It so happened that while Jiang Ruan was staying with the Imperial Ancestress, one day Luzhu overheard the little palace eunuchs discussing this incident. After inquiring further, she rushed to inform Jiang Ruan without even taking a sip of her tea. Naturally, Luzhu felt vindicated – back then, all of Jiang Ruan’s personal maids had felt deeply wronged on her behalf. Jiang Ruan pondered briefly – although the Virtuous Empress had stood up for her, she would unlikely stoop to such undignified means. It seemed more like the Zheng manor’s handiwork, but the lady’s nail marks? Jiang Ruan shook her head, her mind turning to one person.
If it was Xiao Shao, that would make sense. The Imperial Guards always acted as they pleased, sometimes not particular about methods. And this tit-for-tat retaliation did feel like a deliberate effort to vent on her behalf.
She had to admit, Xiao Shao’s actions were quite satisfying. A faint smile played on her lips.
At the Jin Ying Prince’s manor, Jin Yi reported Jiang Quan’s matter to Xiao Shao, who was reading a letter at his desk – an express delivery from the Eastern Yi country. Without looking up, Xiao Shao said indifferently, “Well done, go collect your reward.”
“Master, should we let the princess know? Otherwise she won’t realize you did this for her,” Jin Yi spoke up for his master. On this path to winning his lady’s heart, how could he let someone else take all the credit? Although the Imperial Guards cared little for glory normally, one naturally wished to curry maximum favor when pursuing a beauty.
“No need,” Xiao Shao’s eyes remained fixed on the letter. He merely wanted to punish Jiang Quan, while the final handling was up to Jiang Ruan herself. It was a trifling deed not worth mentioning to her, though Jiang Ruan may well have guessed anyway.
Jin Yi inwardly sighed – with the master’s reticence, the young mistress could get whisked away one day with nowhere for him to voice grievances.
…
In the Simeng Hall of the imperial palace, Consort Chen was drinking wine.
Grapes offered as tribute from Persia had been shipped overseas and poured into translucent mutton-fat jade cups, emitting an exquisite purple luster like fine amethyst gems.
Consort Chen’s drunken eyes were half-lidded as if fatigued, her body languid and boneless as she sank into the soft settee, exuding a gentle dreaminess reminiscent of a river town in Jiangnan. Her lips curved upwards slightly, her melodious voice carrying a chilling sobriety.
“You say you witnessed Jiang Ruan and Liu Min physically tussling in the imperial gardens? And Xiao Shao intervened on her behalf?” Consort Chen asked.
The palace maid lowered her head, “Yes, Your Ladyship.”
With a loud crash, the jade cup filled with fine wine shattered against the floor. The exquisite jade fractured into pieces, its radiant beauty still shining through, like the broken expression on Consort Chen’s face in that moment.
If Jiang Ruan and Liu Min’s association only puzzled Consort Chen, hearing of Xiao Shao’s defense of Jiang Ruan felt like a vicious tug at her heart, filling her with resentful fury.
If anything could not enter Consort Chen’s eyes in this palace apart from the Eighth Prince Ye Li, it was Xiao Shao. Consort Chen had entered the palace in her youth when the emperor already possessed three thousand beauties. With her loveliness and gentle grace, she eventually schemed her way to her current position. Yet every time she drew near the emperor, she felt a faint disgust.
Xiao Shao was different – the perfect dream in every woman’s heart, pure, aloof, elegant, noble. Even though he was around Ye Li’s age, it did not dissuade Consort Chen’s secret, unsavory desires towards him. She could not recall when it began, only that in her youth Xiao Shao had been a tragically handsome lad. Now maintaining her beauty through the years, Xiao Shao had become an irresistibly dashing man.
She thought it would not be unpleasant to gaze upon this man for a lifetime. With Xiao Shao’s cold indifference, he had never associated intimately with women. Learning now of his deep ties to Jiang Ruan felt like a thunderbolt on a clear day, instantly filling Consort Chen with unbearable jealousy.
It felt as if the beautiful dream of her youth was about to slip away from her. If her previous stance towards Jiang Ruan was merely that of a formidable opponent, from this moment on, Consort Chen made a firm resolution – unless she eliminates Jiang Ruan, she vows never to be at peace!
The usually gentle expression on her face was now twisted in a manner that inspired fear.
…
Life in the palace passed leisurely each day. With the Imperial Ancestress’s backing, the eunuchs and palace ladies all treated Jiang Ruan with utmost courtesy. As such, some consorts would occasionally try to ingratiate themselves with Jiang Ruan, as befriending her essentially curried favor with the empress dowager. However, Jiang Ruan’s demeanor towards them remained coolly cordial, polite yet hardly enthusiastic. After a while, the consorts gave up and simply stopped associating with Jiang Ruan.
Luzhu wondered, “Young Mistress, Consort Wang seemed quite kind. Why were you so aloof with her yesterday?”
“She merely had an ulterior motive. Getting entangled could lead to future troubles,” Jiang Ruan explained.
Luzhu stuck out her tongue and fell silent. In fact, Jiang Ruan remembered clearly – in her previous life, this Consort Wang was adept at using favors and slights, acting like a close sister in front of her while cavorting with Xia Jiaojiao behind her back. Not just Consort Wang, which of the emperor’s many consorts was truly innocent? Those who were would likely have been buried long ago.
As they sat drinking tea, the Virtuous Empress soon entered and upon seeing Jiang Ruan said, “Your father sent a letter. I inquired, and it seems your third sister is to be married.”
Jiang Li was getting married? Jiang Ruan lowered her head, deep in thought. Having grown too accustomed to the ease of palace life, she had forgotten about Jiang Li’s impending marriage.
Seeing Jiang Ruan ponder, the Virtuous Empress continued, “Since your third sister is marrying, you will have to return home. I have kept you here for quite some time now, Jiang Quan should have learned his lesson. I will have someone escort you back today. Jiang Quan likely won’t dare act improperly for a while.”
With her immense power, the Imperial Ancestress had long investigated Jiang Quan and Jiang Ruan’s relationship thoroughly. Though Jiang Ruan did not speak of it, she intended to support her. Now that Jiang Li was marrying, as the elder sister Jiang Ruan had to return, and Jiang Quan likely would not dare object.
After considering, Jiang Ruan smiled, “Thank you, Imperial Ancestress.”
The Virtuous Empress studied Jiang Ruan silently. In the three years of knowing her, she could see Jiang Ruan was insightful, gentle in nature, steady in conduct, and far more mature than her peers. Yet for some reason, she always sensed an untouchable depth to Jiang Ruan’s heart. The empress dowager knew Jiang Ruan’s birth mother had passed away early, resonating with her own loss of a daughter years ago. If Princess Yuanrong had not died and given birth, the child would be around Jiang Ruan’s age now. Hence, the Virtuous Empress often felt an uncommon tenderness towards Jiang Ruan.
When departing the palace to return home, Granny Yang from the empress dowager’s staff accompanied Jiang Ruan. As a senior palace lady, even Jiang Quan had to show some face. With such a high-profile return, no one in the Jiang manor dared utter a word. The servants could only gossip privately that the young mistress had grown increasingly formidable.
(End of chapter)
