After the incident in Yan Capital where assassins killed common people on the streets, the failed capture of these assassins caused an uproar. However, two days later, another major incident occurred within the palace.
Consort Li was speaking with Ji Wan, a young beautiful lady newly sent by the Ji family. Though Ji Wan’s beauty could not match that of Consort Li in her youth, she was now in the prime of her years, fresh and dewy like a newly budding flower. Most importantly, she was only sixteen years old.
If Consort Li had children, Ji Wan could practically be her daughter. Therefore, no matter how elegant and beautiful Consort Li usually appeared, when compared to Ji Wan, she was like a flower that had already bloomed. Though doing her utmost to maintain herself and prevent decline, her color had already passed its peak and was not as fresh as the other woman’s. Even if Emperor Hongxiao usually doted on her greatly, and even though Consort Li appeared unhurried and confident, seemingly unafraid of anyone taking her position, the anxiety and doubt in her heart were known only to herself.
Ji Wan answered Consort Li’s questions in a soft, gentle voice. In her tone was both cautious flattery and a trace of confidence and pride that only the young possess. Though she tried desperately to hide these thoughts, she was ultimately too young to compare with someone who had been navigating palace intrigue for many years. The other could see through her at a glance, yet Ji Wan herself remained completely unaware.
Consort Li smiled and held her hand, gently comforting her as if wholeheartedly thinking of this family member. A few days ago, Emperor Hongxiao had already mentioned Ji Wan. Consort Li knew she could no longer hide it and would have to meet this Ji Wan sooner or later. Better to meet her early and let Emperor Hongxiao see her “gentle magnanimity.” Occasionally showing a little temper would make one seem endearing, but constantly throwing fits would make one seem annoying and tiresome. Especially for an emperor who was below only one and above ten thousand, he need not constrain himself to accommodate anyone, and behind him, there would never be a shortage of replacements.
So Consort Li deliberately summoned Ji Wan to talk. Though both she and Ji Wan knew what scheme the Ji family was plotting, it was simply to cultivate another Consort Li, only this one was younger and might bear heirs.
Ji Wan was full of longing for the future life Consort Li described. Consort Li subtly told Ji Wan what a comfortable life she currently led in the palace. As long as Ji Wan could firmly grasp the Emperor’s heart, she too could naturally live such a life. After all, Ji Wan was young and beautiful, and in this palace, there were not many as naturally gifted as Ji Wan.
With just a few words, she was already becoming somewhat carried away. Consort Li observed this with contempt in her heart. After the Ji family’s careful selection, they unexpectedly chose such a person. Of course, it might not be that Ji Wan was stupid, but rather that she had just entered the palace, while Consort Li had survived in the palace for many years.
Living one more year naturally brought some growth. No matter how young and adorable Ji Wan was, she would still have to go through this process step by step.
The two were talking animatedly, calling each other sister with great familiarity, when suddenly someone burst into Consort Li’s sleeping chamber. Consort Li had thought it was the Emperor arriving and had just called out “Your Majesty” when she froze.
Her palace maids, Hongzhu and Lüwu, both had their mouths stuffed with cloth strips and were pinned to the ground by two large matrons, unable to move. They kept shaking their heads at her.
“What is happening?”
A eunuch walked in from outside, coldly and indifferently saying, “Consort Li, Your Majesty already knows about your illicit affair with Prince Cheng.”
“Wh… what?” Consort Li was struck as if by thunder, nearly blacking out. She steadied herself and still smiled, saying, “What words are you speaking, Gonggong? This is something that never happened!”
“The evidence of your correspondence with Prince Cheng has all been found.” The eunuch seemed unwilling to waste another word with Consort Li and directly ordered the matrons, “Do it!”
Before Consort Li could speak, she was pinned down by the matrons, her hands and feet restrained and her mouth gagged, just like Hongzhu and Lüwu. She looked toward her two maids with fear and panic. Hongzhu and Lüwu also wore expressions of complete despair. Consort Li’s heart jolted as she suddenly understood that the truth had truly come to light.
Ji Wan had been intimately chatting with Consort Li when this unexpected turn occurred, startling her greatly. She hurriedly knelt on the ground. When she understood the charges against Consort Li, she was even more frightened out of her wits. A palace consort having an illicit affair with someone was a grave crime worthy of beheading. She was someone sent in by the Ji family—how could she escape?!
Not a single one could escape!
Ji Wan nearly fainted, watching helplessly as that group of people escorted Consort Li and the others out of the sleeping chamber without bothering with her. But Ji Wan knew in her heart that even if they didn’t deal with her now, she would eventually be remembered. The crime Consort Li committed made even her feel terrified just hearing about it.
…
The matter of Consort Li and Prince Cheng’s adultery was a royal scandal that should not be publicized, yet overnight it still spread throughout all of Yan Capital.
No one knew who first mentioned it, but suddenly it became the talk of the entire city. Officers sealed off the Ji residence and arrested all members of the Ji family. Seeing this, the common people knew the rumors were eight or nine parts true.
It was said that Grand Consort Liu was confined in the palace. After all, this was a great crime of treason committed by Prince Cheng, and she, as his birth mother, could not escape involvement. Next came the arrest of Prince Cheng, but whether Prince Cheng received advance notice or what, while the servants and attendants in Prince Cheng’s mansion were still there, including Prince Cheng’s concubines, Prince Cheng himself had disappeared.
Or rather, he had already fled long ago.
Yan Capital immediately fell into chaos. The common people naturally condemned this pair of adulterers. Speaking of it, many incidents that occurred this year seemed inseparable from the four words “adulterous couple.” Starting from Ji Shuran’s affair, to Princess Yongning and Shen Yurun, and now to Prince Cheng and Consort Li.
But as the common people spread the news, it evolved into Prince Cheng having harbored treasonous intentions all along. That was why he committed such a grave offense. Now that he had fled, he was preparing to stage a rebellion.
These words spread with reason and evidence. The common people were uneasy, and everyone in the court lived in fear.
At the Right Minister’s mansion, Li Zhongnan angrily said, “That brat Emperor Hongxiao is forcing Prince Cheng to act ahead of schedule!”
“Father,” Li Lian said, “Didn’t Prince Cheng already plan to act ahead of schedule?”
“Being thoroughly prepared versus being suddenly forced are naturally different.” The speaker was Li Xian. Li Xian’s expression was gloomy and sinister. Compared to his usual modest smile, though his features remained unchanged, he now seemed like a different person. He said, “It appears the Emperor prepared long ago. Consort Li’s matter is merely a pretext.”
“He knew long ago that Consort Li and Prince Cheng had an illicit relationship, yet he kept Consort Li, pretending ignorance, simply to have legitimate grounds to denounce Prince Cheng at this moment. This fellow’s scheming runs deep—I underestimated him!” Li Zhongnan said hatefully.
“Father, we should think about what we do now,” Li Xian said. “Prince Cheng has now fled, and his arrangements have been slightly altered. If we remain in Yan Capital, perhaps the Emperor will move against us quickly. It’s time to make preparations.”
“No need to rush,” Li Zhongnan calmed down and said, “The Emperor doesn’t dare move against us yet. We have so many people in the court. Without certainty, the Emperor won’t act first. I think we should first find a way to establish contact with Prince Cheng. He is outside Yan Capital and still needs us to be his eyes.”
Li Xian’s expression shifted.
Li Zhongnan noticed and patted Li Xian’s shoulder. “Xian’er, rest assured, this old man has not forgotten about Princess Yongning’s matter. Though this time I’m helping Prince Cheng, I won’t let him have his way so easily. Our Li family must occupy a pivotal position in this great undertaking!”
Li Xian smiled and said, “I defer entirely to Father’s judgment.”
…
Outside Yan Capital, a carriage was traveling.
This carriage appeared utterly ordinary, like the kind common travelers would use. Inside the carriage sat two women and one man. Both women were dressed as farm wives, while the man looked like a merchant, his head wrapped in a headscarf.
One woman was older and likely the man’s wife. They flanked the younger woman on either side, trapping her between them.
The person seated in the middle was none other than Jiang Li.
Listening to the conversation between the carriage driver and the man, Jiang Li’s heart grew increasingly cold. The carriage had already left Yan Capital by several hundred li. Even if her family members caught up, they would certainly not be able to reach them.
That day, Tong’er had taken a blade for Jiang Li, and Baixue had pushed her off the carriage. Jiang Li had turned and run into the crowd. Since those people were after her, mixing into the crowd might confuse their sight. Who knew that just as she mixed into the crowd, someone grabbed her hand. At that moment, Jiang Li understood that these killers disguised as ordinary people who created such a disturbance on this street and murdered many innocent common people were all a smokescreen. The most important objective was still to capture her. From the very beginning, she had been right under their noses, never once leaving their sight.
But who leaked her whereabouts? Who would have been waiting on this necessary route, apparently having arranged it all in advance? Apart from the Ye family members, only the Jiang family members would know that she was going to the Ye residence that day. Though it seemed the Ye family members were more suspicious, Jiang Li almost immediately thought of one person—the Jiang family’s third branch.
The Jiang family’s third branch had long been bought by the Right Minister and could be said to be Prince Cheng’s people. Prince Cheng would ultimately resent her because of Princess Yongning. Exchanging her life for the third branch’s future prospects was a very worthwhile transaction for Yang Shi and Jiang Yuanxing.
Yang Shi had always been very shrewd.
After she was captured, she passed through the city gates in her current appearance. At that time, the city gates had not yet been sealed, so they passed through effortlessly. The man had fed Jiang Li a pill, and her face rapidly became covered with red spots. She began coughing constantly, unable to speak or move. The woman changed Jiang Li into farm wife’s clothing and put a veil on her, yet it still revealed part of the red spots. When passing the city gates, they told the guards that they were a married couple and Jiang Li was their sick younger sister. Ordinary people who saw such a coughing and frightening patient would naturally avoid her. Moreover, their travel documents had no issues, so they were allowed through.
Thus Jiang Li was taken out of Yan Capital, traveling all the way south.
Four days had passed since she was taken away that day. Jiang Li did not know what the current situation in Yan Capital was. She imagined that Uncle and Jiang Yuanbai must be frantically worried upon learning of this, probably searching for her throughout all of Yan Capital. Unfortunately, what they didn’t know was that this was a long-premeditated conspiracy. From the very beginning, they had planned to take Jiang Li out of the city.
Jiang Li’s heart was also very anxious. But she was helpless. She couldn’t even move. She had to be fed by that woman. Only when they locked her in a room each evening did she have temporary freedom. But she still couldn’t speak, and even when she moved, she was weak and powerless, her whole body soft as cotton—they had put something in her food.
She couldn’t speak, so she also couldn’t ask these two people who exactly had abducted her. But thinking it over, Jiang Li concluded it could only be Prince Cheng. Although she had quite a few enemies, after Princess Yongning and Shen Yurun’s deaths, the one who dared to abduct her in Yan Capital with such methods had to be Prince Cheng, and no one else.
Prince Cheng had kept her alive and not immediately killed her. Apart from wanting to avenge Princess Yongning by thoroughly torturing her, he probably also intended to use her to threaten Jiang Yuanbai. As long as Jiang Yuanbai didn’t interfere during Prince Cheng’s uprising, Prince Cheng’s chances of victory would increase by several points. And now, apart from Jiang Bingji as a son and two daughters with Jiang Youyao having gone mad, Jiang Yuanbai only had Jiang Li. Perhaps he truly would yield for Jiang Li’s sake.
Though Jiang Li believed the hope was very slim.
After traveling for some distance, seeing that it was already noon, the carriage stopped in front of a tavern.