LF Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival

The fifteenth day of the eighth month arrived with a gentle breeze and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus. The morning autumn wind, though cool, was not yet biting. The sky was clear and bright, an azure expanse without a cloud in sight.

Perhaps due to the fatigue from days of travel, or perhaps enchanted by the relics of the Prince Zhao Manor, Jiang Yinghua slept exceptionally soundly last night, a peace she hadn’t known in her three years guarding the border.

Early in the morning, she rose and changed into a delicate, feminine orchid-purple palace dress and went straight to the palace.

Ever since the incident where poison was added to the pastries she made, Jiang Yinghua had abandoned the idea of personally preparing food for her mother. The palace lacked nothing; it didn’t need her to ingratiate herself in the slightest.

The Empress Dowager, however, had been somewhat expectant. The pastries Jiang Yinghua made with her own hands were always different from those prepared by the imperial chefs. But now, Jiang Yinghua arrived empty-handed.

Although the maiden before her had kept her word and arrived early at the palace to accompany her, the Empress Dowager, with her long years of experience, immediately noticed her distracted demeanor.

Jiang Yinghua sat quietly in the hall, first brewing tea, then adding incense, as if eager to do all the work of the palace maids herself.

Helpless, the Empress Dowager finally spoke to dismiss her, “If you find it boring here, go for a walk in the garden.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yinghua assumed her mother was tired of her presence, so she tactfully withdrew.

Wandering in the garden, she happened to run into Yan Wanzhi, who had come to attend the banquet and was idly passing time in a small pavilion.

On Mid-Autumn Day, there were two palace banquets: one at noon for the court officials and one in the evening for the imperial clan. Yan Wanzhi had come for the noon banquet.

Jiang Yinghua didn’t want to socialize with the other officials’ relatives. Glad to see an acquaintance, she entered the pavilion. “Scholar Yan is seeking solitude, truly carefree.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Wanzhi hastily began to rise, but Jiang Yinghua waved her hand. “It’s fine, sit down.”

“Why is Your Highness free to stroll in the garden at this time?” Yan Wanzhi asked, puzzled.

Jiang Yinghua chuckled, mocking herself. “Because I’m unwelcome. Surely Scholar Yan isn’t going to give me an expulsion order?”

Yan Wanzhi pursed her lips awkwardly. “How could I? Will Your Highness be attending the palace banquet later?”

Jiang Yinghua leaned her head on her hand, replying casually, “What would I go for? Palace banquets are boring, and I have no interest in court affairs. The more you hear, the more trouble you get into.”

Logically, Prince Zhao, who held the military and political power of the Northern Frontier, should show her face. But seeing her resolute refusal, Yan Wanzhi didn’t press the matter and simply remained silent.

Instead, Jiang Yinghua, gazing at the autumn pond, said softly, “Do you have plans for tonight?”

Yan Wanzhi answered without thinking, “No, does Your Highness have any instructions?”

“Then remember to wait for me at your residence. No reneging,” Jiang Yinghua winked at her, rose, and chuckled.

“Is Your Highness trying to be mysterious?” Yan Wanzhi asked, also standing up with curiosity.

“Just do as I say, and I’ll come find you.” Jiang Yinghua adjusted her clothing, waved her sleeve, and left, leaving Yan Wanzhi standing there in a daze.

This little troublemaker, she heard, had rushed back to her manor yesterday. Is she planning to leave the palace again tonight? If the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty had whiskers, they’d probably be twisted in anger.

Before long, the noon banquet began. When Yan Wanzhi entered, most of the people had already arrived. The first seat below the imperial steps was empty, presumably reserved for Jiang Yinghua, but she had declared she wouldn’t show up.

After a long while, Your Majesty finally arrived, with Jiang Yinghua, looking as docile as could be, following behind. Well, she had been dragged here by Your Majesty. Yan Wanzhi had guessed early on that, for the first palace banquet after the post-war stabilization, Your Majesty wouldn’t let Jiang Yinghua run wild.

During the banquet, songs and dances never ceased, and toasts were constantly exchanged. Although Jiang Yinghua had come with Your Majesty, her seat was somewhat deserted.

It was no surprise, as she had been away from the capital for several years. The court officials were opportunists, and the core of power, the civil officials, certainly wouldn’t try to curry favor with her.

Moreover, Jiang Yinghua had a cold personality. Over the years, there had been no secret reports of her colluding with court officials. In addition, in the eyes of outsiders, this person had been imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court for over a year, and no one could fathom the thoughts of the higher-ups, so no one would dare to stir up bad luck.

Jiang Yinghua had anticipated this situation long ago, which was why she had been avoiding attending. She had even hidden in the long-abandoned rear palace, yet Your Majesty had still sent people to find her. Now, Jiang Yinghua was drinking alone, not caring that the court officials were neglecting her. She just felt that Your Majesty was too domineering, unwilling to leave her any face.

Cup after cup of clear wine entered her stomach. In a daze, a flash of scarlet passed before Jiang Yinghua. She looked up and saw Yan Wanzhi holding a cup of wine, coming to toast her. Jiang Yinghua gave a wry smile, raised her head, and drank it all in one gulp. She stood up and whispered in Yan Wanzhi’s ear, “I’ve implicated you. It’s not like before. If you have the chance, go back to working before Your Majesty.”

Yan Wanzhi thought she was drunk and respectfully advised, “Drinking too much is bad for the body. Drink a little to enjoy, Your Highness, drink less.”

Jiang Yinghua chuckled and sat down again. “Idiot, nagging. Go back.”

During the long and tedious palace banquet, a total of three people came to toast Jiang Yinghua. One was Yan Wanzhi, one was her former subordinate, a young general and the son of the Marquis of Zhongyi, and the other was Qiao An’s eldest son, her cousin, now a lieutenant general of the Imperial Guard.

The imperial court was like this. Jiang Yinghua was already very grateful that there were old subordinates and colleagues who remembered their past relationship.

Jiang Yinghua could understand why others didn’t dare or didn’t want to come. In their eyes, she must not have a good impression.

If Jiang Yinghua had any intention of interfering in court affairs, she would have taken the initiative to win them over. Considering her status, no one would dare to neglect her. However, Jiang Yinghua ultimately didn’t want to. When she first arrived at the Northern Frontier three years ago, she had such thoughts, but then she had rejected them, feeling that it was rebellious and disrespectful to her parents.

The palace banquet ended, and Jiang Yinghua ran off, mixing into the crowd leaving the palace and simply hid back at her manor. When she returned to the manor, there were less than two hours until the evening family banquet.

She hadn’t touched the dishes at noon, and after drinking too much wine, Jiang Yinghua’s stomach was churning uncomfortably. So she told someone to cook her some plain porridge, which suppressed the burning pain. The people in the manor were increasingly puzzled. Your Highness’s return this time was too abnormal. What was the point of returning to the manor for such a short time?

As Jiang Yinghua expected, after taking a short break after the palace banquet, Your Majesty sent people to look for Jiang Yinghua. The palace servants searched everywhere for this troublemaker, but they couldn’t find her for a long time. She had taken advantage of the chaos to leave the palace, and the guards hadn’t noticed, which made Your Majesty very angry.

Jiang Yinghua didn’t show up until the family banquet began. Her seat was the same as at noon. Outsiders would definitely think she was high above, glorious, and held a position of great power.

After three years apart, Jiang Yinghua, who was already not very close to the imperial clan, was unwilling to speak at the family banquet.

Although she was a junior, her status was there. Apart from the two monarchs at the head of the table, she was the most honored. She didn’t take the initiative to talk, and the other elders didn’t dare to ask questions. After all, no one could figure out why Your Majesty had sent her to the bitter and cold border region, which was like exile.

The Empress Dowager had not been feeling well recently and often felt tired, so she left early. Seeing her mother leave, Jiang Yinghua took the opportunity to slip away. She used a trick to confuse everyone, making them think she had gone with the Empress Dowager, but in reality, she had left the palace gate directly. Therefore, when Your Majesty tried to find her for the second time, she missed again.

Jiang Yinghua left the palace, changed her clothes, transformed into a handsome young man, and rode her horse straight to the Yan residence. She stopped in front of the gate and called out to the servant, “Tell your master to come out for his appointment!”

The servant didn’t recognize her identity, but seeing her clothes, demeanor, and overbearing tone, he didn’t dare to be negligent and hurried into the residence to report.

Before long, Yan Wanzhi came out in a hurry, wearing a silver-gray brocade robe that looked much fresher and more natural than usual. As she was about to bow and salute, Jiang Yinghua, not wanting to be recognized, spoke first, “Brother Yan, long time no see. On this auspicious occasion, why not take a candlelit stroll at night and reminisce?”

Yan Wanzhi didn’t know what she was up to, so she had to play along and instructed the servant, “I’m going out. Bring the horse.”

After the Yan residence prepared the horses, the two rode side by side on the bustling streets. Yan Wanzhi was puzzled and asked, “Your Highness, why are you sneaking out when you should be at the palace banquet? What’s so important?”

Jiang Yinghua glanced back at her and said playfully, “Why must I be at the palace banquet? Why does coming out have to be for something important? I am also a citizen of the capital. Why can’t I enjoy myself with the people? Also, change the way you address me. Call me Ninth Master.”

“Yes, Ninth Master, of course. So, where are we going?” Yan Wanzhi secretly found it amusing and was intrigued by her.

When they came to a small stall selling bamboo hats, Jiang Yinghua excitedly ran over, chose a plain gauze hat in the style for women, dropped a tael of silver, and returned to her horse. Yan Wanzhi couldn’t help but feel sorry for the tael of silver. Just as she was wondering, Jiang Yinghua turned around and placed the hat on her head.

“Why are you doing this? This is something for women,” Yan Wanzhi pretended to be annoyed.

“Wear it, I think it suits you.” Jiang Yinghua smiled deeply and added, “Brother Yan’s reputation is well-known, and someone is bound to recognize this face. I don’t want to cause trouble, so I’ll have to trouble you to dress up as a girl. Your slender and delicate figure is very suitable.”

“Ninth Master commands, Wanzhi can only obey. But you can’t spend money like this. That tael of silver you have can buy the entire stall,” Yan Wanzhi muttered to herself.

“I know it doesn’t cost that much, but I’m too lazy to carry small change. It’s too heavy. If you brought a pouch, would you mind paying for me later?” Jiang Yinghua’s words clearly showed the spoiled temper of a wealthy young lady.

“So you came shopping?” Yan Wanzhi finally realized.

“The Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival is lively, but I’ve never experienced it. I don’t know if I’ll have another chance in the future, and I don’t know how long this mood will last. While the time is right, I’ll have some fun.”

Jiang Yinghua suddenly became serious. She was tired of the Tai Zhang Palace’s cold and solemn atmosphere and had instead taken a liking to this worldly atmosphere.

Before Yan Wanzhi could respond, Jiang Yinghua asked again, “I heard that the most beautiful lanterns come out late. I have you, a great talent, on hand. You’ll win one back for me, right?”

Yan Wanzhi thought, so that’s why you dragged me out here. “If you want one, Wanzhi will do her best.”

“Boring, boring. Can you be a little more lively when you’re out playing?”

Jiang Yinghua was about to throw a tantrum, so Yan Wanzhi quickly said, “Of course, you don’t be angry.”

“Do you know which of these small stalls has delicious food? I didn’t eat anything at night, and I’m a little hungry.” Jiang Yinghua turned back, looking at Yan Wanzhi with a charming gaze.

This was difficult for her. She didn’t usually wander around the market. Moreover, Jiang Yinghua’s status was what it was, so how could she eat things outside?

“Wanzhi hasn’t eaten these things, so I really don’t know. How about I find a restaurant for you? I’m familiar with the restaurants in the capital,” Yan Wanzhi asked tentatively.

Jiang Yinghua pondered for a moment. “No, I don’t want to eat delicacies today. I want to try something down-to-earth.” With that, she spurred her horse into the crowd, and Yan Wanzhi quickly followed.

Arriving at a wonton stall, the steaming wontons mingled with the vendor’s shouts, attracting many people to eat there. Jiang Yinghua was intrigued, dismounted, tied her horse to the side, and waved to Yan Wanzhi. “Come, come, this place is crowded, so it must be delicious.”

Yan Wanzhi felt that Jiang Yinghua tonight was like a carefree girl next door, her eyes bright and cheerful, without her usual majesty and indifference. She dismounted and followed her, finding a small square table to sit down.

The enthusiastic vendor came forward. “What would you two like to eat?”

Jiang Yinghua raised her head and asked with a smile, “What’s your specialty? Give us one of each, we want different ones.”

“Okay, you wait a moment.”

During the wait, Jiang Yinghua saw that Yan Wanzhi was a bit hesitant and joked, “You’re not going to be so picky as to dislike this kind of food, are you? If you really can’t eat it, just keep me company.”

Yan Wanzhi was worried that the food wasn’t clean and would harm Jiang Yinghua, but the person in front of her didn’t care, so what was she worrying about? “No, Wanzhi will eat with you.”

As she spoke, the vendor brought two bowls of steaming wontons. “Here you are, one is beef and cucumber, and the other is mutton and cilantro.”

Jiang Yinghua smiled and took them, eagerly scooping one into her mouth. Fragrant and soft, it was indeed delicious. Seeing this, Yan Wanzhi also scooped one from her bowl.

Jiang Yinghua watched her swallow it and asked with a smile, “Is it good?”

Yan Wanzhi had a wonton in her mouth and couldn’t speak, so she nodded emphatically.

Seeing her affirmation, Jiang Yinghua reached into Yan Wanzhi’s bowl with her spoon and unapologetically took a wonton.

Yan Wanzhi was shocked to see this. What was going on?

Little Your Highness is so strange tonight! Yan Wanzhi stared in amazement, her spoon hanging in the air, unsure whether to lower it again.

After finishing eating, Jiang Yinghua smiled and said, “Both flavors are good. Do you want to try mine? Here, take one.”

Looking at the girl’s enthusiastic gestures, Yan Wanzhi felt a little embarrassed, but her body was particularly honest as she leaned over, stuck her spoon into Jiang Yinghua’s bowl, and also took one.

The two suddenly became much closer, chatting animatedly about the various small trinkets in the streets.

Suddenly, the surrounding laughter and noise stopped abruptly. A group of guards in civilian clothes appeared in front of the wonton stall, scaring the diners and the owner.

Jiang Yinghua, with her martial arts skills, was quick to notice the abnormality. Knowing that these people were coming for her and not wanting to cause trouble, she put down a tael of silver and said with a smile, “The family servants in my manor are undisciplined, please don’t be offended.”

After saying that, she gave Yan Wanzhi a worried look and said with a smile, “The wontons recommended by the young lady are good. You eat slowly, I have to go back.”

Yan Wanzhi understood and remained silent, but her heart was already pounding.

This person must have sneaked out of the palace. If she angered that person, how could things end well?