LF Chapter 58
by VolareThe end of the year in the Northern Territory saw the long-awaited snow finally fall from the sky after a prolonged drought. The north wind carried swirling jade-like snowflakes, dazzling the eyes.
Jiang Yinghua rose and walked to the corridor, raising her eyes to look at the gloomy clouds. She reached out to catch a few clear snowflakes, feeling their coolness as they melted in her palm.
“Let’s go.” She flicked her sleeves and walked forward, heading straight out of the manor gates without looking back. She had a faint feeling that she wouldn’t be returning. And her past here, due to Yan Wanzhi’s departure, had lost its joy and wasn’t worth lingering over. Everything she had painstakingly planned here seemed to have lost its value before it could even be put to use.
When Mo Yuanchen returned to the manor, covered in dust, he was one step too late. The entire household was packing up Jiang Yinghua’s belongings, saying they had received news that Prince Zhao would not be returning to the Northern Territory.
On the way to the capital, they happened to encounter New Year’s Eve. The lights along the way were dazzling, and the sound of firecrackers filled the air. This liveliness did not belong to the lonely Jiang Yinghua in the carriage, nor did it belong to Yan Wanzhi, who was riding hard to the outskirts of the capital.
On the night of the New Year’s Eve, as people kept watch, the post station in the outskirts of the capital was surrounded by the Imperial Guards. A scholar-dressed person was taken into the capital under the watchful eyes of everyone.
The sudden visit of the Imperial Guards caught Yan Wanzhi off guard. These people, dispatched by Your Majesty, had come directly to the post station, where she had only just settled down for half a day, to arrest her. Even as shrewd as she was, she couldn’t figure out the reason for the arrest. But thinking of the Prince Yong affair, Yan Wanzhi handed over the handwritten memorial and Prince Yong’s head from her package to the Imperial Guards before resignedly getting into the prison cart.
Without a word, Yan Wanzhi was directly escorted to the Imperial Prison and placed in custody. No one interrogated her, nor did anyone tell her the reason for her arrest.
Jiang Yinghua arrived in the capital two days later and was also sent directly to the Tai Zhang Palace. The palace on the second day of the first month was decorated with lanterns and streamers, filled with a joyful and peaceful atmosphere. Heavy snow fell in the capital, making the Tai Zhang Palace majestic yet gentle.
Jiang Yinghua stood under the eaves of the Chengming Hall. The palace servant reported that Your Majesty had gone out in the afternoon and had not yet returned, so she had no choice but to wait outside. She watched as the heavy snow fell and stopped, stopped and fell again, until the haze dissipated and the sky was filled with twinkling stars. Only then did Jiang Jingche return, dragging her tired body.
Seeing the person standing under the eaves from afar, Jiang Jingche tightened her hands clasped in her wide sleeves. Thinking of Yan Wanzhi’s words in the Imperial Prison just now, and recalling Cao Song’s secret report from that day, she looked at that person with a very complicated gaze.
Your Majesty stood in the corridor for a long time, calming the anger in her heart, before slowly walking towards the main hall, summoning the person inside.
Inside the hall, after some exchanges, Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager, two great Buddhas, competed with Jiang Yinghua. Jiang Yinghua couldn’t withstand it and was ultimately defeated and sent back to the Prince Zhao Manor.
In a short moment, two pieces of news from Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager struck Jiang Yinghua like a bolt from the blue, leaving her disheartened.
She had not expected that her marriage would be hastily decided by her mother and elder sister without a word to her. She didn’t understand why Yan Wanzhi would resolutely abandon her, go straight to the capital to inform against her, and secretly kill Prince Yong.
The confused and chaotic thoughts left Jiang Yinghua in a daze, her mind as tangled as a ball of hemp thread. The carriage stopped, and she stood in front of the Prince Zhao Manor, which she hadn’t returned to for many years, feeling that things had changed. The person welcoming her at the gate was no longer the smiling old man, and her heart was filled with worries. Looking at the painted beams and carved pillars of the manor, she felt some resistance.
Another sleepless night. Jiang Yinghua simply pulled out a piece of paper, thinking that the tangled thoughts in her mind might be better written down and analyzed. The disordered thoughts filled the paper. Searching for connections among the dense handwriting, Jiang Yinghua suddenly realized that when she said she had someone in her heart, Your Majesty had blurted out Yan Wanzhi’s name.
It couldn’t have been a guess. Yan Wanzhi would never be foolish enough to admit it herself. There must have been a flaw somewhere…
Also, if Yan Wanzhi wanted to secretly report her plans of deceiving Your Majesty, why would she chase after Prince Yong? If she were wholeheartedly loyal to Your Majesty, she should have escorted him to the capital if she could catch him. Why kill him? Or was she trying to protect her?
Yan Wanzhi’s actions, according to the Empress Dowager’s explanation, were redundant and contradictory. No, someone must be hiding something from her…
The candle in the hall burned all night. As dawn approached, a servant from the Prince Zhao Manor came, pushed the door open, and bowed, saying, “Your Highness, Your Majesty has convened a court meeting today. It is time for you to change your clothes and do your hair.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yinghua, whose eyes were dark and face pale, was very surprised. The third day of the first month was a holiday. Where did this court meeting come from? She was about to scold the person when she recalled that Your Majesty had indeed mentioned the phrase “Tomorrow’s court will be tough” yesterday. To deal with her, Your Majesty was even forgoing the holiday.
The attendant carried an official robe inside. Jiang Yinghua crumpled the paper spread out on the table into a ball and threw it into the flames of the tea stove beside her. It was time to meet the foxes in the court. She had to take the opportunity to find out the recent movements in the court. She also needed to know where Yan Wanzhi was as soon as possible. There were still too many doubts about the Prince Yong rebellion.
Jiang Yinghua drank strong tea, roused her spirits, changed her clothes, and entered the palace, where a palace servant led her to the Chengming Hall. Jiang Yinghua looked suspicious: “Aren’t we going to the Chongzheng Hall?”
“Your Highness, today Your Majesty is holding a small court meeting, only a few great ministers and important officials are present, in the Chengming Hall,” the palace servant explained.
Jiang Yinghua didn’t ask any more questions and went straight into the main hall. Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager were both present, but the courtiers had not yet entered. Seeing this, Jiang Yinghua turned to leave, but Your Majesty stopped her.
“Hua’er, stop. We and your mother were waiting for you. We have something to tell you,” Jiang Jingche called out to her when she saw her trying to slip away.
Jiang Yinghua stopped, turned back, stood in the hall, lowered her eyes, and nodded, “I respectfully listen to the Imperial instruction.”
“The court meeting will deal with two matters, one is Prince Yong, and the other is your arrangements. The memorials against you are nothing more than accusations of ineffective response and lax supervision. Yan Wanzhi will take the blame for the dereliction of duty. As for the matters on the battlefield, consider your words carefully, respond cautiously, and do not admit guilt. After your marriage, you will stay in the capital to assist in the government. The chief ministers will select a new chief secretary for you. You should agree. Do you understand?” Your Majesty instructed her gently, hoping that Jiang Yinghua would not act on her own and lose her composure in a moment.
“The fault of dereliction of duty lies with me, why should the chief secretary take the blame? Your Majesty, these plans were all my own doing and have nothing to do with Yan Wanzhi,” Jiang Yinghua said with a deep sense of powerlessness after listening to this clear arrangement. From Your Majesty’s tone, Jiang Yinghua vaguely sensed that Yan Wanzhi must have been detained by her first.
“Enough! Don’t mention her again. Do as I say, clear your head, be quick with your tongue, and don’t let me ruin all my efforts,” Your Majesty’s expression was no longer as it was just now, and her tone was even colder.
In Jiang Yinghua’s heart, how Yan Wanzhi acted was ultimately a private matter between the two of them. Jiang Yinghua was most afraid of Your Majesty’s intervention, and that was the case now. Hearing Your Majesty’s stern words, she was worried about Yan Wanzhi’s situation and didn’t dare to confront her head-on, so she had no choice but to stop arguing and bowed in agreement.
The fault of dereliction of duty could be big or small, but it wouldn’t be life-threatening. If Jiang Yinghua went against Your Majesty’s wishes and acted recklessly again, Yan Wanzhi, who was being held by Your Majesty, might really lose her life.
Seeing her agree, Your Majesty finally summoned the ministers who had been waiting for a long time. Six old foxes launched an attack in turn, seizing on Jiang Yinghua’s negative attitude towards the battle, linking the encirclement without annihilation and the lax supervision to the motivation, and their words were sharp.
Jiang Yinghua exhausted all her skills, using all the tricks of sophistry she had learned in her life. Relying on her familiarity with the front line, she debated with the old ministers and finally managed to escape this first hurdle by luck. The inner clothing on her body had already been soaked with nervous sweat.
However, Your Majesty had deceived her. The second matter was the marriage proposal. Your Majesty, together with the Empress Dowager and the Minister of Rites, chatted enthusiastically, leaving Jiang Yinghua aside, unable to interrupt, and could only watch coldly as her fate was arranged.
As for the third matter, the so-called selection of a new chief secretary for Prince Zhao, she had no choice but to nod in agreement. The Right Chancellor suggested that Prince Zhao enter the Six Ministries and Three Departments to attend court after her marriage, and Your Majesty did not say anything more. The court meeting ended there.
On the way back to the manor, Jiang Yinghua was puzzled. Besides Yan Wanzhi’s matter, why did Your Majesty order her to marry the King of the East Sea and also let her enter the court? Having seized her military power, shouldn’t she be allowed to be an idle person without power at this moment? Or perhaps, it would be more reasonable to be stationed in the East Sea.
Her official position, her life, everything was controlled by Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager, and she was never told the reason behind the control.
Fortunately, the matter of marrying the East Sea was still early, and Jiang Yinghua still had the opportunity to plan a refusal. What she cared about most at the moment, which was both urgent and like a weight on her heart, making her unable to eat, was Yan Wanzhi, who was imprisoned by Your Majesty, whose whereabouts and situation were unknown.
That night, after having dinner, Jiang Yinghua drank three jars of apricot blossom wine. Like a drunken cat, she stumbled and was helped by the servants into the bedroom in the manor early. After everyone had retreated, in the middle of the night, when the manor was silent, Jiang Yinghua rolled over and sat up, sitting steadily at the table to wait.
Before long, a rustling sound of hurried footsteps faintly came from outside the window. Jiang Yinghua quickly got up and opened the window to let the person in.
Seeing the dark shadow enter, Jiang Yinghua couldn’t wait to ask: “When will the people from the Northern Territory arrive?”
“Master, recently Your Majesty seems to be keeping a close eye on you. To be on the safe side, the brothers will be able to enter the city in half a month. If you’re in a hurry, you can use the palace…”
“No, don’t mention this matter again,” Jiang Yinghua interrupted before the person could finish speaking, and then changed the subject: “You came earlier than me, do you know where Yan Wanzhi is being held by Your Majesty? And when was she arrested?”
“The Imperial Guards took the person from the outskirts of the capital on New Year’s Eve. It should be the Imperial Prison without a doubt,” the shadow thought for a moment before responding.
The Imperial Guards arrested people on New Year’s Eve and sent them directly to the Imperial Prison of the Ministry of Justice. This could only be Your Majesty’s decision under great anger. Jiang Yinghua’s head buzzed after hearing this. In this way, it would not be what the Empress Dowager said, that Yan Wanzhi took the initiative to go to the capital to accuse her.
“You must hide well, don’t stay in the manor, go to the reception point, and withdraw,” Jiang Yinghua sighed and waved her hand.
“Master, we are your shadow guards, how can we leave you alone when the situation is unclear?” The person seemed to feel embarrassed, cupped his fist in a salute, and refused to leave.
“Since you know your identity, do you still want to disobey?” Jiang Yinghua’s eyes were sharp, and her tone was very cold.
The person had no choice but to flash out.
Jiang Yinghua, having received the news, could no longer calm down. She originally wanted to calm down for a few days, then negotiate with Your Majesty, take the opportunity to meet Yan Wanzhi, and have a calm and peaceful talk after her emotions had calmed down. But now, things were strange everywhere, she was worried and uneasy, and couldn’t wait to see the self-righteous, headstrong blockhead immediately.
This time back, there were eyes everywhere in the manor. Jiang Yinghua knew clearly that her movements during the day were under Your Majesty’s control, and it was difficult for her to leave the manor. Perhaps this night, on the contrary, was her opportunity.
But how could she get into the heavily guarded Imperial Prison of the Ministry of Justice? With the identity of Prince Zhao, it would be tantamount to throwing herself into the net.
She paced back and forth anxiously in the hall. After a moment, she suddenly remembered the jade pendant that Yan Wanzhi had given her in the Northern Camp a few years ago. The Secret Office gold token in Yan Wanzhi’s hand could freely enter and exit the Imperial Prison, so her jade token, which was one level higher, should be unimpeded.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yinghua did not delay any longer, found the jade pendant, changed into a nightgown, and put on a large cloak to cover her face. She slipped out of the courtyard carefully and jumped over the high walls of the Prince Zhao Manor.
In the dead of night, the long street was under curfew. Jiang Yinghua vigilantly avoided the patrolling guards and the watchmen, and headed straight for the Imperial Prison of the Ministry of Justice in the imperial city.
Outside the Imperial Prison, the lights were bright, and the guards stood alert under the high walls. Jiang Yinghua pressed down on the brim of her hat, mustered her courage, and strode forward.
“Stop! Who dares to break into the Imperial Prison of the Ministry of Justice?” The guard held his spear in front of him, blocking Jiang Yinghua.
Jiang Yinghua pinched a token in her jade hand, slowly raised it, and said in a deep voice: “Get out of the way!”
When the two saw the jade pendant, they hurriedly put away their weapons and bowed to the ground. Jiang Yinghua thought to herself, this thing is really useful. She strode inside, but she didn’t expect that the internal structure of the Imperial Prison was complex and unusually large. The dimly lit corridor was gloomy and cold, and she couldn’t help but shiver.
Not daring to waste time, she walked quickly, scanning each of the prisoners held inside. They were bloody, disheveled, and she couldn’t see their faces at all. Fortunately, all those imprisoned in the Imperial Prison were serious criminals, so there were not many prisoners.
Walking down the corridor, she found that the cells were divided into areas. Among the male prisoners just now, there was no slender figure of Yan Wanzhi. Perhaps, the person was on the female prisoner’s side.
Jiang Yinghua headed straight in the other direction, but did not see Yan Wanzhi until she reached the deepest part. Just as she was almost desperate, she saw out of the corner of her eye that there was another heavily guarded cell at the corner, with an iron door blocking it, and she couldn’t see the situation inside.
Jiang Yinghua walked over directly, and the jailer guarding the door stopped her: “This is a prisoner for imperial trial, who is being held in solitary confinement. Irrelevant people, please leave quickly.”
Seeing the person say this, Jiang Yinghua was sure that Yan Wanzhi must be inside. Unable to suppress the excitement in her heart, Jiang Yinghua directly threw out the jade pendant and ordered, “Open the door.”
Seeing that the person was holding the Secret Office jade pendant, and was a pair with Your Majesty’s, plus the voice of this daughter’s family, the jailer guarding the door exchanged glances, bowed to the ground, and said, “Your Highness, please go back. Your Majesty has ordered that no one may visit the prisoners inside. Don’t embarrass your subordinates.”
Seeing that the jade pendant was useless and that her identity was leaked, Jiang Yinghua simply did it and did it. Taking advantage of the person’s unpreparedness when he lowered his head, she raised her hand and gave two hand knives, knocking the person down. Not caring about her image, she bent down to touch the key and opened the heavy iron door herself.
The scene inside the door caught Jiang Yinghua by surprise…
The Imperial Prison in the cold winter was icy cold. The person only had a thin prison uniform, curled up like a shrimp in the weeds in the corner of the wall. Her whole body was covered in bloodstains, and even her thin cheeks were faintly bluish-purple. Her eyes were tightly closed, and her brows were deeply furrowed, as if she was in great pain.
The injuries were on Yan Wanzhi’s body, but Jiang Yinghua felt a heart-wrenching pain at this moment. The corners of her mouth twitched, and her clasped hands were completely cold. In an instant, the annoyance and hatred of the past few days had disappeared.
She quickly approached, half-squatting in front of the railing, looking for the key to the cell, but none of them could open the door here. This movement, crackling, Yan Wanzhi was unaware. Helpless, Jiang Yinghua said with some worry to call her:
“Yan Wanzhi, wake up, wake up for me!”