Chapter 81
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Bai Xuechao?
He was Bai Xuechao’s grandson?
Jiang Juan: “??”
In the original plot, Bai Xuechao never officially appeared, yet he was everywhere. Whenever someone mentioned him, they spoke with deep respect, as if he were a saint.
Later on, even the protagonist shou and Marquis Anping wanted to invite him out of seclusion, but Bai Xuechao consistently refused to see them, leaving them at a dead end.
At that time, Jiang Juan found it quite strange, as it seemed that no one should be able to resist the protagonist shou’s aura, especially since Marquis Anping had previously received guidance from Bai Xuechao. However, Bai Xuechao ignored them.
Now Jiang Juan seemed to understand.
According to the plot, the character who shared his name and surname had committed suicide by biting his tongue due to his connection with Marquis Anping and the protagonist shou, which is why the old man had not come out of seclusion and refused to see them.
After all, that was his grandson. Despite Bai Xuechao being like a saint, he was still human and could not be without feelings.
Jiang Juan understood the reasoning but was still shocked—Bai Xuechao was actually his grandfather!
He had such an influential grandfather!?
Jiang Juan was still dazed.
He was stunned, and so was Minister Li.
“What? He’s actually…”
Minister Li struggled to speak, “Your Majesty, how could this be? Isn’t Mr. Bai…”
Previously, he had used the opportunity to criticize the Royal Consort for being raised in the countryside with poor education and lacking the proper manners, and thus unworthy to be the Crown Prince Consort. But now—his grandfather was actually Mr. Bai!?
Who was Mr. Bai?
When Emperor Hongxing had asked about him, how had he responded?
—Mr. Bai was known for his integrity and noble character. His descendants, whether by birth or behavior, must also be exemplary.
“…”
Minister Li was left speechless.
What he had previously said felt like a slap in his face, and Minister Li gaped, still in shock. “How could this be?”
“Your Majesty, are you joking?”
Another voice quivered as it spoke, and this time it was not from someone else but from Minister Jiang. Minister Li was as stunned as ever, especially since—if Jiang Juan’s grandfather was truly Bai Xuechao, then Bai Xuechao would be his father-in-law!
And he had no idea!
When he was on duty years ago, he had encountered robbers and been injured, ultimately being saved by a peasant girl. The girl was quite beautiful, and after spending some time together, Lord Jiang had developed some affection, and the girl had reluctantly agreed.
To Lord Jiang, it was just a fleeting romance, so when he later learned that the girl had died from a heart condition, he didn’t think much of it, and he didn’t mind that the girl’s father was raising his son—Jiang Juan. Instead, he felt a bit relieved.
But now, Emperor Hongxing was saying Jiang Juan was Bai Xuechao’s grandson!
So the peasant girl must have been Bai Xuechao’s daughter?
How could this be?
Minister Jiang said in disbelief, “Your Majesty, if that’s the case, then Mr. Bai… is actually my father-in-law? Why was I not aware of this?”
Emperor Hongxing smiled and was about to say something but began coughing violently. Eventually, he simply waved his hand and succinctly stated, “Bai Xuechao had made numerous enemies throughout his career. After resigning from his official post, he lived in obscurity to lead a peaceful life.”
“Minister, you really are clueless.”
Minister Jiang stared at him blankly and suddenly remembered many details he had previously overlooked.
When Marquis Anping had broken off the engagement and had Jiang Juan marry Prince Li instead, he had also played a part. He had entered the palace with Marquis Anping to meet the emperor, who had seemed troubled but agreed without hesitation.
—“Since that’s the case, let’s stick to the original date and send him to Prince Li Residence. However, the wedding attire won’t be ready in time, and Old Five has always preferred a quiet life. Perhaps we’ll have to inconvenience this child.”
At that time, Lord Jiang had thought that the date was fixed, and changing it midway would be difficult, so the emperor’s reluctant agreement was understandable. Now, he wondered if the emperor was just worried about potential complications.
This son, Minister Jiang had once been dissatisfied with.
He resented his birth mother’s lack of propriety, his upbringing in the countryside, his gloomy disposition, and even more that he—had secured such a favorable marriage without consulting him.
So it turned out his grandfather was Bai Xuechao.
So that was it.
Minister Jiang felt deeply conflicted.
His current father-in-law had helped him greatly in the past and had promoted him multiple times, which had allowed him to rise to the third rank. If his father-in-law was Bai Xuechao—he would have soared even higher!
Minister Jiang suddenly felt immense regret.
He was truly foolish!
It felt like a farce. After learning that Bai Xuechao was Jiang Juan’s grandfather, everything seemed to fall back into place, and Emperor Hongxing continued with the ancestral rites.
This time, Chief Steward Wang had arranged for new incense, and no further accidents occurred.
The ancestral rites had been performed once at the beginning of the year, and since this rite was for the announcement of the crown prince, the ceremony wasn’t very elaborate. After an hour, the rites were completed.
Jiang Juan was led away from the altar, but he was still in a daze.
“Your Highness…”
Chief Steward Wang heard this and smiled, “It’s time to change how you address me.”
Jiang Juan blinked, “Crown Prince?”
He was used to calling him Your Highness and found it strange to call him Crown Prince. Xue Fangli glanced at him but didn’t say anything, only responding with a “Hmm” and asking, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Juan murmured, “It feels like a dream.”
Ever since the prince had survived the first three chapters, the plot had gone awry, and surprises kept coming. Now, not only had the prince become the Crown Prince, but he also had a globally revered grandfather.
“I have such a huge supporter now.”
Xue Fangli misunderstood, his tone flat, “I’ve already told you—” Before he could finish, Jiang Juan happily said, “Your Highness, if you ever find it hard to be the Crown Prince, just come back to my grandfather with me. He’s very reliable.”
Even the protagonist shou and Marquis Anping had been turned away by him.
“…”
Xue Fangli shot him a look, pinched the soft flesh of Jiang Juan’s face, and asked with a half-smile, “Do you think I’m useless?”
Jiang Juan was puzzled, “Huh?”
Xue Fangli said sternly, “Aren’t I your supporter?”
Jiang Juan: “…”
He quickly changed his tone to a very sincere one and said, “Yes, Your Highness, you are too.”
Xue Fangli chuckled, keeping his hand on Jiang Juan’s face, and asked in a flat tone, “Between me and your grandfather, who makes you feel more secure?”
Jiang Juan: “?”
Was this a trick question?
Jiang Juan asked quietly, “Your Highness, do people with the surname Xue have a strong sense of competition?”
Xue Fangli smiled slightly, “What do you think?”
For some reason, while the prince’s smile was gentle, Jiang Juan felt a sense of danger. His survival instinct made him answer without thinking, “Your Highness, of course, it’s you!”
Xue Fangli nodded, seeming somewhat satisfied, and Jiang Juan sighed with relief. Chief Steward Wang, watching with amusement, said, “Your—Crown Prince, you…”
Before leaving the altar, Xue Fangli gave him a glance, and Chief Steward Wang followed. The timing was just right, and he hurriedly asked, “Do you need me to do anything?”
Xue Fangli took out a stick of incense, which was broken in half, but the core was damp.
Chief Steward Wang was alarmed, “This… this… tampering with the ancestral rites is a serious matter!”
Xue Fangli didn’t respond, as this was Emperor Hongxing’s issue, and he was reluctant to interfere. He simply asked Jiang Juan, “Back to the residence?”
Jiang Juan pointed to a tall building, “Your Highness, what is that building?”
“Jinghua Tower.”
Xue Fangli glanced at it and said calmly, “Do you want to go up?”
Chief Steward Wang also looked over and explained in more detail, “This is a thousand-year-old pagoda, housing relics. It is said that if you prostrate yourself up to the thirty-seventh floor, you will receive blessings from the true Buddha.”
Jiang Juan was stunned, “Thirty-seven floors, that’s so high. It’s hard enough to climb, and we need to kneel all the way up.”
Chief Steward Wang shook his head, “If one is determined, even if there were three hundred and seventy floors, people would still prostrate themselves.”
Jiang Juan found it daunting and told Xue Fangli, “Your Highness, I want to see this pagoda.”
Since Jiang Juan wanted to go, Xue Fangli naturally accompanied him. Just as they were about to leave, someone called out to Xue Fangli.
“Your Highness! Your Highness!”
Xue Fangli turned around. A guard had come over and whispered something to him. Jiang Juan caught a few key words: tavern, storyteller, beggar.
It seemed the prince was still investigating the origins of the storyteller’s tale. Jiang Juan waited for a while, growing impatient. “Your Highness, I’ll wait for you in the tower.”
Xue Fangli glanced at him. Though he hadn’t intended to let Jiang Juan go, seeing his restlessness, he eventually nodded.
Jiang Juan was rarely eager to go out, especially to climb towers, but he was genuinely curious about this one. Soon, he arrived at the tower and began to ascend, looking up at each level as he climbed.
The wooden ladder was narrow and swayed slightly. Jiang Juan moved slowly, with the guard behind him also taking their time. As the crowd blocked the way, Jiang Juan decided, “You go ahead.”
He let the guards go up first and, reaching the fifth level, decided he didn’t want to climb further. He began to wander around. The tower’s interior was mostly covered in colorful murals depicting worshippers in various poses. Not very interested, Jiang Juan headed toward the observation deck to see if he could spot the prince.
Just as he was about to step outside, the sudden sound of footsteps startled him. He turned around, but the place was empty.
Was it the guard?
Jiang Juan didn’t think much of it and took another step outside.
“Benefactor, would you like to draw a fortune stick?”
A voice suddenly spoke up. Jiang Juan turned around again and saw an old monk in tattered robes, looking gaunt, holding a bamboo tube in one hand and leading a dirty young monk with the other.
“No…”
Jiang Juan wasn’t interested in drawing a fortune stick, but the old monk whispered something to the young monk. The young monk hurried over with the bamboo tube, but nearly stumbled. Jiang Juan quickly caught him and helped steady the bamboo tube, causing a stick to fall out with a “clatter.”
The old monk was pleased. “Benefactor, come over and let me interpret your fortune.”
Jiang Juan was speechless. It seemed like a scam.
The young monk continued to hold Jiang Juan’s hand. Seeing Jiang Juan’s reluctance, the young monk shook it a few times and whispered, “Benefactor, our fortune-telling is very accurate.”
Whether it was accurate or not, Jiang Juan didn’t care much. The old and young monks were both very thin. With a sigh, Jiang Juan decided to humor them and followed them back into the tower.
“Alright.”
Seeing this, the old monk grinned broadly, showing a lot of teeth and less face. “Benefactor, let me see—ah, a bad omen. Your fortune is not good recently.”
Jiang Juan: “………”
Alright.
“Benefactor, you have a great destiny, one of wealth and honor, but you are destined to face three major trials. The first trial, you were on the brink of death but had a lucky turn. The second trial… tsk, quite dangerous.”
Such a standard scam. Jiang Juan played along. “And how can I resolve these?”
The old monk’s eyes twinkled. “It can be resolved, but—”
“Give you some money?”
The old monk shook his head. “No.”
“Money is just an external thing,” the old monk said mysteriously. “Benefactor, to resolve it completely, there is only one way—come with me to practice.”
Jiang Juan: “…”
Jiang Juan: “???”
Practice was so grueling; he wasn’t interested. Moreover, the old monk didn’t want his money but rather wanted him to join in practicing. Jiang Juan asked curiously, “Does your temple lack monks that much?”
The old monk looked at him and continued to smile. “I haven’t finished speaking. If you are truly reluctant to leave the mundane world, there is a second option—” He rubbed his fingers together with a mercenary look. “Pay to resolve the disaster.”
Now that sounded reasonable.
Jiang Juan eyed him. “Do you know who I am?”
The old monk looked Jiang Juan up and down, flattering him. “Benefactor has a destiny of wealth and honor, certainly of a noble family.”
Jiang Juan asked slowly, “Can you be more specific?”
The old monk seemed stumped and awkwardly said, “Benefactor, I can only see a general outline.”
Jiang Juan pressed, “If you can only see a general outline, does that mean your solution can only resolve a general part? Wouldn’t that mean I’m wasting my money?”
The old monk argued, “Benefactor, you shouldn’t say that. You have trials, and even resolving a general part is dealing with the most dangerous part, while the rest you can pass through safely.”
Jiang Juan was skeptical and thought it was all excuses. “Fraud.”
The old monk became anxious. “Benefactor, you mustn’t defame someone for no reason. Although I cannot see your identity, I can see other things.”
Jiang Juan gave him another chance. “What can you see?”
The old monk asked, “Are you particularly fond of sleeping?”
Jiang Juan was surprised. He did enjoy sleeping and asked, “And then?”
The old monk said mysteriously, “This is caused by a weak constitution and unstable spirit!”
Jiang Juan: “…”
The old monk seemed to have said something but also nothing at all.
Jiang Juan was indeed physically weak by nature, which was obvious. As for the unstable spirit, it was probably just the old monk trying to be mysterious.
Jiang Juan replied nonchalantly, “Hmm, listening to your words is like listening to empty talk.”
The old monk, only half hearing the words, was pleased with himself. “I told you, I’m not a fraud.”
Jiang Juan didn’t want to argue further. He asked the old monk, “Do you know about Prince Li?”
At the mention of Prince Li, the old monk shuddered. He said with a pained expression, “Benefactor, why do you bring up that living ghost? It’s unlucky.”
Jiang Juan said slowly, “Sorry, the ‘living ghost’ you’re talking about is my husband. You couldn’t even figure that out?”
The old monk: “…”
The old monk: “……”
The old monk’s expression changed drastically. He immediately grabbed the young monk and tried to run. Jiang Juan said slowly, “Don’t leave. You haven’t resolved my fortune yet. If you run now, you’ll have to face the consequences.”
Whether it was the prince’s influence or Jiang Juan’s threat, the old monk stopped and, with a worried face, said, “It turns out it’s the Royal Consort. I didn’t recognize the mountain’s height; I apologize for my lack of insight.”
After a pause, the old monk added, “Your Royal Consort, see, I said you have a destiny of wealth and honor, and it indeed fits, right?”
Jiang Juan eyed him. “Are you sure you still want to continue scamming?”
The old monk was silent for a few seconds and then became honest. “Your Royal Consort, I still need to make a living.”
He pulled the young monk closer. “This kid eats me out of house and home. I had no choice but to…”
The old monk smiled sheepishly, trying to express his scam was out of necessity.
Jiang Juan looked at them. He originally just wanted to help the old and young monks, and didn’t intend to truly make things difficult for them. He even wanted to do a good deed. However, he had to make things clear.
“Don’t ever try to scam people again.”
Jiang Juan pulled out some loose silver from his pouch. The old monk’s eyes lit up, and he reached out eagerly, but Jiang Juan pulled it back. “I’m not giving it to you. You’re too dishonest.”
The old monk awkwardly rubbed his nose, eyeing the silver longingly. Instead of giving it to him, Jiang Juan handed the silver to the young monk. “You keep this.”
The young monk looked up at him, momentarily stunned, and then slowly clutched the silver tightly.
“If I catch you scamming again, you’ll regret it.”
Jiang Juan frowned, looking truly menacing. The old monk was clearly intimidated and quickly said, “I understand. I won’t do it again.”
“You’d better really mean that.”
Jiang Juan gave him one last scrutinizing look and finally let him go. The old monk, relieved, rubbed his hands together and asked, “Is there anything else you need, Benefactor?” Jiang Juan shook his head, and the old monk hurriedly grabbed the young monk and ran off. Despite his thin frame, he ran swiftly, while the young monk, with his short legs, struggled to keep up. Eventually, the old monk threw his hand and ran ahead alone.
The young monk frantically chased after him, shouting, “Master, wait for me! Master—!”
“Master E’nan—!”
E’nan?
That name sounded familiar.
Jiang Juan was taken aback. He leaned on the railing and looked down, but before he could see clearly, someone suddenly pushed him forcefully from behind.
“Boom—!”
Everything spun around.
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OH NO!!!!!
A real cliff!!!!!