The snow in Qingzhou fell continuously for three days. Jiang Li stayed in an unfamiliar room, followed by people wherever she went. Even when she went to the privy, a martial arts-skilled maid watched from the side.
She couldn’t escape. It was merely a small courtyard, yet it was guarded layer upon layer by soldiers. She had become the most important bargaining chip, allowing for not the slightest mishap. Since the last time she saw Yin Zhiqing, Jiang Li hadn’t seen her again. Jiang Li counted the days, not knowing what the situation was outside, not knowing whether the Ye family and Situ Jiuyue’s people were still safe, and even less knowing where Ji Heng was or if he had encountered any trouble. She could only sit hopelessly in despair. These past days, she had even changed from her usual quiet composure, not hesitating to protest through hunger strikes, or through arguments and threats, but none of it had any effect. Apart from these silent guards, she saw no one.
This night was the same.
Late at night, outside one could only hear the sounds of wind and snow. Jiang Li sat at the table. She couldn’t sleep, only thinking about how she might escape. The oil lamp cast the room in dim light, also projecting shadows on the ground. It was the depth of winter, with all the tree leaves withered, leaving only bare trunks outside. Therefore, the swaying human shadow was particularly eye-catching.
That shadow fell on the ground, motionless for a long time, as if it were only Jiang Li’s illusion. Jiang Li stared at the shadow on the ground for a long while before saying, “Young Master Yin, since you’ve come, why not enter?”
The shadow outside moved slightly, then a sigh sounded, and with a “creak,” the door was pushed open as someone walked in from outside.
It was Yin Zhili.
Jiang Li hadn’t seen Yin Zhili for some time either. Under the lamplight, his face was utterly haggard, as if he had become a different person. His gaze no longer held the clarity and gentleness of their first meeting. In its place was an endless complexity and unwillingness. He stood before Jiang Li and said, “Miss Jiang.”
The refined and jade-like handsome young master of the past was gone. The Yin Zhili before her was extremely unfamiliar. Jiang Li stared at him and said, “Please sit, Young Master Yin.”
Yin Zhili sat down.
Jiang Li said, “Would you like some tea?” She picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup for Yin Zhili, and placed it before him. Yin Zhili looked at the teacup in front of him but didn’t reach out to take it, nor did he show any intention of drinking.
Jiang Li smiled sweetly, saying with some regret, “You’re not falling for it.”
All the tea and water here was mixed with drugs that made one’s body unable to exert much strength or do anything else. Presumably her captors also knew that she was extremely cunning and feared she would use schemes to escape, so they thought up this method. Yin Zhili apparently already knew this, not even accepting the cup.
As expected, he looked at Jiang Li and said quietly, “I’m sorry.”
A hint of guilt appeared on Yin Zhili’s face. This made him finally look a bit like the Yin Zhili that Jiang Li knew. Jiang Li sighed and said, “I only ask you, where is the young lady who came out with me that day now? And those people from the Ye family, Mister Xue, how have you dealt with them? Haitang’s little finger…”
“Don’t worry,” Yin Zhili answered. “They’re already fine. Since you’re here, keeping those people served no purpose, so they were all sent back. As for Haitang’s finger… I’m sorry…”
“Your father did it, didn’t he?” Jiang Li stared into his eyes.
Yin Zhili fell silent, which was tacit acknowledgment. Jiang Li had guessed this point long ago. Yin Zhili wasn’t bad by nature. Only Yin Zhan could employ such cruel methods. All of this was probably a path that Yin Zhan had paved for Yin Zhili’s retreat. Whatever the outcome of the struggle between Yin Zhan and Ji Heng, Yin Zhili could use her to escape unscathed.
“Where is your father now?” Jiang Li asked.
“I don’t know.” Yin Zhili answered. “He didn’t tell me.”
Yin Zhili had locked himself here. The more guilty he felt, the more Jiang Li knew he couldn’t possibly release her. Or rather, Yin Zhili simply had no way to release her. This was Yin Zhan’s arrangement, and Yin Zhan’s arrangements absolutely could not be changed. Yin Zhili himself was also one of Yin Zhan’s chess pieces. This entire game was one he manipulated single-handedly.
“Where is this place?” Jiang Li asked.
“A hundred miles from Qingzhou.”
“How long do you plan to keep me confined?” Jiang Li asked.
Yin Zhili raised his head. Jiang Li’s gaze was very calm, without a trace of resentment or reproach toward him. The more it was like this, the less he knew how to cope, and could only avoid Jiang Li’s gaze.
Everything was Yin Zhan’s arrangement, and he was Yin Zhan’s son, having no choice but to obey. He still carried the Empress Dowager’s blood, and even if he was unwilling, he had already boarded the ship with no way to turn back. The people Yin Zhan left behind told him that if Yin Zhan could return alive, everything would wait until Yin Zhan returned. If Yin Zhan couldn’t return alive, he should take Jiang Li and raise troops from Qingzhou, using the Long River as the boundary. The Yin family had one hundred thousand troops in Yunzhong, and another hundred thousand hidden in Qingzhou. If not only Yin Zhan couldn’t return but Ji Heng was still alive, they would use Jiang Li as bait to lure and kill Ji Heng, so as to eliminate future troubles completely.
Yin Zhili had no right to refuse these matters. Because by the time he learned of them, Yin Zhan had already disappeared. The lives of everyone in the Yin family rested on Yin Zhili alone. If Yin Zhili didn’t do this, the Yin family’s people—Yin Zhiqing, Madam Yin, all the Yin family’s servants, the uncles he knew, the master who taught him martial arts, and the soldiers who had gone to the battlefield with Yin Zhan—would all perish. With so many lives weighing on him, Yin Zhili couldn’t object. He had no choice.
After a long time, Yin Zhili finally looked at Jiang Li. He asked softly, “Miss Jiang… do you like the Duke of Su very much?”
Jiang Li’s heart turned cold. Just from this sentence, she could glimpse Yin Zhili’s innermost thoughts. She paused, then said, “Yes.”
Hearing Jiang Li’s answer, Yin Zhili’s heart ached. A dark and obscure emotion rose from within him, which he suppressed. He said, “Then how does the Duke of Su treat Miss Jiang?”
“If you want to use me as bait to lure and threaten Ji Heng, you’d best abandon that idea.” Jiang Li said coldly, “Yin Zhili, don’t make me look down on you.”
Hearing this, Yin Zhili smiled bitterly. He said, “If Miss Jiang looks down on me, so be it. Even I look down on myself. How would I care what others think?”
His expression was actually dejected, with a kind of broken and reckless indifference. If others saw this, they would surely be shocked, finding it hard to imagine that this graceful and noble man had come to look like this.
“However, I also hope this day won’t be necessary. To personally kill the one you love—you would surely hate me for life. I don’t want you to harbor resentment toward me,” he said.
Jiang Li fell silent. If this day truly wasn’t necessary, it would mean Ji Heng had already died before then. These words wouldn’t make Jiang Li happy, only make her heart wrench even more.
“What do you want, Young Master Yin?” Jiang Li asked. “You kidnapped me to threaten Ji Heng, but those troops outside don’t look simple. Do you also want to be like Prince Cheng—raise an army in rebellion, with your sights set on the throne?”
Yin Zhili suddenly became agitated. He swept the teacups on the table away violently. Scalding tea splashed onto the floor, releasing white steam, with shards scattering everywhere. The soldiers outside heard the sound and rushed into the room. Yin Zhili ordered them to get out, and only then did they leave.
Yin Zhili laughed coldly, “Who cares about that throne!”
“Your father cares,” Jiang Li answered.
It seemed Yin Zhili had no desire to rebel, but Yin Zhan’s attitude was so resolute. This puzzled Jiang Li even more. However, from Yin Zhili’s appearance, he didn’t intend to say anything. Jiang Li then said, “I remember when I played chess with Young Master Yin before, you once said that war would make the common people suffer. Do you know that once the Yin family army raises troops, countless common people will be displaced, and countless families will be torn apart? Is this what you hope to see as well?”
Yin Zhili groaned in pain. His appearance made even Jiang Li feel somewhat unbearable to watch. He was like someone being roasted over a fire, unable to find favor on either side, yet forced to walk a path that went completely against his original intentions—a path of destiny whose ending was already visible.
He said, “I don’t want to either… I don’t want to… but I have no choice.”
“You do have a choice,” Jiang Li said gently. “You’re the son of the Prince of Xia. It’s still in time to stop now. Don’t wait until things reach an irreversible state before trying to find a solution. It’s still in time now, isn’t it?”
She tried to persuade Yin Zhili. Yin Zhili was stunned for a moment, but suddenly stood up. His eyes became resolute, and his gaze toward Jiang Li no longer held its former warmth, carrying instead a trace of decisive coldness and resignation. He said, “Don’t say anymore, Miss Jiang. You’re not me. You don’t understand that I have no other path to walk. From the moment I was born into the Yin family, this day was destined. This is my fate. I won’t resist it anymore, so you should accept your fate too.” After saying this, he no longer looked at Jiang Li, turned around and swept his sleeves as he left.
The door was closed again. The room returned to silence, with only the remnants of the teacups on the floor proving what had just occurred. Jiang Li looked toward the door and sighed deeply.
This path through Yin Zhili also wouldn’t work. Fortunately, the Ye family and Jiuyue were already safe. Yin Zhili wouldn’t go so far as to harm them. For Yin Zhan, presumably he believed that only she could threaten Ji Heng. The others were burdens not worth much thought. But… what about Ji Heng?
From Yin Zhili’s words, Yin Zhan still hadn’t been seen, and the situation outside was unknown. Jiang Li could only pray silently in her heart, hoping Ji Heng was safe and sound.
…
Qingzhou and Yanjing were too far apart. While Qingzhou still had wind and snow filling the sky, the streets of Yanjing City were almost completely deserted by nightfall.
The imperial palace stood firm in the wind and snow, as if it would never waver in the slightest. But it wasn’t as magnificent as in days past. Looking at it, it seemed no different from an ordinary mansion. It even resembled a sinister yet grand underground palace, causing those who entered to never return.
In Cining Palace, lamplight flickered. The underground heating system burned vigorously, so it wasn’t as cold as outside. Buddhist scriptures lay casually on the desk, not having been transcribed by anyone in a long time. Only the incense in the censer burned of its own accord in this quiet night, like the red-glowing eyes of a legendary palm-sized divine beast, with ferocity hidden beneath gentleness.
The Empress Dowager reclined on a soft couch, dozing lightly. Recently she always liked to daydream. Sitting in the hall, wanting to calm her heart and copy a few lines of scripture, she simply couldn’t settle down no matter what, so she just stopped copying altogether. When not copying scriptures, she had nothing to do. In the past when Consort Dowager Liu was here, she could at least hear Consort Dowager Liu causing trouble. After Consort Dowager Liu left, the rear palace became even more desolate, which made her feel somewhat melancholic. Emperor Hongxiao’s consorts didn’t like coming to find her. She, the Empress Dowager, had long stopped managing worldly affairs. The rear palace also trod on the low and curried favor with the high. The consorts were busy uniting together, competing for favor and scheming. They simply had no leisure to deal with her, an old woman.
The Empress Dowager especially missed the times of the past. It seemed even the time in her youth in the rear palace, when she fought and competed with Consort Liu and Consort Xia over jealousy, had become endearing. Of course, what she reminisced about most were the times related to Yin Zhan. She dreamed more than once of the scene when she first met Yin Zhan. Yin Zhan rode a horse. That young man was tall and handsome, with a hearty smile on his face. After he rescued her from villains’ hands, she bandaged him. Yin Zhan sat on a rock, smiling as he looked at her. She was made to blush by his gaze, yet still mustered the courage to ask Yin Zhan’s name. She indulged in this dream, unwilling to wake. Each time she opened her eyes, she was in a trance, as if everything was just a great dream, as if she were still the young lady of the Lin family, still able to have a chance to change things.
But ultimately there was no such chance. Today, she dreamed of Yin Zhan again, only this time it wasn’t the Yin Zhan of their first meeting. She was at Hongshan Temple. That day, a hundred archers surrounded and tried to kill Ji Minghan, but Ji Minghan’s whereabouts were unknown. She returned to her room to find Yin Zhan was also injured. She knew Yin Zhan had killed many people. Ji Minghan was his good brother. Yin Zhan remained silent. She asked, “Do you resent me?”
“No,” Yin Zhan answered. “I’ve never resented you. I only regret not meeting you earlier.”
The next moment, Yin Zhan’s figure was suddenly engulfed by raging flames. His expression was pained as he called her name: “Roujia…”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes snapped open, awakening from the dream drenched in sweat. Meixiang stepped forward with concern and said, “Your Majesty Empress Dowager, are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” The Empress Dowager wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, saying, “It was just a nightmare.”
Just as she finished speaking, she heard a man’s voice from outside: “What nightmare did Mother have that frightened her so?”
The Empress Dowager looked up ahead to see Emperor Hongxiao appear at the entrance of the great hall. Behind him, eunuchs and palace servants knelt all over the floor. Presumably he had ordered them not to announce his arrival when he entered, so the Empress Dowager hadn’t heard any sound. Emperor Hongxiao smiled as he walked in. The Empress Dowager straightened up and smiled, saying, “Why has Your Majesty thought to come today?”
Her heart beat very fast. She didn’t know if it was because she still hadn’t recovered from the fright of that dream, but she also felt that dream was very inauspicious. Even her smile was very forced. Emperor Hongxiao rarely came to Cining Palace on ordinary days. Most of the time when he chatted with her, it was in the Imperial Garden.
“The wind and snow outside are heavy today. I came specifically to see Mother.” Emperor Hongxiao beckoned to Eunuch Su, who then had the surrounding palace servants withdraw.
The Empress Dowager vaguely sensed something was wrong, yet couldn’t say exactly what was wrong. She had Meixiang serve tea to Emperor Hongxiao, then walked to the tea table herself and had Emperor Hongxiao sit as well.
Emperor Hongxiao looked at the incense on the Empress Dowager’s incense table and asked with a smile, “For whom is Mother praying?”
The Empress Dowager answered, “Naturally for all the people under heaven. There are snow disasters everywhere. Many common people have frozen to death. When I heard of it, my heart ached. I can’t do anything, so I can only copy scriptures and pray for them in the palace.”
“Mother truly has the world at heart,” Emperor Hongxiao praised.
The Empress Dowager looked up at the Emperor. She didn’t know when this prince, who had once been an eyesore to her, had grown to look like this. She still remembered that shortly after the Crown Prince died, to stabilize her position, she had no choice but to pretend to be the picture of maternal kindness and filial piety with this prince. She still remembered that as a youth, Emperor Hongxiao had been obedient and weak, obeying her every word. On one hand she was very assured and proud, on the other hand she was disgusted and contemptuous. But she had ultimately underestimated this prince. Every prince carried the Late Emperor’s blood. Plunder and disguise were instincts they brought with them from birth. This could be seen from Prince Cheng’s affair. Emperor Hongxiao was the same, perhaps he had awakened even earlier. In his youth, he already knew to use her to obtain what he wanted.
Come to think of it, the deep palace was like a jungle. How could a beast raised in the jungle not eat people? The Empress Dowager thought of Yin Zhili again, that young man she had seen at the palace banquet, the first time she saw her own son after over twenty years. Yin Zhili’s refined jade-like nature was what she most loved and took pride in, but now she worried about how many chances of victory her son had when facing this terrifying emperor.
She couldn’t let Yin Zhili fail. She couldn’t let such things happen. So she had to clear all obstacles for Yin Zhili, including the emperor before her. She certainly couldn’t do it alone, but fortunately there was still Yin Zhan. No matter what difficulties she encountered, only this man wouldn’t abandon her. He would forever stand behind her, solving all difficulties for her.
“Actually, I came today because there’s something I want to tell Mother.” Emperor Hongxiao picked up the teacup from the table, took a small sip, then said unhurriedly, “The Prince of Xia is dead.”
The Empress Dowager had been smiling as she reached for her teacup. Hearing this, her movement faltered and some tea spilled out. Meixiang hurriedly took a handkerchief to wipe the stains on the table. But the Empress Dowager gripped the teacup tightly, as if desperately trying to hold it steady. Her smile was somewhat stiff as she said, “What nonsense is Your Majesty saying? Perfectly fine, how could the Prince of Xia be dead?”
“It’s true.” Emperor Hongxiao’s answer was matter-of-fact. “At the Red Building in Qingzhou, Old General Ji of the Duke’s Manor killed the Prince of Xia, and the Prince of Xia also killed Old General Ji. What a pity.”
The light phrase “what a pity” revealed no tone, leaving one unable to guess this emperor’s thoughts or know what he meant. Meixiang, standing behind the Empress Dowager, changed color slightly and couldn’t help but look behind Emperor Hongxiao, where two sword-bearing imperial guards stood, steady as rocks, as if they knew all her thoughts.
“How could that be?” The Empress Dowager laughed. She didn’t look at Emperor Hongxiao, only looked at the finger guards on her hands, as if she wanted to carefully examine every gemstone on them. She said, “How could Old General Ji kill the Prince of Xia, and how could the Prince of Xia kill Old General Ji? I’m old. Your Majesty shouldn’t joke about such things with me. I won’t take it seriously.” As if a child were lying and an adult was forgiving him tolerantly.
“I have no inclination to joke about such things with anyone.” Emperor Hongxiao’s smile was ambiguous. “If Mother doesn’t believe it, so be it. Before long, the bodies of Old General Ji and the Prince of Xia will be sent back to the capital for burial.”
The Empress Dowager’s expression finally changed. She raised her head to look at Emperor Hongxiao. This emperor who had grown up under her watch finally revealed the fierce, vicious eyes of a beast. Just this one look, and the Empress Dowager knew—he couldn’t possibly know nothing. He understood everything.
But she still had to struggle, as if this way she could muddle through. The Empress Dowager laughed and said, “I don’t understand. Your Majesty is so relaxed—do you not plan to prosecute?”
“Prosecute? Mother doesn’t know, but this requires tracing back to events from long ago. Speaking of which, I only learned of this recently myself.” The Emperor smiled. “Many years ago, the Duke of Su’s father, General of the Golden Guards, disappeared. Actually, he was trapped and killed by the Prince of Xia’s schemes. The revenge of killing one’s father is irreconcilable. That Ji Heng killed the Prince of Xia is only natural. However, the old general felt sorry for his grandson and helped Ji Heng complete this task. Mother, a life for a life is the natural order. Even I cannot say anything. Does Mother hope I’ll favor someone?”
The Empress Dowager looked at Emperor Hongxiao and didn’t speak for a long time.
Emperor Hongxiao smiled again and said, “I almost forgot—when the General of the Golden Guards was ambushed and killed back then, Mother was also present. Naturally you would favor the Prince of Xia.”
At this point, the Empress Dowager instead became calm. She looked at Emperor Hongxiao, smiled faintly, and said, “Your Majesty, all these years, I have treated you well. If you want to put me to death, you need not use such methods. You slander me like this—do you have evidence?”
“Evidence?” Emperor Hongxiao laughed. He said word by word, “Yin Zhili is the evidence.”
Meixiang’s hands nervously gripped her skirt. The Empress Dowager’s expression changed drastically. This was her greatest weakness. If Emperor Hongxiao used this to threaten her, she had no chance of winning!
“Has Mother forgotten so quickly? Not long ago, before the Prince of Xia left Yanjing for Qingzhou, didn’t he come to see Mother?”
He had known all along! The Empress Dowager’s heart couldn’t help but tremble. She looked at Emperor Hongxiao as if looking at a monster. She had thought many times that someday the truth would be discovered, but not like this. She held no bargaining chips in her hand. Yin Zhan wasn’t by her side either. She was like a piece of meat that could be slaughtered at will.
It wasn’t that she was weak and powerless, but rather that both she and Yin Zhan had underestimated this emperor.
“Mother restrained me in the palace, the Prince of Xia restrained the Duke of Su in Qingzhou, Yin Zhili would lead the Yin family troops to raise an army south of the Long River. I must admire the Prince of Xia’s patience—lying low for so many years to set up this trap.” Emperor Hongxiao smiled. “What painstaking efforts for Yin Zhili.”
The Empress Dowager said, “Does Your Majesty want to kill me?”
“How could that be?” Emperor Hongxiao smiled. “Isn’t Yin Zhili still alive?”
“Does Your Majesty want to use me to threaten Yin Zhili?” The Empress Dowager laughed coldly.
“No.” Emperor Hongxiao said gently, “Mother knows I don’t like doing such things. Just as Prince Cheng wouldn’t risk himself for Consort Dowager Liu, Yin Zhili may not necessarily take dangerous risks and trust to luck for Mother either.”
These words could be called extremely cutting. The Empress Dowager stared at Emperor Hongxiao for a long time, then suddenly laughed. She laughed while shaking her head, almost laughing to tears. She said, “Third Prince, so I’ve been underestimating you all along. I was just saying—how could Xia Liulan’s son be like this? So it’s not that you’re no good, it’s that I misjudged you!”
Xia Liulan was Consort Xia’s name. Hearing this name, Emperor Hongxiao’s expression paused. He put away his smile and said, “My mother consort’s death back then—you had something to do with it!”
Consort Xia died shortly after giving birth to Emperor Hongxiao. Others all said she died of illness. Emperor Hongxiao investigated for so many years, eventually finding old people from the palace back then, but they said Consort Xia had been in good health before that, without a trace of illness.
“Hmph, in a place like the palace, countless people wanted Xia Liulan dead. It wasn’t me who did it!” The Empress Dowager said disdainfully.
Emperor Hongxiao’s face turned various shades of blue and white, as if he didn’t believe this answer. Indeed, the Empress Dowager’s next sentence immediately made him furiously angry. She said, “However, after Xia Liulan gave birth to you back then, I was indeed very unwilling. In the palace, wanting someone’s life sometimes doesn’t require taking action personally. I only needed to say one sentence—that His Majesty intended to establish you as Crown Prince—and countless people would rush forward one after another to do this deed for me.”
“You!” Emperor Hongxiao was extremely furious. With the Empress Dowager’s one fabricated sentence, Consort Xia became a glaring target in the palace. Poor thing, at that time Consort Xia had just had a child, with her whole heart devoted to her own child. How would she pay attention to anything else?
“I only regret that those people didn’t kill you along with her, leaving behind this disaster.” The Empress Dowager’s gaze was full of malice. “If I had known there would be today, I would have personally removed you from this world myself back then, even if I had to act personally!”
“Too bad you don’t have that chance anymore.” Emperor Hongxiao calmed down again. He said, “Although my mother consort wasn’t killed by your own hand, she died because of you. This debt, I’ll note down for you first. I’ve long said—debts must be repaid, lives paid for lives. The evil you and Yin Zhan committed will naturally be punished by heaven. Now Yin Zhan is already dead. The next one should be Yin Zhili’s turn. When Yin Zhili is dead too, I’ll personally send you on your way. No, I’ve changed my mind. I won’t let you die. I’ll keep you alive, imprison you in the palace, worse off than the concubines in the Cold Palace, letting you watch the people around you die one by one, living hopelessly forever. That is the best punishment for you. I will announce to the world the shameful deeds you and Yin Zhan committed, making Yin Zhili like a rat crossing the street that everyone shouts to beat. Even if he raises an army in rebellion, those who follow him will be ashamed of him. Even when he dies, he won’t escape this stigma. Even in death, people will point at his spine!”
“No—” The Empress Dowager let out a shocked cry. She lunged to scratch Emperor Hongxiao’s face. The guards at Emperor Hongxiao’s side drew their swords, protecting Emperor Hongxiao and pushing her away. The Empress Dowager fell to the ground, her hair completely disheveled.
“No…” she murmured.
Emperor Hongxiao looked at her coldly, turned and walked out, saying, “Someone come, lock her up! Without my permission, no one is allowed to see the Empress Dowager. Also,” he smiled coldly, “watch her carefully. Don’t let her die under any circumstances.”
The Empress Dowager collapsed on the ground. Meixiang came to help her up, but she futilely reached out her hand, looked at Meixiang, and said, “He’s lying to me, isn’t he? Yin Zhan isn’t dead, right?”
Her tears flowed down.