The real reason for Jiang Hongjin's sudden nice acts towards Yurong was revealed; The real mastermind for Yuxi's assassination is revealed here;
After dinner, Jiang Hongjin casually asked Yurong whether she had visited the wangfu1 for any particular reason.
Yurong thought for a moment before answering, "San Jie2 has always been kind to me and taken good care of me. Now that I'm married, of course, I have to visit her." In truth, she said this to let Jiang Hongjin know that with Yuchen—the Wangfei3—as her backer, she wasn't someone who could be easily bullied.
Jiang Hongjin nodded. "That's how it should be. If you're free, you can visit the wangfu1 more often." Had he known that Yurong was going there today, he definitely would have gone too. But even if he had, he still wouldn't have been able to see Yuchen.
Jiang Hongjin hid his thoughts extremely well—no one around him had a clue. He wasn't stupid; if Jing Wang4 found out what he was thinking, he'd be killed instantly.
Yurong smiled. "You said it yourself. If Mother blames me later, you'll have to speak up for me." This situation just showed how important power and influence were. See? As soon as she returned from the wangfu1, Jiang Hongjin's attitude changed immediately.
That night, Jiang Hongjin didn't go out and stayed in the room. He was unusually vigorous that night, taking Yurong twice in a row, to the point that she could barely handle it. Before falling into a deep sleep, Yurong wondered how he could be so energetic without taking any medicine. Had she somehow gotten something wrong?
After venting his desires, Jiang Hongjin left and didn't return. Only after he had left the courtyard did Luye enter the bedroom. Seeing the mess on the bed and Yurong's bruised body, she felt both ashamed and angry. She brought hot water to clean Yurong up, then helped her settle into bed. As for herself, she slept on the floor beside the bed.
Jiang Hongjin returned to his study and took a painting out of a hidden compartment. It depicted someone in profile with a qin placed beside them. He had been cautious; if it had been a frontal portrait of Yuchen, it might have revealed his feelings. A side view wouldn't give him away. Gazing at the figure, Jiang Hongjin murmured softly, "If only she were you, how wonderful that would be." He had imagined Yurong as Yuchen; otherwise, how could he have been so vigorous? If Yurong ever found out the truth, she would have coughed up blood.
Yurong didn't wake up until broad daylight the next day. Her whole body ached. "Luye, where is the Second Master?" She assumed that Jiang Hongjin had left in the morning.
Luye hesitated but decided to tell the truth. "Er Nainai5, Second Master left last night after you fell asleep. He spent the night in the study in the front courtyard." After pausing, she lowered her head and added, "Er Nainai5, I was the one who changed your clothes."
Yurong's face turned ashen with rage. How foolish of her to think Jiang Hongjin would be kind to her because of her San Jie2, even if it were merely superficial kindness. But in the end, he used her and tossed her aside. What did Jiang Hongjin take her for?
Luye advised, "Er Nainai5, this is the Jiang household. You'll have to live here in the future, so it's not wise to offend Madam and Second Master too much. Otherwise, you're the one who'll suffer."
Yurong felt that made sense and nodded. "You're right—we still have a long road ahead." She didn't want a divorce. After all, it was always the woman who suffered in a separation. She recalled what Momo Gui said about the Jiang family rules: as long as she bore a child, neither Yu Shi nor Jiang Hongjin could cast her off.
On the same day, the Marshal's residence in Tong City was surrounded.
The personal guard, Chiang Tao, said anxiously, "Marshal, this is bad! Qiu Dashan has brought troops and surrounded the Marshal's residence." Nearly all of Tong City's military officers had rebelled, and those who didn't were imprisoned. While the ones who stubbornly resisted were all executed.
Marquis Chiang felt desolate. He hadn't died at the hands of the Donghu people, yet was about to die at the hands of his own subordinates. Although he knew the situation in Tong City was complicated, it was far worse than he had imagined. He had spent so much time believing he had control over Liaodong, thinking he had won over Qiu Dashan and the others, only to realise they had only pretended to submit.
Although Qiu Dashan led troops to besiege the Marshal's residence, he had no intention of killing Marquis Chiang. Yan Wushuang had ordered that persuading Marquis Chiang to defect would be far more useful than killing him.
Chiang Tao conveyed the message to Marquis Chiang: "My Lord, Qiu Dashan wishes to meet with the Marshal. What do you think...?"
Marquis Chiang replied, "I would rather die than surrender." If he surrendered, the entire Chiang family, young and old, would be doomed. No matter how unfilial he might be, he couldn't let his mother, who was in her sixties, die because of him.
Upon receiving this response, Qiu Dashan didn't immediately attack the Marshal's residence. Instead, he went to seek Yan Wushuang's instructions. Yan Wushuang instructed, "I want him alive." Since he wouldn't surrender willingly, they would have to force him.
Qiu Dashan led five thousand troops and took just a shichen6 to breach the Marshal's residence. Marquis Chiang was gravely wounded and attempted to take his own life by cutting his own throat, but his personal guard, Chiang Ping, stopped him. Grabbing his hand, Chiang Ping cried, "Marshal, you absolutely mustn't!"
Looking at Chiang Ping, Marquis Chiang asked coldly, "Chiang Ping, I have not treated you poorly—why would you betray your master?" Had Chiang Ping not stopped him, he would already have died for his country.
At that moment, Qiu Dashan arrived with his men and overpowered Marquis Chiang and Chiang Ping. Marquis Chiang was now in no position to die if he wanted to.
Chiang Ping lowered his head and said, "My Lord, he who understands the times is a wise and outstanding person7. Why can't you join him? Why sacrifice your life and reputation for that dog of an Emperor?"
Hearing these words, Marquis Chiang was so furious that his anger attacked his heart.
Looking at the unconscious Marquis Chiang, Yan Wushuang said to Qiu Dashan, "Make sure he survives. I still have great use for him."
Qiu Dashan nodded and replied, "Yes, Young Master." He had once been Yan Wushuang's childhood playmate. However, after misfortune befell the Yan family, he was separated from Yan Wushuang and taken in by a military household.
In the past, Yuxi had said that Qiu Dashan's name symbolised hatred as great as a mountain, but that was just her overthinking it. In truth, it was just a coincidence. Qiu was the surname of the military family who took him in, and he was named Dashan8 in the hope that he would grow up to be as strong and upright as a mountain.
When Yan Wushuang obtained the Marshal's seal, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
Qiu Dashan wondered aloud, "Young Master, this command seal can't even mobilise the troops. What use is it?" Marquis Chiang's failure wasn't due to his incompetence, but for two reasons. Firstly, he had arrived in Liaodong too recently and hadn't established a strong foundation or cultivated loyal commanders. Secondly, and more importantly, the Tong City Massacre was a wound that the soldiers and people of Liaodong could not forget. Many current officers had either survived the tragedy or lost family members in it. How could they continue to serve the Emperor once they learned he was behind it?
Yan Wushuang smiled. "Don't underestimate this marshal's seal. When used well, it can rival thousands of troops and ten thousand horses9." With the right strategy, they could use the seal to sway the opinions of civil and military officials alike.
When he saw Yan Wushuang's reaction, Qiu Dashan didn't ask any more questions.
Yan Wushuang summoned a forgery expert to imitate Marquis Chiang's handwriting and drafted a memorial. In it, 'Marquis Chiang' fiercely denounced the Emperor for treason and colluding with the enemy. At the end of the memorial, he declared that he would raise troops in support of the late Crown Prince's orphaned heir. After it was written, Yan Wushuang personally stamped it with the marshal's seal.
Yan Wushuang's trusted aide, Mr Guo Zhong, was somewhat surprised. "Wangye10, will this strategy even work? If the Emperor doesn't believe that Marquis Chiang has turned traitor, won't all our efforts have been in vain?"
Yan Wushuang smiled mockingly and replied, "If he had any self-restraint, he wouldn't have colluded with the Donghu back then just to seize the throne. As the saying goes, 'rivers and mountains are easy to change, but one's nature is hard to alter11'. Even as Emperor, he can't change his impatient nature. Besides, colluding with the Donghu is a lifelong stain he can never wash away. When he sees this memorial, he won't even suspect it's part of our scheme to sow discord."
He chuckled again and added, "Even if the Emperor doesn't believe it, the common people will." The Imperial Court was already wavering in the wind and rain12. Encountering such a matter again, the Imperial Court would certainly lose the people's hearts13.
Guo Zhong greatly admired Yan Wushuang. "Master, your thinking is always so thorough."
Yan Wushuang sighed regretfully. "It's just a pity I can't take that dog Emperor's life so soon. If Yun Qing were to join forces with me, it would take me no more than three months to do so." He had once sworn to offer that head to the over one hundred thousand wronged souls of Tong City.
Guo Zhong looked concerned when Yun Qing was mentioned. "Master, Yun Qing already controls the northwest. If he expands into Henan and Shanxi, he will become a real threat."
Yan Wushuang shook his head. "Actually, I'd prefer it if Yun Qing were eager to expand. If he rushed to increase his power, his foundation would be unstable and easier to take down later on. Unfortunately, he's not rushing to expand at all. Instead, he's focused on reorganising the military and civil administration in the northwest. It won't be long before he has the full loyalty of both soldiers and civilians. When that time comes, the northwest will be his domain. Removing him at that point will be extremely difficult." If not, it could even be impossible.
Yan Wushuang had never thought of Yun Qing as a threat. He had always believed that Yun Qing was rigid, inflexible and unable to adapt. People like that were the easiest to control. However, as the saying goes, 'Man proposes, but God disposes14'. He never expected Yun Qing to marry someone like Han Shi, a woman of extraordinary intelligence and ambition who managed to influence him.
Guo Zhong said with some regret, "Yueying has never failed before. Who would have thought she'd fall at Han Shi's hands?" Yueying was one of the top three assassins in their organisation.🦊
Rather than saying Yueying had failed, Yan Wushuang felt it would be more accurate to say Han Shi had a strong survival fate. To survive even under those circumstances, she must have relied on something other than luck.
Guo Zhong asked, "Master, should we send someone again..."
Yan Wushuang raised his hand, cutting Guo Zhong off. "Don't waste manpower—we won't get such a good opportunity again." If a close-range assassination had already failed, succeeding again would be as hard as reaching the heavens.
Guo Zhong hesitated, then said, "Master, I have a feeling that if Han Shi isn't eliminated, she'll cause us endless trouble in the future."
Yan Wushuang responded, "Given Han Shi's intelligence, she must already know I was behind this attempt. She and I have already become enemies who won't rest until one of us dies." Han Shi was cunning, and Yun Qing was strategic—becoming enemies with this pair was never what Yan Wushuang wanted. But reality didn't bend to his will.
Guo Zhong hadn't realised that Yan Wushuang feared the two of them so much. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Master, we might have a chance to exploit if there's a rift between Yun Qing and Han Shi."
When Guo Zhong suggested using a honey trap to create discord between the couple, Yan Wushuang said regretfully, "A beauty trap won't work on Yun Qing." If it had worked, he would have used it long ago.
Footnotes Full List
- 王wáng: king, 府 fǔ: residence
- 三 sān: three/third, 姐 jiě: elder sister
- 王 wáng: king, 妃 fēi: consort
- 王 wáng: king
- 二 èr: two/second, 奶奶 nǎinai: (dialect) young mistress of the house
- 时辰 shíchen: 2 hours
- The phrase, 识时务者为俊杰 (shí shíwù zhě wéi jùnjié), implies that a truly wise and capable person is one who can adapt to changing circumstances and recognise the prevailing trends. It suggests that success comes from understanding and aligning with the realities of the time.
- 大山 Dàshān: Great Mountain
- 千军万马 (qiān jūn wàn mǎ) → "thousands of troops and ten thousand horses" (a Chinese idiom meaning a vast, powerful army)
- 王 wáng: king, 爷 ye: lord
- This idiom, 江山易改本性难移 (jiāng shān yì gǎi běn xìng nán yí), conveys the idea that while external circumstances or even grand natural features can undergo transformation, a person's fundamental character or ingrained habits are incredibly difficult to change. It's often used to express the stubbornness of human nature or a deep-seated personality trait.
- 风雨飘摇 (fēngyǔ piāoyáo) – "wavering in the wind and rain" (a metaphor for instability and crisis)
- 失了民心 (shī le mínxīn): To lose public support
- This idiom, 人算不如天算 (rén suàn bù rú tiān suàn), conveys the idea that human efforts or meticulous planning can never fully account for or overcome the unpredictable forces of fate, destiny, or divine will. It suggests that despite our best intentions and elaborate schemes, events may unfold unexpectedly beyond our control, often implying a larger, overarching plan at play.
- Top three? Didn't look like it, though. Erm... perhaps it was because she was pregnant at that time?
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