What bold words indeed.
Shen Jie calculated his age—after another two months, once the coming-of-age ceremony was performed, it truly would be time to discuss marriage.
He smiled. "Does the Marquis know of your thinking?"
"He knows."
Yan Lin's sword hung at his waist. He turned his wrist and casually flicked the horse whip, his posture carefree and unrestrained.
The nine-layered palace walls lay ahead.
Only after he'd first removed his sword did he continue: "Father says the Jiang Manor comes from a family of scholars and books. Moreover, Lord Jiang currently serves as Vice Minister of Revenue, holding a substantive position. In the early years when His Majesty ascended the throne, it was he who secretly escorted Master Xie to the capital—that can be considered meritorious service to the dragon throne. He's also friends with Master Xie. She is the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, so with me, it can barely be considered a suitable match. After performing the coming-of-age ceremony in November, we'll send someone to the manor to propose marriage."
"You youngster normally don't bother with those profligates in the capital, and when renowned ladies and gentle women flirt with you, you don't pay them half a bit of attention. This Prince thought you were young and didn't understand matters between men and women, that you were pure-hearted and ascetic. Who would have thought you'd already calculated everything behind the scenes—I couldn't tell at all!"
Shen Jie pondered carefully and slowly began to grasp the full flavor of it all.
"Moreover, after I was drunk last night, my behavior wasn't improper. It was merely that when I woke this morning, I unintentionally rested my hand on her shoulder, and you rushed to tell me about her identity as a young lady, even saying you'll marry her in the future. Yan Lin, isn't this protecting her a bit too much?"
As the saying goes, "a friend's wife must not be coveted." Yan Lin's earlier words, besides reminding Shen Jie that Jiang Xuening was a young lady and should maintain proper distance in the future, also clearly circled Jiang Xuening into his territory and stamped his seal upon her—cutting off any covetous thoughts others might harbor before they could even form.
Having this small bit of scheming exposed, the youth's handsome face rarely turned slightly red, yet his voice grew even louder than before, as if volume could provide cover: "What's wrong with protecting her? I'm willing!"
Just that domineering.
Shen Jie couldn't help but laugh at this display.
The two stopped before the Meridian Gate.
Yan Lin handed over his sword and entered with Shen Jie, passing through the Gate of Assembled Excellence on the right to reach Wenhua Hall.
The current Emperor, Shen Jie's imperial brother Shen Lang, had ascended the throne four years ago.
In any dynasty, the year of imperial succession was extremely perilous.
The year Shen Lang ascended the throne proved no exception.
The late Emperor had become confused from illness, confining Shen Lang within the palace. Somehow in his delirium, he wanted to send the prince to a fiefdom. For a time, all of Shen Lang's retainers were thrown into chaos. Fortunately, Xie Wei came to the capital—it could truly be said he appeared from nowhere. He first stabilized Shen Lang's power base in the capital, then invited a renowned physician to cure the late Emperor's illness. Only then did the late Emperor establish a final edict passing the throne to the Third Prince, Shen Lang.
Xie Wei, courtesy name Ju'an, came from the prestigious Xie clan of Jinling—that "Xie" from the poem's line "swallows that once graced the halls of Wang and Xie."
However, by this dynasty, the Xie clan had nearly declined.
He had passed the imperial examination and become a jinshi at twenty, even entering the Hanlin Academy. But not long after, a mourning report came from Jinling announcing that Lady Xie had died of illness at home. Xie Wei thus observed the mourning period, returning to Jinling to mourn his mother for three years.
Three years later, at age twenty-three, he secretly returned to the capital, arriving at precisely the right moment.
In one stroke, he pulled back the tides from collapse, helping Shen Lang smoothly ascend the throne. Together with Monk Yuanji, he became one of the new Emperor's most trusted confidants.
Without holding any substantive position, he was granted the title of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince.
The palace had long had no princes, so there was no need to lecture princes. Instead, he lectured the Emperor himself. It could be said he had "no title of Imperial Tutor, yet held the reality of an Imperial Tutor."
Recently, as the autumn chill turned cooler, Shen Lang had gradually felt unwell in his dragon body. He had summoned the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet into the palace several times in secret.
No one knew what specifically was discussed.
But starting last month, Shen Lang issued an edict selecting and summoning imperial clan members to the palace to attend the classics mat lectures and daily instruction with him. This included several of his brothers, among them Shen Jie.
When Yan Lin and Shen Jie arrived at Wenhua Hall, the daily lecture had already been progressing for some time.
Chief Eunuch Huangde, who was guarding the entrance, immediately rushed over upon seeing them arrive, bowing and urgently whispering: "Why did Your Highness and the Young Marquis arrive so late today? The lecture has been going on for two quarters of an hour already. If you two enter now, you'll definitely be seen by the Junior Tutor!"
When they were happily drinking wine last night, how could they have remembered they had to attend the daily lecture today?
Shen Jie and Yan Lin exchanged a glance, feeling their heads ache.
This Master Xie Wei had always balanced leniency with strictness. People said he possessed "the lingering style of the ancient sages," but his eyes also tolerated little nonsense.
Last time, Prince Yanping, who was quite beloved by His Majesty, arrived merely half a quarter-hour late. He didn't dare make a fuss and only quietly slipped in from beside the hall door. Who would have thought Xie Wei caught him red-handed and called him out right there in the hall, asking him to recite yesterday's lesson on "On Factions."
Prince Yanping, young and playful, how could he possibly recite it?
He stood there stammering for ages, his face turning bright red.
Xie Wei didn't express anger. Instead, he gently asked him to sit back down, saying that perhaps yesterday's lecture was too complex for him to remember—which was normal—taking the blame upon himself.
After Prince Yanping sat down, he felt immensely ashamed.
That very day, after returning to his own manor, he studied by lamplight deep into the night. The next day at Wenhua Hall, he wasn't late by half a moment. Not only did he smoothly recite "On Factions," he also recited "Memorial to Emperor Taizong: Ten Thoughts," causing everyone to regard him with new eyes.
From then on, he became diligent and progressive.
Even if Prince Yanping lost face, he was only fourteen and could still claim to be a child who didn't understand things.
But Yan Lin and Shen Jie were both no longer young. They cared deeply about face.
At this moment, looking at the entrance to Wenhua Hall and hearing the faint sounds of lecturing from within, they both felt their scalps tingle, somewhat intimidated.
It was Huangde who proved clever. After pondering for a moment, he offered a suggestion: "The Junior Tutor has always dealt with matters on the spot, but once time has passed, he doesn't pursue them and never brings up old accounts. The Bureau of Ceremonial Equipage sent up an ancient zither today, and His Majesty gifted it to the Junior Tutor. During the tea break between lectures later, he'll definitely try the zither. The Junior Tutor loves the zither—why don't Your Highness and the Young Marquis wait a bit longer? Wait until the Junior Tutor plays the zither before entering, and you should be able to get through it."
Shen Jie and Yan Lin immediately felt saved and hastily bowed to him: "Many thanks, Eunuch!"
Having said this, they quietly withdrew to wait in a side hall, which need not be mentioned further.
Jiang Xuening didn't know what scene would unfold when Yan Lin and Shen Jie went to the palace at this hour to attend the classics mat daily lecture.
After the two departed, she too quickly set out on the road back to the manor.
During her youth, she had walked through nearly all the large and small streets and lanes of the capital. Just coming out from the inn, she still felt somewhat disoriented and couldn't quite match up the directions. Fortunately, after just a few steps, her old memories gradually revived, and she quickly found the road back to the Jiang Manor.
People came and went on the streets.
Vendors put on smiling faces and called out their wares loudly.
Young children held up dough figurines, chasing and playing…
All of this worldly atmosphere rushed toward her, settling on Jiang Xuening's brows. Her originally tense body slowly relaxed. Only then did she finally feel that rebirth was becoming tangible, no longer that hazy dreamlike state when facing Shen Jie and Yan Lin earlier.
Right now, she wasn't the Empress.
Nor did she have to always live in that Kunning Palace surrounded by high walls on all sides.
Walking on this street, Jiang Xuening felt like a fish returned to water, even her footsteps becoming lighter.
The Jiang Manor was located on Locust Tree Alley—not too far to walk. In no time, she caught sight of that vermillion-colored gate.
To be honest, she didn't harbor particularly deep feelings for the Jiang Manor.
After all, she only returned to the capital at fourteen. Before that, she had grown up on the estate in Tongzhou, raised by her father Jiang Boyou's concubine, Wanniang.
In her birth mother's words, she had been raised to ruin.
Jiang Xuening's background carried quite a story.
She was originally born to her father's legitimate wife, Lady Meng. But when Lady Meng was pregnant with her, she was embroiled in an unpleasant conflict with Wanniang.
Wanniang was a Yangzhou courtesan who had been gifted to her father, later elevated to concubine status. She was quite favored by her father and was also heavily pregnant at the time.
According to Wanniang, Lady Meng had fabricated some fault and wanted to send her away to the estate.
Wanniang wasn't someone easily dealt with either.
Seeing that her fate of being exiled to the Tongzhou estate was already decided, she simply went all in. Taking advantage of the chaos when both she and Lady Meng gave birth on the same night, she switched the daughter she bore with the daughter Lady Meng bore.
From then on, Wanniang's daughter transformed into the legitimate young lady of the Jiang Manor—fine clothes and precious food, learning propriety and righteousness, called Jiang Xuehui.
Lady Meng's daughter went with Wanniang to the estate, her nature running wild in the fields. She didn't know half a bit of the proper rules for a daughter of a great family.
This unlucky daughter of Lady Meng was, naturally, Jiang Xuening.
Fortunately, Wanniang treated her quite well, teaching her to read and write, teaching her makeup and fragrances, without any mistreatment whatsoever.
Looking back now, Jiang Xuening realized Wanniang's calculations had been extraordinarily deep.
Because four years ago, when Wanniang fell gravely ill, she directly sent a letter to the capital, revealing the truth of that year's baby-switching incident.
With that, the entire Jiang Manor exploded into chaos.
After verification, people came from the capital.
But Wanniang couldn't be bothered to waste words with them. Dropping the line "regret comes too late," she departed this world, leaving behind a monumental mess.
Lady Meng hated Wanniang bitterly, but Wanniang hadn't mistreated her daughter after all, and had left those words "regret comes too late," proving she harbored a repentant heart.
She had no way to continue quarreling with a dead person.
Even less could she vent her anger on Jiang Xuehui.
The Jiang Manor was also a family of standing and reputation. Having such an ugly incident occur, it wasn't advisable to make a big fuss. Though the eldest daughter was born to Wanniang, she had been raised at Lady Meng's knee from childhood—dignified and virtuous. She and Lady Meng already shared mother-daughter affection, and she bore no responsibility for that year's incident. If they restored her status as a concubine-born daughter, it would likely invite mockery, and her marriage prospects would probably become difficult.
So the entire manor deliberated and chose a compromise solution.
They would claim that Jiang Xuening had her fate read by a great master when young, saying she would face disaster before age fourteen and must avoid prosperity to survive it, so she was sent to the estate to be raised as an ordinary family's child.
Now that she had passed fourteen, naturally she would be brought back to the manor.
Thus the Jiang Manor boasted two legitimate young ladies.
When Jiang Xuening first returned to the Jiang Manor, she was still rather restrained. Whatever Lady Meng instructed her to learn, she learned, trying earnestly to be a proper young lady. But Vice Minister Jiang possessed a compassionate father's heart. He particularly pitied this ill-fated daughter and felt even deeper guilt, so he was somewhat indulgent.
As time progressed, Jiang Xuening's temperament became willful and pampered.
She even bullied Jiang Xuehui.
Later, after meeting Yan Lin, no one could control her at all.
The first time her cross-dressing as a man was exposed, Lady Meng was so furious she scolded her, declaring she was indeed raised by that little wretch Wanniang.
Jiang Boyou also finally felt things had escalated too far.
But he couldn't withstand her going out to play under Yan Lin's leadership. After the young Yan Lin paid a visit to the Jiang Manor and had a conversation with Jiang Boyou, the manor tacitly permitted this behavior.
When Jiang Xuening cross-dressed as a man, everyone called her "Young Cousin," and from top to bottom, they all helped cover for her, treating it as if the Jiang Manor genuinely had such a person.
So now when she returned, the gatekeeper merely lifted his eyelids in surprise, then quickly ducked his head, timidly calling out "Young Cousin has returned."
Land prices in the capital were precious. Though Jiang Boyou held a substantive position like Vice Minister of Revenue, he was after all only a third-rank official. Though his family was well-off, he didn't dare be too ostentatious. The four-courtyard residence was built small but exquisite.
Jiang Xuening still remembered that at this time, she should be living in the west wing room.
Next door resided Jiang Xuehui.
In her previous life, when she first returned, seeing Jiang Xuehui triggered both inferiority and jealousy. After her temperament became willful and pampered, she always wielded the fact that Jiang Xuehui was originally born to a concubine to control her, tacitly allowing servants to demean her.
She had stolen Jiang Xuehui's opportunity to enter the palace as a study companion.
She had even stolen Jiang Xuehui's marriage—
The person Shen Jie had originally been interested in was actually Jiang Xuehui. It was just that he only possessed a handkerchief as a token and didn't know which young lady of the Jiang family it belonged to, which gave Jiang Xuening the opportunity.
Jiang Xuehui later married a jinshi from the imperial examinations and left the capital with him.
Only during the New Year period when imperial consorts entered the palace to pay respects did Jiang Xuening see her again, but always from afar.
She only heard that she was doing quite well.
Now having to face again this "elder sister" who seemed to have taken away the life that should have been hers, Jiang Xuening felt somewhat conflicted. She wanted to return to her room and then contemplate what attitude she should adopt toward Jiang Xuehui in the future.
But just as she walked to the covered corridor, she heard a pinched voice.
Obviously a matron.
"What the eldest young lady says is truly laughable. Our quarters have more people, your quarters have fewer people—what's wrong with us taking a bit more of this portion?
"Don't you know what status you hold?
"Never mind you—even if the second young lady came, I wouldn't be afraid! I was the one who went to fetch the second young lady back to the manor back then. She's completely obedient to me. If I tell her to go east, she wouldn't dare go west!"
"You!"
Standing beneath the covered corridor was a woman wearing a sky-blue embroidered robe with intertwining lotus patterns. She had an oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows. Though her features weren't as enchantingly stunning as Jiang Xuening's, between her brows and eyes naturally resided an air of dignity.
At this moment, however, a trace of anger surfaced.
This was Jiang Xuehui.
Behind her followed a small maid wearing a vest. Three steps ahead stood a woman decked in gold and silver. A black mole below her lip revealed a measure of meanness. The corner of her mouth hooked up to one side as she regarded Jiang Xuehui with eyes full of careless mockery.
When Jiang Xuening walked over, she happened to position herself behind the woman, who didn't see her.
Hearing that phrase "completely obedient," her eyebrows suddenly arched—
How did I not know I was completely obedient to anyone?
That matron was Wang Xingjia's wife, who served in Jiang Xuening's quarters. She had originally served at Lady Meng's side and had indeed gone to the estate to fetch her back, taking quite good care of her along the way.
Later, Jiang Xuening had requested Lady Meng assign this person to her.
From then on, Wang Xingjia's wife treated her like reborn parents, practically wanting to kneel and lick her boots.
Behind the scenes, she harbored this kind of attitude?
Wang Xingjia's wife couldn't see Jiang Xuening, but Jiang Xuehui, who faced her, saw everything crystal clear.
In this instant, her heart truly turned half cold.
This younger sister in the manor was a famously unruly little tyrant. Arriving at this bone of contention during an argument, she would likely make a scene without distinguishing right from wrong, creating quite an awkward situation.
The maid standing behind her already had legs going soft, trembling as she called out to Jiang Xuening: "Se-second young lady, greetings…"
Wang Xingjia's wife's body instantly stiffened, but when she turned around, the earlier arrogance and sarcasm had completely vanished, replaced by a face full of smiles—enthusiastic, fawning, and extremely delighted: "Oh my, my second young lady, you've finally returned! This old servant stewed black chicken soup at home and also prepared your favorite pineapple pastries!"
As she spoke, she also obsequiously extended her hand toward Jiang Xuening, seemingly wanting to support her.
On that wrist gleamed a green jade bracelet.
The jade was translucent, its luster warm and moist.
At a glance, it was clearly top-quality Hetian green jade.
Jiang Xuening lowered her eyes to look, and her pupils suddenly contracted…
This bracelet…
In her previous life, before Wanniang departed, she had grasped her hand. Though Jiang Xuening knew at the time that Wanniang wasn't her birth mother but rather the villain who had taken her away, having spent so many years together and not understanding the stakes involved, she hadn't developed hatred toward Wanniang.
So she thought Wanniang had something to say to her.
Who would have thought that Wanniang would press this bracelet into her hand and sorrowfully say: "Ningning, Auntie begs you for one thing. If you return to the manor and see the eldest young lady, please help me give this to her…"
At that time, Jiang Xuening felt like a basin of cold water had been poured over her head.
Perhaps her jealousy of Jiang Xuehui began from that moment.
After Wanniang passed away and she returned to the Jiang Manor, she had abandoned this bracelet in a box, preferring to let it rot rather than give it to Jiang Xuehui.
Later, after experiencing many trials, when she thought of Wanniang and recalled old matters, when she wanted to find this bracelet again, she truly could never locate it.
She never expected to see it here on Wang Xingjia's wife's wrist.
Jiang Xuening looked quietly at Wang Xingjia's wife, the expression on her face suddenly becoming somewhat inscrutable.
Wang Xingjia's wife continued smiling: "Look at you in these clothes, you must have played until you're tired. This old servant will attend you back to your quarters…"
However, when she raised her eyes and met Jiang Xuening's gaze, somehow a chill suddenly shot up her spine.
Jiang Xuening didn't look at Jiang Xuehui beside her. She only lightly pulled at the corner of her lips, staring at Wang Xingjia's wife: "How did I not know before that you possessed such great skill—you even know the special art of face-changing?"
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