“She plotted against Yu’er first. It’s true that Yu’er fell into the water and that she was sick.” Jiang Yuan no longer hid it from him, but her voice grew softer and softer, “It’s just that it’s not that serious.”
"Yes." A weak voice of agreement came from the bed.
"stand up!"
At Song Yansi's command, a small boy dressed only in his undergarments jumped off the bed, his eyes gleaming with a hint of illness. The next moment, however, Bi Fan carried him out of the inner hall and took him to a side hall.
What do you want?
"Not good." Jiang Yuan lowered her eyes, her fingers constantly twirling the stray hairs on her chest. This time, she was going to use Jiang Yanting's hands to dig Xie Jiayan out completely.
Song Yansi's fingers twitched slightly behind his back. He had made too many moves in the Qi'an matter, and the iron mine issue couldn't be kept secret for long. Xie Shengping would inevitably retaliate. Now everything was ready, except for the Dongfeng in Jiang Zhongsi's hands. Song Yansi was somewhat uncertain whether Jiang Zhongsi would ever hand over that person.
Chapter 82 Autumn Breeze and Silk Fan
Jiang Yanting's unexpected miscarriage did not shake Jiang Yuan's position in the slightest. On the contrary, because of the Crown Prince falling into the water, Song Yanji ordered her to be confined to Suyun Palace.
Xiaoqiao placed a soft pillow behind Jiang Yanting before turning around to check the temperature of the medicine. Once it was no longer too hot, she handed it to Jiang Yanting to drink, saying, "Miss, it's time for your medicine."
Jiang Yanting stared blankly at the medicine bowl. The medicine was thick and black. Her hand unconsciously went to her lower abdomen. The child was gone. She knew she couldn't keep it, but to actually give it up felt like a knife was cutting into her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes, but Jiang Yanting held them back. "Mother is sorry for you. I hope you will be reborn into a good family in your next life and never meet a useless mother like me again."
“Indeed utterly useless.” Xie Jiayan observed coldly, his feet crossed, the pearls on his embroidered shoes gleaming with a warm luster. “He can’t even beat a child.”
"What are you, hiding behind us all day long?" Jiang Yanting was so angry that she clutched her chest and coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood onto the ground. She had injured Cheng Yu, so Jiang Yuan naturally wouldn't let her off the hook. For three whole days, the imperial physicians were kept in Fengqi Palace, while she had to rely on a few inexperienced female doctors to prepare medicine for her. If it weren't for the Crown Prince waking up later, she would probably be on her way to the underworld in her condition. "Why do you have to compete with Jiang Yuan? In terms of affection, she is Song Yanji's first wife, and they are a harmonious couple; in terms of etiquette, she is a wife, and you are a concubine!"
So what if she's Xie's daughter? In the end, she'll still have to kneel before other women!
"Spitting blood at a young age, her life is in danger. Even if she lives a long life, she will be a cripple in the end." Xie Jiayan got up, stood in front of the bed and looked down at her with pity in his eyes, as if looking at a lowly ant. "Compete? What does she have that is worth fighting for?"
She just couldn't stand Jiang Yuan's life, pampered as a child, married a handsome young man, loved and respected by her husband, and with an obedient son. Jiang Yuan was clearly inferior to her in every way, so why did she live a better life than her? Xie Jiayan bent down and stroked Jiang Yanting's hair, then grabbed it tightly and held her head down. "What I don't have, no one else can have either."
"Madam, please spare my young lady! She's still ill." Seeing Jiang Yanting staring intently at Xie Jiayan, Xiaoqiao bent her knees and knelt down, crying pitifully.
“I can let you go.” Xie Jiayan’s fingertips traced Jiang Yanting’s unadorned cheek, gently wiping away the blood from her lips. “But you hurt Jiang Yuan’s son. Do you think she will let you go?”
Jiang Yanting forced a smile and said, "Aren't you afraid I'll tell her everything?"
"Go ahead and say it." Xie Jiayan didn't believe that Jiang Yuan hadn't suspected her, but without real evidence, would she dare to touch her? Even if things went wrong, she was still surnamed Xie, and the Xie family of Yanzhou was a force to be reckoned with, even Song Yanji had to be wary of them. How much more so a mere empress? As long as the Xie family didn't fall, even if Jiang Yuan hated her to the bone, she wouldn't dare to touch her easily. "At that time, we can conveniently talk about this lost child."
Jiang Yanting's blood grew colder and colder, and her eyes grew even colder. "You want me to take all the blame for this?"
"Chongyi is very clever." Xie Jiayan stood up with a smile, and Baoyun quickly handed her a handkerchief. She carefully wiped the bloodstains from her fingertips. The scarlet blood stained the plain embroidered handkerchief, making it look frighteningly red. "Flowers are certainly admirable when they bloom, but they will eventually wither. It is better not to bloom at all."
Jiang Yanting looked at her and sneered, "So you never intended to let me live in the first place."
"It's not unfair to trade you for the Jiang family," Xie Jiayan laughed. "If you hadn't done it, how would I have caught you red-handed? Since you dared to do it, you still want to gamble for wealth and glory in the palace? There's no such thing as a free lunch."
The Suyun Palace was deathly silent. The palace door slowly opened, and Xie Jiayan stepped out. The warm sunlight shone on him, while behind him was the dark inner palace.
The incident occurred a few days later. The relationship between Song Yanji and Xie Shengping had already become extremely tense. The military governor of Feng County died mysteriously, leaving the position vacant. Xie Shengping personally recommended his protégé Liu Shungeng, which naturally garnered widespread support in the court. In this world, having more troops in one county meant having a greater chance of victory.
Xie Shengping wanted to seize this land, and Song Yanji also coveted it, resulting in a stalemate. Then, a high-ranking official rushed in to report, and He Qian, after only hearing a whiff, broke out in a cold sweat. He dismissed the official, glanced at the atmosphere in the court, hesitated for a moment, and finally, with a stooped posture, stepped forward from the side, running in small, quick steps to Song Yanji's side.
"Your Majesty, something has happened to the Empress." The Emperor's eyes were unusually sharp, and He Qian had no choice but to continue, "The Empress's snacks were contaminated, and the imperial physicians have arrived by now."
Song Yanji was shocked. Poisoned? How could Jiang Yuan, such a meticulous person, be poisoned? Jiang Zhongsi stood quietly to one side of the hall, watching as Song Yanji rose and hurriedly left the court without a word. He Qian could only loudly announce his departure from the court within the hall before following closely behind Song Yanji.
This was the first time Song Yanji had left the court midway through the day. Some curious officials went to inquire with the Grand Chancellor as soon as they left the palace, but Jiang Zhongsi ignored them until he heard Jiang Yuan's voice and then slowed down.
"I heard that the snacks were sent to the Crown Prince, but the Emperor and Empress mistakenly ate them."
Jiang Zhongsi slowed his pace, arriving at the palace gate two incense sticks later than usual. He looked at the carriage waiting outside the vermilion gate, then turned to look at the solemn and majestic palace. His eyes were filled with complex emotions, and his fingers clenched tighter and tighter.
Is he really going to hand over the people and things to Song Yansi? Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Once he hands over these things, he'll completely break ties with Xie Shengping. If Song Yansi then turns the tables on him because of the Tang family's affairs, leaving him isolated and helpless, the Jiang family will truly be doomed and completely ruined.
Jiang Yuan lay on the bed, her face as white as paper, fine beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. Song Yansi stepped into the hall, and all the palace servants knelt down in unison. This matter had come too suddenly.
Bi Fan's eyes turned bright red, and she spoke first, "Your Highness has been craving the Eight Treasure Cakes made by Her Majesty these past few days, so Her Majesty made some and sent them over. However, she learned that Your Highness had been taken to the Silent History Hall by Mr. Wei today, and fearing the cakes would be cold and upset your stomach when you returned to the palace, she sent someone to bring them back, intending to make a new batch later." Bi Fan's voice was trembling with tears, "But after the Eight Treasure Cakes returned, Her Majesty ate two, and then… and this is what happened."
If they weren't retrieved, and the food ended up in the Crown Prince's stomach—and given his young age—it would be enough to kill him! Song Yanji's eyes blazed with fury, his face ashen and devoid of any smile. He was never a gentle person; in recent years, because he had everything under control, he had concealed his coldness. Now, with these successive incidents happening to Jiang Yuan and Cheng Yu, even the gentlest tiger would be provoked to bare its claws. "What poison?"
"Your Majesty, it is a moon-seed vine." The imperial physician's legs trembled uncontrollably, and the veins on his forehead bulged slightly with fear.
"Moon Seed Vine?" Song Yansi's eyes were chillingly cold. Moon Seed Vine was often applied to bows and arrows for assassinations in military camps. Soldiers, due to their strenuous exercise, had rapid blood circulation, allowing the poison to quickly attack their heart. "How could such a forbidden substance appear in the palace!"
"Your Majesty, the Moon Seed Vine is bitter and extremely cold in nature, and its medicinal properties are domineering. Improper use can easily lead to disaster. The Imperial Hospital has never stocked this substance," Physician Lin immediately said. "This substance could not have leaked out of the medical bureau."
The Imperial Hospital didn't have it, so it naturally wasn't taken from there. Someone must have poisoned the palace!
Song Yansi sneered, "Investigate! I want to see who has such audacity to secretly hoard drugs in the inner palace. This time it was the Emperor and Empress, next time it might be my turn!"
"How was it?" Just as Xiao Qiao closed the door, Jiang Yanting's voice rang out from inside the hall.
Xiaoqiao rushed in quickly, her whole body trembling. With trembling hands, she took out the remaining half bottle of medicine from her bosom and poured it into the burning incense burner in front of Jiang Yanting, muttering, "Liar, that liar."
"What exactly happened?" Jiang Yanting could clearly sense the fear in Xiaoqiao's heart.
"Miss, we've been tricked by that vile woman from the Xie family! She didn't give us aconite, she gave us moon vine!" Xiaoqiao had only poured half the bottle. Although aconite is poisonous, a small amount wouldn't be fatal. She had no grudge against the young prince and couldn't bring herself to kill him, so she secretly reduced the amount by half, thinking he would die in the hands of fate. However, she never dreamed that the bottle in her hand contained moon vine. Moon vine is a forbidden medicine, long banned from sale in the common people. Even half a bottle would be fatal, let alone a child, even an eight-foot-tall man. "Miss, this comes from the army."
Anything involving the military camp is no small matter. If it were aconite, it could at most be considered a power struggle among concubines, with Consort Jiang unable to bear the tragic death of her unborn child, leading to malicious revenge. But usable moon vines are different. They're military supplies; how did a woman from the inner palace obtain them?
"Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!" Jiang Yanting nearly went mad, grabbing the cup in front of her and smashing it to the ground. "I'd give my life for her! Why does she still treat me like this? What good does it do that bitch if the Jiang family is in trouble!"
The fact that female relatives of civil officials in the court were involved in military affairs, and that this happened at such a critical juncture... Jiang Yanting was so angry that she trembled uncontrollably. Finally, she spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed.
Xiaoqiao quickly hugged her, pinching her philtrum hard. She didn't even dare to send someone to fetch the imperial physician, and just kept calling out with red eyes, "Miss, Miss."
"What did you say?" Xie Jiayan exclaimed in surprise, knocking over his teacup. "Moon Seed Vine?"
Bao Yun was slightly taken aback by Xie Jiayan's expression. Wasn't the medicine given to Jiang Yanting by the Madam? She could only tentatively answer, "The news from outside says that His Majesty has ordered the sealing off of all palaces for a thorough investigation."
Moon Seed Vine? What she gave me was clearly aconite! That's something only found in the military; even if she were stupid, she wouldn't use it carelessly.
Xie Jiayan slowly rose, her wide sleeves held in front of her chest, her slender fingers intertwined within. The women in the harem were all wives of scholars, none of them women of military officials, yet she had come across the forbidden drugs in the army… Her eyes flashed: Jiang Yuan!
Jiang Yuan had served in the army and spent many years on the border. She was the most likely, and the only, member of the harem to possess the Moon Seed Vine without any effort.
"A clever trick." Xie Jiayan gritted her teeth, radiating an uncontrollable chill. She had truly underestimated this woman. "What a clever self-inflicted injury scheme."
Jiang Yuan lay on the bed with her eyes slightly closed. Song Yansi would occasionally come in, hold her hand, and say something. She was in severe abdominal pain and would occasionally groan softly in pain, but most of the time her brows were tightly furrowed.
She had calculated the dosage carefully. They wanted to kill her son with aconite, so they shouldn't blame her for using this opportunity to shift the blame. Some people, if left unchecked, become a menace.
Song Yansi looked at Jiang Yuan on the bed, his fingertips gently stroking the table, his emotions well hidden.
Author's Note: Like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—each has their own tricks! 2333
Chapter 83 Lingering Light
Bi Fan stood to one side, her eyes red-rimmed, while Zhang Xiang kept her head down and remained silent. Song Yansi drank the tea in his cup, and with a glance, He Qian briskly picked up the pastries that had been placed on the table and carefully put them into a food box on the side. The eight-treasure cake had long since cooled down, and the Imperial Hospital had already tested it for poison. It was no longer appropriate to keep it in the Emperor and Empress's bedroom; it should be thrown away.
"I have something important to do tomorrow, so I'm afraid I won't be able to stay with A-Yuan tonight." Song Yansi looked at the girl on the bed, whose eyes were closed and narrowed into slits, filled with tears and grievances. He then reached out and rubbed her head. "I'm sorry."
Jiang Yuan quickly turned her head away, a tear sliding down her nose. She spoke in a muffled voice, as if a piece of cotton was stuck in her throat, "Go ahead and get busy, official business is important."
"Okay." Song Yansi lowered his head and kissed her temple before getting up and leaving Fengqi Palace.
Jiang Yuan closed her eyes and waited until the footsteps faded into the distance before propping herself up, clutching her lower abdomen. Upon seeing this, Bi Fan rushed over and placed a soft pillow under her, tears welling up in her eyes. "What terrible things has our Empress done? That Jiang Yanting is such a scoundrel."
"It's alright, I know what I'm doing." Jiang Yuan looked at Bi Fan, whose face was full of concern, and suddenly smiled at her questioning eyes. She then beckoned, and Zhang Xiang squatted down, her eyes filled with the panic of surviving a disaster.
"Your Majesty, I was terrified." Zhang Xiang clutched her chest. She only knew that Jiang Yuan had asked her to switch the pastries without leaving a trace, but she never guessed that it was a case of exchanging poison for poison. When Bi Fan went out to find the imperial physician, Jiang Yuan quietly tugged at her sleeve, telling her not to say a word.
Song Yansi was furious inside the hall. Zhang Xiang was so frightened that her legs went weak. She just lowered her head and dared not speak. She knew that if she opened her mouth, she would definitely give away her secret.
What's going on? Bi Fan was still completely in the dark. She looked at the incense in the tent and then at Jiang Yuan, and it took her a long time to realize, "Did Miss make this?"
“I simply replaced the aconite with moon vine halfway through.” Jiang Yuan patted Bi Fan’s arm. She couldn’t hide her thoughts on her face. If she were told, her clumsy performance would certainly not fool Song Yansi. “We can’t just sit here and wait to die.”
"But this is too dangerous." Bi Fan said, tears falling again. "You scared me to death! If anything happens to you, I won't live anymore!"
"Silly girl." Jiang Yuan tapped Bi Fan's forehead. "I have everything prepared, how could I fail?"
This time, she could use Jiang Yanting to give Song Yansi a big gift. The Jiang family was involved in the military, and the matter could be big or small. With a little manipulation, she could cut off Xie Shengping's arm. She could also take this opportunity to see if she could drag Xie Jiayan out from the shadows.
The elegant fragrance of cypress blossoms filled Chang Le Palace. Song Yansi sat in the hall, staring blankly at the food box in front of him. Soon after, He Qian came to report that Lord Xu was requesting an audience.
"Your Majesty," Xu An said, bowing.
The person inside the hall sounded unusually tired. "Speak," they said.
"I just asked our people, and His Highness has not learned that the Emperor and Empress were going to send pastries over." After the incident of falling into the water, Song Chengyu has been very careful with everything he uses and eats. Song Yanji had specifically instructed them to take great care, and even if there were poisonous pastries sent over, they would be intercepted by them.
Then there is only one possibility: the Emperor and Empress never intended to give this dessert to His Highness the Crown Prince.
“Cheng Yu loves lotus flowers.” Song Yansi touched the plum blossom petals on the food box, his eyes sparkling. “A Yuan always prepares food for him according to his preferences, even the bowls and plates.”
Xu An was completely confused. "Your Majesty..."
"Go down." He waved his hand, and Xu An had no choice but to comply and leave.
The bright red plum blossoms were stiffly carved on the food box. Song Yansi touched them lightly with his fingertips, again and again, and finally used force. He flicked the food box down with his sleeve, and the sound of it shattering was unusually clear in the silent hall, startling He Qian, who was guarding outside the palace, into shivering.
Ten years have passed since he remarried her. In these ten years, Jiang Yuan has patiently played countless roles. He knew that Jiang Yuan had never fully trusted him, but no matter how incompetent he, Song Yanji, was, he couldn't possibly be unable to protect her or his son.
Jiang Yuan is so ruthless. In her past life, she was ruthless to others and to him. In this life, she seems to have learned her lesson. She always appears intelligent and gentle in front of him. Even when she is willful, she is not so aggressive. But she keeps the ruthlessness in her bones to herself.
Looking at the pastries scattered all over the ground, Song Yansi suddenly felt a little lost. He muttered to himself, "You even scheme against yourself, let alone me."
Just before leaving Fengqi Palace, he almost lost control of himself. He wanted to immediately drag her out of bed and confront her face to face, even if it meant a big fight. He wanted to tell her openly and honestly that he was Song Yanji, the executioner she hated so much she wanted to devour him, and then dig out all the things buried underground that couldn't see the light of day and throw them in front of her.
But he still desperately held back. What good would it do to tell him? In his past life, he knew everything, and he was never happy again. Was he going to have to choose Jiang Yuan this time? She was such a proud person at heart. What good would it do if she knew? Would she spend the rest of her life feeling guilty and trying to please him, or would she simply leave and apologize to him on behalf of her father? Neither of those options was what he wanted.
She had been hiding it, and he had been running away; they both tried hard to maintain a balance in their relationship. But as time went on, Song Yansi felt he was gradually becoming greedy. He began to miss the two years he first met Jiang Yuan, when she would follow him around like a little tail, calling him "Zhongli-gege" incessantly. Occasionally, he would get annoyed and say a few words to her, but seeing the dimming look in her eyes, he would inexplicably feel a little regretful. But each time, before he could even figure out how to coax her, she would happily jump in front of him again, her eyes shining with love. Back then, Jiang Yuan's love for him was so pure, so clean, without a trace of impurity.
But can we go back? We can't, can we?
One should not be too greedy and should not want everything. Song Yansi slowly leaned back on the throne with his eyes closed, and only opened them after a long time, returning to his usual appearance.
The plan to eliminate the Jiang family had been in the works for some time, and he originally intended to leave it until after dealing with the Duan family. Since Jiang Yuan wanted to move it forward, he would grant her request, and the Duan family would be put on hold for now.
The case of the Moon Seed Vine was solved with exceptional ease thanks to Song Yanji's attention. Jiang Yanting was apprehended almost without resistance. Song Yanji conducted a perfunctory interrogation, and Jiang Yanting confessed to everything except insisting that the Moon Seed Vine was not hers, taking all the blame.
The fact that the imperial heir was deliberately poisoned was irrefutable, and the person was immediately banished to the cold palace. As a result, the Jiang family was also investigated by Song Yanji, who uncovered a lot of evidence of collusion with important military officials. They were directly dismissed from their posts and imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice for investigation.
Xie Shengping was so angry that he smashed countless cups and goblets. He could only try his best to clear the other officials involved of suspicion. As for the Jiang family, they could not be allowed to live. Three days later, Lord Jiang wrote a letter of self-reproach on the wall of the Ministry of Justice prison and hanged himself. When Xie Shengping heard the news from the Minister of Justice, his fingers tightened. He didn't want to waste any more time with Song Yanji. He had to take a gamble, win or lose.
The Cold Palace was dark and gloomy. After reading the imperial edict, the eunuch on Xuan paper looked at the stunned Jiang Yanting, pointed to a few objects on the ground, and said, "Now that Lord Jiang is gone, it is time for you to go too."
"Eunuch." Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were already red and swollen from crying. She kept kowtowing and tightly gripped the eunuch's clothes with both hands. "Please spare my young lady. I am willing to die in her place."