That night, Jiang Chenyu saw that the lights in her father’s study were still bright and there were covert guards scuttling in and out. The two figures of her father and elder brother, visible on the window were pacing around anxiously.
Coincidentally, Madam Jiang happened to walk past while bringing her maidservants along with her. She hurriedly called out, “Mother.”
Madam Jiang turned her head around. When she saw that it was her, she gently said, “Chenyu, why haven’t you gone to sleep yet?”
“I can’t fall asleep.”
Madam Jiang advised her, “Regarding the matter of the marriage proposal card, I have already ordered the all the servants to hush up and not disclose it to the public. I have even found a craftsman to return it to its original state. Rest assured, I guarantee that it will be done flawlessly and no one will be able to discern the traces that it has been burned before. You also shouldn’t think too much. Quickly go to sleep.”
Jiang Chenyu looked at the supper the maidservant was carrying in her hand and said, “Is Mother going to Father and Elder Brother’s study?”
Madam Jiang sighed. “They’re all waiting for news from the palace. I’m afraid that they won’t be able to sleep tonight. I have prepared Asparagus and Water Shield Soup and Crystal Dumplings so that they won’t be hungry in the night.”
“Let me go.” As Jiang Chenyu said that, she took the tray from the maidservant’s hands. When Madam Jiang saw her like this, she knew inwardly that she had something she wanted to tell them. She nodded her head on the spot and said, “That’s fine too, then I’ll have you send it over.”
Jiang Chenyu carried the supper and knocked against the door of the study then walked in. Jiang Zhong and Jiang Xiaocheng were sitting beside the desk and playing chess. When they raised their heads and saw that it was her, they were also not surprised. Jiang Xiaocheng said, “Younger Sister, you came just at the right time. I heard that when Consort Xihe vomited blood today, you were also at the scene. Quickly say what exactly happened.”
Thus, Jiang Chenyu described the whole incident from the start until the end. When she saw that her Father and Elder Brother’s expressions were getting more solemn, she involuntarily asked, “Father, have you found out who poisoned Consort Xihe?”
Jiang Zhong let out a sound of bitter laughter. “The main point isn’t about who added the poison at all, but who the Emperor wishes for to have added the poison.”
Jiang Chenyu was perplexed. “Father’s meaning is?”
“Do you still not understand, Chenyu?” Jiang Xiaocheng said at one side, “The letter from the palace we received just now said that the Emperor has already imprisoned the Empress.”
Jiang Chenyu was appalled. “The Empress? It’s the Empress who added the poison?
Impossible! It’s impossible that it’s her……”
“See see, even you don’t believe it. Who in the palace can believe?”
“Father, what’s exactly the matter?”
As Jiang Zhong looked at the chess pieces which were strewn at random in a complicated manner on the chessboard, his countenance became even more sorrowful. He muttered, “After all, I’m a step too late……Oh that’s not it, it’s from the beginning until the end, I have already been completely cut off outside……”
Jiang Chenyu turned her head towards her elder brother for help but Jiang Xiaocheng’s gaze was also glued to the game of chess. She lowered her voice as she spoke, “Father, now that it has come to this, what should we do?”
“What else can we do? There’s no room for us to intefere at all.”
“Then we’re just going to look on helplessly like this?”
“Yes.” Jiang Zhong raised his eyes to look at his own daughter. Under the candlelight, Jiang Chenyu’s appearance was more beautiful as one looked at it. That was a genuinely a type of beauty which radiated with the light of spring and was so flawlessly pure without a stain of vicissitudes. The so-called ‘young lady of an eminent family’ was completely displayed on her……It’s just a pity that this kind of appearance, this kind of jade-like quality, were still unable to be put to good use……
“Chenyu, you should go back to sleep.”
“If Father doesn’t say it clearly, this daughter won’t leave.”
“There are some matters in which the less you know, the better it is.”
Jiang Chenyu was dumbstruck for a long time before she used an abnormally faint voice to say, “Father really feels that I can still keep myself out of it when the matter has already reached this stage?”
Jiang Zhong and Jiang Xiaocheng both jolted in surprise. The father and son exchanged glances with one another. Finally, it was Jiang Xiaocheng who opened his mouth to say, “Younger Sister, do you know why we were this proactive in hastily bringing together your marriage with Marquis Qi Ao?”
Why? This question was asked really well.
For her, it was because she admired Gentleman; For Mother, it was because Mother felt that Ji Ying was a person she could entrust her whole life to; But for Father and Elder Brother, what they took fancy to was definitely not him as a ‘person’, but simply all the power and status he had.
Thus, it is apparent from here that when females and males are contemplating the same thing, there has already been a difference between heaven and earth that originally existed. But how could she say this kind of words out?
Hence, Jiang Chenyu could only remain silent.
While in her silence, Jiang Zhong heaved a deep sigh and said slowly, “As everyone knows, Tu Bi* formerly had four great aristocratic families, ‘Wang’, ‘Ji’, ‘Xue’ and ‘Jiang’. Back in those days when the imperial princes were competing for the position of crown prince, the Wang Clan protected Crown Prince Quan while the Xue Clan protected the current emperor. As for the Ji Family, as the old Marquis Ji Xi was so ill that he was about to die back then, he was totally powerless to take charge of affairs, but His Majesty was captivated by Ji Hu’s talent and insisted on marrying her as his wife. It was said that Ji Hu was disagreeable at the start, but she somehow changed her mind after that and thus married. In that way, His Majesty had the Xue Family’s support and also obtained the Ji Family’s assistance, ultimately attaining this title of emperor. Whereas for our Jiang Family, we have always maintained a neutral stance from the beginning until the end.”
*T/n: A more ancient way of referring to a region. In this case, it’s just referring to Nation Bi.
These words were similar to a hand which lifted open the past and at the same time also slowly wiped away the chaotic situation in front of them. Jiang Chenyu saw some things that started to float to the surface of the water with every line all being that distinct.
“That’s also to say that with regards to the matter of His Majesty ascending the throne, it can be considered that our Jiang Family didn’t contribute even an iota. Hence, despite His Majesty continuing to appoint this Father as the Right Prime Minister, in this Father’s heart, I have constantly been guilty and unsettled since the start. It’s also due to this that three years ago, this Father hurriedly sent Huayue into the palace to. On one hand, it expressed the loyalty of a subject and on the other hand, I also hoped that Huayue could receive the imperial favor and safeguard the whole family.”
Elder Sister……was actually sent into the palace in that manner……She had always always thought that her vain and competitive Elder Sister wanted to enter the palace out of her own will because she once said, “If I’m going to live, then I must live as a person above people; If I’m going to marry, then I must marry the monarch, only then will I not have lived this life in vain!”
Jiang Chenyu’s fists in her sleeves were slowly clenched tight. She suddenly felt that the past her had been so naive and ridiculous. She thought that all would be fine as long as she did not hear and did not see all the mutual deception, as long as she herself remained innocent all the way but she had never once considered what it was which had allowed her to be that carefree and unfettered. That was all the sacrifices of her family members! Father’s sacrifice, Elder Brother’s sacrifice, Elder Sister’s sacrifice……
“However, although Huayue is favored, there is no hope for her to be conferred as Empress. On top of that, after Xihe appeared, even that smidgen of favor has also vanished. I heard that His Majesty has already not stepped into Jia Ning Palace for half a year.” When Jiang Zhong said until here, he sighed deeply again. “This half a year, Xihe and the Empress’ conflict has been getting more intense with each passing day. On the surface, it appears that His Majesty always sides with the Xue Family, but upon mulling over it, it should be that the one he’s truly protecting is actually Xihe. After all, compared to the Empress who has the support of her whole family clan, that kind of person like Xihe who comes from a humble origin and has no background could unexpectedly live in the inner palace without any harm at all. Isn’t this a miracle? Holding on to these thoughts, this Father started to investigate secretly and I have finally made out an inkling……”
“What inkling?”
Jiang Zhong lowered his voice and enunciated each and every word, “The ones who really have a conflict are not Xihe and the Empress but His Majesty and the Xue Family instead!”
Although Jiang Chenyu has seen little of the world, she was a clever person who understood with just a little prompt. With Father saying it out, she immediately understood. After she understood, she carefully recalled those matters that have transpired. The more she thought about it, the more fearful she became. In the end, she could not refrain herself from exclaiming “ah”.
“You have also thought of it right? The Xue Clan is tyrannical and overbearing, monopolizing power and arrogating to themselves the political scene. His Majesty has ascended the throne for four years but has to listen to his opinions for every matter and be restrained by him. If he were an ordinary and a fatuous ruler, then it would have been fine. However, this master of ours just has to be resolute in handling affairs and adept at scheming as well as extremely intelligent and able to endure silently. Hence, I surmise that he long has the intention to exterminate the Xues, it’s just that the right time has yet to come. After figuring out this point, this Father then started to observe this whole court of literary and military officials. Who sides with the Xue Clan and who sides with His Majesty?”
“It’s Gentleman……”Jiang Chenyu’s voice was very soft and the look on her face became more absent-minded.
“That’s right. When it comes to the one who finds the Xue Clan an eyesore the most and wholeheartedly supports His Majesty the most, there’s currently only the Ji Family.” Jiang Zhong watched his daughter attentively and lamented, “That’s why this Father would want to betroth you to Marquis Qi Ao to express that the Jiang Family is willing to cooperate with concerted efforts and assist His Majesty together. Unfortunately……”
Jiang Chenyu helped him continue, “Unfortunately, we were a step too late. His Majesty is probably already ready and has started to be impatient in waiting to make a move on the Xue Family while Xihe being poisoned is the first step of the whole stratagem.”
Jiang Xiaocheng praised, “Younger Sister is indeed clever.”
Jiang Chenyu continued to analyse, “Regarding the incident of the imperial decree falling into the water, the one who came out to mediate was Gentleman; Now that Consort has been poisoned, it was again Gentleman who brought someone to find out the illness. That’s also to say that Gentleman and His Majesty united to act out a play of forcing an abdication and directed the target of attack to the Empress because all the people know that Xihe is at odds with her. Previously during the incident of the imperial decree falling into the water, Xihe seized the Empress’ shortcoming relentlessly and damaged the Empress’ reputation tremendously. No matter how good-natured one was, one would still bear grudges. This time, since Consort is pregnant, the one who has the most reason and motive to poison her would be the Empress!”
Jiang Xiaocheng cut in, “Previously, the news we received from the palace reported that the eunuch at Bao Hua Palace has already confessed and said that he only poisoned Consort Xihe because he had received bribes from people of the Xue Family. Furthermore, the source of the poison has also been investigated clearly. It is said that it was personally given by the wet nurse, née Cheng, who serves at Empress Xue’s side and that née Cheng had committed suicide by hanging herself. His Majesty flew into a terrible rage over this and passed down an imperial decree to put the Empress under house arrest without saying anything further.”
“When Xue Huai sees that his daughter deposed, he will definitely be enraged but he’s currently defending at the frontier and can’t return for a while whereas his son, Xue Su, is a lascivious and incompetent person and absolutely won’t be His Majesty’s match. It’s just these few days as to whether he gets captured, gets incarcerated or gets killed but in this way……” Jiang Chenyu abruptly exclaimed, “Could it be that His Majesty’s plan is not to just weaken the Xue Family but completely coerce Xue Huai to rebel?”
When this sentence was uttered, silence prevailed over the whole room.
Jiang Zhong and Jiang Xiaocheng had obviously not considered up until this point and their expressions had all changed when they heard it. As for Jiang Zhong, he stared blankly at his daughter and was even more astonished that he was speechless.
That night, Jiang Chenyu saw that the lights in her father’s study were still bright and there were covert guards scuttling in and out. The two figures of her father and elder brother, visible on the window were pacing around anxiously.
Coincidentally, Madam Jiang happened to walk past while bringing her maidservants along with her. She hurriedly called out, “Mother.”
Madam Jiang turned her head around. When she saw that it was her, she gently said, “Chenyu, why haven’t you gone to sleep yet?”
“I can’t fall asleep.”
Madam Jiang advised her, “Regarding the matter of the marriage proposal card, I have already ordered the all the servants to hush up and not disclose it to the public. I have even found a craftsman to return it to its original state. Rest assured, I guarantee that it will be done flawlessly and no one will be able to discern the traces that it has been burned before. You also shouldn’t think too much. Quickly go to sleep.”
Jiang Chenyu looked at the supper the maidservant was carrying in her hand and said, “Is Mother going to Father and Elder Brother’s study?”
Madam Jiang sighed. “They’re all waiting for news from the palace. I’m afraid that they won’t be able to sleep tonight. I have prepared Asparagus and Water Shield Soup and Crystal Dumplings so that they won’t be hungry in the night.”
“Let me go.” As Jiang Chenyu said that, she took the tray from the maidservant’s hands. When Madam Jiang saw her like this, she knew inwardly that she had something she wanted to tell them. She nodded her head on the spot and said, “That’s fine too, then I’ll have you send it over.”
Jiang Chenyu carried the supper and knocked against the door of the study then walked in. Jiang Zhong and Jiang Xiaocheng were sitting beside the desk and playing chess. When they raised their heads and saw that it was her, they were also not surprised. Jiang Xiaocheng said, “Younger Sister, you came just at the right time. I heard that when Consort Xihe vomited blood today, you were also at the scene. Quickly say what exactly happened.”
Thus, Jiang Chenyu described the whole incident from the start until the end. When she saw that her Father and Elder Brother’s expressions were getting more solemn, she involuntarily asked, “Father, have you found out who poisoned Consort Xihe?”
Jiang Zhong let out a sound of bitter laughter. “The main point isn’t about who added the poison at all, but who the Emperor wishes for to have added the poison.”
Jiang Chenyu was perplexed. “Father’s meaning is?”
“Do you still not understand, Chenyu?” Jiang Xiaocheng said at one side, “The letter from the palace we received just now said that the Emperor has already imprisoned the Empress.”
Jiang Chenyu was appalled. “The Empress? It’s the Empress who added the poison?
Impossible! It’s impossible that it’s her……”
“See see, even you don’t believe it. Who in the palace can believe?”
“Father, what’s exactly the matter?”
As Jiang Zhong looked at the chess pieces which were strewn at random in a complicated manner on the chessboard, his countenance became even more sorrowful. He muttered, “After all, I’m a step too late……Oh that’s not it, it’s from the beginning until the end, I have already been completely cut off outside……”
Jiang Chenyu turned her head towards her elder brother for help but Jiang Xiaocheng’s gaze was also glued to the game of chess. She lowered her voice as she spoke, “Father, now that it has come to this, what should we do?”
“What else can we do? There’s no room for us to intefere at all.”
“Then we’re just going to look on helplessly like this?”
“Yes.” Jiang Zhong raised his eyes to look at his own daughter. Under the candlelight, Jiang Chenyu’s appearance was more beautiful as one looked at it. That was a genuinely a type of beauty which radiated with the light of spring and was so flawlessly pure without a stain of vicissitudes. The so-called ‘young lady of an eminent family’ was completely displayed on her……It’s just a pity that this kind of appearance, this kind of jade-like quality, were still unable to be put to good use……
“Chenyu, you should go back to sleep.”
“If Father doesn’t say it clearly, this daughter won’t leave.”
“There are some matters in which the less you know, the better it is.”
Jiang Chenyu was dumbstruck for a long time before she used an abnormally faint voice to say, “Father really feels that I can still keep myself out of it when the matter has already reached this stage?”
Jiang Zhong and Jiang Xiaocheng both jolted in surprise. The father and son exchanged glances with one another. Finally, it was Jiang Xiaocheng who opened his mouth to say, “Younger Sister, do you know why we were this proactive in hastily bringing together your marriage with Marquis Qi Ao?”
Why? This question was asked really well.
For her, it was because she admired Gentleman; For Mother, it was because Mother felt that Ji Ying was a person she could entrust her whole life to; But for Father and Elder Brother, what they took fancy to was definitely not him as a ‘person’, but simply all the power and status he had.
Thus, it is apparent from here that when females and males are contemplating the same thing, there has already been a difference between heaven and earth that originally existed. But how could she say this kind of words out?
Hence, Jiang Chenyu could only remain silent.
While in her silence, Jiang Zhong heaved a deep sigh and said slowly, “As everyone knows, Tu Bi* formerly had four great aristocratic families, ‘Wang’, ‘Ji’, ‘Xue’ and ‘Jiang’. Back in those days when the imperial princes were competing for the position of crown prince, the Wang Clan protected Crown Prince Quan while the Xue Clan protected the current emperor. As for the Ji Family, as the old Marquis Ji Xi was so ill that he was about to die back then, he was totally powerless to take charge of affairs, but His Majesty was captivated by Ji Hu’s talent and insisted on marrying her as his wife. It was said that Ji Hu was disagreeable at the start, but she somehow changed her mind after that and thus married. In that way, His Majesty had the Xue Family’s support and also obtained the Ji Family’s assistance, ultimately attaining this title of emperor. Whereas for our Jiang Family, we have always maintained a neutral stance from the beginning until the end.”
*T/n: A more ancient way of referring to a region. In this case, it’s just referring to Nation Bi.
These words were similar to a hand which lifted open the past and at the same time also slowly wiped away the chaotic situation in front of them. Jiang Chenyu saw some things that started to float to the surface of the water with every line all being that distinct.
“That’s also to say that with regards to the matter of His Majesty ascending the throne, it can be considered that our Jiang Family didn’t contribute even an iota. Hence, despite His Majesty continuing to appoint this Father as the Right Prime Minister, in this Father’s heart, I have constantly been guilty and unsettled since the start. It’s also due to this that three years ago, this Father hurriedly sent Huayue into the palace to. On one hand, it expressed the loyalty of a subject and on the other hand, I also hoped that Huayue could receive the imperial favor and safeguard the whole family.”
Elder Sister……was actually sent into the palace in that manner……She had always always thought that her vain and competitive Elder Sister wanted to enter the palace out of her own will because she once said, “If I’m going to live, then I must live as a person above people; If I’m going to marry, then I must marry the monarch, only then will I not have lived this life in vain!”
Jiang Chenyu’s fists in her sleeves were slowly clenched tight. She suddenly felt that the past her had been so naive and ridiculous. She thought that all would be fine as long as she did not hear and did not see all the mutual deception, as long as she herself remained innocent all the way but she had never once considered what it was which had allowed her to be that carefree and unfettered. That was all the sacrifices of her family members! Father’s sacrifice, Elder Brother’s sacrifice, Elder Sister’s sacrifice……
“However, although Huayue is favored, there is no hope for her to be conferred as Empress. On top of that, after Xihe appeared, even that smidgen of favor has also vanished. I heard that His Majesty has already not stepped into Jia Ning Palace for half a year.” When Jiang Zhong said until here, he sighed deeply again. “This half a year, Xihe and the Empress’ conflict has been getting more intense with each passing day. On the surface, it appears that His Majesty always sides with the Xue Family, but upon mulling over it, it should be that the one he’s truly protecting is actually Xihe. After all, compared to the Empress who has the support of her whole family clan, that kind of person like Xihe who comes from a humble origin and has no background could unexpectedly live in the inner palace without any harm at all. Isn’t this a miracle? Holding on to these thoughts, this Father started to investigate secretly and I have finally made out an inkling……”
“What inkling?”
Jiang Zhong lowered his voice and enunciated each and every word, “The ones who really have a conflict are not Xihe and the Empress but His Majesty and the Xue Family instead!”
Although Jiang Chenyu has seen little of the world, she was a clever person who understood with just a little prompt. With Father saying it out, she immediately understood. After she understood, she carefully recalled those matters that have transpired. The more she thought about it, the more fearful she became. In the end, she could not refrain herself from exclaiming “ah”.
“You have also thought of it right? The Xue Clan is tyrannical and overbearing, monopolizing power and arrogating to themselves the political scene. His Majesty has ascended the throne for four years but has to listen to his opinions for every matter and be restrained by him. If he were an ordinary and a fatuous ruler, then it would have been fine. However, this master of ours just has to be resolute in handling affairs and adept at scheming as well as extremely intelligent and able to endure silently. Hence, I surmise that he long has the intention to exterminate the Xues, it’s just that the right time has yet to come. After figuring out this point, this Father then started to observe this whole court of literary and military officials. Who sides with the Xue Clan and who sides with His Majesty?”
“It’s Gentleman……”Jiang Chenyu’s voice was very soft and the look on her face became more absent-minded.
“That’s right. When it comes to the one who finds the Xue Clan an eyesore the most and wholeheartedly supports His Majesty the most, there’s currently only the Ji Family.” Jiang Zhong watched his daughter attentively and lamented, “That’s why this Father would want to betroth you to Marquis Qi Ao to express that the Jiang Family is willing to cooperate with concerted efforts and assist His Majesty together. Unfortunately……”
Jiang Chenyu helped him continue, “Unfortunately, we were a step too late. His Majesty is probably already ready and has started to be impatient in waiting to make a move on the Xue Family while Xihe being poisoned is the first step of the whole stratagem.”
Jiang Xiaocheng praised, “Younger Sister is indeed clever.”
Jiang Chenyu continued to analyse, “Regarding the incident of the imperial decree falling into the water, the one who came out to mediate was Gentleman; Now that Consort has been poisoned, it was again Gentleman who brought someone to find out the illness. That’s also to say that Gentleman and His Majesty united to act out a play of forcing an abdication and directed the target of attack to the Empress because all the people know that Xihe is at odds with her. Previously during the incident of the imperial decree falling into the water, Xihe seized the Empress’ shortcoming relentlessly and damaged the Empress’ reputation tremendously. No matter how good-natured one was, one would still bear grudges. This time, since Consort is pregnant, the one who has the most reason and motive to poison her would be the Empress!”
Jiang Xiaocheng cut in, “Previously, the news we received from the palace reported that the eunuch at Bao Hua Palace has already confessed and said that he only poisoned Consort Xihe because he had received bribes from people of the Xue Family. Furthermore, the source of the poison has also been investigated clearly. It is said that it was personally given by the wet nurse, née Cheng, who serves at Empress Xue’s side and that née Cheng had committed suicide by hanging herself. His Majesty flew into a terrible rage over this and passed down an imperial decree to put the Empress under house arrest without saying anything further.”
“When Xue Huai sees that his daughter deposed, he will definitely be enraged but he’s currently defending at the frontier and can’t return for a while whereas his son, Xue Su, is a lascivious and incompetent person and absolutely won’t be His Majesty’s match. It’s just these few days as to whether he gets captured, gets incarcerated or gets killed but in this way……” Jiang Chenyu abruptly exclaimed, “Could it be that His Majesty’s plan is not to just weaken the Xue Family but completely coerce Xue Huai to rebel?”
When this sentence was uttered, silence prevailed over the whole room.
Jiang Zhong and Jiang Xiaocheng had obviously not considered up until this point and their expressions had all changed when they heard it. As for Jiang Zhong, he stared blankly at his daughter and was even more astonished that he was speechless.
