Chapter 446 Jiang Lian's Sister
Since the Empress Dowager had spoken, Lady Qu spoke frankly, "Your Majesty, do you still remember Jiang Lian from twelve years ago?"
Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi remained silent for a long time. Jiang Wanjun noticed that Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi's hands were gripping the armrests of the chair tightly, and her knuckles were white from the force.
I knew things weren't that simple.
"Your Majesty, perhaps I should leave."
Seeing that the Empress Dowager did not speak, Jiang Wanjun got up to leave. Just as she stood up, Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi grabbed Jiang Wanjun's wrist and said, "You don't need to go out."
Seeing this, Jiang Wanjun sat back down.
Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi let out a long breath and looked up at Lady Qu again, "What do you know? What do you want to do?"
Lady Qu knelt on the ground, her face sincere yet tinged with sadness. "I am Jiang Lian's younger sister."
The Empress Dowager gripped her hand tighter, lifted her buttocks slightly, paused for a moment, and then sat back down. "Jiang Lian has never mentioned that he has a younger sister."
With tears in her eyes, Lady Qu said, "It's not that he didn't say it, but his sister is already dead."
Knowing that the Empress Dowager was testing her, Lady Qu confessed, "My brother always thought I was dead. I crawled out of a pile of corpses and was saved by the real Lady Qu."
"Later, I served Lady Qu in this painted boat. Later, Lady Qu fell ill and knew that her days were numbered, so she passed on all her skills to me."
"The day she passed away was also the day I became Lady Qu."
"Although I used to live in Cangzhou, I have heard of Lady Qu from the capital. She is an exceptional dancer, but she never shows her true face. One day, while she was dancing, the wind blew her veil away."
"It seems that you deliberately orchestrated this day to make your appearance known to everyone, so that no one would doubt that you are not Lady Qu."
Lady Qu lowered her head, "Just as Lord Jiang said."
"Then why didn't you pay attention to me before? You've been to the palace before. If you wanted, you could have made me notice you. Why did you appear now?" Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi asked coldly.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lady Qu replied, "In the past, I dared not and did not want to go to the Empress Dowager."
What do you mean by that?
Lady Qu said, "When the late Emperor was still alive, let alone what harm these things would cause to Your Highness if they got out, even if the Song family found out, not only Your Highness, but I'm afraid my life would also be in danger."
Lady Qu paused for a moment and continued, "I have already died once, and now that I am alive, I naturally want to live well. I dare not try to break a rock with an egg."
"I am telling Your Majesty now because I have a letter that my brother once gave to you."
As she spoke, Lady Qu took out a yellowed letter from her sleeve. "Back then, my brother wanted me to deliver a letter to the Empress. I knew the Song family wouldn't agree to you two being together, so I secretly hid the letter."
"I never imagined that this act of hiding would lead to your eternal separation."
"This is my fault. I originally thought that as long as the two of you had no contact, the Song family would let my brother go."
"Back then, I put the letter away, intending to return to my hometown. My brother refused to go no matter what I said. In the end, I was murdered, and when I woke up, my brother had already been taken by the Song family..."
Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi slowly reached for the yellowed letter. The letter trembled in her hand, and a tear rolled down her cheek and onto the paper.
It happened to land on the character '宜', and the entire character instantly became blurry.
The contents of the letter stirred up her past memories of how she met Jiang Lian, despite all the obstacles her family had inflicted on them.
She knew she was born to enter the palace, but she still couldn't help falling in love with the man who had nothing but was incredibly talented.
Everyone in the Song family thought that Jiang Lian had instigated them to elope, but the real one who came up with the idea was themselves.
She had been waiting for this letter all along, the letter that made Jiang Lian agree to elope.
However, even after she married into the Eastern Palace, she never received the news that the Song family had driven him out of the capital. In all these years, she had not searched for his whereabouts out of spite.
Perhaps it was also for his safety, but he just didn't dare to admit it.
It wasn't until later, when Song Zhuran said that Jiang Lian had been killed by her, that Song Zhuyi's heart died long ago. But now, this letter, with its familiar handwriting, has reopened the memories that had been sealed for so many years.
Song Zhuyi didn't know how to describe her feelings at this moment. It was the only impulsive, absurd, and self-centered thing she had ever done in her youth.
"I have kept this letter all this time. I just wanted to tell Your Majesty that my brother did not break his promise back then, nor did he ever think of abandoning you."
"It was me. I thought this would protect my brother, but I never expected..."
Lady Qu knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily. "Your Majesty, it was my fault. I shouldn't have kept this letter hidden. If I hadn't kept it, perhaps Your Majesty and my brother would be living a carefree life now."
Instead of...
Lady Qu's voice choked with sobs, and she stopped speaking, only kowtowing repeatedly.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and supported Madam Qu's arm. Madam Qu looked up and met Song Zhuyi's slightly reddened eyes, "Your Majesty..."
Song Zhuyi helped the person up and said softly, "From your perspective, you didn't do anything wrong. Even though I followed Jiang Lian back then."
"Given the Song family's strength, they would find us no matter where we are. It is I who have ruined you."
Song Zhuyi had never met Qu Niangzi before, but she knew that Jiang Lian had a younger sister.
Even without Qu Niangzi saying it, she knew that the Song family must have been behind her near-death experience.
"Now that my maternal family is gone, the revenge for you and your siblings can be considered complete."
Song Zhuyi felt a pang of pain when she mentioned the Song family.
But there weren't many ups and downs; some people are only related by blood, but have no emotional connection.
She used to be like a puppet of the Song family, but now she doesn't want to grieve for the dead anymore; she just wants to live her own life well.
Live happily.
Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi said softly, "If I remember correctly, your name is Jiang Yi."
Qu Niangzi was stunned for a moment. No one had mentioned the name 'Jiang Yi' in front of her for a long time, and she had even forgotten that she had a name.
Her real name.
"The style of that lamp is the one your brother gave me when we first met. I'd like to ask you for it, is that alright?"
"It can be considered a reunion with an old friend."
Lady Qu wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I'll have someone take it off for Your Highness in a bit."
Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi said, "You saw me today for more than just this one thing, didn't you?"
Lady Qu knelt on the ground again. "Your Majesty, Lord Jiang, the girls on this pleasure boat are all implicated by their clans. Some of them are not even familiar with the people in their clans who have made mistakes."
"Just because they are from the same clan, the men are exiled, and the women are reduced to playthings of the men."
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