Chapter 59. Mo Huadong got tired of him and wanted to abandon him...
Cui Yiluo returned to Jixue Studio. Li Lan was still worried and stayed at the bedroom door. When she saw Cui Yiluo return, she was startled.
"What's wrong, young lady?" Lilan asked in a panic.
Cui Yilu shook her head. "Don't worry about me."
The moment she learned that Jiang Yunjin had used contraceptives, she should have known that she was nothing more than a pawn. Although she was the one who gave him the drugged wine and spent the night with him, it's hard to say that he didn't take advantage of the situation.
Focusing on the immediate situation minimizes potential changes. In Da Ye's eyes, what does marriage matter? Besides, in his view, it's just a temporary marriage.
Tonight, his panic, worry, and words were all for the purpose of helping the second prince seize the throne in a better and less risky way.
She could never rely on anyone, yet, as if she had lost her mind, she once again harbored expectations of him. Just because he had helped her a few times, she lowered her guard against him. Lowering her guard only gave him the opportunity to hurt her.
But it makes little difference; she can only rely on herself anyway.
After taking a shower, Cui Yiluo secretly asked Lilan to find her paper and pen, and wrote a letter to her.
"Tomorrow, under the pretext of buying rouge for me, secretly deliver it to the Yuan residence, but don't let Jiang Yunjin's people find out."
Jiang Yunjin was keeping her from knowing about her background, so she would investigate herself. Xiao Zheng and the Emperor would not let her go; she had to protect herself and could no longer trust anyone.
At this moment, the study door was tightly closed.
Inside the room, Xiao Jing was still wearing that moon-white brocade robe embroidered with gold python patterns, standing opposite the man who was as aloof as snow on a high mountain.
"I finally learned that Consort Qiong is allergic to peach kernels, and that Xiao Zheng is also allergic. I then guessed that your wife might be the same, which is why I wanted to give it a try. Xiao Zheng has already lost some influence in court. If we don't press our advantage now, when will we? Once this is exposed, either the Chu family will be charged with deceiving the emperor, or they will abandon them and cut their losses to protect themselves. In any case, it will be entirely beneficial to us. Even if it isn't exposed tonight, the fact that they are allergic to the same thing is already strange. We can use this as a pretext to investigate further later."
Xiao Jing frowned and shook her head: "Shenzhi, I really don't understand why you stopped me tonight?"
To prevent any tampering with food, the dietary taboos of noblewomen in the palace were mostly private matters, known only to close confidants. Xiao Jing had gone through several troublesome individuals to uncover this matter, and just when success seemed within reach, Jiang Yunjin forcefully thwarted his plans, causing him to lose his usual gentleness and reveal a hint of impatience.
"Give it a try?" Jiang Yunjin's face, illuminated by the dim candlelight, was as cold as ice, a hint of ruthlessness hidden beneath the chill.
"Is Your Highness gambling with my wife's life?"
His voice was low and deep, not harsh or urgent, but it carried a threatening tone.
Xiao Jing looked surprised. Jiang Yunjin was usually indifferent to people and things, and this was the first time he had seen him show displeasure.
"Be careful..."
"Tonight, Consort Qiong consumed an entire bowl of ghee, and the imperial physician was right beside her; both were in critical condition. Has Your Highness considered that if my wife were to be careless, she might suffer the same fate as Consort Qiong, or even perish? Your Highness, in that case, do you still consider it a trial?"
Faced with the barely concealed anger beneath Jiang Yunjin's cold demeanor, Xiao Jing stood frozen in shock.
After a long pause, Xiao Jing's tone softened slightly: "I will certainly not allow anything to happen to your wife. Moreover, I previously discussed with you exposing this matter as soon as possible, but you repeatedly declined. Shenzhi, revealing this matter will not be a loss for your wife. In order to cover up the true inside story of what happened back then, and to highlight Consort Qiong's reputation and favor, Father Emperor may bestow upon your wife the title of County Princess. She will no longer need to guard against Xiao Jing and Consort Qiong's pursuit. What's wrong with that?"
“Because she doesn’t know what happened back then.” Jiang Yunjin slowly raised his eyes and looked at Xiao Jing, saying, “Isn’t it too cruel for Your Highness to ask her to accept the fact that she was deliberately abandoned by her mother under such a sudden circumstances, and even condoned her son taking her life?”
Seemingly oblivious to Xiao Jing's surprised expression, Jiang Yunjin continued, "Moreover, Yiluo wouldn't like the title of county princess that she gained because of this."
Xiao Jing frowned, looking at Jiang Yunjin with shock: "Shenzhi, you've always prioritized the greater good. Her identity was bound to be revealed sooner or later. How could you do this for her sake..."
Jiang Yunjin spoke softly, the candlelight highlighting his resolute face: "Your Highness, I have said before that I will never marry another in this life. As for the rest, I believe Your Highness understands without me having to say more."
How could Xiao Jing not understand when he spoke so bluntly? He just never expected that Jiang Yunjin would be so obsessed with love that he would neglect his career.
Xiao Jing hesitated, standing there for a long time without saying a word.
"If Your Highness succeeds in your great undertaking in the future, I will do my duty as a subject."
Jiang Yunjin was only halfway through his sentence when Xiao Jing's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at him in disbelief.
Jiang Yunjin continued coldly, "But before that, I'm afraid I will be unable to continue assisting Your Highness."
Xiao Jing instinctively opened his mouth, then hesitated, unsure what to say. Jiang Yunjin, though humble and polite, was also resolute in his actions. Now that he had spoken tonight, he feared there was truly no way to undo the damage. A deep sense of regret welled up in Xiao Jing's heart, but he had no idea that Cui Yiluo was so important to him.
Before leaving, Xiao Jing stood by the door and couldn't help but ask, "Will Shenzhi still consider me a friend in the future?"
Inside the room, Jiang Yunjin, half of his body shrouded in the darkness of the unlit room, bowed his head slightly and said, "Your Highness has helped me greatly, and I will never forget it."
Xiao Jing said nothing more and turned to leave.
He knew that if he attacked Cui Yiluo tonight, Jiang Yunjin would no longer consider him a friend.
After Xiao Jing left, Jiang Yunjin stood in the study, staring blankly ahead, his eyes unfathomable. After a long while, he slowly pulled something out of a hidden pouch in his sleeve.
It was a note.
He slowly unfolded the note, and the contents jumped into view. His eyes darkened further, and he deftly brought the note close to the candlelight. The flickering flame reflected on his pale face.
"The lady is well. On the way, she met Commander Yuan, and the two had a pleasant conversation. However, due to the distance, she could not hear what they were talking about."
Jiang Yunjin lowered his eyes and watched the flames lick and climb upwards rapidly. In just a moment, the note turned to ashes and could no longer be seen.
-
When I returned to my room, the candles in the bedroom had been extinguished, and the room was bathed in the cool, pale moonlight.
Jiang Yunjin frowned slightly and went into the bathing room.
Before long, Cui Yiluo felt a warm sensation behind her.
As if acknowledging that she wasn't asleep, he turned directly towards her. She had her back to him, her long black hair cascading down the bed, her exposed shoulders and neck slightly tense.
I'm sorry to have startled you tonight.
His voice sounded muffled in the darkness. Cui Yiluo paused for a few moments, then whispered, "No."
She wavered for a moment, but quickly regained her composure.
There was a moment of silence behind him, and no one spoke again.
Just when Cui Yilu thought he had fallen asleep, a large hand suddenly wrapped around her waist, and her back pressed tightly against his burning heat. His breath even lightly sprayed onto the top of her head.
Cui Yiluo was already tense, and almost instinctively pushed him away.
But she had to keep it from him first and couldn't show anything unusual in front of him, so she had to suppress it and not do anything.
Has he already gotten used to holding her as he falls asleep? Even though it was she who induced him to do so.
If she loses her usefulness in the future, he will likely seek a suitable, shrewd, and capable matriarch for the Jiang family, and he will also...
Cui Yiluo's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately stopped herself from thinking any further. She didn't know what situation she would be in then, so how could she care about how he was doing? Besides, they were a couple without any feelings for each other, unlike Yang Jingling and Jiang Mingxun, who were childhood sweethearts, or Jiang Zhaoyue and the Prefect of the Capital, who were mutually in love.
She nestled in the man's arms; so much had happened that night. As warmth enveloped her, she quickly drifted off to sleep.
The man behind her still had clear, dark eyes. His gaze swept over her tightly closed eyes, her pert nose, and finally settled on her rosy lips. A strand of hair fell onto them.
After a few breaths, he gently raised his hand and tucked the strand of hair behind her ear.
He then gently moved closer, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pressed his body together completely.
The next day, when Cui Yiluo got up, the man beside her had already left. She turned her head and stared at the empty space for a while, her mind slowly returning. Only then did she put on her clothes, get out of bed, and wash up; she had more important things to do that day.
She arranged to meet Yuan Ling at Yaoxing Tower. Since her last meeting with Zhao Jian at Ruyi Tower, where she intended to deal with Zhao Jian but instead found Jiang Yunjin instead, she deliberately avoided Ruyi Tower this time. Mingguang Tower is located in the south of Shengjing, the furthest from the capital.
It was unclear whether Jiang Yunjin would send someone to follow her, since if something happened to her, wouldn't it be a waste to lose a pawn? Therefore, Cui Yiluo had her carriage circle around most of the city before finally stopping in front of Minghua Pavilion. She pretended to be making winter clothes, changed into a different outfit inside the pavilion, and then changed carriages through the back door before heading towards Yaoxing Tower. This whole process took more than half an hour.
Yuan Ling was already waiting in the private room.
"Lord Yuan has arrived very early. I think our appointment was at 1:30 PM?"
Yuan Ling smiled and slowly poured her a cup of tea.
"Miss Cui has timed it perfectly."
Cui Yiluo had no interest in going back and forth with him, and said bluntly, "I've agreed to the deal proposed by Lord Yuan. Tell me, what do you want?"
Yuan Ling showed no surprise; from the moment he received Cui Yiluo's letter this morning, he knew she had agreed to the deal.
Yuan Ling smiled meaningfully: "But I haven't figured it out yet. What should I do? Didn't Miss Cui say that she doesn't make deals with unclear conditions?"
Cui Yiluo's eyes darkened, but there were priorities, and since she was the one making a deal with him, he naturally adopted a humble attitude. "If Lord Yuan is willing to believe that I won't go back on my word, it doesn't matter if I go back and think about it. If I can do it, I will do my best."
The implication was that if Yuan Ling asked her to do something she couldn't do, she couldn't agree to it.
Yuan Ling casually twirled the white porcelain teacup. "What is it that Miss Cui cannot do?"
"Those are..."
"If I ask you to divorce Lord Jiang, will you do it?"
Cui Yilu frowned immediately. Yuan Ling's words were unexpected. Moreover, his expression was slightly serious, and it was hard to tell whether he was serious or joking.
Suddenly, she had no idea what Yuan Ling's intentions were. Was he testing her relationship with Jiang Yunjin?
A few moments later, Yuan Ling casually put down the teacup he was twirling in his hand, and said with a half-smile, "Just kidding, Miss Cui was frightened? It seems that Miss Cui and Lord Jiang are quite deeply in love."
Cui Yiluo relaxed slightly, not wanting to pay attention to Yuan Ling's sarcastic remarks.
Yuan Ling wasn't annoyed. He raised an eyebrow and continued, "I'll send someone to help you investigate. But I do know something about what happened back then."
Seeing Cui Yiluo look up at him instantly, Yuan Ling's lips curled up again, "But why don't you ask Lord Jiang to help you investigate? I think he should know much more than I do."
He only obeys the emperor's orders and naturally wouldn't investigate matters from eighteen years ago on his own, but Jiang Yunjin is different.
Cui Yiluo's expression turned cold for a moment, then she suppressed it. "Didn't Lord Yuan say that relationships based on mutual benefit are the most enduring?"
She never liked owing favors or exchanging benefits; it was better to keep things clean.
Yuan Ling's smile froze for a moment, then he casually smiled again: "Indeed. However, after what happened last night, I advise Miss Cui to be careful these days."
"I know." Cui Yiluo winked at Lilan, who quickly pulled out a paper package and placed it on the table.
Cui Yiluo pushed the paper package in front of Yuan Ling, "This is the sleeping potion I gave you before, Lord Yuan. I brought two more packets this time, consider it interest for you. So, Lord Yuan, would you like to tell me what you know first?"
Yuan Ling stared at the paper package in front of him for a few seconds, then chuckled and readily accepted it.
"Miss Cui is truly thoughtful."
Even if he didn't have those two packets of medicine, he would have told her anyway.
"I don't know much, and it's all from what's recorded in the palace records. I've only gleaned a few clues from them."
Yuan Ling straightened his expression and said, "In the third year of Yongming, the emperor made a southern tour and passed through Ningzhou in June. This southern tour lasted for more than three months. A month after His Majesty returned to the palace, the Chu family brought back their youngest daughter, who had been raised in a temple since childhood due to her weak health."
Cui Yiluo gently dug her fingertips into her palm. June of the third year of Yongming was six months after her birth.
Yuan Ling's tone was somewhat complicated, and it was impossible to discern his emotions: "This is the Consort Qiong who later became the most favored concubine in the palace and has been the Emperor's favorite ever since."
When Yuan Ling said those words, Cui Yiluo's heart sank.
"Shortly after Consort Qiong entered the palace, she became pregnant. The Emperor was overjoyed and sent people to take good care of her. However, Consort Qiong was born with a weak constitution and gave birth prematurely in the eighth month of her pregnancy. Fortunately, both mother and child were safe."
Yuan Ling didn't need to say anything more; Cui Yiluo understood. Eight months after Consort Qiong entered the palace, she gave birth to the Fifth Prince, Xiao Zheng, and the following year, she gave birth to Princess Hejia, Xiao Ying. After Consort Qiong entered the palace, the Emperor rarely visited the other concubines' palaces. Later, she gave birth to the Seventh Prince, further solidifying her position. Although she didn't have the title of Empress, she held a position equivalent to a secondary Empress.
Giving birth after eight months of pregnancy may not necessarily be considered premature in retrospect.
Cui Yiluo suppressed the emotions welling up inside her and nodded, saying, "I understand. Thank you, Lord Yuan. I'll leave the rest to you."
Yuan Ling hummed in agreement, but his gaze remained fixed on her face.
The conversation ended there. Seeing that Yuan Ling had no intention of adding anything further, Cui Yiluo got up to take her leave.
She left Yaoxing Tower through the back door, returned to Minghua Pavilion to change back into her original clothes, pretending to have spent the whole afternoon choosing clothes, and then left Minghua Pavilion and took the Jiang family's carriage back to the Jiang residence.
It was nearly dusk when Cui Yiluo opened the window and glanced at the sky, where the sunlight cast a faint golden glow.
It should be almost another hour before Jiang Yunjin finishes his shift and returns home.
-
Inside the study of Yuzhu Academy.
Jiang Yunjin sat by the window. It was early winter, and the forsythia trees outside had lost their yellow leaves, leaving only bare branches. His slender fingers held a black chess piece, about to place it.
"Young master."
Wen Feng entered the study hesitantly, and seeing Jiang Yunjin calmly playing chess, he felt even more flustered. He had served Jiang Yunjin for many years and knew that Jiang Yunjin always relied on playing chess alone to relieve his anxiety.
Today, the young master had official business in the suburbs, and returned to the manor ahead of schedule after finishing his business. Upon returning to the manor, the young master went to Jixue Studio, but the studio was empty, and there was no sign of the young mistress.
"explain."
Jiang Yunjin slowly placed the black piece.
Wen Feng frowned, hesitated for a few moments, but still braced himself and told him the news he had received.
"The young mistress first had the coachman drive around most of the city, and our people almost lost track of her. Then she went to Minghua Pavilion, changed her clothes, and even changed her hair ornaments. She then took another carriage through the back door and left for Yaoxing Tower..."
Wen Feng paused, looking conflicted, unsure whether to continue.
Jiang Yunjin placed a white piece, then picked up a black piece, and looked up at Wen Feng.
His eyes were calm, yet carried an imposing presence. Wen Feng had no choice but to continue, "The young mistress and Commander Yuan met in a private room, and they were speaking in hushed tones, so our men couldn't hear what they were saying."
With a soft click, Jiang Yunjin released his fingertip, and the black piece gently fell back into the chess box, merging with the other black pieces.
Jiang Yunjin remained silent, his expression indifferent, as if he were merely listening to mundane matters. However, Wen Feng clearly understood that it was not as simple as he seemed.
He tentatively reassured her, "Lilan went in too. I suppose the young mistress and Commander Yuan simply have other important matters to discuss..."
"Okay, you can go now."
Jiang Yunjin said in a low voice.
Wen Feng glanced at Jiang Yunjin a few times with concern, but knowing his temperament, he didn't say anything and simply obeyed and withdrew, closing the study door behind him.
A gentle breeze blew by; the early winter wind in Shengjing was already quite biting, but the man sitting by the window seemed oblivious, maintaining his upright posture.
He looked down at the black jade bracelet on his wrist. The red jade in the center stood out brightly against the black background, as if it had been forcibly squeezed in, breaking and destroying the harmony and balance, but it also seemed to bring a unique touch of brightness to the black.
Jiang Yunjin gently stroked the red jade, his eyes filled with utter obscurity.
He broke the rules, violated the precepts, and so the only thing about him that she found enjoyable was gone. She got bored and wanted to abandon him, right?
Author's Note: I'm starting to doubt myself, thinking I'm not good enough at living [doge emoji]. The most skilled hunters often appear in the form of prey.
Thank you to all the little ones who watered with nutrient solution! [heart emoji]
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