With a sigh of amazement, Huaiyu couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t give it to me?”
This item was a treasure he had recently acquired. She knew he liked it, so she took it as a joke, not expecting him to give it to her.
Jiang Xuanjin turned his head slightly, his dark eyes deepening a bit, “Is this what you wanted?”
“Well, yes, you could say I wanted it,” Huaiyu scratched her head, “What should I give in return?”
Putting down the teacup in his hand, Jiang Xuanjin lowered his eyes and said, “I’ll handle the return gift, you don’t need to worry.”
The New Year’s banquet ended in a lively manner with Qingxian being so drunk that he was unconscious. The sound of firecrackers in Yixian City continued until midnight. The soldiers stationed outside the city were also happily gathered around bonfires, eating meat and drinking wine, as if they were at home, not on the battlefield.
However, on the first day after the New Year, Li Huailin issued a secret decree, following the advice of Situ Jing and others, appointing Ning Zhendong as a general. He was to station troops north of Ziyang, west of Pingling, and south of Changlin, as a precaution.
Ning Zhendong had previously been the governor of Yinping County. After his plot was uncovered by Lord Ziyang, he fled back to the capital overnight. This task should not have been his, as it was somewhat dangerous and the rewards were not significant. Yet, somehow, His Majesty pushed him forward.
Someone in the know quietly told him, “Noble Consort Ning has been out of favor for more than half a month. Last time, you failed to accomplish your task, so His Majesty is likely angry.”
Why would Wanwei fall out of favor? Ning Zhendong couldn’t understand. Her gentle and considerate nature had always been favored by the emperor, hadn’t it?
Indeed, Ning Wanwei entered the palace at sixteen. Although she was two years older than the emperor, she had always been in favor. Many in the harem who wanted to compete with her for position never succeeded. People in the palace believed that as long as the Ning family achieved more merits, the position of Empress would surely fall to Ning Wanwei.
However, now, Li Huailin hadn’t visited the He Xi Palace for half a month.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go, but since he had thrown a tantrum last time, Noble Consort Ning hadn’t come to greet him. He was angry for a few days and asked the eunuchs how things were in He Xi Palace. The eunuchs said the consort was doing very well.
What does “very well” mean? Li Huailin felt uncomfortable. As the emperor, he should be admired and missed. Without his favor, how could she be doing well?
Originally, he had set a trap in Yinping to capture Lord Ziyang directly. Who knew Ning Zhendong would fail, not only allowing Jiang Xuanjin to return to the main city of Ziyang but also returning to the capital in disgrace to plead guilty? Li Huailin was very angry. After much thought, he sent Ning Zhendong to make amends and specifically had a eunuch deliver a message to He Xi Palace.
The message was simple: If you make me unhappy, I won’t be polite to your family!
When Noble Consort Ning heard the news, her face turned pale. After hesitating for a moment, she tidied her palace attire and hairpins and went to Longyan Palace to pay her respects. She hadn’t been favored for half a month, and every time she went to pay her respects, she was obstructed in various ways. Today, she didn’t know if the eunuch was kind-hearted or what, but she was allowed into the hall.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ning Wanwei entered and saluted, “This concubine greets Your Majesty.”
Li Huailin sat on the dragon throne, his face cold, “It’s no use coming to plead with me now. The fiefs of Changlin, Pingling, Ziyang, and Danyang all have rebellious intentions. The situation is urgent, and the court has no one to use, so we can only send Lord Ning.”
Noble Consort Ning paused, feeling the emperor’s indifference towards her. Her heart felt slightly choked.
From the beginning, she knew the emperor only favored her because she resembled the Eldest Princess. But after being by his side for two or three years, she thought there might be some difference. Who would have thought it was the same? Once the affection faded, she was no different from those in the cold palace.
Lowering her eyes, Noble Consort Ning knelt before him, respectfully kowtowing, “This concubine just hasn’t seen Your Majesty for a long time and came to pay respects.”
Still aware of the long absence? Li Huailin’s face darkened as he stared at the memorials on the table, sulking for a while before glancing at her.
With just one glance, he saw a thin face, the makeup unable to hide her haggardness.
Slightly surprised, Li Huailin frowned, “What’s wrong with you?”
Noble Consort Ning didn’t know what he meant by this, confusedly straightening up and looking down at herself, “Is there something wrong with this concubine?”
In just half a month, she had become so thin. Had she not noticed, or was she deliberately making herself look like this to play the bitter card in front of him? Li Huailin looked at her coldly, thinking the latter was more likely.
Unable to suppress the anger in his heart, he said, “If you can’t get used to the luxurious life in He Xi Palace and can’t take care of yourself, you might as well move to Han Dan Pavilion and make room for Consort Shu.”
Ning Wanwei’s face turned white, and she stared blankly at the woven flowers on the carpet, clutching her sleeves.
He Xi Palace was the palace he had built for her, and now he wanted to give it to someone else without blinking an eye.
Is the imperial family always so heartless?
“Not saying anything?” After a long time without a response, Li Huailin grew impatient.
Gathering her thoughts, she said softly, “All the glory and wealth of this concubine were given by Your Majesty. If Your Majesty wants to take them back, this concubine has no complaints.”
The eunuch standing by the side glanced at her.
He had never seen a consort as foolish as her. If it were Consort Shu, she would have been acting coquettishly and begging for mercy by now. Only she truly believed the emperor was going to dispose of her.
Li Huailin’s face darkened further. He tapped the imperial desk with his fingers and said indifferently, “Since the noble consort is so magnanimous, I should fulfill your wish. Move out of He Xi Palace immediately. As for Lord Ning, you can see him off. Who knows when you’ll meet again.”
Ning Wanwei’s body stiffened. She slowly kowtowed to him, then got up and stumbled out.
The maid who accompanied her heard the news and supported her all the way, saying, “The fief lords didn’t come to the capital for the year-end report. The Grand Minister has already reported the crime of treason. Now, the fief lords of the largest territories in Northern Wei, led by Lord Ziyang, have united. Who knows when a fight might break out? At this time, the lord leading the troops is truly on the edge of life and death.”
Blinded by anxiety, Ning Wanwei asked, “Wasn’t everything fine before? Why suddenly rebel?”
The maid whispered, “I heard that Grand Minister Situ and Prime Minister Qi first accused Lord Pingling of a crime. His Majesty sent people to arrest Lord Pingling, but they were blocked by the forces of Changlin, Ziyang, and Nanping, leading to a conflict at the border of Pingling.”
Once the battle started, regardless of the truth, the fief lords were already in the same boat.
Even the lords of Changlin and others were not very clear on how they suddenly became part of Lord Ziyang’s faction. But Lord Ziyang was reliable and thorough in his actions. Following him, the fief lords no longer had to pay taxes to the capital. In just a month, they had accumulated a lot of surplus grain and money, and everyone was smiling.
People in the world are all driven by profit. Jiang Xuanjin understood this well, so he didn’t deliberately win them over, just made it clear to them—being friends with him brought many benefits.
However, Lord Changlin had one concern: if a real fight broke out, although their fiefs were vast, together they equaled half of Northern Wei’s territory. But without a legitimate reason, how could they fight against the court and wash away the stigma of rebellion?
This question found a turning point on the third day after the New Year.
This year, Eastern Jin broke off diplomatic relations with Northern Wei, with no envoys exchanged. Yet, the Hundred Flowers Lord entered Northern Wei territory, traveling by boat from Pingling to Yixian City.
“What did you say?” Li Huaiyu thought she might have misheard, “Which Lord?”
Qingsi repeated, “The Hundred Flowers Lord.”
The true power behind Eastern Jin, the Hundred Flowers Lord Murong Qi, who was as famous as Lord Ziyang of Northern Wei, did not go to the capital this time. Instead, of representing Eastern Jin, she came to the Princess’s residence.
Huaiyu was so shocked she almost fell off the bed. She hurriedly grabbed Qingsi, “Quick, prepare the carriage, and have Jiu Wu and the others bring some people to guard!”
Qingsi reassured her, “The Lord has already prepared everything early in the morning, don’t worry.”
“No, no, what he prepared isn’t enough,” Huaiyu shook her head repeatedly.
Xu Chunian, watching curiously from the side, couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you so nervous?”
“You don’t understand,” Huaiyu sighed, “This Hundred Flowers Lord is a weirdo!”
She had once argued with Jiang Xuanjin over reception etiquette. Just that once, she never argued again because it turned out Jiang Xuanjin knew Murong Qi better. This illegitimate daughter of the former emperor of Eastern Jin, who had lived through over a decade of dark palace life, had an eccentric temperament that was hard for ordinary people to adapt to. She was completely submissive to Jiang Xuanjin, but every time she entered the palace, she would give Li Huaiyu a hard time.
What kind of temperament did the Princess of Danyang have? Seeing her strange behavior, she directly confronted her with the demeanor of a tyrant on Chang’an Street. In the seventh year of Daxing, she even fought with the Hundred Flowers Lord in Feiyun Palace, from the courtyard to the palace gate. Although it was a draw, she injured her face, and Murong Qi sinisterly said to her, “I will learn from you again next year.”
Unfortunately, in the eighth year of Daxing, the Princess of Danyang passed away.
If she had truly died, there would be nothing to say, but she was still alive, and the news had been released. When Murong Qi came, she would settle last year’s score. If she didn’t prepare more things now, how could she be a match for her?
Xu Chunian nodded in understanding after hearing this, then reminded her, “Your Highness, you now have Lord Ziyang to protect you.”
What else do you need to prepare?
Huaiyu was stunned, then slapped her thigh, “Oh, right!”
With Jiang Xuanjin by her side, why fear revenge?
Her confidence instantly boosted, Huaiyu rolled up her sleeves and asked, “Where is she now?”
Qingsi replied, “At the door. The Lord’s intention is for you to rest well and meet her after lunch.”
The arrival of the Hundred Flowers Lord in Yixian City was, without a doubt, a loud slap in the face to the Northern Wei royal family. There were no envoys exchanged between the Northern Wei royal family and Eastern Jin this year, yet an Eastern Jin envoy went to the fief.
This was equivalent to treating the lands of Ziyang and Danyang as an independent nation.
When Li Huailin received the news, he couldn’t stop it in time. He could only object to Eastern Jin’s actions, writing a national letter condemning Eastern Jin’s intention to divide Northern Wei’s territory.
Eastern Jin gave no response.
“This help is truly heaven-sent,” Murong Qi said, sitting in the main hall, smiling at Jiang Xuanjin, “How will you thank me?”
Jiang Xuanjin replied calmly, “Don’t push your luck.”
To get her to come, he had given quite a lot. This person, having gained an advantage, was still being difficult, as always.
“Hey, I received news that you got married and changed a lot. But looking at you now, why are you still the same?” Murong Qi shook her head, “Even the ice mountain has places where grass grows, but you, from inside out, are cold.”
Speaking of this, Jiang Xuanjin’s expression softened, “Did you find out who I married?”
“I did, the fourth Miss of the Bai family,” Murong Qi said, “I came this time specifically to see her, to see what kind of stunning beauty she is to tame a man like you.”
Jiang Xuanjin nodded, “I’ll have her come to meet you later.”
“Oh, and invite the Princess of Danyang as well,” Murong Qi gritted her teeth, “That scoundrel, not only did she not die, but she also dragged me down, telling people that the Soul Lock Jade Pendant I gave her brought her back to life, causing my residence to be turned upside down by the emperor!”
Jiang Xuanjin couldn’t help but smile.
“Hiss—” Murong Qi gasped, staring at him, “You smiled?”
She had visited Northern Wei several times and had never seen Lord Ziyang smile.
Is the sky going to rain red?
Suppressing his smile, Jiang Xuanjin instructed Chengxu, “Go invite the lady over.”
Chengxu went to carry out the order, while Yufeng stood in place, looking at the shocked expression on the Hundred Flowers Lord’s face, thinking what’s there to be excited about? Stay in the Princess’s residence for a few more days, and you’ll get used to it!
No one would have thought that the once cold-faced, ice-cold Lord Ziyang would now smile at the mention of a woman.
When Chengxu went to invite her, he kindly reminded Li Huaiyu, “The Hundred Flowers Lord said to invite both the Princess and the Lord’s wife.”
Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, then realized. The rumors outside were rampant, but not many truly knew that the fourth Miss Bai was the Princess of Danyang. Murong Qi was one of those who didn’t know.
With a sly smile, Huaiyu deliberately didn’t bring Qingsi, holding her belly and taking small, delicate steps into the main hall.
Seeing her alone, Jiang Xuanjin frowned, got up to support her, and said with slight annoyance, “Aren’t you afraid of falling?”
“Seeing how nervous my husband is, how could I be afraid of falling? Aren’t you here?” Changing her usual rough voice, Li Huaiyu smiled sweetly, taking his arm, her voice so soft it could drip water.
Yufeng shivered, covered in goosebumps.
Jiang Xuanjin raised an eyebrow slightly, but he was captivated by her calling herself “this concubine.”
Previously, when Bai Xuanji had used this term, he found it very grating, thinking it was somewhat disgusting.
However, hearing it from her now, Jiang Xuanjin objectively felt that this term carried a unique softness and gentleness.
So he relaxed his expression, gave a low “hmm,” and helped her to sit down beside him.
Murong Qi looked as if she had seen a ghost.
“Ah, this must be the Hundred Flowers Lord of Eastern Jin?” Huaiyu said softly, holding the armrest, “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Uh… greetings, madam,” Murong Qi awkwardly cupped her hands.
Honestly, she felt at ease dealing with Jiang Xuanjin because he adhered to etiquette but only regulated himself, not her. Dealing with Li Huaiyu was even more comfortable; she had no rules, and she had even fewer, ready to fight anytime, anywhere.
But facing such a gentle and weak lady, Murong Qi had the urge to get up and run away.