Aunt Yang's words were both thoughtful and pleasing, causing Empress Dowager Yide's tightly furrowed brows to gradually relax. Perhaps recalling something, a slow smile spread across her face: "You're right. Life always gets better with time. This old one was being foolish. This is a good thing—why should I worry? Once the sun sets, I'll summon the Princess of Great Peace to discuss this matter properly."
The events unfolding in Cining Palace remained unknown to Jiang Ruan. Yet in this world, some things are fated—even coincidences tend to converge unexpectedly. Regarding Xiao Shao's thoughts, someone else had arrived at the same idea.
At the residence of the Commander-in-Chief, Gu Yi dismissed his servant and was about to sneak out when a familiar voice called from behind just as he reached the courtyard gate: "Yi'er, where are you going?"
Gu Yi's face fell as he turned sheepishly to see Madam Gu standing right behind him. She strode forward and scolded, "With all the chaos outside, where exactly are you trying to go?"
His eyes darted about before inspiration struck: "I... I wanted to visit Cousin at the palace."
Gu Yi's cousin was a Talented Lady in the imperial harem. The two had been close before her entry into the palace, though he hadn't seen her in quite some time.
The excuse sounded rather flimsy. Madam Gu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? To see your cousin—not the Princess of Great Peace?"
"Mother—" Gu Yi grew agitated. "She and I are friends after all. Given her current awkward situation, I can't just ignore her. I only want to offer some comfort."
Madam Gu looked at him with exasperation. "Comfort her? At such a critical juncture? Have you no regard for your life? Even if you don't care about yourself, don't drag the entire household into this. Jiang Xin Zhi's circumstances remain unclear—you could easily get implicated. Our family has kept itself clean; we can't be pulled into these affairs for no reason."
"I just want to console her. It's not as complicated as you're making it out to be," Gu Yi argued urgently. "Mother, I won't be an opportunist who abandons friends in their time of need."
Madam Gu sighed, gazing at her stubborn son with mixed emotions. Her child had grown up and formed his own opinions, but she understood his true motives perfectly—his lingering feelings for Jiang Ruan. She had assumed it was a childish infatuation, yet after all this time, he still hadn't moved on. For Gu Yi, this attachment might not be beneficial.
Seeing his mother's expression soften slightly, Gu Yi seized the opportunity and coaxed, "Mother, I'll go with Auntie to deliver some things to Cousin. I'll return soon."
Madam Gu's silence signaled tacit approval. Gu Yi immediately had servants prepare his horse and hurried out of the courtyard.
A maidservant nearby asked, "Madam, are you really letting Young Master go like this?"
"The Princess of Great Peace is an intelligent woman," Madam Gu said calmly. "Let him go. Perhaps this will help sever his attachment."
...
Meanwhile, at the residence of the Capital Magistrate.
A maid presented a small crystal bowl of pear stewed with rock sugar, the syrup thick and glossy within the translucent vessel. Setting the dessert aside, she reached to help the figure curled up on the daybed: "Miss, please sit up and have some sweet soup.""No." A weak voice replied, thick with nasal tones and the hint of tears. The maid hesitated, then gently coaxed, "Miss, there's no need to worry so much. The truth hasn't come out yet, and perhaps it hasn't reached the worst possible outcome. Why harm your own health over this?"
The figure lying on the couch seemed stirred by these words, shoulders trembling as sorrow deepened. After a moment, she slowly sat up, revealing a pale and haggard face—it was Dong Yinger.
Dong Yinger wore a honey-colored padded jacket, her hair tied into a simple bun, the rest hanging loosely and somewhat disheveled at the back. Gone was any trace of her former lively charm. Though still in the bloom of youth, she already bore the marks of exhaustion. Her eyes were swollen from prolonged weeping, and strands of hair clung to her damp cheeks, a pitiful sight indeed.
She licked her dry lips and asked, "What time is it now?"
Outside the room, Lord Dong and Lady Dong stood anxiously. Lord Dong set his teacdown on the table with a thud and sighed heavily.
"Given the circumstances, Yinger has no other choice," Lady Dong said with unusual resolve. "We cannot allow her to be associated with Jiang Xin Zhi in the slightest. Perhaps this incident will help her break free from her infatuation."
"My dear," Lord Dong shook his head, "Yinger may appear gentle, but she's stubborn at heart. I fear she might do something reckless."
"I understand our daughter better than you," Lady Dong replied. "A short pain is better than prolonged suffering. Heartbreak now is preferable to a lifetime chasing the impossible. Besides, you know the situation in our household better than anyone. There's only one path forward now." She stood up, as if steeling herself for a decision. "I'll go in and talk to her."
Dong Yinger sat motionless on the couch, like a lifeless clay doll. The sight struck Lady Dong's heart as soon as she entered. Waving the maid away, she sat beside the couch and called softly, "Yinger."
After a long pause, Dong Yinger seemed to register her mother's presence. Turning to meet Lady Dong's loving gaze, a flood of emotions overwhelmed her. She could only utter a single word—"Mother"—before collapsing into her arms, weeping uncontrollably.
Who could understand the shock and profound grief that had pierced her heart when she heard the news of the border crisis and Jiang Xin Zhi's defeat and capture? If not for being a woman, she would have flown to the frontier herself to see the truth. The thought of that brilliant, heroic man ending up as mere dust on the battlefield, like countless other soldiers, was unbearable.
Pitiful the bones by the Wuding River, still the dreamer in a maiden's chamber. She had never confessed her feelings to him, and now he would never know. All the hardships she endured for Jiang Xin Zhi—the confinement within these walls—had been for nothing. The cruelest fate is when something ends before it even begins.
Jiang Xin Zhi had been Dong Yinger's sole obsession. With him meeting such an end, how could she not be utterly shattered?Madam Dong held Dong Yinger in her arms, patting her back tenderly as she comforted her just like before: "This isn't your fault, it's just fate playing tricks. Now that Deputy General Jiang has met such an end, you mustn't neglect your own health. Your father and I, and your elder brother all care deeply for you. If you hurt yourself, it would break my heart. Seeing you in pain makes my heart ache too."
"Mother," Dong Yinger sobbed uncontrollably, "My heart is so bitter—"
"I know your heart is bitter," Madam Dong embraced her tighter. "Do you think mine isn't? You only know of Deputy General Jiang's defeat in battle, but do you realize how increasingly complex the court factions have become? Our household has always maintained neutrality, but with Deputy General Jiang's defeat, certain matters have come to light, and our peaceful days are nearly over. Your father and eldest brother are now caught between a rock and a hard place—one wrong move could mean losing everything. Isn't our household also being tested by fire?" She gently stroked Dong Yinger's long hair. "If Deputy General Jiang truly died on the battlefield, a warrior wrapped in horsehide, then he died a worthy death. What I fear is that he might have died without clarity, alas."
Madam Dong's voice carried deep exhaustion and worry. Dong Yinger looked up—these past days confined to her room, she had grown distant even from her parents and paid little attention to household affairs. How had things become so dire without her realizing?
She turned to study Madam Dong closely. Only now did she notice how the once plump and radiant Madam Dong had unknowingly become much thinner, her brow heavy with sorrow, her expression weary. Dong Yinger's heart clenched. "Mother, what has happened?"
"None of it concerns you," Madam Dong smiled faintly, patting her head. "As long as you're well, nothing else matters to me."
But Dong Yinger thought differently. Madam Dong's words had struck deep. She had once loved Jiang Xin Zhi, but now whether he was captured or dead, any future between them was impossible. With her engagement to the Chang family broken, she had no retreat left in life, nothing left to live for. She had contemplated ending it all, but seeing Madam Dong in such a state changed her mind.
The only ones who would always stand by her side, who would never cease to care for her, were her family. She had once defied them for Jiang Xin Zhi's sake. Since she had no other wishes left in this life, why not make amends?
She looked at Madam Dong. "Mother, I will enter the palace."
"You..." Madam Dong was taken aback, forcing a smile. "You should rest now. After all that's happened, recuperating properly is what matters most. Don't dwell on other things."
"Mother," Dong Yinger gave a light laugh. In that instant, something playful in her bright eyes seemed to dissipate like smoke, replaced by a faint chill. "If our household faces such hardship, with Father and Brother struggling to maintain their footing at court—one misstep and they become targets—then my entering the palace could at least secure His Majesty's protection, earn his trust in the Dong family." She suddenly stood and knelt before Madam Dong, kowtowing three times with solemn respect. "Your unfilial daughter admits her faults. I once abandoned our household for selfish desires. Please grant me this chance to make amends—let me enter the palace."Her tone was resolute, as if there was no lingering attachment left for Jiang Xin Zhi, not even a trace of sorrow—as if she had never loved a general named Jiang Xin Zhi.
Madam Dong looked at her, unsure whether to feel joy or sorrow. A myriad of emotions condensed into a long sigh.
That Jiang Xin Zhi had ultimately transformed Dong Yinger into a completely different person, rewriting the course of her life. At this moment, the playful and carefree days of her girlhood came to an end. From now on, Dong Yinger would step into the depths of the palace, navigating the cage woven with schemes and power plays, strategizing step by step to secure a fleeting glory for herself and her family.
As she walked out of Dong Yinger’s room, Lord Dong approached and asked, "Madam, how did it go?"
Madam Dong remained silent, only slowly closing her eyes and standing before the statue of Guanyin in the hall. As she clasped her hands in prayer, a tear swiftly escaped, splashing into the incense ash burner before vanishing in an instant.
She could only atone for her wrongs with the rest of her life. She prayed for peace and happiness in this lifetime—even if it was nothing more than a futile wish.
……
In the garden outside Princess Hall, Jiang Ruan lifted her gaze to the young man before her.
Gu Yi was dressed in a lake-green brocade robe, his chest embroidered with large, auspicious cloud patterns. His dark eyes, however, were fixed intently on Jiang Ruan, a hint of nervousness flickering within them.
For a fleeting moment, it seemed as if they had returned to their first meeting years ago on the Exquisite Boat. Back then, the young man was the pride of a wealthy family, his life as splendid as the grand peonies in this hall—naturally captivating, meant to be admired.
Back then, it had been nothing more than a shallow ploy. Now, times had changed, and the boy had grown into a man, yet his gaze seemed even more sincere than before. Some of his frivolity had faded, replaced by a steadier demeanor—but the one he looked at remained the same.
"Young Master Gu," Jiang Ruan nodded. She could offer gentle smiles to those with venomous hearts, but in the face of such persistent admiration, she could only respond with coldness.
"Miss Jiang," Gu Yi did not address her as the Princess of Great Peace. In his heart, Jiang Ruan was still the same Jiang family’s legitimate daughter he had first met. He had been struck by her beauty—graceful and virtuous, a lady worthy of a gentleman’s pursuit. Later, when Jiang Ruan accompanied the Empress Dowager to the imperial mausoleum and returned in glory three years later, Gu Yi realized with astonishment that she was like an unpolished gem finally unearthed, now carved and refined, even more impossible to look away from.
Yet, though he was the son of the Lord Gu, he had to remain cautious in words and deeds. Jiang Ruan was now the esteemed Princess of Great Peace, rarely accessible in daily life. Moreover, Lord Gu had explicitly forbidden him from getting too close to her.
But when news of Jiang Xin Zhi’s military defeat arrived, Gu Yi could no longer restrain himself. In his eyes, the fate of a defeated deputy general in the court was all too predictable. Jiang Ruan, residing in the palace, was inadvertently thrust into the eye of the storm. The longer she stayed there, the greater the danger—she would inevitably be implicated because of Jiang Xin Zhi.
Gu Yi spoke up, "Miss Jiang, regarding your elder brother’s matter, I hope you can find some comfort."
"Thank you for your consolation, Young Master Gu," Jiang Ruan replied indifferently.Seeing Jiang Ruan's attitude, Gu Yi felt somewhat uneasy for a moment. However, recalling what he was about to say, he quickly regained his courage: "Miss Jiang, with Deputy General Jiang's fate currently unknown, your position in the palace is truly perilous. The court is in turmoil now, and given that you're Deputy General Jiang's sister, it's inevitable that some might try to implicate you because of him. Even Her Majesty the Empress Dowager cannot protect you from everything. I... I have a solution."
Jiang Ruan raised an eyebrow, the corner of her lips curling up: "Oh? What solution does Young Master Gu propose?"
Gu Yi's heart raced under her gaze. After a pause, he continued: "If Miss Jiang were to quickly enter into a betrothal, you would no longer be connected to the Jiang family. Should anyone later try to use Deputy General Jiang as an excuse, you wouldn't be considered part of the Jiang household, thus allowing you to remain unharmed."
"Young Master Gu makes a valid point," Jiang Ruan sighed with a faint smile. "But at this time, who would be willing to betroth themselves to me? Most would rather avoid me."
"I would!" Gu Yi blurted out, then hesitated upon seeing Jiang Ruan's expression. Summoning his courage, he said: "I've admired you for a long time, and the Garrison General's Residence isn't something petty people can easily challenge. If Miss Jiang would agree to betroth herself to me, I would protect you wholeheartedly and never let you suffer any grievances. With the Garrison General's Residence as your support, no one would dare scheme against you."
Jiang Ruan smiled as she looked at the young man before her. His eyes were filled with hope, his emotions burning passionately. In her past life, branded as a seductress, she had never encountered such ardent affection. Unfortunately for Gu Yi, he was meeting this version of herself - even such pure, fervent confession couldn't move her in the slightest.
She lowered her eyes: "I only ask Young Master Gu one thing - what does Lord Gu say about this?"
Gu Yi stiffened. What did his father say? His father had admonished him to abandon this foolish notion, not to put the Garrison General's Residence at risk for a woman. Yet, looking at Jiang Ruan, he said: "I will personally convince my father."
(End of Chapter)
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