During the past two years at the border, Song Yanji treated her extremely well, so well that she often forgot about everything that had happened in her previous life. But when she returned to Lin'an and saw the man on horseback, cold and composed, she realized that she was like a rat trapped in a rice jar. Once she was full and comfortable, she found that she could no longer climb out.
"Yuan'er, you have disappointed your father too much."
“Ah Yuan, I’m doing this for your own good. You saw it with your own eyes, so don’t deceive yourself anymore.”
"So what if you're the emperor and empress? What do you have to compete with me?"
"Please save Jiang Li, he's your brother."
"Treason? His heart is blind, is yours blind too?"
"Miss, I can no longer serve you in this lifetime."
"I also regret marrying you."
The past events rushed towards her like a giant wave, making it hard for her to breathe. Jiang Yuan suddenly stood up, clutching her chest tightly with both hands. A sense of sorrow slowly spread from the bottom of her heart, growing wildly under the cover of night. She desperately suppressed it, constantly telling herself that the Jiang family was good in this life, that she was good, that she had Cheng Yu, and that everything was developing in a good direction.
Jiang Yuan sat on the bed, hugging her knees, her long, flowing hair cascading down her back. She buried her face in her arms, tears streaming down her face as she murmured to herself.
Suddenly, a pair of arms encircled her, and the man's scent enveloped her. Jiang Yuan trembled violently and was about to scream when her mouth was quickly covered. Song Yansi's voice came from behind, carrying a faint scent of alcohol, "Shh—Yu'er is asleep."
He held her close, his head resting on her shoulder. Just as he stepped into the inner room, he saw Jiang Yuan sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest. She was so thin and small, sitting there all alone, with a light red veil swaying gently behind her, just like she had been in the Hidden Phoenix Palace years ago.
At that time, he was almost driven to the brink of despair. It took him a great deal of effort to get some leverage over Jiang Li, and his warning to others did indeed make them wary. But somehow, the news reached Jiang Yuan's ears. She knelt outside his palace for a day and a night, begging, but in the end, all she got was a kill order that he personally issued.
Afterwards, she huddled in her bedchamber, crying silently, while he could only stand outside and watch, unable to step inside.
His arms tightened slightly, and he felt a tightness in his chest. "A-Yuan, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Her voice trembled slightly, and finally she couldn't help but turn and throw herself into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, the familiar scent filling her nostrils, and tears streamed down her face. She made up some excuse, "I just missed you."
"I miss A-Yuan too." He gently stroked her back, his eyes darkening. "A-Yuan..."
"Hmm?" she asked, her voice thick with a nasal tone.
He didn't say anything, but kissed her chin.
Chapter 49 The Visitor is Not Friendly
The imperial edict arrived quickly. Jiang Yuan and Song Yanji had barely closed their eyes when a message came from outside saying that the edict of bestowal of honors had left the palace. The two tidied themselves up briefly and went to wait in the hall ahead of time. About two incense sticks' time later, the vermilion-wheeled, blue-draped carriage stopped at the gate of the General of the North's residence.
Zhang Rang was helped down by a eunuch as he stepped onto a footstool. He hadn't changed much in the past few years, still the same as Jiang Yuan had seen him back then: small eyes, round face, and a humble smile with his eyes squinted.
"By imperial decree, the Emperor commands:" The hall was filled with kneeling figures, all staring at the ground. Zhang Rang's voice, still somewhat childlike, said, "Governing the world with literature and quelling rebellion with military force, military commanders and generals are truly the pillars of the court and the backbone of the nation. You have served with utmost effort, your power shaking even the barbarians. I admire your virtue and commend your great achievements, and hereby bestow upon you the title of Marquis of Anguo, along with other titles and honors. Your wife, Lady Jiang, is gentle, quiet, and upright, possessing all four virtues, adhering perfectly to the three obediences, and virtuous and benevolent. Therefore, it is fitting to bestow upon you the title of Lady. Respectfully yours."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Song Yansi, dressed in a sandalwood robe, bowed three times to Zhang Rang before accepting the imperial edict with both hands.
Zhang Rang bowed and cupped his hands, smiling, "This humble servant congratulates Marquis Anguo." His eyes then shifted, and he embellished the words Li Sheng had specifically whispered in his ear in the palace, saying, "It is said that only those with the surname Li can be granted the title of king. His Majesty has also been troubled by this for a long time, fearing that it would be unfair to you, sir."
“I have grown up by Your Majesty’s side since I was a child, and I know that Your Majesty has been very kind to me.”
"The Marquis of Anguo will likely be going to the palace to express his gratitude later, so I won't bother him any longer." Zhang Rang delivered the message and didn't linger. He bowed to Song Yanji again before leaving the mansion.
Jiang Yuan pondered their conversation, and with a glance, Zhu Chuan beside her received the order. She led the maids and hurriedly bowed and left the room. She walked to his side and took Song Yanji's hand. "Zhang Rang's words just now had a hidden meaning."
Song Yansi sneered and put his arm around her shoulder. Jiang Yuan was very close to him, and his expression was unreadable. "A general doesn't have the fate of a marquis. How many have returned after risking their lives?"
Jiang Yuan remained silent, simply meeting his gaze. The icy glint in Song Yanji's eyes gradually melted away, finally settling into calm. "His Majesty wishes to exchange a title for me personally presenting the Tiger Tally."
"So fast." Jiang Yuan had guessed this way, but she hadn't expected Li Sheng to be so eager. She stared at the embroidery on Song Yansi's chest, where a four-legged dragon with outstretched claws weaved through auspicious clouds. After a moment, she looked up at him and asked, "Are you going to hand it in?"
Li Sheng didn't say it explicitly, so there was naturally room for maneuver.
"Hand it over." Seeing Jiang Yuan's slightly surprised expression, Song Yansi almost laughed. She was an incredibly perceptive person; Li Sheng's few words had given her a clear understanding of their current situation. Holding the tiger tally was like holding the initiative. Even after all these years, she still preferred to have everything under her control, always willing to take a gamble and fight for anything.
Song Yansi patted her shoulder, signaling her to relax, "Since he wants it, then I'll give it to him."
"You decide." Although Jiang Yuan had lived an extra life, she knew she couldn't compare to Song Yanji in this regard.
The next day in the imperial court, Song Yanji relinquished his military power and presented the tiger tally to the emperor. The emperor, unable to refuse, accepted it and placed it in the palace. He also bestowed upon Song Yanji a thousand acres of fertile land and ten thousand taels of gold to reward him for his meritorious service in recent years.
Rewards poured into the Marquis of Anguo's residence, filling almost half a room. Song Chengyu squatted on the ground, touching the pearls the size of longan eyes and poking at the seven-foot-tall coral. Finally, Jiang Yuan reached out and hugged him, and he asked curiously, "What are these?"
"We can change the snacks." Amid her son's confusion, Jiang Yuan's fingertips traced the entire plate of jade and gemstones. She kept calculating the time in her mind. The letter of thanks had already been sent, and the Emperor and Empress should be summoning her to the palace soon.
“Madam…” Bi Fan strode into the hall, “The palace has sent a reply.”
The bluestone pavement was swept extremely clean, stretching straight ahead. After passing Yongfu Pond, there was the Cangfeng Palace, where the emperor and empress lived. Phoenixes were carved on the eaves of the palace, facing each other from afar... She could walk this path with her eyes closed.
The Hidden Phoenix Palace was extravagant. Inside, the beams were made of sandalwood, and a silk canopy hung beside a sandalwood couch. The emperor and empress sat dignifiedly on the couch, with three ladies and several concubines sitting below them.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live a thousand years and enjoy great fortune." Because Jiang Yuan was a titled lady, she only had to bend her body and did not need to perform the kneeling ceremony.
"This is the first time I've met Lady Anguo." The Emperor and Empress smiled and waved to Jiang Yuan. She was Li Sheng's first wife, and although she was nearly forty, she was still beautiful and charming. Jiang Yuan was quite familiar with this Emperor and Empress in her previous life and had seen her at many palace banquets. Now, seeing her again, she only glanced at her and lost interest.
The Emperor and Empress subtly observed Jiang Yuan. They had first heard her name long ago when Song Yanji proposed marriage to them before the Emperor. Jiang Yuan was a young woman of modest means, unremarkable, so the Empress assumed she was simply giving Li Sheng a way out. After marrying Song Yanji, she herself had never heard of Jiang Yuan's abilities from other wives. Yet, this very woman, upon their first meeting, was adorned with an official robe and bowed respectfully, befitting a dignified Marquis's wife.
"The Lady of the Marquis is as beautiful as our Gu Xiuhua," Lady Sili said with a smile as she sat at the lower seat. "Not only the Empress, but we are also seeing her for the first time."
Jiang Yuan followed Madam Si Li's gaze and saw Gu Si Jun drinking tea to the side. Underneath her light blue robe, she wore ivory-yellow beaded shoes. At that moment, upon hearing Madam Si Li's words, she covered her lips with a feather veil.
"Now that you mention it, it's true. The Lady of the Marquis is indeed beautiful; I feel pity for her." He actually agreed without hesitation.
What a shameless vixen! Madam Sili clutched her handkerchief and turned her face away, refusing to say another word.
"However," Gu Sijun said with a smile, "I have heard that the Lady of the Marquis and the Marquis of Anguo met when they were both still minor figures."
"Oh?" The Empress became interested. "What do you mean by that, Xiu Hua?"
"I entered the palace quite late, but I've gotten along quite well with Princess Qingping." As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Yuan's heart skipped a beat; she knew something had gone wrong. Although Qingping was born into the royal family, she was naive. While she had become more shrewd over the years, knowing what to say and what not to say, back then… it would have been incredibly easy to extract anything from her.
Gu Sijun picked up the cup, and just as the tea touched her lips, she put it down with a smile. "Once, when she came to the palace, I happened to run into her in the flower garden, and we chatted casually for a bit. I don't know how, but we started talking about the Lady of the Marquis. As Your Majesty knows, Qingping is a very honest person, so she told me that when His Majesty had not yet entered Lin'an, the Lady of the Marquis had saved the Marquis of Anguo."
"Is this true?" After hearing this, the Emperor and Empress became suspicious and looked at Jiang Yuan with a more inquisitive gaze.
“Indeed, Princess Yijia also knows about this.” Jiang Yuan countered with a clever move, immediately bringing up Princess Yijia, who looked up, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Originally, I thought it was just an accident, but now it seems to be a matter of fate.”
"Your Highness also knows?" The Emperor and Empress sat with their hands clasped together, their thumbs resting on the back of their hands, and said calmly.
"It was the Marquis who first informed Her Highness the Princess, but unexpectedly, Her Highness teased him." Jiang Yuan lowered her eyes and smiled gently.
Within the palace walls, how many of the women who could climb to their positions were fools? Originally, when Gu Sijun spoke up, the group had already weighed the pros and cons to some extent. They hadn't expected His Highness to know about this beforehand, so they knew they wouldn't be able to dig anything out of him. Now, seeing Jiang Yuan's appearance, they had lost all interest.
Lady Sili tidied her hair, her gaze sweeping over Gu Sijun. "Some people always seem to thrive on chaos. Lady of the Marquis need not concern herself with them. Have some tea."
"Thank you, Madam." Jiang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. As she raised her hand to drink tea, her eyes met Gu Sijun's. Gu Sijun's expression remained unchanged as she nodded, cup in hand.
The moment the tea entered his mouth, it tasted clear and then sweet, leaving a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth. "This is definitely no friendly visitor," Jiang Yuan thought.
After having tea and snacks and chatting for a while, the Emperor and Empress got tired. Her health had always been poor, so the three ladies took over and accompanied Jiang Yuan to stroll through the flower garden.
The weather is now cool, and the flowers of spring and summer have long since faded. Although the garden is filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs, it is now autumn, and there are not many flowers in season. In the north and south corners of the garden, there are eighteen flowering trees, each one tall and graceful, with thousands of blossoms clustered on its branches, a vast expanse of white like newly fallen snow. Madam Pan pointed to the clusters of white blossoms and said to Jiang Yuan, "These are water lilies, a tribute from a foreign land. From afar they look like snow, and up close they resemble cotton wool. In autumn, the garden is most beautiful because of them."
"Pinghua," Jiang Yuan murmured, referring to that child, whom she loved the most.
"Your Highness, please slow down," a maid's voice came from among the flowering trees.
Lady Sili frowned slightly, and before she could speak, a figure in bright yellow rushed out, turned a corner, and bumped into Jiang Yuan. Quick-witted and agile, she reached out to support him before he fell.
The little man was chubby, like a white steamed bun. He finally managed to stand up, and after letting out a sigh of relief, he looked at Jiang Yuan with his big, dark eyes and asked, "Who are you? A new concubine?"
"Your Highness!" The maidservant chased after her, panting. When she saw the ladies, her legs went weak and she knelt down, her body trembling like a duckweed after the rain. "May Lady Sili be blessed, Lady Pan be blessed, and Lady Wanyi be blessed."
"If His Highness were to bump into something, how many heads would you have!" Lady Sili pointed at the maid and said angrily, "Consort Bai is getting worse and worse at choosing servants."
"Please calm down, Madam." The little maid kept kowtowing.
"I'm asking you a question." The little figure beside her glanced at her, then looked up at Jiang Yuan. "Who are you?"
“Your Highness, this is the Lady of the Marquis.” Lady Pan stepped forward and said.
"I didn't ask you." The young prince seemed displeased, tilting his head back. "Why won't you answer? Are you mute?"
Like mother, like daughter, Lady Sili thought to herself, rolling her eyes.
"I can weave grasshoppers." Jiang Yuan squatted down. He was still so small at this time. She took his hand, and there were a few small dents on the back of his chubby hand. "Do you want one?"
On the distant balcony, Li Sheng watched everything that was happening in the garden and said to Song Yansi with a smile, "Your wife and my Jing'er seem to get along very well."
It's that child again. Song Yansi sighed inwardly.
Chapter 50 Right and Wrong, Grudges and Feuds
A crescent moon hung in the sky, and the clatter of horses' hooves echoed on the stone road as they returned home. Inside the carriage, Jiang Yuan sat on a snow-white fox fur rug, gazing absently at the grasshopper woven in his hand.
"Stop looking, it won't become real no matter how much you look." Song Yansi casually took the things from her hands and threw them on the small table in front of her, somewhat dissatisfied. "I don't see you making up these things for Yu'er."
“Yu’er has everything, why would he care about these things?” Jiang Yuan was both amused and exasperated to see him standing up for his son.
She stood up, but before her hand even touched the table, she heard Song Yansi say quietly behind her, "What doesn't His Highness have? Why would he like these things?"
Jiang Yuan's hand froze in mid-air. Seeing her stunned, Song Yanji reached out and pulled her into his arms. "He doesn't need it either."
He is now a prince, Li Sheng's only son. He is high above, no longer the blind boy he once was. He doesn't need your pity or your sympathy.
"Cough cough cough!" The coughing sound came incessantly from inside the palace. Li Sheng supported himself on the table with one hand, tilting his head and coughing non-stop.
Zhang Rang dismissed the surrounding eunuchs. The jade bowl, as white as mutton fat, was filled with black broth that emitted a strong bitter smell. He carried the medicine quickly to Li Sheng and softly called out, "Your Majesty, it's time for your medicine."
Li Sheng tapped the table, and Zhang Rang cleverly presented the medicine bowl. He looked at the slightly swaying soup in front of him, and for some reason, he felt a surge of anger. With a flick of his sleeve, the medicine bowl was knocked over on the table, rolled twice, and shattered on the ground, splashing water everywhere.
Zhang Rang was shocked and hurriedly knelt down, repeatedly banging his forehead on the ground, "Your Majesty, please calm down, Your Majesty, please calm down."
The memorial was stained with brown spots, and the vermilion ink had dissolved in water. He covered his mouth with one hand and coughed incessantly, but his eyes remained fixed on the tiger tally that was so close to him.
Although he had the tiger tally in his hand, the men in the army were not his!
"How has the Grand Tutor been feeling lately?" Li Sheng asked, composing himself.
“He is much better now.” Zhang Rang was still kneeling on the ground, his eyes fixed on the front of him. “Just now, His Majesty and Marquis Anguo were enjoying the flowers in the garden when the officials in the capital sent someone to deliver a message saying that Grand Tutor Xie’s typhoid fever has healed and he will be able to enter the court soon.”
"As long as the Grand Tutor is away, I will be uneasy." Li Sheng waved his hand, "Go down."
"This servant takes his leave." Zhang Rang bowed and performed the kneeling retreat ceremony before carefully wiping the fine beads of sweat from his forehead. He looked up and saw that the night was as black as ink, terrifyingly dark.
"Did Zhang Rang deliver the message?" Grand Tutor Xie stood before the rosewood carved grape-patterned desk, his hands resting on a painting of an "Ink-Splashed Immortal" in the style of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou. He only spoke after finishing the last stroke, his complexion slightly moist, showing no trace of illness.
"Father, rest assured." Xie Jiali stood in the middle with his hands at his sides. The servants around him had already been dismissed, and now only the father and son were left in the empty study. He was unsure what his father wanted to ask him.
"What did Yan'er want with you yesterday?" Grand Tutor Xie put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand. The ink on the table was simple and unadorned, yet the brushstrokes were vigorous and unrestrained, quite elegant. Seeing Xie Jiali's hesitation, Grand Tutor Xie said slowly, "Don't make excuses for her."