Chapter 109: Imperial guards

Translator's note: My real life responsibilities have eased a great deal, so hopefully I can return to regular weekend updates! This chapter is going up early since the next one is five thousand characters and will require a little more time (though I plan on having it up before the end of the weekend!). Thanks again to everyone for your patience.

- 

An entire person naturally couldn't simply disappear like that. At this moment, Liang Jiwen was sitting in Chen Xun's room, sipping that tea worth a thousand gold.

"Her majesty wants to murder my Royal Father?" She looked at Chen Xun in disbelief, the anxiety on her expression increasing. "If you say something like that without thinking, you'll lose your head."

"Is Dianxia worried about me?" Chen Xun chuckled, "since I dare to say it, of course it's true. The smokescreen on this final nail in the coffin will only last so long—it can only be maintained for a month. Regardless, from here to Shejin's capital is a half month's journey. In a few days, that dear sister of yours ought to depart."

"But…" Liang Jiwen suddenly hesitated; she didn't know whether Chen Xun, before her, was worth trusting, or whether she could let her know what Su Ya had said before.

As if having seen through the matter on Liang Jiwen's mind, Chen Xun suddenly said, "Dianxia, there's no need to be conflicted; I don't care what happened between you. What I care about is whether or not Dianxia can take that position, and whether or not I can obtain what I want."

Only hearing these words of Chen Xun's did Liang Jiwen release a breath, and, lowering her eyes, ask, "Then, what ought I to do?"

"How should I know?" Chen Xun sighed, "I'd assumed Dianxia was someone decisive; I hadn't imagined you're so…"

Chen Xun didn't finish speaking, but Liang Jiwen knew what she wanted to say. So weak, or perhaps so cowardly; but Liang Jiwen didn't pay that any mind, merely replied, "As you know, I don't have anything at all now."

"Dianxia needn't be overly humble, nor…" Chen Xun suddenly picked up the paperweight on the table, her voice dragging out as well. Only on seeing Liang Jiwen didn't have the intent to reply did she sigh, and continue, "You needn't act as if you're in wretched straits before me, either. Dianxia has quite a lot—your background, or the friends by your side. Why don't you think it over; it's quite late as well—Dianxia ought to return."

Having finished speaking, Chen Xun rose and left, the fragrance of her sleeves creeping into Liang Jiwen's nose, outdoing itself. Before Liang Jiwen could speak, a great bang sounded from behind her as the door closed.

Liang Jiwen, somewhat at a loss, raised her head and looked out the window; the sunlight truly had lost some of its brightness, but it was far from "quite late". But at this moment, only she remained in the room, and even if she wanted to ask, there was no one that she could.

"Dianxia," A Ling's voice suddenly came from behind Liang Jiwen, "this servant will accompany you back to the Palace."

Liang Jiwen didn't return to the Palace, but rather aimlessly wandered the main streets and minor alleys of the capital alone, and only returned the Palace as the palace gates were about to be locked. Now, the early autumn night's breeze flitted across the palace walls, and Liang Jiwen hurried along the path. The palace lanterns hanging from the edges of the eaves swayed in the wind, just like her heart, which wavered back and forth.

The words Chen Xun had spoken to her during the day roiled in her mind, and her fingernails thoughtlessly dug into her palms. She'd already made a silent decision; since Su Ya wasn't willing to go back, then she'd replace Su Ya.

"Dianxia's finally returned."

A cold woman's voice caused Liang Jiwen to stumble for half a step. She raised her head, and her gaze, which had been on her own feet, fell onto the person before her. Xun Zhu, arms crossed, stood before the Rongfan Palace's gates, her blue Palace attire gilded in a layer of white under the moonlight. Liang Jiwen, not certain of the situation, subconsciously retreated a step, her back striking against the frigid railing, and she let out a pained sound.

The pain brought her out of her daze, but Liang Jiwen's tone towards this maid before her, who waited on Jiang Changbai day and night, wasn't any less imposing. "Bixia permitted me to leave the Palace."

"Bixia did permit you to leave the Palace," Xun Zhu said, and suddenly advanced a step, "but she didn't allow you to leave the Palace without recording it."

Xun Zhu's voice was neither humble nor overbearing, and only now did Liang Jiwen recall the oddity of this morning. The imperial guard who would usually interrogate her for a long time before being willing to let her leave this time had only distantly nodded to her.

The censer in the Yangxin Hall rose in dark spirals, but this soothing incense had no effect on Jiang Changbai; the aura that spilled out from her seemed as if enough to freeze one to ice. At this moment, Qing Huai had replaced replaced Xun Zhu by Jiang Changbai's side, and she'd drawn her neck in, not even daring to breathe loudly.

The spy who had been sent to follow Liang Jiwen had only just now reported Liang Jiwen's movements from today. She was suspicious about what Liang Jiwen had gone to Honghailou to do, and didn't understand what plans Chen Xun had.

Recalling when she'd first ascended the throne, it wasn't that Jiang Changbai hadn't doubted Chen Xun's loyalty. But only after observing for a while did she realise that Chen Xun was a businesswoman through and through. Everything she did was merely because she wanted to earn more money. She could earn it, and she was willing to spend it; in a year, she contributed a not-insignificant amount to the treasury. As a result, Jiang Changbai had been willing to permit Chen Xun's small movements, acting as if she didn't know she was doing those private things.

But now—

Now the water had ebbed, and the stones had been revealed; this entire farce had only occurred because that guard on duty had been lazy. Early the next morning, Liang Jiwen went to the relay station, and Song Juguang was called out of her slumber, and hastily entered the Palace.

By the time she arrived, a great number of people were already kneeling before Jiang Changbai.

By chance, she recognised them all.

Jiang Changbai, hearing the sound of footsteps, raised her head, the degree of discontent in her eyes having increased. Before Song Juguang could greet her, she said, "The Regent has arrived; Xun Zhu, fetch a chair."

Those kneeling on the ground, seeing Song Juguang, seemed as if having had seen a rescuer, and hurriedly said, "Wangjun, save us, save us. We really didn't do it on purpose; Wangjun, please have mercy."

Jiang Changbai's fingers, hidden in her sleeves, unconsciously curled tighter.

Song Juguang thought to herself, no good. The people kneeling before her were all the ones she'd selected carefully from the Cangwei army two years prior, arranging them to the Imperial Palace to act as imperial guards. At the time, she'd remembered they were they were clever in their duties; she hadn't thought that, now, they'd become a difficult problem for her.

"Bixia, what offence did they commit?" Song Juguang asked probingly, wanting to know Jiang Changbai's attitude. But Jiang Changbai only scoffed coldly, and indicated to Xun Zhu to speak.

"Wangjun," Xun Zhu said, coming before Song Juguang, "they were in dereliction of duty; yesterday, they forgot to note down the Princess' pendant, and when Su Ya couldn't see her, she threatened to commit suicide at the relay station, and the Palace turned itself upside down."

Dereliction of duty, Song Juguang thought, somewhat frustrated; this truly couldn't count as any great crime—it couldn't become such an issue as to necessitate both her and Jiang Changbai put them on trial.

To say it another way, the one whom Jiang Changbai wanted to put on trial wasn't the people currently kneeling in the hall at all.

"We recall, the guards in the Palace were all those selected by the Regent," Jiang Changbai said only now, unhurriedly. "When they begged for mercy just now, it was from the Regent as well. Then it would be best for the Regent to say, how ought these people be dealt with?"

Song Juguang, hearing this, felt her heart sink; it was just as she'd suspected—the one whom Jiang Changbai wanted to interrogate had always been her.

"How could this minister have any thoughts," Song Juguang said, immediately standing from the chair, her gaze fixed on Jiang Changbai, "just go by the rules."

"By the rules," Jiang Changbai laughed, "the Regent truly is ready to place justice over all else; after twenty great blows, who knows how many will survive."

According to Palace rules, were a guard to neglect their duty to the extent of causing a disturbance, they would be punished with twenty great blows. These twenty blows could be light or harsh, but by the meaning of Jiang Changbai's words now, it was likely each one would come down heavily.

Out of the corner of her eye, Song Juguang glanced at those kneeling, and she suddenly couldn't bear it. Every member of the Cangwei army had been trained by her personally. They only followed her out of trust, and now, she was about to send them to their deaths.

Perhaps because she'd stood by Jiang Changbai's side for so long, Song Juguang, who had always touted herself as cold and heartless, at this moment, felt some compassion. In a rare turn, she fell silent for a while, and then finally sighed, and said, "Since they are this minister's soldiers, they grew accustomed to freedom, and can't be effective imperial guards; how about they be assigned back to the army."

Those kneeling on the ground, hearing this, raised their heads, the eyes looking at Song Juguang filled with gratefulness. Actually, for them, being in the army was far more comfortable for them than being in the Palace. After all, it was as perilous to be close to a sovereign as laying with a tiger, and the closer one was the the Emperor, the less at ease one was. They'd rather go to the Western border and fight simply fight with the Shejinese. Even if they lost their lives, it was better than aimlessly awaiting death in the Palace.

Jiang Changbai's hands, which had just loosened, curled once more, and the eyes looking at Song Juguang had unclear emotions mingled within them. But she nodded without hesitation. "We said We would go by your decision; then, they'll be moved back to the army."

"Thanks to Wangjun, thanks to Bixia!" they hurried to kowtow and give their thanks, not even halting their kowtowing even when the skin on their foreheads broke.

Jiang Changbai had never liked tormenting others, and this play she'd put on hadn't been for them, so of course she wasn't willing to see this bloody scene. She hurriedly coughed, and had Xun Zhu take the guards out.

But once they had left, Song Juguang spoke first. "If Bixia wishes to select new imperial guards, you don't need to discuss it with this minister."

Song Juguang's words carried a degree of relief, but more than that was helplessness. As she spoke, she lowered her head and adjusted her arm guards, but the bindings on her arm guards were clearly fitted, without the slightest hint of looseness.

But it was precisely in this moment she lowered her head that she missed the startlement that flashed across Jiang Changbai's face.

"We didn't say We would discuss it with you," Jiang Changbai said, purposely affecting calm, her hand unconsciously covering her teacup, "nor did We say We wished to replace the Imperial Palace's guards."

"This minister thought too much," Song Juguang admitted her error as soon as Jiang Changbai spoke, not having the slightest intent to get into a dispute.

But it seemed as if Jiang Changbai didn't want to let her go; she rose and approached Song Juguang, sighing, "How come A Guang can't trust me a bit?"

Jiang Changbai's sleeves inadvertently brushed against Song Juguang's fingertips, and Song Juguang felt her entire person, in an instant, go rigid. The numbness in her heart travelled to the crown of her head, and for a while, she couldn't say anything.

A rarely-seen look of disbelief showed in her eyes.

Who was it who didn't believe whom?

But Song Juguang didn't have any way to say this; she could only stare fixedly at Jiang Changbai, looking at her hairpin, and she thought, wildly, of a woman who had reached marriageable age.

"Bixia jests," Song Juguang, finally realising her loss of control, hurried lowered her head, "this minister's life was saved by Bixia; how could I not trust you?"

Jesting? Jiang Changbai shook her head to herself; she didn't think it was a jest.

Jiang Changbai didn't think that Song Juguang didn't understand who this play had been put on for, nor did she think she couldn't understand the implication in her words. But Song Juguang still maintained that attitude.

That of a devoted minister.

But she'd like to ask, in generation after generation and dynasty after dynasty, what sort of devoted minister had eyes all over the Imperial Palace? And Song Juguang now held nearly half the military power in the Great Li, and the army was full of her old subordinates; in such a situation, was it that she expected her, the Emperor, to bare her heart and have her in her absolute confidences first?

-

< LAST | HOME | NEXT >

-