it to her. Jiang Yinghua took it and said thoughtfully, “Hiding all the time isn’t a solution. I’ll go meet him.”

“I’ve always felt like he’s provoking you. Are you really going to meet your uncle?” Yan Wanzhi was a little worried, after all, Jiang Yinghua should hate this man to the bone.

Jiang Yinghua lowered her eyes, examining the grape with an increasingly grim expression, and said quietly, “You’ve been blocking a lot of rumors these days, haven’t you? Are people saying that my sister’s death was sudden and that I’m not rightfully on the throne?”

“There are always gossips, you don’t need to worry about them.” Yan Wanzhi took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands, trying to reassure her. She thought she had been thorough, but Jiang Yinghua still knew. Being an Emperor meant having to think more.

“I can’t delay any longer. I wish I could grind him to ashes. Are you busy right now? Why don’t you come with me?” Jiang Yinghua shoved the grape she was holding into Yan Wanzhi’s mouth, straightened her clothes, and stood up.

Yan Wanzhi swallowed the grape whole, quickly licking the juice that had been squeezed out of her mouth by Jiang Yinghua’s rough action, and softly agreed, “I have nothing important to do. I’ll go with you.”

The Prince Jialing was being held in the forbidden part of the palace, guarded by soldiers. It was like an iron bucket, impossible to escape even with supernatural powers.

Jiang Yinghua stepped down from the imperial carriage, staring at the guardhouse ahead, her phoenix eyes momentarily filled with frost. The three-foot-long train of her dress swept across the white jade palace road, and a dragon pattern seemed to come to life as her graceful figure moved.

Yan Wanzhi, watching from behind, was momentarily stunned. The black figure almost made her mistake her for her sister. For some reason, Jiang Yinghua, who never liked black clothes, often wore this black casual dress after taking the throne. Even the clothes made by the Shang Palace Bureau for next year included several black ones.

The heavy iron lock on the door fell, and the light inside was dim. In the summer heat, the cramped prison was unbearably hot.

Jiang Yinghua stepped inside, frowning. Prince Jialing was slumped on the ground, guarded by several soldiers. His black hair was messy, and there was no trace of his former elegance and otherworldly air. But he closed his eyes slightly, looking comfortable and at ease.

Even the clanging of the chains couldn’t make him look up. Jiang Yinghua stood with her hands behind her back, a smile playing on her lips, “Little Uncle, long time no see.”

The man still kept his eyes closed, saying casually, “The winner is king, the loser is an outlaw. This is no fun. The gift I prepared for you isn’t much, not as good as your father and brothers, oh, and your sister.”

“How dare you be so presumptuous!” Yan Wanzhi couldn’t bear his provocative words and rebuked him.

Prince Jialing opened his eyes lazily and snorted, “A pair of lovebirds have arrived. Why aren’t you two playing in the water on such a hot day?”

“Uncle is in a good mood.” Jiang Yinghua leaned down slightly to look at him, “Since you said you sent me a big gift, maybe I should guess.” Her eyes wandered over Jiang Huaijin’s features, “Is it the rebellion in the Northern Border? Or your assassins? Or perhaps, who are you hiding, Uncle?”

Prince Jialing simply closed his eyes, smiling indifferently, “You’re just a kid, your father couldn’t beat me. Give it up.”

“Haha, I guess I must have guessed one right. Otherwise, why would you speak so intensely and insist on comparing me to my late father?” Jiang Yinghua looked at the person in front of her with a smile that was not quite a smile, her voice ethereal and a little eerie.

Prince Jialing was silent, and after a long time, he said, “Wait and see. You won one game, but you may not win the next. I’ve been planning for many years, and I can play the game my own way.”

Jiang Yinghua lowered her eyes and said softly, “I’ve learned a lot from Uncle’s skills. Don’t be arrogant, ‘falling to the ground and taking root,’ you understand, and I understand too. I’ve guarded the Northern Border for many years, how could I allow you to run wild? When it comes to being deeply rooted, I’m afraid you’ll be completely defeated.”

The man lowered his eyes and said nothing, only chuckling twice.

Jiang Yinghua walked slowly, saying quietly, “To be honest, except for your private army, I control everything. Don’t be smug, your time will come to cry. With a sea of blood and deep hatred, I won’t let you have a good time. But if you’re willing to reveal the location of your private army, I’ll give you a slightly easier death for the sake of grandmother.”

“Heh, you’re talking about that old hag, she’s nothing.” Prince Jialing sneered, speaking disrespectfully and cursing his own mother.

Jiang Yinghua was shocked and said in a low voice, “She’s your own mother, have you gone mad?”

“Wrong, he’s an ungrateful wolf.” An old voice came from a distance. Jiang Yinghua turned back in surprise, it was actually the Empress Dowager who had come.

She hurried forward to support her, saying softly, “It’s dry and hot, why did you come out? Someone, bring a chair.”

Soon, an attendant brought a chair, and the Empress Dowager slowly sat down before saying:

“He wasn’t the Empress Grand Dowager’s own child. Back then, your grandfather had a concubine who was pregnant at the same time as your grandmother. At that time, your grandmother was older, and she lost her child. The concubine’s family caused trouble, and she died in childbirth in a moment of panic. Your grandmother was kind-hearted and put him under her name as her own, raising him as the legitimate son, which is why we have this bitter fruit today.”

“I never knew about these things, Mother.” Jiang Yinghua was very surprised. The Empress Dowager continued, “The Forbidden Palace is secretive, and even your father didn’t know. Later, the Empress Grand Dowager, remembering your father’s loyalty, only told me before she passed away, telling me to never allow this person to enter the court and seize power. As long as he was peaceful, he would be provided with a life of luxury, allowing him to travel and enjoy himself.”

Jiang Huaijin listened with his eyes closed, laughing wildly twice, “Does Imperial Sister-in-law know when I found out about my own identity?”

“It doesn’t matter.” The Empress Dowager’s voice was desolate, and she turned to Jiang Yinghua, “I came here to tell you that you don’t need to feel guilty. You can decide how to deal with him according to your own heart.”

“I understand.” Jiang Yinghua bowed and watched the Empress Dowager leave.

Knowing that this person was not the biological brother of her late father, Jiang Yinghua’s inner struggle was indeed lessened. This also explained why this person’s personality was so different from her father’s. Jiang Yinghua turned back to look at this person, giving him one last warning, “Tell me about your plans, and I will spare you some consideration. Otherwise, I will have someone cut off a piece of your flesh every day, take it to the market, and burn it to ashes in front of everyone. I’d like to see if your assassins will be loyal enough to cause trouble.”

“You’re talking nonsense, why don’t you try it and see if the officials will allow you to be so presumptuous.” Jiang Huaijin was still putting on a brave face.

“I didn’t understand you before, just as you don’t understand me today. Reputation is illusory, and besides, I’ve always been arrogant and lawless since I was a child.

You killed my father, sister, and brother; you set up a trap to harm the Marquis of Jiayi and the entire Yong Prince’s family. These bloody debts will follow you to the underworld, and you will never be able to repay them.

I’m telling you clearly, if you don’t speak, I will order someone to cut off a piece of your flesh every day, roast it in the market, turn it into charcoal in front of everyone, and scatter it to the winds. I want to see if your assassins will be loyal enough to cause trouble.”

“You’re talking wildly, you might as well try it and see if the officials will allow you to be so presumptuous.” Jiang Huaijin was still stubbornly resisting.

“Considering that you are the bloodline of my grandfather, I will only pursue the Jiang family’s blood debt. One Emperor counts as forty-five cuts, and one Prince will be counted as twenty-seven cuts, for a total of… one hundred and eighty-nine cuts. I will tell the executioners to be careful to make sure you live well. For the remaining carcass, you can taste the taste of chronic poison. There are more than five hundred wronged souls who suffered because of you, so you will reluctantly live for two years, wishing you were dead.”

Jiang Yinghua laughed loudly and left, ignoring the man’s twisted face and the constant abuse behind her.

Yan Wanzhi said nothing. Jiang Huaijin deserved what he got. But she never expected that Jiang Yinghua in front of her could say such things. Even as close as she was to her, she felt a chill run down her spine. Jiang Yinghua walked on the scorching palace road, but the palms of her hands in her sleeves were icy cold.

She quickly digested her uneasy mood and stopped after a long time, turning to wait for Yan Wanzhi to catch up, beckoning her to come closer.

Yan Wanzhi hurried over, and she heard her say, “Go and investigate the news about the Yong Prince’s missing child from back then. The Crown Princess is not a descendant of Prince Yong. The gift from Prince Jialing might be related to this.”

Yan Wanzhi was stunned on the spot, and before she could ask more, she bowed and took her leave, hurrying away.

Seeing her leave, Jiang Yinghua entered the hall and summoned Qingyun, “Send a message to the abbot, keep a close watch on the movements in the Northern Border. If necessary, you don’t need to ask for instructions, just mobilize the troops.”

Qingyun responded and turned to arrange it.

The next day, at the morning court session, Jiang Yinghua had someone compile the evidence of Prince Jialing’s poisoning of the imperial family over the years and made it public. She didn’t hesitate to abandon the dignity of the Forbidden Palace and the imperial court, blocking the rampant rumors and earning Jiang Huaijin an infamous reputation that he could never wash away in this lifetime.

And at the execution grounds in the capital, just as Jiang Yinghua had ordered, the man’s flesh was roasted with a crackling sound. The passing officials and commoners were not afraid, but spat on it and cursed him.

This continued for nearly two months, and the private soldiers in his hands were like moths to a flame, jumping out when they could no longer bear it. Seeing them show their faces, Jiang Yinghua was in no hurry to capture them. She used the tactic of letting them off to catch them all in one fell swoop.

As the private soldiers were uprooted, Jiang Yinghua consolidated the information from Yan Wanzhi and the Yan’an Temple, locking onto a temple in Xing’an Mountain. The missing young daughter of Prince Yong was hidden in that temple. It was too late, the news was known too late.

Jiang Huaijin used the child as a pawn, instilling hatred from a young age. The child, who was about to turn eight, had no other thoughts except resentment towards her relatives in the imperial capital.

That night, Jiang Yinghua drank six jars of wine with Yan Wanzhi. Half-dreaming and half-awake, she murmured, “Scholar Yan, cutting grass without removing the roots, the spring breeze will blow again. There are enough troubles in the Forbidden Court.”

Yan Wanzhi looked at the pain and struggle in her eyes, pondered for a long time, and then snatched the wine pot from her hand, saying sadly, “Leave it to me, don’t drink anymore, this isn’t your fault.”

“Yes, when this is over, there will be light at the end of the tunnel, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.” Jiang Yinghua snuggled on Yan Wanzhi’s shoulder, greedily breathing in the faint sandalwood scent on her body.