Jiang Caiping scoffed coldly, “Speaking of viciousness, who could match your master?” At this point, her gaze turned icy as she stared at Yunyi, “I will never forget how you killed people while comforting me as if nothing had happened. Yang Yunyi, those four years at Mingyue Convent were what you deserved!”
Yunyi rose and walked before her, her cold eyes meeting hers: “I don’t deny that I caused you and Xuanba to be separated by death, but Father and Chunxiu—did I really kill them? Caiping, we spent so much time together day and night in the Governor’s residence. Do you truly have no trust in me at all? Or do you think Jirong is more worthy of trust than I am?”
For some reason, her gaze made Jiang Caiping afraid to meet her eyes directly. She turned her face away and said: “Jirong is an open scoundrel, while you are a hypocrite.” After a pause, she added: “There’s no point in saying more. What exactly do you want? Just speak directly.”
Yunyi’s gaze swept across her face for a moment before she said in a condensed voice: “You just said that those four years at Mingyue Convent were what I deserved. Well then, what about you? For betraying my trust, how many years should you serve?”
Jiang Caiping’s eyelids twitched, and a trace of panic appeared in her eyes, “You want to send me to Mingyue Convent to become a nun?”
“Unwilling?” Yunyi’s counter-question made the panic in Jiang Caiping’s eyes even more pronounced. She shook her head frantically: “I have a husband and children. I cannot become a nun. You cannot do this to me.”
Ruyi sneered coldly: “Didn’t the Princess have a husband and children back then too? Yet she was still harmed by you people and forced to become a nun at Mingyue Convent. If not for His Highness the Crown Prince, who knows how many years she would have had to stay there.”
“I…” Jiang Caiping was rendered speechless by her words. Yes, Yunyi’s situation back then was exactly the same as her own now, perhaps even worse, since Yunyi’s child had left his mother right after birth and only reunited with her after more than three years.
“Nothing to say now, right?” Ruyi glared at her hatefully, then said to Yunyi: “Princess, she colluded with Jirong and harmed you greatly. She should be punished to spend her entire life as a nun at Mingyue Convent.”
Jiang Caiping twisted her fingers tightly. She was afraid that Yunyi would truly treat her this way, but she couldn’t bring herself to humble herself and beg Yunyi for mercy. In truth, over these three years, she had not been entirely without regret, especially after Jixiang’s death, when she had several times dreamed of Jixiang covered in blood coming to demand her life. But since the person was already dead, what good would regret do? She could only seal all her regret and guilt deep in her heart.
Just then, a servant entered and bowed: “Your Ladyship, there is a man named Shi Changming outside the Eastern Palace requesting an audience.”
Jiang Caiping was startled and blurted out: “Changming? Why has he come?”
“Bring him in.” Before bringing Jiang Caiping back, Yunyi had already investigated everything about her life over these past few years and naturally knew that Shi Changming was Jiang Caiping’s husband.
“Wait!” Jiang Caiping called out to the servant who was about to leave, nervously saying: “My affairs have nothing to do with my husband. He is innocent. Don’t drag him into this.”
Yunyi paid no attention to her words and only said to the servant who had stopped: “Go ahead.”
Hearing this, Jiang Caiping became even more nervous. Seeing the servant leave despite her attempts to stop him, she anxiously said to Yunyi: “I said this matter has nothing to do with him. You…”
Yunyi coldly interrupted her words: “It’s not your place to make decisions here!”
Looking at Yunyi’s darkened expression, Jiang Caiping actually felt somewhat afraid and dared not speak for a moment. During their silence, the servant brought in a gentle-looking young man.
He came to Jiang Caiping’s side and somewhat nervously cupped his hands: “This commoner Shi Changming greets Noble Consort Yang. May Your Ladyship have ten thousand fortunes.”
Before he finished speaking, Jiang Caiping had already said in a low voice: “What are you doing here? Go back quickly.”
“You are my wife. When we married, we promised to weather storms together, never to abandon each other. I will never let you face danger alone.” Saying this, he looked at Yunyi: “This commoner has heard Caiping speak of some of Your Ladyship’s matters and knows that Caiping has wronged Your Ladyship in some ways. This commoner dares not hope for Your Ladyship’s forgiveness, but only hopes that Your Ladyship might allow this commoner to receive punishment in her place!”
Jiang Caiping gripped his hand tightly and said urgently: “Don’t talk nonsense. Leave quickly. Xiang’er still needs you to take care of her!”
Shi Changming broke free from her hand and knelt down: “Please grant this request, Your Ladyship.”
Yunyi stared at him: “Even if it means death, you would be willing?”
Her words made Shi Changming’s back shrink slightly, but he quickly straightened up as before and said firmly: “Yes, even if it means death!”
“No!” Jiang Caiping, fearing he would be implicated, pulled at him: “I told you it has nothing to do with you. Why say so much? Leave quickly, go!”
No matter how Jiang Caiping pulled and tugged, Shi Changming remained kneeling, making her both moved and afraid, terrified that disaster would truly befall him. After thinking for a moment, she bit her pearl-like teeth and knelt down: “The events of the past were my fault toward Your Ladyship. One person’s actions are one person’s responsibility. Even if Your Ladyship wants to punish me to spend my entire life as a nun at Mingyue Convent, I have nothing to say. I only beg Your Ladyship not to blame the innocent and spare Changming. I…”
Yunyi raised her hand to interrupt her words, looking at Shi Changming: “How much of my affairs has she told you?”
“Caiping originally hadn’t told this commoner, but one night after we married, she was awakened by a nightmare and then spoke of some things intermittently. Later, when this commoner accompanied Caiping back to her family home in Taiyuan to visit relatives, I heard some things from the neighbors.”
“Caiping had once been in love with Prince Wei Huai, but Prince Wei Huai died at Your Ladyship’s hands, causing Caiping to harbor an unresolved grievance in her heart, even… seeking revenge against Your Ladyship. Though Caiping didn’t speak of what happened afterward, this commoner has heard that Your Ladyship was punished to cultivate at Mingyue Convent for four years, unable to return home, which presumably had something to do with Caiping.”
Yunyi nodded noncommittally, then said: “From your speech, you should have studied. Is that correct?”
“Yes, though this commoner’s family was not wealthy, my parents found ways to send this commoner to a private school for several years. Later, they even borrowed money from everywhere to help this commoner open a small tea house. Business has been fairly good.”
Yunyi smiled but not quite smiled: “If that’s the case, your family circumstances are quite good. Being so, remarrying another wife shouldn’t be difficult for you. Why sacrifice yourself for one woman? As the saying goes, ‘Husband and wife are like birds in the same forest—when great disaster comes, each flies away!'”
Shi Changming’s expression changed, and he said solemnly: “Your Ladyship’s words are mistaken. Having taken her as wife, one should follow her in life and death, never abandoning each other. How could one be heartless and fickle?” After a pause, he added: “Forgive this commoner’s directness, but if His Highness the Crown Prince had acted as Your Ladyship suggests, Your Ladyship would still be cultivating at Mingyue Convent!”
Jiang Caiping was frightened by his words and said frantically: “Don’t say anymore. Leave, leave quickly!”
“Leave?” Yunyi sneered: “Is this Eastern Palace a place where you can come and go as you please?” Saying this, she stared at Shi Changming: “Speaking to me in such a manner, aren’t you afraid of bringing fatal disaster upon yourself?”