165 For Him

After Yunqing finished packing, the two of us each prepared a travel pouch.

No matter how much grace Minghe usually granted Yunqing, she was already growing impatient by this point.

The moment the few of us reached the gates of the Cuiwei Palace, we saw Long Zhan approaching with two guards.

"Greetings, Lord Long! May I ask what brings you here?" Minghe inquired.

"Greetings, Head Attendant Minghe. I am here by imperial decree to escort Consort Tong to the Lingbo Hall."

Minghe gave a slight nod. "Since this is the Emperor's will, I shall return to the Kunning Palace to report. However, Lord Long has made one mistake. She is no longer Consort Tong, but merely a disgraced concubine cast into the cold palace."

"Minghe, you despicable creature who kicks a person when they are down! This palace will not let you off!"

Without so much as a glance at Zhang Bitong, Minghe curtsied slightly to Long Zhan and led the two maidservants away toward the Kunning Palace.

"Thank you for your trouble, Lord Long!" Yunqing said politely.

"Take the baggage and escort Consort Tong to the Lingbo Hall."

"Yes!"

The travel pouches carried by Yunqing and me were taken by the two guards.

"Little Xiao, walk a bit slower. I have something to ask you," Long Zhan said to me.

I glanced at Yunqing, who nodded in return, and then proceeded to support Zhang Bitong toward the Lingbo Hall.

Standing on the path together, Long Zhan and I faced each other. I asked, "What does Lord Long wish to ask this humble servant?"

"Do you truly not wish to go to the Lingbo Hall? I can speak with the Emperor; you can easily be assigned to serve elsewhere."

I had not expected Long Zhan to seek me out for this matter. I expressed my gratitude, saying, "I am deeply grateful for Lord Long's kind intentions. However, Her Ladyship has fallen from grace. If I were to abandon her now, I would be a heartless and ungrateful wretch. Even if I were sent to another palace, I would likely be met with cold treatment. Rather than that, it is better to wait quietly for an opportunity. Perhaps Her Ladyship might—"

"Do you truly believe she still has a chance?" Long Zhan interrupted, his tone firm. "Little Xiao, do you genuinely believe Consort Tong has a future here? I refuse to believe you cannot see that her days are numbered."

I could not dispute Long Zhan's words. Once a consort entered the cold palace, staging a comeback was nearly impossible. Yet, I could not reveal the true reason to him.

I was in no position to claim I was a deeply loyal person; after all, my own hands were stained with two lives. But now that Zhang Bitong had fallen to this state, I knew there was someone who would be suffering the most, someone whose heart would break. That person was Jiang Xuan!

Perhaps this was the one thing I could do for him—to care for Zhang Bitong at the very least. As for what the future held, I honestly did not know. But how could such a reason be explained to an outsider?

"The affairs of this world are unpredictable. Why is Lord Long so certain?"

Long Zhan stared intently at me, as if trying to read something through my expression. At last, he simply sighed. "Very well. Since you have made up your decision, I will not force you. Perhaps going to the Lingbo Hall is for the best, as it will keep you further away from these strife-ridden disputes. Rest assured, if you lack anything there, let me know, and I will procure it for you. Today, do not speak to me with such formality. I only feel that this is the least I can do for you."

I smiled. "As expected, knowing an official in the palace makes all the difference. Even in the cold palace, one can still enjoy special treatment. Lord Long, I am truly blessed to have made your acquaintance!"

Long Zhan pressed his lips into a faint line. "In this world, what talk of blessings is there? How do you know this isn't a blessing for me?"

"Hm?" I looked at him, perplexed.

"Never mind. Let me escort you to the Lingbo Hall."

"Alright."

As soon as the two of us set off, a voice suddenly shouted from behind, "Your Highness! Your Highness, Ninth Highness—"

I looked back and saw Jialin chasing after someone, shouting breathlessly. And striding rapidly ahead of her, feet moving with resolute speed, was none other than Jiang Xuan!

A realization struck me instantly: Jiang Xuan must have heard the news and was heading to plead with the Emperor. But the Emperor was consumed by fury at the moment; no one's entreaties would do any good. For Jiang Xuan to go now would only invite the wrath of the Son of Heaven.

"Lord Long, please excuse me for a moment," I said, and hurried off in pursuit.

Being some distance behind Jialin, by the time I caught up, she had already closed the distance to Jiang Xuan. She dropped to her knees right behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his legs.

"Ninth Highness, I beg you, do not go! I implore you—"

Jiang Xuan did not turn back, but I could glean his freezing expression from his icy tone. "Let go!"

Jialin refused to release her grip, tears streaming down her face as she cried, "Ninth Highness, this concubine cannot let go. I know you are desperate to save your mother and that you wish to see the Emperor. But have you thought about this? If you go now, not only will it be entirely useless, but you will also incur the Emperor's punishment!"

"I shall say it once more: let go!"

"Even if you beat me or curse me to death, this concubine will never let go! You are my husband, and therefore my heaven and earth. I will never let go!"

I watched, deeply stirred. What I had wished to do was now being carried out by someone else. Jialin was his wife; she was the one truly qualified to stop him, not I.

I turned to leave, only to find Long Zhan standing quietly beside me.

"Lord Long?" I looked at him in surprise.

Without looking at me, Long Zhan kept his gaze fixed ahead. "You rushed over in such a panic precisely to persuade him, did you not? Why stop here?"

I forced a faint smile. "Lord Long misunderstands. This servant only rushed over out of concern for the Princess Consort. Seeing that she is fine now, how could I possibly intrude upon private matters between the Ninth Highness and his wife?"

"When you ran over so anxiously just now, did you not know it was a matter between husband and wife?" Long Zhan pressed on.

I raised my head abruptly to meet his gaze. "Is Lord Long deliberately trying to embarrass this servant? I said that was not the case; why must Lord Long insist otherwise?"

Long Zhan withdrew his gaze and looked down at me. "You find it meaningless, and indeed, I find it meaningless as well. Yet I wonder how such meaningless words managed to slip past my lips."

Whether it was my imagination or not, I felt as though a trace of desolate loneliness lingered in the way Long Zhan looked at me.

At that moment, Jiang Xuan's voice rang out. "Since you knew why I was going, you should have let go. You know full well that holding on cannot stop me!"

"Even knowing I cannot stop you, I must try. Ninth Highness, do not go. Let me go in your stead! Should the Emperor's wrath fall upon someone, let it fall upon this concubine alone."

"What qualification do you have to go in my place?" Jiang Xuan whirled around abruptly, tearing Jialin's hands away by force.

The sudden exertion caused Jialin to tumble backward onto the ground. As Jiang Xuan turned, his eyes landed directly on Long Zhan and me standing not far away!

Since I had been seen, I walked over, helped Jialin to her feet, and said, "Princess Consort, please rise."

As she stood up, Jialin grabbed my hand pleadingly. "Little Xiao, please help me persuade the Ninth Highness. He is determined to go plead with the Emperor, and I am terrified he will be punished as well! He refuses to listen to any of my entreaties, but perhaps he will listen to you."

"Ninth Highness—" I began, but Jiang Xuan cut me off with a frown. "Even you intend to stop me?"

"This servant wouldn't dare."

"If you wouldn't dare, then say no more. Escort her back." With those words, Jiang Xuan turned to leave. I immediately stepped forward and said, "Allow this servant to accompany the Ninth Highness instead."

Jiang Xuan turned and stared at me fixedly.

Jialin called out in a panic, "Little Xiao, what are you doing?"

"Please return to your quarters, Princess Consort. This servant will accompany the Ninth Highness," I replied, turning back to Jiang Xuan. "After you, Ninth Highness!"

Without further questioning, Jiang Xuan strode forward. Once we were a safe distance away from Jialin and Long Zhan, he halted and said, "You needn't say anything. You may go back now."

I countered, "Is the Ninth Highness joking?"

Jiang Xuan replied indifferently, "Do you truly believe I thought you were coming with me to see His Imperial Father?"

I asked in return, "Then what did the Ninth Highness suppose my true intention was?"

"At this moment, whatever your intention may be matters not. My only goal is to find my father."

"Since the Ninth Highness cares not, why bother questioning whether I genuinely intended to come? Just let this servant accompany you. Whether we succeed or fail, Your Highness already knows the outcome in your heart—just as I know the inevitable end of you insisting on going."

"You—" Jiang Xuan choked on his words, flicking his sleeve in frustration. "Knowing the outcome is the same, but I am her son! My mother is in peril, how can you expect me to sit idly by?"

"The result of sitting idly by remains the same, save for the fact that you would also ruin your own future. You are well aware of this consequence, Ninth Highness, so I need not elaborate. Since you are willing to cast all of that aside, then this servant will accompany you in casting it aside as well. Either way, after this trip, Her Ladyship might not even be allowed to remain in a place like the Lingbo Hall. Someone like me serving by your side, or serving by Her Ladyship's side—either way makes no difference."

A fierce glint flashed in Jiang Xuan's eyes as he said coldly, "Little Xiao, are you threatening me?"

"Does this servant possess the qualification to threaten the Ninth Highness? Does the ultimate power of decision not rest in your hands?"

Jiang Xuan fell silent for a moment, his hands clenching into fists.

Seeing him like this, my tone involuntarily softened. "The Ninth Highness's feelings—while I cannot claim to experience them fully, I can certainly understand them. What kind of temperament Her Ladyship possesses, you know better than anyone. Though her present plight is difficult to accept, it is also within the realm of reason. I dare to speak thus to the Ninth Highness in the hope that you will take these words to heart. Now that Her Ladyship is headed to the Lingbo Hall, she can finally distance herself from these endless disputes. What happened with Noble Lady Yun today could happen again tomorrow, with another noble lady or consort framing her for a different crime. The struggles among women in this inner palace never truly end. Just imagine: once Her Ladyship is in the Lingbo Hall, stripped of her lofty status, many aspects of life there are actually what you have always desired—a peaceful existence, a peaceful relationship between mother and son..."

Jiang Xuan's expression finally softened, his clenched fists gradually relaxing. "What you say is true. It's just that my mother will likely find it hard to accept for a time. I know she was framed, yet I am utterly helpless. It is much like when I learned you had been seized by the Third Brother. Little Xiao, this sense of powerlessness is something I despise deeply."

"Ninth Highness, the grievances I suffered are of no consequence. Compared to a human life, the grievances Her Ladyship faces are equally trivial. There will come a day when she sees reason. With myself and Attendant Yun taking care of her in the Lingbo Hall, the Ninth Highness can set your mind at ease."

"Yes!" Jiang Xuan nodded. Then he added, "I acted too rashly just now. My mother's affair requires careful deliberation. But tell me, did you rush after me today solely to persuade me?"

"This servant only did it for the Princess Consort, not wanting her to suffer too deeply! Just now, she—"

"Little Xiao!" Jiang Xuan shouted my name in a low rumble.

At his stern tone, I dared not say another word.

"Since you care for her so deeply, then the Imperial Prince will escort her back to the palace right now!" With that, Jiang Xuan strode past me, his arm brushing against my shoulder. I swayed slightly, but he had already walked far away.

Xiao Zhi, Oh Xiao Zhi, you are only permitted to act for the sake of Jialin, never for Jiang Xuan!

Since Jiang Xuan had Jialin to accompany him and the starry night to guide him, he surely had no need of me! As a cool night breeze brushed against my face, a chill settled deep within my heart.