Chapter 30: Princess
Suddenly, that deep green foliage shifted; first swaying slightly, and then the extent of the shaking grew greater and greater, as if something was about to wind out from within. Song Juguang stroked the unremarkable stone by her side; with a wave of her wrist, in an instant, the stone rushed towards there with the sound of breaking.
Pu.
It was the sound of stone piercing flesh. Yet the sound of something heavy falling over didn't rise with it, and after this sound, the empty space was once more silent. Looking intently, it was merely a wild rabbit laying on the ground, its breath already gone.
"Ah." Song Juguang let out a breath, sneering as she rose from the ground, holding the folding fan that had, who knew when, become grasped in her grip; after a few steps, she stopped in front of the shrubbery. "Stop putting on an act; do you need me to drag you out?" she asked sternly.
Of course, the only thing that answered her was the echo of her own voice.
"You overestimate your capabilities."
Once she finished speaking, Song Juguang sprung forward, her left hand, which wasn't holding the fan, turning into claws, striking forward. The shrubbery, which just then hadn't made the slightest sound, suddenly shook violently, and a black-clad woman's figure appeared impressively from within. The woman's hair was gathered in a high pony-tail at the back of her head, and she wore a black past over her face, and it seemed as if her entire body was about to fuse together with the black of the night.
As someone who had managed to follow Song Juguang until here from the capital, the black-clad woman was, of course, somewhat capable. In her hand, a glinting, silver-gleaming dagger suddenly appeared, and she struck towards Song Juguang's left hand. Song Juguang, just then, had expended effort to rush forward, and if she didn't dodge this, her hand would definitely be cut through by this woman.
Yet, she didn't dodge. Actually, it was that black-clad woman who seemed to have had some misgivings, and just before she struck Song Juguang, her hand turned to the right, only tearing the corner of her clothes. But, because of this, she also avoided Song Juguang's grasping had from just then, unceasingly striking forward, and in these couple of steps, she was just about to rush into the greenery.
Of course, how could Song Juguang be willing to let her go? She hurriedly adjusted her angle, about to chase after her. The distance between them grew smaller and smaller, the black-clad woman instinctively knew that couldn't escape; she turned her hand over, and threw the short dagger in her hand towards Song Juguang. But this strike, sparing no effort, was thrown aside by a light blow of Song Juguang's fan, the powerless dagger seeming to have lost its lustre, falling to the ground like broken copper and rusted iron, rolling a couple times and getting covered in dust.
In the end, that black-clad woman was still captured by Song Juguang, bound against a tree trunk, cutting a sorry figure. But her back was still straight. Song Juguang only pulled off her mask after tying her up with quite a few notes, yet beneath the mask, there was, surprisingly, a familiar face. Meng Daosheng turned her head, unwilling to look at Song Juguang.
Actually, while Jiang Changbai had agreed for Song Juguang to depart for Boyang, she'd still been worried, fearing that she'd do something in Boyang. As a result, after Song Juguang had left the Palace in the early morning, she'd secretly commanded Meng Daosheng to furtively follow after her, and note down everything she saw and heard, and once she returned to the capital, to report it all to her. Originally, Meng Daosheng wouldn't have been able to keep up; luckily, after Song Juguang had left the Palace, she'd dallied at her residence for a good while, and it was only this which gave her thte opportunity.
Looking at this face of Meng Daosheng's, Song Juguang was able to guess the majority of this matter, but she wasn't angry, and unhurriedly walked back to the spot she'd been at before. With this amount of time, that rabbit she'd placed over the bonfire, had actually gotten burnt. Her lips curled, and she picked up the dagger Meng Daosheng had dropped on the ground, using the light of the fire to carefully cut away the scorched portions. The wild rabbit had only been sprinkled with salt, and wasn't that tasty. Song Juguang gazed at the bonfire, gnawing on the already somewhat charred rabbit's meat, as if in a daze.
Actually, she'd anticipated this from early on, such that the extra bit of time she'd rested at her residence had been her staying intentionally. Since time immemorial, the emperors had used the imperial personal pronoun,[1] and, sitting on that throne, being a bit more suspicious was a good thing. It was such that even Song Juguang herself was willing to see this; there wasn't anyone beneath the heavens who hoped Jiang Changbai could truly mature as Emperor than her. But now, when this matter occurred, she inexplicably felt that her mouth was full of a bitterness.
Ah, it must be that the rabbit was salted too heavily, Song Juguang thought to herself.
Drinking some water, she swallowed the rabbit meat in her mouth, and then turned her head to look at Meng Daosheng. "You've really improved quite a bit; now, even without riding a horse, you can keep up with this regent."
Meng Daosheng had, since childhood, been the fastest in any group; usually, when others were still halfway up the mountain, she'd already climbed to the peak. Even if Song Juguang hadn't interacted with her, her skill was fresh in her mind. It was jsut that she hadn't imagined that, having been apart so many years, Meng Daosheng's pace had caught up to a horse's.
Yet Meng Daosheng's head was still tilted to the side, and no matter what Song Juguang said, she didn't pay her any mind. When the bonfire was about to burn out entirely, she finally spoke, her epxression that of a reverence-inspiring devotion to righteousness. "Even if I've been caught by you, whether you kill me or cut off my limbs, do as you see fit."
Hearing this, Song Juguang laughed lightly, and asked in reply, "Who said I wanted to kill you?"
Meng Daosheng's expression was that of fearlessly facing death. "You've tied me up to a tree for so long by now; what are you doing acting like a good person?"
"Go on, try and move about," Song Juguang said, not looking at her now, and once she finished speaking, she rose, and stamped the bonfire out, unexpectedly about to gather up her things and prepare to continue travelling. Meng Daosheng was startled at first, and then immediately compliantly exerted herself to pull at the rope tying her hands up. The rope slipped down the tree trunk; actually, just then, Song Juguang had only tied a slipknot.
Meng Daosheng was deeply perplexed, and asked her, "Why did you?"
"I had never wanted to capture you," Song Juguang said, shrugging, entirely uncaring. "Once we arrive at the next town, we'll buy a horse, and you can follow after this regent justly and honourably."
Meng Daosheng was rooted to the spot; she clearly couldn't understand what sort of medicine Song Juguang was selling from within her calabash gourd. After all, the task she'd received was to secretly shadow Song Juguang, and to never let her realise. So, Meng Daosheng naturally assumed that she ought to stand in opposition to Song Juguang, or, that was to say, it was Jiang Changbai behind her who was standing in opposition to Song Juguang. But now, she began to grow sceptical of the perception she'd had of herself before. Thinking it over for a while, she said, "I'll go back myself and take the penalty."
Song Juguang cast a sideways glance at her. "Don't worry, this regent didn't see anything tonight." Once she finished speaking, she mounted the horse, not lighting a torch. The rider and horse disappeared into the boundless darkness of the night.
The sun still hung high in the capital, yet, at this moment, in Jiang Changbai's imperial study, a rare visitor sat.
The woman looked to be over thirty years old; she wore dark gold women's attire, and she wore a dark red jade bracelet, and unexpectedly had a degree of graceful luxuriance.
"In terms of seniority, We ought to call you Our older sister-in-law." Although this was what Jiang Changbai's mouth said, there wasn't the slightest trace of warmth in her eyes. After all, she'd truly never had any interaction with this Princess Yu. But now, she'd suddenly sought an audience, and it was far too much of a coincidence.
Yang Zhuofei, hearing this, hurriedly stood from the chair, and gave obeisance, saying, "This subject wouldn't dare."
Jiang Changbai waved at her, indicating she sit, and didn't pay her any more attention, merely lowering her head to handle her own affairs. In the end, it was Yang Zhuofei who, aggrieved, spoke first. "This subject begs Bixia to support her!"
Jiang Changbai raised her head once more, and, seeing her weeping, teary expression, a discontent rose in her heart. Prince Yu had died an untimely death, and, in the previous emperor's time, Prince Yu's residence had truly not passed their days that easily. But now, with the royal family faded and withered, besides Jiang Changbai and Lu Pingwan, only Yang Zhuofei herself remained. With this sort of status, how could anyone mistreat her anymore?
But Jiang Changbai, even if she were more impatient, had to ask a few questions; if she didn't comfort her and chased her away, the troubles in the coming days would be a great hastle. Jiang Changbai's expression was as usual, and she asked, "What matter?"
Yang Zhuofei's eyes lit up, and she said, "Although it was said that Mingyou died in the chaos of war, afterwards, though I turned everything over to look for his jade pendant, I couldn't find that one of Mingyou's. That one of Mingyou's fell to the ground, once, in his childhood, and has a fine crack. This subject thought, oculd it be that Mingyou is still living, and was merely temporarily trapped somewhere, unable to return?
"As a mother, how could I not love my child dearly? These past days, this subject has been searching for him ceaselessly. But the Great Li's territory is great, and it's just as searching for a needle in a great sea; the expenses grew greater and greater. The Prince's residence never had that much saved up, and with the search, it's all been used up."
Jiang Mingyou was Prince Yu's heir; when Song Juguang had incited that rebellion, he'd gone missing. According to Song Juguang, he'd died in the military chaos, and not even left a corpse. Even his jade pendant had only been found afterwards, when searching the battlefield. But, if he were to be alive now, he'd only be twenty-three years old.
The impatience in Jiang Changbai's heart grew greater; the matter of privately moving about treasury money had yet to be resolved, and now, a relative came asking to borrow money. But this matter had to be investigated in secret, and no one else could be allowed to know; so, she could only think of another excuse to turn her away. But she couldn't have imagined that before she could speak, Yang Zhuofei began to speak once more.
"Luckily, before Prince Yu passed away, he discussed with Liu-daren; when Liu-daren saw that this subject was struggling to support the Prince Yu's residence by herself, he took pity on this subject's love for her son, and loaned this subject some money. But these past few days, this subject heard rumours from street stalls that Liu-daren moved treasury money for personal reasons, and that he was a corrupt official; all of this is utter nonsense!
"Only on asking more did this subject learn that Liu-daren lent all of his money to this subject, and only at this did he cuase himself to be unable to make ends meet, his elbows exposed when pulling at his lapels; only having no alternative did he borrow money from the state treasury. Although this subject isn't that educated, I know one cannot allow their benefactor to fall into dire straits, and so I pawned off all the valuable items in the manor, nearly two hundred thousand liang of silver, and so I've come to fill Liu-daren's lack for him.
"I ask Bixia to note it clearly, and don't cause a faithful official to unjustly meet criticism!"
As she spoke, Yang Zhuofei unexpectedly knelt, her posture that of being not about to rise without Jiang Changbai's nod. Jiang Changbai's gaze locked on her, and though her expression didn't reveal anything, stormy waves were rising in her mind. From the time that Xie Qianbing had brought that transfer note before her to now, taking everything into account, it had barely been two days. But now, there was only the four of she herself, Song Juguang, Xie Qianbing, and Lin Yingqing who knew; how could rumour have spread about the streets so quickly?
So, if it weren't that Liu Zihe had a previous record, it was that he himself knew that the transfer slip had been taken, and had sent Yang Zhuofei here to probe into her intentions. But regardless of what possibility it was, none of them were ones that Jiang Changbai wanted to see.
"Quickly, rise; by seniority, you are Our older sister-in-law; there's no need to be this proper." Jiang Changbai sighed, and gestured to Xun Zhu, waiting at the side, to help Yang Zhuofei up. "We will investigate this matter thoroughly, and will not cause any faithful official to fear. Take this money back; you're alone in the Prince's residence, and there's always something that needs money. Our Great Li's state treasury hasn't yet become so empty."
"This is the second matter that this subject has come to seek help from Bixia for," Yang Zhuofei said, still kneeling regardless of how Xun Zhu tried to pull her to her feet. "This subject lives alone in the Prince's residence, and the middle of every night, the time my dreams return to are thoughts of this subject's Mingyou. This subject doesn't know if he's eating well outside, or whether he's sleeping well. Even if, even if he's no longer in the mortal world, he ought to have left a body.
"So, this subject earnestly requests Bixia help her, help this subject find Mingyou. When he left the capital, he'd said he was heading to Boyang, but now, Boyang is suffering a great drought, and he must be suffering greatly there. I beg that you help this subject, help this subject look for…"
As she spoke, Yang Zhuofei began to cry such that she couldn't speak. Jiang Changbai could only agree, and say that, when she sent people to Boyang next, she'd command them to take along a portrait of Jiang Mingyou's, and then coaxed her for a while, and only then was able to send Yang Zhuofei away.
But as Yang Zhuofei was covered up as she travelled, as she sat in that carriage of hers, the bereavement on her face disappeared in a flash.
Translator's notes:
[1]: 寡人 (guaren), used when an emperor speaks to a subordinate. Literally "lonesome one".
I'm really enjoying this! Thank you for translating it!
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