After Butler Lin finished speaking, Jiang Ruan showed no particular expression, but Lian Qiao and Lu Zhu behind her were somewhat surprised. In their eyes, Butler Lin was nothing more than a somewhat deranged old man, but who would have known that today his words would be so logical and well-reasoned? For some unknown reason, he seemed completely different from the impression he usually gave.
Jiang Ruan wasn’t surprised, however. The once elegant and refined Third Place Scholar who could retreat at the height of his glory, possessing both the determination and patience to endure in hiding, was inherently a person of great wisdom. But Jiang Ruan also noticed that when Butler Lin mentioned Eunuch Li’s death, his eyes truly showed some fluctuation that he could hardly conceal. Clearly, he might have had some connection with Eunuch Li, but everyone in this world has their secrets—why must one probe to understand everything clearly? Butler Lin’s analysis coincided perfectly with her own thoughts, making her convictions even more firm.
“You’re right. Anyone capable of scheming against Eunuch Li must be someone extremely close to him, perhaps even someone who had been lurking by his side for many years. The fact that they acted so rashly now—His Majesty’s serious illness is one reason, but more importantly, this might be a signal,” Jiang Ruan said.
“A signal?” Butler Lin frowned and asked, “Does the Young Madam think they’re about to make their move?” At this moment, Old Lin was clearly discussing countermeasures with Jiang Ruan, showing none of his usual unreliable demeanor.
“Not making their move. Eunuch Li’s death was too sudden. I believe his death was too abrupt, and to put him to death at this time, there must have been special reasons. If they were truly making their move, there would be no need to start with a chief eunuch. So Eunuch Li’s death must have been caused by something he himself triggered. He made some mistake in a certain aspect, which ultimately cost him his life,” Jiang Ruan pondered.
Butler Lin also contemplated for a while, seeming to find Jiang Ruan’s words extremely reasonable. Looking at her, he asked, “But Young Madam, what kind of mistake could he have made? And what mistake would ultimately cost him his life?”
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “What is the most pressing matter in the palace right now?”
“It’s… His Majesty’s serious illness,” Butler Lin answered.
“Then Eunuch Li’s mistake lies there. He is the chief eunuch, but ultimately inseparable from His Majesty. So the greatest reason he lost his life is because of the Emperor. And where does a chief eunuch’s greatest value lie? It’s because he is the person closest to the Emperor, possibly knowing many of His Majesty’s secrets. This way, the matter becomes quite simple. Eunuch Li learned of some decision the Emperor made, and this decision was inadvertently discovered by someone, then he was killed.”
Butler Lin listened with growing admiration. From just the single fact of Eunuch Li’s death, Jiang Ruan could deduce so much. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat dazed—perhaps having such a Young Madam in Prince Jinying’s mansion was something neither the former Crown Prince Hongxi nor the old Prince Jinying had ever anticipated. Now with the situation so chaotic, Jiang Ruan could still analyze so calmly, coolly pointing out the suspicious points within. The panicked atmosphere that had been gradually spreading recently suddenly dissipated, and Butler Lin’s heart was filled with courage.
Following Jiang Ruan’s line of thought, he said, “The Young Madam’s reasoning is indeed correct, but what decision of His Majesty’s would lead to Eunuch Li’s death? Making the perpetrator so impatient that they acted immediately, even making Eunuch Li’s corpse full of flaws. In fact, they could have done it much more meticulously. Looking at it this way, it seems like they couldn’t care about anything else in their urgency.”
“What could make someone strike so ruthlessly must be a matter of imperial succession. The struggle for the throne is imminent. Before His Majesty collapsed, he still hadn’t established a crown prince. Now the position of crown prince remains vacant, and all officials are making their own speculations about His Majesty’s condition. If His Majesty were to immediately show his intention to establish a future crown prince, the other candidate would naturally become frantic. Eunuch Li probably revealed His Majesty’s intentions, and the other person, who has no chance at the succession, would act desperately,” Jiang Ruan said. “And the Emperor would absolutely not make Xuan Li the crown prince, so the person behind this can only be Xuan Li.”
Butler Lin wanted to say that the Thirteenth Prince Xuan Pei could also possibly be the killer, but when he saw Jiang Ruan’s expression, he stopped short. Jiang Ruan’s face showed not a trace of hesitation, just like her tone—she had absolute faith in Xuan Pei from the very beginning. Butler Lin knew that Jiang Ruan had a good relationship with Xuan Pei, but he had always wondered why Jiang Ruan, who seemed indifferent to everyone, would trust Xuan Pei so completely. This was rather strange. However, Jiang Ruan’s judgment had always been excellent, especially in terms of foresight—almost everything she predicted came true. Butler Lin naturally had no intention of doubting her, so he replied, “In that case, under the current circumstances, the Eighth Prince will try to reverse the situation before His Majesty’s intentions become apparent…”
“Regicide and changing fate,” Jiang Ruan said coldly.
Before the Emperor could reveal his intentions, kill him, or make it so he could never reveal those intentions again, then forge an imperial edict—this would be an opportunity. From the current perspective, this seemed to be Xuan Li’s only way out.
Butler Lin was obviously shocked by the words Jiang Ruan uttered, unable to speak for a moment. Succession struggles had always been bloody affairs—there was never any peaceful and pleasant way to complete them. But just hearing Jiang Ruan speak this way already made him feel the viciousness rushing toward him. Perhaps in the coming days, the capital would be filled with hidden currents and danger at every step.
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “But it’s not so terrible yet. Butler Lin, you may go first. I still have some matters to attend to. When I return later, I will explain this matter to Xiao Shao. There will always be ways to respond.”
Butler Lin said nothing and quietly withdrew. Now it wasn’t just Xiao Shao supporting Prince Jinying’s mansion—now the mansion also had a Young Madam. Leave it to them, Butler Lin thought.
After Butler Lin left, Jiang Ruan’s smile disappeared. She slowly grew solemn, no longer appearing as confident as she had moments before. Lian Qiao and Lu Zhu watched with alarm. Lian Qiao hesitantly asked, “Young Madam… is something wrong?”
“Wrong,” Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes. “Naturally something is wrong.”
Seeing this, Tianzhu also asked, “Since the Eighth Prince’s plan has been seen through, we just need to prevent him from succeeding. Why is the Young Madam so worried? Though the Eighth Prince is patient by nature, he’s rather too clever for his own good and not truly intelligent. The Young Master hasn’t returned yet, so this matter surely won’t be so terrible.” When Jiang Ruan was not yet Princess Jinying, she dared to confront Xuan Li. For so long, Tianzhu and the others had grown accustomed to seeing Jiang Ruan strategizing with confidence. Such a worried expression appearing on Jiang Ruan’s face made even Tianzhu feel uneasy.
“The smartest person is naturally not Xuan Li,” Jiang Ruan laughed coldly, her smile somewhat icy. “The Emperor is the smartest person.” She said nothing more, leaving Tianzhu and the others looking at each other in confusion, not knowing how to respond.
…
When Xiao Shao returned that night, it was naturally deep into the night again. Jiang Ruan was sitting on the edge of the bed leaning against a blanket, flipping through a book, but doing so absent-mindedly, not even hearing Xiao Shao’s approaching footsteps. Xiao Shao paused, walked all the way to her, thought for a moment, reached out and tapped her forehead, saying, “Why are you still reading?”
“Waiting for you to come back.” Jiang Ruan casually tossed the book aside. Xiao Shao had just returned from outside, his body still carrying the cool dampness of the night dew, slightly moist. Under the lamplight, his features were incomparably handsome, almost like a cold immortal walking out of ancient scrolls. No matter when, this man always appeared so radiant. Even though he didn’t love luxury and always wore the most subdued colors, nothing could diminish even half his brilliance. It seemed that just by standing there, he would inevitably attract others’ gazes.
Jiang Ruan sighed softly. Xiao Shao sensitively noticed something was wrong with her, so instead of immediately going to bathe, he sat down beside Jiang Ruan and asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”
“Do you…” Jiang Ruan hesitated before asking, “want to be emperor?”
Xiao Shao was slightly startled, seeming not to expect her to suddenly ask this question. For a moment he was somewhat dazed, then frowned and asked, “Who did you meet today?”
Seeing him like this, Jiang Ruan laughed: “The person you’re worried about is now lying injured and unconscious in the palace. How could he meet with me? You’re worrying too much.” Last time when the Emperor visited Prince Jinying’s mansion uninvited, Jiang Ruan had stood at the door and overheard their conversation, thus learning Xiao Shao’s secret. Now that Xiao Shao was so tense, it was naturally because he remembered that previous incident. Hearing this, Xiao Shao’s brow didn’t relax, but he stared at her thoughtfully and said, “I have never thought about that position.”
“If… someone forced you, what would you do?” Jiang Ruan asked.
“What concern is it of mine?” Xiao Shao asked in return. His tone was calm, yet carried an irresistible force. If someone forced him, what concern was it of his? In this world, he did what he liked and didn’t do what he disliked. No one had ever been able to force him to do anything.
Jiang Ruan took a deep breath and suddenly said, “His Majesty is now unconscious. Xuan Li’s rash actions can only indicate one thing—the Emperor intends to establish an heir, or perhaps the matter of establishing an heir was decided long ago. Xuan Li just learned of this, so he wants to sever all leads.” Jiang Ruan stared into Xiao Shao’s eyes: “Xuan Li probably thinks the other candidate is Pei’er, but you and I both know it’s not. The person he wants to give this position to has never been his own son.”
With storms brewing in the court and succession struggles imminent, how many ministers were personally taking sides? But only Jiang Ruan and Xiao Shao knew that this person, the Emperor, had never intended to hand the realm over to Xuan Li or Xuan Pei. The person he wanted to place in this position had always been Xiao Shao. He had secretly watched over Xiao Shao for so many years, protected him for so many years—perhaps out of guilt, perhaps because this realm should rightfully belong to Crown Prince Hongxi. But more importantly, he had always considered Xiao Shao as the future heir.
“My aspirations lie elsewhere,” Xiao Shao embraced her, perhaps as comfort. “I will not fulfill his wishes.”
“I know.” Jiang Ruan nestled against Xiao Shao’s chest. The man’s body carried a pleasant, grass-like crisp fragrance, along with the slight coolness of deep night dew, yet she felt completely at peace. She said, “But you must know that His Majesty may have anticipated today long ago. I think since he intends for you to be emperor, he must have made preparations somewhere to put you in that position. And the most important thing, the most important support, would be—an imperial edict.”
Perhaps Xiao Shao didn’t understand the Emperor. Though the Brocade Guard was spread throughout the realm with the most sophisticated intelligence, Xiao Shao was an assassin, the leader of the Brocade Guard, but not someone skilled at reading people’s hearts. Regarding the Emperor, he was overly distant, never deliberately growing close due to their blood relationship, so how could he claim to understand him?
But Jiang Ruan was different. In her previous life, during those years she spent in the palace, to help Xuan Li, she had used various methods to learn about the Emperor. She naturally paid many prices in the process, but it also gave her deeper understanding. No matter how the Emperor appeared to outsiders, being in such a position, he was extremely clear about palace methods. In her previous life, he had used such methods—writing imperial edicts very early on. Because of this, the matter of changing the crown prince caused great unrest, and Xuan Li decisively acted before the edict could be revealed. The Emperor’s final trump card was finished before it could even be played under Xuan Li’s iron-blooded methods.
Now the situation was repeating itself. The Emperor wanted to establish an edict beforehand. Jiang Ruan could almost certainly confirm that Xuan Li’s people had already learned of this news and knew that the chosen person was not himself, which was why he would act so decisively. They wanted to strangle the Emperor, then logically ascend to that position using their own methods. But in the previous life, there was no Thirteenth Prince then, and Xuan Li faced no obstacles. Now, however, Xuan Pei had emerged as a disruption.
“He killed Eunuch Li, perhaps wanting to find someone to replace Eunuch Li’s position and discover the secrets of that imperial edict,” Jiang Ruan said softly. “I think it’s not just the edict. With the Emperor’s scheming mind, he should have also secretly instructed trusted ministers to step forward when necessary to verify your identity.” Xiao Shao’s identity couldn’t be known by too many people at once, or it would make Xiao Shao a target for everyone. The Emperor forcing Xiao Shao was one thing, but he still had to do his best to protect his life.
“I will find the edict,” Xiao Shao said softly. “Then burn it. No one will know.”
What he would burn was not just an imperial edict, but also a future life path—his imperial destiny. Jiang Ruan suddenly felt somewhat heartbroken. It shouldn’t have been this way. Xiao Shao had an emperor’s fate. In the previous life, in the end, he had indeed possessed the realm of the Great Jin Dynasty. But in this life, she had willfully changed his destiny. He would no longer be an emperor.
But so what? She didn’t want to let go. If Xiao Shao wanted to be emperor, she would let him go. If he didn’t want to, even if it cost her life, she wouldn’t let those people succeed. Protecting what she wanted to keep—that was the meaning of her rebirth.
Xiao Shao noticed Jiang Ruan’s unusual mood. His lips curved slightly, and he kissed her forehead, saying, “Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”
“Alright.” Jiang Ruan smiled. “I’ll leave it to you.”
The couple spoke a bit more, then Xiao Shao got up to bathe. What he didn’t see was that after he turned away, the smile on Jiang Ruan’s face froze, and for an instant her gaze became somewhat deep, not as cheerful as moments before. Slowly, she murmured to herself, “Since you don’t want to be emperor, then naturally I must handle this for you.” She lowered her eyes and said softly, “Leave it to me.”
…
That night, there was another person in Prince Jinying’s mansion. He stood in a secluded corner of the mansion’s garden, with a large iron basin before him. Flames occasionally leaped from the basin, mixed with some dark yellow or charred paper money. He was burning paper money for someone.
The cold wind blew harshly. Though it was early spring, nights were always somewhat cold. But this person wore only a thin long robe, like the most ordinary student’s blue gown from an academy. At this moment he sat on the ground. Beside the iron basin were a wine pot and two wine cups, but there was only one person.
This person was none other than Butler Lin. He stared at the dancing flames somewhat absent-mindedly, seeming to reminisce about something. Suddenly he smiled dashingly and said, “Old Li, I say you’re too foolish. You’ve mixed your way up to this position, so how could you still fall for someone else’s trick? Look, now it’s good—I haven’t even found you for drinks yet, and you’ve already gone ahead. Now I’m drinking alone, how dreary.” What he said seemed somewhat amusing, and his face carried some smile as if he wasn’t sorrowful, but within this smile was added several parts loneliness and heartache.
“Back then, we three—you, me, and His Highness the Crown Prince—were quite a sight in the capital. Ah, though you were a eunuch, you looked rather good, though not as handsome as me and His Highness. When we three went out together, how many young ladies turned to look. Ah, if only you weren’t a eunuch, that would truly have been a pity.” Butler Lin spoke to himself, seeming to find his own words extremely amusing, unconsciously laughing. His gaze pierced through the dancing flames before him, seeming to see events from long ago.
At that time, Crown Prince Hongxi was still an elegant young master, he was the handsome Third Place Scholar, and Little Li, though a eunuch, was clever and likeable by nature, with delicate features. Whenever Crown Prince Hongxi secretly slipped out of the palace, he would always bring both of them along. The three were very happy together, probably just like the three gentlemen in storytellers’ tales. Crown Prince Hongxi was naturally an approachable person, and after meeting Crown Princess Xiang Xiaoyuan, he completely disregarded rules and hierarchy. Before Crown Prince Hongxi, the three of them were equals.
They truly were equals, so when news of Crown Prince Hongxi’s death came, both Little Li and Butler Lin were genuinely heartbroken. But Butler Lin chose to resign and live in seclusion—he wanted to guard his good friend’s only bloodline. Little Li, however, remained in the palace. This didn’t mean Little Li was heartless; perhaps this was another way he used to commemorate his good friend—staying here, serving the ruler, even if only serving tea and water. As long as he could contribute even a small part to this realm that his friend had fought for with his life.
So many years passed. Butler Lin became a true butler, as if he had forgotten all his literary and martial talents, concerning himself daily only with trivial matters. He put all his energy into Xiao Shao. Meanwhile, Little Li, relying on his cleverness in the palace, finally became the chief eunuch by the Emperor’s side—Eunuch Li.
All these years, they had never contacted each other, but they knew each other was doing well. Everyone had chosen their own life path. Butler Lin looked up and filled the two wine cups before him to the brim, then held one cup in each hand, clinked them together, and poured all the wine from one cup onto the ground.
“Among us three, you and His Highness can be considered reunited, but I’m not ready yet. I must watch over the Young Master’s wellbeing, see the Young Madam give birth to a little heir, see the Young Master and Young Madam living well. No, even that won’t do. I must live well and watch them get better day by day. His Highness and you both lacked the fortune that I, Old Lin, have. I, Old Lin, am fortunate enough to see them living better each day. You just don’t have the fortune to see this scene!” Butler Lin laughed cheerfully. This laugh restored some of his usual appearance, but looking more carefully, one could see a flash of brightness at the corners of his eyes in the firelight.
He said, “Young Madam didn’t speak plainly today, but I understood. Your Highness, you should be happy—this daughter-in-law is exceptionally clever. If you were still here, you would surely love her too.” He paused. “But your brother seems to still want to place this position on the Young Master. The Young Master certainly won’t agree. Ah, Your Highness, if only you were still here—how could you watch your son be bullied like this?” He took another gulp of wine. “Old Li, you’re really something. You’re supposed to be the first chief eunuch, having followed someone for so many years, yet you can’t even influence one of their decisions. Couldn’t you properly advise His Majesty not to force someone to be emperor when they’re perfectly fine? Where did all that cleverness from before go?”
No one answered Butler Lin’s words. He sat alone in the night talking to himself like a madman, yet he sighed again and said, “This old man was once a dashing and elegant gentleman too.” He thought for a moment, then drew a small bottle from his bosom. He held the small bottle in his palm and suddenly smiled. “Now that it’s come to this point, I understand. I want to watch the Young Master continue living well like this, but I don’t know if I’ll have the chance. The capital is about to change. Though our Prince Jinying’s mansion isn’t the Eastern Palace, after following the Young Master for so many years, this has long been Old Lin’s home. With so many people watching like tigers, today I must also guard it.” He poured the small bottle into his palm, and a pill rolled out.
The pill appeared unremarkable, but Butler Lin smiled. With great spirit, he shouted at the flames before him, “Even after all these years, this old man is still so dashing and elegant.” He threw the pill into his mouth and swallowed it in one gulp, then after a long while, picked up the wine pot and took a drink.
After swallowing this pill, Butler Lin didn’t become different, but his expression seemed to relax, as if he had made some resolution.
“It’s time to show my true face,” Butler Lin quietly threw another handful of paper money into the burning basin. “This time, I will properly protect the Young Master. Your Highness, leave it to me.”