Chapter 78 Broken Jade Cannot Be Restored, Yuan Yan, Do You Hate Me That Much?
Upon hearing of Sun Shijun's fate, the Qi Prince's faction was horrified, as if they had lost their parents. They tried to plead for him, but to no avail.
Guo Xinghuai, who was also a prime minister like Sun Shijun, sighed and shook his head, while the other ministers had different expressions.
Yuan Yan had already guessed this outcome and showed no surprise.
"It's a pity Yuan Jing didn't participate in this matter, otherwise the situation would be different now," she said to the system.
[This result is already very good, host. After eliminating Sun Shijun, Yuan Jing is like someone who has lost an arm. Her power has declined, and your level of control will increase accordingly.] The system comforted Yuan Yan.
At this moment, Yuan Jing knelt down and begged.
"Mother, my maternal grandfather acted out of momentary folly. I hope that you will consider his past contributions and show him some leniency..."
Yuan Hao's phoenix eyes were sharp: "Exile is already an extra favor, and there is absolutely no room for change."
"Your Highness, His Majesty has made a divine decision, and I deserve my punishment. This matter has nothing to do with Your Highness, so please do not plead for me any further."
Knowing he had lost power, Sun Shijun knew he couldn't drag Prince Qi into this, so he immediately stopped Yuan Jing from speaking and was taken away.
"Alas, if only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place," Guo Xinghuai sighed inwardly as he watched the scene unfold.
...
Sun Shijun's exile is a foregone conclusion.
Upon learning this, Feng Qing immediately removed her hairpin and begged for forgiveness, kneeling before the palace gates for a long time. She explained that her mother was old and might not be able to withstand the punishment of exile, pleading with His Majesty to reduce the sentence, but was reprimanded by Yuan Hao.
"The women of the inner palace are not allowed to interfere in politics. If Feng Qing wishes to kneel, then she may kneel here indefinitely." Yuan Hao ignored him completely and left in a huff.
Meanwhile, at the Qin King's Mansion.
"Today's events are all thanks to you and Lord Jiang," Yuan Yan said to Du Heng.
"Exposing corruption in the court is Lord Jiang's duty, Your Highness, there's no need for thanks," Du Heng said with a smile, shaking his head.
It turns out that Jiang Bai was related to the Du family by marriage, and he was known for his willingness to speak out against injustice. Yuan Yan had passed on the details of the incident and other evidence, including testimonies, to Jiang Bai through Du Heng.
Yuan Yan: "That's not how it works. This case involves Sun Shijun and Prince Qi, and ordinary people wouldn't dare to get involved. Lord Jiang stepped forward resolutely to clean up the court, which is truly commendable."
...
The time came to the day Sun Shijun was exiled.
Before leaving, she instructed Yuan Jing, "Your Highness, I have already received the Emperor's grace by being spared death. Your Highness must not show the slightest resentment."
"The journey to Qianzhou is long, and I don't know if I will ever see Your Highness again. I am not worried about Your Highness."
Yuan Jing felt guilty and saddened, "Grandfather... it is I who have caused you worry."
"Don't say that," Sun Shijun instructed her many more times.
“I did this discreetly, but it was still discovered. Either Pang Guoan gave himself away, or there is a mole in the mansion.”
"After this disgraced official leaves, Your Highness must be careful of the Prince of Qin. Consult your subordinates before acting, and never act rashly... As long as Your Highness is safe, my Sun family will still have a chance to rise again."
"I understand," Yuan Jing nodded, tears welling in his eyes.
After hearing Sun Shijun's words, Yuan Jing went back and ordered his men to investigate the Wang Mansion and the Sun family, determined to find the traitor.
After a series of investigations, everyone around him was thoroughly investigated, but nothing was found.
“Grandfather’s words are never wrong. Who did it?” Yuan Jing’s eyes were filled with gloom after hearing his subordinate’s report.
"Your Highness, it seems you've overlooked someone." Someone reminded Yuan Jing that Zhang, the advisor who mysteriously disappeared some time ago, was quite suspicious.
Yuan Jing: "If you hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten that this person even existed."
Previously, Yuan Jing had highly valued Zhang Xiaoju and regarded him as a confidant. This allowed Zhang Xiaoju to frequently visit the Prince's residence and the Sun family, learning many secrets of the Qi Prince's faction, and it is indeed possible that he knew about this matter.
"If it really was Zhang Xiaoju who did it, she must have sided with another princess. Your Highness must be on guard!" his subordinate warned anxiously.
"There's no need to guess anymore. Very few people know about my maternal grandfather's affair, and Zhang Xiaoju is the most suspicious."
Yuan Jing thought about it more and more and felt that Zhang Xiaoju was the one who betrayed her master. Otherwise, why would she leave the palace for no reason when she was doing well there?
"I didn't realize that I also have a good dog that bites its master."
Because of this incident, his maternal grandfather was exiled. Yuan Jing was heartbroken and regretful. He could not bear this anger and ordered people to intensify their search for Zhang Xiaoju's whereabouts.
"We were searching in the wrong direction all along. She must still be in the capital."
"Find her, kill her, tear her to pieces! How dare she harm my maternal grandfather! I will make her and her new master pay the price!" Yuan Jing's expression was gloomy.
*
Sun Shijun's downfall dealt a heavy blow to the Qi King's faction.
The power structure in the court has been reshuffled once again, and Yuan Yan is showing signs of gaining the upper hand over Yuan Jing.
Seeing this, Lu Yingkan finally became anxious, feeling uneasy and hesitant.
Over the past few months, Yuan Yan and Yuan Jing have been going back and forth, their fortunes rising and falling. She was afraid that if Yuan Yan were to rise to power, she would have made the wrong bet and would be purged in the future, so she paced back and forth in the mansion.
No, the Lu family can't afford to gamble; she has to prepare for both possibilities.
After a while, Lu Yingkan made up his mind and had someone summon his father.
"Go and write a letter to Ling Yue, urging him to put more effort into winning over the King of Qin's favor, and ideally, to have a child with him," Lu Yingkan instructed.
She spoke as if it were a matter of course, as if Lu Lingyue could easily win Yuan Yan's heart simply by humbling herself.
Completely unaware that Lu Lingyue now hardly ever sees Yuan Yan, let alone receives any favors.
However, Lu Yingkan showed no concern for Lu Lingyue. Lu's father, on the other hand, was worried about his son and knew about Lu Lingyue's current situation.
"The wife."
Father Lu said tactfully, "The Prince of Qin favors the Minister, and Yue'er has long been out of favor in the Prince's residence, so this matter is unlikely to succeed."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yingkan's expression turned displeased, and he was quite dismissive.
"With Yue'er's looks and talent, there's nothing he can't do if he wants to."
"This matter concerns the survival of the Lu family; he cannot act like a man. Go and get it done quickly, don't delay anything," Lu Yingkan said impatiently.
Having no other option, Lu's father could only write a letter to Lu Lingyue.
Lu Lingyue should have been happy to receive a letter from her father.
But when he saw what was inside, his eyes widened in surprise.
Lu Lingyue never expected that after ignoring him for so long, the first time his mother spoke to him was to tell him to compete for favor.
His heart turned completely cold, icy cold.
"I am powerless to help you, and I am afraid I will disappoint you, Mother."
Lu Lingyue replied with only a few words and then had Hengwu send the letter back.
He will no longer be as foolish as before, letting the Lu family manipulate him and hurting those who truly love him.
The letter arrived at the Lu residence.
Lu Yingkan held the reply and read the words several times in disbelief, feeling a tightness in his chest from anger.
Is this Lu Lingyue's answer?
"You don't even know how to compete for favor, what a waste of your good looks!" Her tone was full of disappointment and frustration.
With no other option, since Lu Lingyue's approach was not feasible, Lu Yingkan had to find another way.
*
So when Yuan Yan returned to the palace that day, someone brought him gold, silver and antiques.
"Your Highness, these are all things sent by the Lu family."
The servants presented several treasure boxes.
[Host, am I seeing things? This was sent by the Lu family...that annoying Lu family?]
The system had doubts and confirmed them repeatedly.
Yuan Yan smiled. "It's them."
Why would the Lu family give you so much gold and silver? Didn't they already pledge allegiance to Yuan Jing?
"That's why Lu Yingkan is called a weather vane. He's only trying to curry favor now because he sees that Yuanjing is unstable without Sun Shijun's support and he's afraid that I'll deal with the Lu family after I gain power."
Yuan Yan saw it all clearly and found it laughable.
When the Lu family delivered the gifts, they also left a message. They hoped that Yuan Yan would show more favor to Lu Lingyue and grant him some protection. They considered these gold, silver, and antique items as gifts for His Highness.
[They ignored Lu Lingyue back then, and now they're pretending to care about her. They're so shameless!] The system commented speechlessly.
Yuan Yan saw through it all: "It's just an excuse."
"Host, do you want these things?" the system asked.
“Yes, why wouldn’t we accept something that’s offered to us?” Yuan Yan said without hesitation.
She had just spent a lot of money on training troops and rewards during this period and needed to replenish it, so she readily accepted the gifts from the Lu family.
Yuan Yan accepted the gold, silver, and antiques. That night, when the servants asked which courtyard she wanted to stay in, she gave a brief answer.
"A side courtyard."
The servants thought they had misheard. "Your Highness is going to see Attendant Lu?"
Since the other concubines entered the household, Lu Lingyue had fallen out of favor. This was the first time in so long that His Highness had said he wanted to go to the side courtyard.
"Yes, Your Highness," the servant quickly replied.
When Yuan Yan entered the side courtyard, Lu Lingyue was inspecting the longbow that had been crafted by a renowned artisan.
The bow and arrows were ready, but he didn't know when they would be delivered to Yuan Yan.
"My lord, His Highness has arrived!"
Just then, Hengwu rushed over to report.
Lu Lingyue's hand trembled, she released the longbow in her hand and raised her head.
Yuan Yan hasn't been here for a long time, so why did she suddenly come here today?
"Lu Lingyue, it seems you're doing well here."
When Yuan Yan entered the courtyard, he saw Lu Lingyue with a beautiful face and a tall figure. She was dressed in a snow-white satin dress and had a refined and elegant demeanor. She stood in front of the courtyard.
The moonlight shone on him, flowing quietly, adding another layer of radiance.
Lu Lingyue hadn't spent much time alone with her in a long time, and when she suddenly heard Yuan Yan's voice, she felt as if she had been transported to another world.
He had actually lost a lot of weight these days, but Yuan Yan was still as flamboyant and dazzling as ever, unchanged from before.
"...Does Your Highness wish me well?" Lu Lingyue's heart tightened slightly as she gazed intently at Yuan Yan's face, speaking cautiously.
Yuan Yan, however, did not care about Lu Lingyue's answer. She felt that she had nothing to say to Lu Lingyue, and that she had only come to the side courtyard because of Jin Yin.
"Come in," she commanded curtly, ignoring Lu Lingyue's words.
Lu Lingyue wanted to deliver the bow and arrows to Yuan Yan, but Yuan Yan didn't stop walking and went straight into the house.
Yuan Yan was sitting in the room, his outer robe being removed by the male servants. He was too lazy to speak. When he saw Lu Lingyue enter, he casually pulled her down onto the bed curtains.
“Ayan…”
Lu Lingyue was startled by her sudden movement. Her dark eyes widened slightly as she tugged at Yuan Yan's sleeve, trying to stop him. "Don't do this. I have something to tell you."
"I've said it several times. Don't call me that, you have no right to." Yuan Yan was getting impatient, brushed his hand away, and pressed Lu Lingyue down.
Throughout the entire process, Yuan Yan only cared about her own comfort and showed no mercy in her actions. Lu Lingyue was not prepared and was suddenly pulled into the raging storm. She was like a small boat on the sea, drifting aimlessly and rocking violently.
Lu Lingyue felt a chilling indifference from her merciless actions, which made him feel cold all over.
As the storm subsided, his voice trembled slightly, "Your Highness, do you hate me that much?"
Is there absolutely no way for us to salvage this relationship?
Yuan Yan hadn't intended to pay him any attention, but he couldn't help himself after hearing these words.
"You'll have to ask yourself that," she said with a slight chuckle.
"When I wrote to you, I saw that the spring flowers were in bloom and wanted you to see them too, so I had my servants send the flowers to you by fast horse."
“I usually confide in you about everything that happens to me. After my father passed away, I even wrote you a letter, but you never replied after that.”
Where have all these things gone?
Lu Lingyue felt as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer, her mind going blank for a moment. "I don't know... I didn't receive that letter."
He wasn't lying; he truly didn't know. It was simply because Lu Yingkan had ordered his servants to intercept all subsequent letters.
In fact, back then, Lu Yingkan already had other ideas and did not want Lu Lingyue and Yuan Yan to have too close a relationship, which is why he took this action.
Upon hearing this, Lu Lingyue guessed what had happened and felt even more guilty towards Yuan Yan.
"Fine, let's not talk about the letter. What about the other things?" Yuan Yan sneered.
"..." Lu Lingyue was speechless.
Lu Lingyue returned those items to Yuan Yan when she broke off the engagement, but he ordered them to be smashed. However, since the servants dared not do so, Lu Lingyue retrieved the jade pendant and other items on the night of Yuan Yan's wedding.
Everything was now with him, carefully stored in a separate box by Lu Lingyue. Lately, she often gazed at the contents of the box, lost in thought, reminiscing about their past together.
These things had become a disgrace in Yuan Yan's eyes. If they were in his possession, he would surely have thrown them away.
Lu Lingyue felt a bitter taste in her mouth, as if her throat was blocked, and she couldn't speak.
Yuan Yan continued, "Of course you don't know."
“I burned all those letters, and I smashed the jade pendant… The affection between us is like these ashes and broken jade, impossible to repair.”
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