Chapter 39
The eldest prince was stripped of his surname and demoted to a commoner.
The Empress was bedridden, and Roujia was sent back to the palace by the Emperor. Ayao also went back to Changle Palace with her.
Because of this incident, Consort Li was enjoying great favor with the Emperor, making it even less likely that Jiang Yunshu would be able to bring the person out.
Things have come full circle.
When Qing Shuang came to talk about Bailichuan, she felt a little worried.
“Miss, the other day when I saw Master Lin, I wanted to go up and say hello, but Master Lin was dressed strangely and seemed very cautious.”
Qing Shuang said urgently, "I felt something was strange, so I followed Master Lin. I didn't expect to see Young Master Li Chuan. The two of them seemed very intimate."
"Miss, why do you think they pretended not to know each other in the manor?"
Jiang Yunshu never expected that Lin Yuliu was actually from Lebanon.
They must have something to do in Kyoto this time.
But she didn't expect that Baili Chuan would come to her door directly.
He appeared before them as a hostage from the Li Kingdom.
"Miss Jiang, I'm sorry I lied to you before."
Jiang Yunshu didn't understand Baili Chuan, while Ling Jingchu stared at him with deep eyes.
Baili Chuan walked in with a smile: "Aren't you welcome?"
"Actually, I admire Miss Jiang quite a bit. I didn't expect that Miss Jiang would actually come to Kyoto. However, Ayao can't leave for the time being."
Jiang Yunshu rolled her eyes at him but didn't say anything.
Baili Chuan looked at Jiang Yunshu and suddenly smiled: "Miss Jiang, don't you want to know where Jiang Yunzheng went?"
Her eyes narrowed: "What do you want?"
Ling Jingchu gently pulled her back, blocking Baili Chuan's view.
"Miss Jiang, you misunderstand. Brother Yun Zheng is exceptionally capable and highly regarded by the Third Prince. He has already taken up his post as the Prefect of You County."
Jiang Yunshu looked at Baili Chuan with suspicion. Was this the Third Prince's new scheme?
She had received a letter from home saying that Jiang Yunzheng had destroyed his previous weapons, and she thought that meant he had completely severed ties with the Third Prince. However, she did not expect that the Third Prince would arrange a prefecture for him.
Is this a sign that they're trying to cultivate their own people because they see the situation in Kyoto is not good?
She looked up again in the direction of Bailichuan, but the person in front of her had completely hidden himself.
Ling Jingchu's cold eyes and deep voice: "Are you done?"
Baili Chuan's eyes flickered as he looked at Ling Jingchu and smiled, "Brother Jingchu is as aloof as ever. I've missed you a bit since we last met."
After saying that, he stepped aside and passed in front of Ling Jingchu, and began to appreciate it on his own.
Jiang Yunshu always felt that this person had ulterior motives for saying these things, and she was always on guard.
But to his surprise, aside from a brief conversation with her at the beginning, he spent almost the entire time talking to Ling Jingchu.
Lin Yuliu, on the other hand, looked at her as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Finally, just as Baili Chuan was pulling Ling Jingchu toward the study, Lin Yuliu stopped her.
“Miss Jiang,” Lin Yuliu looked at her, “you should go back to Jiangnan. Your family is there, and you will be fine in Jiangnan.”
She also looked at Lin Yuliu. Lin Yuliu didn't seem as weak as before. She was wearing a black robe with cloud patterns and had a bit of a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) vibe.
"I won't leave, Ayao is still here."
Lin Yuliu didn't say anything more, let go of her hand and went to the study, passing by her.
"Jiang Yunshu, some people's suffering is beyond your wildest imagination. You are a good person, go back to Jiangnan."
"As for Ayao... she is my student."
Jiang Yunshu's heart skipped a beat, and she felt like laughing again.
"Lin Yuliu, I will not go back."
Lin Yuliu paused for a moment, then quickly left.
Jiang Yunshu thought that Baili Chuan and Lin Yuliu would stay here for a long time, but unexpectedly the two left soon.
She felt uneasy, but Ling Jingchu seemed completely calm and collected.
"Don't worry."
She was furious and anxious, but Ling Jingchu acted as if nothing had happened.
She snorted coldly and went back to her room, leaving Ling Jingchu standing there.
I stared blankly at her retreating figure.
However, Jiang Yunshu quickly understood the deeper meaning behind Ling Jingchu's words.
Their target wasn't the second prince at all, but the empress.
After that incident, the Empress fell seriously ill and her condition seemed very bad, so Lady He sent over a second noble lady.
She was a Noble Lady as soon as she entered the palace. Although she spent every day by the Empress's sickbed, she was still favored every night.
In just half a month, the palace gained a new favorite, Consort Yi.
Gu Hanyu said that Ayao smiles more now because Consort Li doesn't have time to take care of Roujia.
The emperor was also able to free up his hands to arrange matters related to the imperial examinations.
——
After the long winter comes the spring imperial examination.
Even someone as confident as Ling Jingchu started staying cooped up in his study.
She often oscillates between leisure and worry.
She wasn't worried about whether Ling Jingchu would pass the imperial examination; she just vaguely felt that these peaceful and leisurely days were like the calm before the storm.
After the results were announced, before other families could vie for the best son-in-law, the Second Prince brought Ling Jingchu to Jianyang Palace.
"I knew you wouldn't let me down."
"In that case, I will first transfer you to the Ministry of War, so that it will be easier to carry out my duties later."
Ling Jingchu frowned and remained silent, while the Grand Tutor beside him clicked his tongue in disapproval, looking disappointed.
"Ministry of War?"
"Now the Minister of War is the son-in-law of Consort Li's cousin. Your Highness, if I may be frank, if Ling Jingchu goes to the Ministry of War, he will definitely be hampered by the Third Prince."
"At this time, you should just wait and see. His Majesty will make his decision!"
The second prince pursed his lips and said nothing more, ordering someone to send Ling Jingchu to the west of the city.
Ling Jingchu was the top scholar, Lu Shangling was the second-ranked scholar, and Lin Zai was the third-ranked scholar.
While the group was meeting the emperor in court, the empress passed away.
The whole nation mourns.
Inside Jianyang Palace, Mo Tingyu sat forlornly.
Chen Yanyan approached and said softly, "If it weren't for He Shu, my sister wouldn't have died so tragically. Our Chen family..."
Chen Yanyan choked up.
The Chen family was wiped out because of a rebellious poem, and only she and Siqing survived.
"I've avenged them, and I have no regrets."
Mo Tingyu turned to look at Chen Yanyan.
She smiled and said, "I won't kill myself. I'm tired of living like this for so long, carrying all this hatred."
"Siqing, just live well. There's nothing your aunt can do for you. I'll go far away so you won't have any worries."
Mo Tingyu nodded and smiled.
“Siqing…” Chen Yanyan looked at him wistfully, “Your eyes really look like my sister’s.”
——
Jiang Yunshu and Qing Shuang had originally planned a small banquet for Ling Jingchu, but it had to be canceled due to the Empress's passing.
In the end, they only invited the most famous chef in the city to come and cook one meal.
Gu Hanyu also secretly ran over, and the group had already poured the wine before Ling Jingchu returned.
When the carriage stopped, Jiang Yunshu suddenly realized that she heard A Yao's voice.
He just shook his head, thinking he was hallucinating.
"mother!"
A choked yet clear voice rang out again. She turned around abruptly, staring incredulously at the person at the door.
It really is A-Yao!
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