Chapter 42: A nod

The white porcelain cup cover slipped out of Yang Zhuofei's hand, rolling a few circles on the tabletop, and then finally tumbled to the ground, and in an answering sound, shattered. She'd clearly not guessed that, today, Song Juguang and Jiang Changbai, one after the other, would come to Prince Yu's manor, which, in a month, didn't even see a single visitor; her gaze, looking towards Jiang Changbai, was full of astonishment. But Yang Zhuofei, in the end, was a senior, and grew calm quickly, rising to give obeisance towards Jiang Changbai. "This subject didn't know Bixia would come; excuse me for not coming out to meet you."

"No matter, We only came on a last moment whim," Jiang Changbai said, waving her hand to indicate to her to rise, and then immediately looked towards Song Juguang, and asked, "how could it be that A Guang is here as well?"

Yang Zhuofei rose, and only then was able to call a maid to clear away the fragments on the ground. Before she could sit down once more, she heard Song Juguang's voice. "Ah, this minister was about to ask, how it could be that Bixia is here as well?"

Song Juguang spoke these words with a smile, it was as if she wanted to brighten up the atmosphere. Yet Jiang Changbai suddenly fell silent, not replying at all, but rather paying attention only to herself, and walking to the head seat to sit down. In the time it took to speak a few sentences, the people in the room switched their places; the two of Jiang Changbai and Song Juguang sat separated by the table, while Yang Zhuofei, who was this place's master, had already sat down on the stool she'd had a maid bring in, sitting lower than the two. Yang Zhuofei didn't have much inclination to guess at the atmosphere between the two people before her, and rather, from time to time, her gaze would flicker to the outside of the window behind them, what she was looking at unknown.

Song Juguang, seeing Jiang Changbai wasn't speaking, didn't force her either, but rather explained herself: "When this minister returned to my residence, by chance, I encountered Sun-taiyi, whose carriage had broken down at the gates. This minister, seeing she was in a hurry to come to Prince Yu's manor, and having no matters to attend to, brought her here. Unexpectedly, it was familiarity at first sight with the Princess Yu, and so we chatted a bit."

"Yes, exactly," Yang Zhuofei echoed, a faint smile rising at the corners of her lips. "This subject had only heard of Wangjun's deeds before, yet had never met her in person. Having been able to meet her today, we got along quite well."

Jiang Changbai's eyes, listening to the two of them echo each other, rapidly darkened. But she only turned her head to look at Yang Zhuofei, and asked, "Then, why was Sun-taiyi coming?"

The Sun-taiyi they mentioned wasn't too old, more or less the same age as the two of Jiang Changbai and Song Juguang, and had only been able to be chosen to enter the Palace after Jiang Changbai had ascended the throne. She'd always only been responsible for attending to the health of the dowager consorts and dowager concubines in the Rear Court, and so, Jiang Changbai only dimly remembered there was such a person, but as for anything else, she didn't know a single thing.

Yang Zhuofei was only about to answer after laughing, but she heard Song Juguang speak first. "Replying to Bixia, Sun-taiyi said that the Princess Yu was stricken with a severe illness, and sent her pendant to the Palace to request an imperial physician for diagnosis and treatment."

Jiang Changbai's mind felt strange, bewildered as to why, now, Song Juguang had jumped forward to help Yang Zhuofei out of trouble. But her expression didn't show it in the slightest degree, and her gaze swept over Yang Zhuofei's face; when she spoke again, her voice carried a chill. "Yet when We look, the Princess Yu is in quite good health!"

Yang Zhuofei seemed to have been startled by these words of Jiang Changbai's, and she hurried to stand from the chair and make obeisance again. "Bixia, please forgive me. It was this morning, when this subject woke from sleep, that I felt my chest in such pain that I could barely breathe, and so urgently called for a maid to take the pendant into the Palace to request an imperial physician come and see me. It's just that, after a while, it passed on its own, and so it looks as if there's no issue at all."

Jiang Changbai didn't believe this excuse of Yang Zhuofei's, but when she raised her gaze, she saw this weak, frail appearance of her. In terms of seniority, Yang Zhuofei counted as her elder, and in terms of age, Yang Zhuofei was also a great many years older than her as well. At this moment, the room had so many people, yet there wasn't the necessity of investigating further. So, Jiang Changbai put on a concerned expression, and asked, "Then, what was it that Sun-taiyi was able to see?"

Unexpectedly, when these words were spoken, the tears in Yang Zhuofei's eyes fell as if a string of pearls that had been severed, and when she spoke, there was even a bit of a sob. "Replying to Bixia, Sun-taiyi said that it was this subject having harmed her heart through too much worry. Every day, this subject thinks of her Mingyou, not knowing whether he's well or not now, whether or not he can eat his fill—"

Jiang Changbai tilted her head to look at Song Juguang, and her eyes, could read a bit of exasperation as well. Clearly, before Jiang Changbai had come, Song Juguang had heard this sort of pretext as well. "Alright," Jiang Changbai said, coughing lightly, "if Jiang Mingyou is still alive, sooner or later, you'll find him."

"Mingyou," Yang Zhuofei said, crying such that she was gasping for breath, yet her tone was incredibly steady, "Mingyou, he's alive still; it's just that this subject hasn't found him yet."

Jiang Changbai shook her head, knowing that continuing listen to her speech, it would only result in the same answer; so, she only said, "Today, We came out into the capital in plain clothes, and by chance, passed by here and thought to come in and take a look. Now that the skies have already darkened, We ought to return; take care of your health—looking for someone is looking for someone; don't harm your health." Jiang Changbai added a "leaving", and rose, heading outside; the tea that the maid had just brought to the table, she hadn't drunk even a mouthful. Xun Zhu hurriedly followed after, but having made it a few steps, she saw Jiang Changbai suddenly stop. "Are you not leaving?" Jiang Changbai asked, gazing at Song Juguang, still sitting on the chair still, unmoving as a mountain.

Song Juguang laughed softly. "Is it that Bixia wants this minister to leave with you?"

Yet that single sentence called a flush to climb up Jiang Changbai's ears; luckily, at the moment, the sun had already set in the west, and the sunset glow of the clouds hid away this smear of red entirely. She stilled for a moment, and only then nodded faintly, yet what she said was, "We have important matters to discuss with you." Before she'd finished speaking, she turned, and left.

Initially, Song Juguang's heart had had some resentment towards Jiang Changbai, but now, this resentment inexplicably dispersed entirely. The corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl into a faint smile, and she rose as well, bidding farewell to Yang Zhuofei, and then took great strides to chase after Jiang Changbai to leave.

Only once the two had gone distant did Yang Zhuofei hurriedly rush towards the rear courtyard. Her personal servant had changed into coarse cloth attire, and, head lowered, she left from the side door, where she was heading to unknown.

When Song Juguang made it to the gates, Jiang Changbai's carriage had already made it some distance. She wasn't angered, and mounted her horse. The horse's hooves collided with the flagstones, making a faint sound, and in barely a few breaths' time, Song Juguang had caught up to the carriage carrying Jiang Changbai. Afterwards, the carriage's speed inexplicably slowed, and Song Juguang simply jumped directly onto Jiang Changbai's carriage. As for that horse of hers, it was as if it were still carrying a rider, obediently racing towards the Regent's residence.

Jiang Changbai merely felt the carriage suddenly sway, and before she could react, the curtains were pulled aside. The warm yellow light of the setting sun crept in through the cracks, and Song Juguang came in along with this light. Song Juguang sat across from Jiang Changbai as carefreely as she had before, as if no awkwardness had been produced between the two of them at all. Xun Zhu lowered her head, her gaze sweeping across the bottoms of Jiang Changbai and Song Juguang's clothes' skirts; she thought for a moment, and in the end, parted the curtains and went to sit outside.

Jiang Changbai looked at Song Juguang, wanting to speak, yet not knowing how to start. Song Juguang's back was still as straight as a brush, and her eyes, looking at Jiang Changbai, carried a smile. "Didn't Bixia say there were important matters to discuss with this minister?"

Jiang Changbai stiffly tilted her head, yet she didn't try evading. "It was merely a thoughtless excuse. I'm returning to the Palace; if you don't have any affairs, you should return to your residence as well."

This time, Song Juguang wasn't willing to talk in riddles with Jiang Changbai, and so she said, bluntly, "This minister suspects that Bixia didn't truly merely on a whim decide to come in and take a look while passing by Prince Yu's manor. If this minister isn't wrong, the first place you went after leaving the Palace was, perhaps, this minister's residence."

Jiang Changbai's expression froze, yet yet gaze met Song Juguang's. She'd just thought to speak, when she was cut off by Song Juguang again. "Just now, this minister discovered some interesting matters at Prince Yu's manor; if you'd like to know, Bixia, please be a bit more candid with this minister on this matter."

Jiang Changbai swallowed back the words which had just come to her mouth. "You believe We are deceiving you?"

Yet Song Juguang, at this moment, shifted her gaze away, even her voice growing a degree weaker. She said, "This minister doesn't fear that her highness is deceiving her, but I fear that A Bai doesn't trust me."

Jiang Changbai sighed, yet the corners of her lips carried a faint, ironic smile. "Is this an exhibition of the newly-learnt acting skills that A Guang learnt from the Princess Yu for me?"

"Everything this minister said is sincere," Song Juguang said, her expression growing a bit more resolute at these words. "You knew that this minister was at Prince Yu's manor, and, fearing that this minister was collaborating with the Princess Yu, hurried over, didn't you?"

Jiang Changbai didn't speak.

"Bixia," Song Juguang sighed, feeling somewhat powerless. "If this minister didn't guess incorrectly, then nod."

Jiang Changbai hadn't expected Song Juguang would choose to lay out this subject they'd always avoided speaking about so clearly before her; now, she could only hear her own heart beating more and more rapidly in her chest, her eardrums ringing. But even though Song Juguang had said this, at this moment, Jiang Changbai could still deny it. She only had to shake her head.

In her heart, Jiang Changbai knew full well that, as long as she shook her head, they could once more avoid this topic and not speak of it. As long as she faintly shook her head, they could continue to maintain the subtle relationship of before.

She merely hesitated for a moment, and then drew a deep breath, and stiffly and heavily nodded. She'd long since had enough of a life of restraining her fear of Song Juguang day after day.

It's fine, Jiang Changbai told herself. It's better to speak of it.

Song Juguang, seeing Jiang Changbai first fall silent, had assumed she would deny it, and had long since thought of what she herself would say next. Yet Jiang Changbai's actions went against her expectations, and the mental outline she'd made just then no longer had a use. So, in a rare turn, she was at a loss for words. Then, shortly thereafter, she laughed in relief; it was as if the stone Song Juguang had been holding down had been shattered to pieces by Jiang Changbai's movement, and she said, "This minister would never collaborate with others; this minister will forever be loyal to only you alone."

As she spoke these words, Song Juguang gazed fixedly at Jiang Changbai, her gaze full of resolution. But Jiang Changbai had long since heard these words countless times, and felt that there was no novelty to them, wasting her candour of just before. So, having lost interest, she asked, "What did you discover in Prince Yu's manor?"

Song Juguang pressed her lips together, an unconscious degree of disappointment flashing in her heart. But she still followed her own promise. "In Prince Yu's manor, now, I fear, Yang Zhuofei isn't the only master."

Jiang Changbai, hearing this, was flabbergasted. "Besides her, who else could there be? Could it be that Yang Zhuofei brought in some sisters of hers into the manor?"

Song Juguang scoffed coldly. "If it were some sister, this minister wouldn't have gone so far as to especially make my way there. In the past few days, there have been people who told this minister that they saw the carriage of Prince Yu's manor return only when the city's gates were about to close; the skies were dark, and it couldn't be seen clearly, yet a city guard caught the scent of a strong medicinal smell coming from within the carriage."

"You mean…?"

Song Juguang smiled. "This minister also thought so, and so arranged for someone to investigate the direction the carriage had come from. As expected, it had come from Boyang, and so what was within that carriage, I fear, was—"

"Jiang Mingyou," Jiang Changbai seemed to have spoken without thought, but she still didn't understand. "Didn't you say that Jiang Mingyou died early on?"

Song Juguang shrugged her shoulders. "The true Jiang Mingyou did die, but in a world this big, how could it not be possible to find someone with a similar appearance? More than that, I fear that, in the borders of Boyang, everyone knew that there was a Princess Yu in the capital city looking for her own child, and men who wish to reach the heavens in a single bound are countless."

"So, Yang Zhuofei requested Sun-taiyi to come to the manor in order to diagnose and treat this 'Jiang Mingyou' she didn't know whether or not was true. It was just that she happened to be interrupted by you."

"This minister's guess is precisely so; after all, by this minister's appraisal, the Princess Yu's health is in excellent condition."

Jiang Changbai was somewhat astonished. "You know medicine, as well?"

"A little bit."

Jiang Changbai's eyes, hearing this, grew a bit darker, and, in her gaze on Song Juguang, the strangeness increased a bit. "You truly aren't the same as when you were young anymore." If it were before, Jiang Changbai would never have said these words. But now was now, and in this small, four-sided carriage, she unexpectedly felt that she could, perhaps, trust Song Juguang a bit more, and no longer need to maintain that sort of guardedness.

Song Juguang gazed at Jiang Changbai, her entire figure full of forthrightness. "But this minister's heart has never changed."

With the sun sinking in the west, only a fine thread of light remained on the horizon. The thick clouds that had been piled up in the vault of the skies were blown away by the wind, and even the capital, which had been overcast for so many days, in this moment, unexpectedly cleared.

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