Chapter 005: Xie Wei

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Translator’s Note: ✨ The previous chapters are getting a glow-up! ✨ They’re being fully edited and translated to match the original novel. Here’s the polished chapter! ??

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Tang’er was two years older than Lian’er and much more composed in temperament. Wearing a light green tunic, she was still holding a letter in her hand when Lian’er dragged her inside. Upon entering, she immediately noticed that Jiang Xuening’s expression was off.

She quickly pinched Lian’er.

Lian’er immediately fell silent.

Only then did Tang’er walk over, pressing the letter on the side table, before approaching Jiang Xuening and beginning to untie the wine-soaked robe. “Lian’er was scared silly when she saw you hadn’t come back all night. I thought the young marquis would still be in the palace for the lecture, and you would return by morning at the latest, so I had hot water prepared for you. You should bathe and rest. You seemed like you hadn’t slept well last night.”

This was useful.

Jiang Xuening sized up Tang’er.

The girl had been sent by the Meng family to serve her. Although she had talent, it was hard to make full use of her when her superior had such a bad temper, indulging the sycophantic servants so much. Even if someone had exceptional skills, only a fraction would be put to use.

“Then I’ll bathe first.”

At this point, Jiang Xuening didn’t want to say much. Seeing that Lian’er had stopped crying, she temporarily pushed aside the thought of selling her out.

Once all the bathing essentials were prepared, Jiang Xuening loosened her robe and stepped into the tub, slowly sitting down, allowing the warm water to gently cover her smooth shoulders and long neck.

It was at times like this that it was easiest to clear her mind.

However, she particularly enjoyed thinking at times like this.

She had just asked Tang’er, and it was now the 7th of September. She hadn’t yet disguised herself as a man to accompany Yan Lin to the Chongyang Lantern Festival, nor had she met Princess Leyang, who would later go out of the palace with Shen Jie. This meant that in this life, the situation where Princess Leyang mistakenly fell for her could still be avoided. Based on the situation in the inn earlier, she hadn’t started deliberately approaching Shen Jie yet. As long as she didn’t compete, the matter of being summoned into the palace as a companion to study wouldn’t fall on her either. Yan Lin was still in the capital, galloping on horseback, and the Marquis of Yongyi’s household hadn’t yet been implicated in the plot against the Prince of Pingnan’s rebellion. In this life, she hadn’t yet said that hurtful thing to the boy who was in the darkest of times…

But things weren’t entirely optimistic.

Just dealing with Yan Lin was troublesome enough.

The boy, soon to be crowned, had nearly given all of his tender, passionate feelings to someone unworthy of them. He took her out to play, protected her, and even smoothed over her reckless behavior and boldness with the Jiang family.

She hadn’t realized this in the past life.

But now, after all she had experienced, how could she not see it?

Jiang Boyou felt some guilt and pity for his daughter, whose fate had been so difficult. But in a noble family, there had to be rules. No matter how indulgent they were, they wouldn’t let her disguise herself as a man and run around outside.

But the Jiang family had quietly allowed it.

There could only be one explanation.

Her marriage had already been secretly arranged. It wasn’t just because she was the second daughter of the Jiang family; it was because she was the future wife of the Marquis of Yongyi’s heir.

But it was doomed to have no result.

In two months, the Marquis of Yongyi’s household would face disaster. In the previous life, Yan Lin never even waited for the day when someone would come to propose. On the day before the coronation ceremony, his family was raided.

Jiang Xuening leaned quietly against the edge of the wooden tub, blinking, remembering the youthful, vigorous face of Yan Lin, his passionate, fiery eyes. She also recalled the resolute, profound contours of his face when he returned to the capital with military honors, his sharp, inscrutable gaze. For a moment, she felt a bit of confusion and turmoil in her heart.

It was true that the Marquis of Yongyi’s household had ties with the remaining factions of the Prince of Pingnan’s rebellion.

But there seemed to be something more to it.

Otherwise, after Yan Lin returned to the capital in her previous life, with the power of his army, he wouldn’t have allied with Xie Wei to rebel.

But what the underlying truth was, Jiang Xuening never managed to figure out before she died.

For now, she would just watch and wait.

No matter how things developed, she had no intention of staying in the capital. However, this time, she had already attracted Yan Lin’s attention, so she would have to find a safe way to part ways with him on good terms to avoid him resenting her, locking her away in the palace, and taking revenge.

That period in her previous life had been nothing short of a nightmare.

If she could escape to somewhere outside, it would be the best outcome.

After all, in her previous life, the capital was full of people scheming and fighting, but they controlled the scope of it well. No matter how chaotic the court was, it was confined to the imperial city, and the people of the empire still lived in peace and prosperity.

It was better to wait for them to finish fighting, and then return to the capital to live her life.

Counting it all, it was no more than seven years.

If she left the capital, she could even find You Fangyin, who traveled the world doing business. Why not?

Jiang Xuening thought of herself as someone with a bit of cleverness when it came to manipulating people’s hearts, but she didn’t dare claim to have the great wisdom to stabilize a country. And besides, there was still the Imperial Master Xie Wei in the court, dressed in the robes of a sage.

Working with him—one wrong move, and she wouldn’t even know how she would be killed.

This was a game she couldn’t afford to play.

Seeking fortune and avoiding misfortune was only natural.

After thinking this through, Jiang Xuening called for Lian’er and Tang’er to help her wipe down and dress. She put on a snow-blue embroidered gown, with deep white flowing cloud patterns subtly pressed into the hem. Her waist was cinched with a belt, accentuating her graceful figure.

However, when Tang’er folded her sleeves, she saw the two-inch scar on the inner side of Jiang Xuening’s left wrist.

She sighed lightly. “The scar cream you got last month has almost run out. This one looks a bit lighter, so I’ll buy some more for you in a couple of days.”

Jiang Xuening turned her wrist to take a look.

It was an old scar from four years ago.

A diagonal line ran from the middle of her inner wrist toward her palm, deeper at the bottom and shallower at the top. It was clear that it had been made by her own hand with a dagger, a wound meant to draw blood for a short time—about half a bowl.

She flipped her wrist back, but a trace of dark, unclear light flickered in her eyes: She really didn’t know whether to say the heavens were kind to her or to Xie Wei. Although she had been given a chance at reincarnation, it had come after her return to the capital.

If she had been reborn on the way back to the capital…

She hadn’t yet made the cut, and perhaps this life would have been much easier.

But what had happened, had already happened. There was no use in dwelling on it.

Since Jiang Xuening had already planned to leave the capital to avoid the impending disaster, money became the most urgent matter to address, and naturally, she needed to figure it out first.

So she instructed, “Go bring everything from the room. I need to light a bit of incense.”

The two maids were momentarily stunned.

Their young mistress’s belongings were usually scattered all over, and she was the type to get bored with things quickly. Sometimes, when she received gifts or when the young marquis sent something, she’d use it once or twice and then toss it aside, never caring about where it went.

Because of this, there were a few servants, led by Wang Xing’s family, who frequently took her things.

Even if the maids were dissatisfied, it was of no use. Their mistress turned a blind eye and never spoke up about it.

Now, suddenly asking for her things…

Tang’er and Lian’er exchanged a glance.

Tang’er was calm and composed.

But Lian’er couldn’t hold back. She excitedly clenched her small fist and quickly said, “Yes, we’ll go right away!”

In Jiang Xuening’s memory, she had acquired quite a few things over the past four years.

But when the two maids finished packing and brought everything up, there were only two boxes left.

The pearls and jewels, gold and silver ornaments.

She casually flipped through them, and while the quality was still quite good, the quantity was somewhat disappointing.

She picked up a translucent aquamarine bead necklace, smiled, and then tossed it back into the box. She then said, “Bring everyone in. I want everyone, inside and out, no one missing.”

The two maids went off to call the others.

However, it took quite a while, and only seven or eight people arrived one after another, standing in no particular order, appearing disrespectful and lazy.

The maids and old servants whispered among themselves, guessing what she might be planning.

Jiang Xuening sat on the kang by the window, half-reclining on a cushion of autumn-colored brocade. She picked up a tea cup and took a sip, watching the group without giving any indication of her thoughts.

After a while, even Wang Xing’s woman arrived.

Earlier, Jiang Xuening had frightened her half to death in the corridor, and as soon as she heard that Jiang Xuening had called for people, she hurried over, smiling and saying, “There are still many tasks waiting for us to do, Miss. You’ve called us all over suddenly. Is there something you’d like to instruct us on?”

Jiang Xuening couldn’t be bothered to waste time with them. She simply pointed at the two boxes on the table in front of them and said indifferently, “It’s nothing important. I just noticed these boxes are a bit empty. You all took a lot in the past, so return it to me.”

Wang Xing’s woman’s face immediately changed.

The others were also taken aback.

The room fell silent, and the air became incredibly still. Everyone’s eyes flickered, but no one spoke.

Jiang Xuening smiled: “No one took anything, right?”

Wang Xing’s woman, who had taken the most, knew that hardly anyone in the room was clean. They all protected each other and didn’t dare to make a fuss. Thinking nothing serious would happen, she stepped forward with an exaggerated, shocked expression and said, “What are you talking about, Miss! You truly are making us feel ashamed. We’ve all served you here in this house. Big or small, everything is for your sake. Who would dare take your things?”

Jiang Xuening ignored her, turning her gaze to the others: “Do you all think the same?”

The others looked at each other.

But who would dare to admit to something like this?

Besides, they all knew that the second young lady was well aware of her belongings, and even if it was discovered that things were missing, there was no way to directly accuse any one of them.

Anyone who stepped forward to admit it would just be a fool.

They all understood this simple logic, and though they suspected Jiang Xuening might be reacting because too many items were missing, they also thought that with her outward strength and inner fragility, she wouldn’t be able to stir up much of a storm.

After Jiang Xuening asked her question, no one responded for a long time.

A young maid with a small, pointed face spoke up in support of Wang Xing’s woman: “Miss, you really do just say whatever comes to mind, wrongly accusing us, your hardworking servants, without reason. It really hurts our feelings!”

Jiang Xuening didn’t get angry. She simply replied, “Fine.”

Then, she stepped off the kang, stood up, casually clapped her hands, and without a word to anyone, walked towards the door.

Everyone was left confused.

Wang Xing’s woman was puzzled as well, thinking that Jiang Xuening was about to argue, but instead, she walked away.

Her tense heart should have eased, but inexplicably, a sense of unease began to grow: “What is the young lady doing?”

At this point, Jiang Xuening had already left the room.

Wang Xing’s woman stood behind her, carefully watching her direction. Suddenly, her expression changed drastically—

The direction Jiang Xuening was heading was clearly towards Master Jiang’s study!

From the scene earlier, Jiang Xuening had already figured everything out.

These maids and old servants were currently unmanageable.

Though she had many ways to deal with them, the petty matters in the inner courtyard weren’t worth her wasting too much effort on, nor was it worth getting into a squabble over trivial things.

If there were trouble, she could always go to her father.

It was better to resolve it quickly rather than drag it out.

Meng Shi, her mother who hadn’t raised her and never had a close relationship with her, wouldn’t be of much help, but Jiang Boyou, her father, had treated her relatively well. Perhaps due to Yan Lin’s influence, he even indulged her.

Dealing with the servants and maids was something he could do with a word.

At most, it would require some explanation.

But that was Jiang Xuening’s strength, so she wasn’t worried.

Jiang Boyou’s study was in the east corner of the front courtyard, shaded by several old locust trees.

Jiang Xuening entered the outer room first.

A young servant in a blue robe stood by the door. He was Chang Zhuo, a servant who worked by Jiang Boyou’s side. Inside, along the wall, there was a row of four chairs, and the last one was occupied by a man dressed in the standard uniform of the Jinyiwei, wearing a token at his waist. He was tall and composed, with ordinary features, but his eyes had a sharp, hawk-like gleam, exuding a deep, calculating aura.

When Jiang Xuening saw him, he also saw her.

Immediately, the man rose from his seat, calmly saluted her, and said, “Second Miss, greetings.”

Zhou Yinzhi.

In a previous life, he had risen to the position of Commander of the Jinyiwei, a high-ranking official in charge of the elite guards under the imperial seal.

However, he was also notorious in the court as a “slave of three surnames.”

He had originally been the son of a servant in the Jiang family, and his family had been exiled to the countryside due to a scandal involving Wanniang. As a young man, he helped with manual labor on the estate and learned a few characters from a teacher at the local school. He managed to read a few books on his own.

When Jiang Xuening was about to return to the capital and had no one to rely on, she asked him to come back with the people from the capital to escort her.

Zhou Yinzhi then made a request: once in the capital, he asked Jiang Xuening to speak to Jiang Boyou on his behalf, to help him secure a position working under the master.

Jiang Xuening agreed.

Upon arriving in the capital, Zhou Yinzhi began working for Jiang Boyou.

Jiang Boyou noticed his ability to handle matters well and his calculating mind. Two years ago, he recommended Zhou Yinzhi to the Jinyiwei, where he was given a position as a school officer. He proved himself capable, and today, he held the rank of a Jinyiwei Baihu, a sixth-grade official.

If Jiang Xuening’s memory served her right, in a month’s time, she would ask Zhou Yinzhi to investigate Shen Jie’s true identity for her.

And the condition Zhou Yinzhi proposed was that she introduce him to Young Marquis Yan Lin.

As the saying goes, “A gentleman is united by shared ideals, while a rogue is united by mutual interests.”

Their relationship was built on mutual benefit: one had a request, the other a need, so Jiang Xuening agreed to help.

Before the incident at the Yongyi Marquis’ residence, Zhou Yinzhi seized the opportunity to rise through the ranks, eventually becoming a deputy Qianhu, a fifth-grade official.

Later, when Jiang Xuening married Shen Jie, Zhou Yinzhi naturally followed him.

As Shen Jie ascended to power, Zhou Yinzhi gained his trust.

In the end, he rose to the position of Commander of the Jinyiwei, on par with the eunuchs who controlled the Eastern Depot, and became a significant figure in the court. He did many things, some of them justified, others not, and became a notable force in the imperial court.

Unfortunately, Zhou Yinzhi’s end was tragic.

After Xie Wei emerged from behind the scenes and took control of the imperial court and palace, the first thing he did was order Zhou Yinzhi to be shot with a volley of arrows. His head was then nailed to the palace gates with three long iron nails, for all the officials—civil and military—to see as they entered and left.

Jiang Xuening had never witnessed it herself, but just hearing the palace servants’ gossip made her shiver with fear.

Speaking of it…

The case involving the Yongyi Marquis’ residence and its connection to the remnants of the Pingnan Wang faction was handled by the Jinyiwei.

A thought suddenly crossed Jiang Xuening’s mind as she glanced at Zhou Yinzhi. She did not return his greeting, merely nodded indifferently before turning to Chang Zhuo and asking, “Is my father inside?”

Chang Zhuo replied, “Yes, but he has a guest.”

Jiang Xuening frowned, recalling her pampered and willful nature as a young girl, then said, “I don’t care. The maids and old servants in my room have gone too far. They’ve stolen my things and conspired together to bully me. You go in and tell my father. I only need one word from him, and I’ll go deal with them!”

Chang Zhuo couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, but knowing the young lady’s temperament, he gritted his teeth and agreed. He lifted the curtain to enter the inner room to report.

Jiang Xuening sat down on a chair in the outer room.

As for Zhou Yinzhi, he didn’t sit again. He stood to the side, occasionally glancing at her.

Meanwhile, when Chang Zhuo entered, Jiang Boyou was personally preparing tea for a guest.

He had a scholarly appearance, approaching the age of fifty, with a handsome beard that gave him a certain dignity.

When he heard from Chang Zhuo that Jiang Xuening was looking for him, his brow furrowed. “This is nonsense!”

Chang Zhuo glanced at the guest sitting across from Jiang Boyou, feeling somewhat awkward, and lowered his voice even further, saying, “The second young lady says the maids and old servants in her room have been up to no good…”

After a brief explanation, Jiang Boyou’s expression suddenly brightened, and his eyes lit up. “She really said that?”

Chang Zhuo nodded.

Jiang Boyou immediately clapped his hands and laughed. “This girl has finally come to her senses! I thought she was just throwing a tantrum in anger. Those people in her room have been misbehaving secretly for a while. Madam has mentioned it several times. I’ve been meaning to deal with them, but couldn’t find a chance! Go immediately, and bring them all here! Don’t wait for Ning’er to calm down. If she cools off, it will be harder to handle!”

Chang Zhuo, seeing the excitement in his master, couldn’t help but feel even more embarrassed.

Jiang Boyou, oblivious to Chang Zhuo’s discomfort, turned to the guest sitting across from him and said, “Ju’an, I’m afraid I’ll have to keep you waiting a little longer. There’s some unpleasant business in my house that I need to take care of.”

The guest smiled slightly and replied, “No worries.”