“Father, are we really leaving?” Young Master Gao asked, quickly catching up to Gao Lingjun.
“What’s the matter? Will you go hungry or be left in the cold when we return?” Gao Lingjun replied calmly.
Back in their hometown, the Gao family would be like local rulers, yet what people strive for is not merely wealth and status.
No matter how comfortable life is at home, can it compare to the pride of standing tall in the capital’s court?
“My lord,” Lady of State Qi bowed in greeting in the hall.
“Have you met the Empress Dowager?” Gao Lingjun inquired.
“Yes. Her Majesty’s intention is still for us to select the crown princess,” Lady of State Qi replied.
Gao Lingjun shook his head.
“No, we must not make the selection,” he said. “Such a valuable opportunity should be left for others.”
Lady of State Qi and Young Master Gao exchanged glances, both feeling puzzled.
Why leave such a great opportunity to others?
“Oh, there’s something else,” Lady of State Qi added as she remembered. “Her Majesty is still very concerned about Duke Jin’an.”
Gao Lingjun frowned.
“The softheartedness of a woman,” he remarked.
“My lord, after all, she raised him with her own hands – how could she cut ties so easily?” Lady of State Qi replied as she served tea to Gao Lingjun. “Besides, given the condition Duke Jin’an is in now, he can hardly cause any trouble.”
“A little over a decade ago, he was in a similar state, yet he survived just fine,” Gao Lingjun said.
“Her Majesty simply cannot bear to let go,” Lady of State Qi continued. “On top of that, she feels guilty now.”
Gao Lingjun stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“Although guilt and reluctance may fade over time, I can wait no longer this time,” he said slowly. “The ways of the world are unpredictable. Just a few months ago, I could never have imagined that the situation today would look like this.”
“Then, Father, should we eliminate him?” Young Master Gao hurriedly asked.
“Are you afraid others won’t have a solid reason to completely crush us?” Gao Lingjun retorted, glaring. “With the four ministers currently assisting in governance, court factions are chaotic and constantly at odds. What we must do is avoid this infighting. Remember, while they quarrel among themselves, they are of one mind when it comes to our Gao family.”
Young Master Gao fell silent, somewhat embarrassed.
“What the Empress Dowager detests is Duke Jin’an’s status, not the man himself,” Gao Lingjun said thoughtfully, stroking his beard with a faint smile. “If it’s a matter concerning a person, there is a way to handle it.”
“Father, what should we do?” Young Master Gao asked eagerly.
Gao Lingjun stood up.
“I will go to the palace to see the Empress Dowager,” he said.
…
“Sister Ban Qin.”
Ban Qin reached out and tugged at the maid’s sleeve, whispering.
“Are we really going to go?”
The maid stood at the street corner, looking toward the mansion across the way.
“Of course we’re going,” she replied.
“Why not ask Miss first?” Ban Qin said softly.
The maid turned to look at her.
“Don’t you know Miss by now?” she said. “Someone like her never explains herself to others. Whether people like her or hate her, she doesn’t care. As the saying goes, those who understand me worry with me; those who don’t, ask what I seek.”
Ban Qin nodded, half-understanding, and glanced once more toward that distant mansion.
“Didn’t Young Master Zhou say that the duke was angry at Miss for not saving him that day, and now he won’t even let her enter the mansion?” the maid said, her expression both anxious and pained. “That night, Miss stood outside Prince Qing’s residence all night.”
“She sat all night,” Ban Qin corrected.
The maid shot her a glare.
“Isn’t it the same thing?” she replied.
Ban Qin smiled awkwardly and said nothing.
“In the capital, all the people Miss could talk to and be close with are now gone,” the maid said softly. “Young Master Qin has already turned against her – that was his choice. But this matter with Duke Jin’an was caused by someone else’s scheming. Even if it’s not for marriage, even if the lady doesn’t care herself, I can’t stand seeing her blamed for nothing…”
Ban Qin reached out to wipe her tears and nodded.
“Besides, I have evidence here,” the maid added, pressing a hand to her sleeve. “I believe His Highness will understand. He has always trusted Miss.”
“Oh, and by the way, how did you know the wolf pack was led by someone?”
“The book says that at that time of year, there shouldn’t have been a wolf pack hunting on the main road in the middle of the night, let alone attacking travelers and carriages.”
“Oh, right.”
She said it, and he believed her.
“We can’t let Miss just return to Jiang-zhou like this,” the maid said, taking a deep breath and waving her hand. “Let’s go.”
…
“Your Highness, Your Highness!”
Doctor Li hurried in, calling out as soon as he crossed the threshold.
Two eunuchs quickly emerged from the inner room, waving their hands at him and shushing him urgently.
“Doctor Li, what are you doing?” they whispered. “His Highness just fell asleep.”
Doctor Li offered an apologetic smile.
“Something urgent – I need to speak with His Highness,” he said.
“What good news is it? You seem so excited,” one of the eunuchs couldn’t help but ask, noticing Doctor Li’s animated expression.
“I knew it, I just knew it! Lady Cheng isn’t that kind of person. She’s truly…” Doctor Li replied, rubbing his hands together.
As these words were spoken, Duke Jin’an, who had closed his eyes on the bed, suddenly opened them wide.
Who was saying her name?
“…Doctor Li! What are these two doing here?”
“…Master Gu… They’re here to see me…”
“To see you? Do you think I don’t recognize the head managers of the Immortal’s Abode and the Tai Ping Residence?”
“We’re not here to see Doctor Li. We’re here to see Duke Jin’an.”
“Do you think this is a place you can just walk into? Doctor Li, how dare you secretly bring outsiders into the residence? What are you plotting?”
“We came through the main gate. When His Highness used to visit our residence, he climbed over the wall.”
Duke Jin’an laughed.
“Master Gu, is it Ban Qin who’s here?” he called out loudly.
The talking outside the door ceased, and after a moment, the door was pushed open.
“Your Highness,” the maid said, looking at Duke Jin’an lying on the bed. She wanted to step forward but hesitated.
“Stay back,” Master Gu said.
Immediately, two guards stepped forward to block her way, their expressions cautious.
The maid stopped in her tracks.
“Your Highness, I came to tell you that on that day, when my lady said she wouldn’t save you, it was because she was being coerced,” she explained. “It was the young master of the Qin family who tricked my lady into going flower-viewing, and then he threatened her using Cheng Si-lang.”
Duke Jin’an pushed himself up from the bed with effort. A maid beside him hurriedly helped support him.
“Is that so?” he said, a faint smile appearing on his pale, weak face visible through the curtain. “So that’s how it was.”
The maid nodded repeatedly, while Ban Qin lifted her hand to wipe away tears.
“Yes, I have proof here,” the maid said hurriedly, carefully taking out a piece of paper from her sleeve.
“No need to see it,” Duke Jin’an shook his head.
The maid’s expression froze slightly.
“This is enough,” Duke Jin’an said with a sigh. “I’ve always believed Cheng Si-lang was harmed because of me.”
Hearing this, the maid wept with joy.
“I knew it, I knew His Highness would understand,” she said, covering her face.
Master Gu reached over and took the paper from her hand, scanning it with a hint of a cold smile.
“To be delivered to the person who comes: Miss one word, add one word, and you’ll see Cheng Si-lang’s body outside the gate as soon as you step out. As for the matter – His Highness’s condition, I cannot treat it. Don’t bother checking – His Highness’s condition, I cannot treat it. Seek help elsewhere,” he read aloud.
The maid and Ban Qin nodded at him repeatedly.
“Your Highness, listen – this is exactly how it was,” they said in unison. “Those words were not what my lady intended to say.”
Master Gu chuckled.
“You’ve misunderstood,” he said. “What we’re discussing now isn’t about what your mistress said.”
The maid and Ban Qin were taken aback.
“It’s about what your mistress did,” Master Gu continued, looking down at the paper in his hand. “I want to ask you: if what was written on this paper wasn’t about refusing to treat His Highness, but about demanding your mistress take His Highness’s life…”
He paused, his gaze shifting to the maid and Ban Qin.
“Then, what would your mistress have done?”
The color drained slightly from the faces of the maid and Ban Qin.
What would their mistress have done?
Their mistress…
“No, my lady would never do that! My lady never takes the initiative to harm anyone!” Ban Qin cried out.
Master Gu smiled faintly.
“Indeed, we’re not talking about her taking the initiative,” he said. “We’re talking about her being forced, being coerced. In such a situation, would your mistress harm others?”
Seeing the pale faces of the two maids, Master Gu smiled again.
“You are Lady Cheng’s closest attendants,” he said. “You must know the answer in your hearts.” He then turned his gaze toward Duke Jin’an by the bed. “Your Highness must also know in his heart.”
Marriage is a trivial matter to me.
To her, everything is trivial…
“Master Gu, you’re mistaken to say that,” Duke Jin’an said slowly. “I was harmed, but it was not by her hand. And the consequences of being harmed should not fall on her shoulders.”
Master Gu acknowledged with a nod.
“Your Highness is wise,” he said calmly, offering no further argument. “Then, Your Highness, rest now. Recovering your health is what matters most.”
Duke Jin’an did not reply. He slowly lay back down, and the maids lowered the bed curtains.
“Your Highness…” the maid called out, her voice trembling.
“This way, please,” the guard said, gesturing for them to leave.
The maid glanced at the motionless bed curtains, wiped the tears streaming down her face, and lowered her head as she walked out. Ban Qin quickly wiped her own tears and followed.
“Head Manager,” Master Gu called out once they were outside the door.
The maid turned to look at him.
“And, you forgot this,” Master Gu said. He tore the paper in his hand and casually tossed it aside.
The pieces of paper scattered as they fell. The maid could no longer hold back her tears.
“Don’t tear it! Don’t tear it!” she cried out, pushing past the guards’ attempt to stop her as she rushed to pick up the scattered pieces.
Watching the maid weeping as she gathered the torn paper, Ban Qin covered her face and sobbed loudly.
Don’t tear it! Don’t tear it!
Meanwhile, in the palace, the Empress Dowager was looking at Gao Lingjun with surprise.
“What did you say?” she asked. “The Crown Prince’s wedding isn’t the most urgent matter? There’s something else that’s more pressing? What is it?”
“Your Majesty,” Gao Lingjun sighed with a smile. “The palace has been plagued by a string of misfortunes this year. Look at the current situation…”
Prince Ping had passed away, the Emperor was ill, and she, the Empress Dowager, had been bullied by ministers to the point where even her own family was being forced out of the capital…
The Empress Dowager raised her hand to wipe away tears.
It truly was one misfortune after another.
“Perhaps we should arrange for a wedding to usher in some good luck first,” Gao Lingjun suggested. “This could also make the Crown Prince’s own wedding more auspicious.”
“Usher in good luck?” The Empress Dowager looked at him, puzzled. “Whose wedding would that be?”
“Of course, it should be someone who brings good fortune,” Gao Lingjun said. “Duke Jin’an, who has always brought auspiciousness to the palace.”
The Empress Dowager nodded, as if suddenly realizing something.
“Yes, yes – he’s still here. It’s good that he is,” she said quickly. “The Crown Prince will surely have a child soon.”
Good, that makes her even more reluctant to let anything happen to him. What on earth are these women thinking? Gao Lingjun frowned inwardly, but then brushed it aside. In any case, this made his proposal simpler.
“Indeed. Let him marry first. The celebration will also lift his spirits regarding his illness, and for the imperial family, it would be a joyous occasion,” Gao Lingjun said with a smile.
The Empress Dowager repeatedly clasped her hands in agreement.
“Yes, yes. How could I not have thought of it? We really should bring in some good luck. Wei-lang has indeed faced more than his share of misfortunes,” she said. “His Majesty had intended to arrange a marriage for him long ago, but it was delayed…”
At this point, she began to fret again.
“But this is even harder to decide than selecting a crown princess. How can we choose a suitable match in such a rush?”
Gao Lingjun smiled, took out a piece of paper, and placed it on the table.
“Your Majesty, have you forgotten? The person was chosen long ago,” he said, tapping his finger on the paper.
The Empress Dowager looked down and saw Gao Lingjun’s finger pointing at a name.
The Cheng family of Jiang-zhou.
What?
Her!
