Jiang Xingyan slept dreamlessly and had a good night’s rest.
Her muscle memory still woke her up on time at the hour of the Ox (1-3 AM). She stretched refreshingly.
Suddenly, she froze in place.
Something seemed off.
Last night, why hadn’t Brother Yun come to find her?
Oh no, something must have happened!
She quickly threw on her court attire and opened the door—Bang!
A large bouquet of colorful flowers exploded in front of her eyes.
Amidst the fluttering petals, her nose was filled with a rich, delicate fragrance.
Yun Chunfeng stood in the rain of flowers, dressed in a misty blue silk Taoist robe with faint cloud and crane patterns. It made him look like an immortal being, graceful and elegant.
He truly looked like a celestial being descending to earth, here to ferry Jiang Xingyan across the mortal realm.
In his hand, he held a brocade box. Inside lay two white jade hairpins side by side, each carved at the end with a lifelike goose.
“Miss is so perceptive. Brother Yun is truly delighted.”
What Yun Chunfeng feared most was that Jiang Xingyan would look back. But hearing her conversation with Huo Ci last night felt as satisfying and soothing as drinking a bowl of iced sour plum soup on a scorching summer day.
“Tell me, what is love? That drives one to swear life and death together.
Geese are the most faithful and constant. Brother Yun carved these two jade hairpins himself. He only hopes that after he and Miss are united in heart, they may wear them daily.
Together, their music harmonizes; apart, they follow each other in life and death.”
Thump! Thump!
Jiang Xingyan could feel her heart pounding heavily.
She stomped her foot and turned back into the room.
“Hmph, who said she wants to be united in heart with Brother Yun?
Since when did Brother Yun become so smooth-tongued and sweet?”
Yun Chunfeng lowered his head with a soft smile.
Oh, Miss. In this life, you will only grow old together with Brother Yun.
——-
Huo Ci sat dazedly in the carriage heading to the palace.
He had not slept last night.
Those memories he had deliberately suppressed now came flooding back.
Like sharp daggers, they cut him to pieces.
How had he been so ruthless back then?
Saying whatever hurtful thing came to mind to A Yan.
He wasn’t like this at first. When did he start changing?
Was it when he narrowly escaped an arrow on the front lines and received a letter from his mother saying A Yan was throwing her weight around at home, using her pregnancy as an excuse, punishing his cousin by making her kneel in the snow until she nearly caught a chill?
Or was it after he finally returned victorious, but A Yan used the excuse of not feeling well and didn’t come out to meet him?
He was afraid that after marrying him, A Yan would find life in the General’s Mansion less happy than before and leave him again.
He wanted to prove through repeated pushing away and testing that no matter what, A Yan couldn’t leave him.
It wasn’t only falling in love with someone else that counted as an unforgivable sin. Trampling on a sincere heart was even worse.
“General’s Wife, we have arrived at the Imperial Palace.”
Huo Ci snapped back to reality.
He had originally wanted to go to court with A Yan, but unfortunately, the Empress had sent an eunuch early to inform him to bring more of the new pastries from Qianshan Su.
A distinguished guest had arrived these past few days and couldn’t be slighted.
He had no choice but to go to the shop alone, prepare more of the newly developed cream-filled rolled pastries, lotus root powder and osmanthus sugar cakes, water chestnut cakes, along with sweetened steamed cheese curd and milk poria cream. He packed them full into five painted picnic boxes with a Hundred Children pattern, changed into his first-rank life-rank noblewoman’s ceremonial attire, and then hurried towards the palace.
Elderly Attendant Guizhi from the Empress’s side was already waiting outside the Kunming Gate. The moment she saw “Jiang Xingyan,” she quickly smiled and came forward.
“Oh, Madam Huo, you’ve finally arrived. Her Majesty has been waiting for you for some time.”
Huo Ci meticulously observed the proper courtesies and said apologetically, “I’ve kept you waiting, Attendant Guizhi. How terrible of me.”
Xia Feng timely handed a heavy purse to Elderly Attendant Guizhi.
A fleeting look of unease crossed Elderly Attendant Guizhi’s smiling face, and she started to refuse. “Oh my, how can I accept this? We servants are supposed to wait; it’s no trouble at all.”
Huo Ci’s heart skipped a beat.
This Elderly Attendant Guizhi had never refused anything before. When had she ever been so polite?
Something was definitely going on.
He didn’t even need to signal. Xia Feng, not allowing any refusal, firmly pressed the purse into her hands.
“Attendant, aren’t you being a bit too formal? Could it be that this servant has been rude in some way, making you upset, and now you don’t care for me anymore?”
Seeing she couldn’t refuse, Elderly Attendant Guizhi’s eyes showed a flicker of struggle.
At the corner of the Kunming Palace, she tugged at Huo Ci’s sleeve and whispered, “Be careful of Princess Huaiwan.”
Huo Ci nodded in thanks.
As a maidservant who had endured hardship in the palace for most of her life, the fact that she could still struggle internally against injustice meant her conscience wasn’t completely extinguished.
For some reason, Huo Ci suddenly thought of his mother’s personal attendants.
Those four didn’t have a shred of conscience between them.
“How truly gracious Her Majesty the Empress is!”
A wild and unrestrained laugh interrupted Huo Ci’s wandering thoughts.
In the inner palace, where everyone held their breath and maintained strict composure, the only one who could be so presumptuously rude was probably Princess Huaiwan.
Huo Ci frowned slightly.
This princess, who had stolen another’s place, lived so boldly and arrogantly, all because she had usurped A Yan’s life.
Yet, instead of being grateful, she wanted to permanently seize everything A Yan had, even her life.
Such a nature could only be described as ruthlessly vicious.
He wondered what malicious scheme she had devised this time against A Yan.
Taking a few steps towards the Kunming Palace, he heard a eunuch’s shrill announcement: “Her Excellency, First-Rank Life-Rank Noblewoman, Wife of the Grand General of the Northern Garrison, requests an audience!”
Huo Ci composed his expression, tucked his hands in his sleeves, lowered his eyes, and waited at the door.
The laughter and conversation in the Kunming Palace abruptly stopped.
“Please, invite her in.”
The Empress’s dignified and graceful voice sounded from inside.
Huo Ci followed the guiding Elderly Attendant Guizhi all the way to the main hall.
He maintained the most meticulous etiquette, not daring to look directly at the Empress. Placing his hand on his forehead, he knelt deeply on the floor.
“Your servant wife pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress. May Her Majesty live a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!”
The Empress lowered her gaze to look at the respectful “Jiang Xingyan.” Her face wore an impeccable smile, but the hatred in her heart was known only to herself.
She was about to grant her permission to rise when Princess Huaiwan, who was seated beside her, suddenly interjected, “Your Majesty hasn’t finished telling Huaiwan about the auspicious omens at the Third Prince’s birth.”
The Empress remained composed.
At the welcoming banquet last night, Princess Huaiwan, who usually got whatever she wanted, had been rejected by “Huo Ci.”
If she didn’t use this opportunity to slight Huo Jiang-shi, it wouldn’t be in her nature.
Didn’t the Empress herself want to use this chance to discipline “Jiang Xingyan” and retaliate for “Huo Ci” dragging Xiao Chonghua into his accusations at court yesterday, which had led to her and her family being punished?
But if she angered “Huo Ci” further, it might be even worse for her son.
So, she gave Princess Huaiwan an out: “That’s a long story. Perhaps it’s better to let Madam Huo Jiang rise first.”
Shangguan Luoyue tilted her head, her tone aggrieved. “But in the Great Xia Kingdom, it’s customary for subjects to kneel and wait for the ruler to finish speaking before rising to present their memorial.
This woman doesn’t look frail, nor is she pregnant or anything.
Why not let her kneel over there and wait? She can rise after Her Majesty finishes speaking. What do you think?”
Huo Ci was speechless internally: So it begins already?
Fortunately, any harm he suffered would transfer to his own body.
As long as A Yan’s physical health wasn’t damaged.
The Empress, not wanting to slight Princess Huaiwan, had no choice but to pick up her previous story and continue, “At that time, the delivery room was filled with a brilliant red light, and a sound like a dragon’s roar was heard.
My son was in a breech position; the midwives were extremely flustered. If the buttocks or feet emerge first, it’s very likely to lead to a difficult birth, endangering both mother and child.
But when His Majesty hurried over and spoke a few words to him, it was as if he could understand. He moved around in my womb a few times before being born safely. Both mother and son were safe.”
The Empress turned the tourmaline Buddhist prayer beads in her palm and silently recited another prayer.
Princess Huaiwan wasn’t done with “Jiang Xingyan” yet. She asked several more questions in succession. After half an hour had passed, she pretended to just notice and exclaimed in surprise:
“Oh dear, look at me. I was so engrossed in Her Majesty’s legendary story that I forgot Madam Jiang has been holding her bow this whole time!
Your Majesty, please allow ‘her’ to rise!”
The Empress rolled her eyes internally: You say both the good and the bad, don’t you?
Without further ado, Huo Ci took the opportunity to bow respectfully to Princess Huaiwan. “This servant wife was unaware of Your Highness’s presence and has been remiss. This servant wife pays respects to Princess Huaiwan. May Your Highness’s beauty endure forever, and may the Emperor’s favor never wane.”
— You’d best continue to look like A Yan. Otherwise, that so-called ‘favor’ will naturally vanish.