Don't blame you

The wind passing through the palace gradually became hot, and then slowly became cold, indicating the passage of time.

Jiang Jingyuan was sitting at the table when he suddenly heard a palace maid come in and say, "Your Highness, the Queen has sent someone."

The girl was stunned. She remembered that the date she had agreed with Queen Rong had not yet arrived. And why would Queen Rong send someone to look for her at night?

A few months ago, she and Queen Rong changed their appointment schedule from every seven days to every two weeks. Her life didn't become easier, but rather busier.

Wei Lan and Master Wu seemed to be eager to pour out all their life's knowledge to Jiang Jingyuan, and Rong Yejin even sent two more people to the palace to let her study at night.

Yes, she fell asleep every night listening to the secret manual of martial arts...

"Um."

Jiang Jingyuan nodded to the palace maid, who immediately turned and walked out of the hall.

A moment later, Runiang hurried into the hall. The gentle smile that usually graced her face was gone. She bowed and looked up, her face slightly haggard. She said in a dry voice, "Your Highness, the Queen wants you to come over."

Jiang Jingyuan knew at a glance that the matter was urgent. Without saying anything, he stood up and walked to her side, glanced at her and signaled that she could leave.

Runiang didn't care about the rules and turned around and walked out quickly.

The night wind blows.

The magnificent palace was brightly lit at night. Runiang stopped, turned around and faced the girl behind her. The corners of her mouth moved, revealing a slightly bitter smile: "Your Highness, the Queen is seriously ill and cannot see too many people. You can go in alone."

Seriously ill?

Jiang Jingyuan was slightly stunned, but didn't ask. He nodded and walked into the hall.

The heavy palace door closed behind her, and the palace was silent, with not even a single palace servant present. Jiang Jingyuan hesitated for a moment, unsure of where to go, when she heard a cold female voice from the study in front of her: "Come here."

“?!” Queen Rong is in the study? Isn’t she seriously ill?!

Jiang Jingyuan was puzzled for a moment, but not too surprised, and walked towards the study.

In the simple study, Rong Hou, dressed in an intricate red dress, sat on a chair. She nonchalantly picked up the teacup and took a sip of hot tea. Her posture was leisurely, and there was no trace of fatigue or illness on her face. She seemed to be the same as before.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Jingyuan's heart sank to the bottom.

Inside the study, one sat and the other stood. One, in a complex red dress, exuded nobility and dignity, while the other, in a white dress embroidered with gold patterns, seemed as light as a bird flying across the sky. The woman in red sipped her tea, not even raising her eyes at the sound of footsteps. Jiang Jingyuan, dressed in white, simply watched her in silence.

After a long moment, Rong Hou put down the teacup in his hand, looked up at the girl standing not far ahead, and said in a calm yet cold voice: "The Blood Seal is not in the palace."

Just a few words, but it was like a stone that caused a thousand ripples. Jiang Jingyuan's pupils suddenly shrank and his body trembled imperceptibly.

She subconsciously wanted to take a step back, but she stopped herself almost the next moment.

——The existence of the Blood Seal is nothing short of a taboo. Those who speak openly about it are either far from the capital, feeling that the emperor is far away, or...

The ten fingers hidden under the sleeves clenched suddenly, and the whole body was tense. Jiang Jingyuan did not respond, but just raised his eyes and looked back at the woman in red in front of him with nonchalant eyes.

However, Empress Rong didn't care about her silence and didn't explain. She just said, "If you want to leave the palace in the future, tell Rong Yejin in advance and he will help you. But if you need more, you have to make your own decision."

As she spoke, Rong Hou winked at the girl in front of her. Jiang Jingyuan paused for a moment and walked towards her.

Jiang Jingyuan stood in front of her and heard her whisper, "You need to confirm whether the blood seal is not in the palace or in the emperor's hands."

What does this mean?! Jiang Jingyuan suddenly looked at the face of the person in front of him.

The Queen's face was as cold as ice, and a hint of cruelty flashed in her beautiful eyes. She suddenly reached out and grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her close. She leaned close to her ear and whispered quickly, "You have to hurry."

Jiang Jingyuan's pupils trembled, and a myriad of thoughts raced through his mind.

However, Empress Rong pushed her away after she finished speaking. Her expression returned to its usual coldness. She looked at the girl in front of her and instructed, "When you return, stay in the palace. Don't go out much recently. If you have anything to say, go find Jiang Jingjian."

Jiang Jingyuan came back to his senses and nodded solemnly: "Okay."

"And Jiang Jingsui and Jiang Jingzong, don't see them." Rong Hou added, then raised his hand to send them away, "You can go back now."

Jiang Jingyuan paused, said nothing, and left obediently.

——Some things cannot be asked openly. Once you ask, even the temporary peace on the surface will be gone.

The candlelight behind him was getting farther and farther away. Inside the palace, a girl in white was like a ghost, moving swiftly through the night and running silently towards her own palace.

Jiang Jingyuan's mind kept replaying the words of Rong Hou and Rong Yejin. She seemed to have discovered many secrets, but it seemed difficult to put them into words. Only the sound of her heartbeat was beating like a drum in her ears, reminding her -

Ask her to remember—

What to remember?

Jiang Jingyuan seemed to be walking on a huge spider web.

Countless silver-white threads are interwoven in all directions, and a small person stands alone on a thread. He has no idea of ​​the whole spider web, nor does he know whether he has made a mistake... He is afraid that if he loses balance, he will fall to pieces.

"Bang!"

The magnificent and heavy gate of the palace was closed, and silence returned to the deep palace.

…………

Early the next morning.

"Your Highness—Your Highness—"

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, the Queen... the Queen... has passed away..."

The palace door was pushed open and a palace maid staggered in. The early morning light shone into the palace with her movement, illuminating the girl in white sitting at the table.

The maid ran over with a look of panic on her face. She was so hurried that she lost her balance and fell to the ground. However, she had no time to care about these things. She just raised her head and said to the calm girl in front of her in a panic: "Your Highness, Your Highness, the Queen..."

"He died of illness."

A calm and indifferent voice took over her words.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jingyuan looked up and forward, his eyes swept across the panicked palace maid who had fallen to the ground, and looked at a figure in white clothes who walked into the hall against the light.

Jiang Jingjian walked over slowly, and two palace maids came out from behind him. They stepped forward first to help the palace maid who had fallen to the ground and walked out. The palace door closed again, leaving only two figures in white facing each other in the hall.

Jiang Jingjian looked calm, his eyes as peaceful as a lake. He approached Jiang Jingyuan who was sitting at the table.

Jiang Jingyuan watched him approach, without much emotion in her heart. She just didn't know how to react, so she watched him walk up to her in silence for a long time.

However, Jiang Jingjian turned three steps away from her and walked to the other side of the table and sat down.

There was dead silence in the hall.

Jiang Jingyuan opened his mouth slightly, wanting to ask, "Do you know?" But he couldn't say it. He turned his head to look at the expression on the face of the person next to him.

Whether angry or sad, as long as he made a move, she would go along and comfort him, but he was very calm... This wasn't a disguised calmness. He was just like her, calm and unperturbed, as if completely unaffected by the outside world -

But it shouldn't be like this.

He was obviously disappointed because of Rong Hou's indifference before, so why did he accept such sad news so calmly and indifferently now?

Jiang Jingyuan didn't understand. She had never felt this kind of emotion or worry before. Even when she was alone, she wouldn't blindly give to others and expect them to respond.

She is similar to Jiang Jingjian, yet so different from him——

Jiang Jingjian's kindness is a kind of prayer, and her kindness requires the other party to express something first before she will choose to give, otherwise, it means that she has other intentions.

To her, Rong Hou was a stranger with whom she had worked briefly, and she would have to live under his shadow for the rest of her life. She respected her, but would not love her—Rong Hou must have hoped for this. She thought that rather than love, Rong Hou wanted others to respect her.

Now she was hesitating, trying to guess what Jiang Jingjian was thinking. It was because Jiang Jingjian had always been good to her that she cared about him.

Jiang Jingyuan stood up from the chair lightly without making any sound. She walked to Jiang Jingjian on the other side of the table and stared quietly at the face of the young man in white in front of her.

Noticing her undisguised gaze, Jiang Jingjian raised his eyes and looked at her calmly, his eyes showing a hint of confusion.

Jiang Jingyuan pursed his lips and suddenly said:

"sorry."

Her voice seemed so calm and emotionless, clear and melodious, like the water flowing slowly in a mountain stream.

She just thought that Jiang Jingjian was very nice to her, so she should apologize.

She had kept a lot from him, both in the past and last night. She knew it, but she hadn't even let him see her for the last time, not even revealing a single word to him, leaving him alone to bear this sudden bad news today.

Jiang Jingyuan has always known that she is not good. She is a human being, and she also has the selfishness and indifference of humans. She treats Jiang Jingjian well and hopes that Jiang Jingjian will live a good life, but the premise of all this is that it will not affect herself.

——She should apologize.

The hall was silent. Jiang Jingjian looked at her with a calm expression but said nothing.

Jiang Jingyuan waited calmly for a long time. Then she heard a very light laugh coming from the front.

"Jiang Jingyuan..."

Jiang Jingjian spoke, and he smiled. He carefully traced the face of the girl in front of him with his eyes, and spoke in a soft voice, "We really look alike..."

After hearing this, Jiang Jingyuan lowered his eyes and his expression was very calm.

A breeze with a fresh fragrance blew across her face. Jiang Jingyuan stood where she was, letting Jiang Jingjian stand up and gently hug her.

Jiang Jingjian tilted his head and whispered softly in her ear: "I don't blame you..."

I don’t blame you…

How can I blame you?

From now on, there will only be two of us in this world. How can I blame you?

How can I blame you?

Jiang Jingyuan's eyes were clear, and she stood still. Jiang Jingjian rested his forehead on her right shoulder for a long time, without moving, only his scattered black hair brushed against her cheek.

…………

Jiang Jingyuan stayed in her palace all day, closing the door to visitors and obediently not seeing outsiders. She didn't inquire about the recent changes and trivial matters in the palace, but she could clearly sense the undercurrents surging in the palace. The thoughts that had been buried deep in the palace were finally put into action.

——But all this has no effect on her for the time being. At least her treatment on the surface is still the same as before.

As long as the Rong family didn't fall and she didn't make any mistakes, she would be safe. Even if others wanted to use her as an excuse, they would have to consider whether they were able to compete with the Rong family.

But the current situation in the palace is uncertain, and there is no one to back her up. Jiang Jingyuan can no longer slip out of the palace as easily as before.

Just as she was thinking of using the message board to contact Rong Yejin, the palace door opened and a palace maid came in to report, "Your Highness, the Second Prince has sent someone to ask you to come over."

Jiang Jingyuan's eyes moved slightly, but he didn't reply.

The palace maid did not receive any orders, so she stood there, lowered her head and waited quietly.