Soon he heard someone outside calling him urgently, "Eunuch Zhang."
"Coming, coming." Although Zhang Xiangui had been favored by Jiang Yuan and suddenly promoted, his inherent apprehension remained, so he rarely showed any arrogance. He carefully straightened Lü Qiong before quickly opening the door, smiling with narrowed eyes, "What is it?"
"Didn't you ask me to deliver a letter a few days ago, to secretly inquire about someone?" The palace eunuch was forbidden from sending messages, so the little eunuch quickly glanced around before leaning close to Zhang Xiangui's ear and whispering, "There's news."
As he spoke, he secretly slipped the letter into the eunuch's arms. Zhang Xiangui was thrilled, but he didn't show it on his face. He casually took out a silver ingot from his pocket and threw it into the eunuch's hand, saying, "Thank you for your hard work. Take this and have some wine."
"You're too kind, sir. I can't accept this." The silver coin was stuffed into his sleeve, and the little eunuch smiled obsequiously. "From now on, if you have anything to say, just say it."
The door was quickly closed, and with trembling fingers, he pulled out the letter from his pocket. At the bottom of the eight-line paper was a drawing of a mother hen with chicks. This was his promise to his mother—his mother was still alive! Tears were held back in his eyes, and only then did he begin to read.
Author's Note: I've been incredibly busy these past two days and haven't had a chance to chat with you guys QAQ
(Yes, this is to lead into what follows! Gets slapped away~)
Chapter 87 The East Wind Has Arrived
The letter was sent from the clouds. After reading it, Zhang Xiangui carefully put it away with trembling fingers. He glanced at Lü Qiong on the table, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, before getting up, putting on his padded jacket, and hurrying out the door.
When Jiang Yuan returned to Fengqi Palace, Zhang Xiangui was already waiting inside. As soon as she sat down, she saw the little eunuch lift his robe and kneel down on the ground with a thud. "I will never be able to repay the Emperor and Empress's great kindness."
"What's going on?" Bi Fan asked curiously, and with a single glance, the maids beside her all retreated.
Jiang Yuan knew the truth, but she pretended to be surprised and said, "Oh, why are you kneeling down? Get up and say what you have to say."
Zhang Xiangui naturally didn't get up, but knelt down and recounted his background. Only then did Bifan realize, "So you're Zhang Mama's son?"
"It is indeed your servant." Zhang Xiangui kowtowed three more times. "I would gladly give my life for the Emperor and Empress's kindness to my mother."
"I'm perfectly fine, what use is your life to me?" Jiang Yuan chuckled and gestured for him to get up.
"This servant has another matter to report to the Emperor and Empress." Zhang Xiangui's mind raced. "It's just that this matter has been uncertain to me, which is why it has been delayed until now."
"explain."
“A few days ago, I was ordered to go to Chang Le Palace and happened to see a woman.” Seeing that Jiang Yuan’s face was calm, Zhang Xianggui continued, “That woman was beautiful and looked just like the Emperor and Empress.”
Jiang Yuan's heart stirred slightly, and it took her a moment to realize that Song Yansi had this plan in mind. He was indeed very composed. She glanced at Zhang Xiangui kneeling on the ground and chuckled to herself. This kid was indeed extremely cautious. If he hadn't known that she had saved his mother, he probably wouldn't have said this to her yet.
Inside the study of the Jiang residence, broken porcelain was scattered all over the floor.
Jiang Zhongsi clutched his chest and coughed incessantly. Rui'an was also getting old and knew that it was better to let some anger out than to keep it inside. After Jiang Zhongsi calmed down, he brought him a cup of tea and said, "Master, please have some tea."
"Xie Shengping is really pushing this old man to the brink of despair." Jiang Zhongsi calmed down, then reached out to straighten his robes, took the teacup, and leaned back in his armchair. Today he dared to use Jiang Yuan's innocence as a weapon, would he dare to use Cheng Yu's bloodline as a weapon tomorrow? If the emperor and empress are deposed, how can the crown prince's position be secure?
"That's definitely too tight." Ryan had gone through so many ups and downs with Jiang Zhongsi, so he understood his thoughts to some extent.
“He won’t give me a way out, so why should I give him one?” Jiang Zhongsi scraped the tea leaves with the lid of his teapot and suddenly sneered. “Didn’t you want to investigate the cause of Emperor Li’s death? He’ll try to frame Song Yanji by switching the blame. I’ll do the same to make him suffer the consequences.”
Ryan, sleeves crossed, asked, "Sir, are you going to take action?"
"If we wait any longer, the future glory of my Jiang family will probably be ruined by him." Jiang Zhongsi pondered for a moment and sneered, "He wants it to be so dark that you can't see your hand in front of your face, but I'll set him on fire."
No one can control everything; this applies to Song Yanji as well as Xie Shengping.
Inside Chang Le Palace, smoke swirled around the incense burner. Jiang Zhongsi looked at the woman standing next to Song Yansi, his heart pounding, and his fingertips trembled uncontrollably in his sleeve. "What is this?"
"Doesn't she look somewhat like A-Yuan?" Song Yansi gestured to the seat below for him to sit down. "It was a long and difficult search. It just so happens that my father-in-law came to see me today, so I invited her out for him to take a look."
"My surname is Lin, and my given name is Le Rong." Lin Le Rong gave a half-bow. If she had any other way to survive, she would not have come to Shu. But Queen Wei could no longer tolerate her.
That day, Mu Qing's spies from Wei rescued her and secretly brought her back to Shu. Her life or death was in her hands. She didn't expect Meng Xizhi to save her; her younger sister had been taken to the battlefield by him and never returned.
When Meng Xizhi returned to Wei, her favor grew stronger. After the Queen of Wei gave birth to a prince and entered the Jiaoyang Palace, she kept a close eye on her concubines. She often visited the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion discreetly, showing gentleness to each of the beautiful concubines, but her eyes were wary when she looked at Meng Xizhi. It wasn't until Meng Xizhi miscarried again that she realized something was wrong.
Just as rumors were spreading throughout Wei, she inexplicably thought of the mysterious woman in Anhe Garden and the words that Lüqiong had spoken before her sister was taken to the battlefield.
Her face was probably the biggest threat; Queen Wei harbored murderous intentions towards her. That day, she was bound and taken to the mass grave. The moment the sharp knife plunged down, she closed her eyes and resigned herself to her fate. However, the excruciating pain she had imagined did not come. Some liquid dripped onto her face. She reached out to touch it and found it sticky and wet. What she saw was a large patch of scarlet blood, gushing out.
Someone asked her, "Do you want to die or live?"
Of course she wanted to live. Who in this world exists to want to die?
Then, she was taken to the Shu Kingdom, to Lin'an, where she met Song Yanji, the man whose name she had heard countless times from Meng Xizhi. He promised her a place in the Shu Kingdom, and a lifetime of honor and privilege—in exchange for betraying her country.
Everyone says that actors are heartless and performers are unrighteous.
Lin Lerong thought this made perfect sense. She had been raised as a top courtesan, and wherever there was wealth and luxury, there was her affection. She liked riches, but she wanted to live even more.
"Xu An, take her away." Song Yansi tapped the table, and Xu An slipped in. After the others left, he smiled and said to Jiang Zhongsi, "This is all I can do."
"Thank you for trusting my daughter, Your Majesty." Jiang Zhongsi rose and knelt down. He hadn't expected Song Yansi to act this way. Now that he was clearing Jiang Yuan's name, he seemed to be acting too petty. With his mind at ease, he resolutely said, "I have someone I would like to introduce to Your Majesty."
"Oh?" Finally, finally willing to offer up. Song Yansi's blood was boiling. He raised his sleeve to let Jiang Zhongsi stand up and asked with a smile, "Who?"
Jiang Zhongsi stroked his beard and smiled, his wrinkles crinkling at the corners of his eyes. "Su Yuanyi, the Junior Guardian of the former dynasty."
"Didn't this person pass away more than ten years ago?"
“Everyone says Su Yuanyi is dying of an illness, but here with me, he is still alive.” Jiang Zhongsi was confident. “He’s not just alive, he is alive. Once we see him, we might make new discoveries in the case of Lord Wei Zhijing’s betrayal of the country many years ago.”
Everything is ready; the east wind has arrived.
Recently, two major events have occurred in the Shu Kingdom.
First, Lin Lerong climbed to a high place to dispel rumors. This woman was as beautiful as a flower. On the high platform, she played a song of breaking through the enemy lines with a murderous aura, making people feel as if they were there.
She stood against the wind, speaking eloquently. Years ago, she and her younger sister ventured deep into the Wei Kingdom, deceiving the enemy general and capturing the strategic military defense map of Longdi. Midway, her younger sister was discovered and died on the battlefield in full view of everyone. The woman was frail and tearful, yet her back was straight. She frankly stated that after Song Yanji's triumphant return, she also entered Lin'an, never expecting to be implicated by the emperor and empress.
The emperor pitied her as a pitiful woman and couldn't bear to see her suffer public condemnation for obtaining battle reports through such means. However, she was upright and honest, and if her actions were wrong, she would bear all the blame.
Lin Lerong, clad in soft armor, looked heroic and valiant. "If the people cannot tolerate my existence, I will die to prove them wrong!"
"A frail woman, braving danger alone, led the border troops to save countless people from suffering. What crime has she committed? This young lady is the glory of our great Shu!" A student suddenly shouted from below the high pavilion.
"Young lady is a heroine of our Shu Kingdom! How could we be ungrateful?" The voice gradually grew louder.
Lin Lerong breathed a sigh of relief, but her eyes grew even more determined. The more people believed in her, the better her future would be. She would live with a new identity and no longer have to depend on others.
“A dancer turned heroine, you really dare to do that.” Fu Zhengyan twirled his folding fan in one hand, his eyebrows curving as he shook his head at Song Yansi. “I wonder how this would be written in the history books.”
“History is written by the victors.” Song Yanji patted his shoulder, raising an eyebrow slightly. “As long as this country is mine, I can write it however I want.”
"Oh dear." Fu Zhengyan used his folding fan to brush Song Yanji's hand away, and smiled as he cupped his hands in greeting, "Then this subject can only help Your Majesty hold the pen that writes history."
"Hahaha." The two looked at each other and laughed, their hearts in perfect harmony, just like back then.
The second thing is that Su Yuanyi, the former Junior Guardian of the dynasty, was brought back to life. Xu An personally brought Su Yuanyi back. When he found him, Su Yuanyi was writing letters for someone on the street. He was dressed in coarse cloth, his back was hunched, and he showed no trace of his former high spirits.
When he personally presented Jiang Zhongsi's letter, the old man's eyes filled with tears. Wearing the official robes, he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it, carefully touching the crimson crane chasing the sun emblem on his chest. Finally, he had waited for this day, the day he could see the light of day again.
Guided by Su Yuanyi, Xu An and his men dug three feet into the ground under Su's dilapidated thatched hut and unearthed the iron box buried in the yellow soil. When the box was opened, the letters and names were all coated with wax and neatly stacked inside, showing no signs of corrosion or damage over time.
Song Yansi personally served him hot tea, which Su Yuanyi quickly accepted with both hands, saying, "It's been many years since we last met, and you are now the Emperor."
"What exactly happened?" Song Yanji pretended to be clueless. "If it weren't for Lord Jiang telling me, I wouldn't have known that Grand Protector was still alive."
“I entered the Fei’an Prince’s Mansion at almost the same time as Xie Shengping. At that time, Li Sheng was still young, and we taught him every day. We saw each other every day, and Xie Shengping had a carefree appearance, so it was inevitable that people would want to befriend him.” Su Yuanyi held his teacup and recounted the story in detail, as if time had turned back. He spoke in great detail, and Song Yanji listened attentively. “Later, I struggled and blamed myself in this vortex, but I knew that if I had revealed even a little bit of information, Xie Shengping would have eliminated me without hesitation. I don’t know how Zheng Rang found out, but he even helped me come up with this way to fake my death.”
"So you listened to him?" Song Yanji already knew that Su Yuanyi was still alive. This was what Jiang Zhongsi had told him before he died in his previous life. He laughed maniacally, and his voice still echoed in his ears: Su Yuanyi is still alive, but no one in this world can find him except me. The Jiang family may fall, but the Xie family will not. I will make you live in this position forever, unable to sleep at night.
So when Su Yuanyi fell ill and died, he personally went to see him. The body was covered in lividity, truly the appearance of someone who died of illness. He couldn't find a single flaw. It makes sense, considering Xie Shengping was such a cautious person. If he couldn't make it look convincing, how could he have fooled his eyes?
“Zheng Rang told me to keep all my things, saying that one day I would see the light again.” Su Yuanyi smiled silently. “I don’t know what grudge he has with the Xie family. He risked so much to pull me out of the water. If he hadn’t been careful, he might have disappeared with me. Zheng Rang saved my life, so I only trust him.”
Song Yansi lowered his eyes. Jiang Zhongsi probably never intended to align himself with the Xie family from the start. His only concern was the glory of the Jiang family, perhaps even including a strong desire to eliminate the Xie family. This explained his insatiable greed for power in his past life. Meanwhile, Song Yansi had placed a sword hanging over his family's head. They distrusted and suspected each other, their relationship fraught with countless twists of fate. Between his blood feud and the Xie family's schemes, Jiang Zhongsi chose the lesser of two evils—Xie Shengping. If he hadn't been given a second chance, Song Yansi believed he would have followed the same path. His desire for revenge would inevitably affect the Jiang family, while Jiang Zhongsi's desire for favor and honor would ensure the Jiang household's safety. This was the greatest obstacle between them.
The Jiang family cannot collapse; this is Jiang Zhongsi's bottom line. So this time, he chose to compromise and not cross that line. Only by promising him peace and prosperity would Jiang Zhongsi be willing to offer up the knife most advantageous to him.
A sharp blade that can pierce the heart of the Xie family.
Chapter 88 A Beauty Like Jade
On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head. It is auspicious to offer sacrifices and pay homage, but inauspicious to build houses, ram the earth, or do needlework.
Su Yuanyi entered the court and accused Xie Taifu of participating in the case of Wei Zhijing's betrayal of the country many years ago, and of repeatedly selling official positions under the guise of natural disasters. He also presented several letters between Xie and Wei Guo, as well as a list of officials involved in the case.
An uproar erupted inside the hall.
Seeing that things had gone well, Jiang Zhongsi stepped forward, lifted his robe, and knelt down. “Now the evidence is conclusive. The Xie family harbored evil intentions and wanted to destroy the Li family’s dynasty. This reminds me of what happened in Zuojia Village some time ago. I wonder if it is related to this matter. Fortunately, we later met a wise ruler, and Heaven blessed the people and saved us from the suffering of the chaotic world.”
"If the Grand Tutor is convicted based solely on the words of someone who has come back from the dead and a letter that appeared out of nowhere, then the law is being far too frivolous," the Grand Chancellor hurriedly interjected. "This matter should be thoroughly investigated!"
"The Grand Master's words are reasonable." Lord Helian knelt down. "The Grand Tutor has devoted himself to our dynasty, but who would have thought that such an unexpected disaster would strike? If we only listen to one side's words, we will inevitably be biased and cause a loyal minister to be wronged."
Grand Tutor Xie had been influential in the court for many years, with deep roots in the government. Of the twelve powerful ministers in the court, seven were his protégés, and more than half of the civil and military officials also relied on the Xie family as their powerful patron.
After Xie Taifu and the others had finished speaking, he took a step forward and said helplessly, "My conscience is clear to Heaven and Earth. On the contrary, it was Lord Jiang who, because I took over the repair of the Yongji River these days, accidentally uncovered a major case from thirty years ago and obtained some unexpected information, which is why I have a rift with Lord Jiang."
He glanced at Song Yansi, cupped his hands and said, "I beg Your Majesty to reinvestigate the Yongji River case, to overturn the verdicts against the Luo and Yin families, and to clear the name of the Tang family."
Song Yanji's maternal family was surnamed Tang.
“I have long intended this, Grand Tutor, there is no need to say more.” Song Yanji and Xie Shengping exchanged glances. “Investigate both cases together.”
After the court session, Fu Zhengyan followed Song Yanji to Chang Le Palace. The sky was overcast today, and Fu Zhengyan hugged his sleeves to the wind. "The situation is urgent, Your Majesty should take action."
"Wait a little longer." Song Yansi took the folding fan from his hand. The white jade pendant gleamed warmly in the light. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I want him to make the first move."
In April of the same year, Fang Gu'an, the General of Nanping, was attacked on his way to war and was seriously injured. Song Yanji took back military power to the central government, leaving the position of general in Nanping vacant. Because many military officers were implicated in the Wei Zhijing case, Song Yanji refused to appoint them. In the end, he overruled the objections and promoted Guo Daojun, the Left Army Colonel, to General of the Southern Expedition, a promotion of two ranks, and sent him to Nanping.
Song Yanji went to great lengths to handle the Wei Zhijing case. In early June, Chang Ci, the commander of the cavalry, was arrested in his residence for his involvement. His family property, amounting to hundreds of thousands of strings of cash, was seized, and the remaining 10,000 cavalrymen were returned to the emperor.
Xie Shengping's actions became increasingly ambitious, and the Xie family members in Yanzhou made frequent visits to each other.
Jiang Yuan occasionally kept an eye on what was happening outside, but she had been feeling drowsy and listless these days, and somewhat powerless. However, since she learned Song Yanji's true identity and spoke to him about it, the heavy weight on her heart had lifted considerably.
Song Yanji, on the other hand, was constantly buzzing in her ear. Every time he saw Jiang Yuan, he would analyze their current situation and end with the line, "In this world, only you and I truly understand each other." After hearing this, Jiang Yuan wanted to avoid Song Yanji whenever she saw him. She strongly suspected that he must have suffocated in his past life, otherwise how could he have become so talkative in this life?
Jiang Yuan had also thought about it. She and he had hated each other for so long back then, but in the end, they both died. Death settles all debts, so what was there to hold a grudge about? It was just a matter of being reborn, and she would only have to avoid drinking the Meng Po soup and remembering the past. In this life, Jiang Yuan felt that with her parents alive and well, her family thriving, and no real grudge between her and Song Yanji, there was nothing that couldn't be resolved. Besides, they still had Cheng Yu, the son she had longed for for so long.
Once the knot in one's heart is cut open and this hurdle is overcome, one no longer feels awkward, and consequently, one finds Song Yanji more agreeable.
That evening, Song Yanji arrived at Fengqi Palace as usual. After dinner, the two set up a chessboard and prepared to play several games.
The weather in June was already quite warm. Several crystal-clear ice bricks were placed in carved bronze vessels. As usual, the palace servants served tea, then withdrew from the beaded curtain and retreated to the outer hall. Jiang Yuan, dressed in a light blue outer robe and skirt with a purple sash around her waist, was playing chess with Song Yansi, half-turned to the side.
The candlelight flickered in the hall, and slender white fingers tapped incessantly on the chessboard. Following the light, one could see a glimpse of her slender arm, and a jade bracelet, so green it seemed to drip with water, dangled from her wrist. Song Yanji's mind gradually wandered with her movements, and she lost two games in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Jiang Yuan was overjoyed; this time he didn't give her a handicap, and his interest in the game soared. As she pondered her move, the person opposite her, who had been silent all along, suddenly reached out and grasped her fingertips.