Chapter 59
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Empress?
Jiang Juan spoke sincerely, “Your Highness, you need to wake up. You’re so ill, you should focus on recovering and not overthink.”
Holding the script in his hand, Jiang Juan knew all too well that the throne would eventually belong to the Marquis Anping. Only the protagonist shou could become the Empress; he and His Highness were, at most, just minor cannon fodder.
Life was comfortable now, but if he didn’t run fast enough in the future, he’d likely meet a miserable end.
Jiang Juan didn’t take it too seriously. Xue Fangli glanced at him a few times and said in a calm tone, “Then don’t be afraid of everything in the future.”
“With me, you act high and mighty. But when it comes to outsiders—Marquis Anping, the second young master—you panic and only know how to hide in my arms. Why don’t you treat them the same way you treat me?”
Jiang Juan replied sheepishly, “It’s different.”
“Your Highness, you won’t do anything to me, but they might.”
Recently, Jiang Juan tried to be careful every day, but he either embarrassed Marquis Anping or bumped into the protagonist shou. What could Jiang Juan do? He could only swear not to offend them next time.
“I won’t do anything to you?”
Xue Fangli glanced at Jiang Juan, smiling meaningfully. “I’m just waiting…”
He didn’t finish. Xue Fangli lowered his head, his pale, clear fingers gently brushing Jiang Juan’s lips. He said slowly, “Jiang Lazy, my patience is running thin.”
After speaking, Xue Fangli’s lips curled into a calm smile, but his eyes were full of aggression.
Jiang Juan let out a small “ah,” suddenly feeling a sense of crisis. This made him not dare to ask what patience, and he just wanted to lie down and play dead.
Thinking for a moment, Jiang Juan cupped Xue Fangli’s face with both hands, turning his head away from himself with a “smack.”
The sense of crisis finally disappeared, and Jiang Juan breathed a sigh of relief.
Today, he was still a happy salted fish.
Happy moments were short-lived.
After lunch, Jiang Juan had to go out with Xue Fangli to the Imperial Stables.
The Imperial Stables were located outside the capital.
The previous emperor loved horses and was skilled in equestrianism, so he established this Imperial Stable, covering a hundred miles, spacious and flat, with abundant water and grass.
It was now the transition between spring and summer, the most comfortable time in the afternoon. Emperor Hongxing did not ride a horse; he walked and talked with his companions.
“Prince Consort, how was it?”
Emperor Hongxing looked relaxed. “Last night at the banquet, did Old Five restrain himself a bit?”
To say he restrained himself wasn’t quite accurate. After all, at the banquet, Prince Li had a servant press down the second young master of the Minister Residence, making him kowtow until blood flowed, all for a single title. But if one were to argue, it was justified. As a prince, he did nothing wrong, yet he was still unfit to be a ruler.
—A ruler should be clear-headed and magnanimous. Otherwise, if he were displeased and started killing ministers and commoners at will, how could that be tolerated?
Su Feiyue smiled without directly answering, “The prince indeed indulges the royal consort.”
Noting his reservation, Emperor Hongxing shook his head. “In the past, he had no attachments and acted without restraint. Now that he has attachments, he is beginning to change, which is a good thing.”
Su Feiyue nodded, “Your Majesty is right.”
“You should also settle things with that old fellow.”
Emperor Hongxing chuckled, “What a time… How could you as his uncle harm him? Why can’t he understand that?”
Su Feiyue did not want to discuss the matter and had to follow with a smile. Seeing his gloomy face, Emperor Hongxing became even more amused, “That old fellow has become a human essence, and yet he suffered such a big loss.”
Just as he finished speaking, Chief Steward Wang caught up with a beaming smile, “Your Majesty, the prince and the Royal Consort have arrived. Should I call them over?”
Emperor Hongxing: “Call them over.”
Chief Steward Wang turned to leave but was stopped by Emperor Hongxing, who waved his hand, “Forget it, just have Old Five come over. His Royal Consort is as thin as paper; find a tent for him to rest well.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As soon as Jiang Juan and Xue Fangli got off the carriage, Chief Steward Wang trotted over, his face full of smiles, “Your Highness, His Majesty has called for you.”
Xue Fangli turned to Jiang Juan, “Will you come with me?”
Jiang Juan glanced over; where Emperor Hongxing was, there was sure to be a large crowd. He saw it immediately and felt lazy, “I don’t want to go.”
Chief Steward Wang said, “Your Highness, please go ahead. His Majesty has instructed me to take the Royal Consort to rest in a tent. I’ll look after him for you.”
Xue Fangli looked at Jiang Juan, seeking his opinion. With a tent to rest in, Jiang Juan naturally chose to lie down. He said, “Your Highness, I’ll wait for you to return.”
Xue Fangli nodded, telling Jiang Juan, “Don’t run around. When I return, I’ll take you to ride a horse.”
Jiang Juan nodded. Chief Steward Wang led him to the tent, and Xue Fangli also left with the palace servants.
On the way, there were the sounds of galloping hooves and laughter. Jiang Juan glanced around, and Chief Steward Wang explained, “His Majesty is in a good mood today. Not only did he invite the prince and the Royal Consort, but several princes and concubines are here as well. He also invited many officials with their families. These are the young masters from their households.”
Jiang Juan wasn’t surprised. He responded with an “Oh,” indicating he was listening, but his mind started to wander to another matter.
Did the main characters group already know what had happened at the Eldest Princess’s residence?
By this time, Xue Congyun and the others had indeed heard about it.
With a “smack,” Xue Congyun, riding on horseback, cracked his whip and asked with a stern face, “What did you say?”
The one under scrutiny was Baozhu, a maid serving the eldest prince’s concubine, Imperial Consort Mei. The whip had disheveled her hair. Trembling, Baozhu knelt down, “Your Highness, please spare me. It was my mistake to speak out of turn…”
“You—” Xue Congyun, with a stern face, was about to lash out again when Jiang Qingliang reminded him, “Don’t scare her too much, or she won’t dare to speak.”
Xue Congyun scolded him, “You’re always showing pity.”
Unjustly scolded, Jiang Qingliang almost rolled his eyes. He angrily took a bite of a peach and threw the pit at Xue Congyun, asking Baozhu, “Speak, what exactly happened?”
Baozhu, pale, replied, “I just heard about it. Last night, the Eldest Princess held a banquet and invited the second young master halfway through, then… then—” “The second young master was forced to apologize to the Royal Consort.”
Knowing that the second young master was close to these young masters, Baozhu didn’t dare to say more.
The second young master of the Minister Residence was a prominent figure in the capital. Yet last night, in front of everyone, his mask of gentleness and propriety was torn off. Pressed to the ground by guards, he kowtowed countless times to the Royal Consort, bleeding and apologizing profusely.
He admitted himself that he knew the Marquis had a fiancée but still refused to keep his distance.
He also admitted that he had spoken ill of the Royal Consort to Prince Li.
Baozhu was shocked when she heard this. The second young master had a high reputation in the capital. He was charitable, kind-hearted, and treated people in a way that made them comfortable. Even the Empress Dowager favored him. Baozhu couldn’t understand how such a person could do such things.
Knowing the Marquis had a fiancée but still not keeping his distance was inappropriate.
The person engaged to the Marquis was none other than the third young master from their household. Yet he continued his behavior, which was utterly shameless.
Especially after the Marquis’s engagement was annulled and the third young master married into Prince Li’s residence, he still spoke ill of the third young master to Prince Li. It was truly despicable.
But regardless, this was a matter for the nobles. Baozhu, caught gossiping, tearfully pleaded for mercy, “Your Highness, please spare me this time. I won’t dare to do it again, really, I won’t…”
Pressed to apologize to the Royal Consort.
Jiang Nian was forced to apologize to Jiang Juan?
Xue Congyun pursed his lips, silent for a long time. Jiang Qingliang was also stunned, seeming torn. Only Gu Puwang asked calmly, “For what reason?”
“For…”
Baozhu trembled, too afraid to speak further, fearing being blamed.
But even without her saying it, Gu Puwang could roughly guess what had happened.
In the past, he had reminded Jiang Nian several times that Marquis Anping was engaged and told Jiang Nian to keep his distance to avoid rumors. Unfortunately, it had little effect. Jiang Nian either went boating with the Marquis or went on outings, showing no restraint. Seeing that his reminders were futile, Gu Puwang stopped wasting his breath. Now that the truth had come out, he was not surprised.
They were close to Jiang Nian, but recently they had also been associating closely with Jiang Juan. Jiang Qingliang hesitated, “What should we do?”
Xue Congyun didn’t know either. He tentatively asked, “Should we just pretend we didn’t hear?”
Jiang Qingliang also wanted to ignore it, but Jiang Nian had always treated him well. Jiang Qingliang, unsure, said, “…Is that okay?”
Jiang Nian treated Jiang Qingliang well and was even kinder to Xue Congyun. Feeling guilty, Xue Congyun said, “It doesn’t seem right. What should we do?”
Jiang Qingliang struggled, then hardened his heart, “No matter what, Brother Nian shouldn’t be treated like this.”
Having said that, Xue Congyun had no choice but to nod. He snapped his whip, “This is outrageous!”
“Gu Puwang, what do you think?”
In truth, the fault lay with Jiang Nian, but Jiang Nian had also done him favors…
Gu Puwang remained silent. Among them, he was always the quiet one. As long as he didn’t voice opposition, it was seen as tacit approval.
In reality, he simply didn’t want to get involved in Jiang Nian’s affairs.
Seeing this, Jiang Qingliang slowly said, “Treating Brother Nian like this is too much. He needs to be taught a harsh lesson. His Majesty also invited Brother Juan today. Xue Liu*, go teach him a lesson!”
Note: Xue Liu refer to Xue Congyun because he’s the sixth son and because Liu here means number six.
Xue Congyun: “???”
Suddenly called out, Xue Congyun didn’t rush off in anger as usual. After a moment of silence, he sincerely told Jiang Qingliang, “I think you’re more suitable.”
“You’ve got a sharp tongue and you’re a good fighter. You’re practically perfect for this. Bearer Nian has been bullied like this; we need to get back at them hard. I think you should go.”
Jiang Qingliang demurred, “You should go. Brother Juan has a heart condition. If I say a few words and he faints, he’ll just escape responsibility, right?”
Xue Congyun waved his hand, “Brother Juan isn’t that fragile. You’re the best fit. You go.”
Jiang Qingliang countered, “He’s your sister-in-law, your own sister-in-law. Shouldn’t you be the one to teach him a lesson?”
Xue Congyun argued, “Last time you won the archery contest. You’re the one who’s closest to him. Shouldn’t you be the one to reason with him, and if needed, use force?”
Jiang Qingliang: “………”
Xue Congyun: “……….”
They exchanged glances, forced smiles on their faces, and then both turned to look at Gu Puwang. Their meaning was clear.
—How about you go?
Seeing this, Gu Puwang frowned, seemingly seeing through everything. He coldly rebuked, “You both keep saying Brother Nian shouldn’t be treated like this, yet you’re pushing the responsibility back and forth with grand excuses. Ultimately, are you afraid that if you go, the Royal Consort will no longer associate with you?”
Xue Congyun muttered, “I’ve picked fights with him several times for Brother Nian. If I do it again, he’ll definitely hold a grudge and ignore me.”
Jiang Qingliang, feeling guilty, said, “I won the archery contest and even invited him for a drink. We’re so close now; how can I go and scold him?”
Upon hearing this, Xue Congyun got angry, “Jiang Qingliang, you wanted to avoid going yourself and pushed me instead?”
Jiang Qingliang retorted, “And what about you? You kept pushing me because you’re jealous of how close I am with Brother Juan and want to replace me?”
They were about to start a quarrel when Gu Puwang interjected again, “Over the years, Brother Nian has taken care of you both a lot. Now that he’s in trouble, is this how you repay him?”
Gu Puwang’s tone was cold, “If Brother Nian knew how you were acting, he would be heartbroken.”
These words left Xue Congyun and Jiang Qingliang stunned. Feeling ashamed, they lowered their heads, internally chastising themselves. Then, taking a deep breath, they shouted:
“Xue Liu, you go!”
“Surnamed Jiang, stop stalling!”
Gu Puwang was deeply disappointed, “You two are incorrigible.”
Jiang Qingliang was about to argue when he suddenly realized something. He cursed, “Surnamed Gu, you’re really too sly!”
“What do you mean we’re incorrigible? Aren’t you the same? If you had time to provoke us, you could have gone yourself. Aren’t you also trying to avoid going?”
Xue Congyun, realizing this, was furious, “Gu Puwang, you’re really something!”
Jiang Qingliang: “I suggest the one with the most schemes should go.”
Xue Congyun: “This prince seconds that.”
Gu Puwang: “……….”
He looked at Jiang Qingliang for a few seconds, surprised, “You actually figured it out?”
Jiang Qingliang felt insulted and snarled, “Surnamed Gu, I’m giving you one more chance to rephrase that.”
Gu Puwang ignored him. His true intentions revealed, Gu Puwang still showed no panic. His expression unchanged, he proposed, “Hearsay is unreliable. We only have guesses about what happened at the banquet. We should find out the truth. Since none of us want to go, why don’t we all go together?”
Having pushed Gu Pawang to go, why would he go into the battlefield himself, Xue Congyun refused, “Not a chance.”
Jiang Qingliang also ruthlessly rejected, “I think it’s a bad idea.”
Seeing no other option, Gu Puwang resorted to his trump card. He said quietly, “Sixth Prince, do you not dare to go with the three of us to discuss this matter?”
Xue Congyun: “???”
Damn it, his competitive spirit kicked in again.
Xue Congyun held back, struggling not to respond. Gu Puwang watched him for a moment, then nodded knowingly and gave a disdainful smile, “Alright, I see. You’re afraid.”
Xue Congyun: “……….”
Ridiculous! There’s nothing in this world that he wouldn’t dare to do! Unable to stand being slandered, Xue Congyun roared at Gu Puwang, “I dare! Why wouldn’t I?”
“Then we’ll all go and talk to him. Anyone who backs out is a coward!”
Jiang Qingliang: “……….”
This was simply a calamity falling from the sky. Jiang Qingliang had just managed to extricate himself from the situation, only to be shocked by the news that three people had gone together. He was utterly stunned and exclaimed, “How did it end up being three people? What does this have to do with me? You dare, but I don’t!”
Arguing was pointless; it was decided the three of them would go together. Jiang Qingliang, looking distressed, was dragged along, muttering angrily, “Gu Puwang, you’re so damn—” “devious!”
Thanks to Xue Congyun’s determination, they quickly found out that Jiang Juan was in his tent and that Prince Li had gone to see Emperor Hongxing. The three of them soon sneaked outside Jiang Juan’s tent, peeking inside.
Jiang Juan wasn’t entirely alone.
Chief Steward Wang was attending to him, serving tea, fanning him, and sharing interesting stories from inside and outside the palace to keep him entertained.
After assessing the situation, Xue Congyun said, “Let’s do this quickly. While my fifth brother isn’t here, we’ll ask and then leave. If he comes back, we’ll all be in trouble.”
Jiang Qingliang, eager to avoid more delay, agreed, “You’re right. You go first; we’ll follow.”
Xue Congyun: “???”
Xue Congyun was incredulous, “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
Jiang Qingliang gave a fake smile, “You’ve finally grown up.”
Xue Congyun: “………”
They were about to fight when Gu Puwang intervened, “Stop arguing. We came together, so we go in together. We’ll find out what happened last night and then—”
Xue Congyun suggested, “Give him a good scolding?”
Jiang Qingliang hesitated, “We can’t do that. What if his heart condition flares up?”
Xue Congyun reconsidered, “A light scolding, then?”
Jiang Qingliang repeated, “A light scolding?”
Xue Congyun asked, “Too light?”
Jiang Qingliang replied, “It’s not just about the severity. With his heart condition, any scolding might be too much.”
Xue Congyun thought for a moment, “Then… reprimand him? Give him a stern reprimand?”
Jiang Qingliang suggested, “A light reprimand. Even harsh words might provoke him.”
Xue Congyun, relieved, agreed, “Alright, a light reprimand. I don’t want to push him too far.”
After discussing, they settled on a “light reprimand.” Gu Puwang interrupted, “Wait.”
He frowned, “What are you doing?”
Feeling guilty about their plan, Xue Congyun and Jiang Qingliang stammered. Jiang Qingliang protested, “We’re trying to stand up for Brother Nian. You saw him last time; he’s frail. If we push too hard, can you live with it?”
Gu Pu calmly said, “I was just wondering, you all know he has a heart condition. Isn’t it risky to keep reprimanding and criticizing him? Aren’t you afraid he might have a serious episode from the stress?”
“Reprimanding is too harsh. Just have a proper talk with him about this matter, and then ask him what he thinks about Brother Nian.”
Xue Congyun: “No problem.”
Jiang Qingliang: “Fine.”
They reached a consensus. Gu Puwang counted down, “I’ll count to three, and we go in together.”
Xue Congyun reminded, “We agreed, anyone who backs out is a coward.”
Jiang Qingliang, serious now, said, “Agreed.”
Gu Puwang nodded, “Yes.”
“Three, two, one.”
With that, they lifted the tent flap.
Jiang Juan, in the middle of drinking water, was startled to see Xue Congyun barging in.
Here they came.
The main characters group came to give him trouble.
He knew it.
Jiang Juan was incredibly nervous, his eyes fixed on Xue Congyun without blinking.
Xue Congyun: “About last night, Brother Nian…” He had only uttered a few words when he realized something was wrong. Looking around, he finally understood the situation. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Jiang Qingliang, Gu Puwang, are you even human?”
They had agreed to go in together, but in reality, only Xue Congyun had entered the tent. Jiang Qingliang and Gu Puwang, those two scoundrels, hadn’t stepped inside at all.
As his words fell, two voices came from outside the tent.
Gu Puwang: “Woof.”
Jiang Qingliang: “Woof, woof, woof.”
Xue Congyun: “???”
At that moment, he really wanted to kill someone.
Xue Congyun fell silent, and Jiang Juan had to ask, “What’s going on? Do you have something to say?”
Xue Congyun: “…”
Stay calm, keep it cool, what was the plan again?
Brother Juan is frail; he can’t be reprimanded or scolded. He needs to have a good conversation with Brother Juan about what happened last night and ask what he thinks about Brother Nian.
Xue Congyun steadied himself and said confidently, “Brother Juan, have you heard of the four-eared cat? Cats usually have two ears, but in Sichuan, Jianzhou cats have overlapping outlines, two big and two small, forming four ears.”
“A few days ago, Father received a four-eared cat, it’s quite adorable. There’s a horse riding competition later. If I win, I can bring the cat back for you. Do you want it? I’ll win it for you.”
Jiang Qingliang: “…”
Gu Puwang: “…”
Both were speechless, and Jiang Juan was quite surprised.
Jiang Juan: “???”
What was going on?
With the relationship between the sixth prince and the protagonist shou, shouldn’t he be giving him a hard time?
Why was he offering him a cat?
Jiang Juan was very confused.
Was this sixth prince actually a double agent?
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