“Wow,” Huaiyu exclaimed, feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t give it to me?”
She knew it was his latest treasured possession, and she had only asked for it in jest, knowing how much he liked it. She hadn’t expected him to give it to her.
Jiang Xuanjin glanced sideways, his dark eyes slightly serious. “You want it?”
“Well, yes, I guess I do,” Huaiyu scratched her head. “What should I give in return?”
Putting down his teacup, Jiang Xuanjin lowered his gaze and said, “I’ll handle it. You don’t need to worry.”
The New Year’s banquet ended in a lively manner, with Qingxian being so drunk he was unconscious. The sound of firecrackers in Yixian City continued until midnight. The soldiers stationed outside the city happily gathered around bonfires, eating meat and drinking wine as if they were home, not on a battlefield.
However, on the first day after the New Year, Li Huailin issued a secret edict. Following the suggestions of Situ Jing and others, he appointed Ning Zhendong as a general, deploying troops to the north of Ziyang, west of Pingling, and south of Changlin, as a precaution.
Ning Zhendong had previously been the governor of Yinping. After his scheme was uncovered by Lord Ziyang, he fled back to the capital overnight. This assignment shouldn’t have been his, as it was dangerous and unlikely to bring much credit, but somehow, His Majesty pushed him forward.
Someone in the know quietly informed him, “Consort Ning has been out of favor for more than half a month. Since you failed in your last task, His Majesty is likely angry.”
How could Wanwei fall out of favor? Ning Zhendong couldn’t understand. Her gentle and considerate nature had always pleased the Emperor.
Indeed, Ning Wanwei entered the palace at sixteen. Although she was two years older than the Emperor, she had always been highly favored. Many in the harem had tried to compete with her but failed. People in the palace believed that as long as the Ning family continued to achieve merits, the position of Empress would undoubtedly fall to Ning Wanwei.
Yet now, Li Huailin hadn’t visited He Xi Palace for half a month.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go, but ever since he had thrown a tantrum last time, Consort Ning hadn’t come to pay her respects. After a few days of anger, he asked the eunuchs about the situation in He Xi Palace. They said the consort was doing very well.
What does “very well” mean? Li Huailin felt uncomfortable. As the Emperor, he should be revered and missed. How could she be doing well without his favor?
Originally, in Yinping, he had set a trap for Lord Ziyang, intending to capture him directly. However, Ning Zhendong’s incompetence not only allowed Jiang Xuanjin to return to Ziyang’s main city but also forced him to return to the capital in disgrace. Li Huailin was very angry. After much thought, he decided to let Ning Zhendong atone for his mistakes and specifically sent a message to He Xi Palace.
The message was simple: if you upset the Emperor, he would be unkind to your family!
When Consort Ning heard the news, her face turned pale. After a moment’s hesitation, she tidied her palace attire and hairpins and went to Longyan Palace to pay her respects. Despite being out of favor for half a month and often being obstructed when trying to pay her respects, today, for some reason, the eunuchs allowed her to enter the hall.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ning Wanwei entered and saluted, “Your Majesty, I am here to pay my respects.”
Li Huailin, sitting on the dragon throne with a cold expression, said, “It’s no use seeking me now. The lands of Changlin, Pingling, Ziyang, and Danyang are all showing signs of rebellion. The situation is urgent, and with no one else available, I can only send Lord Ning.”
Consort Ning paused, feeling the Emperor’s indifference. Her heart felt a slight choke.
From the beginning, she knew the Emperor favored her because she resembled the Eldest Princess. But after spending two or three years by his side, she thought there might be some difference. Who would have thought that once his feelings faded, she was no different from those in the Cold Palace?
Lowering her eyes, Consort Ning knelt before him, respectfully bowing her head. “I have come simply to pay my respects to Your Majesty after not seeing you for a long time.”
Still aware of how long it has been? Li Huailin, his face dark with displeasure, glared at the memorials on the table for a long time before glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
With that glance, he saw a thin face, her makeup unable to hide her haggardness.
Slightly surprised, Li Huailin frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”
Consort Ning, not understanding his question, straightened up in confusion and looked down at herself. “Your Majesty, is something wrong with me?”
In just half a month, she had become so thin. Had she not noticed herself? Or was she deliberately appearing this way to play the sympathy card? Li Huailin coldly observed, thinking the latter more likely.
Unable to suppress his anger, he said, “If you can’t maintain your health with the fine food and clothing in He Xi Palace, you might as well move to Han Dan Pavilion and make room for Consort Shu.”
Ning Wanwei’s face turned white. She gripped her sleeve, staring blankly at the embroidered flowers on the carpet.
He Xi Palace was built for her by him, and now, without batting an eye, he wanted to give it to someone else.
Is the imperial family always this heartless?
“Not saying anything?” After a long silence, Li Huailin grew impatient.
Gathering herself, she softly replied, “All the glory I have is granted by Your Majesty. If you wish to take it back, I have no complaints.”
The eunuch standing beside her gave her a disdainful glance.
Never had he seen a consort as foolish as her. If it were Consort Shu instead, she would have already started acting cute and pleading for mercy. Yet, here she was, truly thinking His Majesty was going to punish her.
Li Huailin’s expression darkened even further. He tapped the imperial desk with his hand indifferently and said, “Consort, you are forgiving and generous. I should respect that. You should move out of He Xi Palace immediately. As for Lord Ning, you can accompany him. We cannot predict when we’ll meet again.”
Ning Wanwei felt stiff all over. She slowly kowtowed to him, then rose unsteadily and walked out.
The palace maids who had heard the news supported her along the way, whispering, “The sealed lords did not come to the capital during the New Year’s, and the Ministry of Rites has already reported their treasonous activities. Now, the sealed lords of several major territories in Northern Wei, led by Lord Ziyang, have banded together. They may start a conflict soon. Leading troops in this situation, Lord Ning is facing life and death.”
Her vision blurred with urgency, Ning Wanwei asked, “Weren’t things fine before? Why the sudden rebellion?”
The palace maid whispered, “I heard it was decided by the Minister of Personnel and the Prime Minister. They accused Lord Pingling of treason, and when men were sent to arrest him, they were intercepted by the forces from Changlin, Ziyang, and Nanping, leading to conflict at the border of Pingling.”
With this conflict, regardless of the actual circumstances, several sealed lords had already become implicated.
Even Lord Changlin himself wasn’t entirely sure how they suddenly became aligned with Lord Ziyang. However, Lord Ziyang was reliable and meticulous. Following him, the sealed lords no longer needed to pay taxes to the capital. In just a month, they had accumulated quite a surplus of wealth and supplies, leaving them all in high spirits.
People are always drawn to benefits. Jiang Xuanjin understood this principle well, so he didn’t actively recruit them. He simply made it clear to these people that being his ally came with many benefits.
However, Lord Changlin had one concern. If war broke out, although their territories were vast and collectively comparable to half of Northern Wei, without legitimacy, how could they confront the court and remove the stigma of rebellion?
This question saw a breakthrough on the third day after the New Year.
This year, Eastern Jin severed ties with Northern Wei, with no envoys going back and forth. However, Baihua Jun, representing Eastern Jin, came to the Princess’s Mansion after entering Northern Wei territory, sailing directly from Pingling.
“What did you say?” Li Huaiyu felt he might have misheard. “Who’s Jun?”
Qing Si repeated, “Baihua Jun.”
The real power figure in Eastern Jin, Baihua Jun, Mu Rong Qi, who was equally renowned as Lord Ziyang of Northern Wei, had not gone to the capital this time. Instead, he came to the Princess’s Mansion, representing Eastern Jin.
Huaiyu was so startled she nearly fell off her bed. She quickly grabbed Qing Si and urged, “Prepare the ceremonial carriage, and tell Jiu Wu to bring some men to guard!”
Qing Si reassured her, “His Highness has already made thorough preparations. Please don’t worry.”
“No, no, what he prepared isn’t enough.” Huaiyu shook her head repeatedly.
Xu Chuniang, curious, asked, “Why are you so nervous?”
“You don’t know.” Huaiyu sighed regretfully. “This Baihua Jun is troublesome!”
She had argued with Jiang Xuanjin once over protocol. Since then, she hadn’t dared to argue again, as the facts proved that Jiang Xuanjin understood Mu Rong Qi better. This illegitimate daughter of the previous Eastern Jin emperor, who had spent over a decade in the dark and scheming palace, had an eccentric temperament difficult for ordinary people to adapt to. Towards Jiang Xuanjin, she was completely obedient, but every time she visited the palace, she would make things difficult for Li Huaiyu.
What kind of temperament did the Princess of Danyang have? She directly retorted against Jiang Xuanjin’s unusual demeanor. In the seventh year of Daxing, they even fought in Feiyun Palace, from the courtyard to the palace gates. Although both were injured, she had wounded her face, prompting Mu Rong Qi to sneer at her, “I’ll teach you a lesson next year.”
Unfortunately, in the eighth year of Daxing, the Princess of Danyang passed away.
If she had truly passed away, there wouldn’t be much to say. However, she was still alive, and the news had been spread. Once Mu Rong Qi arrived, he would come to settle the score from last year. If she didn’t prepare more things now, where would she stand a chance against him?
After listening, Xu Chuniang nodded in understanding and reminded her, “Your Highness, you have Lord Ziyang protecting you now.”
What else did she need to prepare?
Huaiyu was stunned for a moment, then slapped her thigh suddenly. “Right!”
With Jiang Xuanjin’s support, what was there to fear about someone seeking revenge?
In an instant, her confidence surged, and Huaiyu straightened her sleeve and asked, “Where is he now?”
Qing Si said, “He’s at the door. His Highness suggested that you rest well first and meet him after lunch.”
This time, Baihua Jun’s arrival in One-line City, aside from everything else, was undoubtedly a resounding slap in the face to the Northern Wei royal family. While Eastern Jin had cut off communication with Northern Wei this year, a representative from Eastern Jin had come to their territories.
This is tantamount to treating the territories of Ziyang and Danyang as an independent state. Li Huailin received the news too late to intervene. He could only voice his objections to Eastern Jin’s actions, drafting a royal edict to condemn Eastern Jin’s intent to divide the territories of Northern Wei.
Eastern Jin did not offer any response.
“This favor can be considered as returning a kindness from above.” Murong Qi sat in the hall, watching Jiang Xuanjin with a smile. “How do you plan to thank me?”
Jiang Xuanjin replied calmly, “Don’t take advantage.”
To have her make this trip, he had given her quite a lot. Yet, she was still being difficult, as always.
“Ah I heard the news that you got married and changed quite a bit. But seeing you now, you’re still the same?” Murong Qi shook his head. “There are still grassy spots on the iceberg. You’re still the same, cold on the inside and outside.”
Upon hearing this topic, Jiang Xuanjin’s expression softened slightly. “Did you find out who I married?”
“I did. Miss Bai from the Bai family,” Murong Qi said. “I came this time specifically to see her. I want to see what kind of beauty could capture a man like you.”
Jiang Xuanjin nodded. “I’ll have her come to meet you later.”
“Oh, and also the Princess of Danyang. Bring her too,” Murong Qi ground his teeth. “That troublemaker. She didn’t die and now she wants to drag me into trouble. She told people that I gave her the Soul-Locking Jade Pendant, claiming it brought her back from the brink of death. Because of her, my mansion was turned upside down by the emperor’s men!”
Jiang Xuanjin couldn’t help but lift the corners of his lips.
“Hisss—” Murong Qi sucked in a breath of cold air, staring at him wide-eyed. “Are you smiling?”
She had visited Northern Wei several times before, but she had never seen Lord Ziyang smile. Was this a sign of an impending apocalypse?
Suppressing the corners of his mouth, Jiang Xuanjin said to Cheng Xu, “Go and invite the lady over.”
Cheng Xu went to fulfill the order, and as he did, he kindly reminded Li Huaiyu, “Baihua Jun said to invite the Princess and the Lady together.”
Li Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, then realized it. Despite the tumult outside, it was evident that Murong Qi was not very aware of who Miss Bai from the Bai family was.
Grinning mischievously, Li Huaiyu intentionally left Qing Si behind and, holding her belly, stepped into the hall with a small, swaying gait.
Seeing her alone, Jiang Xuanjin furrowed his brow and got up to support her, slightly annoyed. “Aren’t you afraid of falling?”
“Seeing my husband so nervous, how could I be afraid of falling? Don’t I have you here?” Changing her usual gruff tone, Li Huaiyu smiled sweetly, delicately taking his hand as if her voice could wring out water.
Cheng Xu shivered all over, his skin crawling with goosebumps.
Jiang Xuanjin raised an eyebrow but was drawn in by her use of “me.”
Previously, Bai Xuanji had used this term, which he found distasteful. But now, hearing it from her, Jiang Xuanjin objectively felt that this self-reference carried a kind of unique softness and gentleness.
So he relaxed his expression, giving a low “mm” and helping her to sit down nearby.
Murong Qi wore a bewildered expression.
“Ah is this the Baihua Jun of Eastern Jin?” Li Huaiyu reached out to grasp the armrest gently. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Uh… Greetings, Madam.” Murong Qi bowed somewhat awkwardly.
Honestly, she found dealing with Jiang Xuanjin quite comfortable; he upheld formalities but only enforced them upon himself, leaving her to her own devices. Dealing with Li Huaiyu was even more relaxed; she had no sense of propriety, even less than Murong Qi herself. She could pick a fight anytime, anywhere.
However, faced with this gentle and delicate girl, Murong Qi felt an impulse to get up and run away.