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"Registrar Jiang, His Majesty summons you to the palace." Lin Ben watched Jiang Jin, dressed in court attire, step into the hall, just as she had once single-handedly withstood the pressure to enter the court.
"Minister Jiang, why don't you and Minister Wei recount your gains in Beizhou?" Emperor Wende, seated on his high seat, looked at Jiang Jin with satisfaction in his eyes.
"Your subject obeys the decree!" Jiang Jin stood tall, meeting everyone's gazes with composure, and recounted the events that had occurred in Beizhou.
"Before entering Beizhou, the prefect of Qu committed suicide. The coroner found no problems with the body. Later, when checking the accounts, he encountered a man in black and Sima who were plotting to capture him. General Wei chased after them and was ambushed. It can be concluded that the person behind the scenes has big plans."
"Hmph, after wasting so much time, all they found was this little bit. She really is just a young woman." Zhou Pi glanced at Jiang Jin with displeasure. Amidst the whispers around them, Jiang Jin composed herself.
"Your Majesty, General Wei has discovered that Governor Qu has embezzled a large sum of money, yet none of his family members appear extravagant. Young Master Qu has produced a box of letters claiming that Your Majesty secretly instructed Governor Qu to enrich his private treasury." Jiang Jin waved his hand, and Zhou Cong handed the wooden box to Lin Ben.
"Indeed, it resembles my handwriting, but the strength is lacking. Take it out and show it to all my ministers." Those in the hall wanted to tear their ears off at Jiang Jin's words, but seeing Emperor Wende's open and honest demeanor, they became even more suspicious.
"I recall Your Majesty telling me that your favorite Huizhou ink had broken, so those last few letters definitely couldn't have come from Your Majesty's hand. If you don't believe me, just check the records in the Imperial Treasury." Wei Shu pondered for a moment and then rephrased Jiang Jin's words.
“These sums of money are enormous, and we dare not delay and wish to return to the capital immediately. However, we have heard that some people in Nanyi have gone missing without cause, so I have asked General Wei to stay at the government office while I lead men to investigate.”
"Have you found anything wrong?" Lord Dou gripped the letter. No one in the court was a fool; besides the harem, only a few princes could imitate His Majesty's handwriting so perfectly. If it wasn't the Crown Prince, then it was likely the Third Prince.
"Someone is playing tricks, deliberately spreading rumors to deter people from going there. They're using kidnapped people and Taoist priests who are going to exorcise demons as medicine subjects." Jiang Jin clapped his hands, and Zhou Liao led two Taoist priests into the hall.
"This humble subject pays his respects to Your Majesty." The Taoist priest and the young boy knelt down, and Emperor Wende nodded. "Rise. That's all that matters."
"I heard that Nanyi is the gate of Yin and Yang, so I led my disciples there to lend a hand to our fellow practitioners. We encountered Registrar Jiang in the forest, who stopped us and led me to several pits filled with corpses—children, the elderly, and young people—who had died horribly." The Taoist priest wiped away tears as he spoke.
"So my companions and I disguised ourselves as Taoist priests and entered Nanyi." Jiang Jin looked up and glanced at everyone. Seeing no suspicious changes, he continued, "Only then did we learn that someone was practicing a poison that could cause chaos in the world. Those who take the poison will die after living for ten days, and their corpses will become poison, and anyone who comes into contact with them will be poisoned."
"What!" General Liu was greatly surprised. If this poison spread to the army, the Great Yan Dynasty would be finished.
"General Liu, there's no need to worry. The poison wasn't finished, and I've already set fire to that place and killed the person who concocted the medicine along with them." Jiang Jin's expression was indifferent, as if all of this was just ordinary. Jiang Luo suddenly couldn't understand his daughter anymore.
"However, the medicinal herbs used in alchemy are extremely rare, probably worth a fortune. Therefore, I believe it may be related to the destination of the embezzled funds by Governor Qu." Jiang Jin's eloquent words made several officials in the court somewhat ashamed.
"Registrar Jiang, do you really think you can quell the Nan Yi Rebellion all by yourself?" Although Zheng Langxin had some respect for Jiang Jin, he still retorted.
"Of course, it wasn't just my doing. Has Doctor Zheng forgotten the soldiers fighting on the front lines?" Jiang Jin sighed, feigning regret.
"You..." Doctor Zheng originally wanted to mock Jiang Jin, but she stopped him, so he could only be angry inwardly.
"They died because of their own arrogance." Jiang Jin raised his head, looking at the man in the imperial court.
“Normally, when arresting someone, you’d search them, but they were used to it. A woman’s weakness got them to let me go. I was pushed into the well and killed the person making the poison, drugged the guard, and then killed the person guarding the poison, so my accomplice could put the drug into the well.” Jiang Jin recounted her actions with a smile.
“They didn’t die by my hand, but by their overconfidence and disdain for women!” Jiang Jin sighed and looked at everyone. “Instead of thinking about these things, you should think about which capable person wanted the Great Yan to be destroyed.”
"Alright, let Lord Dou and General Liu investigate these matters!" Emperor Wende twirled the ring on his finger, looking at the two with a half-smile. "I wonder if my two ministers can get to the bottom of this?"
"Your Majesty, we will certainly live up to your expectations!" Dou Gong and General Liu said in unison, each with their own plans.
"Alright, do my esteemed ministers have anything else to say?" Emperor Wende was quite pleased with the aristocratic families' attitude; however, the slight reprimand was enough to make them wisely abandon their haughty demeanor.
"If there's nothing else, court is adjourned!" Lin Ben said loudly, seeing that no one below was going to speak.
"Ah Jin, you will come back to the manor with me." Jiang Luo looked at his graceful but unfamiliar daughter with mixed feelings.
"Yes, Father." Jiang Jin nodded to Wei Shu, but Jiang Luo saw him clearly.
"She is my daughter. No matter how unconventional she may be, I will not harm her. General Wei, there is no need to worry!"
Not wanting to embarrass Jiang Jin in public, Jiang Luo had no choice but to confront Wei Shu. He reasoned that his daughter had only changed after marrying into the Wei family; it was a case of being influenced by one's surroundings.
The father and daughter sat alone in the carriage. This was the first time Jiang Jin had been alone with her father since she came of age, and a sense of awkwardness arose between them.
"Third Sister's marriage is settled, and Fourth Sister is causing quite a stir in the city. I want to send her back to her hometown." Jiang Luo's simple sentence made Jiang Jin take notice.
"Doesn't the Second Prince want to marry Fourth Sister?" As far as Jiang Jin knew, the Second Prince didn't seem like an irresponsible person.
"The Second Prince intends to marry Fourth Sister, but our Jiang family is loyal to His Majesty. To take sides would be to betray His Majesty. Ah Jin, you can't be unaware of this, can you?" Jiang Luo felt extremely bitter. Fourth Sister was also the child he had poured his heart and soul into. Even though he was reluctant, he still had to sacrifice her for the sake of the Jiang family.
"Father, why don't you go to His Majesty to apologize? After all, it was our Jiang family's fault for neglecting to raise the issue of the prince and the Jiang family's daughter in such a scandal." Jiang Jin didn't express her own opinion, but simply pointed out another path for her father.
"Ah Jin is more thoughtful than I am." Jiang Jin smiled slightly. How could her father not have thought of this? Sending Jiang Su back to her hometown was simply the most direct and straightforward solution. Why risk being scolded by His Majesty for a glimmer of hope?
"Master has arrived." The servant outside stopped his horse. Jiang Luo dismounted and went to help Jiang Jin, only to find that she could now dismount independently and was no longer the gentle and quiet daughter he remembered.
"Let's go to the study, fellow fathers." The steward bowed slightly to Jiang Jin. Jiang Jin was no longer the sheltered daughter of the Jiang family; she was now the first female official of the Great Yan Dynasty to enter the imperial court.
Jiang Luo, dressed in court attire, led Jiang Jin through the familiar courtyard to the familiar gate. "When we were young, you often came to my study to read. Thinking about it now feels like a lifetime ago!"
Jiang Jin closed the door and looked at the furnishings inside, which were completely different from what she remembered. "Father, this place is decorated in a quiet and secluded way."
"Tell me, what exactly do you want?" Jiang Luo sat in his chair, tapping the armrest with his finger, looking at Jiang Jin with a scrutinizing expression.
"I just want to be an official." Jiang Jin looked at Jiang Luo with an innocent expression. "Father, I feel that as a citizen of Great Yan, I should naturally do my part for Great Yan."
"Tell me the truth! What you're doing now isn't just about being an official. You're killing without blinking an eye and setting fires to cover your tracks. When did you become so ruthless, Second Sister?!"
Jiang Luo looked at Jiang Jin with disappointment and frustration. He prided himself on not being a saint, but he never mistreated the servants in his household. Yet, his daughter's eyes were filled with indifference to human life.
"Father, please be careful with your words. When have I ever been ruthless?" Jiang Jin sat down in the chair next to Jiang Luo.
"In the blink of an eye, powerful families can displace ordinary people and cut off the livelihoods of countless poor scholars. Have you forgotten these bloodless massacres, Father? Now you hold a high position, surrounded by children and servants, and you seem to have forgotten your former impoverished state!" Jiang Jin met Jiang Luo's gaze without fear.
"Father may have forgotten the deaths of my mother and maternal grandfather, but I have not. Father may have a weakness, but I do not. I will make those people pay for their crimes in blood, and bring their heads to my mother's grave to atone for their sins!"
A crisp slap rang out, and Jiang Luo, his hand trembling slightly, looked at the slowly rising red mark on Jiang Jin's cheek.
"Jiang Jin, you also have the surname Jiang, and the Jiang family is your Achilles' heel!" Jiang Luo looked at Jiang Jin in disbelief, as if he had never recognized her before.
"Then please, Father, expel me from the family. Oh, I forgot, I'm a woman. My name isn't on the family genealogy at all. My name is on the Wei family's genealogy!" Jiang Jin looked at Jiang Luo with tears in her eyes.
"Father now has a harmonious family with sons and daughters, and has long forgotten Mother. Father says I am ruthless, but I am not even half as ruthless as him. Back then, in order to frame Aunt, I didn't even care about Third Sister's life. If it weren't for Third Sister's good fortune and weak health, I wouldn't have Third Sister today!"
Jiang Jin knows everything. When she was young, everyone thought she was too young, but in fact she remembered everything.
"Father, you are now enjoying boundless glory, forgetting the hardships we endured. You think that wearing expensive robes makes you a noble scholar, but deep down you are still insecure. You have forgotten your ambitions, forgotten the path you came from. You seek only to preserve yourself in the imperial court, forgetting the poor scholars like yourself who struggled so hard!" Jiang Luo raised his hand again, but seeing Jiang Jin's stubborn expression, he couldn't bring himself to strike.
"You're a lot like your mother, only you have more courage and luck." This was the first time Jiang Luo had reminisced about her mother in front of Jiang Jin.
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