LF Chapter 77
by VolareThe spring evening breeze was gentle, and the beautiful clouds filled the sky. The scarlet sun was sinking into the depths of the colorful clouds, like a drunken, entangled, dreamy, powdered beauty.
Jiang Yinghua concealed the imperial decree in her sleeve and returned to Guangyuan Hall along the long palace road. As soon as she stepped into the palace gate, she saw a slender and beautiful figure standing steadily under the crabapple tree in the courtyard, wearing a light cyan dress and a pearl hairpin on the side. Her hair was loosely styled in a falling-horse bun, and a silk scarf fluttered freely with the spring breeze. Crabapple petals fell on her shoulders, and the halo of the setting sun enveloped the jewelry around her, as if a banished immortal had descended to the mortal world.
Beautiful as she was, with a refined and graceful appearance, she was stubborn and annoying inside. Jiang Yinghua frowned and scolded, “Who’s the idiot who let people in here? Get them out!”
The attendants were confused. In the past, they didn’t know Yan Wanzhi’s identity and only saw their master protecting her everywhere and keeping her in the hall every day. Now that Yan Wanzhi had become noble, coming here would only get her driven out?
Yan Wanzhi didn’t know what kind of effort she had put in today. She applied very light powder on her cheeks, and her eyebrows were like distant green mountains, with a natural tenderness. She was charming and graceful, and even the incense on her body carried a drunken aura – delicate without being coquettish, refined without being artificial.
Unfortunately, Jiang Yinghua didn’t appreciate it. She started to drive her away as soon as she opened her mouth and walked forward without stopping. Echoing in the courtyard was a loud “bang” of the door closing. Everyone, including Yan Wanzhi, trembled. The guards were frightened and bowed, “Princess, please go back.”
Yan Wanzhi was truly at a loss. All her efforts were like water flowing eastward, disappearing without a trace and a complete waste. How had this person become so irritable? She hadn’t seen her for two months, and she was already giving her the cold shoulder.
She thought Jiang Yinghua was just making a small fuss, and she would leave in disappointment, waiting for her to calm down. But what she waited for was the Imperial Guard surrounding her palace. During the small morning court the next day, an official impeached her, saying that Prince Zhao of Heyang had deviated from the mission for several days during negotiations with the Xiliang delegation and should be thoroughly investigated. Your Majesty waved her hand and approved it, and Yan Wanzhi was directly “invited” into the Yeting Prison.
No one came to investigate her, no one came to interrogate her, but she received a constant stream of wine and meat every day. When she heard the reason for her imprisonment that day, Yan Wanzhi understood. Jiang Yinghua was putting on a complete act, and she was really ruthless, not even informing her in advance. This could be considered taking revenge for personal grievances.
More than half a month passed, and the news had spread far and wide, exaggerated as if the agreement just reached between Dachu and Xiliang was in imminent danger. Jiang Yinghua deliberately sent people to spread rumors that Prince Zhao, who was in charge of the Ministry of Letters, had political disagreements with Your Majesty, the court was filled with dark clouds, and internal strife continued. Everyone thought that the Xiliang Princess was in mortal danger.
The rumors became more and more bizarre. King Jialing, who was far away in the mountains of Yuzhou, was initially skeptical, but over time, he really thought that Jiang Yinghua was an arrogant and useless person who had fallen for his previous scheme to sow discord, and that a pair of affectionate lovebirds had become enemies for the sake of their country and family. Therefore, he once again stirred up trouble and sent confidants to Xiliang to inquire about the truth, revealing his fox tail.
Jiang Yinghua hadn’t been able to pinpoint the specific location where he was hiding, only knowing a rough idea. For more than ten consecutive days, strangers frequently entered and exited a Taoist temple in Yuzhou, attracting the attention of the Secret Division. They secretly monitored it, followed the clues, and finally, the spies they sent closely followed the henchmen all the way west, confirming that this place was the bandit’s lair.
After receiving the news, Jiang Yinghua secretly mobilized three thousand soldiers, divided them into several groups, and surrounded the place tightly. After the layout was complete, she went to Yeting Prison with great satisfaction to see the chubby, white hamster that Yan Wanzhi had become.
“Prince Zhao’s heart is truly broad. In this dark and sunless prison, she can still have such a good appetite, feeding herself plump and round, with a full chin.” Jiang Yinghua stood outside the railing, playing with the key in her hand, and mocked with great pleasure.
“Some people are narrow-minded, sinister, and petty. To neutralize each other, I have to be more generous. Moreover, if she intends to make things difficult for me, I won’t let her get her way.” Yan Wanzhi sat cross-legged, with a teacup on one side and name cards on the other, practicing calligraphy with a brush, truly carefree and leisurely.
Jiang Yinghua threw the key along the gap towards Yan Wanzhi’s forehead and said angrily, “Get out. In two quarters of an hour, change into your court dress and come to court with me. Your good days are over.”
Yan Wanzhi dodged and glared at Jiang Yinghua angrily, “If you poke my eyes out, you’ll have to take care of me for the rest of your life. You have no sense of propriety.” Although she complained, she honestly picked up the key, opened the prison door herself, and flashed out.
Seeing the purple court dress held by the maid not far away, Yan Wanzhi was very surprised and looked at Jiang Yinghua confused, “What does this mean? Am I being promoted?”
“Look at your lack of ambition.” Jiang Yinghua reached out and poked her forehead, “There’s no one around here anyway, so change here. When you enter the main hall later, keep your head down. You’ve gained weight from being in prison, and people will laugh their heads off.”
Yan Wanzhi rolled her eyes. Who told Jiang Yinghua to send her a pile of different foods every day and have people watch her eat? She ate a lot but couldn’t walk around, so she turned into soft, chubby fat.
The two of them entered the hall together for the court session, and several imperial edicts were issued. First, to redress the injustice of the Jialing Marquis’s family, posthumously granting him the title of Grand Commandant and posthumously conferring the title of Duke of Xiangguo. Second, to promote Yan Wanzhi to Vice Minister of the Department of State Affairs, a rank three official, ranking as Deputy Prime Minister. Third, to capture the rebellious King Jialing and his followers. The simultaneous issuance of the three edicts caused an uproar in the court and the public.
It not only subverted the late Emperor’s judgment but also subverted the courtiers’ understanding of King Jialing. And Yan Wanzhi’s appointment as Prime Minister overnight shattered the previous rumors. All the officials secretly admired Jiang Yinghua’s deep methods and were all terrified.
The sudden change caught King Jialing off guard. Before the desperate man could react to how he had been defeated by Jiang Yinghua, the troops in the court had already surrounded him. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, he still harbored a fluke, pretending that the poison of the cinnabar ink had not been detected, laughing madly, and intending to set himself on fire. Jiang Yinghua would never give him such an opportunity. All the Secret Division shadow guards were lurking here, capturing him alive from the fire and escorting him back to the capital.
As for the imperial merchant who supplied the ink, he had already been monitored by the Secret Division while capturing King Jialing. After King Jialing was caught, that person was also sent to the Ministry of Justice.
Dismantling a potential disaster without bloodshed, Jiang Yinghua was about to breathe a sigh of relief. On the night that King Jialing was transferred to the Palace Guards, she and Yan Wanzhi were enjoying wine in Guangyuan Hall when suddenly, a young eunuch stumbled over, tripped over the hall door, and fell directly to the ground, saying, “Your Highness, Your Majesty urgently summons you. Please follow this servant quickly.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yinghua and Yan Wanzhi exchanged a look, and three-tenths of the wine in their hands spilled out. They felt inexplicably flustered and short of breath. Yan Wanzhi held her hand tightly, “I’ll go with you.”
The two of them walked quickly into Chengming Hall. The Empress Dowager also arrived. An old eunuch with silver hair stood in the hall, bowing to Jiang Yinghua, “Your Highness, please come in.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ying Feng came out from the inner room, her eyes red. She whispered a few words to the eunuch, and several young eunuchs hurried out to deliver the decree. Jiang Yinghua had experienced such a formation, such a quiet but strange atmosphere once before. She took a deep breath, let go of Yan Wanzhi’s hand, and followed the old man into the inner room.
The curtains and brocade quilt on the bed looked bloated. Your Majesty was weakly huddled inside, her face haggard and her breathing rapid. Jiang Yinghua stepped forward quickly and was somewhat unable to accept why the person who had been fine a few days ago had suddenly become so old and weak, as if her soul had been lost.
Your Majesty turned her head weakly, her eyes filled with a smile, and said softly, “Hua’er, come closer, I can’t see you clearly.”
She took three steps in two and sat down directly in front of the footstool, reporting the results of the battle as if she was reporting her achievements, “King Jialing is already in the garrison awaiting trial. Tomorrow, tomorrow, after he confesses, it would be good for you to personally punish him, right? We have both witnesses and physical evidence, and this time he will definitely be doomed and infamous for all eternity, even in the afterlife he will have no face to see his ancestors.”
“…Okay,” Jiang Jingche smiled bitterly with effort, “I know you’re capable, listen to me today.”
“The Empress Dowager is waiting outside, won’t you see her?” Jiang Yinghua pretended not to hear. Jiang Jingche’s eyes were distant, and she said lightly, “I saw her this morning. She is your mother, Hua’er, you shouldn’t call her that. She is old, forgive her.”
A hand stretched out from under the brocade quilt and gently patted the bed. Jiang Yinghua was silent, leaned over, and handed her hand over.
Jiang Jingche held Jiang Yinghua’s hand at the last moment and said softly, “Hua’er, do you know how much I envy you? Father loved you the most. Not only did he make your siblings write promises to protect your peace, but he also left you shadow guards. Back then, we all thought that he would give you the throne. Now that I think about it, when he left, letting you be a carefree little princess was the most thoughtful love.”
At this moment, hearing these words, Jiang Yinghua felt a pang of sadness. She leaned against the couch and comforted her softly:
“Has Elder Sister ever thought that the reason Royal Father left me shadow guards was perhaps to compensate me? When I was young, he personally taught and raised me, always keeping me by his side, but when he was seriously ill, the Crown Prince he established was Second Brother. Elder Brother passed away young, and he suddenly became seriously ill again. As a shrewd emperor, how could he not detect anything unusual? Maybe from the beginning, Royal Father used me to confuse the enemies in the dark, and also to confuse you and Mother.”
Your Majesty stared at Jiang Yinghua’s profile and said lightly:
“Forget it, there’s no need to belittle family affection so much to comfort me. I’m very tired in this life, assisting Elder Brother, being angered by your Second Brother until my hair fell out, and finally guarding the country. The person I admire can’t give me a title, and in the end, I’m alone for life. Half a lifetime of scheming has even hurt your heart, my sister, and you’re no longer as close to me as you were when you were young. Hua’er, Feng’er is talented and capable, don’t make things difficult for her. If she’s useful, use her. If not, send her to the imperial tomb to accompany me.”
Jiang Yinghua’s eyes flickered, and she looked away, murmuring, “Elder Sister, don’t say that, I, I don’t resent you.”
The person on the sickbed was silent for a long time. Suddenly, the strength in her hand tightened, and she looked at Jiang Yinghua with a burning gaze and said softly, “I wrote two imperial edicts, but I still secretly hope that you will inherit the throne. Promise me, okay?”
Her earnest gaze fell on her, and Jiang Yinghua couldn’t bear Your Majesty’s regret, but she had indeed not thought about it and was not prepared to become a monarch. After thinking for a long time, she replied without losing her sense of propriety, “Your subject promises you that I will take on the burden and protect this foundation.”
Hearing Jiang Yinghua’s vague response, Your Majesty’s weak eyes were filled with reluctance as she looked at Jiang Yinghua, as if she had used all her strength to pull at the corner of her mouth and said with difficulty, “You little rascal, I can’t control you anymore…”
As soon as she finished speaking, the knuckles that Jiang Yinghua was holding in her palm fell limply. She only felt a sink in the palm of her hand, and when she looked up again, Your Majesty’s eyelids had already closed firmly, and there was a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, as if she had entered a peaceful dream.
There was no expected panic or sorrow. Jiang Yinghua was a little dazed. She slowly raised her hand to check her breath, and the touch to her cheek was still warm, but her chest no longer rose and fell.
Jiang Yinghua placed her head on her pillow, her hand hanging on her shoulder, just like when she was young, she would always go to bother her Elder Sister when she took a nap, asking for this and that. She pouted, “Sister, I don’t want to guard the huge ancestral foundation alone, I’m afraid, don’t be so cruel, okay?”
There was no response. After a long time, she smiled playfully and joked, “Oh, right, you haven’t returned my two hundred thousand yet, Sister. A ruler’s words are as good as gold…”
The old eunuch holding the imperial edict tremblingly knelt beside her, unable to bear it anymore, and whispered, “Your Highness, Your Majesty has passed away, you have to take charge of the overall situation. The whole room is waiting outside, and Her Old Highness, the Empress Dowager, is still outside.”
“Sister is only forty-eight years old, and my green plum wine hasn’t been made yet. Old man, please go out, please go out, okay?” Jiang Yinghua leaned sideways, leaning against Your Majesty and not moving, but driving the old eunuch out.
The old eunuch shook his head, tremblingly placed the imperial edict in front of Jiang Yinghua, and quietly retreated. The Empress Dowager’s face sank when she saw the person coming out, and she slumped weakly into the chair. No need to say more, a mother could sense it. A white-haired person was sending off a black-haired person. She had experienced it once, and experiencing it again was still heartbreaking.
Jiang Yinghua didn’t let anyone in, and she didn’t come out herself. After a long time, the Empress Dowager entered the bedroom with faltering steps alone, only to see the two sisters nestled together, but their souls were separated by yin and yang.
A person who is extremely sad doesn’t know what sadness is, won’t cry, and won’t be too sad. Only endless emptiness sweeps through the mind, an inexplicable timidity and panic, but also a sense of unnatural calmness.
The room was eerily quiet. The Empress Dowager saw the two bright yellow imperial decrees, raised her foot and walked over, spreading them out one by one.
One was to make Jiang Yinghua the Crown Prince, inheriting the throne as the Emperor’s younger sister; the other was to have Jiang Yichen adopted by Jiang Yinghua as her heir, establishing him as the Crown Prince and ordering Jiang Yinghua to act as regent in the name of an elder.
After reading the two imperial edicts, the Empress Dowager rolled them up and put them back. Everyone with eyes knew which choice was more appropriate. Jiang Jingche left two, truly fulfilling Jiang Yinghua’s selfishness.
The Empress Dowager sat down a little lonely on the edge of the bed, raised her hand to stroke the face of her daughter as if she were sleeping, her dim vision blurred, and reluctantly withdrew her hand, walking quickly to the window to get some air. After a long time, she said in a hoarse voice:
“Your sister entrusted you with a heavy responsibility. At this time, you are the sky of Tai Zhang Palace. The sky cannot fall, you should issue an order.”