The sound of shattered jade
The sound drew Meng Yuxing, who was cooking rice, into the room. Jiang Heng put the child down, waved to Meng Yuxing to indicate that it was alright, and then bent down to pick it up. Bai Xian quickly took out a handkerchief from her waist and wrapped it up: "You mustn't do this, sir. I'll take care of it... This jade pendant must be very valuable, right?"
“Yes, this was a gift from a friend of mine in the court. He insisted that I wear it, but I cherish its exquisite craftsmanship and have been reluctant to part with it,” Jiang Heng said, feigning disappointment. “You will know why I am reluctant to part with it once you see the carvings.”
Bai Xian carefully opened the handkerchief to examine it, but suddenly her pupils contracted and she almost dropped the jade.
"...You said this was a gift from a close friend?" Bai Xian frowned and said in a deep voice.
“Yes, we’ve known each other for five years,” Jiang Heng replied, puzzled.
Bai Xian presented the jade pendant fragment to Jiang Heng: "Does Your Excellency recognize what is carved on the jade?"
"Is there something wrong with the ground peach blossoms?"
Bai Xian shook her head: "No, on the surface it is a peach blossom, but the one with standard arrangement on all four sides and a flower branch in the middle that resembles a coiled dragon is the imperial style!"
Pei and Heng asked in surprise, "Really?"
“It’s absolutely true! Luckily it’s already broken, otherwise if you had complied with his insistence and worn this jade to court, the consequences would have been unimaginable!” Bai Xian said earnestly.
"Jiang Heng thanks Madam for saving his life!" Jiang Heng respectfully cupped his hands. "How did Madam acquire such knowledge? We should also learn from it to avoid making the same mistake again."
Bai Xian suddenly paused, her expression freezing on her face. After a long pause, she smiled and said, "Oh, this? I have a cousin who once served the Emperor. She likes to talk about these things. I only heard about it secondhand. But you should still pay more attention."
Meng Xihuan was about to say something when Bai Xian glared at him, so he had no choice but to retreat to Jiang Heng's side.
Jiang Heng became even more certain and straightened up, asking, "Are the crabapple blossoms at Fuzhao Palace still in full bloom this year?"
Bai Xian was struck dumb, clutching her handkerchief tightly, the jade shattering with a soft sound. She fought back tears and cried out, "What does my lord intend to do?!"
"Don't be nervous, I'm not here to threaten you, Madam." Jiang Heng was about to pull Meng Xihuan away when Bai Xian shielded the child, blocking his way. Jiang Heng pondered for a long time before sitting back down at the table. "There is something of utmost importance to you, Madam, and I must personally inform you."
"Alright, sir, tell me what's the big deal?" Bai Xian changed her expression, refusing to let go no matter how much Meng Xihuan struggled behind her.
“Madam knows that the child you are holding is not of ordinary blood. You know, and I know. But who else knows—the chief eunuch in the palace, the philandering prince, the Empress Dowager of Tiansong… they are all looking for His Highness. But they don’t need to ‘look,’ they just need him to ‘not exist.’” Jiang Heng said slowly and deliberately, and Zhao Peiming moved to the door and stood there.
"...What do you mean?" Bai Xian's eyes met Zhao Peiming's. The latter nodded with a half-smile, leaving her completely confused.
“I may not have explained myself clearly enough,” Jiang Heng said, looking out the window at the distant sand dunes and mountains, their outlines stark and somewhat eerie in the snow. “They’ve already put Banrihua in their radar, and someone might be heading this way.” With that, he pulled out a secret letter, unfolded it, and pushed it toward Bai Xian. The phrase “Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free” was particularly eye-catching, and the official seal was clearly visible at the end.
Seeing that Bai Xian's demeanor had become less guarded, Jiang Heng said softly, "I know that you didn't flee here because you were afraid of death. You did it precisely to save Huan'er. You raised him to be intelligent and strong. You gave him life, and you gave him a second life."
“But your protection is already precarious under these circumstances. We’ve come to you today to provide you with better protection,” Jiang Heng said firmly. “General Zhao has a group of strong generals under his command. With their escort, the child’s safety can be guaranteed. At the same time, Madam can continue to stay by the child’s side as a foster mother. They must have already turned Tiansong upside down. It would be safest for us to return to the capital secretly now.”
"Hmph, just because you're a high-ranking official doesn't mean we have to listen to you and believe you. You must have other motives!" Bai Xian still hesitated; she didn't dare gamble Meng Xihuan's life on an outsider.
“Yes. I have other purposes. Madam, you may not know, but at the camp a thousand miles away, Fu Qinxiang has already taken control of the Imperial Guards, and the blizzard is about to hit the entire Great Zhao. Your child, from birth, has been a banner, a hope—to protect himself, to protect those in the world who are suffering like you. This is his responsibility, and his destiny.” Jiang Heng was neither humble nor arrogant, and he put away his sharp edge.
Bai Xian narrowed her eyes. She thought that after half a day at the flower shop, she could really start over, but her subconscious reaction still betrayed her. Once a palace maid, always a palace maid. Those memories shrouded her like dark clouds. Even now, her heart is still racing through that great battle, never stopping.
"Mother, am I also a 'little master'?" Meng Xihuan raised her other hand and gently stroked Bai Xian's hand, which was covered in chilblains. Bai Xian quickly wiped away her tears, lowered her head as if to smile, but met a pair of tearful eyes.
Unable to contain her emotions any longer, she knelt on the ground, hugged Meng Xihuan, and burst into tears.
Jiang Heng sighed softly and exchanged a glance with Zhao Peiming; both of their eyes were filled with tears.
Meng Yuxing stood quietly not far from the door, the firewood crackling and the snow falling gently.
—————
“I have no grudge against you, yet you have forced my brother and me to use each other as hostages, causing us so much suffering.” Tang Yao pulled out a gold hairpin and held it to her neck. “If you insist on forcing me, I will make you regret it.”
"Make me regret it? My sister is quite capable! I, Fu Qinxiang, never regret anything I've ever done," she stepped forward, pinched Tang Yao's chin, and touched her nose to hers, "As long as you die, Tang Ying will be buried with you, whether she likes it or not."
"I want to experience what it's like to have your family destroyed and your life ruined..."
"Pah!" Tang Yao spat fiercely at Fu Qinxiang, "You motherless wretch, you've run out of tricks!" Knowing she couldn't die yet, she seized the opportunity to grab the other's shoulder and stab the hairpin at the demon she dreamed of tearing to pieces.
The hairpin fell to the ground with a "clink," and her wrist snapped—with the Imperial Advisor and his guards by her side, it was all in vain.
"Grand Preceptor!" A person rushed in from outside, carrying something in their arms.
"All done?" Fu Qinxiang smiled smugly, took the bundle, unpacked it layer by layer, and handed it to Tang Yao. "Take a look, what's this?"
Tang Yao was looking down when the jade-inlaid, gold-plated inanimate object came into view.
It is the Imperial Seal.
Her lips twitched a few times, then she suddenly grinned.
Like Bao Si amidst the flames of war. This is the story Fu Qinxiang told her, a story of the fall of a dynasty.
Tang Yao kept telling herself that it wasn't time to end it yet; she knew that as the sun set in the west, a new sun was rising.
"Don't kill my brother," Tang Yao looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks, extinguishing the two warm, rosy flames. "You just want to spy on me, don't you? Send someone. From now on, I will never step out of the palace gates, nor will I deliver letters for anyone. But you must have my brother write to me every other day to prove that he is still alive."
—————
“I won’t force you. You can choose to refuse me, and I will leave immediately, trying my best to distract the pursuers with false information, but I can’t guarantee success. The recent heavy snow has made it feel like walking on thin ice; you should understand that. And you and His Highness will continue to live like this,” Jiang Heng stood up, the talisman hidden under his robe falling to the ground perfectly intact, gleaming golden even in the shadows. Bai Xian looked at the all-too-familiar eight-sided pattern, recognizing it as the talisman of the former prime minister, Jiang Zhong. She stared in disbelief at the orphan of the loyal minister, feeling a genuine sense of familiarity. “Or… you can trust me this once, not just me as an official, but someone who hopes for peace and stability in the world. We are gambling on the same child, on the same future.”
Bai Xian then looked at Zhao Peiming, who was kneeling on one knee and bowing respectfully. She had seen her husband do this before. Back then, her husband bowed to the person he had been bowing to; today, he bowed to her.
"I want to go with Brother Jiang Heng," Meng Xihuan said in Bai Xian's arms.
"Take Huan'er with you." Meng Yu walked to the door and helped Zhao Peiming up.
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