Indeed, it was Li Fengxing who had just made that remark. Everyone present heard it—he was referring to Lord Ziyang and his defense of Miss Bai Sishi, the so-called “beloved.”
However, now Miss Bai Sishi had slapped the chair and stood up, filled with anger. For whom was she so furious?
The Three Dukes, Nine Ministers, and even the emperor on the dragon throne were momentarily stunned, and then they all revealed looks of sudden realization, directing their gazes at Jiang Xuanjin standing below.
Standing with his hands behind his back, Jiang Xuanjin wore a robe of azure brocade embroidered with silver patterns. His demeanor was calm and composed, like a jade bamboo on a mountain. As he slightly turned his face, his dark eyes reflected the serene beauty of a spring rain over lakes and mountains, captivating all who saw him.
He parted his thin lips and, with an emotion that stirred those present, addressed Li Huaiyu, who had been defending him:
“Shut up!”
The fierce Li Huaiyu shuddered at his outburst and frowned, turning back. “Why are you scolding me again?”
In front of so many people, calling him a “beloved,” how could he not be angry? Jiang Xuanjin sneered, pressing her back into the chair with one hand, his voice a restrained growl through gritted teeth, “Stay put!”
Li Huaiyu, feeling indignant, muttered under her breath, “I was speaking up for you. Just listen to the nonsense he’s spouting, coupled with that sanctimonious demeanor. It makes you want to punch him!”
“That’s not for you to do.”
Taking a step forward, Jiang Xuanjin positioned himself in front of her, blocking both her and her words. He then addressed Li Fengxing, “Miss Bai Sishi speaks frankly, I hope you can understand.”
“Frankly?” Li Fengxing frowned. “This is insubordination! A mere court lady, without any official title, dares to question me like this!”
Although there was a hint of anger in his words, it was indeed true that Miss Bai Sishi’s behavior could be considered insubordination.
Li Huailin felt a bit worried. He believed that what Miss Bai had said wasn’t without reason—in fact, it hit the mark. However, her status worked against her. Accusations of insubordination could be significant, and if Li Fengxing insisted on pursuing it, it might cause trouble.
Perhaps Li Fengxing realized this as well, for a harsh glint appeared in his eyes as he prepared to press the matter further.
However, before he could speak, Jiang Xuanjin intervened.
Raising his eyes to look at Li Fengxing, his gaze was calm as he asked, “The position of Chancellor Historian, what is its annual stipend?”
Li Fengxing paused, unsure of the direction this was heading. “The annual stipend is one thousand shi.”
“And what about the stipend of a titled lord?”
“…His Highness Ziyang receives an annual stipend of ten thousand shi.”
Satisfied with the answer, Jiang Xuanjin nodded and turned to Xu Yan, who was standing ahead. “If it’s insubordination for an untitled court lady to question an official with a stipend of one thousand shi, then what is it called when an official with a stipend of one thousand shi questions a lord with a stipend of ten thousand shi?”
The Three Dukes and Nine Ministers typically ranked officials based on their stipends. An official with a stipend of one thousand shi might seem highly ranked to someone without a title. However, compared to Lord Ziyang’s stipend of ten thousand shi, it was like comparing a speck of dust to a bright moon, a difference of countless levels.
When it came to insubordination, Li Fengxing was far more audacious than Lady Bai Si.
Realizing this, Li Fengxing trembled, his stern expression fading. Seeing Xu Yan about to speak, he hurriedly interjected, “The fault is mine! Today, everyone seeks justice and instructs one another. How can this be considered insubordination?”
The speed of his change in tone left everyone stunned.
Li Huailin frowned and finally couldn’t hold back, “Lord Li, you keep speaking of justice, yet you haven’t provided a shred of evidence to prove Meng Hengyuan’s innocence. Accusing Lord Ziyang based on mere conjecture, what reasoning is this?”
Panic-stricken, Li Fengxing quickly bowed, “Your Highness, please discern clearly. I only feel there is something suspicious about this matter.”
“Feel again?” Li Huailin suddenly slapped the dragon throne, furrowing his brows, “Where is the evidence?”
The resounding clap echoed through the court, causing everyone to bow their heads. Li Fengxing immediately knelt, kowtowing, “Your Highness, please calm your anger!”
“You all still see me as a child, thinking a few words can deceive me?” Li Huailin was truly enraged, “If this were a case with insufficient evidence, that would be one thing. But this case has irrefutable evidence, and you still dare to argue? Do you think I can’t discern right from wrong?”
Li Fengxing was terrified and quickly bowed, not daring to speak further. The surrounding ministers stepped forward, bowing in unison, “Your Highness, please calm your anger.”
“Calm my anger?” Li Huailin sneered, “If the Eldest Princess were still in power, would you dare to deceive her as you deceive me now?”
At these words, Li Tingwei, standing beside, frowned and exclaimed, “Your Highness!”
“You still recognize me as Your Highness?” Li Huailin stood up abruptly, “In your eyes, I am just a manipulable child!”
No one expected the Emperor to suddenly erupt in such fury. Jiang Xuanjin frowned deeply and stepped forward, intending to reprimand him. After all, he had studied the imperial etiquette for so long—how could he lose his composure in court like this?
However, as he took his first step, someone grabbed his sleeve.
“Don’t scold him,” Li Huaiyu whispered, head lowered and eyes downcast, pulling him back slightly. “His Highness is not wrong.”
Li Fengxing’s audacity to protect Meng Hengyuan stemmed from his belief that the young Emperor was inexperienced. If Eldest Princess Danyang were in power, he wouldn’t dare utter a word, knowing it would be futile.
Jiang Xuanjin’s face darkened. “Advising the ruler is a duty of his ministers.”
Advise? Li Huaiyu scoffed internally. Without a doubt, if she let go of his hand, Jiang Xuanjin would rush forward and scold Huailin harshly, citing the “Founder’s Edicts” and “Strategies of Kingship.”
“Let him finish speaking,” she whispered. “It might not be a bad thing.”
Jiang Xuanjin frowned, glancing at the trembling Li Fengxing and Meng Hengyuan beside him. After a moment of contemplation, he decided not to move.
Seeing Jiang Xuanjin hold back, the others dared not intervene. Fueled by anger, Li Huailin glared at Meng Hengyuan, exclaiming, “A mere commoner dares to lie in my presence! Three thousand catties of contraband! Three thousand! If you didn’t know, who could have smuggled it into your Meng warehouse without anyone noticing?!”
He then turned to Li Fengxing. “You, a dignified Chief Minister, distort the truth to favor merchants! No matter how eloquent you are, do you think I don’t know your true intentions?!”
The wrath of an Emperor could lead to a million corpses and rivers of blood.
Just moments ago, Li Fengxing had been eloquent and persuasive, but now he couldn’t utter a single word. He repeatedly kowtowed, the sound of his head hitting the floor echoing through the hall. Meng Hengyuan’s legs trembled, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to lift his head.
“Xu Yan!” Li Huailin called out.
Xu Yan immediately stepped forward and bowed. “What are Your Highness’s orders?”
“Close the case, determine the guilt, and deliver the appropriate judgment!” Li Huailin commanded. “Anyone with objections, bring your evidence and present it to me!”
With a jolt in his heart, Xu Yan solemnly replied, “Yes!”
The court fell silent. All the high-ranking officials bowed their heads, not daring to make a sound.
Li Huailin returned to his dragon throne. As he flicked his robe, the five-clawed golden dragon embroidered on it gleamed brilliantly. When he looked up again, the youthful face displayed an undeniable, commanding authority.
Huaiyu watched with a smile, her eyes filled with pride.
This was truly a son of the Li family!
After ten days of delays, the case finally concluded today. As Huaiyu was led out of the palace by Jiang Xuanjin, she followed behind him, clapping her hands in excitement.
“Our Emperor has an impressive presence! Did you see that? Despite his slender frame, when he gets angry, he seems taller than the beams of the hall, making it hard to breathe under his pressure!”
“Indeed, despite his anger, he grasped the key points of the case. Very smart!”
“Though he’s still young, with such courage and wisdom, he is sure to become a renowned and illustrious ruler in the future!”
Their chatter was filled with admiration for the Emperor.
Jiang Xuanjin paused and turned his head to look at her. “Is he that good?”
Huaiyu’s smile was unstoppable. “Yes! Don’t you think so?”
He didn’t reply, merely resumed walking forward.
Li Huaiyu, completely unaware of any oddity, boarded the carriage still immersed in the joy of seeing her brother. Resting her chin in her hands, her eyes sparkled with gentle light.
Seeing Huailin again was wonderful, and hearing him call out “Royal Sister” was even better. Even though he wasn’t addressing her, it made her happy, as if she were transported back to the time when Huailin had just learned to speak.
“Royal Sister,” little Huailin struggled to say at the age of one.
The Emperor, holding him, frowned and pretended to be displeased, “Why do you only call for your Royal Sister and not your Father Emperor?”
Little Huailin bit his finger, looked at the Emperor with confusion, then turned to her and called out again, “Royal Sister!”
Six-year-old Huaiyu jumped with joy, proudly putting her hands on her hips and boasting to the Emperor, “That’s because you don’t have time to hold him. Royal Brother grew up in my arms, so of course, he calls for me first!”
“No, you must teach him to call me Father Emperor!” the Emperor huffed. “His Father Emperor is the Son of Heaven! Is the Son of Heaven greater, or is Royal Sister greater?”
“Royal Sister!” Huailin answered without hesitation.
“…” The mighty Emperor, who commanded respect in the court, was left feeling both angry and aggrieved by a one-year-old, his face scrunching up in frustration.
Huaiyu laughed heartily, lifting Huailin and twirling him around. In her childish voice, she declared, “Royal Sister will take good care of you. When you grow up, I’ll give you all the best things!”
Of course, Huailin didn’t understand what the best things were, but being lifted high, he giggled along. His laughter echoed far, filling Feiyun Palace with warmth.
…
Remembering this, Huaiyu couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
The carriage suddenly came to a halt.
Her body lurched forward, nearly losing her balance. Coming to her senses, Huaiyu asked in confusion, “Are we here?”
Jiang Xuanjin ignored her, his expression blank as he stepped out of the carriage. “I still have matters to attend to. You go back first.”
As the curtain fell shut, a gust of wind blew, gently tousling her hair.
Huaiyu blinked, bewildered, and lifted the curtain to call after him, “What did I do to upset you?”
Jiang Xuanjin didn’t turn back. “Nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, why are you in a bad mood?” She couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity, hopping out of the carriage to catch up with him, grabbing his robe. “It’s getting dark. What could be so urgent?”
His voice was cold. “Let go.”
In the middle of the street, this tug-of-war was quite a sight.
“Always with this useless stubbornness.” Rolling her eyes, Huaiyu tightened her grip on his robe. “You’re so unpredictable. You never say what’s on your mind and expect me to guess. But there are times when I can’t figure it out. You’ll make yourself sick holding it all in!”
“If I do get sick, who will be the one worried?” The final statement came with a hint of a smile.
However, Jiang Xuanjin couldn’t find it in himself to smile back. He turned to look at her with a frosty gaze. “This is just how I am. If you don’t like it, you can return the betrothal gifts.”
“Ah I like everything about you!” Huaiyu cooed, trying to appease him. Her hand slid down to grab his index finger, shaking it gently. “How could I not like you?”
With a soft grunt, Jiang Xuanjin turned his face away, keeping it stern.
Watching the contours of his profile, Huaiyu couldn’t help but admire. She reached out to touch him lightly and sighed, “Even when you’re angry, you look so handsome. I feel like fetching the moon from the sky for you!”
She had a way with words, but who could tell when she was sincere and when she was playful? Handsome? There were plenty of handsome people in the world, wasn’t the current Emperor handsome as well? Didn’t he also possess a great presence? According to her, there were enough moons in the sky for her to fetch.
Pushing her hand away, Jiang Xuanjin narrowed his eyes. “Go ahead, fetch the moon. But if you can’t bring it down, don’t let me see you again!”
With that, he shook her off and walked away swiftly.
A sense of frustration hung in the air as he strode ahead, his gaze dark and intense.
However, he hadn’t gone far when the people around suddenly started to stir. Small groups gathered, pointing and whispering in the direction he had just left.
“What’s happening?” Jiang Xuanjin was puzzled by the commotion. Observing the peculiar reactions of the people around him, he halted and turned to look back.
At the spot where he had just left, someone was climbing up the wall of a nearby tavern. Their movements were clumsy but determined as they ascended to the terrace on the second floor. Stepping on a chair on the terrace, she reached out, trembling and unsteady, trying to grasp a lantern hanging under the eaves. Her body swayed dangerously.
His pupils contracted, and Jiang Xuanjin’s expression darkened.
Injured and struggling, Huaiyu managed to reach the lantern after a considerable effort. However, in her exertion, she lost her balance and fell outward.
“Ah—” There was a gasp from the onlookers. Lingxiu screamed, “Miss!”
Securing the lantern, Huaiyu reacted swiftly. She hooked her toes onto the railing of the second floor, steadying herself as she circled under the eaves. Using the momentum, she flipped over and landed safely on the ground.
Jiang Xuanjin, who had come up to catch her, froze beside her.
Huaiyu turned and saw him, grimacing and clutching her waist for a moment. Then, without hesitation, she shoved the lantern she had just retrieved into his arms.
“I’ve brought you the moon,” she said.
The lantern was round and bright, casting a pure, moon-like light.
Jiang Xuanjin’s jaw clenched, his gaze shifting from the lantern to her, eyes carrying millennia of frost and snow.
Huaiyu grinned, unable to resist reaching out to touch his face again, blinking as she spoke, “You said if I couldn’t bring it down, you wouldn’t see me again. I promised to ‘always meet you year after year,’ don’t you remember?”
Three wishes like swallows on the beam, always meeting year after year—the lyrics echoed in her ears uncontrollably.
His body stiffened, and Jiang Xuanjin stared at her, utterly speechless.
Meanwhile, the bustling crowd on the street paused by a tavern, intrigued by the scene. A handsome man stood holding a lantern, looking rather grim. Before him, a nimble girl stood with a hand on her hip, her smile deep in her dimples.
The Bai residence.
Silently, Jiang Xuanjin applied ointment to the cut on her hand while Huaiyu took advantage—pressing close against his back, resting her chin on his shoulder, greedily admiring his profile.
“Why are you still upset?” she asked anxiously. “Didn’t I bring you the moon?”
He remained silent, lips pressed into a stiff line.
“Are you feeling sorry for me? I didn’t even fall… Ah! Ouch! Be gentle!”
“You know what pain feels like?” Jiang Xuanjin finally spoke, his tone harsh. “Do you not understand the state of your own body?”
After barely escaping death and spending over ten days recovering to look somewhat presentable, how could she be so reckless? What if she hadn’t caught onto the railing just now? What if his reaction hadn’t been quick enough to catch her?
Stunned by his severity, Huaiyu blinked, staring at him for a long while before her eyes suddenly lit up.
“Jiang Jie.” She called him by his full name, a smile playing on her lips. “Are you… feeling sorry for me?”
His hand paused as he applied the ointment, his face darkening. “If you want to dream like that, do it during the day.”
With that, he set the ointment down on the bedside table and walked out.
She couldn’t help but shout after him, feeling indignant, “I feel sorry for you all the time, and you can’t feel sorry for me once? Stingy!”
Ignoring her, Jiang Xuanjin crossed the threshold and went straight back to his room.
Feel sorry for her?
Pressing a hand against his chest, he sneered. Even if his heart ached, it was a disease of his own making, unrelated to her.
Opening the door to his room, Jiang Xuanjin looked up and saw a lantern on the table, round and bright, resembling the moon once again.
“Staring at it for a while, he entered the room and placed it on the windowsill.
Outside the window, the night was quiet, with the moonlight shining brightly.
Climbing into bed, Jiang Xuanjin had a peaceful dream that night. There was a gentle moonlight and a lingering scent of medicine.
The next morning.
Madame Bai was imprisoned. The atmosphere in the Bai residence was heavy. When Bai Xuanji learned that her mother was to be imprisoned for eighteen years, she couldn’t sit still. She led a group of uncles and aunts straight to the southern courtyard.
“How could you do such a thing!”
Li Huaiyu was rudely awakened by someone shouting at her like this. She frowned immediately. “What?”
Bai Xuanji looked at her with red eyes. “Even if Mother was at fault, she’s still the one you should call ‘Mother’. How could you send her to prison for eighteen years? Where is your filial piety?”
Understanding her meaning, Li Huaiyu sat up straight, smirked, and replied, “It was His Majesty who sent her to prison, not me.”
“Could she have been imprisoned if you hadn’t gone to the palace to accuse her?” Aunt Bai Liangshi angrily interjected. “We’re all family, how could you be so heartless?”
“Yeah,” Aunt Bai Liushi chimed in, “we were all trying to find a way to save her. But you, not only did you not help, but you also went and filed a complaint against her!”
“You have no conscience!”
The room erupted into a flurry of accusations and frustration. Li Huaiyu wiped her face in confusion and asked Lingxiu, “Why was Madame Bai imprisoned again?”
Lingxiu furrowed her brow and replied, “Because she attempted to poison you.”
“Oh, right.” Huaiyu nodded, then turned to the group of uncles and aunts beside her. “She tried to poison me first and blames me for reporting her to the palace?”
“You didn’t die, did you?” Aunt Bai Liangshi frowned. “You’re alive and well, but she’s going to be locked away in that dark place for eighteen years. Do you think that’s fair?”
Huaiyu chuckled at the comment. “That’s how the law works—’ an eye for an eye’. I didn’t die, so she’s still alive. It’s just that she’ll live with less freedom, which is a punishment for her wrongdoing. Isn’t that fair?”
“But she’s your mother!” Aunt Bai Liushi looked at her with resentment. “What daughter could be so heartless as to send her mother to prison?”
“I’ve thought it through,” Bai Xuanji said firmly. “This whole thing started because of you. As long as you go to His Majesty and plead for mercy, explaining that Mother didn’t intend any harm, His Majesty will surely lessen Mother’s punishment and allow her to return home sooner.”
“These people are shameless beyond belief,” someone remarked.
Huaiyu watched them quietly, waiting until they had finished before calmly stating, “I refuse.”
Everyone in the room stared at her wide-eyed, especially Bai Xuanji who couldn’t believe it. “How can you be like this?”
“What do you mean, ‘like this’?” Huaiyu looked back at her and sneered coldly. “If she could harm me, why can’t I retaliate?”
After nearly being killed, she was expected to forgive others. People like her, with such a narrow mind. If she hadn’t managed to spare Bai Mengshi’s life, she would be considered remarkably patient. Yet these people still dared to ask her to help rescue her?
She might as well go back to bed during the day!
It was strange to think that there seemed to be no shortage of such animals using family relationships to kidnap people. Those who harm others are unforgivable, yet these people always like to blame the victims, urging them with kinship and binding them with morality, insisting on giving the perpetrators a chance to make mistakes again.
What a bunch of heartless idiots!
“Do you… think you can climb the high branches and disregard the Bai family?” Bai Liangshi was furious at her attitude. Pointing at her, she said, “Without the Bai family, how could you possibly marry into the Jiang mansion?”
“Exactly!” Bai Liushi added, “You’ve offended everyone. Do you think you can live a good life?”
Unable to persuade her, the group grew visibly annoyed, threatening her one by one.
“If you don’t save Bai Mengshi, it proves you have no filial piety. If we bring this matter to the Jiang Mansion, would they still accept you as their daughter-in-law?”
“This will spread throughout the capital, and everyone will condemn you. Forget marrying Lord Ziyang. You’ll be a pariAh everyone will want to punish you!”
Huaiyu grew impatient. “Are you done? If you’re finished, I’d like to sleep.”
“You!” Bai Xuanji walked to the bed, pulling her blanket. “If you don’t give me an explanation today, don’t expect to sleep!”
“Yes, look at the time. How can you sleep through this?”
The group stood up and surrounded her bed, looking very imposing.
If she had been an ordinary young lady from a common family, she might have been intimidated by this scene. But the woman in bed had seen much worse. These were just a few gossiping women. They thought they could scare her?
Huaiyu clenched her fist and looked at Bai Xuanji. “Try pulling again.”
Bai Xuanji hesitated, her heart trembling from Huaiyu’s gaze, and instinctively she wanted to let go.
However, with so many people on her side, how could she back down? Gathering her courage, she tightened her grip on the blanket. “What? You’ve already harmed my mother, and now you want to hit me? If you dare lay a hand on me, I will fetch Lord Ziyang and let him see the true nature of the person he intends to marry!”
Huaiyu was tempted to tell her that Lord Ziyang didn’t think he was marrying a good person either! But before she could speak, a voice sounded from the doorway.
“I’ve been here all along. There’s no need for Miss Bai to send for me.”