LF Chapter 76
by VolareThe afternoon sun was warm and pleasant. Sparse branches were dotted with sparrows, chirping without fear of the winter chill.
Jiang Yinghua’s straightforward rejection, although causing Yan Wanzhi a slight disappointment, was within her expectations. After five years of separation, Jiang Yinghua was probably very scared. In truth, she herself wasn’t very confident. In the end, that old woman who held absolute power in Western Liang had no blood relation to her and was merely using her.
Standing by the window, she listened to the sparrows’ melodious singing. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she said happily, “You just said Your Majesty and Prince of Yun’an have left the palace? I heard from the maids that the plum blossoms in the imperial garden outside the palace are in full bloom. Jiang Yinghua, we have nothing to do today anyway, how about you accompany me for a stroll? I don’t think I’ve ever told you, but I love plum blossoms the most, and I haven’t seen them in a long time.”
“Really? They are intimately together in the Changchun Garden, and you want me to take you there too? Is this some kind of display of power? You’re getting bolder and bolder,” Jiang Yinghua said, looking at her back with suspicion, wondering what this fox was thinking.
“Being cooped up in the palace all day is really unbearable. Tonight, we’re supposed to celebrate with the people, enjoy the lanterns, and pray for blessings. I’ll just disguise myself as your maid and go with you, okay?” Yan Wanzhi turned around, her eyes gentle and full of expectation.
“Your mind changes so quickly? Just now, you were thinking about serious matters, and now your head is full of frivolous entertainment. You fox, don’t you dare plot against me,” Jiang Yinghua said, standing up and poking Yan Wanzhi’s waist. That spot of hers was soft and felt wonderful to the touch, but she was ticklish, and every time she was touched, she would bend over for a while.
“Overbearing, too overbearing. This isn’t allowed, that isn’t allowed. I’m not even as good as the sparrows in the trees, being locked up in this courtyard every day. Even going out for a walk has become a luxury,” Yan Wanzhi said. When she stood up again, her brows were slightly furrowed, truly a pitiful and charming sight, making people feel three parts sadness and seven parts pity.
This pitiful appearance entered Jiang Yinghua’s eyes, startling her heart with shimmering waves, and finally softening her heart. “You’ve only been like this for a few days, acting so pitiful. I’ve been stuck here for months, and I’m not as full of sorrow as you. Fine, I’ll take you then.”
A moment later, Yan Wanzhi got her wish and sat with Jiang Yinghua in the carriage leaving the palace. Given the special situation, the two did not dare to travel lightly. A group of imperial guards cleared the streets, a spectacle that Jiang Yinghua never liked. Fortunately, Changchun Garden wasn’t far outside the imperial city, and its location was relatively secluded, so it wouldn’t disturb too many of the commoners celebrating the festival.
The two entered the garden at about 2:45 PM, which was the best time of day in the cold season. The breeze was slightly chilly, but it didn’t feel too harsh on the face. Yan Wanzhi seemed very happy, and as soon as she entered the garden, she asked where the flowers were blooming most beautifully. She was led all the way by the eunuch directly to the plum garden. Jiang Yinghua shook her head behind her. After knowing each other for more than a decade, she really didn’t know that she loved plum blossoms so much.
The vast plum garden was intoxicating with fragrance. Yan Wanzhi, dressed in a lotus-root-colored cross-collared cloud brocade palace dress, lingered among them, her sleeves fluttering and her jade pendants jingling. Jiang Yinghua followed not too closely behind. Yan Wanzhi admired the plum blossoms, and Jiang Yinghua admired her.
The two walked deeper and deeper. The stone path suddenly opened up, and a pavilion came into view not far away. Imperial guards were stationed outside the building. Jiang Yinghua glimpsed it from afar and guessed that Your Majesty and Ying Feng were probably inside. She hurried forward and softly called out, “Don’t go any further, don’t disturb their elegant enjoyment. Let’s go somewhere else.”
Yan Wanzhi stopped and turned to look back, giving Jiang Yinghua a charming smile. Then, she walked lightly toward the pavilion and whispered a few words to the eunuch waiting under the corridor. Jiang Yinghua’s brow furrowed deeply, and she stepped forward, but due to the guards, she couldn’t move her hands or feet. She could only say in a low voice from the bottom of the steps, “Don’t be presumptuous, come here.”
Yan Wanzhi lowered her eyes and smiled wryly. She turned around, lifted her skirt, and knelt on the stone steps, saying loudly, “This subject, the rebellious daughter of the late Marquis of Jiayi, Mo Xueyan, Princess of Lianghe Yang, requests to see Your Majesty.”
As soon as she spoke, the surrounding attendants and guards were shocked. Jiang Yinghua’s hand in her sleeve instantly clenched into a fist, and she closed her eyes powerlessly. With such a commotion, her hope to protect or stop her was nothing but a fantasy.
Your Majesty and Ying Feng in the pavilion were originally painting together, in high spirits, when they heard Yan Wanzhi’s words outside. They were both full of doubt. What was going on, coming here to make such a scene?
The two came out one after the other. Your Majesty looked coldly at Yan Wanzhi, who was kneeling on the ground but had a stubborn expression, and then raised her eyes to look at Jiang Yinghua, who was standing not far away, looking helpless. She roughly understood a little and only said in a deep voice, “You two come in.”
The two entered, and the hall doors were closed tightly. Your Majesty sternly reprimanded, “What nonsense is this? Whose idea was it?”
Yan Wanzhi responded impatiently, “Your Majesty, this subject’s mind is made up. This subject requests to be sent as an envoy to the Liang Kingdom to negotiate a coalition, but Prince Zhao does not agree. However, in the current situation, the Empress Dowager of Western Liang is in close collusion with the Jialing Prince. If a deal can be reached through words, why waste the people’s wealth and resources to raise an army and start a war? This subject has been in Western Liang for several years and also has connections in the court. By enticing them with benefits and explaining the advantages and disadvantages, the Empress Dowager of Liang will definitely understand the current situation. First, resolve the turmoil of the Jialing Prince, and then form a coalition for mutual benefit. In the future, gradually annexing the Liang Kingdom will not be difficult.”
To rule the world, only power and profit matter. The Jialing Prince’s plan focused on secrecy and catching them off guard. If Yan Wanzhi returned to Western Liang as an envoy of Great Chu, it would be like telling the Empress Dowager of Western Liang that the Jialing Prince’s plot had already been seen through by the Emperor of Great Chu. In that case, there would only be two paths left: a toast or a penalty. A smart person would probably choose a stable path that was beneficial to their long-term interests, rather than rashly conspiring with a tiger.
Your Majesty deeply understood the power plays within. She was also clearly aware of Yan Wanzhi’s eloquence. After hearing these words, Your Majesty asked softly, “What are your chances of success?”
“Returning to Your Majesty, this subject has a 60% chance. However, the Liang Kingdom is heavily suppressed by the Xiongnu. If Your Majesty allows this subject to negotiate with trade between the two countries as a bargaining chip, this subject may have a 90% chance of success,” Yan Wanzhi replied meticulously, completely ignoring the cold glares cast by Jiang Yinghua beside her.
“What is Prince Zhao’s opinion?” After pondering for a moment, Your Majesty turned her head and cast her scrutinizing gaze on Jiang Yinghua.
It was a knowing question. Jiang Yinghua’s clasped hands fiercely pinched her palms. She said softly, “Princess Heyang is making a reckless gamble. Has she considered what will happen if she fails? Human hearts are unpredictable. You disappeared from the Liang Kingdom. The Jialing Prince originally wanted to use you. If you go back today, they will kill you as well.”
Yan Wanzhi smiled lightly, “Now that my identity is exposed, this subject is a descendant of Chu’s sinners. If negotiations in Liang fail, the Liang Kingdom will also know that this subject has no face to return to Chu. This subject is placing herself in a deadly situation, seeking a glimmer of hope, and acting as a bridge between the Liang Empress Dowager and the Great Chu orthodoxy. In this gamble, this subject is betting that she will go against the Jialing Prince. Taking ten thousand steps back, if this subject goes for Chu and cannot return, I only hope that Your Majesty and Your Highness will show mercy and slightly restore the reputation of this subject’s father and brothers.”
Jiang Yinghua turned her head away and sighed, “For Great Chu, for your father and brothers. Yan Wanzhi, you speak so eloquently, as if you are going to act willfully again, abandoning me. You think the thoughts in your heart are well hidden, but in reality, they are as foolish as a joke. You can go if you want, but I will go with you. I want to see how the former Inner Counselor can speak with a silver tongue.”
“Nonsense!” Two scolding voices rang out in unison, one voice containing anxious anger, the other voice low and powerless, but full of concern. Your Majesty and Yan Wanzhi spoke at the same time, and no one agreed with Jiang Yinghua’s decision.
Jiang Yinghua smiled bitterly, “In that case, this subject’s opinion is not to agree. Your Majesty, this matter should be discussed in court tomorrow. This subject will bring all the officials of the Department of State Affairs to resist to the end and will never obey the decree. I have already made arrangements for the Western Liang matter, so there is no need for such a move. Even if we fight, there is a foolproof plan.”
Seeing the tense situation, Ying Feng quickly jumped out to mediate, “Your Majesty, Prince Zhao, this subject has a suggestion. What Princess… Heyang said is not without reason. This subject is idle in the court and is willing to accompany the Princess. This subject’s nominal identity, accompanying the Princess as an envoy, can also show Great Chu’s sincerity. Your Highness, please rest assured, this subject will protect the Princess thoroughly. If this matter fails, we can fight again.”
“Jiang Yinghua, in I’s opinion, this matter is feasible. The two of them’s ideas are not unrealistic. It is you who is acting impulsively again. You understand the advantages and disadvantages. As the Director of the Department of State Affairs, you should not use your own selfishness to influence the power of the court. I also believes that the officials of the Department of State Affairs are not all people who fear power. At tomorrow’s court meeting, I will wait for your reply.”
Your Majesty stood up and slowly walked to Jiang Yinghua’s side. Her voice was light, but it weighed heavily on people’s hearts.
Jiang Yinghua knew that there was no room for maneuver in this matter. For the sake of Great Chu’s interests, this was indeed the most feasible solution at present. If this person was not Yan Wanzhi, she would definitely clap her hands and cheer. In the end, she was selfish. She angrily flung her sleeves and left the hall, heading straight for the outside of the garden, no matter how hard Yan Wanzhi chased after her, she could not catch up with the departing carriage.
Even knowing that Yan Wanzhi meant well, today’s deception and coercion, and the act of using Your Majesty to pressure her, made Jiang Yinghua furious.
She belatedly remembered that in the year she first moved to her elder sister’s residence, there were many plum trees in the garden. Few people knew her elder sister’s preferences, but today’s encounter in the plum garden made her realize that it was not Yan Wanzhi who liked plum blossoms, but Your Majesty. Yan Wanzhi didn’t want to relax; she just changed the method, skipping the discussion and directly achieving her goal.
Returning to Guangyuan Palace, Jiang Yinghua directly ordered the palace gates to be locked. Yan Wanzhi, who returned in the evening, was blocked outside the closed palace gates. After so many years of being together, it was the first time she had seen Jiang Yinghua so angry. Yan Wanzhi, who had lost her place to stay, wandered on the deep palace path. As she walked, she arrived outside Chengming Hall and had to steel her heart and ask Your Majesty for a temporary pavilion to live in.
At the court meeting the next day, Jiang Yinghua indifferently listened to the officials’ surprise and discussion about this former Inner Counselor, from the shock of serving in the court as a man disguised as a woman for many years, to the transformation into a descendant of a traitor, the subversion of the Western Liang royal family, and then to the loyalty and courage of risking danger for the country. The way she spoke was skillful, alternating between exaltation and suppression, manipulating people’s hearts, forcing them to submit, and using them for her own purposes.
She compromised and signed and sealed the edict sent to the Department of State Affairs, fulfilling Yan Wanzhi’s plan. With seven days left before the envoy’s departure, Jiang Yinghua personally supervised all related matters. She had to oversee even the smallest details, but she stubbornly refused to see that person.
The only thing she managed to win was that Yan Wanzhi and Ying Feng would not enter the capital of Western Liang, but would only make contact with Western Liang in a border town. On the day the delegation left, Jiang Yinghua was supposed to see them off, but she transferred her duties to the Vice Minister of the Department of State Affairs and claimed to be ill. However, on that day, on the highest tower of the imperial city, a solitary figure in silver-gray stood facing west. The cold wind, carrying the fluttering skirt, could not drive the person down from the high place.
Yan Wanzhi traveled far away, and Jiang Yinghua finally had time to check the information brought back by the Secret Department. The bearded archivist was really detailed. This Western Liang border general, who was over fifty years old, had been secretly planning with the Jialing Prince for thirty years. When Western Liang was destroyed, he entered the Chu Kingdom. After going around in circles, he actually became a retainer of Prince Yong under the arrangement of the Jialing Prince.
The clues in between were recorded clearly and accurately. This person traveled around Great Chu, buying off and roping in local officials for the Jialing Prince. He once falsely transmitted Western Liang intelligence to bewitch the Marquis of Jiayi and conspired with Prince Yong to fabricate groundless evidence of the Marquis of Jiayi’s treason. The mastermind behind all this was the Jialing Prince. Liu Wenjing, Prince Yong’s chief clerk, was also a double agent, serving the Jialing Prince with him. This was also the reason why Prince Yong’s rebellion ended like a joke.
With this record in hand, Jiang Yinghua was shocked and frightened. One by one, the past events were laid out on paper. The fall of princes like the Marquis of Jiayi and Prince Yong was, from beginning to end, nothing more than a few strokes of the pen. This person was just one of the Jialing Prince’s many capable spies, yet he had done so many major things that harmed the country.
Even though she had evidence now, the fact that the loyal ministers had been wrongly accused and died had already become a reality. Prince Yong was instigated and seduced into going astray, and his descendants were all dead, and his infamous reputation was destined to last forever. The Jialing Prince was eliminating all potential threats step by step, and perhaps the next target should have been Jiang Yinghua. If Yan Wanzhi had really defected, the Jialing Prince would have been only a stone’s throw away from the success of his grand plan.
With the officials’ confessions and physical evidence in hand, Jiang Yinghua had already begun to arrange a plan to capture the Jialing Prince alive. As soon as Yan Wanzhi returned and Your Majesty arranged the local government affairs, the Jialing Prince’s power could be uprooted in one fell swoop.
This wait lasted a full fifty days.
The group returned in late March, when the fragrant flowers were falling and the willow catkins were fluttering. The capital was like a vast flat lake, with faint ripples on the surface and undercurrents surging within.
Since the new year, there had been large-scale transfers of the chief officials in three prefectures. The new officials, with their three fires of office, were taking back power and rectifying chaos. The old officials were recalled to the capital, ostensibly to be questioned, but in reality, they were given instructions and then transferred elsewhere. Local officials could not leave their jurisdictions for their entire lives unless they were transferred. To be able to see the Emperor’s face was a great honor.
Your Majesty’s move was brilliant. Officials were transferred at the beginning of the year, which was normal. It was inevitable that new officials would establish authority and consolidate power. No one could find fault with it. The old officials who had been given the Emperor’s favor were promoted in secret and given instructions, so naturally, they would do everything in their power.
Yan Wanzhi and Ying Feng returned with the national letter of coalition with Western Liang, and the two internal and external defense lines that the Jialing Prince had been planning for years collapsed. Only the northern border was incomprehensible, but Wu Dongqing guarded the Zhenwei Army, and Jiang Yinghua was most clear about the talents of the border army and the commander, so she was not afraid. The time to close the net had finally come.
When the delegation entered Liang, it made no progress for many days. Jiang Yinghua was suspicious, and she was angry and unwilling to see Yan Wanzhi, so she went to Ying Feng to ask for an explanation. Ying Feng only said that Yan Wanzhi had begged her to help and had secretly met with several officials of the Liang Kingdom. As for what they talked about, she did not know. However, when they returned, Western Liang took the initiative to hand over the bearded general. Yan Wanzhi interrogated him halfway and then executed him.
When Jiang Yinghua heard this, she sneered, gave Ying Feng a resentful look, flicked her sleeves, and left, heading straight for Chengming Hall.
When she entered the hall, Your Majesty saw that she was angry and teased, “It’s been two months, and your anger hasn’t subsided. Go behind closed doors and make a fuss. Don’t get in front of me and be an eyesore.”
“This subject has come to ask Your Majesty, did Yan Wanzhi give you a confession?” Jiang Yinghua bowed and tried to make her voice gentle.
“Yes, she did. Is that what you’re here for?” Your Majesty raised her eyelids and glanced at her, somewhat surprised.
“This subject is taking the liberty of asking Your Majesty to fulfill her wish and exonerate Marquis Mo,” Jiang Yinghua said, kneeling on the ground and said solemnly, “This subject knows that this request involves the face of the late Emperor and may embarrass you, but exonerating old grievances is conducive to winning over the people and is also the key to exposing the Jialing Prince’s crimes. In terms of both reason and emotion, the late Emperor, if he is alive in heaven, would understand.”
“Get up. I promised her in the first place. Now I am just fulfilling that promise. Why do you need to plead for her? As for her arrangements, the position of Attendant of the Department of State Affairs has been vacant. Let her start as Vice Minister of the Department of State Affairs and promote her later. This edict has already been drafted. After the Director of the Department of State Affairs seals it, send it directly to the Department of State Affairs, and the Marquis of Jiayi’s unjust case will be closed. With this edict issued, your arrest warrant must also be issued to prevent the Jialing Prince from escaping.” Your Majesty took out a pre-written edict and walked over to hand it to Jiang Yinghua.
Jiang Yinghua understood that this was handing over the initiative to her. When to seal and issue the edict and when to arrest people. In that case, why not put on a show that she and Yan Wanzhi were at odds to paralyze the villain first?