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Chapter 1 The Melody Ends, the Scholar Returns

"Ah—" A shrill scream shattered the silence of the night, and the Spring Warm Pavilion instantly erupted in chaos as the embroidered golden peony curtains were swiftly pulled open.

Zhu Chuan was startled to see Jiang Yuan's pale face. He quickly reached out and patted her back to comfort the trembling Jiang Yuan. Turning his head, he saw the maids standing helplessly behind him and immediately became angry: "What are you all standing there like idiots for? Hurry up and inform the madam to invite Doctor Wang!"

Jiang Yuan had lost count of how many times she had been awakened by nightmares. Ever since she woke up again, the scene of her jumping off Guanyun Pavilion had been playing out in her dreams again and again, like a nightmare that would never end.

A breeze, carrying a slight chill, blew through the window cracks, and her emotions gradually calmed down with Zhu Chuan's repeated reassurances.

"How is A-Yuan?" An anxious female voice accompanied by rapid footsteps sounded outside the door. She had just calmed her breathing when the door was pushed open. Zhu Chuan quickly got up to make way, and Madam Jiang walked quickly to the bedside. Seeing that Jiang Yuan was alright, she breathed a sigh of relief, slowly sat on the bed, and took the wet handkerchief from Bi Fan's hand, gently wiping Jiang Yuan's forehead. "Weren't you feeling better yesterday? Why did you have a nightmare again tonight?"

Madam Jiang was not asking Jiang Yuan about this.

Zhu Chuan stood to one side, exchanged a glance with Bi Fan, and said softly, "Today, this servant accompanied Miss out for some fresh air. When we passed by the South Courtyard, the Second Miss's cat accidentally fell from a tree, which must have startled Miss."

"Hmph." Madam Jiang snorted coldly, her voice not loud but icy cold, making one's heart chill. "I've spoiled that girl too much."

Lady Jiang was the eldest daughter of Zhou Pingzheng, the prefect of Huaizhou. She was well-versed in literature from a young age and married Jiang Zhongsi, the son of the Prefect of Jingzhao, at the age of sixteen. This marriage now seems like a match made in heaven, but her mother was quite dissatisfied with it in her early years. Although Lady Jiang's background was not as noble as that of a lady from a family with a long history of nobility, she should still have married the eldest son or grandson of an official.

Although Jiang Zhongsi was appointed as a Gentleman Attendant at a young age, his status as an illegitimate child was a source of worry for his mother. However, his maternal grandfather admired him greatly. His mother was proud and married off to an illegitimate son at a young age, which made her feel inferior to the legitimate daughters in the circle. In her husband's family, she was also inferior to her sisters-in-law from the legitimate line. As a result, she had a rift with her father in her early years, which allowed Aunt Zhao to take advantage of the situation.

However, Jiang Yuan had to admit that his maternal grandfather had a keen eye for talent. Although his father was born out of wedlock, he was indeed a man of great talent. In just over ten years, he rose from a fifth-rank Yellow Gate Attendant to a second-rank Left Fengyi. Of course, his wife's family also played a part in this. His father's official career was smooth sailing, but the inner quarters of the household were not peaceful.

Jiang Yuan knew that her mother hated the concubines in the mansion, especially her second sister, Jiang Zhi, who was born out of wedlock. Now that she was lying on her sickbed, she would inevitably suffer the consequences from Concubine Zhao and this sister.

Madam Jiang then pulled Jiang Yuan aside for a private chat. From her words, Jiang Yuan knew that Jiang Zhi and Aunt Zhao were likely to be punished by his mother. If it were the Jiang Yuan of yesteryear, he would probably have already been thinking of ways to advise his mother.

But now.

Jiang Yuan felt a slight headache and irritability. The initial shock and joy upon waking were gradually overshadowed by a chill in her heart as time passed.

Seeing that she still looked listless, Madam Jiang sighed, pulled the quilt up a little higher, gently covered the bottom of the quilt for her, fed her some tea, and then got up to leave. "Yuan'er, sleep for a while longer."

"Mm," Jiang Yuan responded softly, closing her eyes the moment the bed curtains were lowered.

The eighth year of Zheng'an.

The eighth year of Zheng'an.

April rain comes suddenly, and the night that was just peaceful is now filled with fine drizzle. Jiang Yuan closed her eyes and listened to the pattering sound of raindrops falling outside the window. If only it could have started sooner.

If it had been any earlier, she certainly wouldn't have gone to Guilong Temple to offer incense, and even if she had, she definitely wouldn't have saved Song Yansi.

Or, kill him before he becomes too powerful.

Unfortunately, she arrived too late.

Song Yanji, the name she wished she could devour and drink the blood of in her past life, was once the man of her dreams, her beloved husband. So much so that later, their affections faded and they grew to the point of mutual loathing, which she did not fail to regret.

In the later years of Jiang Yuan's life, she and Song Yanji became irreconcilable enemies, to the point of life or death. Song Yanji almost wiped out Jiang Yuan's entire family, while Jiang Yuan was not idle either. She caused Song Yanji's offspring to wither away and stirred up the previous dynasty into chaos. It seems that if she had not died, his empire would have ended up in her hands in the end.

Jiang Yuan was somewhat unwilling. Why was she so foolish back then? She died before she could kill Song Yanji.

Hate is like fragrant grass, cut down and it grows back. She murmured these words, which finally turned into a sigh.

In the eleventh year of Zheng'an, the Prince of Fei'an rebelled, and his army marched directly from Moze into Lin'an.

Although Lin'an is under the emperor's nose, it is uncertain how long the emperor can remain on the throne. For a time, the people of Lin'an were filled with anxiety, and there were more rumors than in the six border prefectures that were engulfed in war. In short, this year was not peaceful.

The grapevines in the northwest corner of Chunnuan Pavilion grew exceptionally well, almost covering half of the courtyard. Jiang Yuan loved to cool off under the shade of the vines in the summer, so he instructed people to set up a rattan bed under the vines.

That day, Jiang Yuan lay lazily on the rattan bed in the small courtyard. Zhu Chuan stood beside her, gently fanning her. Bi Fan carefully peeled grapes for her, and the crystal-clear flesh was removed and placed in a silver dish. A silver spoon and a carved lacquer teacup were placed on the table. The fruit tea made with candied oranges emitted a faint fragrance. Jade Dew Frost, Eight Treasure Cake, and Osmanthus Square Pastry were arranged in several small dishes.

She had already ordered her servants to clear away the green bamboo and rocks in the courtyard and dig a pond. Now, in early summer, the lotus flowers in the pond have opened up tiny buds.

When Jiang Yuan was a young lady, she never liked flowers and plants, finding them too vulgar. Later, she married Song Yanji, and after he ascended the throne, he became increasingly busy. Even when he came to the harem, Jiang Yuan always heard him talking about his other wives. Over time, Jiang Yuan fell in love with these mundane things and wasted her time among the flowers and plants in the backyard of Cangfeng Palace, seeking solace in the swaying shadows of the garden.

In the past two years, Jiang Yuan has moved almost all the flower seeds of Nanliang to Chunnuan Pavilion. Asarum, Angelica, Juglans regia, and Ipomoea quamoclit bloom in all four seasons.

Suddenly, a servant in the front yard poked his head into the yard and waved to Luo Nuan, who was closest to him.

"Miss." After a while, Luo Nuan ran to Jiang Yuan's side, bent down and said, "Chang Gui just came over and said that as soon as Master entered the courtyard, he was invited away by Emerald, who is by the Second Miss's side."

Her second older sister.

Jiang Yuan reached out and picked up a pastry, her little finger slightly raised. The pastry, glistening with glitter, was brought to her lips. She took a small bite, finding it sweet and delicious. She immediately narrowed her eyes and said, "Zhu Chuan, have the kitchen prepare some easy-to-eat tea snacks. I'm afraid Father will be calling me soon."

The story begins a few days ago at Yuanbao Pavilion. As the largest jewelry store in Lin'an City, Yuanbao Pavilion recently received a new batch of jewelry, said to be the best in Southern Liang. Jiang Yuan, out of curiosity, also went to take a look. But what kind of place is Lin'an? It's right under the emperor's nose, and the city is teeming with noble families. One princess picked up a couple of pieces, another imperial concubine took a couple, and by the time it was Jiang Yuan's turn, there wasn't much left.

In her previous life, during the years when Jiang Yuan was empress, she squandered Song Yanji's national treasury with extravagant and wasteful spending, including precious jade, gold nuggets, and pearls.

Looking at these pieces of jewelry that others had left over, I really couldn't muster any interest, so I casually picked a few rather ordinary-looking pieces and gave them to the head maids in my room when I got back to the mansion.

Unfortunately, when Bifan paid her respects to her mother this morning, the gold filigree beaded hairpin she was wearing was the same style as Jiang Zhi's. This was outrageous! Jiang Zhi was so angry that her eyes turned red on the spot. When she returned to Xiangsang Courtyard, she didn't stay idle either, causing a huge commotion. Everyone in the mansion knew that the Second Miss had been wronged by her.

This incident terrified Bifan. Firstly, she was afraid that the second young lady would cause trouble, and secondly, she was afraid that the maids and servants in the courtyard would gossip. She dared not wear the flower hairpin again and carefully put it in the box.

"Miss," Bi Fan said, still peeling grapes, hesitating, "How about I go apologize to the Second Miss? That would be..."

“She doesn’t want you to apologize.” Jiang Yuan continued to squint, the force of the fan was just right, the breeze gently brushing across her face, quite refreshing. “She wants me, Miss, to apologize to her.”

“Miss…” Bi Fan’s voice sounded somewhat aggrieved. Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Yuan’s voice rang in her ears.

"She's dreaming."

Bi Fan stared blankly for a moment, then lowered her head and stopped talking. Seeing that the grapes had been peeled, she reached for the bright red lychees.

Less than an hour later, news came from Xiangsang Courtyard that the master had gone to his study.

Jiang Yuan called for someone to bring the tea set, and then wiped his hands with a wet cloth before brewing the tea.

Jiang Yuan's tea-brewing skills are unparalleled. The tea powder is ground extremely finely, and the Moonlight White perfume used for the fragrance is a top-quality product that Jiang Yuan personally selected from Simo merchants. It is rich, lingering, and has an incomparably unique aroma. Jiang Zhongsi loves the fragrance of mint, so when Jiang Yuan was preparing the perfume, he thought for a moment and added a touch of mint.

The yellow stamens simmer in the pot, their color changing from yellow to yellow; the swirling dust and flowers dance in the bowl.

Jiang Yuan's tea is just like that; it has a clear and bright color, and when you swirl the bowl, it releases a fragrant aroma.

Just as the tea was brewed, the servant boy beside the father arrived at the entrance of Chunnuan Pavilion.

“Third Miss.” Rui’an had served her father for many years and Jiang Yuan was quite familiar with her. “Master requests that you go to the study, Miss.”

"Okay." Jiang Yuan waved to Green Branch to fetch tea and snacks from the small kitchen, and then led Zhu Chuan to the study with the servant.

Along the way, Jiang Yuan wanted to laugh. Her father respected her mother, so he naturally wouldn't go to the main room to scold her for offending her mother. As a result, the only place her father could discipline her was the small study.

After passing through several long corridors, Jiang Yuan arrived at his father's Shimo Pavilion in the East Garden. He knocked three times before his father's deep voice finally rang out from inside the study.

Jiang Yuan pushed open the carved pear wood door with one hand and took the lacquer box from Zhu Chuan with the other. As she reached out, she winked at Zhu Chuan and mouthed a worried look.

Chapter 2 Reappearance of Jingzhou

The windows were wide open, letting in plenty of light. Jiang Zhongsi faced his desk, on which lay an unfinished painting, the brushstrokes slightly messy. Jiang Yuan knew her father was currently troubled by the rebellion of the Prince of Fei'an, but she also knew his headache wouldn't last long. Jiang Zhongsi had always been an exceptionally intelligent and shrewd strategist, and her Jiang family had enjoyed its most glorious decade since the Prince of Fei'an's uprising.

She glanced around the study, her eyes casually sweeping over the Meiwen inkstone on the table, before immediately putting on a smiling face and sweetly calling out, "Father."

Jiang Zhongsi snorted coldly, but his writing slowed down. Who was Jiang Yuan? In both her past and present lives, she was her father's most beloved daughter. Although his eldest brother was kind-hearted, he lacked talent. His second brother was born weak and had been on the verge of death with medicine all these years. His third brother was clever but not very capable.

Thinking of her older brothers, Jiang Yuan couldn't help but sigh. Perhaps all the glory of the Jiang family had been given to their father, and when it came to the sons, they were all insignificant.

On the contrary, she, as the daughter, inherited seven or eight parts of her father's temperament. Because of this, her father must have secretly grieved countless times.

"Father." Seeing that Jiang Zhongsi seemed to be relenting, Jiang Yuan quickly presented a lacquered box. "I heard that you went to the palace at dawn this morning and have only just returned home. I suppose you haven't eaten yet, so I brewed some tea soup and brought a few light snacks to tide you over."

Jiang Zhongsi watched as Jiang Yuan carefully brought out several plates of delicate pastries. He knew that his daughter was always particular about food and clothing and liked to come up with new ideas, such as peach blossom cakes and rose mixed fruit cakes. Even the pastries made by the chefs of Babaolou were probably not as varied as those in his daughter's small kitchen.

Taking the teacup from Jiang Yuan, Jiang Zhongsi took a small sip. The temperature was just right, and he knew it was freshly brewed. He glanced at the composed Jiang Yuan beside him, his fingers lightly touching the rim of the cup, causing the tea to ripple gently. "Yuan'er even knows when her father enters and leaves the mansion. She is very thoughtful."

Jiang Yuan opened her mouth, then her eyes darted around, and she tugged at Jiang Zhongsi's sleeve, saying coquettishly, "I went to great lengths, but Father only goes to Aunt Zhao's to see Second Sister whenever he comes back. He doesn't care about me at all."

She can't be the only one involved in this. She has to drag Aunt Zhao and Jiang Zhi down with her. You know, every time Father comes back, there are people waiting at the second gate of Xiangsang Courtyard. As soon as they arrive, they are taken away.

My mother was proud and aloof, and she would never do something like competing for favor with a concubine. But she was different. Although she was cunning, Jiang Zhi was no innocent white lotus either.

Jiang Zhongsi, a man born out of wedlock who could still thrive in officialdom, could not possibly hide the affairs of the inner quarters from his eyes. He couldn't help but chuckle on the spot, "You little girl, I don't know where you learned to be so quick-witted."

"If I were clumsy with words, how could I be worthy of being Father's daughter?" Jiang Yuan knew when to stop and quickly picked up a plate of pastries and presented it to Jiang Zhongsi like a treasure. "This is a jadeite cold roll with some mint inside. It's refreshing and perfect for this early summer weather."

"You silly girl." Jiang Zhongsi didn't refuse her request. He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. Instantly, the refreshing and cool taste filled his throat and lungs. The two refreshing treats calmed his restlessness. "I heard from Zhi'er that you deliberately embarrassed the servants in front of them again today?"

Finally, it happened. Jiang Yuan pouted and muttered, "Why do I always embarrass her?"

Although Jiang Yuan had lived for nearly forty years across her two lifetimes, and didn't usually like to argue with Jiang Zhi, she couldn't stand Jiang Zhi's constant buzzing in her ear.

Either Jiang Yuan's dress was of better style and material than hers, or the gifts given to her by other ladies at poetry gatherings or banquets were more valuable than hers; she always managed to find something to cause trouble for her father.

Because her father was born out of wedlock, he was more affectionate towards the young masters and ladies born out of wedlock in the mansion. Madam Jiang would not deliberately cause trouble for Jiang Zhongsi, and usually turned a blind eye to her behavior.

If it were Jiang Yuan in her previous life, even with her strong personality, she would inevitably feel some grievances. But now, in her eyes, her mother was determined to spoil Jiang Zhi. After all, when a concubine's daughter comes of age and gets married, the difference between her and a legitimate daughter like Jiang Yuan will be a thousand times more obvious than usual.

Jiang Zhiruo was truly ambitious beyond her years, unable to see her place. This would soon become the beginning of all her suffering. In her past life, Jiang Zhiruo was indeed like that. Her mother sought out every eligible young man for her, but she always complained about his low social standing or his family background. She was dragged out her marriage until she was almost twenty, when her father, in a fit of anger, forced her to marry into Shunkang, becoming the second wife of the county magistrate. This marriage was far too low a position for her.

After that, there was no news from Lin'an. Jiang Yuan didn't know if she was doing well, but given her father's love for Jiang Zhi, he figured he had chosen a good husband for her.

Thinking about it this way, all her older sisters married well, but her husband was the only one whom even her father misjudged.

That seemingly gentle and mild-mannered hypocrite was actually full of scheming.

Pulling herself back to reality, Jiang Yuan still had a grumpy face and was unhappy. "Father always favors Second Sister. A few days ago, when the old lady of Guang'an Prefecture celebrated her birthday, she gave me a pair of white jade bracelets with gold floral patterns. Second Sister immediately turned pale. But these items were given by the old lady, so I couldn't very well give one to Second Sister."

“But we can’t let the maids in the manor use the same things as the young lady.” This girl changed her address to “father” when she was unhappy, showing a strong childishness. Jiang Zhongsi tapped Jiang Yuan’s forehead. “Let’s leave it at that. You can have the maid keep the jewelry safe. We’ll reward her with another one later.”

“Father.” Jiang Yuan suddenly seemed to remember something, her pearly teeth parting slightly, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Please feel free to speak."

Jiang Yuan filled his cup with tea, thinking to himself that, judging by the current date, the army of the Prince of Fei'an should have already arrived in Jingzhou.

Jiang Yuan hadn't witnessed it firsthand in his previous life, but he knew the Battle of Jingzhou had resulted in heavy casualties. The loss of several fierce generals by the Prince of Fei'an spurred him to vow a bloodbath for Jingzhou. Although the city was difficult to attack but easy to defend, it couldn't withstand the repeated attacks of the Prince of Fei'an's 200,000 troops. Prefect Yu Huai'an then ordered the entire city to stockpile gunpowder, preparing for a desperate last stand.

Unexpectedly, things took a dramatic turn. He made a three-point agreement with Song Yanji, the vanguard commander who would later lead the attack on the city: no killing, no looting, and no rape. Then, the city gates were opened wide, and the army of the Prince of Fei'an marched straight in, capturing Lin'an. Song Yanji was indeed a capable man; he successfully persuaded the Prince of Fei'an to abandon the plan to massacre the city, and his reputation soared because of the Battle of Jingzhou.

Years later, when Song Yanji deposed the emperor and became emperor himself, the historian mentioned this period of history. He appeared quite calm: "I cannot bear to see the piles of bones turned to ashes and the white bones covering the fields."

Jiang Yuan scoffed inwardly. Yu Huai'an's official career had skyrocketed after he was granted the imperial robes, and there must have been some shady dealings involved in the Battle of Jingzhou.

Jiang Yuan's eyes glanced almost imperceptibly at the She inkstone on the table, before finally settling on the painting of clouds rising over Youzhou. The brushstrokes were messy, just like Jiang Zhongsi's current state of mind.

My father had already made contact with the Prince of Fei'an long ago, and had also planted spies in Jingzhou. At this moment, there was a map of Jingzhou hidden in the hidden compartment of the She inkstone.

In his previous life, his father hesitated for too long and missed the best opportunity, which led to him having to take risks later. Even though the army of the Prince of Fei'an entered the capital almost in the blink of an eye, Li Sheng was still wary of his father.