In Kunning Palace, the Empress waited with a beaming smile for Jiang Si and Yu Jin’s arrival.
Princess Fuqing sat to one side, her brow furrowed with light worry. Upon hearing the eunuch announce the arrival of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, she forced herself to perk up.
Soon, Jiang Si and Yu Jin entered, paying their respects to the Empress.
The Empress spoke warmly, “We’re all family here. No need for such formalities. Please, sit down.”
The words “all family” caused Jiang Si to glance at Yu Jin. She had heard that Jin had used this very excuse to stick close to Master Zhen…
Yu Jin’s face remained unchanged as he sat down with a smile.
“Yesterday’s investiture ceremony must have been tiring, wasn’t it?” the Empress asked with a smile.
Yu Jin quickly replied, “It was more tiring for Father Emperor and Mother Empress.”
The Empress smiled and invited them to drink tea.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yu Jin stood up. “Father Emperor ordered me to study in Wenhua Hall daily. Your son will take his leave now.”
Mentioning this irritated Yu Jin. His father had reminded him to study in front of Jiang Si as if he were some uneducated fool. It was truly intolerable.
The Empress, hearing this, suppressed a laugh and said, “We won’t delay the Crown Prince’s studies then. Go ahead. The Crown Princess will stay for lunch.”
Yu Jin nodded slightly to Jiang Si and left Kunning Palace alone.
With Yu Jin gone, the atmosphere became more relaxed.
The Empress asked Jiang Si a few caring questions, then glanced at Princess Fuqing and sighed, “You and Fuqing have always gotten along well. Why don’t you two chat? I’ll go attend to some trivial matters.”
As soon as the Empress left, Princess Fuqing bit her lip and spoke first, “Congratulations, Seventh Sister-in-law.”
Jiang Si looked steadily at Princess Fuqing, her tone filled with concern, “Thirteenth Sister, you’ve lost weight.”
Princess Fuqing’s body trembled, and her eyes slowly reddened. After a while, she said softly, “Seventh Sister-in-law, do you think I’m an ill-fated person?”
“Thirteenth Sister, don’t belittle yourself like that.”
Princess Fuqing shook her head, “It’s not self-deprecation. Two years ago, Fifteenth Sister died in my place. Recently, my Fourteenth Sister also died because of me. Whenever I think about this, I feel burdened with sin.”
Jiang Si placed her hand on Princess Fuqing’s, speaking gently, “Thirteenth Sister, you shouldn’t think like that.”
“Shouldn’t I?” Princess Fuqing pursed her lips, murmuring, “Seventh Sister-in-law, to be honest, sometimes I even think that if my eyes hadn’t been cured, perhaps these tragedies wouldn’t have happened. Fourteenth Sister and Fifteenth Sister might still be alive.”
Jiang Si gripped Princess Fuqing’s hand more tightly, her tone resolute, “Thirteenth Sister, thinking like this only brings joy to your enemies and pain to your loved ones. The misfortunes of Fourteenth Sister and Fifteenth Sister weren’t accidents, but deliberate acts, and you’re a victim too. When misfortune strikes, how can we blame the victim instead of the perpetrator?”
Princess Fuqing’s eyelids trembled as she looked at Jiang Si.
Jiang Si continued to persuade her, “Have you considered how your self-torment affects Mother Empress? That person hiding in the shadows is intent on harming you. If your eyes hadn’t been cured, or if something else had happened to you, Mother Empress might not have been able to carry on. Thirteenth Sister, if you believe that Fourteenth Sister and Fifteenth Sister’s misfortunes are your fault, and you become depressed because of it, you’re only torturing Mother Empress and indirectly helping the culprit.”
Princess Fuqing hadn’t considered this perspective before. She was stunned for a moment, murmuring, “Then… what should I do?”
“Finding the true culprit and bringing justice for Fourteenth Sister and Fifteenth Sister is what we should be doing.”
“Will we find them?”
Jiang Si nodded, “We will. Thirteenth Sister, you must have heard the saying, ‘Heaven’s net casts wide, but lets nothing through.’ Your Seventh Brother and I will investigate thoroughly. But first, you need to lift your spirits. We can’t let the enemy win by seeing you fall apart before we even defeat them.”
Princess Fuqing remained silent for a while, then nodded firmly, “I understand.”
Princess Fuqing had a naturally open personality. Once her worries were resolved, she immediately appeared more spirited.
When the Empress returned and noticed the change in her beloved daughter, she was overjoyed and cast a grateful look at Jiang Si. Her seventh son’s wife was truly meant to be her rightful daughter-in-law, bringing good fortune every time.
After lunch, Princess Fuqing returned to her chambers, while the Empress kept Jiang Si for a while longer. This was also a way of showing support for the new Crown Princess who had just moved into the Eastern Palace. Being kept for a longer time naturally demonstrated the Empress’s fondness and regard for the Crown Princess.
“When you visited Cining Palace today, how was the Empress Dowager?”
The Empress’s question ostensibly inquired about the Empress Dowager’s health, but in reality, she was asking about the Empress Dowager’s attitude towards Jiang Si and her husband.
Jiang Si’s eyes darkened, but she replied, “The Empress Dowager is well.”
The Empress’s expression immediately became subtle. It was clear that her seventh son’s wife’s words didn’t match her true feelings, and she hadn’t even referred to the Empress Dowager as “Imperial Grandmother,” indicating that she had some thoughts about the Empress Dowager.
The Empress glanced around and gestured for her trusted palace maids to withdraw.
Jiang Si showed a puzzled expression.
The Empress gently patted Jiang Si’s hand and asked, “Did the Empress Dowager give you a hard time?”
Jiang Si was startled, seemingly not expecting the Empress to ask such a question.
The Empress spoke softly, “You’ve moved into the Eastern Palace now. From now on, we’ll be seeing each other daily as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. If you face any grievances, you can tell Mother Empress.”
She had long harbored suspicions about the Empress Dowager but felt isolated in the vast imperial palace. If the Crown Princess could be on her side, there might be unexpected gains. However, the prerequisite for allying with the Crown Princess was that she needed to show a certain attitude first. Otherwise, the Crown Princess, being far from reckless, wouldn’t easily reveal her views on the Empress Dowager.
The Empress’s words delighted Jiang Si. Her earlier display of low spirits was, in fact, a test of the Empress’s attitude, and the Empress hadn’t disappointed her.
She deliberately provoked Empress Dowager’s anger to make her lose control and take action, thereby gaining more clues to expose Empress Dowager’s true face at the right time. This process wasn’t without risks, and at crucial moments, a word from the Empress could be a great help.
Jiang Si said softly, “The Empress Dowager is generous. How could she give me a hard time? It’s just that—”
“Just what?”
Jiang Si lowered her gaze, appearing somewhat uneasy, “It’s just that for some reason, I feel nervous as soon as I enter Cining Palace, and the Empress Dowager’s smile makes me inexplicably uncomfortable. Mother Empress should know that your daughter-in-law is sensitive to certain things…”
The Empress couldn’t help but press Jiang Si’s hand, her gaze intense, “You think there’s something wrong with the Empress Dowager?”
Jiang Si’s eyelids trembled as she hesitantly nodded.
The Empress felt relieved and exchanged a look with Jiang Si.
After a moment, they both smiled.
After the new Crown Prince took residence in the Eastern Palace, the imperial palace seemed to enter a rare period of calm.
July passed in the blink of an eye. August brought the excitement of the autumn imperial examinations. Notably, Jiang Cang, the eldest son of the Dongping Baron’s household, achieved third place on the Golden List, bringing more glory to the family. The Second Master Jiang of the Dongping Baron’s household walked on air, while Old Madam Feng personally went to Baiyun Temple to offer incense.
By the end of September, as the weather turned cool, Jiang Si received a message from outside the palace. Taking the opportunity to visit her family, she secretly met with Elder Hua.
Elder Hua brought her the Grand Elder’s response.
“Holy Maiden, the Grand Elder has chosen you.”
“Ah, how should we deal with the Empress Dowager’s side?” Jiang Si calmly asked.