Since Jiang Ruan stayed in the palace, her days were extremely leisurely. Empress Dowager Yide deliberately wanted to give Jiang Quan the cold shoulder and didn’t mention Jiang Ruan returning to the mansion at all. Those with understanding naturally speculated that the Empress Dowager was backing County Princess Hong’an, making the news of County Princess Hong’an’s favor even more credible.
The Jiang mansion was in a state of anxiety. Jiang Quan had originally wanted to properly suppress Jiang Ruan’s arrogance when she returned that day, but unexpectedly, with one imperial decree from the Empress Dowager, Jiang Ruan remained in the palace, making his heart uneasy. These past few days, wherever he went, people were gossiping behind his back. Jiang Quan simply claimed illness and stayed home instead of attending court.
Jiang Susu and Jiang Chao were also very annoyed, because recently new rumors had begun circulating outside—that the two siblings weren’t Jiang Quan’s biological children at all, but were born of an adulterer. The Jiang mansion’s bloodline was in chaos, the inner courtyard was a mess, becoming the laughingstock of the entire capital. These past few years, Jiang Chao had finally gained some slight progress in his career by following Xuan Li, beginning to shed his former image of incompetence. Who knew that once this incident occurred, people looked at him differently again.
Jiang Susu wasn’t any better off than Jiang Chao. As the legitimate daughter of the Jiang mansion, she often had gatherings and social engagements with other young ladies, but these past few days she hadn’t received a single invitation. Even when she did receive one and attended, she was the one isolated by everyone. So what if she was beautiful as a fairy? So what if she was pure as ice and jade? Wasn’t she still just a bastard child?
Hearing about these matters in her courtyard, Jiang Dan was naturally delighted, laughing softly: “Big sister truly has excellent methods. No wonder she can win the Empress Dowager’s favor.”
Her personal maid said carefully: “Miss, in a few more days, Third Miss will be getting married.”
Jiang Li’s wedding was imminent. Now that Xia Yan had completely fallen from favor and Hong Ying was pregnant, the courtyard affairs had actually been handed over to the Second Concubine. Jiang Li was the Second Concubine’s only daughter, so naturally she wanted to make it grand and spectacular. According to the servants, the dowry was comparable to that of a legitimate daughter. Attendant Li, who was originally supposed to be betrothed to Jiang Dan, was now marrying Jiang Li instead. Jiang Dan waved her hand: “Let her be.” The maid looked at Jiang Dan, seeing her expression was still good, then said: “Miss should also make plans for yourself. Once Third Miss is married, it will be your turn. But…” But until now, no one had come to the mansion to propose marriage.
When Xia Yan was still in power, she was constantly worried about Jiang Susu’s affairs and naturally couldn’t spare attention for Jiang Dan. Now that the Second Concubine was in charge, she wouldn’t truly consider Jiang Dan’s interests either. Jiang Quan didn’t even remember her existence. In this vast mansion, she, a concubine’s daughter who had lost her mother, had almost become a forgotten corner.
Jiang Susu had her brother Jiang Chao, and Jiang Ruan was now County Princess Hong’an. In this mansion, coming and going, only she remained alone. Continuing to wait meaninglessly like this, once she passed a woman’s most beautiful years, even if she wanted to find a good family, it would be very difficult.
“What’s there to fear?” Jiang Dan seemed not to have heard the maid’s words at all: “Once August passes, isn’t it time for the palace selection again?”
The maid was greatly shocked: “Miss, you’re thinking of…” But even for the selection of palace women, Jiang Dan’s status and appearance in the Jiang mansion were indeed too low.
But now that Jiang Ruan had become County Princess Hong’an and Jiang Li was about to marry, Jiang Quan naturally wouldn’t bear to send Jiang Susu into the palace. Going around and around in the Jiang mansion, wasn’t Jiang Dan the only suitable candidate?
But everyone knew that entering the palace, while bringing wealth and honor, wasn’t necessarily good. Not to mention anything else, the Emperor was old enough to be Jiang Dan’s father. How could a proper young lady think of running to the imperial palace? Moreover, Jiang Dan wasn’t favored in the Jiang mansion and had no mother. If she really entered the palace with no one to support her, how could she not be devoured completely?
Though the maid thought this way, she didn’t dare speak it aloud and could only silently lower her head. Jiang Dan smiled slightly, her eyes showing an unusual brilliance.
…
At the General’s mansion, when Zhao Guang learned of this matter, he naturally flew into a rage. His good granddaughter was being scolded at will in the Jiang mansion like this? Did they think the General’s mansion was easy to bully?
Zhao Yuanping said calmly: “Father, what are you getting so angry about? Didn’t you see that Miss Ruan went to find the Empress Dowager in the palace? With the Empress Dowager as backing, no one dares bully her.”
Speaking of this matter, Zhao Guang felt aggrieved. Since Jiang Ruan was enfeoffed as county princess and returned to the capital, she hadn’t set foot in the General’s mansion even once. Lady Li had also sent her invitations, all of which were declined by Jiang Ruan. Zhao Yulong had learned Zhao Yuanping’s temperament and was very dissatisfied, saying that Jiang Ruan had only used the Zhao family initially, and now that she had climbed up to Empress Dowager Yide, she was unwilling to concern herself with the General’s mansion anymore.
Zhao Guang naturally didn’t believe Zhao Yulong’s words. Jiang Ruan wasn’t someone who curried favor, but he also wasn’t clear why Jiang Ruan now kept her distance from the General’s mansion. Not seeing his granddaughter for a long time naturally made him somewhat angry. And that Jiang Ruan would rather seek protection from Empress Dowager Yide than ask the General’s mansion for help also hurt this battlefield general somewhat. Seeing Zhao Yuanping’s completely unconcerned appearance made him even angrier, and he kicked him hard: “What are you doing staying in the room? Annoying!” Having said this, he took the sword hanging on the wall and went to the courtyard to practice swordwork.
Zhao Yuanping pursed his lips, naturally understanding that his old man was having a fit because he was upset. Thinking about it, he also didn’t understand why Jiang Ruan was drawing clear boundaries with the Zhao family, needlessly hurting Lady Li and his brothers. This little girl had always been inscrutable, and even someone as clever as him couldn’t figure it out.
…
Jiang Ruan and Lu Zhu had just finished lunch with the Empress Dowager, who was now resting. Jiang Ruan wanted to go to the study to find some books to read. Lu Zhu asked: “Miss, why haven’t you gone to see the General these days?”
Lu Zhu was also quite curious. Although Jiang Ruan was usually cold by nature, she always maintained proper etiquette on the surface and wouldn’t leave any handles for people to criticize. If she was like this even with those people, how much more so with her own grandparents? During the flood incident that year, Jiang Ruan had used grain she bought herself to help the Zhao family ward off disaster. Lu Zhu could see that Jiang Ruan wasn’t heartless toward the Zhao family, but why was she so cold now? Even servants like them couldn’t understand it.
Jiang Ruan shook her head, but her heart was clear as a mirror. Being tied together with the Jiang mansion, in the Emperor’s eyes, she might accidentally be connected with Xuan Li. The Son of Heaven in the palace seemed to quite like Xuan Li, but privately he was well aware, otherwise in her previous life, Xuan Li wouldn’t have used the desperate method of poisoning the old Emperor. The cleaner the Zhao family’s relationship with her was now, the safer they would be. If they got too close to her, the Emperor might become suspicious again. The imperial heart was unpredictable—who knew what disasters it might bring to the Zhao family?
More importantly, the more indifferent she was to the Zhao family, the more those who wanted to target the General’s mansion through her would have concerns.
These things she couldn’t tell others and could only keep in her heart. Just as she turned the corner, she saw a man coming toward her. This man was really too conspicuous in the palace. He wore a emerald green silk python robe with a deep purple gold-patterned belt, his whole body glittering with gold. If that were all, it would be fine, but the fragrance of rouge and powder on him could be smelled from far away. Looking carefully, this man actually had more than ten sachets hanging all over his body, all decorated with red and green embroidery—clearly women’s accessories.
The man looked up, revealing a face somewhat similar to Xuan Li’s. He wasn’t ugly, but his eyes were dark and bruised—clearly from excessive indulgence. Seeing Jiang Ruan, he was also startled and stopped walking.
Jiang Ruan wore a light red embroidered dress today. Since she was in the palace before the Empress Dowager, Nanny Yang had given her the plum blossom makeup currently fashionable in the palace, making her appear even more stunningly beautiful and charming. Upon seeing her, the man’s eyes seemed glued to Jiang Ruan, shamelessly looking her up and down.
Lu Zhu was almost exploding with anger. Without thinking, she blocked in front of Jiang Ruan and shouted: “Impudent! How dare you be disrespectful to the County Princess!”
The man’s gaze fell on Lu Zhu. Actually, Lu Zhu was also a pretty little girl, usually quite cute in her speech, but Jiang Ruan’s beauty was too overwhelming. The man glanced at Lu Zhu, then stared at Jiang Ruan again, saying absurdly: “County Princess? I wonder which County Princess this is?”
This man wasn’t unfamiliar to Jiang Ruan. In her previous life when she was in the palace, she had seen him several times. Back then, Xia Jiaojiao had harmed her by deliberately letting this man see her appearance, and he had tried to molest her in the garden. Fortunately, Xuan Li had arrived in time. But this man later took every opportunity to enter the palace to harass her. This was precisely the waste prince everyone talked about—Third Prince Xuan Xin.
If we’re talking about the palace, besides the most competitive Fifth Prince Xuan Hua and Eighth Prince Xuan Li, there were only the talentless Crown Prince and the incompetent Xuan Lang. This Third Prince was a special existence. His birth mother had died early, and though raised under another consort’s name, he was extremely unruly. At barely eighteen, he had left the palace to establish his own mansion, with a reputation for debauchery known throughout the realm. He loved beautiful women most, keeping eighty-eight concubines in his mansion but still hadn’t established a principal wife. Although Xuan Xin loved beauties, he hadn’t done anything particularly outrageous otherwise. The Emperor, out of sight and out of mind, decreed that he couldn’t enter the palace without permission. Thus, Xuan Xin’s opportunities to appear in the palace were pitifully rare.
In her previous life, Xuan Xin had been betrothed to Lin Zixiang shortly after this, with the marriage personally arranged by Imperial Consort Chen. With Lin Zixiang’s temperament, naturally she had no good days after entering Xuan Xin’s mansion. Daily bullied by concubines, she even lost her child and was slandered by one of Xuan Xin’s favored concubines. Unable to bear the resentment, the strong-willed woman took a dagger and perished together with that concubine.
This incident caused great upheaval. The Emperor was furious, Chamberlain Lin beat the drum to appeal for justice, but these were all inner courtyard matters. Xuan Xin at most could only be blamed for poor household management. Besides being fined salary, he received no other punishment and continued his dissipated life daily. He had never cared about reputation anyway, so regardless of what people said, he continued going his own way. Chamberlain Lin died of anger and resentment not long after, Lady Lin followed him with a white silk rope, and the good scholarly Lin family was thus destroyed.
Now this person appeared before Jiang Ruan again. Not to mention anything else, his gaze was like disgusting mud.
Xuan Xin carefully examined the young woman before him. Having spent years among flowers, this was the first time he had seen such a stunning beauty. Her extraordinary appearance aside, that distant yet noble temperament made his heart itch. Coming to the palace today, Imperial Consort Chen had discussed his marriage with him. Xuan Xin’s birth mother had died early, the Empress extremely disliked him, but Imperial Consort Chen was a beauty—unfortunately untouchable and too ruthless in her methods. Imperial Consort Chen said she would arrange for Lin Zixiang, the legitimate daughter of Chamberlain Lin, to be his principal wife. But Xuan Xin looked down on Lin Zixiang in his heart—a beauty as hard and unyielding as wood was really difficult to handle. Her temperament wasn’t gentle either, but for him, a principal wife was just a decoration anyway, so Xuan Xin didn’t care much.
He hadn’t expected such a stunning beauty to exist in the palace. He had just heard that palace maid say something about a County Princess?
Jiang Ruan said calmly: “Third Prince.”
“You know me?” Xuan Xin was somewhat flattered. Such a beauty actually knew him, but racking his brains, he didn’t know where he had seen this beauty before.
“Third Prince’s great name is well-known throughout the Jin Dynasty—how could anyone not know?” Jiang Ruan’s smile carried a hint of sarcasm: “However, this County Princess has entered the palace so many times, yet this is the first time seeing Third Prince.”
Xuan Xin was always very tolerant toward beauties, so he wouldn’t blame Jiang Ruan for the mockery in her words. He just looked at her lecherously and smiled: “May I ask the young lady’s name?”
Lu Zhu was already furious and angrily said: “Third Prince, please conduct yourself properly. This is County Princess Hong’an, personally enfeoffed by the Empress Dowager.”
Being a servant, although the other party was dissolute, he was still a prince. She couldn’t treat him like an ordinary lecher. Lu Zhu was somewhat anxious in her heart. Xuan Xin suddenly understood: “So it’s Miss Jiang.”
The name of County Princess Hong’an was now known throughout the Great Jin Dynasty. He had only heard that this halfway-enfeoffed County Princess was quite favored by the Empress Dowager and was born with stunning beauty, but common people always followed others’ words, so Xuan Xin hadn’t quite believed it. Seeing her now, he regretted endlessly—if he had known earlier, he would have asked Imperial Consort Chen to arrange a marriage with Jiang Ruan as his principal wife. If his mansion had such a beauty, he would die willingly.
However, Xuan Xin hadn’t thought that since Empress Dowager Yide loved Jiang Ruan so much, how could she possibly betroth her to a dissolute prince? Xuan Xin brazenly moved closer to Jiang Ruan: “Speaking of which, we’re all family now. Sister Hong’an, why don’t you join me for a private gathering?”
Such a beauty—if he couldn’t get her in this lifetime, how could he be reconciled?
“Where does Third Brother want to have a private gathering with the County Princess?” A deep voice sounded from behind—the Crown Prince and Fourth Prince Xuan Lang were walking this way.
Xuan Xin frowned, clearly very dissatisfied with the Crown Prince’s sudden interruption. The Crown Prince looked at Jiang Ruan and laughed heartily: “Hong’an, I happen to have business with you. Third Brother, if you have nothing else, go back first. I’ll take Hong’an over there first.”
If we’re talking about dissolute behavior in the palace, none of the other brothers could match Xuan Xin, but the Crown Prince was an exception. Perhaps knowing he wasn’t valued by the Emperor either, the Crown Prince also had a somewhat reckless temperament. Facing Xuan Xin, they were evenly matched—neither better than the other. Knowing the Crown Prince was here today, he couldn’t possibly have anything more with Jiang Ruan. Xuan Xin angrily flicked his sleeve, his expression changing, then suddenly smiled at Jiang Ruan: “Then County Princess, I’ll come see you again later. Let’s have a good chat.”
The ambiguity in those words made Lu Zhu frown, but the Crown Prince and Xuan Lang looked completely accustomed to it. After Xuan Xin finished speaking to Jiang Ruan, he straightened up and glared fiercely at the Crown Prince: “Big Brother, this younger brother takes his leave first.” Without waiting for the Crown Prince’s response, he turned and strode away.
Xuan Lang shrank back a bit. The Crown Prince looked at him and said: “Useless!” But there was no real blame in his tone—clearly the two had a good relationship normally. Xuan Xin’s behavior toward the Crown Prince just now was obviously because he was certain that the Crown Prince’s position was now awkward, that sooner or later he would be deposed, and was currently just a figurehead. That’s why he was so fearless. The Crown Prince seemed long accustomed to such treatment. He looked at Jiang Ruan: “Hong’an, you’re really a delicious piece of meat now—everyone wants to take a bite.” He laughed lowly: “Imperial Grandmother dotes on you so much, even I’m somewhat jealous.”
When the Crown Prince said this, his gaze was somewhat dark. This was truth—as Crown Prince, neither the Emperor nor Empress Dowager Yide liked him. Although the Empress felt sorry for him, she was powerless to change the current situation. Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “His Highness the Crown Prince is the future master of the Great Jin Dynasty. Why be jealous of a little girl like me?”
“What little girl are you? I think you’re a treasure.” He suddenly smiled strangely: “How about becoming my consort? Anyway, you have no blood relation with me, and the Great Jin Dynasty has precedent for this.”
Jiang Ruan smiled calmly: “If His Highness the Crown Prince can persuade the Empress Dowager and His Majesty, then I would have no objection.”
Seeing Jiang Ruan’s calm expression, truly not taking this matter to heart, the Crown Prince couldn’t help feeling somewhat annoyed. Jiang Ruan glanced at Xuan Lang, who followed behind the Crown Prince with a gentle, harmless appearance. In the palace, the Crown Prince was talentless and the Fourth Prince incompetent—the two seemed to be in the same boat. In fact, the Crown Prince didn’t have good relationships with his other brothers, but he treated this Xuan Lang well. Only this appearance of Xuan Lang’s easily reminded Jiang Ruan of Jiang Dan in the Jiang mansion.
The same weak and timid nature, the same fondness for stabbing people in the back. In her previous life, wasn’t the Crown Prince stabbed in the back by this Fourth Brother he had a good relationship with, ultimately ending up committing suicide in prison? Xuan Lang had early on sided with Imperial Consort Chen, but this Crown Prince treated his enemy as a friend.
Jiang Ruan looked at the Crown Prince: “Doesn’t Your Highness have business to discuss with me? We can go now.”
The Crown Prince was startled—those were just casual words he had said, not meant seriously. Just as he was about to speak, Jiang Ruan turned to Xuan Lang: “Does Fourth Prince have other business? If not, I’ll go ahead with His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Xuan Lang was startled, not expecting Jiang Ruan to so bluntly issue an eviction order. For a moment, he looked at her somewhat hurt, that grievance flashing by. Those who didn’t know might think Jiang Ruan had somehow bullied this Fourth Prince.
The Crown Prince frowned. Xuan Lang already smiled apologetically: “Then Big Brother, Fourth Brother will go first. Big Brother and the County Princess take your time chatting. Farewell.” Having said this, he hurried away. Though his face showed no anger, there was some panic and unease.
The Crown Prince watched Xuan Lang’s departing figure and looked at Jiang Ruan with some displeasure: “County Princess Hong’an, what are you doing?”
“Does His Highness the Crown Prince know that I’ve always disliked the Eighth Prince?”
The Crown Prince paused. He had noticed long ago that Jiang Ruan disliked Xuan Li, though he didn’t know why she would dislike his handsome and talented eighth brother. But since the Crown Prince also disliked Xuan Li, he was quite satisfied with this aspect of Jiang Ruan.
Jiang Ruan said calmly: “I dislike ants, and I discard anything ants have crawled over. I dislike the Eighth Prince, and I equally detest anyone connected with the Eighth Prince.”