"Because my elder brother does not like you." Jiang Ruan's words shattered Dong Yinger's last shred of delusion. She opened her mouth, asking Jiang Ruan, "Why... must you treat me this way?"
"Of all things in this world, love is the one that cannot be forced." Jiang Ruan nodded slightly. "Sister Yinger's affection for my elder brother is her own matter. Sister Yinger has always been strong-willed." She spoke calmly, "I merely wonder whether, on the day my elder brother marries another, Sister Yinger will remain as unwavering as she is today."
"Ruan Meimei, are you truly so heartless?" Dong Yinger struggled to say.
Jiang Ruan's features were striking, her expression unreadable as she replied, "Yes."
...
After leaving the residence of the Capital Prefecture, neither Luzhu nor Tianzhu dared to ask a single question. Jiang Ruan had been utterly cold toward Dong Yinger, as if their past bond had never existed. By the end, Dong Yinger's face had turned ashen, and it was likely she would harbor resentment toward Jiang Ruan from then on.
Yet Jiang Ruan seemed entirely unbothered by the matter. She owed Dong Yinger nothing. Now, it was up to Dong Yinger to come to terms with it herself. Between Jiang Xin Zhi and Dong Yinger, Jiang Ruan would always prioritize her elder brother.
With time still early after leaving the Capital Prefecture, Jiang Ruan decided to visit Empress Dowager Yide in the palace, as she hadn't done so in a long while. A few days prior, Yang Gugu, the empress dowager's attendant, had sent word inviting her for a visit. Seeing that it was still early, she ordered the carriage to turn toward the palace.
The palace was bustling with preparations for the imperial consort selection. Along the way, matrons could be seen assigning names from the registry. Jiang Dan's name was likely among them. Jiang Ruan smiled faintly and headed straight for Cining Palace.
As she rounded a corner in a long corridor, Jiang Ruan spotted a familiar figure standing by a flowerbed—Princess Heyi.
Princess Heyi was surrounded by a few young palace maids, berating someone else. Drawing closer, Jiang Ruan heard her sneering, "A lowborn whelp born of a lowly palace maid, and yet he dares to think himself a member of the imperial family? Hmph, whether he even lives to grow up is uncertain. What if I beat him today? What then?"
The child being scolded by Princess Heyi remained silent, head bowed in fear, hiding behind a timid palace maid who kept bowing and apologizing profusely.
Jiang Ruan's gaze sharpened slightly. When she caught sight of the frail figure, her body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
She rarely showed strong emotions, so this reaction puzzled Luzhu and Tianzhu, who followed her gaze toward the small figure.
There stood a boy of about eight or nine, dressed plainly. Upon closer inspection, though the fabric of his clothes was fine, the stitching was rough—enough to chafe a child's delicate skin. His face was unnaturally pale, as if malnourished, yet his features were delicate and sweet. He clung tightly to the palace maid's sleeve, his expression utterly timid.Judging by his status, he should be of no low rank, yet his demeanor didn't resemble that of a proper noble youth. Moreover, if he truly were the son of a high-ranking official, Princess Heyi's verbal abuse and humiliation would be extremely improper. Earlier, Princess Heyi's mention of "royal offspring" had reached everyone's ears. Luzhu was puzzled—could this be one of the young princes? But to be treated like this, even a slightly respectable royal servant would fare better than him.
Jiang Ruan stared unblinkingly at the thin, small boy, her heart surging like turbulent waves. This child was none other than Pei Er!
In her previous life, not long after this, she had entered the palace. After being conferred as a Beauty, she had coincidentally encountered Pei Er. The Emperor had been present at the time and had simply entrusted Pei Er to her care. The deep palace was a lonely place, and this pitiable child, despite his tragic circumstances, was remarkably sensible. Mother and son had relied on each other, finding joy amidst hardship. Looking back now, those had been the happiest days of her previous life after entering the palace.
Yet what surfaced in her mind was the final scene of her past life—when she had been made into a human pig and placed in a wooden basin, forced to watch as Li Dong molested Pei Er. Pei Er's heart-wrenching cries still seemed to echo in her ears. Jiang Ruan closed her eyes deeply, and when she opened them again, her gaze was clear and composed. Not this time. In this life, Li Dong was already dead, and the Prime Minister's residence no longer existed. She had not entered the palace, and Pei Er would not have to suffer such a tragic fate.
She slowly stepped forward and smiled. "What is Princess Heyi doing?"
Princess Heyi had been busy scolding Ye Pei and hadn't noticed Jiang Ruan. Now, seeing her, she was momentarily stunned before a flash of resentment crossed her eyes. Princess Heyi was dressed in red today—a color Jiang Ruan had always favored. With her exotic features, the princess looked bold and striking in such attire. Jiang Ruan, however, was still in mourning and thus couldn't wear bright colors. Today, she wore a plain, pale green robe. The plainer her clothes, the more they accentuated her striking features—her delicate yet alluring beauty, a grace that was impossible to ignore.
Women, especially those who were rivals like Princess Heyi, couldn't help but compare themselves to those more beautiful. Seeing that Jiang Ruan outshone her in appearance, the princess immediately flared up. "Jiang Ruan, are you trying to meddle in others' affairs? This is none of your concern."
The palace maids around them all lowered their heads. Everyone knew Princess Heyi and the Princess of Great Peace had never gotten along, and both were formidable figures not to be trifled with.
Ye Pei, who had been hiding behind the maids, seemed startled by Jiang Ruan's sudden appearance. He peeked out from behind them, staring at her without blinking.
Jiang Ruan didn't look at Ye Pei and merely smiled. "I wouldn't dream of interfering in such matters. I'm here to see Her Majesty the Empress Dowager." She cast a fleeting glance at Princess Heyi. "These matters are naturally within Her Majesty's purview.""You—" Princess Heyi fumed, "How dare you threaten me!" Jiang Ruan's implication was clear—she intended to report everything that had happened here to Empress Dowager Yide. While Princess Heyi enjoyed the Emperor's doting favor and acted lawlessly, the Empress Dowager remained the one figure she truly feared. Empress Dowager Yide had always been eccentric and distant, yet her relationship with Jiang Ruan was even closer than with her own granddaughter. This thought never failed to infuriate Princess Heyi. The Empress Dowager valued propriety above all; if she learned that Heyi had struck and berated Ye Pei, she would undoubtedly punish her severely.
"This isn't a threat," Jiang Ruan smiled. "But I suppose the Princess isn't afraid, is she?"
"You—" Princess Heyi seethed with hatred, wishing she could tear Jiang Ruan apart. Normally, she would have thrown a tantrum without hesitation. However, since Noble Consort Chen's fall from grace and confinement in the cold palace, the remaining three consorts had begun vying fiercely for the Emperor's favor. With a new batch of beauties about to enter the palace, Consort Shu had repeatedly warned her not to cause trouble, especially with Jiang Ruan, and to avoid open conflict at all costs.
In a foul mood today, Princess Heyi had come across the Thirteenth Prince, Ye Pei—the least favored prince in the palace—being taken out for some sun by his maid. Ye Pei had been holding a handful of mud when he accidentally tripped and fell before her, staining the hem of her skirt. Enraged, she had struck him and was in the midst of scolding him when Jiang Ruan, this ill-omened figure, appeared.
Though she loathed Jiang Ruan to the core, past lessons had taught Princess Heyi some caution. Not daring to continue her tirade in Jiang Ruan's presence, she spat out, "Disgraceful!" and then threatened Ye Pei, "Hmph! She won't always be around to protect you in the palace!" With that, she stormed off with her maids in tow.
Only after Princess Heyi had left did Jiang Ruan turn her gaze to the boy standing behind the maid. A bright red slap mark stood out starkly on Ye Pei's pale cheek—no need to guess who had delivered it. Terrified by Princess Heyi's outburst, his eyes brimmed with tears, red and pitiful.
Luzhu, who had a soft spot for children, immediately crouched before Ye Pei and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the dirt from his face. "Are you alright, little Highness?" she asked, unaware of his exact rank but moved by his pitiable and endearing appearance.
"He's the Thirteenth Prince," Jiang Ruan said.
"How did you know, Miss?" Luzhu asked in surprise.
Ye Pei stared at Luzhu, and the maid quickly fawned, "This servant noticed the Thirteenth Prince seems quite fond of the Princess."
Jiang Ruan's icy gaze swept over her, her tone turning frigid. "Kneel!"
The maid was startled, and under Jiang Ruan's piercing stare, she felt as though she had plunged into an icy abyss. Without a word, she dropped to her knees.
Luzhu's expression turned disdainful. They had seen everything clearly—this maid, supposedly Ye Pei's personal attendant, had failed utterly in her duty to protect him. Not only had she allowed the tyrannical Princess Heyi to strike her young master, but she had also groveled and flattered. Clearly, she held no regard for her own charge. For a personal maid, this was a grave offense.Jiang Ruan said indifferently, "Is this how you take care of the Thirteenth Prince?"
The palace maid trembled and immediately began kowtowing frantically. "Princess, spare my life! This servant will never dare again, I know my wrongs, please spare me!"
Luzhu widened her eyes curiously. Such fear of Jiang Ruan made it seem as though Jiang Ruan was a terrifying person.
"I won't punish you," Jiang Ruan said calmly. "But from today onward, if the Thirteenth Prince suffers even the slightest mishap, you won't need to live either. For every slap mark on him, you'll receive a hundred. For every wound he bears, you'll bear a hundred of the same."
Her tone was mild, yet the palace maid shivered uncontrollably, feeling as though she'd heard a voice from the depths of hell. After a dazed moment, she finally understood and kowtowed to Jiang Ruan several more times with great force. "This servant thanks the Princess for your punishment."
Jiang Ruan then turned her gaze to the child who had been stealing glances at her. Ye Pei stared at her, offering a timid smile. His large, glistening black eyes nearly softened her heart, making her want to step forward and embrace him—just as she had in her past life. But in the end, she merely took out a small blue porcelain bottle from her sleeve. It was the miraculous medicine Xiao Shao had sent when Jiang Quan had beaten her. She pressed the bottle into Ye Pei's hand and instructed the palace maid nearby, "Apply this to the Thirteenth Prince once daily." After a pause, she added, "Remember what I said."
The palace maid nodded hurriedly, both puzzled and relieved. She couldn't understand why the Princess of Great Peace cared so much about the Thirteenth Prince, yet if she truly cared, why hadn't she shown any particularly affectionate gestures toward him? In fact, her demeanor seemed somewhat distant.
The same confusion lingered in Tianzhu and Luzhu's minds, but Jiang Ruan gave them no time to dwell on it. She said to the palace maid, "Take the Thirteenth Prince back now."
The maid quickly bowed to Jiang Ruan and led Ye Pei away. Even as he was led far off by the maid, Ye Pei couldn't resist turning back to look at Jiang Ruan, his frail figure appearing especially pitiful.
"If you're helping him, why treat him so coldly?" A deep male voice sounded from behind.
Jiang Ruan turned around. Liu Min stood there in his blue official robes, having apparently been there for some time before finally stepping forward to speak.
Tianzhu frowned slightly. As a martial artist, she had long detected Liu Min's presence—his concealment skills were far from masterful. She had assumed it was just some eavesdropping eunuch or maid, never expecting it to be Liu Min. Given the complicated relationship between Liu Min and Jiang Ruan, Tianzhu naturally sided with her mistress and thus regarded Liu Min with little warmth.
Liu Min was momentarily taken aback when Jiang Ruan turned to face him. He was accustomed to seeing her in bright red, radiant and spirited. Today, however, she was unexpectedly dressed in blue. Liu Min himself favored the color, and seeing Jiang Ruan in the same hue as him...
He wasn't sure what to make of his own thoughts until Jiang Ruan spoke. "Just a casual act. No need to speak of sentiment."
This meant that her intervention on behalf of the Thirteenth Prince, Ye Pei, had been nothing more than an incidental gesture, not borne of any deliberate intention. Should they meet again, there would be no special bond between them. Such words were undeniably cold, especially since Liu Min had just witnessed the scene and had already concluded that the Princess of Great Peace was a kind-hearted person with a warm heart beneath a cold exterior. He assumed Jiang Ruan was merely speaking out of shyness.He said, "Not everyone is willing to offend Princess Heyi for the sake of an unfavored prince. Even if it was just a casual gesture, the Princess of Great Peace is truly kind-hearted."
Liu Min had long heard of Ye Pei's lowly status in the palace. The Thirteenth Prince was born of humble origins—his birth mother was merely a palace maid whom the Emperor had casually favored. Moreover, she had died in childbirth on the very day he was born, and he had grown up almost neglected in the palace. That he had turned out so timid was no accident. Even the palace servants showed little respect to the Thirteenth Prince, often bullying him in secret. It was unexpected that Jiang Ruan would stand up for this stranger today. Liu Min, with the inherent pride of a scholar, greatly admired her actions. Jiang Ruan smiled faintly and said, "Grand Tutor Liu overestimates me. It's just that the Thirteenth Prince is, after all, my nominal brother. Even a mere illegitimate son in a household cannot be casually beaten or scolded. If even common families observe such rules, how much more should the imperial family uphold propriety?"
The Thirteenth Prince, motherless, had been left to endure abuse in the palace. Jiang Ruan recalled how, when Zhao Mei was still alive in the Jiang household, Jiang Chao and Jiang Susu—though illegitimate—had lived far more comfortably than she, the legitimate daughter. Such were the disparities between people. At this thought, a shadow passed over her eyes.
Noticing the fleeting trace of hostility in Jiang Ruan's demeanor, Liu Min was slightly taken aback. It reminded him of past events—how Jiang Ruan had been falsely accused of poisoning Old Madam Jiang and imprisoned, yet her own father, Jiang Quan, had not visited her even once. Anxious at the time, Liu Min had sought an audience with the Emperor, whose gaze he still remembered. The Emperor had looked at him with a mix of amusement and seriousness, saying, "Minister Liu, since you care so deeply for the Princess of Great Peace, how about We bestow her upon you?"
(End of Chapter)
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