Chapter 434 Does it matter whether it is or isn't?
For Jiang Yu, Jiang Shan's marriage was a trivial matter. However, the brief conversation she had with Chang Linzhi over a few minutes of free time influenced Jiang Shan's fate for the rest of her life and was also related to the future direction of the entire Chang family.
Jiang Yu wasn't particularly concerned about this; she had done all she could. Whether Jiang Shan would fare well in the future ultimately depended on how she managed things. The Emperor then discussed the matter with Jiang Yu, Prince An, and Marquis Chengen, and finally decided on the candidates to secretly travel to Lingnan—the Duke of Wei and Huo Guang.
After the selection was finalized, the next step was to arrange the deployment of troops, provisions, and weapons. Jiang Yu immediately sent a letter to Ning Yunchuan, instructing him to make good use of the Yu family's influence and prestige in Lingnan to pave the way for the Duke of Wei and Huo Guang's next actions.
Everything was progressing smoothly, and just as the Duke of Wei and Huo Guang were about to depart, the Prince of Lingnan's memorial was delivered to the emperor. The memorial stated that his illegitimate son had illegally printed banknotes, violating the law, and that he would personally take his son to the capital to plead guilty to the emperor. In other words, the Prince of Lingnan had already set off north.
The Emperor then held a private meeting with Jiang Yu, Prince An, and Marquis Chengen for an afternoon, finalizing the details of detaining the Prince of Lingnan. During this time, Jiang Yu also summoned the Yu family's liaison in the capital, learning not only that a maidservant by Pei Tinglan's side was a spy for the Yu family, but also gaining more information about the Prince of Lingnan's residence.
The journey from Lingnan to the capital would take more than two months if traveled day and night. During these two months, the Empress Dowager's condition stabilized and her memory slowly returned, but everyone knew that her days were numbered.
Prince Rui simply moved into the palace and served the Empress Dowager every day. However, the Empress Dowager still repeatedly told him, "What I worry about most is your marriage."
To this, Prince Rui could only remain silent. In the past, when the Empress Dowager was healthy, he had to carefully consider whether to tell her about his relationship with Jiang Yu; now that the Empress Dowager was seriously ill, he dared not utter a single word. But the Empress Dowager had lived for over seventy years, experienced countless things, and met countless people; she already knew many things perfectly well.
After mentioning the marriage proposal several more times, seeing that Prince Rui remained silent, the Empress Dowager looked at him and said softly, "I understand."
Prince Rui opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent. The exposure of his affair with Jiang Yu would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar. With the Empress Dowager gravely ill and the court at a crucial juncture in its efforts to bring down the Prince of Lingnan, this was certainly not the right time.
However, he did not mention this matter at all in his correspondence with Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu was already exhausted by the affairs of the court, and he did not want to add to her troubles.
Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and the weather gradually cooled down, so Jiang Yu put on slightly thicker clothes. That day, when she returned home after her shift, her guards came to report: The Prince of Lingnan will arrive in the capital in two days.
Jiang Yu waved for the guards to leave, then went to the ancestral hall and stood quietly in front of the old Duke of Chu's memorial tablet for a long time.
"Grandfather, the time for revenge has come."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and strode away, an invisible killing intent swirling around her.
The Prince of Lingnan was accompanied by his mother, Pei Tinglan, his daughter, Zhu Junning, and the illegitimate son who was to be sent to take the blame. His eldest son, Zhu Huai'an, was left in Lingnan. Although Zhu Huai'an's abilities were limited, his status as the Prince of Lingnan's heir was enough to exert a deterrent effect. Of course, the Prince of Lingnan had made thorough arrangements before his departure.
The inn outside the capital was shrouded in the deep darkness of night. The dim yellow lights flickered and illuminated the eaves. The inn was quiet, with only a sense of melancholy in the night.
Inside the inn's room, the Prince of Lingnan and Zhu Junning sat facing each other, both with solemn expressions. Although the Lingnan Prince's Mansion and the imperial court had not yet broken off relations, they already regarded each other as their greatest enemy. Both knew that given the opportunity, the emperor would definitely detain them in the capital and then send troops to attack Lingnan.
Despite their thorough preparations and analysis that the emperor was unlikely to take action this time, they dared not relax their vigilance in the slightest and had to be extremely cautious. What worried them most was that one of their greatest assets—Pu Tonghe—was still imprisoned in the capital.
“Once we arrive in the capital, find an opportunity to meet Xie Ning’an,” the Prince of Lingnan said to Zhu Junning in a low voice. “Now that the Xie family has fallen, I don’t believe Xie Ning’an doesn’t hate the Emperor.”
Zhu Junning lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before saying, "Xie Ning'an might also hate us."
"Hmph!" The King of Lingnan sneered. "Just one Jiang Yu has brought his family, which has been passed down for hundreds of years, to collapse. It can only be said that Xie Yun is stupid. Xie Ning'an has no one to blame but himself."
Zhu Junning pursed his lips and remained silent.
The King of Lingnan paused, then said, "People are naturally inclined to seek profit and avoid harm. Xie Ning'an is now cooperating with Jiang Yu to promote the reforms, and he must be afraid that Jiang Yu will kick him out after the reforms are successful. Chai Qian met with him before and promised him the identity of a Southern Barbarian, and he is already tempted. When you meet with him, bring this up again. I want to get more information about Jiang Yu out of him."
"Does Father think that Jiang Yu will be a major obstacle for us this time?" Zhu Junning asked.
The King of Lingnan sighed, "Of course. Have you forgotten why Jiang Yu wanted to bring down the Xie family in the first place?"
Zhu Junning pursed her lips and replied, "It's because Jiang Chengye was tricked into buying a ship to transport smuggled salt."
The King of Lingnan nodded. "At that time, Jiang Yu had only recently returned to the Duke of Chu's mansion, yet she acted swiftly, accurately, and ruthlessly. Xie Yun underestimated her and Jiang Jinglan, which led to his tragic end. This shows that Jiang Yu is not only ruthless but also extremely vindictive."
These words made Zhu Junning frown.
Then the King of Lingnan said, “Originally, we didn’t need such a powerful opponent. Your grandmother’s resentment was hard to resolve, and I also felt that the Duke of Chu’s mansion was no longer what it used to be, which is why I kept targeting the Duke of Chu’s mansion in those years. Who would have thought that the Duke of Chu’s mansion, which was already on the verge of collapse, would produce another Jiang Yu.”
The King of Lingnan sighed and said, "From what I know, the Duke of Chu's mansion is now almost without any weaknesses. Once we get to the capital, as long as Jiang Yu doesn't make the first move against us, we don't need to provoke her."
Zhu Junning nodded: "Daughter understands."
“You need to pay more attention to your grandmother,” the Prince of Lingnan said, tapping the edge of the table with his fingertips. His tone became more serious. “She has always acted impulsively, and her resentment towards Jiang Jinglan has not yet been resolved. I am afraid that she may do something irrational to the Duke of Chu’s mansion again.”
"Don't worry, your daughter will take good care of your grandmother." Zhu Junning lowered her eyes and nodded, her tone very firm.
The Prince of Lingnan seemed to trust her, and nodded, adding, "We should also find opportunities to make more contact with the Prime Minister's residence; that's our biggest trump card in the capital."
Zhu Junning nodded again.
After a moment of silence, she looked up at the King of Lingnan and asked hesitantly, "Father, the Crown Prince... is he really yours...?"
The King of Lingnan paused for a moment, then stared sharply at her and said, "Does it matter whether it is or not? This is not something you should be asking about."
Zhu Junning's hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenched quietly. She then stood up and bowed, saying, "It was my fault for speaking out of turn."
The Prince of Lingnan stared at her intently for a moment before softening his tone and saying, "Sit down. You're a smart child; you should know that this matter must never be mentioned to anyone."
"My daughter knows," Zhu Junning solemnly assured her.
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