Chapter 100: Unexpected News

As dusk approached, two ministers walked along the palace path.

Reflecting on the discussions in the imperial study, they remained silent.

After a long while, seeing no one around, one of them spoke.

“Do you think Master Xie left out that word intentionally or unintentionally?”

“Who can say?”

“But I think, even though no one mentioned it at the time, we weren’t the only ones who noticed, right?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Then why didn’t anyone bring it up in court?”

“How do you know no one did?”

The first speaker was startled, deep in thought, and shivered. The other patted his shoulder.

As if to comfort him, he asked, “Since you noticed, why didn’t you bring it up in court?”

The man replied, “I felt the marquis’s household was pitiful…”

The other sighed, “Isn’t that the crux of it?”

The man still seemed puzzled, “I just don’t understand Master Xie’s motives.”

The other laughed, “What kind of person do you think Master Xie is?”

Without hesitation, the man said, “A capable minister, a pillar of the state, strategic and farsighted.”

The other responded, “Then do you think he would say something to bring trouble upon himself?”

The man was stunned.

No sensible person would do such a thing, let alone the exceptionally wise Xie Wei.

Thinking deeper, he felt a chill.

The wind grew colder, and both men tucked their hands into their sleeves as they approached the palace gate and left.

Meanwhile, the imperial study was still filled with cabinet ministers.

As night fell, the lamps were lit.

The bright light illuminated Shen Lang’s unpredictable face as he stared intently at the opened letters on the desk—letters seized from the Yongyi Marquis’s estate!

The senior cabinet ministers stood with their heads bowed.

The flickering light cast their long shadows on the ground.

The elderly chief minister, Yan Ting, was already drowsy. Seeing Shen Lang staring at the letters for a long time and calculating that it was almost time to lock the palace gates, he sighed and spoke first, “These letters from the Yongyi Marquis’s estate to the rebel Prince of Pingnan might be a cover. The marquis’s household could have been deceived by the rebels. It’s been twenty years; how can we be so certain?”

Duke Dingguo, Xiao Yuan, had been restless since seeing the letters during the raid on the marquis’s estate. He hadn’t slept well for days, his eyes bloodshot and frightening.

Hearing Yan Ting speak, he couldn’t hold back and stepped forward, his voice tinged with anger, “Elder Yan is right. The marquis’s household’s connection with the rebels is a fact. Twenty years ago, during the siege of the capital by the Prince of Pingnan, my child, not even seven years old, was killed by the rebels! The deceased are gone, but Yan Mu knew the Prince of Pingnan and the rebel sect were responsible for my family’s deaths. Knowing this, he still colluded with them. His heart is wicked and deserves to be condemned! These letters are just excuses for their connection with the rebels, secretly plotting rebellion!”

“Enough!”

Unexpectedly, Shen Lang’s patience seemed particularly thin today. After hearing a few words, he slammed the table, his face dark, his voice cold.

“If the letters are false, that’s good. But what if the rebels’ claims are true?”

Xiao Yuan met Shen Lang’s gaze and shivered at the thought that the child might not have died and could have been taken by the rebel leader.

The imperial study was filled with senior ministers, many of whom had their own theories about the court secrets from twenty years ago, even if they hadn’t heard them firsthand.

Hearing Shen Lang’s words, they all fell silent.

Outside, the cold wind rattled the windows, making a wailing sound. Their shadows were cast darkly on the walls.

At that moment, the imperial study felt less like a place of discussion and more like an abandoned mountain temple, with the wind howling like the cries of mountain spirits, making it seem as if the dead were rising from their graves to seek vengeance.

Xie Wei stood quietly in the corner, half-covered in shadow.

No one spoke.

Shen Lang finally turned his gaze to him and asked, “What does Master Xie think?”

Xie Wei then raised his eyes and bowed slightly, saying, “I am not well-versed in the matter of the rebel Prince of Pingnan from twenty years ago, so I do not know what issues these letters might have. If the heir is indeed still alive, it is a blessing from heaven, and we should congratulate the Duke on the news of his son.”

At this, Xiao Yuan’s face turned almost purple with anger. The other ministers in the imperial study had varied expressions.

But then they understood: Xie Wei was from Jinling and had lived in Jiangnan since childhood. He only came to the capital at twenty to take the imperial exams, so he naturally wouldn’t know about this old matter. There was nothing wrong with his words.

After speaking, Xie Wei glanced at the others’ faces. Perhaps feeling it was inappropriate to say more, he changed the subject, “However, I think the urgent matter is not these letters. Today, I saw a report from the Northern Surveillance Department about capturing a group of thirty rebels from the Heavenly Sect in the villages around the capital. How should we handle them?”

Shen Lang immediately responded, “Good capture!”

He stood up, paced a few steps in the study, and said, “Send them to the imperial prison. Have the Ministry of Justice and the Embroidered Uniform Guard interrogate them alternately. We must extract information from them! The rebellion of the Yongyi Marquis’s estate and the presence of Heavenly Sect rebels outside the capital are no coincidence!”

Xie Wei replied, “Yes.”

Shen Lang was about to ask more questions.

But at that moment, a eunuch came in and whispered something to Wang Xinyi, the chief eunuch. Wang Xinyi’s eyes widened in surprise and joy, and he asked, “Really?”

The eunuch whispered, “The Imperial Hospital confirmed it. The Empress sent me to report that it is true.”

Shen Lang frowned and asked, “What is it?”

Wang Xinyi, beaming, holding his whisk, approached Shen Lang and bowed, “Congratulations, Your Majesty!”

Shen Lang was taken aback.

The ministers in the study all turned their eyes to Wang Xinyi.

Wang Xinyi continued, “Consort Wen of the Puxiang Hall is pregnant. The Imperial Hospital just confirmed it, and the Empress sent someone to report the good news to you!”

Shen Lang’s expression changed to one of incredulous joy. He couldn’t help but grab Wang Xinyi and ask, “Really, really?!”

Wang Xinyi replied, “Really, you can go see for yourself.”

At that moment, Shen Lang forgot all about state affairs.

He waved his hand and walked out of the study, “Prepare to go to the Puxiang Hall!”

He left the ministers behind and headed straight to the Puxiang Hall with a large entourage of eunuchs and palace maids.

The ministers left in the study looked at each other, their expressions varied as they recalled the news they had just heard.

Xie Wei’s brow furrowed slightly.

The shadow covered his face, and no one noticed this subtle expression.

*

In Kunning Palace, Empress Dowager Xiao finally threw the hand warmer onto the table, her face showing no joy at the news of the concubine’s pregnancy and the child’s safety.

Xiao Shu stood below, her face also not looking good.

Empress Dowager Xiao gritted her teeth and said, “It’s bad enough that we didn’t achieve multiple goals with this incident, but we didn’t even accomplish the most important one!”

Xiao Shu dared not argue, feeling some fear towards her aunt. Recalling the scene in the plum garden, she felt a chill as the faces of the Jiang sisters flashed through her mind.

She lowered her head.

She wasn’t too flustered, just quietly said, “I thought Jiang Xuening was the difficult one, but it turns out her sister is the real challenge.”

Empress Dowager Xiao, somewhat embarrassed and angry, said, “You mentioned earlier that the embroidered handkerchief Jie’er hid likely belongs to Jiang Xuehui?”

Xiao Shu replied calmly, “Most likely.”

Empress Dowager Xiao coldly said, “They’re all troublemakers.”

*

The news of Consort Wen’s pregnancy spread through the harem like wildfire. Although no one dared to discuss it openly, everyone exchanged glances with unusual expressions.

The emperor still had no sons.

No one dared to imagine the upheaval in the harem if Consort Wen gave birth to a son.

In Yangzhi Zhai, where Jiang Xuening and the others stayed, they only knew the surface news. They heard that Consort Wen was immediately promoted to Zhaoyi, and the emperor sent a large number of rewards to the Puxiang Hall. The Imperial Hospital was instructed by the emperor to take special care of Consort Wen’s pregnancy.

No, she should now be called Zhaoyi Wen.

Upon learning that Zhaoyi Wen’s pregnancy was safe, Yao Xi breathed a sigh of relief and nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

Everyone comforted her, saying it was all right now.

Yao Xi then cried even harder, as if releasing all her pent-up emotions.

Jiang Xuehui watched coldly, frowning.

That night, when returning to their rooms, Jiang Xuehui and Jiang Xuening walked together.

In the cold wind, the palace lanterns swayed gently in the corridor.

Jiang Xuening, recalling her sister’s sharpness in the plum garden, couldn’t help but admire her. This was truly a lady taught by the Meng family, with keen insight. She said, “Sister, you must be pleased with this outcome.”

Jiang Xuehui had noticed that her sister had become much smarter in the past few months. It was not surprising that she saw through some things, but she felt no guilt and said, “Even though I had my own motives, I did save a life. If I had known and done nothing, that would have been a sin. This way, it can be considered a win-win.”

She did not deny her selfishness at all.

Jiang Xuening said, “Zhaoyi Wen will surely remember you. If the emperor knows, he will likely reward you, but you may also have made enemies.”

Jiang Xuehui was indifferent, “To gain something, you must give up something. In this world, you can’t please everyone. If I’ve made enemies, so be it.”

Jiang Xuening smiled.

Her room was a bit ahead, so she stopped and said, “Then I wish you good luck,” and went inside without saying more.

As Jiang Xuening predicted, by the next afternoon, a group of eunuchs hurriedly arrived at Yangzhi Zhai with various rewards. Some were from Zhaoyi Wen, while others were commendations from Emperor Shen Lang, praising Jiang Xuehui for her intelligence and kindness.

The rewards were so lavish that they made everyone’s eyes widen with envy.

However, the imperial decree also contained a harsh reprimand for Yao Xi, who had been present and was also a companion at Yangzhi Zhai. She was scolded for her cowardice and improper conduct, which nearly endangered the imperial heir in Zhaoyi Wen’s womb. She was ordered to pack her things and leave the palace immediately, effectively being expelled from her position as a companion.

Yao Xi, who thought she had escaped disaster, was stunned when she knelt to receive the decree.

After the eunuch left, she stood up and took a few steps, her mind in a daze.

No one knew how to comfort her.

Everyone understood how difficult it was to be selected as a companion in the palace. Being expelled by the emperor was a disgrace that would ruin her reputation and make it hard for her to marry in the future.

Yao Xi, disoriented, walked unsteadily.

Everyone watched as she reached the door, tried to step over the threshold, and then collapsed.

“Miss Yao, Miss Yao!”

Everyone panicked and rushed to help her.

Jiang Xuening, however, did not bother with such gestures. She coldly watched from the side, thinking: When Yao Xi and You Yue plotted to ruin Zhang Zhe’s reputation to break off the engagement, did they ever consider they would end up like this?

Karma, she thought, deservedly so.

Her gaze shifted from the crowd to another person who had not stepped forward to help—Xiao Shu.

Xiao Shu met Jiang Xuening’s eyes for a moment, then glanced at Jiang Xuehui, who stood quietly among the others, and said with a faint smile, “Yao Xi’s luck is really bad.”

Jiang Xuening inwardly sneered but outwardly agreed, “Yes, very bad.”

This matter was far from simple.

Xiao Shu had intended to get rid of Yao Xi during the sachet incident. During the plum blossom viewing, Consort Qin had deliberately pulled Yao Xi along, and when the incident occurred, Yao Xi’s expression showed she wanted to refute Consort Qin but didn’t know how. Then Jiang Xuehui suggested that Zhaoyi Wen return to the palace, where she discovered her pregnancy.

A meticulously planned scheme!

Someone had known about Zhaoyi Wen’s pregnancy earlier and wanted to use it to get rid of her child and Yao Xi. They might have regretted not being able to involve Jiang Xuening as well.

Of course, the fact that Zhaoyi Wen’s child was unharmed must have been a thorn in the side of the schemer.

But the matter was too complex, and delving deeper could lead to unknown dangers.

Jiang Xuening did not want to get involved.

This life had Jiang Xuehui to stir things up, and that was enough. She would pretend to know nothing and protect herself from harm.

The palace was lively for a while.

It was said that Shen Lang was so pleased that he held a grand banquet for the ministers.

This was perhaps the only good news Jiang Xuening had heard amidst her many troubles: bringing Jiang Xuehui into the palace had unexpectedly changed Zhaoyi Wen’s fate, saving her child and keeping the emperor in a good mood. Perhaps he would be more lenient in handling state affairs compared to the previous life.

But whether the people in the court could seize this opportunity remained to be seen…

After all, the harem was fraught with danger, and how long Zhaoyi Wen’s child could be safe was still uncertain!

With Princess Leyang Shen Zhiyi still under house arrest, the incident with Yao Xi, and the unrest caused by the Yongyi Marquis’s estate, the palace temporarily dismissed the companions from Yangzhi Zhai, allowing them to return home until the princess’s house arrest was lifted.

Only Jiang Xuehui was left behind.

It was said that Zhaoyi Wen had requested her to stay at the Fragrant Hall for a few days to keep her company.

This was clearly because of the favor she had gained from the incident in the plum garden.

Everyone else was envious but could do nothing.

After receiving the order, they packed their things and left the palace.

While others were anxious, Jiang Xuening felt relieved. After leaving the palace, she remembered that the Yongyi Marquis’s estate might need money in their time of crisis. She instructed the coachman to head to the Jinyiwei office first.

Today, it was Zhou Yinzhi’s turn on duty.

Seeing her arrival, he knew her purpose and personally dismissed the idle people, taking her to You Fangyin’s cell under the guise of a visit.

You Fangyin was reading by the light coming through the window.

Jiang Xuening thought she would be reading account books as usual, but to her surprise, it was a book titled “Travels in Shu,” which seemed to describe the customs and scenery of Shu.

She was surprised, “Why are you reading this?”

You Fangyin, who knew few characters, was reading with difficulty but with great concentration. She was startled when Jiang Xuening approached.

But the next moment, she smiled brightly.

Jiang Xuening had never seen such a radiant smile on her face and was momentarily stunned.

You Fangyin bit her lip and said, “You were right last time. I’ve thought it over and found a way. If all goes well, I can leave the marquis’s estate in less than two months.”

Jiang Xuening was stunned, “Really?”

You Fangyin nodded vigorously.

Jiang Xuening, still processing, asked instinctively, “What way?”

You Fangyin seemed a bit nervous, her cheeks suddenly flushed, and she whispered something.

Jiang Xuening didn’t hear, “What?”

You Fangyin finally gathered her courage and spoke louder, “I’m getting married.”

“……”

Jiang Xuening felt as if she had been struck by lightning, her eyelids twitching, with a sense of foreboding.

She couldn’t say a word.

You Fangyin, afraid of being misunderstood, quickly explained, “Don’t worry, I’m marrying Master Ren from Shu. It’s a fake marriage. We have a contract, and once we reach Shu, we can divorce. Then I’ll be free to leave the marquis’s estate and work for you!”

A contract and a fake marriage!

Jiang Xuening was dumbfounded, unable to believe what she was hearing. This astonishing plan was something even the You Fangyin she knew in her previous life wouldn’t have dared to think of. Such boldness, too…

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