Chapter 49: A high-minded surface

Translator's note: Many apologies for the late update! I've been busy IRL. Sunday's chapter should be up tomorrow.

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In the end, Liang Jiwen did move into the Palace, right on the morning of the second day, barely after morning court had concluded. Song Juguang, despite what she'd said, had accepted this duty, and even if her mind was still conflicted, she still diligently and dutifully watched people move the two, master and servant's, things into the Rongfan Palace.

Actually, the two of Liang Jiwen's party, master and servant, didn't have much luggage to start with; the clothes they'd brought along now were actually all from Wen Song, the day before, thinking them too pitiful, paying for them from her own pocket to help them out. The couple of items of clothing truly didn't necessitate having a great number people come and move them; what people were coming and going in and out of the palace moving right now were all some large pieces of furniture.

From the time Jiang Changbai had ascended the throne, the Rear Court had been like a spacious prisoner's cage. There was no longer anyone coming in, nor was there anyone going out. Those strict Palace regulations of the past had all become for show, and the dowager consorts and dowager concubines remaining in the Palace had all found sisters they'd been on good terms with to live with. They all liked a bustle and liveliness, and the moving around had lasted only two months, and then they'd all gathered together in the North side, and the ones close to the Fore Court here were all left thoroughly empty. Even the most bustling of palaces needed people to protect them, and without anyone to live in it, Rongfan Palace rapidly fell into disrepair. Fortunately, this disrepair was only on the surface, and in a single short evening, it could be repaired and tidied.

The nanny watched the palace servants coming and going before her, and her heart was filled with complex feelings. When she'd left the capital, she'd believed that she'd spend a lifetime in Shejin, and hadn't imagined that there'd be a day when she'd return. Regret was regret; having returned to her home, she was naturally happy. And to say nothing of Liang Jiwen—the Shejin Royal Palace couldn't compare to the Great Li's Imperial Palace, and even if the Rongfan Palace was a bit run down, it was far, far better than the place she'd lived in while in Shejin.

But in stark opposition to the two of them, Song Juguang had her arms crossed as the stood in the doorway of the Rongfan Palace. Her face was expressionless, and the aura that came off her caused others to not dare to be near her.

Wen Song didn't need to take her turn on duty today; she'd received Song Juguang's permission to come help. All of the palaces in the Rear Court were arranged almost the same, differing only in small aspects; having served in the Palace before, now, she was entirely in her element directing others. She was just working in earnest, when Liang Jiwen patted her shoulder. Wen Song had just turned her head when she heard Liang Jiwen spoke, smiling, in a stumbling manner, in the Great Li's language, to ask, "You, do you want to stay?"

Wen Song was baffled by the question, her gaze falling on the nanny as if seeking help. The nanny explained, "The Princess means to ask whether you'd like to remain in the Rongfan Palace as a servant, and so won't need to be outside and exposed to the wind and sun."

Liang Jiwen had originally assumed that Wen Song would agree rapidly. After all, in her eyes, being in the Rear Court and carrying tea and pouring water was far more relaxed than carrying a dao and walking about the Imperial Palace on patrol. But unexpectedly, Wen Song's expression grew rigid, and she shot a glance at Song Juguang, standing in the distance, thinking about who knew what; hemming and hawing, she said, "Ah, you'd better let me go; it wasn't easy for me to get out of the Rear Court, and I don't want to return."

A thread of astonishment appeared on Liang Jiwen's face as she listened to the nanny's translation. She tugged at the nanny's sleeve, and asked something in a voice like a babbling brook. But when the nanny turned her head to translate it for Wen Song, she only said a single sentence: "Why?"

"How could the Rear Court be as free as outside?" Wen Song said, not finding it strange, replying without even thinking. "Actually, the monthly wages of a first class palace maid are a bit more than that of an imperial guard's salary, but they can't leave the Palace, and even if they earned more, it wouldn't be of any use. It's nowhere near as comfortable as I am now; when I'm not on duty, I can go anywhere, and I don't have to live my life guarding this four-sided piece of sky."

Liang Jiwen listened to the nanny's translation, and fell silent; when she turned and left, her expression was not the excitement of before. Wen Song shrugged, and wasn't conflicted further. At the very least, as far as Wen Song was concerned, becoming a guard in the Imperial City wasn't an easy matter, and she pitied Liang Jiwen, but she'd never shut herself back in the Rear Court again over these fragments of pity. No one was a fool.

Though Song Juguang was standing in the distance, she took in the whole scene in this whole scene in the palace at once. Though her face was still cold and indifferent, the pleased sensation in her heart had increased a few degrees. She even had a bit more of an impression of Wen Song.

At that time, Jiang Changbai had only been on the throne a few days when, having just departing morning court, she'd seen someone in the court sneaking about. Only having captured them did she learn that that person was a commoner with a great deal of bravado who'd availed themselves of the lack of attention in the imperial guards to stealthily enter the Palace, wanting to broaden their horizons a bit.

The Imperial Palace was heavily guarded; that a commoner, unarmed and defenceless, without any martial skills, in, naturally had to be investigated. But she wouldn't have known if she hadn't investigated, and having investigated, she discovered, unexpectedly, that the larger half of the original imperial guards neglected their duties on the regular. Song Juguang had been furious, and had, at once, sent the former imperial guards and eunuchs to the Jingbei Temple to work, and had selected new imperial guards.

Manpower hadn't been enough, and so naturally, there weren't that many restrictions. Once the last of the selections had been completed, the imperial guards remaining in the Palace were, unexpectedly, female to a one. There had originally been enough people, but some soldiers hadn't been willing to leave the barracks, and so this had left a few empty spots for Wen Song and the others. But if they hadn't gone to fight for the spots then, it might not have been them guarding the Imperial Palace now.

Song Juguang was just thinking when she suddenly heard a burst of footsteps approaching her side. The keen-eyed maids called out "ten thousand blessings to Bixia", and immediately after, voice after voice raised in salutation. Jiang Changbai raised her hand to let them rise; she came over to Song Juguang's side, and unexpectedly said, "A Guang not attending morning court was unexpectedly to diligently help them move."

Song Juguang's expression wasn't the cold indifference it had been just before; she said with a laugh, "Attending morning court is no matter, but a matter Bixia arranged for this minister to do couldn't be delayed."

"Oh?" Jiang Changbai spoke only the single word, and didn't say any more, only turning around to walk further forward. Song Juguang hurried to follow behind her, but by the time they were at a bit of a distance, far enough that they couldn't hear the sound of the maids in Rongfan Palace coming and going to carry things, still no one had spoken. The Palace walls were towering; the crimson that had originally been intended to represent a desire for luck now unexpectedly gave one the sensation of loneliness and oppression. Even the heavens had been arranged into a shape, and when one walked beneath it, even their breaths would grow heavy.

Jiang Changbai hadn't let Xun Zhu follow after; at this moment, at the foot of this part of the palace walls, there was only the two of them, her and Song Juguang. The words she'd thought of speaking, on coming to her lips, unexpectedly changed tone; Jiang Changbai gazed at the heavens, and said, "In the past, the Rear Court was a place where no outer officials could step foot into, yet now, looking at it, these palace maids all recognise you."

Song Juguang's lips twitched. "The late emperor had stayed in the Rear Court for a long while without leaving; the affairs of governance in the previous court all had to be dealt with by this minister and brought in for him to look over. With the passage of time, these people in the Rear Court all grew familiar with me."

Jiang Changbai shot her a glance. "The late emperor regarded you quite highly."

Song Juguang, speaking of these matters, was somewhat discontented. "All of the civil and military matters in the court only had this minister to handle them; even if he were to regard someone else highly, there'd be no one to choose. Unless it's that—" Song Juguang said, and then stopped there, and regardless of how Jiang Changbai asked, she wouldn't continue. Immediately after, her head turned, and she added, "It's only good now, as an idle regent, without paying anything any mind."

Jiang Changbai, hearing this, lowered her eyes, arguing with herself internally. She was silent for a long while, and only once they came to the imperial study and sat down did she slowly speak. "If you truly are willing to be an idle regent, then why did you go to Honghai Pavilion last night to look for Liang Jiwen and the nanny, and prompt them to say they didn't want to enter the Palace? If you have objections to Our decisions, then you can come say it to Our face; there's no need to be secretive."

Jiang Changbai's tone, as she spoke, was no longer intimate, but rather carried a greater sense of investigation. Song Juguang hadn't expected that Jiang Changbai would know of this, and the surprise on her face was clear. But she was still calm, only pausing a brief moment, before she smiled, and asked, "How does Bixia know why this minister went yesterday?"

Jiang Changbai scoffed. "No matter how large the capital is, and what happens in it each day, We will always know."

Song Juguang had originally sat down on the low couch already; hearing these couple sentences of Jiang Changbai's, she unexpectedly rose, and came to her side, the eyes locked tightly with hers actually had a few degrees of pitifulness to them. "Bixia, you're upset at this minister; in the past, you never spoke with this minister this way."

This sentence left Jiang Changbai at a loss for words; she couldn't understand how Song Juguang could manage to lead the topic into that of whether or not she was angry. Jiang Changbai wasn't willing for Song Juguang to be close to her, and so she stood as well, and walked over to the low couch Song Juguang had just been sitting on, and sat down. Yet Song Juguang, seeing this, smiled, asking as if suddenly understanding, "Was it Chen Xun? Or was it Qin Anhe?"

Seeing Jiang Changbai wasn't speaking, Song Juguang scoffed, and said, disdainfully, "As soon as this minister entered the room, I saw food and drink arranged on the table; regardless of it was Liang Jiwen or that nanny, the money they had wasn't enough to buy those. She really is someone who curries favour at every opportunity."

Jiang Changbai didn't look at her. "Businesspeople always pay attention to making numerous friends for better business."

Song Juguang, seeing that she hadn't managed to change the topic, didn't say anything more. Jiang Changbai also stopped using her near-divine abilities, only watching Song Juguang. The imperial study was incredibly still, with only the two of them. No one shifted their gaze, seeming to both be waiting for the other party to speak first. The beat of their hearts, in this silence, seemed to be exceptionally distinct, one beat after the next, hammering in their chests like drumbeats. Song Juguang watched the sunlight streaming through the window, caught on Jiang Changbai's lashes, which were suffused with gold. The words the nanny had spoken the night before in Honghai Pavilion in an aged voice suddenly rose in her ears. She'd said that people always deceived themselves, and by the time they realised it, it was already too late.

Though Song Juguang's life had been rough, to speak of it in detail, she'd not experienced much regret. At the time, she naturally couldn't understand the emotion held in the nanny's eyes. But at this moment, the understanding in her heart increased a bit; at least, at that moment, she wasn't willing to continue to be in constant deadlock with Jiang Changbai. But when she spoke, she only repeated the words she'd said who knew how many times before. "Bixia, this minister fears that them being in the Palace will bring danger for you. The nation can't be without a sovereign for a day; this minister needs to guarantee your safety."

Jiang Changbai had assumed that Song Juguang's pondering for so long was that she was about to bare some sincere words, but she couldn't have imagined when she spoke it would still be this type of high-mindedness. So, she felt somewhat gloomy, and said, "Though I'm not your equal, I've practised martial arts since I was a child, and have some basic abilities. More than that, there are imperial guards all about the Palace, and even if they truly have intentions of assassination, I can't let them close by."

Song Juguang's eyes, hearing this, suddenly grew cold, her entire person abruptly letting off a bit of might. In a split second, Jiang Changbai was vaguely in a battlefield, her ears filled with the sharp sound of the clash of dao and jian, the shouts of soldiers and officers fighting for their lives. Before her eyes was the red of blood, nothing clearly visible. Cold sweat suddenly rose along her back, and she unconsciously clenched her hands, yet found that they were empty, without even a brush.

She suddenly felt something pressing against her throat, and the illusion dispersed; Jiang Changbai saw Song Juguang's face, enlarged before her own—and that fan that Song Juguang always fiddled about in her hand was pressed against her neck.

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