Chapter 5: Xun Zhu
Jiang Changbai's gaze also fell onto Song Juguang.
Song Juguang, hearing this, laughed lightly, as if liking Jiang Changbai calling out her name intentionally. She didn't at all pay attention to everyone who'd gathered before the Wumen Hall, tilting her head, only Jiang Changbai's reversed figure visible in her eyes. "Naturally, I'll follow what Bixia says."
The six short characters delivered the wizened minister's death sentence. Jiang Changbai could vaguely see his posture weaken in a flash, and he knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing. What it was he was repeating in his mouth wasn't audible. Wei Sharen emerged from within the soldiers, and doing so, picked up one of his feet and dragged him outwards. He was clearly a living person, but in her hand, he was like an object, as light as a feather. There were traces of dripping moisture on the hall's ground; no one cared about what it was.
The ceremony concluded in silence; all of the ministers followed the path they'd come in on when leaving; as for whether or not every mind of theirs had sinister designs, Jiang Changbai didn't have any way to find out.
Unexpectedly, Song Juguang walked opposite the direction all of the ministers were walking, following at Jiang Changbai's side. The palace maids and court eunuchs in this palace by and large all recognised Song Juguang; as soon as they saw her, they hurried give obeisance to her. Actually, in one night, Jiang Changbai had guessed that Song Juguang's spies were found throughout the palace, but at this moment, facing the knowledge, she was still somewhat shocked.
The two walked like this directly to the Yangxin Hall; in the end, Jiang Changbai wasn't able to restrain herself. She suddenly paused, turning her head to stare at Song Juguang, and asked, "Until when will Guoshi continue to follow after Us?"
"Bixia," Song Juguang's expression flashed with some frustration, "just now, you didn't refer to this minister this way."
Jiang Changbai simply felt that a stomachful of words had been stoppered up within; she didn't understand why Song Juguang cared this much about appellations, and also didn't wish to know. But as soon as she met Song Juguang's gaze, the bottom of her heart flashed with a few threads of reluctance. "A Guang," Jiang Changbai said, her tone still softening, "I'm tired."
Song Juguang's voice was filled with deep concern, and she hurriedly asked, "You were tired last night, and tired today; could it be that Bixia isn't living comfortably in the palace?"
Jiang Changbai's heart, on hearing this, felt pleased, and only after thinking for a while did she say, "The people at my side, I'm not accustomed to employing them; A Guang, I can't even call out the name of the palace maid at my side."
At this, Song Juguang understood Jiang Changbai's meaning, and so said, "What she's called isn't important. Since Bixia isn't accustomed to calling her name, then you may as well choose another name for her."
Jiang Changbai's expression stilled; after hesitating for a brief moment, she extended her hand to grasp Song Juguang's. The warmth of the touch followed up the path of her arm and to her heart, and Jiang Changbai made her voice more mild, such that it carried a bit of an implication of appeal. "A Guang, at least bring Xun Zhu in."
Yet Song Juguang's voice rose a few degrees without any reason. "Bixia is this concerned about the people within the Prince's residence from before?"
"Of course; Xun Zhu grew up with me from childhood; tossing aside the roles of master and servant, we're more like close relatives."
"Then what of me?" Song Juguang asked.
The two's lines of sight struck each other in midair; Song Juguang stared fixedly into Jiang Changbai's eyes, attempting to read the answer from within. It was only that Jiang Changbai didn't give her an opportunity, and it was actually she who blurted out, "You are as well, you're all my close relatives." As she spoke, Jiang Changbai reached out her other hand and covered Song Juguang's hand; her stature was a bit lower than Song Juguang's, and she had to raise her head to look at her.
Song Juguang, from within these eyes, read sincerity. It was as if time was, in a flash, pulled back to that summer of countless years ago; she was standing in the foul atmosphere of a group of people, looking at Jiang Changbai, step after step, approaching her, tugging at her hand and asking her if she wanted to be her reading companion.
Nothing had changed.
Suddenly, the Yangxin Hall's door was pushed open, and a girl wearing deep green clothes hurried towards Jiang Changbai. The girl's face was thin, yet her eyes were both round and bright, and before she'd run closer, her voice called out, "Dianxia, you're really alright!"
After seeing this girl, Jiang Changbai's face flashed uncontrollably with some pleasant surprise; she extended her hand to grasp her, indicating she shouldn't give obeisance. "Xun Zhu!"
It was only Song Juguang's expression that was ashen, and she corrected coldly from the side, "This is the current emperor."
Xun Zhu, on hearing this, was somewhat startled, her round eyes blinking. But Jiang Changbai didn't seem to mind, and treating it as no great thing, said, "Between us, there doesn't need to be that many rules; as long as you call me properly before others, it's fine."
"Alright!"
The two, master and servant, one before the other, walked towards the centre of the hall, yet after taking a few steps, she realised that Song Juguang was still standing in her original place. Jiang Changbai didn't fully understand, and she turned her head to ask, "A Guang, how come you're still standing there?"
Song Juguang had originally been crossing her arms as she stood in her original place, and hearing Jiang Changbai's words, she dropped her arms, and said faintly, "Didn't Bixia just say she was tired? This humble minister won't bother you anymore."
Jiang Changbai inexplicably heard some aggrievement in Song Juguang's words, and for a moment, she was astonished. Yet she was also clear that Xun Zhu didn't have the ability to run into the palace in the slightest, and her own ability at the moment to wear this bright yellow emperor's gown was even more dependant on Song Juguang. So, Jiang Changbai turned around, and, like just before, grabbed Song Juguang's hand to lead her. "A Guang, I still have a lot that I want to say to you."
Song Juguang raised her brows, and didn't say anything more. But her entire person obediently followed along with Jiang Changbai, walking towards the Yangxin Hall.
When they arrived at the hall, Jiang Changbai hurriedly tugged Song Juguang into the side chamber to sit down; Xun Zhu was more or less capable of guessing Jiang Changbai's thoughts, and retreated silently out of the side chamber; as she left, she even took up the duty of guarding the door.
The summer days were always hot; even if at the right side, a basin was filled with ice that had just been brought out from the cellar, and at the left side, the window had just been opened, Jiang Changbai's forehead still exuded a fine sweat. But on the other hand, Song Juguang, who sat across from her, seemed to be unable to feel the heat, and although the clothes she wore were clearly thicker than Jiang Changbai's, she didn't even show a single trace.
"What was it that Bixia wished to speak of with this minister?"
Jiang Changbai, hearing this, was slightly startled, and her voice slowed a good deal. "A Guang, you know, I've always seen you as family."
Song Juguang's eyes fixed on Jiang Changbai's face, and she didn't make a sound.
This problem, Jiang Changbai's heart originally had had an answer to, but these last two days, Song Juguang's words and actions caused her to own conjecture to waver somewhat. She spoke slowly. "That time, after I returned to Beijing, I looked for you for a long time; since you also knew that I was searching for you, why didn't you return to the Prince's residence?"
"I still had more important things that needed to be done," Song Juguang said, her back straight, and there was a distance between her waist and the soft cushion behind her. Her eyes were very firm, and her deep black eyes dispelled a faint light.
Before Jiang Changbai could ask the next question, she saw a black crow fly in through the window, and made a circle around the room, and then unhurriedly alighted on Song Juguang's shoulder. Song Juguang raised her hand and stroked the crow's head, shifting her shoulders to make it leave, and then immediately said, "Bixia, this minister asks for leave." Then, the crow flew out of the window, and Song Juguang followed out, leaving in the direction the crow had.
Seeing Song Juguang had walked away, only then did Xun Zhu enter the side chamber. Jiang Changbai had stayed alone in the palace for almost a day and a night, and naturally she was incredibly worried about the circumstances outside the palace, and without asking for Xun Zhu to come in, hurriedly asked, "How is Beijing? How is the Prince's residence? How is mother? How is Qianbing? How are the others in the residence?"
Yet, faced with these successive questions of Jiang Changbai's, Xun Zhu's expression relaxed a good degree, and one by one, she answered. "Beijing is safe; as this servant entered the palace, I secretly opened the curtains and took a look; the commoners who had been hiding in their homes also dared to come onto the streets; the Prince's residence is also well; after you left, the Guoshi left the troops under her command to stand guard, and there wasn't a single injury; Xie-xiaojie and the others were put out of the Prince's residence, and this servant didn't see them, but thinking of it, they ought to be safe as well." Xun Zhu paused deliberately, and then added with a smile, "As for the Queen Mother, at this time, she's in the Cining Palace, and I would trouble Bixia to go see her yourself."
Just then, listening carefully, Jiang Changbai hadn't heard of Lu Pingwan's location; even if she knew that Song Juguang probably wouldn't act in any way towards her, her heart couldn't help but rise. Now, hearing Xun Zhu say she was in the Cining Palace, she was immediately unable to sit for a moment, and stood up, heading out of the hall.
The afternoon was the hottest time of the day; Jiang Changbai had only stepped out of the hall's gates when she felt the waves of heat assault her thighs one after another, and the sun above the crown of her head shone scaldingly without stopping for a moment. But without even waiting for her to speak, her entire figure was covered by a shade cover.
Only on turning her head did she discover that it was an unfamiliar palace maid, holding up a gauze-covered parasol, following behind her, and behind this palace maid followed even more palace maids and court eunuchs. And when Jiang Changbai turned her head around once more, she saw Xun Zhu, her hands hanging at either side, her expression somewhat helpless.
Jiang Changbai had always disliked inconvenience; in the Prince's residence, there wasn't the custom of holding parasols during clear days, so naturally Xun Zhu wasn't able to think of this. So, she cast a placating glance at Xun Zhu, and then stilled her steps and turned around to look at the palace maids behind her.
They also stilled. Jiang Changbai raised her hand, wanting to say something, yet in the end her words didn't come. "Let's go," Jiang Changbai said quietly, and then turned around once more
But when she had walked to the Cining Palace, she discovered that the great doors were closed tightly, and only two maids were on guard before the Palace. Seeing Jiang Changbai had arrived, one of them walked forward, paying obeisance, and said, "Bixia, the Queen Mother is reciting scripture in the Palace, and urged that it was you who came, we tell you to leave."
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