118 Under the Moonlight

"Yun'er, is your unusual mood today because of that Xiao Ruo?"

The Empress was so astute at reading people—could she have already sensed the truth?

Seeing Jiang Yun's gloomy expression, I paused for a moment before saying, "Mother, you worry too much. Lady Ruo is Father’s concubine; no matter how much I appreciate beauty, I would not snatch a woman from Father. It is merely because of the business with Wu'e today that I cannot lift my spirits."

Hearing Jiang Yun speak this way, the Empress said earnestly, "Yun'er, I have watched Wu'e grow up. It is true that she is somewhat spoiled because your uncle indulges her, but she is a good child at heart and is devoted to you. She has a childish temperament; if you coax her a little, everything will be fine. Women are just like that. I know you don't particularly like her, but affection can grow over time. Besides, if you marry Wu'e, your uncle will surely support you wholeheartedly. I don't need to tell you the importance of that, do I? Look at that Zhang Bitong today—if she gains favor, won't she inevitably pull Jiang Xuan up with her?"

"Mother, these days, watching the Ninth Brother, actually..."

Seeing Jiang Yun hesitate, the Empress quickly urged, "Yun'er, why are you still soft-hearted? I have told you so much, and you have seen so much—do you still not understand the hidden motives of Jiang Xuan and his mother? In this harem, who does not harbor ambitions for the throne? Do you not know how your father ascended to the throne? He was not the Crown Prince, yet he became Emperor. Do you wish to end up like the previous Crown Prince? Do you think that just because you are the Crown Prince now, they won't dare to touch you? There is no such thing as brotherly love among princes. When the time comes, they will strike for their own interests. There is only one throne under heaven, yet many brothers. Only by eliminating those who are harmful to you can you obtain what you desire. Yun'er, tell me, do you not want to be Emperor?"

"Mother... Mother, if I become Emperor, must I kill my own flesh and blood with my own hands?"

"Yun'er, I am not asking you to exterminate them all. Take Jiang Ye, for example—he has been banished to Qingzhou by your father. Once your father forgets about him, how could he ever pose a threat to you?"

"Does Mother mean for me to treat the Ninth Brother in the same way?"

The Empress smiled. "If Jiang Xuan keeps to himself and has no designs on the throne, I can spare his life. But if he harbors ulterior motives—especially that troublesome mother of his—then do not blame me for being ruthless. Yun'er, a man must be cruel to succeed. You cannot afford to be soft-hearted. Otherwise, your fate will be that of the previous Crown Prince."

Jiang Yun remained silent.

I finally understood why Jiang Yun had suddenly adopted this attitude toward Jiang Xuan. It seems the Empress had been whispering these things into his ear quite often. Indeed, Jiang Yun might not have felt much about the recent events, but the Empress, with her keen eye, had already foreseen many things. Jiang Xuan had always been inconspicuous, but his sudden display of such excellence, combined with the tragic history of the previous generation's struggle for succession, left the Empress with no choice but to take precautions.

Thinking of this, could the business with Jiang Ye also have been the work of the Empress and Jiang Yun? Yet, judging by Jiang Yun's performance at the time, he did not seem to be the one who orchestrated the plot against Jiang Ye.

Just then, the Empress urged again, "Very well, if you do not wish to step forward yourself, I will handle it for you. You know I do everything for your own good. Now, go; Wu'e has returned to the palace to wait for you, and she cried her eyes out today. I have to host your father's birthday celebration and haven't spent much time with her, so you should return quickly."

"Then I shall take my leave. It is late and the wind is chilly, Mother should also retire early."

"Yes, hurry back."

Jiang Yun bade farewell to the Empress and turned toward the East Palace. I leaned against the wall, watching the Empress also depart for the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. It was no longer convenient to follow Jiang Yun, and I was deep in thought about what the two of them had just said. Now that Jiang Xuan had become a threat to Jiang Yun, it was only a matter of time before the Empress moved against him.

Should I warn Jiang Xuan?

On the way back to the Cuiwei Palace, I ran into Jiang Xuan. I was still lost in thoughts about Xiao Ruo and Jiang Xuan when we bumped into each other.

"Ninth Prince?" I was startled and momentarily forgot to bow.

"The matter with Mother—was it your idea?"

"Ah? That... it was not this servant, Your Highness."

"I see. Where were you just now? I saw Yunqing returning with Mother, but I did not see you."

"This servant was looking around and lost track of the Consort's pace. I am just about to return now."

"I see. By the way, Lady Xiao Ruo—oh, no, she is Lady Ruo now—what are your thoughts? I intend to visit the Third Brother tomorrow; he may not be in the best of moods."

Jiang Xuan still harbored brotherly feelings for Jiang Yun. Hearing this, I immediately said, "Ninth Prince, you had better not go."

"Why?"

I couldn't exactly tell him about the conversation between the Empress and Jiang Yun; how would Jiang Xuan take that? He still possessed his innocent heart, and I could not bear to shatter it. Besides, Jiang Yun still showed some hesitation; perhaps there would be a moment for reconciliation between him and Jiang Xuan, so why should I interfere?

I thought for a moment and said, "This servant feels that Lady Ruo is just Lady Ruo. His Highness the Crown Prince only felt some sympathy for her back then. If he is in a bad mood today, it is likely because of a conflict with his side consort. I heard they had quite a heated argument, so it is no wonder the Crown Prince has been lacking in spirits. Since it is a matter between husband and wife, Your Highness should not get involved. Even an honest official finds it hard to settle domestic disputes!"

Jiang Xuan pondered for a moment and said, "That is true."

"If the Ninth Prince has no further instructions, this servant will return to Cuiwei Palace."

"Xiao Zi, would you care to walk with me for a while?"

"Ninth Prince..."

"The moonlight is lovely tonight. Shall we walk by the lake?"

"As you wish!"

As I followed Jiang Xuan toward the lake, I heard him ask, "At the banquet earlier, I saw you standing with Lord Long. Are you very familiar with him? When you were imprisoned, it was he who found me and asked me to help you."

I nodded and said, "This servant met Lord Long shortly after entering the palace. We met a few times and became somewhat familiar. Moreover, Lord Long has helped me on several occasions, so I consider him a friend."

Jiang Xuan stopped abruptly but did not turn around. "Lord Long has helped you a few times, and you are so grateful?"

I glanced at Jiang Xuan's back but did not answer.

"Did Lord Long's help move you so deeply? Did it make you feel warm?"

With his rapid-fire questions, even a fool could tell that Jiang Xuan was somewhat angry. But I was baffled as to where this anger came from. Could it just be because of Long Zhan? He and Long Zhan should have no grievances between them, right?

I could only whisper, "I keep Lord Long's help in my heart, just as I do the help you have given me, Ninth Prince. I have never dared to forget it for a moment."

"Xiao Zi," Jiang Xuan turned suddenly to look at me, "I am very curious: what is it that you want most in this palace?"

In one night, two people had asked me the same question. I bit my lip and remained silent.

Jiang Xuan said coldly, "Can you not tell me?"

I knelt down and said, "This servant is but a lowly eunuch; I only wish for a peaceful life, and I dare not mention anything else to the Ninth Prince." I kept my head bowed, refusing to look at him.

"Forget it. I am returning."

I couldn't help but look up and saw Jiang Xuan's handsome brow suddenly relax. All along, Jiang Xuan's anger came and went; his emotions shifted so rapidly that it left me truly bewildered.

"If I have said something wrong, I beg the Ninth Prince not to blame me."

Jiang Xuan stared at me intently and asked slowly, "What did you say wrong?"

My heart trembled, yet I did not know how to explain.

Jiang Xuan said softly, "Very well, I am heading back. You should also return to Cuiwei Palace early."

"This servant respectfully sees off the Ninth Prince."

I bowed and watched Jiang Xuan walk away. Because of this encounter, I wandered a bit further ahead. When I reached the lake, I saw the shimmering water and the scattered stars in the sky reflecting on the surface—it was quite enchanting. But at that moment, I heard the sound of a woman sobbing. I followed the sound and saw a woman sitting on a large rock by the lake not far ahead.

Who would be crying alone so late at night?

I walked over, and the person seemed to notice me. She quickly wiped her tears and turned to look at me. It was Lin Lanzhi.

"This servant greets Consort Lan." I hurried to bow.

Seeing it was me, Lin Lanzhi didn't seem as frantic to wipe her tears as before. "Oh, it's Xiao Zi."

As she spoke, the night breeze carried the scent of wine on her breath. I hadn't seen Lin Lanzhi at the Emperor's banquet earlier. She must have felt out of place in the palace, so she came here to drink.

"I wonder why the Consort is here? The night breeze is chilly, and for your health, you should return to your palace early."

Lin Lanzhi stood up, frowned, and in the blink of an eye, tears fell again. I stood still, not knowing how to comfort her, and knowing that I couldn't. I looked up at the sparse stars in the night sky, feeling a sudden pang of sorrow. Even without her saying it, I knew why she was like this.

"Consort, you should take care of your health. Do not let those who worry about you worry even more."

Lin Lanzhi looked at me, her eyes brimming with water. "You... have you seen Yunhe?"

I nodded and took half a step forward. "I saw Master Liu when I was outside the palace once. He looked haggard, yet he was very worried about you. He wishes to see you, but dares not. Seeing you both like this makes my heart ache."

"Is... is Yunhe unwell?"

"Perhaps he is suffering from the agony of lovesickness."

"Why must Yunhe do this? After what happened last time, I have already made things clear with him. I suppose we are not destined for this life. Even if the Emperor does not favor me, I am already his woman; the end will be nothing more than growing old alone in this deep palace. Yunhe... it would be better for him to choose someone else early..."

She paused, unable to continue, and suddenly bent over, dry-heaving.

I sighed and pulled a handkerchief from my sleeve to hand to her. "Since you and Master Liu are in love, why torture yourselves so? There is always a way to solve things; you must keep your spirits up."

Lin Lanzhi wiped her cheeks with her sleeve, took a deep breath of the cold air, and said, "If I continue to entangle myself with Yunhe, it will only be mutual torture. This entire world belongs to the Emperor; how can we fight against it? And then there is my father... I did not attend the Emperor's birthday banquet today; I suppose my father will come to the Jiyue Palace tomorrow to interrogate me. On one side is the Emperor's imperial might, and on the other is my father's pressure—how do you expect me to resist? Being born into a high-ranking family, one has no choice in their own affairs. I only hate that I ever met Yunhe. If not for that, I wouldn't have to suffer like this today."

I asked, "If you had not met Master Liu, would you be able to fully accept the Emperor today? With your temperament, you likely wouldn't fight for favor, and in the end, you would be like Consort Meng, confined to a corner. Why not ask Consort Meng if she feels happy?"

"I..."

"Though I am but a lowly servant, I firmly believe that my fate is in my own hands, not heaven's. I feel that as long as you and Master Liu have feelings for each other and work together, there will eventually be a way to solve this. Why must you give up so soon?"

"I have thought of all this, but how could it be so easy?"

"Master Liu asked me to bring a message to you: if you insist on this path, he will leave the capital and never return. Are you willing to let that happen?"

"Yunhe... he has such a bright future, why should he... for me..."

"Consort, if you stay in the harem, you are the Emperor's concubine, with endless wealth and glory. Yet you do not pursue these things, do you?"

Lin Lanzhi was speechless for a long time before saying, "You make sense. A way can always be found. If my father really comes tomorrow, I will test his attitude. If he can forgive his daughter's unfilial behavior, I will be relieved of much burden."

"Consort, perhaps you should see Master Liu and discuss it together."

"If he enters the palace, will it cause gossip?"

"Consort, this servant can help you arrange it."