“The situation between them is a tangled mess that’s hard to unravel. They’ve known each other since childhood, growing up together. Lady Bai was originally betrothed to Pan Rong’s elder brother, Pan Rui. At the time, Pan Rui was the heir to the Chu State Marquis’s estate. Whether as an heir, son, fiancé, elder brother, or friend, he performed all roles admirably, almost beyond reproach. In comparison, Pan Rong seemed unremarkable and overlooked. Pan Rui and Lady Bai were well-matched, with both families approving of the match. However, Pan Rong later provoked someone he shouldn’t have, which directly led to Pan Rui’s downfall.
“To be fair, it wasn’t entirely Pan Rong’s fault. He was young, playful, and neglected by his family, which led to some self-destructive behavior. He often engaged in cockfighting and dog racing with other young nobles in the capital. During one cockfight, unable to bear the humiliation, he got into a fight with a royal prince and beat him severely. The prince then called a group of royal clan members to ambush him. Pan Rong was with Pan Rui at the time, and both brothers were badly beaten. Pan Rong survived, but Pan Rui’s injuries were too severe to treat, and he passed away. The Chu State Marquis knelt at the palace gates for days and nights. Although the Emperor punished the perpetrators, he merely found scapegoats. The true culprits were still enjoying their glory at the time.”
Jiang Changyang sighed, “I was in the Anxi Protectorate when I heard the news. I was devastated. He was my best friend. When I left for the capital with my mother, only the two brothers sincerely saw me off, and we continued to correspond afterward. Other acquaintances, including relatives, either mocked me or remained indifferent. Pan Rui and I had made a pact to achieve great things together, him in the capital and me in Anxi. Who would have thought he’d die in such a pitiful way?”
After a moment of silence, Mudan asked, “Who was that person?”
Jiang Changyang’s face darkened. “Prince Min. He was several years older than Pan Rong but couldn’t beat him in a fair fight. He resorted to underhanded tactics for revenge. He used to be more blatant, but after this incident, he became more insidious.”
This was indeed Prince Min’s style, always preferring to scheme behind the scenes. Mudan couldn’t help but think of several other incidents involving Prince Min. She sighed inwardly, thinking there were few good people in the royal family. She then asked, “So what happened next? Did Lady Bai marry Pan Rong? I heard her briefly mention that her relationship with the Chu State Marquis’s wife isn’t good, and she’s unhappy in the Marquis’s household.”
If Lady Bai had loved Pan Rui, she must have resented Pan Rong and been reluctant to marry him, Mudan thought.
“Marriages between families aren’t easily broken off unless necessary. If an elder brother dies, the younger brother takes his place. If an elder sister is gone, the younger sister marries in her stead. For the sake of the greater good, individual wishes hardly matter,” Jiang Changyang said with a sarcastic smile. He continued, “Afterward, although Pan Rong inherited the title and married Lady Bai, he remained deeply guilt-ridden. He always felt that no one had forgiven him, that everyone looked down on him, and that everything was his fault. So his behavior became somewhat erratic. The Marquis’s household initially hoped Lady Bai would manage him and help him get on the right track, but he wouldn’t listen to her advice at all. Whenever she tried to counsel him, he’d say he wasn’t Pan Rui, he was Pan Rong, and couldn’t do things the way Pan Rui used to.
“Who could endure having their heart stabbed repeatedly like that? Lady Bai eventually stopped trying to manage him. But as a result, he started bringing more concubines into the household. Someone like Lady Bai would never beg him not to take concubines. She naturally ignored it, allowing him to do as he pleased, which made him even more unrestrained. This, in turn, displeased the Chu State Marquis and his wife.
The Marquis’s wife, having lost her beloved son in middle age, already had a somewhat difficult temperament. She was somewhat dissatisfied with Pan Rong herself but often looked at him coldly, yet blamed Lady Bai for not making enough effort. Having lost hope in her daughter-in-law, she placed all her hopes on young Pan Jing. However, her methods of upbringing differed from Lady Bai’s. Although Lady Bai strictly observed propriety, she wasn’t one to easily bow her head. Conflict was inevitable.”
It was like a vicious cycle, but the root cause lay with Pan Rong. Mudan frowned and said, “If Pan Rong could change a bit, even if not everyone would be satisfied, at least fewer people would suffer.” She paused, then said softly, “What I’m most concerned about now is whether Pan Rong truly cares for Lady Bai. From what I’ve seen, it seems he does have some feelings for her. But if he cares, why does he insist on tormenting her like this? Isn’t he just making himself miserable? It’s so frustrating.”
Jiang Changyang replied, “They grew up together, and only they know the details of their relationship. But I can say with certainty that he doesn’t dislike Lady Bai, and even likes her to some extent. He feels somewhat inferior to her. He believes he’s far inferior to Pan Rui, and under this mindset, even an unintentional word from Lady Bai might trigger great resentment and pain in him. I’ve advised him on everything I should and shouldn’t have, but he’s still like this… If you feel sorry for Lady Bai, I’ll arrange to meet with him again and have a good talk. If he still won’t listen, and they won’t separate, then all you can do is keep Lady Bai company and help her take her mind off things.”
Mudan sighed, “I suppose that’s all we can do.”
They rode in silence for a while. Seeing Mudan lost in thought with furrowed brows, Jiang Changyang knew she was worried about Lady Bai. He intentionally changed the subject to distract her: “Tell me more about the details of Madam Du’s visit to your home that day?”
Mudan recounted the events in detail, then complained in a low voice, “I don’t like her at all. She appears to smile warmly and seems very humble and polite, but it’s all an act. She’s just good at pretending. But she couldn’t help herself and tried to set a trap for me. When I didn’t fall for it, she couldn’t resist showing her true colors. She even deliberately chipped our teacups. And that old ginseng she gave as a gift, I couldn’t care less about it.”
Seeing her both adorable and charming, Jiang Changyang’s hands itched to reach out and pat her head. However, with Wu and the others nearby and many people around, he had to restrain himself. He gripped his whip tightly and smiled, “Don’t mind her. She’s after me, not you. At most, she’s trying to use you to get to me.”
“I’ll deal with whatever comes my way. I don’t have any real conflict of interest with her, so I’m not afraid of her,” Mudan said, looking at Jiang Changyang with concern. “On the contrary, I’m very worried about you. What exactly are you doing? It’s one thing for her to be wary of you, but why are all these people targeting you? You keep refusing them, won’t you offend them all badly? I don’t understand much about these matters, but I think if you want to continue on this path and go further, you’ll need to focus on some things and let go of others. Otherwise, it will be very difficult in the future…”
She didn’t understand much about politics, but based on her past life’s workplace experience, she knew that amid various interpersonal conflicts, it was impossible to remain completely uninvolved, or at least it would be very difficult. One must focus on certain things and make choices.
Jiang Changyang looked at her with a smile and said softly, “Are you afraid of facing hardships with me? If… would you regret it?”
Mudan looked back at him and shook her head without hesitation: “I’m not afraid. As long as you’re sincere to me, I can face hardships with you and won’t regret it. But the premise is that you’re sincere to me.” She knew that to reap rewards, one must be willing to make sacrifices. To have his sincere treatment, she was naturally willing to give.
Seeing her dark eyes, serious and cautious expression, and quick answer without any hesitation, Jiang Changyang felt a surge of tender emotions. He felt something filling his chest, warm and overflowing. He couldn’t help but glance at Wu and the others, then swiftly grabbed Mudan’s hand, holding it in his. He said in a deep voice, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you suffer. I know what I’m doing, and I have enough ability to protect myself.”
Suddenly hearing a suppressed chuckle from behind, Jiang Changyang quickly withdrew his hand and said softly, “Let me tell you some things so you won’t worry. Although I’m currently part of the internal guard, they’re all just interested in my other identity, hoping to gain some support for themselves. First, there’s the Jiang family side. Although the Duke of Zhu is extremely cautious, his prestige in the military is still very high. Second, there’s my adoptive father’s side. The Emperor is currently in his prime, and some things are still premature. The situation isn’t clear, so I’ve chosen to gain the Emperor’s trust. As for the future, I have my plans and measures.”
He still didn’t tell Mudan about the specific tasks he was doing, as they were dangerous. Since being selected and coming to the capital, he had only been following the Emperor’s orders, specifically investigating scandals and treasonous activities of certain individuals, as well as handling cases that official authorities couldn’t solve. There were certainly people who hated him, but that was unavoidable if one wanted to accomplish things and advance. He was very clear about who he could afford to offend and who he couldn’t when it came to important matters. However, this kind of work wasn’t a long-term solution. Fortunately, once he finished the task at hand, he could extricate himself. But these matters were far from Mudan’s world, and she didn’t need to know. She only needed to happily cultivate her flowers and wait to marry him.
Mudan could tell from his manner that he wasn’t telling the whole truth. She didn’t like feeling kept in the dark, so she said in a low voice, “You have some interest in Prince Jing, don’t you?”
Jiang Changyang raised his eyebrows in surprise, then smiled, showing a row of snow-white, even teeth. “Why do you think that?”
Mudan knew she had guessed correctly and glanced at him sideways. “I just know, but I won’t tell you how. And I also know that you’re still observing, waiting for the right opportunity. It’s like cultivating flowers; you have to choose the most unique and robust bud among many. You can’t be careless.”
Jiang Changyang laughed, “Then let’s cultivate flowers together.” He looked at Mudan gently, “You need to know how to skillfully use external forces. Sometimes you need to ask for help, but you can’t go knocking on doors begging. You have to wait for people to come to you, asking to help you. When they help, they’re delighted, and when you return the favor, you’re even more delighted. Everyone’s happy.”
The city walls were now in sight. Mudan looked at Jiang Changyang reluctantly, “Take care of yourself.”
Jiang Changyang nodded, “You be careful too. I’ll arrange to meet with Pan Rong as soon as possible, and then have Gui tell you about it. If you have any matters, you can also tell Gui. He has ways to reach me.”
Mudan glared at Gui, “He’s the mole. He’s been secretly telling you I was here all along, but didn’t tell me, acting all mysterious.”
Hearing this, Gui shrank his neck. Jiang Changyang smiled, “Don’t blame him. He wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it in time.”