Chapter 20
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Jiang Juan fell onto the soft couch, staring blankly as Xue Fangli walked away, slowly furrowing his brows.
His Highness wouldn’t be so petty.
He didn’t want to eat lychees anymore, prevented him from playing with the peacock, His Highness wouldn’t get angry about that.
So… what was going on exactly?
After pondering for quite some time, Jiang Juan still couldn’t make sense of it. He lowered his head to look at the lychees on the fruit platter when suddenly, Xue Congyun’s reminder popped into his mind.
The memorial day.
The anniversary of the late mother consort—Beauty Yu, was approaching.
Was it because of this?
Lost in thought, Jiang Juan didn’t even notice the chief steward’s presence. After all, His Highness’s capricious demeanor was nothing new; it was his usual state. However, this must have been the first time the Royal Consort had been treated so coldly.
The chief steward pretended not to notice anything unusual and said to Jiang Juan, “Your Royal Consort, look at that blue peacock. Isn’t it about to fan its tail feathers?”
Despite how beautiful the peacock might look when displaying its plumage, Jiang Juan wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it now. He shook his head.
After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Juan asked the chief steward, “Does His Highness always have a bad mood around this time?”
“….. The anniversary of Beauty Yu.”
The chief steward was taken aback, almost forgetting the date. While it could be said that His Highness’s mood wasn’t great on any given day, it tended to be even more somber around the anniversary of Beauty Yu’s passing.
Calculating the days, there were only three or four days left until the end of the month. However, despite His Highness still being somewhat difficult to approach, his erratic behavior had toned down considerably in the past few days.
“Yes,” the chief steward replied, “Indeed, his mood is not very good.”
“His Highness’s mother consort…” Jiang Juan carefully chose his words, “could you tell me something about Beauty Yu?”
Regarding Beauty Yu, there were actually one or two mentions in the novel, but the main purpose was to illustrate His Highness’s cruelty—he personally killed his mother consort.
But Jiang Juan didn’t think it could be His Highnes. After all, none of the plots related to His Highness matched, not even the character settings were remotely similar.
“Well…”
The chief steward recalled some rumors, things he wasn’t clear about and dared not say too much about. “Beauty Yu was originally an orphan. She happened to meet the Emperor when she was offering incense at the Miaoling Temple. The Emperor fell in love at first sight, and she was brought into the palace, where she received constant favor and grace, but…”
“One afternoon, Beauty Yu’s Chunshen Hall’s caught on fire while she was resting from catching the cold….”
The chief steward didn’t continue speaking, but Jiang Juan still guessed the outcome, and he was a bit startled.
She was burned alive.
It must have been incredibly painful.
Jiang Juan sighed, feeling a deep sympathy for Beauty Yu’s fate. Then he thought of Xue Fangli.
Beauty Yu died so tragically, Xue Fangli probably didn’t have it any easier. Jiang Juan came from a happy family and had never experienced such things, but he imagined if such an unfortunate day ever came, he would be extremely, extremely sad, perhaps even unable to find solace for a while.
At this point, Jiang Juan suddenly felt very worried about Xue Fangli.
“Your Royal Consort, the peacock, it’s displaying its feathers! The blue peacock has opened its feathers!”
As Jiang Juan was pondering, the chief steward called out to him to see the peacock, but Jiang Juan seemed somewhat distracted. “I want to see His Highness. Can you take me to him?”
The chief steward: “…Of course.”
It took a lot of effort for the chief steward to arrange these three peacocks, and he had been holding back, but couldn’t resist anymore. He struggled for a moment, then blurted out, “Your Royal Consort, look at this peacock, it’s displaying its feathers!”
Jiang Juan, still concerned about Xue Fangli, shook his head. “Let’s go.”
The chief steward forced a smile. “…Alright.”
Apart from him, no one seemed to care that the peacock had displayed its feathers.
Sobs.
Xue Fangli was in the study.
After all, there was some discord between Jiang Juan and Xue Fangli. Before escorting Jiang Juan, the chief steward tactfully advised, “Your Royal Consort, perhaps His Highness wants to be alone for a while. Maybe you should…”
Jiang Juan hesitated for a moment before saying, “Let’s just have a look first.”
The chief steward could only nod and knocked on the door.
“Your Highness, His Royal Consort, he…” His words abruptly stopped. The study was littered with kneeling guards, and the air was thick with the smell of blood. The chief steward froze, realizing the situation was dire.
It was time for His Highness to deal with the situation.
Last time, when the wolves invaded the manor, regardless of the reasons, the guards couldn’t escape the charge of negligence. However, His Highness had decided not to address it at that time, but today was the day for judgment.
The chief steward whispered softly, “The Royal Consort has arrived.”
Xue Fangli, expressionless, said, “Escort him back.”
Jiang Juan hadn’t entered yet, but he could hear what was being said inside. Of course, he refused to leave. “I’m not going back.”
Xue Fangli remained silent, his demeanor dripping with hostility as he coldly glanced at the chief steward, exuding an aura of aggression.
The chief steward trembled, breaking out in a cold sweat.
“You’re not in a good mood,” Jiang Juan said earnestly. “I want to stay with you.”
Xue Fangli still showed no reaction, only casting a downward glance at the guards kneeling on the ground—some had already been punished, covered in blood, while others trembled in fear, awaiting his judgment.
Bringing the youth in would probably startle him.
He couldn’t bear to see anyone suffer, let alone living beings like the young wolf he encountered on the road or the peacocks at the manor—he wanted to save them all.
Xue Fangli lifted his blood-red lips, his smile tinged with a hint of mockery.
He had wanted to appear as a good person in front of the youth, but at this moment, he suddenly didn’t want to don that facade of gentility anymore.
“Fine,” Xue Fangli said, his tone almost hostile after a while. “Then come in.”
With that said, Jiang Juan was ushered into the study.
Jiang Juan was indeed startled; he hadn’t expected so many people to be present. He also caught the scent of blood, and he glanced around with a puzzled expression, his eyelashes fluttering, but he didn’t say anything.
After a while, Jiang Juan lifted his head and said to Xue Fangli, “Your Highness, give me your hand.”
Xue Fangli gave him a faint glance, showing no intention of raising his hand. Jiang Juan had to take the initiative and grasp his hand.
The next moment, something was placed in Xue Fangli’s palm.
“It’s a flower for you,” Jiang Juan said, looking up at him earnestly. “In the place where I live, wisteria flowers are also called forget-me-nots. They devour all worries and unhappiness.”
“Don’t be unhappy.”
The young man’s long lashes lifted, his eyes bright and clear. His voice was soft and gentle, almost soothing.
Xue Fangli remained silent, watching him. Surprisingly, his hostility seemed completely assuaged by Jiang Juan’s words.
After a while, Xue Fangli finally spoke, but it was to ask Jiang Juan, “They’re being punished, why didn’t you intervene?”
Jiang Juan looked at him oddly. “If they’ve done wrong, they should accept punishment. Besides, Your Highness wouldn’t punish them too severely.”
Xue Fangli remained calm. “What if I were to punish severely?”
Jiang Juan shook his head, firm in his belief. “Your Highness, you’re kind-hearted. You wouldn’t easily harm anyone.”
Xue Fangli locked eyes with him. The youth smiled warmly, but he felt nothing but endless agitation.
With pale fingers, Xue Fangli crushed the petals in his palm, forming a soft, wet lump. He glanced down, inexplicably reminded of Jiang Juan’s moist eyelashes.
After a while, Xue Fangli chuckled softly, his expression tinged with boredom. “Indeed, how could I ever harm anyone?”
“Get out, all of you.”
He spoke calmly, but the kneeling guards were all shaken by his words. They quickly kowtowed, obeying his command and leaving, forcibly suppressing their astonishment.
His Highness wouldn’t easily forgive them!
It was… the Royal Consort!
Jiang Juan was unaware of this. To him, it only reaffirmed the fact that His Highness was a good person.
Treating him well, treating the servants generously— it was all in line with his character.
As the guards all departed and a long silence ensued, Xue Fangli asked Jiang Juan with a hint of amusement, “Why did you want to accompany me?”
Jiang Juan hesitated before answering, “It seems like your mother consort’s memorial day is approaching, and I was worried that you…”
Xue Fangli abruptly lifted his eyelids, his expression turning cold.
In the Cining Palace.
Under the golden statue of Buddha, incense smoke curled up from the gilded censer as the Empress Dowager knelt on a cushion, reciting scriptures. She manipulated the prayer beads in her hands with devout reverence.
With a soft rustle, Jiang Nian gently turned the pages of the scriptures, diligently transcribing them with each stroke of his pen.
“I’m getting old,” not long after, the Empress Dowager opened her eyes and sighed. “When one gets old, they become useless. Can’t even kneel properly anymore.”
Jiang Nian paused his writing, ready to step forward to assist, but the Empress Dowager waved her hand, only allowing a palace maid to come and massage her legs.
“I like children like you,” the Empress Dowager looked at Jiang Nian with a smile on her face. “Not restless, able to keep a calm mind. Unlike the Sixth Prince, always in a flurry, causing trouble.”
“My father always complains that the younger generation lacks youthful spirit,” Jiang Nian said. “He would prefer if we were more lively.”
The Empress Dowager shook her head, teasing, “Then maybe we should swap.”
Jiang Nian sighed, “If the Sixth Prince hears that, he’ll cause trouble for you again.”
The Empress Dowager raised her hand, assisted by a palace maid as she stood up, and she huffed, “Let him cause trouble. I just want a well-behaved grandchild. I don’t care for his antics.”
Jiang Nian looked at the Empress Dowager and smiled knowingly.
In his previous life, after the departure of Prince Li, Jiang Nian had unintentionally encountered the Empress Dowager at the Zhao An Temple. Unfortunately, at that time, he was still Prince Li’s Royal Consort, and the Empress Dowager held animosity towards him, blaming him for his death.
— It seems that the Empress Dowager had some grudge against the late Beauty Yu.
After his rebirth, Jiang Nian seized the opportunity. Every time on Buddha’s birthday, the Empress Dowager would personally visit the Zhao An Temple. Therefore, on this day, Jiang Nian also went to the Zhao An Temple. He pretended not to recognize the Empress Dowager and engaged her in discussions about Buddhism, transcribing scriptures for her, thus gaining her favor.
“Your calligraphy has become even more beautiful,” the Empress Dowager praised as she looked down at the scriptures transcribed by Jiang Nian. “It flows like clouds and water, graceful and elegant.”
“I have a younger brother at home who writes even better,” Jiang Nian’s eyes flashed subtly as he spoke softly. “His calligraphy is in a slim gold style, with clear strokes and elegant lines.”
“Oh?” The Empress Dowager became interested. “You’ve never mentioned your brother before. Who is he? Maybe I know him.”
“Jiang Juan,” Jiang Nian smiled, “Has the Empress Dowager heard of him?”
“Never,” the Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, with no recollection, “If he truly writes so well, then I shall summon him to the palace another day to see for myself.”
“My brother has suffered from a heart ailment since childhood, and he is recuperating in the countryside. With plenty of free time, he has put in a lot of effort into calligraphy,” Jiang Nian was explaining when he suddenly remembered something, feeling awkward, “Your Majesty…”
“What is it?”
Jiang Nian hesitated, “My brother is now… Prince Li’s Royal Consort…”
With a soft rustle, the Empress Dowager’s grip slackened, breaking the prayer beads, and the beads rolled to the ground. Her smile slowly faded from her face.
“So it’s the Prince Li’s Royal Consort,” the Empress Dowager said, “Then I must summon him to the palace and have a proper look.”
Seeing this, a palace maid hurried to pick up the beads from the ground. As the Empress Dowager watched, she seemed to be lost in thought. “If I remember correctly, in a few days, it will be the memorial day for his mother consort.”
“That illegitimate child must go to the Miaoling Temple to pay respects.”
The Empress Dowager’s expression turned cold. “Very well. However long he spends paying respects at the Miaoling Temple, his Royal Consort will spend the same amount of time kneeling before me in the palace.”
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