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Chapter 145 : Xiao Shao Proposes Marriage

A perfectly fine conversation ended unhappily. Xuan Lang\'s face was pale when he left, like he could no longer withstand Jiang Ruan\'s scrutiny, and his hasty exit was like a person fleeing the scene.

When he arrived at that man\'s residence, it went as expected – although his expression had no cracks, the corners of his smile were stiff. After an unknown period of time, the man lifted his cup and took a long sip of tea. With an expression as cold as ice, he said, "I originally wanted to take care of her, but since she doesn\'t know good from bad, I have no need to hesitate." A cruel light flashed in his eyes. "Close the net."

* * *

The capital on this evening was no different from any other. Although the sun set earlier during autumn and plunged the city into darkness, Jinying Wangfu was brightly lit. Xiao Shao sat upon an elevated seat, his usually expressionless face carrying a few hints of callousness.

Ye Feng, Jin Yi, and Jin Si stood next to him as Xiao Shao burned the letter in his hands. The jumping sparks of fire reflected in his dark eyes, giving them the appearance of obsidian.

"Fourth Brother Qi\'s news has never been wrong," he said lightly. "Xuan Li has made a move."

"Eighth Prince is acting too bold. This deal is fraught with treachery and yet he appears unconcerned that he\'ll be inviting wolves into his house." Jin Si couldn\'t help her contempt as she spoke. He was a son of Great Jin\'s royal family, yet his actions couldn\'t compare to beasts[1]. He treated the thousands of people on the border as a trifling matter, just to satisfy his own ambition and selfishness. Such a person would be despised wherever they went.

[1] 猪狗不如 (zhugouburu) – worse than a dog or pig / lower than low.

"The news will reach the imperial court tomorrow morning." Xiao Shao didn\'t respond to Jin Si\'s words, but instead tapped the table. "This is a matter of grave importance. If it is as Fourth Brother Qi says, Lao[2] Guan is also in danger."

[2] 老 (lǎo) – prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity / old (of people) / venerable (person).

"General Guan?" Jin Yi frowned. "Master, perhaps we should remind Young Master Mo that if Eighth Prince does this, the Crown Prince may also be in danger."

"You make a trip to Mo Cong\'s residence." Xiao Shao stood and picked up his robe. "I\'m going to the palace."

* * *

After Jiang Ruan woke early the next day, Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi helped her get ready for the day. Since it was getting colder, Bai Zhi chose a long robe made with octagonal-patterned brocade[3] for Jiang Ruan. The air in the courtyard was relaxed and comfortable after breakfast, and so Lian Qiao moved a chair outside for Jiang Ruan to flip through a few books while she and Bai Zhi took advantage of the good weather to lay out the old books stored in the box.

[3] Octagonal-patterned brocade [八达晕春锦]: probably supposed to be 八答晕锦, a brocade design from the Tang or Song dynasty comprising of repeating octagons and squares

On this day, what was usually a mundane and routine set of actions had strangely become peculiar. Furthermore, the gazes of the maids in the yard as they looked at Jiang Ruan were a little different. Normally, the servants bestowed by Empress Dowager Yi De were well behaved, but today their gazes held a sense of scrutiny. They weren\'t very good at covering up their actions so Jiang Ruan clearly noticed, but she just quietly carried on with her own affairs.

Although Jiang Ruan could endure it, Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao could not. Just as they were about to ask one of the palace maids what was going on, they saw Lu Zhu hurrying over with an anxious expression. Lu Zhu, looking very nervous, said to Jiang Ruan, "Miss, this servant has something to report."

Bai Zhi understood. She waved the maids away, supported Jiang Ruan back into her room, and closed the door. Without waiting for Jiang Ruan to ask, Lu Zhu said, "Miss, there\'s been news from the front lines. There was a skirmish with Tian Jin and Great Jin\'s army fell into an ambush. A hundred thousand soldiers all perished. Now there are only thirty thousand soldiers left, and General Guan is critically injured. And Eldest Young Master..." she glanced at Jiang Ruan in worry. "Eldest Young Master is missing in action, he may have been captured by Tian Jin."

Jiang Ruan\'s hands couldn\'t help but tense, while the expressions on Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao\'s faces also changed.

The Emperor was probably furious that the outcome of the war had fallen into uncertainty like this. For someone to go missing on the battlefield, they had either perished or had been captured alive by the enemy — either way, these were the only two outcomes. Moreover, if they had defected to the enemy, their whole family would be implicated and treated as traitors to the throne. A person like Jiang Xin Zhi would never defect, so he would only receive torture or death.

Since this news was passed to the imperial court, then more likely than not, it was true. Jiang Ruan\'s worst fears had come true. With her expression sinking like water, she gripped the armrest as her lips slowly paled.

"Miss." Lu Zhu held Jiang Ruan\'s hand in distress. Jiang Ruan and Jiang Xin Zhi relied on each other so much, the feelings between them were obvious to all. If there were anything in the world that could move Jiang Ruan, then Jiang Xin Zhi would be ranked at the top. Now his life and death were uncertain and his fate unclear, yet Jiang Ruan didn\'t shed a single tear. "Miss, you can cry if you want, otherwise you yourself will suffer," Lu Zhu said.

Jiang Ruan, lowering her gaze, slowly took back her hand. She\'d cried so many times in her previous life and had still met such a tragic ending. She hadn\'t yet completed her revenge in this life so what gave her the qualifications to cry right now?

Her lips gradually rose into a shockingly cruel smile, like a flower of evil blooming in hell piercing into the bones. "Since that is the case, there is no need to wait any longer."

* * *

In the Golden Throne Hall, two groups of courtiers were quarrelling.

One side was insisting on punishing Jiang Xin Zhi and Guan Liang Han for leading troops poorly, while the other insisted that they shouldn\'t unduly interfere with Generals on campaign so as not to impact the soldiers\' morale.

Jiang Xin Zhi was a new upstart while Guan Liang Han was headstrong, so not many people were willing to speak up for either of them except for a few pure and honest officials. As for those who wished for them to be punished, they were naturally the ones who couldn\'t stand to see someone else get ahead, people who had other plans, or people who casually gave others a kick when they were down.

The Emperor watched with cold eyes as the two factions fought until their faces turned red. No matter how they argued, they didn\'t notice the expression on the man sitting on the dragon throne. After a while, the Emperor looked at Xuan Li, who stood respectfully to the side. "Lao Eighth, tell zhen what you think of this matter."

Xuan Li took a step forward and saluted. "To answer Imperial Father, in your son\'s opinion, General Guan and Deputy General Jiang\'s actions were all to protect the people of our Great Jin. At present, things are unclear, so we should not act hastily. Why don\'t we wait a while longer and get to the bottom of things."

"Eighth Highness," Zhao Guang said, "the battlefield is not a game. Your Highness can afford to wait, but the soldiers cannot. I\'m afraid that when everything becomes clear, the war will already be settled, and it will be difficult to do anything else." Zhao Guang had always been neutral in the court, never specifically targeting anyone. It was only when his nephew fell into mortal danger that he confronted Xuan Li so impolitely, in front of all the courtiers of the dynasty.

When this move fell into the eyes of people with hidden agendas, it brought another round of speculation. Upon looking at Zhao Guang\'s stance and attitude, did it mean that the court\'s superficial peace was about to be torn away, and the struggle for that seat was going to start in earnest?

"General Zhao\'s words are improper," Duke Chen rebuked. Ever since Imperial Consort Chen was banished to the cold palace, Duke Chen\'s fu had been very restrained in their actions. However, today, since they had unexpectedly jumped into the fray in such a manner, this demonstrated that they were prepared to deal with Jiang Xin Zhi once and for all. He continued, "Any captured Deputy General who still has any integrity should take his sword to his own neck. Otherwise, how can they lower themselves and endure humiliation merely to save their own life? And if he were to leak military secrets, would that not bring disaster?"

Mo Cong shook his head. "Although Duke Chen\'s reasoning is sound, you should also remember that there was a General in the previous dynasty who falsely surrendered when he was captured, then spent the next ten years spying on the enemy country, assisted in a great victory, then returned triumphantly. Can our Great Jin not have such a person?"

Mo Cong had always been good at debating, and Duke Chen\'s complexion soon went through a series of changes when he saw the Emperor\'s attitude show signs of wavering. He hurriedly interjected, "But if something happens, who will take responsibility?"

"We must not speak arbitrarily," Liu Min, who had thus far been silent, said. "Duke Chen claimed that Deputy General Jiang has defected, so please provide your evidence — otherwise, slander like this would be insulting to any commanding general." Although Liu Min was the Imperial Grand Tutor, the Emperor favoured him highly for his upright nature and listened to his opinions on many court matters.

No one thought that this Imperial Grand Tutor Liu would blatantly take Jiang Xin Zhi\'s side.

Duke Chen\'s face became even more unsightly, while Xuan Li closely scrutinized Liu Min. The Emperor swept a glance over his courtiers, then asked Xuan Hua, "Lao Fifth, what do you think?"

"This matter is too important, your son dares not recklessly make a decision." His answer was watertight. "Imperial Father is wise in all things[4]."

[4] 明察秋毫 (míngcháqiūháo) – lit. seeing clearly the downy feathers of autumn (idiom) / fig. perceptive of even the finest detail.

The Emperor let out a bark of laughter, but this laugh shocked everyone present in the court. Seeing as the two factions were about to fight again, the Emperor gravely declared, "Since you can\'t decide, you don\'t have to decide anymore."

The officials looked at each other in dismay, not understanding the Emperor\'s thoughts. The Emperor stood up. Eunuch Li hurriedly went up to support him, then announced in a shrill voice, "His Majesty is unwell, court is dismissed–"

After the Emperor left, Xuan Hua approached Xuan Li and said, staring at him, "Eighth Brother moves fast."

"Fifth Brother isn\'t slow either." Xuan Li replied gently, no different from a gentleman.

Xuan Hua slowly clenched his fists, then took a deep breath. "Eighth Brother wants the military power of those hundred thousand troops, but you might be thinking too complacently."

Xuan Li shook his head. "It\'s worth all the hard work... as long as it\'s successful." He left without turning back. When he passed Liu Min, he gave him a significant look.

Mo Cong walked up to Liu Min and patted his shoulder. "You\'ve really offended Eighth Prince today."

"Huh?" Liu Min was a bit confused.

Mo Cong kindly explained to him, "As you know, Duke Chen is Eighth Prince\'s maternal grandfather, so they\'re definitely on the same side. By refuting Duke Chen, you\'ve refuted Eighth Prince. For the sake of once being classmates, I advise you to be a bit more vigilant going forward. Although" — Mo Cong looked Liu Min up and down, "you\'re also acting strangely. Why did you suddenly speak up for Deputy General Jiang?"

Although Liu Min was upright and honest, he wasn\'t reckless. One only needed to look at the fact that he was from a poor family yet could sit firmly as Imperial Grand Tutor and be trusted by the Emperor to know that he was well-versed in officialdom, and could keep a balance between preserving his kindness and not being pitted by others because he was too forthright.

In regards to today\'s events, even if he only meant to advise, based on Liu Min\'s usual manner, he would not have ripped off Duke Chen\'s face in front of all the court officials and ministers like this. This was indeed a rare occurrence. In addition, Jiang Xin Zhi was a military man, while Liu Min was a scholar — typically, they wouldn\'t get within six feet of each other. Thus, when Xuan Li looked at Liu Min earlier, he seemed to have another meaning. Could something have happened that I don\'t know about? As Mo Cong pondered, Liu Min suddenly flinched, as if his words suddenly reminded him of something and he gave him a hurried bow. "I still have something to do. Thank you for the reminder, Mo Daren." Then he hastily walked away with a flick of his sleeves.

Liu Min left just like that before Mo Cong could finish, making him feel stifled. Then he suddenly thought of something and took a look around, but he didn\'t see that person. He muttered to himself, "That\'s strange. For such a big thing Third Brother Xiao didn\'t come to court. Where\'d he go?"

* * *

The Third Brother Xiao whom Mo Cong mentioned was currently in Ci Ning Palace.

Empress Dowager Yi De was clearly stunned when she saw Xiao Shao. She suddenly stood up from the soft couch, making Yang gugu rush forward to help, then took two steps forward and reached out as if wanting to touch Xiao Shao. However, she soon retracted her hand, looking unsure of herself. Any outsiders who saw this would definitely be shocked that the resolute and eternally calm Empress Dowager Yi De could show such an expression.

"Ah... beloved minister Xiao," Empress Dowager Yi De said in a faintly trembling voice, "you came to meet aijia, what\'s the matter?"

In contrast, Xiao Shao was indifferent, even colder than usual. "This official has a request."

"Speak," Empress Dowager Yi De said, "Aijia will do everything in her power to accomplish it."

At this humble, even flattering, attitude, Yang gugu lowered her head, but Xiao Shao\'s face didn\'t change at all, only moving the hand hanging by his side slightly. It was only after a long silence that he said, "May Empress Dowager grant this official a marriage."

"A marriage?" This time, Empress Dowager Yi De cried out in surprise, not knowing whether she was more joyful or shocked. She asked in a high tone, "You have a sweetheart? Which family\'s young lady is she?"

Yang gugu silently patted Empress Dowager Yi De\'s hand, causing her to pause and sit back on the couch. Her long nail guards, embedded with rubies, swept uneasily across the edge of the couch, however her gaze towards Xiao Shao was unerringly soft. "Which family do you want aijia to ask for you?"

Xiao Shao gently lowered his eyes, shifted his body, and slowly knelt on one knee. This was a court official\'s salute to a ruler. With a calm voice devoid of ripples, yet carrying a hint of softness that even he himself didn\'t detect, he said, "Hong\'an Junzhu, the Jiang family\'s eldest di daughter, Miss Ruan."

"Ruan\'er?" If Xiao Shao taking the initiative to request a marriage decree from Empress Dowager Yi De was surprising, then hearing the person he wished to marry stunned her. She froze in place, and only reacted to Xiao Shao\'s kneeling form after a long time. "You get up quickly. Ruan\'er, how did you think of marrying Ruan\'er?"

Xiao Shao stood. He didn\'t hide anything when he narrated indifferently, "Hong\'an Junzhu once granted this official a life-saving grace. Today, the situation at the border area is tense, the whereabouts of Deputy General Jiang are unknown, and Hong\'an Junzhu\'s status is awkward. Both the palace and her family are full of deep scheming. If this official marries her, then Jinying Wangfu can give her at least some protection."

He said it so frankly that it was hard for anyone to doubt it. In addition, Xiao Shao didn\'t usually lie, so Empress Dowager Yi De completely believed him even though she didn\'t know what was the \'life-saving grace\' he talked about. However, she still felt it a little absurd, so she snorted under her breath. "Preposterous, is marriage child\'s play? This isn\'t how you should repay a debt of gratitude. Aijia knows you\'re a person who highly values personal loyalty and thus want to protect her, nonetheless Hong\'an is my granddaughter. So as long as she is within the palace, why isn\'t it possible to shield and protect her?"

"The inner palace isn\'t allowed to participate in politics," Xiao Shao said blandly. "There are some things that Empress Dowager cannot do. The Emperor has already started suppressing Hong\'an Junzhu." He paused, then added, "This official is set on marrying Eldest Miss Jiang."

When these words came out, even Yang gugu, who spent many years struggling in the palace without a change in expression, widened her eyes in shock. Empress Dowager Yi De was also surprised, especially by Xiao Shao\'s last sentence. She asked, "Do you like Ruan\'er?"

Xiao Shao lowered his eyes and his long eyelashes concealed the emotions within. Although he remained silent, an unusual trace of blush appeared on his face.

At this time, silence expressed more than words. What could Empress Dowager Yi De not understand when she saw this? Xiao Shao\'s reputation for aloofness was well known throughout the court, therefore it was unthinkable that he would bare his heart in front of the Empress Dowager like this one day. When she saw such an astonishing expression on Xiao Shao, Empress Dowager Yi De felt surprised, but also a feeling of melancholy rose in her heart.

While immersed in a complicated mood, she also couldn\'t help thinking about what Xiao Shao said. In fact, he was right. The inner palace\'s web of power was complex, and it was very difficult to keep anyone completely safe. In addition, Jiang Ruan\'s situation also involved the frontier area — since she was Jiang Xin Zhi\'s sister, they would move against her the instant anything changed at the border. She saw things like this happen often in the past. And although Empress Dowager Yi De was known far and wide, as an Empress Dowager, she\'d long since stopped getting involved in political affairs. The Emperor also had his own ideas. Even if she was his biological mother, this powerful son was no longer that inexperienced, newly-crowned sovereign.

If the Emperor truly wanted to deal with Jiang Ruan, even she wouldn\'t be able to do anything. This method of Xiao Shao\'s was reckless, but also very effective. If Xiao Shao and Jiang Ruan got married, Jiang Ruan would be a person of Jinying Wangfu. Even if something happened to Jiang Xin Zhi in the future, she would belong to the Xiao family and thus not be involved in Jiang family matters.

Empress Dowager Yi De wasn\'t so pedantic in the first place. In the three years she spent together with Jiang Ruan, she\'d clearly recognized the differences between Jiang Ruan and Princess Yuan Rong. But Jiang Ruan\'s character and behaviour were still very attractive to her. If it were thirty years ago, Empress Dowager Yi De would even want to take Jiang Ruan into the palace as an imperial consort.

The Empress Dowager was already genuinely fond of Jiang Ruan, and now this was the person who Xiao Shao liked. Even so, she had some misgivings, because neither Xiao Shao nor Jiang Ruan had especially warm temperaments so how could they be together? But Xiao Shao\'s actions just now made her relieved. She originally thought Xiao Shao only did this to repay a debt, but the young man couldn\'t hide the emotions in his eyes at all. Empress Dowager Yi De could tell with a single glance that Xiao Shao had already set his heart on Jiang Ruan long ago.

It was impossible for her to deny any of Xiao Shao\'s requests.

Empress Dowager Yi De revealed a small smile. "This child. Aijia watched you grow up, and in the blink of an eye it\'s time for you to start a family of your own."

Yang gugu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear her continue, "About the marriage, aijia has remembered it. That child, Hong\'an, has followed me for several years,and aijia knows she\'s a good-natured person. It\'s just that aijia still has to ask for her opinion. If Hong\'an doesn\'t object, then aijia won\'t be the one to beat the mandarin ducks apart. Aijia has never been one to refuse to help others."

Xiao Shao bowed slightly. "Many thanks to Empress Dowager."

Empress Dowager Yi De happily chatted a bit more. After Xiao Shao left, she reclined against the couch absentmindedly, as if all her energy was sucked away. Yang gugu hurriedly handed her a cup of hot tea.

Empress Dowager Yi De subconsciously took it and stroked its lid, mumbling, "He actually came to Ci Ning Palace... Aijia thought aijia would never see him enter Ci Ning Palace for the rest of my life..."

"Empress Dowager, Xiao Wangye is just more reserved," Yang gugu comforted, "his heart is still clear. But Empress Dowager, do you really want to grant a marriage to Xiao Wangye and Hong\'an Junzhu?"

"How can aijia not grant it?" Empress Dowager Yi De, looking a little tired, sighed. "This is what aijia owes him, and what the Emperor owes him. Even if he wants that seat, no one can say otherwise. This is just a marriage."

Yang gugu thought for a while, then said, "This servant doesn\'t think Xiao Wangye was pretending earlier when he talked about his feelings towards Junzhu."

"He truly loves Hong\'an." Empress Dowager Yi De let out a deeper sigh. "This is what aijia worries about. Hong\'an\'s personality might actually be colder than his. She looks gentle, but she actually doesn\'t care about anything. If Ah Shao can\'t move her heart, it would be useless for aijia to pair them together."

Empress Dowager Yi De frowned. "Besides, the Emperor has already chosen a match for him — the daughter of Binhai province\'s Governor Yao. She is proficient in both literary and martial arts, so much so that she could rival most men, and she is also beautiful. Aijia knows exactly what the Emperor is thinking. Aijia is afraid that after aijia bestows their marriage, the Emperor will go find trouble with Hong\'an." She hesitated a moment. "The Jiang family is also a big problem. Aijia feels that after Ah Shao marries Hong\'an, things will be much more difficult in the future."

Yang gugu smiled and rubbed Empress Dowager Yi De\'s shoulders as she consoled, "Empress Dowager doesn\'t need to think so hard. Xiao Wangye is extraordinary, and Hong\'an Junzhu is also a clever person, they won\'t easily fall prey to their tricks. Since Xiao Wangye likes Hong\'an Junzhu, she must have something special. Besides, Xiao Wangye is the most eligible bachelor of Great Jin, how can Junzhu not like him? Our lives will get better day by day so Empress Dowager can rest assured."

Empress Dowager Yi De\'s furrowed brows slowly loosened at Yang gugu\'s pleasant words, and as if something suddenly came to mind, a smile gradually emerged at the corners of her mouth. "You\'re right, our lives will get better, aijia was the one who got confused. Aijia will call Hong\'an here in the next few days, and discuss this matter properly."